The courtyard was unnaturally quiet.
Even the wind seemed to hesitate as the elder's gaze remained fixed on Liang Yue's sleeve. His voice cut through the stillness, measured and heavy with authority.
"Bring out the beast you are hiding. Slowly."
Liang Yue stepped forward. He could feel hundreds of eyes on him—curious, skeptical, some faintly hostile. His heartbeat remained steady, though the presence curled beneath his sleeve shifted, warm and alert.
He lifted his arm.
A small white head emerged first, ears twitching. Soft, pristine fur caught the light, shimmering faintly like frost under moonlight. Liang Yue gently drew the fox out fully, cradling it against his chest.
The reaction was instant.
Several sect masters inhaled sharply. One elder's hand tightened around his staff. Another took an unconscious step forward, eyes widening in disbelief.
"…That aura," someone whispered.
The fox blinked, unbothered by the sudden tension, then lazily flicked its tail. For a fleeting instant, the air behind it warped—silver afterimages rippling outward. Nine indistinct tails shimmered and vanished like reflections on water.
The senior master's expression finally cracked.
"A Nine-Tails Moon Fox."
The name fell like a stone into still water.
Shock rippled through the courtyard. Even disciples who had already formed contracts gasped softly, instinctively pulling their own beasts closer.
Liang Yue stiffened. He looked down at the fox in his arms, then back at the elders. "It followed me by the lake," he said honestly. "We were just… playing."
Several elders exchanged looks—half disbelief, half awe.
"Legendary spirit beasts do not play," an elder said hoarsely. "They choose."
The senior master stepped forward, his gaze sharp but no longer hostile. "The Nine-Tails Moon Fox is a lunar-aligned spirit beast. Intelligent, ancient, and extremely selective. They are said to disappear from the world before reaching maturity, vanishing into seclusion or merging with chosen souls."
Liang Yue's fingers tightened slightly in the fox's fur.
"To force a master–slave contract upon such a beast," the master continued, "would invite catastrophic backlash. Death would be the mildest outcome."
The fox yawned, utterly unimpressed.
Liang Yue lowered his head slightly. "Then I won't force anything."
The elders paused.
He lifted his gaze again, calm and unwavering. "I don't want a slave. If it stays with me, it will be by choice."
A murmur spread through the disciples.
The fox's ears twitched.
Liang Yue looked down at it, his voice soft but clear. "If you wish to stay… I would like to form a contract with you. An equal one."
The fox stared at him.
Seconds stretched. The courtyard felt as if it were holding its breath.
Then the fox leaned forward and bit his finger.
A sharp sting.
Blood welled instantly, a single crimson drop forming at the tip of his finger. Before anyone could react, the fox licked it clean.
The world changed.
Moonlight exploded outward in a silent wave. Ancient runes—far older than the sect itself—flared into existence beneath Liang Yue's feet, forming a complex, spiraling array. Silver light wrapped around his body, lifting his hair as if stirred by an unseen tide.
The fox dissolved into streams of pale radiance.
Liang Yue gasped as the light plunged into his chest.
Pain followed—deep, resonant, not physical but spiritual. His consciousness trembled as another presence unfolded within him. Vast yet gentle. Curious. Calm.
Not submissive.
Not dominant.
Equal.
The runes burned brighter, then faded. The light vanished. The pressure lifted.
Liang Yue staggered once, then steadied himself.
The courtyard remained frozen.
He closed his eyes briefly and felt it—curled deep within his soul, wrapped in cool moonlight, the Nine-Tails Moon Fox rested comfortably, its presence interwoven with his own.
A soul-bound contract.
An equal one.
The senior master exhaled slowly, the sound heavy with restrained emotion. "It accepted you… and merged willingly."
Another elder whispered, almost reverently, "A chosen bearer."
Before the murmurs could fully erupt, a new pressure descended on the courtyard.
A low, resonant roar rolled through the air.
Heads snapped toward the source.
Shen Ji stood at the edge of the gathering, posture straight, expression calm as ever. Beside him loomed a massive beast, scales gleaming like molten gold. Broad wings folded neatly against its powerful frame, and its eyes shone with ancient intelligence.
A Golden Wyvern.
Epic grade.
Its presence alone forced weaker disciples to step back, their beasts trembling instinctively.
The elders nodded, unsurprised yet solemn. "As expected. A Golden Wyvern… one carrying a dragon-evolution bloodline."
The wyvern lowered its head slightly, acknowledging Shen Ji.
Then Shen Ji's gaze shifted.
For the first time, his eyes met Liang Yue's fully.
Gold met silver.
Within Liang Yue's soul, the Moon Fox stirred, tail flicking lazily.
Dragon and moon. Force and subtlety. Dominance and patience.
The sect masters exchanged heavy looks.
Two extraordinary paths had revealed themselves in a single day.
And neither belonged to someone easily controlled.