The little beast before them looked somewhat like a tiger cub and somewhat like a lion cub, yet it was far more beautiful than either. Its long, fluffy snow-white fur was flawless and gleamed like satin, shimmering with a creamy white radiance.
It was barely over half a foot long, yet its entire body brimmed with spirit. Its large eyes were as bright as black gemstones, standing in stark contrast to its snowy body. Every blink of those big eyes was full of liveliness.
At that moment, it was curled up on the ground, looking remarkably humanlike. Its bright eyes gazed pitifully at Bai He, one little white paw held to its mouth as though it were sucking on it. Like a starving child, it kept making soft "yiya, yiya" sounds.
Bai He, whose resolve had never been particularly firm, was instantly melted by its cuteness. He did not even notice his master, Xiao Chen, falling to the ground behind him. Ignoring Xiao Chen's angry shouts, Bai He hurried forward, picked KeKe up, dispelled his Hidden Dragon Transformation, and began stroking the little snow-white beast in his arms.
"Alas!"
Watching Bai He lovingly pet the snow-white little beast, Xiao Chen could only sigh helplessly to himself, lamenting that he had been careless in taking on a disciple!
As Bai He petted KeKe, the three snow-white skeletons—King Qin Guang, Yama King, and Reincarnation King—suddenly panicked. They rushed into the swamp, scattered in different directions, each found a pile of bones, and promptly lay down on it without moving. They were actually playing dead.
The pitiful little creature, like a fluffy snowball, blinked its large eyes. It showed no resistance to Bai He's caresses and instead wore an expression of contented enjoyment, just like an ordinary little pet.
While dragging Bai He, who was holding KeKe, toward the swamp, Xiao Chen eyed the three skeletons lying stiffly on the ground with suspicion. He found it rather strange. What was wrong with them? Were they afraid of something? But there were no other ferocious beasts nearby. Could they be afraid of the spirited little snowball in Bai He's arms? How could that be possible!
Ignoring them, Xiao Chen pulled Bai He along and hurried toward the Little Holy Tree. After being ambushed by the Royal Heavenly Maiden Zhao Lin'er, he had returned here not only to cultivate in seclusion and heal his injuries, but more importantly because that sacred sapling was still here.
Before them stood a palm-high Little Holy Tree, its colored light flowing around it as glowing mist curled through the air. Its faint radiance filled the nearby area with vitality, and even the ancient tree in which it had taken root had benefited greatly, becoming lush and emerald green, with a touch of spirituality.
When the snow-white little beast KeKe in Bai He's arms saw the Little Holy Tree, overwhelming delight immediately blossomed in its bright eyes. It turned into a streak of white light and shot out of Bai He's embrace. With a whoosh, it rushed to the ancient tree and yanked the Little Holy Tree out with all its might.
Oh no!
Seeing what the snow-white little beast had done, Xiao Chen's heart skipped a beat. It had pulled the Little Holy Tree out so forcefully—had it torn off the tree's roots as well?
The snow-white little beast KeKe, which resembled both a tiger cub and a lion cub, clutched the Little Holy Tree tightly in its arms. It happily rolled about the forest like a child who had received candy, then actually opened its mouth toward the little tree's Jade Leaf.
Everything happened far too quickly. Xiao Chen had no time to stop it. Only when the snow-white little beast KeKe started crying "yiyi yaya" and continuously gnawing at the Jade Leaf did he rush over and grab it.
Yet KeKe still hugged the little tree tightly and refused to let go. What reassured Xiao Chen slightly was that the tree's roots had not broken, and its two crystalline Jade Leaves were completely unharmed. The little fellow was not chewing on the Jade Leaves—it was sucking on them.
What a false alarm!
Xiao Chen breathed a sigh of relief. He instinctively reached out to take the Little Holy Tree from KeKe's paws, but suddenly heard Bai He shout.
"Watch out!"
With a whoosh, a streak of white light flashed past. Xiao Chen immediately felt as though he were soaring through the clouds, and somehow, he had been flung into the air.
Xiao Chen hurriedly adjusted himself into a combat stance in midair, trying to descend to the ground. But before he could land, one of the little beast's paws waved again below him. White light enveloped him once more, and with another whoosh, he was flung back into the air.
This little beast possessed an unusual divine ability. Xiao Chen came to that conclusion inwardly.
Xiao Chen flew up and down, tossed east one moment and thrown west the next. He had actually been turned into a toy by this snow-white little fellow!
During all this, the snow-white little beast even let out childlike "hehe" laughter.
Only after Bai He pleaded on Xiao Chen's behalf did the snow-white little beast finally put Xiao Chen down.
Xiao Chen fell as though tumbling through clouds, landing beside the pile of bones where the three skeletons were. Seeing him fall there, the three skeletons hurriedly climbed up and helped Xiao Chen to his feet.
As though starving, the snow-white little beast began sucking on the two Jade Leaves of the Little Holy Tree, making a series of smacking sounds.
Upon seeing the three snow-white skeletons, the little beast began making "yiya, yiya" noises. Still sucking on the Holy Tree's Jade Leaves, it walked toward the pile of bones where the three skeletons were.
Seeing the snow-white little beast approach, the three skeletons hurriedly lay back down in the bone pile and pretended to be dead again. But they had already been exposed, so this method was useless.
KeKe came to the side of the bone pile, then suddenly stood upright like a little ape. It picked up a large thigh bone from the pile and began vigorously shaking the skulls of the three skeletons.
With its other little paw, it pointed toward the small tree in the distance, seeming to angrily question them about something. From time to time, it used the large bone in its paw to knock on the skulls of the three skeletons.
After being struck for a while, the three skeletons finally stopped playing dead. They propped themselves up with their arm bones and sat up, but their skulls drooped dejectedly, like leaves wilted by frost.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The snow-white little beast gripped the thigh bone and continuously knocked on their skulls. Pointing at the Little Holy Tree in the distance, it kept chattering "yiyi yaya" as it pressed them for answers. The three skeletons seemed to have no choice. They exchanged glances, then raised their three bony arms together and pointed at Xiao Chen.
Damn it...
Although he did not know what the three skeletons and the snow-white little beast were communicating about, judging from the situation, it definitely was not anything good.
Whoosh!
A streak of white light flashed by, and Xiao Chen once again experienced the sensation of soaring through the clouds.
After the snow-white little beast "tormented" Xiao Chen for a while, it seemed to have vented its anger. Only then did it let Xiao Chen go at Bai He's pleading.
The sky gradually darkened. Bai He built a fire and went out to hunt a goat. Perhaps because it had never eaten cooked food before, the snow-white little beast devoured more than half of a roasted, golden-brown, glistening goat leg by itself. Its little belly swelled round and full, and it lay in Bai He's arms, unable to move even slightly, yet completely satisfied.
Meanwhile, Xiao Chen, irritated at having been framed, was arguing with the three snow-white skeletons. Only in the end did he learn the truth: the snow-white little beast had been the Little Holy Tree's original owner.
Night fell, and firelight danced through the forest. Xiao Chen sat cross-legged nearby, cultivating to heal his injuries, while Bai He played with the adorable KeKe.
As the man and little beast played together, Bai He suddenly thought that he should be able to learn the Dragon Clan Great Divine Ability, the Imprisonment Art. Could he learn it from the snow-white little beast KeKe before him?
After gesturing to KeKe for a long while, the snow-white little beast finally understood what he meant.
Somewhat troubled, the snow-white little beast scratched its fluffy little head and chattered "yiyi yaya" at Bai He.
It meant that the ability had been imprinted in its mind at birth. It had been born knowing how to use it, as though it were instinctive, but it did not know how to teach it to someone else.
Bai He patiently gestured and explained to the snow-white little beast, telling KeKe that it only needed to want to pass it on to him. It did not need to worry about anything else.
Then, accompanied by a ding, a system notification sounded in Bai He's mind.
"Detected that KeKe, the heaven-defying little beast of the Realm of Longevity, wishes to teach the host the Dragon Clan Great Divine Ability, Imprisonment Art. Accept?"
"Yes/No"
"It worked!"
Before you continue