Kai sprinted toward the source of the screams, his feet pounding against the rocky ground. The spirit beasts followed close behind, their movements swift and sure despite the uneven terrain. The cries grew louder as Kai pushed forward, his breath coming in sharp bursts. His mind raced with possibilities—was it a lost traveler? A trap set by bandits or cultivators? Or something worse? He didn’t know, but he couldn’t afford to hesitate.

  As he ran, the landscape around him seemed to blur, the black-barked trees and jagged rocks becoming a dark, indistinct backdrop. His focus narrowed to the sound of the screams, each one driving him forward with renewed urgency. Whatever lay ahead, he would face it head-on. He would not let fear or doubt dictate his actions again. This time, he would help. This time, he would make a difference.

  The screams grew louder, closer, and Kai’s heart pounded in time with his footsteps.

  Kai burst into a small clearing, his eyes immediately drawn to the scene before him. At the center stood an abnormally large boar, its hulking form dominating the space. The creature was monstrous, easily weighing over 3,000 pounds, with a length greater than two horses and a height that dwarfed most people. Its coarse, bristly fur was matted with dirt and dried mud, and its beady eyes glinted with a primal hunger. For a moment, Kai wondered if this was some kind of spirit beast, like the gluttonous boar he had encountered in the wilds before. But as he focused, he sensed no qi emanating from the creature—no spiritual energy, no aura of cultivation. It was just a beast, albeit an unnaturally massive one.

  Kai’s mind raced. This must be a beast trying to advance its realm, he thought, but it’s stuck at the body refinement stage due to the lack of ambient qi in this environment. There’s no way a pig this size could exist naturally in the wilds.

  The boar’s size and strength were a testament to its struggle to evolve, but without sufficient qi, it had become trapped in this monstrous, half-advanced state, instead of advancing to Qi-Gathering and becoming a proper spirit beast.

  Kai’s gaze shifted to what the boar was fixated on. Tucked into a crevice formed by the gnarled roots of a massive tree was a small child, their dirty clothing torn and their face streaked with tears. The child was screaming, their voice raw with fear, as they pressed themselves deeper into the roots, trying to escape the boar’s relentless advance. The beast was digging at the roots with its tusks, its drool dripping onto the ground as it saw the child as nothing more than a tasty morsel.

  “Someone! Anyone! Please help!” the child cried, their voice trembling with desperation. The sound cut through Kai like a knife, stirring something deep within him. He couldn’t stand by and watch—not again. Not after Haebaek.

  Without hesitation, Kai stepped forward, his mind already calculating his next move. The boar was massive, but it was still just a beast, driven by instinct rather than intelligence. Kai could easily handle a creature like this by himself.

  “Hold on!” Kai shouted to the child, his voice firm and steady despite the adrenaline surging through him. “I’m here to help!”

  But before Kai could even take a step forward, his spirit beasts sprang into action with a ferocity that left no room for hesitation. Igni and Snow, the swift and agile predators, lunged at the boar with razor-sharp fangs bared, their movements a blur of fur and teeth. Ning, the massive quake buffalo, charged with a ground-shaking rumble, her horns slamming into the boar’s side with enough force to send it stumbling. Shuiying, the sleek water drake, leaped into the air with serpentine grace, her jaws snapping shut around the boar’s thick neck. Even Yinying and Hunhan joined the fray, their elemental powers flaring as they unleashed bursts of shadow and lightning, striking the boar with precision.

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  In a flash of energy, fangs, and claws, it was over. The giant boar, despite its size and strength, stood no chance against the coordinated assault of Kai’s spirit beasts. It let out a final, guttural squeal before collapsing to the ground, lifeless. The fight had been swift and brutal. It wasn’t even a fair fight—more like an overwhelming display of force.

  Kai stood there for a moment, blinking in surprise. “I… didn’t need any help…” he mumbled under his breath, a little exasperated. The boar, while massive, was only at the body refinement stage, and Kai was a full realm above that. He could have handled the situation safely on his own. But his spirit beasts had acted on instinct, rushing to protect him even when he didn’t need it. Their loyalty was both endearing and, at times, a little overbearing.

  As the dust settled, the spirit beasts turned toward Kai, their eyes wide and bright tails waggin in anticipation. They looked at him expectantly, clearly waiting for praise. Kai sighed, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips despite himself. “Um… good job, everyone,” he said, his tone a mix of amusement and resignation.

  The moment the words left his mouth, the spirit beasts erupted into a chorus of happy sounds. Snow bound over to him, nuzzling against his legs, while Ning let out a deep, contented rumble, her massive head nudging Kai’s shoulder. Shuiying coiled around him, her scales cool against his skin, and even Yinying and Hunhan fluttered close, their elemental auras flickering with excitement. They pressed against him, vying for his attention, their energy infectious.

  Kai couldn’t help but laugh as he reached out to pet them, his hands moving instinctively to scratch behind ears or rub along scales. “Alright, alright, you’re all amazing,” he said, his voice warm with affection. The spirit beasts’ excitement was impossible to resist, and for a moment, the tension of the situation melted away.Their unwavering loyalty never failed to touch him.

  The heartwarming display of affection was abruptly cut short by the sound of more screaming. Kai glanced past his spirit beasts to see the source of the commotion. The small boy, still huddled in the crevice of the tree, was now screaming even louder, his tear-streaked face pale with terror. But this time, it wasn’t the giant boar that had him frightened—it was Igni. The massive flame-striped tiger had wandered over to the tree, his sleek, powerful form radiating an aura of primal danger. Igni sniffed curiously at the roots, his glowing amber eyes fixed on the boy, who was now trembling uncontrollably.

  “Ahhh! Please! Don’t eat me!” the boy wailed, his voice cracking with fear as he pressed himself even deeper into the crevice, as if hoping the tree might swallow him whole.

  Kai sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Of course, he thought. The boy was already terrified of the boar, and now he’s face-to-face with a giant tiger. As terrifying as that boar was, a predator like Igni is on a whole different level. He couldn’t blame the child—Igni’s imposing presence was enough to make even seasoned cultivators think twice.

  He sighed again, shaking his head slightly as he began to walk toward the tree where the boy was hiding. His menagerie of spirit beasts trailed behind him, their movements casual but still imposing.

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