"What's so hard about that? Sea Burst Crocodile, get moving!" The moment the Spirit Beast Master finished speaking, Shu Da impatiently pointed ahead and shouted an order.
The Sea Burst Crocodile let out a growl, its four legs pounding as it surged forward. Its long, crocodile-like tail swung behind it as it charged into the Spirit Pressure Tunnel, jaws snapping.
The tunnel entrance was exactly a hundred paces from the far end. The deeper one ventured, the stronger the spirit pressure became.
The Sea Burst Crocodile charged ahead in one breath, with a hint of unstoppable momentum. In almost the blink of an eye, it had covered fifty paces—half the length of the Spirit Pressure Tunnel.
Shu Da was brimming with confidence. He laughed loudly. "A little Spirit Pressure Tunnel is nothing special! How could it possibly stop me? Sea Burst Crocodile, charge!"
Shu Er's eyes narrowed to slits, dark light flickering within them. He was hoping Shu Da would fail, though he knew the Spirit Pressure Tunnel was only the first test. Its main purpose was to gauge the potential of a newly hatched Demon Beast, so it naturally wouldn't stop an eight-year-old Sea Burst Crocodile.
At its master's command, the Sea Burst Crocodile roared repeatedly and kept up its speed, surging another thirty paces forward. It had covered eighty paces, leaving only twenty between it and its goal.
Seeing the Sea Burst Crocodile's performance, even the Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master couldn't help but nod to himself. "The Sea Burst Crocodile is indeed impressive. I heard that when it hatched, it broke through to eight years of cultivation during the Foundation Establishment stage. With careful nurturing and steady progress, it will surely become strong enough to dominate its corner of the world in time."
Thinking of this, he couldn't help feeling sorry for Chu Yun. If Chu Yun hadn't coveted that little bag of Earth-Fiend Stone Coins, this Sea Burst Crocodile would have been his Demon Beast.
With a Demon Beast of such fine potential, hatched and raised by its own Spirit Beast Master, making a name for oneself was all but certain—as long as the master wasn't utterly incompetent.
This Spirit Beast Master had been stationed at the Earth Altar for decades. He was loyal and upright, and he couldn't stand the likes of Shu Da and Shu Er, two spoiled young masters who never studied or applied themselves. By comparison, he had far more faith in Chu Yun, who had been known for his intelligence since childhood and was also gentle and courteous.
"Still, Chu Yun is only the city lord's adopted son, while Shu Da and Shu Er are his own flesh and blood. Ah, if only Chu Yun were the city lord's own son."
As he sighed ruefully to himself, Shu Da's impatient voice suddenly rang out.
"Why are you slowing down? Keep going! Move faster!"
Inside the tunnel, the Sea Burst Crocodile trembled, panting heavily. Every step was a struggle. Those final twenty paces were proving especially difficult.
Shu Da was deeply dissatisfied, his anger rising as he shouted at it.
The Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master furrowed his brow slightly. With his many years of experience, he had already noticed something was wrong.
The Spirit Pressure Tunnel was a common way to assess the potential of newly hatched Demon Beasts. The farther into the tunnel they went, the heavier the spirit pressure became. Under that external pressure, a Demon Beast's potential would become clear.
At first, a Demon Beast could stroll into the tunnel with ease. But the farther it went, the heavier the pressure grew, and slowing down was inevitable.
However, the Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master estimated that a Sea Burst Crocodile with potential like this one's should have been able to reach the ninety-pace mark before showing such signs of exhaustion. It had only gone eighty paces, yet was already struggling. Clearly, something had gone wrong during the hatching, affecting its potential.
If something went wrong during childbirth, a person might suffer a lasting injury or disability that affected the rest of their life. Sometimes, both mother and child died.
Birth was a major matter; it could not be taken lightly.
Hatching a Demon Beast was just as important. How could it be treated like child's play?
Shu Da had acted hastily and made no proper preparations. He had even peeled the eggshell away from the Sea Burst Crocodile, depriving it of a crucial trial and naturally affecting its potential. It should have been able to break through to nine years of cultivation in one go, but had reached only eight.
"That Shu Da..." The Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master snorted inwardly, feeling sorry for the Sea Burst Crocodile. Such a fine pearl had fallen into the hands of such an owner.
Even so, the Sea Burst Crocodile reached the end of the tunnel. A slab of bluestone stood there, with three jade slips resting on it: one blue, one green, and one red.
"Bring back the blue jade slip," the Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master reminded it at the right moment.
The Sea Burst Crocodile brought back the jade slip. The Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master glanced at the hourglass and announced calmly, "Three quarters of an hour. Keep the jade slip with you for now. Next."
"Damn it, you useless thing." Shu Da's face darkened as he cursed. The Sea Burst Crocodile's performance toward the end had fallen short of his expectations.
The Sea Burst Crocodile swayed unsteadily, its spirit flagging. After a trip through the Spirit Pressure Tunnel, it had none of its earlier imposing presence. Hearing its master criticize it, it lowered its head, looking thoroughly dejected.
Shu Da was angry, but Shu Er was delighted. The corners of his mouth lifted as he stepped forward, brimming with confidence.
The Green Fang Snake, a streak of green, flicked its tongue with a hiss and slithered leisurely into the depths of the tunnel...
At around the eighty-fifth pace, the Green Fang Snake gradually slowed, as if an invisible Wind Wall stood in its way. It struggled forward and finally reached the bluestone slab.
"The green jade slip," the Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master reminded them.
"Pick up the green jade slip!" Shu Er immediately shouted. But the Green Fang Snake seemed dazed. Even after hearing Shu Er's command, it didn't move for quite some time.
"Heh..." Shu Da, who had been wearing a grim expression, finally smiled.
Hearing him laugh, Shu Er's expression shifted. He repeated the command several times in a row. Only then did the Green Fang Snake seem to "understand." Hesitantly, it opened its mouth and swallowed the jade slip whole. Then it flicked its tail and slowly slithered back.
"Under pressure, the Demon Beast hesitated and failed to follow its master's instructions. It seems Shu Er didn't clean himself before hatching the egg and carried someone else's scent. Or perhaps someone else was present. Either way, this flaw runs deep. He can worry about it himself..."
The Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master's eyes gleamed; he understood perfectly well. But he said nothing, merely glancing at the hourglass before announcing, "Two and a half quarters of an hour. Last one."
Hearing this, Shu Er let out a long breath of relief, raised his eyebrows, and glanced sideways at Shu Da.
"Hmph, useless thing!" Shu Da had been laughing just moments ago, but now he was so furious that he took it out on the Sea Burst Crocodile. He kicked it, sending the already weakened beast whimpering as it rolled across the ground three times. Once it struggled back to its feet, its gaze toward Shu Da was filled with fear and timidity. It stood hesitantly where it was, afraid to move forward.
Shu Er burst into laughter, feeling such unbridled pleasure that he could hardly put it into words! His displeasure at the Green Fang Snake for ignoring his command vanished at once.
"Your young master really is a genius! If I take first place this time, I'll have to brag to Mother when I get back. If I make her happy enough, she might even give me that pretty maid by her side."
He was both proud and delighted. At the thought of it, his long, narrow eyes narrowed to slits, gleaming with dark light.
As for Chu Yun? He hadn't even considered him.
It was only a somewhat mutated Fire Fox. How could it possibly compete with his Green Fang Snake, which had eight years of cultivation?
What a fool, overestimating himself!
Chu Yun smiled as before. He crouched down and stroked the Heavenly Fox's little head. Its warmth and silky-smooth fur against his palm filled him with delight.
The little fox narrowed its eyes too, lifting its head slightly to meet his touch, looking utterly content.
"Take it slow. Bring back that red jade slip." Chu Yun pointed to the last jade slip on the bluestone slab and gently reminded it.
The Heavenly Fox was highly intelligent. It had also survived the Demon Tribulation, and its heart resonated with Chu Yun's; they were as close as could be. At his instruction, it obediently nodded and gave a little cry. Its voice was clear and gentle, as if reassuring Chu Yun.
The sight of man and fox living in such harmony moved the Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master. For some reason, Chu Yun struck him as likable.
Shu Er was still lost in his daydream.
Shu Da gave a scornful snort. "You sure know your limits. It's only a Fire Fox. You can't even make it walk faster, hahaha!"
After unexpectedly losing to Shu Er, Shu Da's pent-up fury was ready to spill over onto Chu Yun.
But Chu Yun didn't take the bait. He acted as though he hadn't heard, his expression calm as he watched the Heavenly Fox.
He knew that the Heavenly Fox was a peerless Demon Beast. It had survived the Demon Tribulation and reached ten years of cultivation. The Sea Burst Crocodile and Green Fang Snake couldn't hold a candle to it. If they could pass through the Spirit Pressure Tunnel, the Heavenly Fox naturally could too.
He was only worried that the Heavenly Fox would perform too well. That would surely cause a sensation and draw the attention of interested parties, ultimately exposing its true rank.
Wealth should not be flaunted.
If the information that he possessed a peerless Demon Beast got out, even his father, Shu Tianhao, might not be able to protect him. At that point, a flood of ill-intentioned people would come swarming, enough to flatten Shu Family Island and drown it beneath the sea!
This was a peerless Demon Beast, a Heavenly Fox that had survived the Demon Tribulation!
As Chu Yun watched anxiously, the Heavenly Fox began walking through the Spirit Pressure Tunnel.
Its bright black eyes shone like diamonds. Its snowy-white fur and pink paws were both adorable and majestic. It looked like an exquisite work of art, impossible to forget at first sight.
It took light steps, its head held slightly high, its supple white tail swaying gently. Its manner was composed, and it even exuded an air of elegance.
"Hm? This Fire Fox..." The Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master's eyes lit up, then dimmed again. "What a pity. It's still only a Fire Fox."
"Pretty on the outside, empty within." Shu Da gave an unhappy snort.
Chu Yun, however, quietly let out a long breath. The Heavenly Fox was highly intelligent and had followed his instructions, indeed walking very slowly.
It strolled leisurely, and before anyone knew it, it had reached the bluestone slab. It opened its mouth, took the fiery-red jade slip in its teeth, and turned back.
The Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master had been watching the whole time. Only now did he snap out of it, his heart jolting. Could this really be a Fire Fox?
He stared wide-eyed at the Heavenly Fox as it returned. For a moment, he almost thought his eyes were deceiving him!
The Heavenly Fox strolled at its leisure, as if the crushing spirit pressure inside the tunnel didn't exist at all. Though it walked slowly, it hadn't paused or faltered once. The sight was astonishing.