"Move!" Zhar’khaen’s face was filled with urgency.
"Whatever you have to say, say it here," Kenny Lin said firmly, showing no intention of moving aside.
Zhar’khaen hesitated, seemingly unsure of what to do. This ti, he didn’t dare to force his way past Kenny Lin despite his superior cultivation and instead stood awkwardly, his expression a chaotic mix of emotions—crying one mont, laughing the next. After a few monts, he finally cald down enough to glance at Amalia with embarrassnt. "Is that the Pixiu you’ve bonded with?"
"You, being a Pixiu yourself, can’t sense that?" Amalia asked calmly.
"I can," Zhar’khaen replied, swallowing hard, still in disbelief. "I just didn’t expect..."
He didn’t finish his sentence but showed that sa conflicted look again, clutching his hair in frustration as if he were on the verge of madness.
"Didn’t expect what?" Amalia asked.
Just as she thought Zhar’khaen wouldn’t respond, he suddenly tugged at his hair and shouted, "I didn’t expect it to be a baby Pixiu!"
All along, he’d assud it was an adult Pixiu, mainly because it had been so long since any baby Pixiu had been born. This was one of the reasons their species was nearing extinction—no new offspring, and with their numbers dwindling, it seed inevitable that Pixiu would one day vanish entirely.
It was a deep sorrow for the Pixiu, a tragic reality that no amount of power could change.
But now, standing before him was sothing unbelievable—a baby Pixiu!
Even though Wealth’s form didn’t seem quite right, Zhar’khaen couldn’t deny the Pixiu blood within his body. Though it was faint and mixed with sothing else, there was no denying that this was a Pixiu cub!
Zhar’khaen, overwheld with emotion, fell to his knees, his face again displaying that strange mix of tears and laughter.
This was incredible—there was hope for the Pixiu’s future!
"Even if you’re grateful, there’s no need to stay on your knees," Amalia said, deliberately misinterpreting his actions.
Zhar’khaen didn’t seem to mind her teasing or disrespect. He shot to his feet, his gaze turning serious as he focused on Wealth. "What’s wrong with him?"
He could tell that the Pixiu cub appeared weak.
"You can’t tell?" Amalia asked, surprised. She had assud this adult Pixiu would be able to see Wealth’s condition at a glance.
Zhar’khaen shook his head. "There seems to be so sort of restriction inside him, blocking from probing further."
Amalia suddenly rembered. "Ah, right. My master placed that restriction. Wealth is a hybrid of a Lumina Scale Komodo and a Pixiu. For most of his life, only his Lumina Scale Komodo bloodline was active. A few months ago, he suddenly fell into a deep sleep and couldn’t wake up. My master said it was because his Pixiu bloodline wasn’t being nurtured or guided by his kin, and the power of that bloodline was too overwhelming, which caused his prolonged unconsciousness."
"So he’s a hybrid," Zhar’khaen mused, nodding in understanding. "That explains why his Pixiu bloodline is so weak, and why he has the form of a Lumina Scale Komodo. The Lumina Scale Komodo bloodline must be dominant. Indeed, for his Pixiu bloodline to fully awaken, it would require the guidance of his kin."
This was also why, even at its peak during ancient tis, the number of Pixiu never exceeded tens of thousands, while other species numbered in the hundreds of millions. Pixiu, in those ancient days, were unparalleled, gifted by the heavens.
Although each one took great effort to cultivate, once they achieved success, their power was unmatched.
The Beast God had once said that when a power becos too strong, the heavens would impose limitations on its developnt. The scarcity of the Pixiu population was an example of this divine restraint.
Zhar’khaen felt invigorated as he realized that the cub’s Pixiu bloodline had not yet awakened. Even though it was bound to a human, the contract was tied to the Lumina Scale Komodo bloodline, not a life-binding contract with the Pixiu bloodline.
Given the strength of the Pixiu bloodline, it was entirely possible to dilute the Lumina Scale Komodo’s bloodline over ti and ultimately dissolve the contract.
Now that he understood this, he no longer intended to make things difficult for Amalia and Kenny Lin.
"So, you brought him here to help us awaken the Pixiu bloodline within him, correct? But how did you even know Pixiu lived in Silent Echo Valley?" Zhar’khaen voiced his suspicion. After all, humans and devils wouldn’t freely share information about their sacred lands.
"My master told ," Amalia replied.
Zhar’khaen’s pupils contracted sharply. "You just said the restriction inside the cub was placed by your master?"
Amalia, appearing oblivious to what he might be thinking, smiled and said, "Yes, my master set it up. Is there a problem?"
Of course, there was a problem. The ability to suppress even the power of the Pixiu bloodline and prevent it from being detected by others was no ordinary feat. If Zhar’khaen hadn’t been naturally attuned to sensing bloodlines, they would have missed recognizing this cub altogether.
Zhar’khaen silently observed the two humans.
"Are you starting to feel lucky that you didn’t kill us earlier?" Kenny Lin said, purposely bringing up the uncomfortable truth.
"Who said that?!" Zhar’khaen snapped back loudly. How could he possibly fear two humans with such weak cultivation?
"Don’t you know that the louder you protest, the guiltier you sound?" Kenny Lin sneered.
Zhar’khaen fell silent again, awkwardly changing the subject. "I have no desire to discuss this any further. Since you ca here to return our cub to his people, hand him over, and I will help awaken the bloodline within him."
"We’re not here to return Wealth; we’re hoping you can assist him," Amalia raised an eyebrow as she spoke.
"What did you say? Are you planning to keep one of my tribe’s cubs for yourselves?" Zhar’khaen misunderstood her words, becoming furious. However, afraid of harming the cub in Amalia’s arms, he refrained from releasing any killing intent.
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