Unbelievable

"What is difficult about this? Sea Burst Crocodile, go!" No sooner had the Spirit Beast Master finished speaking than Shu Da pointed his finger impatiently and issued a loud command.

The Sea Burst Crocodile let out a hiss, its legs churning as it surged forward. Its long, crocodilian tail whipped behind it, and it stepped into the Spirit Pressure Tunnel, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws.

The entrance of the tunnel was exactly one hundred paces from the end. The deeper one pushed inside, the stronger the spirit pressure became.

The Sea Burst Crocodile pressed on in one go, charging forward with an air of being unstoppable. In the blink of an eye, it had covered fifty paces—half the length of the Spirit Pressure Tunnel.

Shu Da was brimming with smug satisfaction and let out a loud laugh. "A measly Spirit Pressure Tunnel, is that all? How could it possibly stump me? Sea Burst Crocodile, charge for me!"

Shu Er's eyes narrowed into slits, a sinister glint flickering within them. He was secretly hoping for Shu Da's failure, though he knew that the Spirit Pressure Tunnel was merely the first trial. It was primarily used to detect the potential of newborn spirit beasts, and naturally, it could not stop a Sea Burst Crocodile with eight years of cultivation.

Obeying the command, the Sea Burst Crocodile hissed repeatedly, its speed undiminished as it charged another thirty paces. Eighty paces had passed; only twenty remained to reach the target.

Seeing the Sea Burst Crocodile's performance, the Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master could not help but nod to himself. "The Sea Burst Crocodile is truly impressive. I heard that during the hatching and Foundation Establishment phase, it surged straight to eight years of cultivation. As long as it is nurtured carefully and developed steadily, it will surely have the strength to dominate a region in time."

Thinking of this, he felt a sense of pity for Chu Yun. If not for his greed over that small bag of Earth-Fiend Stone Coins, this Sea Burst Crocodile would likely have been his spirit beast.

With a spirit beast of such aptitude, and having hatched and raised it personally, as long as the Spirit Beast Master was not overly incompetent, making a name for himself was a certainty.

This Spirit Beast Master had been stationed at the Earth Altar for decades. Loyal and upright, he despised the two good-for-nothing, spoiled brats, Shu Da and Shu Er. By comparison, he favored Chu Yun, who had been known for his intelligence since childhood and was always gentle and courteous.

"It is just a pity that Chu Yun is only the City Lord's foster son, while Shu Da and Shu Er are the City Lord's own flesh and blood. Sigh, if only Chu Yun were the City Lord's biological son."

Just as he sighed with regret, Shu Da's irritable voice suddenly rang out.

"Why has your speed slowed down? Keep moving! Speed up!"

Inside the tunnel, the Sea Burst Crocodile's body trembled, and it panted heavily. Every step was a struggle; these final twenty paces were proving exceptionally difficult.

Shu Da was extremely dissatisfied, his anger flaring as he barked orders.

The Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master could not help but frown slightly; with his many years of rich experience, he had already spotted the problem.

The Spirit Pressure Tunnel was a common method for detecting the potential of newborn spirit beasts. The deeper one went into the tunnel, the heavier the spirit pressure became. Under the pressure of external forces, one could discern the aptitude of the spirit beast.

When a spirit beast first entered the tunnel, it was naturally relaxed and comfortable. But as it went further, the pressure would inevitably mount, and a decrease in speed was only natural.

However, the Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master estimated that, given the Sea Burst Crocodile's potential, it should have been able to reach ninety paces before showing such fatigue. To show signs of collapse at only eighty paces clearly meant that the hatching process had been flawed, impacting the creature's potential.

When a person was born, if complications occurred during labor, leaving behind underlying illnesses or disabilities that affected them for life, it was a common occurrence. Sometimes, both mother and child suffered, and both perished.

Birth was a major event that could not be overlooked.

The hatching of a spirit beast was equally critical. How could it be treated as child's play?

Shu Da had acted in haste and was ill-prepared. By peeling away the eggshell for the Sea Burst Crocodile, he had bypassed a crucial trial, which naturally affected its aptitude. In truth, it could have surged to nine years of cultivation, but now it had only reached the eight-year level.

"This Shu Da..." The Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master gave a soft grunt, feeling sorry for the Sea Burst Crocodile. Such a bright pearl had been cast before the wrong master.

However, the Sea Burst Crocodile eventually reached the end of the tunnel. At the end lay a slab of bluestone, upon which rested three jade slips: blue, green, and red.

"Bring back the blue jade slip," the Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master said at the right moment, offering a reminder.

The Sea Burst Crocodile retrieved the jade slip. The Spirit Beast Master glanced at the hourglass and announced indifferently, "Time taken: three quarters. Keep the jade slip in your possession. Next."

"Damn it, you useless thing," Shu Da said with an ugly expression, cursing. The Sea Burst Crocodile's late-stage performance did not match his expectations.

The Sea Burst Crocodile swayed, looking dejected. After its trip through the Spirit Pressure Tunnel, it no longer possessed its earlier imposing aura. Hearing its master's criticism, it lowered its head, appearing listless.

Shu Da was angry, but Shu Er's heart grew light. With a slight curl of his lips and full of confidence, he stepped forward.

The Green Fang Snake, like a line of green, flicked its tongue and slithered leisurely into the depths of the tunnel.

At about eighty-five paces, the Green Fang Snake's speed gradually slowed, as if it were facing an invisible wall of wind. The snake struggled to move forward, finally reaching the edge of the bluestone.

"The green jade slip," the Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master reminded him.

"Pick up the green jade slip," Shu Er immediately shouted. The Green Fang Snake, however, seemed dizzy and confused; it heard Shu Er's command but did not move.

"Heh..." Shu Da, who had been wearing a tense expression, laughed.

Hearing this laugh, Shu Er's face changed slightly, and he repeated the command several times. Only then did the Green Fang Snake "understand." It hesitantly opened its jaws and swallowed the jade slip directly into its belly. Only then did it flick its tail and swim slowly back.

"Under pressure, the spirit beast hesitates and fails to obey the Spirit Beast Master's commands. It seems that when Shu Er was hatching the egg, he didn't clean the shell, leaving behind the scent of others. Or perhaps someone else was simply present. This flaw is deep-seated; I shall leave him to worry about it himself..."

The Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master's gaze was sharp, and he understood the situation clearly. He did not speak of it, however, merely glancing at the hourglass and announcing, "Time taken: two and a half quarters. Last one."

Hearing this, Shu Er let out a sigh of relief, his brows arching as he cast a sidelong glance at Shu Da.

"Hmph, useless thing!" Shu Da, who had just been laughing, was now so filled with resentment that he had to take it out on the Sea Burst Crocodile. He kicked it, causing the weak creature to whimper and roll three times on the ground. After struggling to stand, the look it gave Shu Da was filled with cowering fear. It stood hesitantly in place, not daring to move forward.

Shu Er laughed heartily, feeling a sense of satisfaction that was difficult to put into words! His earlier dissatisfaction with the Green Fang Snake for ignoring his commands vanished instantly.

"I, this young master, am truly a genius! Since I've taken first place this time, I must boast to Mother when I return. If I can coax her into a good mood, perhaps she will bestow that beautiful maidservant of hers upon me."

He was both smug and joyful. Thinking of the pleasant prospect, his narrow eyes squinted into slits, flickering with sinister light.

As for Chu Yun? He was not even in his considerations.

A mere mutated Fire Fox. How could it compare to his eight-year-cultivation Green Fang Snake?

What a fool, overestimating his own strength!

Chu Yun remained smiling as usual, crouching down to stroke the Heavenly Fox's little head. The warm, silk-like sensation against his palm brought joy to his heart.

The little fox also narrowed its eyes, tilting its head slightly to meet his touch, looking completely content.

"Walk slowly, and bring back that red jade slip," Chu Yun said softly, pointing his finger at the final jade slip on the bluestone.

The Heavenly Fox possessed great spiritual intelligence, and having survived a demonic tribulation, it shared a deep, intimate connection with Chu Yun. Upon receiving his instruction, it nodded obediently and let out a cry. The sound was crisp and delicate, as if to reassure Chu Yun.

The sight of the man and fox coexisting in such harmony moved the Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master. For some reason, he found Chu Yun quite agreeable to look at.

Shu Er remained immersed in his pleasant dreams.

Shu Da, however, let out a disdainful snort and mocked, "At least you have some self-awareness. It's just a Fire Fox; it couldn't go fast even if it wanted to, ha!"

Having unexpectedly lost to Shu Er, Shu Da was filled with pent-up frustration and prepared to vent it all on Chu Yun.

Little did he know that Chu Yun simply ignored him, turning a deaf ear to his taunts. His expression remained calm as he secretly observed the Heavenly Fox's performance.

He knew that the Heavenly Fox was a peerless-grade spirit beast that had survived a demonic tribulation, reaching ten years of cultivation. The Sea Burst Crocodile and the Green Fang Snake could not even hope to compare to it. If they could pass through the Spirit Pressure Tunnel, the Heavenly Fox naturally could as well.

He was only worried that the Heavenly Fox would perform too well. It would inevitably cause a stir and attract the attention of those with ulterior motives, eventually leading to the exposure of its true grade.

Wealth should not be flaunted.

If the news that he possessed a peerless-grade spirit beast were to leak out, he feared that even his father, Shu Tianhao, would be unable to protect him. When the swarms of malicious people descended, they would trample Shu Family Island into the seabed!

This was a peerless-grade spirit beast, a Heavenly Fox that had survived a demonic tribulation!

Under Chu Yun's anxious gaze, the Heavenly Fox began to pace through the Spirit Pressure Tunnel.

Its dark, bright eyes shimmered like diamonds. With snow-white fur and delicate paws, it looked both adorable and spirited—like an exquisite work of art that one could never forget.

It stepped lightly, head held slightly high, its long, supple white tail swaying gently. Its demeanor was composed, revealing an elegant charm.

"Eh? This Fire Fox..." The Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master's eyes lit up, only to dim again immediately. "What a pity, it's only a Fire Fox after all."

"A flowery pillow," Shu Da snorted in displeasure.

Chu Yun, however, let out a long breath of relief. The Heavenly Fox was full of spirit and, having followed his orders, was indeed moving very slowly.

It strolled leisurely, and before anyone realized it, it had reached the bluestone. Opening its mouth, it clamped onto the fiery-red jade slip and began to walk back.

The Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master had been watching the whole time, and only now did he react, his heart jolting. "Hiss, is this really just a Fire Fox?"

He widened his eyes, staring intently at the returning Heavenly Fox. For a moment, he almost thought he had seen wrong!

The Heavenly Fox walked with a leisurely gait, as if the heavy spirit pressure within the tunnel did not exist at all. Although it moved slowly, there was not a single pause or sign of strain, which was truly astonishing.