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  As Xiao Feng walked back to his dorm room, he couldn’t help but think upon the truths that had been revealed to him. A true bond was a far heavier responsibility than Xiao Feng had expected, which presented him with a question that he had not seen coming.

  Do I even want to enter into a true bond? He wondered. His goal in the continent of Tian wasn’t to become a Beast Master or a cultivator and his second chance at life wasn’t something Xiao Feng wanted to spend doing something he didn’t want to do. Alchemy would play a key role in his plans to come and he would have his own shop in the martial division, but what of life beyond that?

  If he had only heard the true bond being described to him, Xiao Feng had a feeling that he would not have much interest in it. But he had felt it for himself, the realm of Yul where souls intersect. A world of no lies, falsehoods or deceit could gain a foothold, a pure world where the worries of flesh and blood were left behind in favour of the truth of the soul.

  In the realm of Sephari, where allies were a step removed from competitors and competitors a step from enemies, Beast Master Zen had a true friend. A friend that would never betray him, her life tethered to his own, his truths open to bear for herself and a bond that could only be severed by death. His predecessor could not claim to have had such a connection in this world and Xiao Feng could not blame him, for there was never a time in the world of cultivation where his own talent had not been used against him, the half-truths fed to him and his mortal parents first leading him to the Azure Lotus Sect and from there onwards, the Frontier Sect, where he defended the peace of their lands with his blood, sweat and tears.

  Xiao Feng would make sure that his predecessor regained a body of his own, he owed him that much at the very least, but from there onwards, his decisions would be his own to make. Their paths were bound to diverge, fated to even, of that he was certain.

  Could he truly walk away from a bond as beautiful as the one he had witnessed? A connection forged by a pact as nature itself? Beast Master Zen had told him there were many names the language he and Liulian had spoken the pact into existence with, from Ancient Tongue to Elder Speech, but there was one he believed to be fitting of the language that was part spoken word and part intent— Beast Tongue.

  Tethering his soul to a spiritual beast was not a decision hastily made, especially if he wanted to be around long enough to see profits from his Chai shop, but Xiao Feng had a feeling that he wouldn’t truly know until he laid eyes on the hatched beast.

  When he returned to Beast Master Zen tomorrow with the egg, he supposed he would know what species it belonged to and if it was still possible to hatch.

  After helping himself to a late lunch, Xiao Feng headed over to Lianhua’s room in the administrative sector.

  Seated before the spiritual silver pill furnace, Xiao Feng sat next to Lianhua in her private Alchemy Vault. The Senior Alchemist had demonstrated the weaving technique at his request, using her fine control over Wind Qi to funnel the mixture of ingredients upwards through two spirals of Wind Qi that intersected multiple times before unfurling into a gentle umbrella of Wind Qi that returned the mixture to the pill furnace’s base so the process could be repeated until uniformity was achieved.

  Even his predecessor hadn’t been used to the fine control required for alchemy, so it was fair to say that Xiao Feng would need a few more weeks before he managed the weaving technique, which was just a more thorough way of kneading the mixture of ingredients.

  But he could not wait any longer.

  Vyn velour se tyn velour, He thought, the weight of words in Beast Tongue having been made clear by Beast Master Zen. Had he not known the meaning of those words, had he not seen the umbral fang’s memories as his own, Xiao Feng could have continued to practice alchemy at his own pace.

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  Now, however, Xiao Feng could not continue to waste time when the beast he was willing, or would be willing, to pledge his soul to was fighting for its life, in wait for the Beast Bonding Pill that he had promised to refine.

  From the moment Xiao Feng had stepped into Lianhua's room, he had already entered his soul space.

  With his physical body no longer needed as a conduit to convey the intentions of his soul, his reactions were quicker, his reflexes improved and most importantly, his control over Qi augmented due to the lag between his soul and body being eliminated. Xiao Feng had complete control over his dantian and taking advantage of the clarity of mind the Soul Space offered him, his Qi would flow down the meridians he designated without resistance.

  With practiced motions, Xiao Feng ignited the amethyst dragonstone burner, keeping his right hand on the knob both so he could supply the Qi the amethyst dragonstone needed to emanate it's scorching heat and modulate its heat by varying the supply, or cut it off entirely by turning the knob.

  With his Essence Cultivation Art active, Xiao Feng could see the insides of the cauldron as clear as day, noting the inconsistencies in the mixture from the comfort of his soul space. As the heat rose, Xiao Feng knew that he needed to act before the mixture was burnt to a solid crisp.

  Forming the initial weave was where Xiao Feng had been having the most trouble, the need for constant motion causing either his concentration or control to fail before he managed the umbrella of wind.

  So this time, Xiao Feng decided to try a slightly different approach.

  Instead of pressing his left hand against the pill cauldron, he shielded the tips of his fingers with Wind Qi and placed them against the surface of the cauldron. A moment later, he began to shift his four fingers in an undulating, wave-like motion, curling them forward with the index-finger in front before pulling back with his pinky finger leading the charge.

  Using the rhythm of that pattern as a reference point, Xiao Feng began to build the two spirals of wind, watching the inconsistent mixture rise and then intersect, before continuing the rise and intersecting three more times. Then, with a jerk, Xiao Feng hurriedly pressed against the pill furnace’s side with his Wind Qi shielded palm, causing an umbrella to bloom outwards before the two spirals could intersect again.

  “I have it!” Xiao Feng blurted out as he watched the umbrella return the kneaded mixture back to the base, where the second cycle was beginning again.

  “Already?” Lianhua asked, her tone too gentle to disturb him but even then the surprise was audible.

  A wave of excitement rose in his chest and with it, a gout of Wind Qi escaped his palm, destabilizing the established weave.

  Xiao Feng could feel the heat in his cheeks as he sheepishly pulled away from the pill cauldron, cutting off the heat to the amethyst dragonstone burner.

  “Uh, well, I… had it,” Xiao Feng sheepishly muttered, even though there was no doubt in his mind that today was the last class he needed to practice the weaving technique in.

  “That was quick,” Lianhua teased, a giggle escaping her own lips as she faced him.

  “Hmph,” Xiao Feng let a huff escape him, crossing his arms as he saw Lianhua gazing upon him. “It’s a small distinction, that’s all,” He added, feigning a pride that would be more suited for his predecessor. Which he supposed was the point.

  “Is it?” Lianhua asked, her gaze twinking with mischievousness. “Skilled cultivator you may be, but your growth already surpasses every recruit I have heard of in this batch. Are you trying to claim your Senior Sister’s designation for yourself?” She asked, feigning hurt.

  Knowing well that the gulf that separated him and Lianhua couldn’t be surpassed by aping a few techniques, he amusedly replied, “Perhaps. The Senior Alchemists would be honored to have such an honorable cultivator like myself join their ranks, after all. Say, Senior Sister Lianhua, how about a wager?” Xiao Feng slyly asked.

  “You sure enjoy putting yourself on the losing end of those but, I shouldn’t,” She coyly replied, a note of intrigue in her tone.

  Noting that she hadn’t refused, Xiao Feng continued, “I’ll wager a gold tael that I’ll manage the weaving technique in the next try.”

  Genuine surprise flitted across Lianhua’s features, not at the amount wagered, but at the open declaration contained in his words. “Is that so?” She asked, her expression scrutinizing as she looked from Xiao Feng to the pill furnace.

  Before Xiao Feng could continue, she plucked the pill furnace’s lid with a casual flick of her wrist, before depositing it to the side.

  She drew in a sharp breath as she inspected the cauldron’s contents, noting a reduction in the small but numerous inconsistencies marring the mixture’s surface in a way that could not be achieved by the original kneading method, the inconsistencies too small to be targeted by a whirlwind of Qi.

  “And if I lose?” Lianhua asked a moment later, a tremble to her words that she quickly suppressed.

  “Then we brew a cup of chai. Together.”

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