Wei Long's mind was in chaos.
His reptilian body twitched, a strange tickling sensation crawling down his spine.
It wasn't painful.
It wasn't hunger.
It was sothing else entirely.
His head felt groggy, as if sothing was wiggling deep inside his brain.
What… is this?
Then—
mories flooded in.
Not his own.
A human's.
A boy.
A young cultivator.
A pathetic, clanless fool thrown away by his family.
Why?
Because his aptitude for taming was too low.
Because he could only ta normal Temporal Beasts.
That was all?
That was the reason they abandoned him?!
Wei Long felt an inexplicable frustration.
That human…
That boy…
He had nothing.
No ho.
No family.
No future.
Yet—
Yet, he didn't give up.
Instead, he found one rare beast.
A Bashawk.
A dual-attribute Temporal Beast wielding both Temporal Dao Essence and Wind Dao Essence.
A white-feathered predator, swift and lethal.
Unlike the single-attribute Temporal Beasts that other disciples in the Autumn Dragon Sect tad—
His beast was different.
His companion was stronger.
Wei Long could see everything.
All of it.
The countless conflicts.
The enemies.
The people this young man offended.
Seven of them.
Seven powerful figures within the sect who wanted him dead:
Zhao Shen – A prodigy of the inner sect. Humiliated when his beast was defeated by the Bashawk.
Yun i – A cold, calculating alchemist. Lost a valuable Temporal Beast core because of him.
Guo Tian – A powerful outer sect disciple. Tried to steal his Bashawk but failed.
Han Yu – A wealthy noble's son. The young man in grey exposed his underhanded tactics.
Lin Zhi – A beast tar obsessed with perfection. Disgusted by his talent despite his low aptitude.
Fang Ru – A sect elder's distant relative. Jealous of his rapid improvent.
Mo Qing – A secret Temporal Dao researcher. Suspects the young man knows a hidden thod.
Wei Long's reptilian eyes widened.
What kind of protagonist nonsense is this?!
This human…
He wasn't just unlucky.
He was walking disaster bait.
Why did I ta this guy?!
Wei Long's claws clenched.
Wait…
Wait, wait, wait—
He suddenly realized sothing more terrifying.
Wasn't my satisfaction and hydration almost at zero?!
How…
How did I end up here?!
His mind flashed back.
He rembered.
The insanity.
The hunger.
The desperate, uncontrollable thirst.
When his hydration and satisfaction reached dangerous levels, he lost all reason.
He devoured beasts in a frenzy.
He slaughtered anything that moved.
He tore into creatures like a monster from a nightmare.
Then—
Then he saw the human.
The young man in grey.
His prey.
But—
He didn't eat him.
He tad him.
Wei Long's breathing hitched.
Why?
Why did his insane, feral, Bio-engineered instinct choose to ta a human instead of eating him?
And then—
A terrifying realization struck him.
He was in one of the Autumn Dragon Sect's Sanctuaries.
Inside the sect's territory.
Surrounded by cultivators powerful enough to kill him in an instant. If he had continued his rampage, he would have attracted the attention of soone stronger.
Soone he couldn't escape from.
So—
His beast instinct made a choice.
To ensure survival.
To not beco prey himself.
He tad a human.
And then—
As if confirming his terrifying thought—
A notification appeared.
Ding!
[Host's Satisfaction: 50%]
[Host's Hydration: 50%]
Cultivation thods:
1. Bio-engineered Cultivation thod – A modified form of the standard Temporal Beast Cultivation thod.
Bio-engineered Cultivation thod:
Originally allowed taming of Temporal Beasts from Level 1 to Level 8 Mortal Beasts. Due to engineering modifications, the host can now ta Temporal Beasts up to Level 12 Mortal Beasts.
New Function Unlocked:
Can also ta humans in a level or Mortal realm.
Wei Long's entire body stiffened.
His reptilian eyes dilated.
His cold-blooded heart skipped a beat.
What did I just do?!
His gaze snapped to the human before him.
The young man in grey's eyes twitched.
His fingers moved.
His consciousness was returning.
Wei Long doesn't know what to do next.
He didn't just ta a human.
He enslaved one.
And now—
That human was waking up.
And Wei Long had no idea what would happen next.
Suddenly, after regaining his consciousness, Zou Fang lay flat on his back, staring up at the sky.
A deep breath—
Then a grin spread across his face.
"Hah… Hahaha… Phew! I did it!"
Wei Long blinked.
What?
Zou Fang clenched his aching fist, his chest rising and falling.
"I tad it! I finally tad it! After all these years! A powerful beast is mine!"
He laughed.
Laughed!
His body was broken.
His limbs were trembling.
He had narrowly escaped death.
Yet he was grinning like an idiot.
Wei Long felt his entire soul leave his body.
Tad ?
Didn't I just ta you?!
Suddenly—
A system notification flashed in front of him.
Ding!
Although the host has successfully tad the human, due to the Bio-engineered Cultivation thod, the tad human has been modified to believe that he is the one who tad the host.
All commands issued by the host will be interpreted as voluntary actions to please their 'tad beast.'
Wei Long's reptilian pupils shrunk to slits.
What…?!
So this damned cultivation thod didn't just make him capable of taming humans—
It made them believe they tad him?!
Wei Long almost burst into laughter.
So that's why this idiot is celebrating?!
He actually thinks he's my master?!
For a mont, Wei Long considered playing along.
Then—
He lifted his clawed foot—
And kicked Zou Fang.
Hard.
Swoosh!
The young man's body flew through the air.
A sharp crack echoed as bones snapped.
Wei Long winced.
Ah. Maybe that was too much.
But then—
Zou Fang struggled back to his feet.
His arms shaking.
His face covered in sweat.
But—
Instead of being angry—
He smiled.
And bowed.
"I… I'm fine. Very fine!"
Wei Long stared.
His reptilian mouth slightly open.
What. The. Hell.
Zou Fang staggered.
Every movent scread pain.
Yet his eyes were filled with determination.
"I— I needed that! I must beco stronger! Hahaha, as expected of my beast! Training so harshly already! Thank you!"
Wei Long felt his soul leave his body a second ti.
Before he could even process the absolute nonsense happening in front of him, Zou Fang suddenly grabbed his shoulders with a death grip.
His hands were trembling.
His eyes—
Bloodshot.
"My beast, listen to carefully."
Wei Long tried to wiggle free.
But Zou Fang did not let go.
Wei Long froze.
Damn it. Why does this feel like an interrogation?
"Do you know what this ans? Do you know what just happened?" Zou Fang's voice shook.
Wei Long blinked.
"…What?"
Zou Fang took a deep breath.
Then he shouted.
"I AM A DISCIPLE OF THE AUTUMN DRAGON SECT! BUT NOT AN OFFICIAL ONE!"
Wei Long tilted his head.
Zou Fang continued, his voice growing even more dramatic.
"In-na disciples like are just glorified janitors! We're at the bottom of the bottom! Even pigs in the sect get treated better than us!"
Wei Long suddenly had a very bad feeling.
"To beco an outer disciple, we need to collect at least fifty beast cores."
Wei Long paused.
"…Fifty?"
"Yes! And to beco an inner disciple, we need to collect one hundred!"
Wei Long stiffened.
"…One hundred?"
"Yes! Which ans we need to start hunting imdiately!" Zou Fang's face shone with desperation.
Wei Long slowly turned his reptilian head.
The entire forest.
The absolute carnage.
The countless beasts he had devoured.
He had already killed at least a hundred of them.
Should he help him?
Just as Zou Fang was about to rush forward, a loud voice bood from the sky.
"THE TRIAL COMPETITION HAS OFFICIALLY ENDED! HUNTING IS NO LONGER PERMITTED!"
The words hit Zou Fang like a bolt of lightning.
He froze.
His pupils shrank.
Then—
He fell to his knees.
"…No."
The voice continued:
"ALL PARTICIPANTS WITHOUT THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF BEAST CORES WILL REMAIN AS IN-NA DISCIPLES."
Zou Fang's hands shook.
His lips quivered.
His entire soul shattered.
"NO! NO! NO! NOOOOOO!"
Tears.
Actual, real tears.
"I WORKED SO HARD! I ALMOST DIED! I EVEN T—TAD A BEAST! AND NOW— I'M STILL A JANITOR?!"
He collapsed.
Screaming.
Kicking the dirt.
"I REFUSE! I REFUSE! I REFUUUUUUSE!!!"
Wei Long stared.
Was this guy actually crying?!
Zou Fang grabbed the dirt beneath him and squeezed it like he was crushing the heavens themselves.
"I HAVE SUFFERED SO MUCH! SO MUCH! SO! MUCH! AND NOW I'M GOING TO BE A PERMANENT JANITOR?!"
Wei Long felt secondhand embarrassnt.
Zou Fang grabbed his leg.
His entire face was covered in dirt and tears.
His soul—
Completely broken.
He looked up, his face filled with pleading despair.
"…What do we do?"
Wei Long blinked.
"…We?"
Zou Fang's grip tightened.
"If we go now without beast cores, I'll be a janitor forever! And so will you! I an— you'll be my beast! My beast cannot be a servant beast! That's— That's an INSULT! We have to do sothing!"
Wei Long felt his head spin.
What the hell was happening?
His plan was to escape once this was all over.
Now, suddenly—
He was part of this guy's existential crisis?!
Zou Fang's grip tightened further.
His eyes glowed with insane determination.
"WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY!!"
Wei Long's entire body stiffened and then — a single word slipped from his reptilian lips.
"What!?"
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