"Let's see if you can still brag later. Don't forget, your beast veins will eventually become mine too," Zhuo Riyan shot back with a cold snort.
The little cat only sneered in response.
Not long after, their beast veins began to resonate with one another. Although the cat's beast vein was unimaginably thick, the connection process itself wasn't difficult. It wasn't an actual physical fusion, but rather an activation—so long as they could sense one another, the two beast veins would naturally merge and form a complete circulation.
Zhuo Riyan was no novice to cultivation.
Yet the instant the first beast vein connected, his pupils shrank violently.
"No way…"
The moment the connection was established, it felt as if a dragon had been linked to a fragile centipede. His own beast vein, originally thin, suddenly began to transform, growing thicker, sturdier, and more ferocious—just like a dragon awakening.
A deafening roar echoed inside his body.
He could feel the terrifying blood of the Cosmic Thunderfiend Genesis surging through his torso, washing over every inch of his flesh. His muscles tightened, his bones rang faintly, and his dantian expanded rapidly, its capacity for storing beast qi multiplying in an instant.
For a split second, he even felt like he had become a Cosmic Thunderfiend Genesis himself.
His previous lifebound beast, the Razor Golden Eagle, had once strengthened his body too—but this… this was on an entirely different level.
This was the power of a real Primordial Cosmic Beast.
Zhuo Riyan's eyes burned with excitement as realization struck him. This was a heaven-defying opportunity.
As his own beast vein continued to grow, inch by inch, drawing closer to the terrifying thickness of the cat's beast vein, the first-level connection stabilized.
The first level of the Beast Vein Stage—complete.
The next step was to activate a cultivation method, absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth through the beast veins, refine it, and store it within the dantian as beast qi. The quality of this beast qi depended on two things—the cultivation technique and the bloodline of the lifebound beast.
In Flame City, Zhuo Riyan had once used the best available method, the EarthGold Technique, to condense EarthGold Beast Qi.
But now—
The little cat's voice rang out lazily above his head.
"Master, it's time to use my technique. The one I gave you. The Cosmic Thunderfiend Codex."
Zhuo Riyan's heart clenched.
This time, he would not use EarthGold.
This time, he would cultivate the Cosmic Thunderfiend Codex.
Thunder flickered faintly beneath his skin as his breathing steadied.
His lips curved into a cold, savage grin.
This time… I'll show everyone that I'm not a fucking loser anymore.
After not cultivating for three whole years, the moment Zhuo Riyan felt beast qi flowing through his body again, his spirit ignited like dry tinder meeting fire. He completely lost track of time. When he finally opened his eyes, dawn had already arrived.
In just one night, both he and the little cat had broken through to the third level of the Beast Vein stage.
Such speed was nothing short of monstrous.
Even with Zhuo Riyan's past experience, this was something that shouldn't have been possible in this entire nation. More shockingly, his body itself had begun to transform. His muscles, bones, and even his blood faintly carried traces of purple thunder. Without even realizing it, he had formed a Cosmic Thunderfiend Body, a weakened but terrifying version of the cat's own physique.
Strength surged through his limbs. Speed coiled beneath his skin. And deep within his dantian, thunder rumbled.
"This beast qi at the third level… it's even stronger than the beast qi I had at the fifth level with the EarthGold Technique," Zhuo Riyan muttered in disbelief.
Cosmic Thunderfiend Beast Qi surged through his three connected beast veins like living lightning. Every breath he took felt like he was inhaling a storm. It was as if a thundercloud had been trapped inside his body, ready to explode at any moment.
His thoughts drifted to his lifebound space.
"There are still eight other eggs in there. One of them is already reacting, even without cracks… Just what kind of Primordial Cosmic Beast will it be next time?"
His heart burned with anticipation. A terrifying thought slowly took shape.
Could it be… that I really possess all nine Primordial Cosmic Beasts?
Once, he had believed his path was severed forever.
Once, he had thought his life was over.
Even with his mother's quiet encouragement every day, he had seen no light at the end of the tunnel. Only humiliation. Only despair.
But now—
"But the heavens haven't given up on me after all," Zhuo Riyan said softly, his fists clenching. "Kin Dou. Ao Shen. Just fucking wait. I will return. I will take back everything you stole from me—your status, your power… and your lives too."
His gaze shifted toward the distant horizon beyond the window, sharp and cold.
"And most importantly… I won't let my mother get hurt ever again."
Su Jing his mother had already suffered enough. His fall from the Great Bound Sect had pushed her life into even deeper hardship. Every trace of her exhaustion, her silence, her helplessness over these three years was burned into his soul.
Even after the symbiotic cultivation ended and the little cat had curled up and fallen asleep on his shoulder, Zhuo Riyan did not stop.
He continued cultivating through the rising sun.
This time, he was no longer cultivating for survival.
He was cultivating for slaughter.
A sudden disturbance erupted outside their house.
"Su Jing! Zhuo Riyan! Open up!"
"We brought a big, big fucking news for you!"
Zhuo Riyan's eyes snapped open. The killing intent hidden in that voice was impossible to miss. He put little cat on floor.
He slowly stood up and walked to the door.
He already knew who it was.
The door creaked open.
Two women stood outside.
From behind him, Su Jing stepped out, coughing lightly as she asked gently,
"Who is it, Riyan'er?"
She was smiling as always, gentle and tired—but illness had hollowed her face, making her look far older than her years.
Zhuo Riyan's fists clenched.