A Fierce Repayment

'I, I actually became a hundred-year Soul Beast...'

The awakened Little Blue Silver Grass sensed the aura radiating from within its body. There was surprise, but even more so, disbelief.

Although it had felt its age approaching the hundred-year mark last month, rising from a ten-year Soul Beast to a hundred-year one was not as simple as just saying the words.

That was a leap in the hierarchy of life, and for a Soul Beast with a mixed bloodline, it was fraught with extreme danger.

The slightest carelessness could lead to a backlash; at best, its age would regress and it would suffer heavy injuries, and at worst, it would lose its intelligence entirely and be reduced to a common beast.

While it felt its talent was decent and it had confidence in promoting to a hundred-year Soul Beast, it shouldn't have been this easy—breaking through just by taking a simple nap.

"Congratulations, little guy. I didn't expect you to break through so quickly. I thought you'd need another month or two. It seems the Hundred Herb Liquid I prepared in advance won't be needed."

Xu Bai walked slowly to the front of the Little Blue Silver Grass, looking at the patch of grass that had grown nearly as tall as him, and spoke with a light chuckle.

'Right, it's you, kind human!' Hearing the familiar voice, the Little Blue Silver Grass immediately regained its senses, its leaves swaying slightly as if trembling with excitement: 'Kind human, thank you. If not for you, I would never have been able to achieve the status of a hundred-year Soul Beast so quickly. I, I must repay you handsomely!'

"Repay me... handsomely?" Hearing this, Xu Bai wore an intrigued expression: "Tell me, how do you plan to repay me?"

'I want to...' The Little Blue Silver Grass stopped mid-sentence.

It had been too happy before, its heart filled only with the desire to repay this kind human, but it hadn't actually thought about how.

If the Little Blue Silver Grass had a face, it would surely be wearing a troubled expression right now.

As a half-wild, half-domesticated Soul Beast, it couldn't bear fruit, nor did it possess any treasures. From head to toe, aside from its precious life and a body that would only make cattle and sheep drool, it had nothing.

When it came to repayment, it truly had no clue.

Watching the contemplative Little Blue Silver Grass, Xu Bai didn't urge it, merely wearing an interested look, wanting to see what kind of repayment this Blue Silver Grass, which had grown up under his very eyes, could offer.

After a long period of contemplation, the Little Blue Silver Grass seemed to have an idea. Its vines retracted, and it spoke hesitantly: 'How about this, I'll accompany you to bask in the sun and moon every day from now on, how does that sound?'

"Do you think that counts as repayment?" Xu Bai asked with a half-smile, feeling as though the Little Blue Silver Grass was playing with him.

'Ah~ does that not count as repayment?' Although confused, the Little Blue Silver Grass began to think again.

A moment later, it spoke again: 'Then how about I talk to you every day to keep you company and relieve your boredom?'

"Is this your understanding of repayment?" Xu Bai was speechless; he realized he truly couldn't understand the thought process of a blade of grass.

'I can't bear fruit and I don't have any treasures. All I can do is help relieve your boredom so you don't feel lonely...' The Little Blue Silver Grass's leaves swayed gently, feeling a bit embarrassed, yet also somewhat righteous.

"Fine then..." Xu Bai shook his head slightly.

As expected, he shouldn't have had any expectations for a repayment from a blade of grass.

This wasn't a cultivation world where spirits and monsters could transform into human form and offer themselves in marriage after achieving success.

Wait, Soul Beasts on the Douluo Continent could apparently transform into human form after reaching one hundred thousand years of age...

Thinking of this, Xu Bai's gaze toward the Little Blue Silver Grass became somewhat strange. The abstract thoughts belonging to an adult began to stir within him, but the moment this thought arose, his rational mind gave him a fierce slap.

You're truly starving to the point of madness, not even sparing a blade of grass. You're truly despicable.

The Little Blue Silver Grass was naturally unaware of Xu Bai's internal monologue, but it heard the disappointment in his tone and felt a bit unconvinced: 'Then you tell me, how do you want me to repay you?'

Hearing this, Xu Bai snapped back to reality, calmed the two warring thoughts in his mind, and said calmly: "Become my tamed beast."

'Tamed... beast?' The Little Blue Silver Grass was puzzled.

"That's right." Xu Bai nodded: "Just like that Little White Tiger. It is my first tamed beast."

'Ah~ does becoming your tamed beast count as repayment?' The Little Blue Silver Grass was even more confused.

Xu Bai frowned: "Why do you say that?"

The Little Blue Silver Grass thought for a moment and said: 'If I remember correctly, every time that white tiger appears, it's either eating or playing, and every time you appear, you're either getting food for it or on your way to get food for it.'

'Sometimes you even have to brush its fur and help it bathe. If you hadn't said anything, I would have thought you were the one repaying it...'

It paused, then added in a small voice: 'If you really like that, I can agree to become your tamed beast.'

Xu Bai: ?????

"You haven't seen it when it's actually putting in work; what I do is just rewarding it." Xu Bai tried to keep his tone calm, doing his best not to show any signs of embarrassment or anger.

'So that's how it is...' The Little Blue Silver Grass realized, then said solemnly: 'Then, in order to repay you, I am willing to become your tamed beast.'

"Good, it's a deal." Xu Bai nodded.

'It's a deal!' The Little Blue Silver Grass responded.

It paused, then asked: 'Does that mean I am your tamed beast starting now? Or what must I do to be considered your tamed beast?'

"In a while, once my level breaks through, I will sign a contract with you." Xu Bai replied, then turned and walked back into the house to continue his cultivation.

The Little Blue Silver Grass had already become a hundred-year Soul Beast; he couldn't fall behind. He had to reach level twenty as soon as possible...

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, another month went by. Xu Bai, immersed in his cultivation, suddenly opened his eyes. The aura around him changed, suddenly rising to a higher level.

"Level twenty, finally broken through!"

He clenched his fist slightly, feeling the surging power within his body, a look of joy flashing in his eyes.

But this joy did not last long before a sudden change occurred.

Xu Bai paused, then hurriedly cast his consciousness into his Beast Taming Space.

The sight that greeted him left him astonished.

He saw that the already vast Beast Taming Space had actually expanded, seemingly due to the breakthrough in his cultivation.

The expansion had already ceased, but the space was now significantly larger, its area having likely increased several times over.

As for the Garlic Bird, it was still fast asleep; the recent phenomenon had clearly had no effect on it whatsoever.

Xu Bai let out a soft sigh, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

He had already been at a loss as to how to form an internal cycle within the Beast Taming Space, and now that its area had grown even larger, he was even more helpless.

I truly underestimated you when I called you an imperfect small world. If you keep growing like this, by the time I reach the rank of Titled Douluo, won't you have turned into an imperfect great world?

Xu Bai shook his head slightly and spoke with a sense of melancholy, "Garlic Bird, Garlic Bird, I suppose I'll just have to take things one step at a time. Establishing an internal cycle for the Beast Taming Space is a long and arduous road; now I have one more task that will consume my time, energy, and money..."

Muttering to himself, Xu Bai walked straight out of his room.

Since he had reached level twenty, it was time to form a contract with the Little Blue Silver Grass, and he was eager to see exactly what its proficiency level in "Tenacity" was.