"The Emperor Auspicious Beast really is the darling of heaven and earth. Whatever she does, no one interferes!" Little Black said enviously.
Tian Chen's fingertips paused briefly. He looked down at Little Black, who had manifested from the Soul Ring, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Are you jealous that she can sleep without a care, or of her constitution as the Emperor Auspicious Beast?"
Little Black swished a tail covered in dark markings and rubbed against Tian Chen's feet. "Both! Look at her. All she has to do is bask in the sun and eat a little, and she can absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy. Back when I was in the Star Dou Great Forest, I even had to hide from other Soul Beasts."
As Little Black spoke, another furtive glance went toward the sleeping Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
Tian Chen reached down and rubbed Little Black's head, his fingertips sensing the power hidden beneath the fur. "Every kind of Soul Beast has its own path. Behind her 'luck,' she also bears the bonds of plane fortune. Being able to follow me and become a Symbiotic Spirit-isn't that a unique opportunity of your own?"
"Oh, right! I remember you wanted to go after the Three-Eyed Golden Lion before! Weren't you afraid of Di Tian?" Tian Chen asked.
A trace of sorrow flashed through Little Black's eyes. Lowering that head slightly, Little Black said in a subdued voice, "I had nothing left to hold on to. My mother died when I was born, and my father finally managed to reach sixty thousand years of cultivation, only to be hunted down by humans in the Star Dou Great Forest ten thousand years ago. After that, I struggled to grow on my own, and only just managed to reach a hundred