Fire Lotus Armor, Lady Shu's Regret

"Rest easy, they are merely the Remnant Wolf Pirate Group. Which of the men on our Shu Family Island has ever feared anyone? Don't worry too much, Little Chu. Focus on preparing for the assessment," Old Monkey Qiao comforted him.

"Mm." Chu Yun nodded, though he was smiling bitterly in his heart.

He had spent a great deal of effort in his past life meticulously researching the Remnant Wolf Pirate Group. Remnant Wolf, Crimson Tiger, and Mad Lion were the three largest pirate factions in the All-Star Archipelago. Among them, the Remnant Wolf pirates were notorious for their burning, killing, and looting, leaving a trail of bloody crimes in their wake.

Their captain, Remnant Wolf, was vicious and ruthless. Their strategist, White Prowler, was insidious and greedy. Working hand in glove, they had left countless victims gnashing their teeth in hatred, wishing they could eat their flesh and drink their blood. Yet, they possessed formidable strength, capable of easily sacking village-level islands and town-level islands. Even a city-level island like Shu Family Island did not intimidate them!

Sigh, I am too weak right now. A powerful enemy like this is enough to make the entire Shu Family Island treat the situation with the utmost gravity, as if facing a formidable foe. Fortunately, discovering news of them in advance can serve as a warning.

This feeling of weakness made Chu Yun feel powerless, annoyed, and deeply uncomfortable.

Returning to the Salt Field Manor, Chu Yun immediately fished out the fiery-red jade slip to examine it.

Just as in his memories, the jade slip recorded three types of Daoist arts.

The first Daoist art was called Minor Pill Fire. When used, it could project a fireball the size of a fist.

The second Daoist art was the Fire Lotus Armor. When activated, it formed a suit of flame armor with red lotus patterns on the surface, protecting the user from attacks.

The third Daoist art was the Leaping Technique. It primarily explained how to utilize the demon essence within the body to assist a spirit beast in movement.

That was correct; these Daoist arts were intended for spirit beasts to learn, and humans could not cultivate them.

Spirit beasts were the foundation, while Daoist arts were the means. A spirit beast with high cultivation but no Daoist arts was like a tiger without claws or teeth, posing no threat. Conversely, no matter how powerful a Daoist art was, if the spirit beast itself lacked sufficient cultivation, it could not be used.

Daoist arts and spirit beasts complemented each other. The knowledge involved was vast indeed.

"Of these three Daoist arts, Minor Pill Fire focuses on offense, Fire Lotus Armor on defense, and the Leaping Technique on evasion. They are the three most fundamental Daoist arts."

Chu Yun smiled and set the jade slip aside.

Typically, for a Spirit Beast Master to have a spirit beast practice a corresponding Daoist art, they had to first understand and memorize it themselves, turning it into personal insight, and then teach it to the spirit beast through a resonance of spiritual light.

Humans were the spirits of all things. Their spiritual light was abundant, surpassing any spirit beast. Their comprehension and aptitude were exceptionally formidable.

Spirit beasts, however, possessed powerful bodies, absorbed vital energy, and had extraordinary combat prowess.

Chu Yun had already mastered these three Daoist arts in his past life. At this moment, he held insights into over a hundred different Daoist arts within his mind.

However, he did not intend to teach the Heavenly Fox all the other arts just yet.

Setting aside the question of whether it could fully absorb them, the most important factor was that the second assessment only permitted the use of these three specific arts. If he were to inadvertently use another Daoist art during the assessment, he would be immediately disqualified—there was no second outcome.

Rather than taking unnecessary risks, it was better to show some restraint from the very beginning.

At this moment, the Heavenly Fox was crouching before him, its large, snow-white tail sweeping back and forth happily. Its black, crystal-clear eyes were fixed on its master, revealing a look of adoration and excitement.

Seeing this little cutie, Chu Yun couldn't help but laugh. He reached out and stroked the Heavenly Fox's small head.

The Heavenly Fox let out a happy chirp, and its large tail began to wag even faster.

Chu Yun slowly closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into a void of darkness.

This time was different from hatching the egg. He had already established a connection with the Heavenly Fox and immediately vibrated his spiritual light to send out a call.

Having experienced it once before, an intimate response immediately came from the darkness, as if an infant had caught sight of its mother.

He reached out toward it. In the boundless darkness, Chu Yun's spiritual light was like a fist, and the Heavenly Fox's spiritual light was like a finger; the two sides gradually drew closer. Finally, the fist-sized spiritual light enveloped the finger-sized one.

A sense of perfect harmony washed over them. At this moment, the Heavenly Fox opened its heart, and every move it made was under Chu Yun's control.

The spiritual light fluctuated, conveying the Heavenly Fox's feelings of intimacy, adoration, and respect. Chu Yun's spiritual light also fluctuated, sending back feelings of anticipation, hope, and doting affection.

This phenomenon only occurred when the level of intimacy was extremely high. If word of this got out, the entire world would be stunned. After all, no one had ever seen a youth at their coming-of-age ceremony capable of reaching such a level!

The reason Chu Yun could achieve this was thanks to that one demon calamity. Within risk, one could find both profit and fortune.

Next, Chu Yun transmitted the three basic arts to the Heavenly Fox. Then, with a drive of his consciousness, he reluctantly separated his spiritual light.

When he opened his eyes again, he was met with the Heavenly Fox's eager and restless demeanor.

"Little thing," Chu Yun laughed and scolded, immediately leading the Heavenly Fox to the manor's training grounds.

"Fire Lotus Armor," Chu Yun commanded in a low voice.

The Heavenly Fox tilted its head and chirped, its internal demon essence surging. As if fuel had been ignited, a whoosh of flames erupted from its entire body.

The flames then shifted, changing from flickering to still. Like a streak of crimson flowing light, they condensed and clung tightly to the Heavenly Fox's petite frame. The fire armor was wreathed in red lotus patterns, adding a sense of solemnity to the already agile and spirited Heavenly Fox.

Seeing this, Chu Yun felt a surge of joy.

There was a failure rate for spirit beasts attempting to manifest Daoist arts. However, to succeed on the very first try showed the Heavenly Fox's immense spirituality and absolute innate talent!

Chu Yun knew that ordinary spirit beasts usually required at least ten attempts before successfully manifesting a Daoist art for the first time. After all, even if they had the insight, actually applying it was not easy.

Most things in this world were easy to understand but difficult to execute; this was an immutable truth.

Even excellent spirit beasts like the Sea Burst Crocodile or the Green Fang Snake required at least five attempts to master it. In his past life, even the Heavenly Fox had taken three attempts before successfully using the Fire Lotus Armor.

He hadn't expected that in this life, it would succeed on the first try. Moreover, as its Spirit Beast Master, Chu Yun already understood that the Heavenly Fox had mastered this art completely in this single attempt.

A perfect Heavenly Fox was truly a pleasant surprise!

Following this, the Minor Pill Fire and the Leaping Technique were also accomplished in one go. The Heavenly Fox was full of spirit; whatever Chu Yun taught it, it could grasp immediately, performing each move with perfect form.

If an ordinary person had witnessed this process, they would likely have been frozen in place, utterly shocked.

Unfortunately, Chu Yun had already given orders that no servants were to be present around the training grounds. No one in the world would ever imagine that within this ordinary, unremarkable manor, a peerless Heavenly Fox was quietly growing in strength.

Shu Family City, Inner Courtyard.

"My Lady, great news, truly great news! Both the Eldest Young Master and the Second Young Master's spirit beasts have successfully mastered their Dao techniques within seven attempts. With the young masters showing such promise at their age, they are destined for great achievements in the future!" Lady Shu's personal nanny rushed into the room, beaming with joy as she offered her congratulations.

Upon hearing this, the tightly knitted brows of Lady Shu only relaxed by a fraction.

"I am aware. Go and reward each of them with 100 Earth-Fiend Stone Coins. Tell them to practice diligently; they must not lose in the second round of the assessment!" she commanded in a low voice.

"Yes, My Lady. This old servant will go at once." The nanny, adept at reading the room, immediately reined in her excitement, responded respectfully, and quietly withdrew.

Lady Shu rested a hand against her forehead; her head throbbed with a persistent, rhythmic pain.

"Mutated Fire Fox, mutated Fire Fox... Damn it, simply damn it..." she muttered to herself. Ever since the Spirit Beast Master at the Earth Altar had confirmed it in person, her mood had plummeted into the depths of despair.

She had originally laid out a plan: whoever took first place, be it Shu Da or Shu Er, would be guaranteed a spot at the Heavenly Song Academy to gild their reputation. Upon their return, she would coordinate with her own family to build momentum and wait for the right moment, ensuring the succession of Shu Family Island would be within their grasp.

At the start, her plan had been executed perfectly.

Heaven be praised! She had expended vast amounts of energy and wealth to scout out information on the spirit beast eggs. And Shu Da and Shu Er had successfully chosen the most gifted Sea Burst Crocodile and Green Fang Snake.

Lady Shu had felt a wave of relief and excitement; after enduring for decades, she finally saw a glimmer of hope.

But!

She had never expected a mutated Fire Fox to appear out of thin air!

Mutated spirit beasts possessed cultivation shackles and were prone to sudden, inexplicable death. This significant flaw was enough to balance the minds of Shu Da and Shu Er, allowing them to accept the situation quietly. But it could not convince Lady Shu!

So what if it was a mutated spirit beast? As long as it could win first place in the assessment and be sent to the Heavenly Song Academy for further study, what did it matter if it died suddenly? Once it had served its purpose, who cared if the beast perished?

What kind of place was the Heavenly Song Academy?

It possessed immense resources and had maintained neutrality for hundreds of years in a chaotic region like the All-Star Archipelago, inviolable by any force. It mattered not whether one was a powerful island faction or one of the three great pirate lords: Remnant Wolf, Crimson Tiger, or Mad Lion.

Every year, the Heavenly Song Academy recruited youths recommended from the various islands of the archipelago.

What kind of people were recommended?

Aside from geniuses, they were the children of the various island lords. In other words, the future successors of the islands!

The Heavenly Song Academy could almost be called the cradle of the future island lords of the All-Star Archipelago. Shu Da and Shu Er were young and ignorant, but Lady Shu was certainly not stupid. She understood the true nature of the Heavenly Song Academy deeply.

"If I truly let that little beast Chu Yun go to the Heavenly Song Academy..." Thinking of the words Chu Yun had spoken to her that day and the look in his eyes, Lady Shu couldn't help but shudder, a chill rising in her heart.

"No, I must not let him succeed! I absolutely must not! But what way is there? Something that can ruin him without letting anyone suspect that I was the one who pulled the strings."

This was the source of Lady Shu's headache. She had the power to crush Chu Yun as she pleased, but she was constrained by her status. If a conspiracy were exposed, given the temperament of the Island Lord—her husband, Shu Tianhao—the consequences would be unthinkable.

"How did it come to this? How did things develop into such a state?"

Lady Shu racked her brains, but found no solution; she was filled with regret and deep unwillingness.

"If I hadn't acted on my own initiative to scout out the situation of the spirit beast eggs earlier, perhaps I could have let Shu Da and Shu Er obtain the Fire Fox egg. With that mutated Fire Fox, the Sea Burst Crocodile and Green Fang Snake wouldn't have been needed at all."

She let out a deep sigh, consumed by bitter regret.

What was the meaning of lifting a rock only to drop it on one's own feet?

This situation was exactly that.

A spirit beast egg that could have brought her hope had been discarded by her own hand.

"Wait, I have a way, I have a way!" Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her, and she conceived a brilliant, venomous scheme.