Is a beast pretending to be Bai Ze?!

After Ji Wushuang "chased" the two out, they were left in a daze. However, barging back in to disturb her would seem rather impolite.

Lian Yuan hesitated. "So, what do we do now?"

Lu Xingzhou thought for a moment. "Uh… maybe we could… take them out to play?"

Lian Yuan scoffed. "What's there to take care of? They're just two little beasts."

"But Junior Sister specifically told us to look after them," Lu Xingzhou reminded him.

Resigned, Lian Yuan picked up the two dark little creatures and prepared to take them for a stroll through the Spirit Beast Garden.

The Spirit Beast Garden, overseen by the Beast God Peak, was essentially a "training ground" for spirit beasts of the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages. After all, keeping them cooped up in spirit beast pouches for too long could lead to illness.

To put it bluntly, it was a daycare for spirit beasts.

Lu Xingzhou attempted to place the two little creatures into a spirit beast pouch, but Little Baiye slapped his hand away with a paw, rolled its eyes, and turned its back on him.

Lu Xingzhou sighed. "Fine."

He ended up carrying Little Baiye on his shoulder. Meanwhile, Little Fenglian flapped its tiny wings and perched on Lian Yuan's head. Lian Yuan tried to shoo it away but stopped, worried he might hurt it.

Thus, the two most prominent newcomers in the sect—one with a cat sprawled on their shoulder, the other with a scruffy chicken perched on their head—arrived at the Spirit Beast Garden.

The garden was divided into sections by power level: one courtyard for Qi Refining beasts and another for Foundation Establishment ones.

Ji Wushuang, being "without spiritual power," led Lu Xingzhou and Lian Yuan to assume her spirit beasts would be similarly unremarkable. They brought the creatures to the Qi Refining courtyard.

The senior brother overseeing the garden, a cultivator at the Golden Core stage, was dumbfounded. He could clearly sense the Golden Core-level aura emanating from Little Fenglian.

"Junior brothers, what's the meaning of this?"

Bringing Golden Core-level spirit beasts to a Qi Refining courtyard? Were they here to dominate the daycare?

Lian Yuan cleared his throat. "Junior Sister is entering seclusion for a while and asked us to take her spirit beasts out for a walk."

The mention of "Junior Sister" immediately enlightened the senior brother.

It must be the Junior Sister of the sect—the prodigy who hadn't even reached the Qi Refining stage yet: Ji Wushuang!

The sect truly doted on her, gifting her Golden Core-level spirit beasts to play with.

The senior brother chuckled. "In that case, come on in. But please, keep a close eye on them and don't let them bully the other spirit beasts."

"Of course, no problem."

"Got it."

As soon as Little Baiye and Little Fenglian entered the courtyard, they wreaked havoc like university students let loose in a kindergarten. They snatched fruit from one group of spirit beasts and dried meat from another, leaving the Qi Refining beasts trembling like quails.

The senior brother overseeing the garden couldn't help but wonder why the usually lively spirit beasts were so quiet today.

After collecting their "offerings," the duo flew over to the Foundation Establishment courtyard.

However, the moment they landed, they realized this courtyard already had a ruler.

Standing gracefully in the center was a pure white, winged spirit beast with a single horn on its head, reminiscent of a celestial steed. Its radiant feathers shimmered with iridescent light under the sun, exuding an aura of sanctity.

It was breathtaking, like a fragment of the Milky Way descending to earth.

In contrast, Little Baiye's dusty fur and Little Fenglian's scruffy feathers looked utterly unimpressive.

Little Baiye: "…"

Little Fenglian: "…"

The unicorn-like spirit beast glanced at the newcomers with a calm, penetrating gaze. It neighed softly and, to their surprise, spoke in human language: "Would you like to join us? Come closer, then."

Little Baiye could tell that, despite its Foundation Establishment peak cultivation, this creature could speak human language due to either an exceptionally pure bloodline or consuming rare treasures capable of refining its vocal cords.

However, Baiye doubted its bloodline purity, suspecting it had eaten something extraordinary instead.

Before Baiye could respond, the unicorn's companions began to roar, howl, and screech in various tones.

Though the sounds were chaotic, Baiye understood their meaning: they were mocking them for their appearance, calling them ugly and unworthy to stand near "Lord Bai."

The unicorn's gentle attempts to calm its companions only fanned the flames of their indignation.

Furious, Baiye's whiskers bristled. Fenglian, noticing, asked, "What are they saying?"

"They're calling us ugly!"

Fenglian's eyes widened in rage.

"What nonsense! Junior Sister said my patterns look like flames, and flames are the most beautiful thing!"

With that, Fenglian stopped holding back. It spread its wings and unleashed its Golden Core-level power, teaching every spirit beast in the Foundation Establishment courtyard a harsh lesson.

Especially the unicorn, whose once-pristine mane was thoroughly plucked, leaving it looking utterly humiliated.

Baiye watched in stunned silence, its jaw hanging open.

This little fool is… that fierce?

News of the commotion quickly spread. People rushed to the scene, some to investigate, others to "call the parents."

Eventually, the Beast God Peak's master, Liu Rutai, arrived. Seeing the unicorn in such a sorry state, he was livid.

Lu Xingzhou and Lian Yuan bore the brunt of his fury, scolded until their ears rang. Worse still, he demanded they summon their "guardians."

The two disciples: "…"

Mortified, they reluctantly called their masters for help.

Lian Yuan's master was the Dao Yi Peak's Integration stage elder, Daoist Huanglong Mu Ziqi.

Lu Xingzhou's master was the Tianhen Peak's Integration stage elder, Daoist Yujian Yao Cang.

Neither elder had been reprimanded in ages, but facing Liu Rutai's wrath, they had no choice but to endure, though their patience wore thin.

They eventually conceded and planned to vent their frustration on their disciples later.

Liu Rutai, still fuming, shifted to a more pitiful tone. "Elders, do you realize who this unicorn is?"

"Who?"

He motioned for everyone else to leave, then set up a barrier before whispering, "Bai, introduce yourself."

The unicorn spread its battered wings, its once-majestic feathers now sparse. It hesitated, then finally spoke. "I am… Bai Ze."

Liu Rutai's face lit up with excitement. "Did you hear that, elders? This is Bai Ze! The mythical Bai Ze!"

Mu Ziqi gasped. "Is that true?"

"Absolutely!" Liu Rutai exclaimed. "Bai Ze is a divine beast of unparalleled wisdom, said to understand all things under heaven and earth. It's a symbol of good fortune, capable of granting blessings to other beasts. How else could it command such loyalty from the spirit beasts here?"

Yao Cang raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And where did you find this Bai Ze?"

Liu Rutai grinned mysteriously. "A fortuitous encounter. Do you know who its contract master is?"

"Who?"

"Mo Lanyi of Zilin Peak! By sheer luck, I learned the truth and convinced her to let Bai Ze come here to enlighten the other spirit beasts. Haven't you noticed how much smarter they've become?"

Yao Cang: "Heh…"