Bai Shuying's consciousness started to awaken, but she did not open her eyes due to fear of being flashed again with light. She relied on her other senses, especially her sense of touch. Soon she became confused, "What's this warmth?"
She felt her body covered in a warm feeling as if wrapped in a blanket. She felt as if her body was being restricted and could only move her arms and legs. She tried wiggling her hands, but soon a frown appeared on her face. "Hmm, what's this soft sensation in my hand?"
Bai Shuying felt her hands were grasping a soft plushie like a body pillow. She shifted her hand down, feeling a circular-shaped object which she started to squeeze in confusion, "What's this squishy ball?"
Hua Xiran softly let out a sound, "Mmmmh."
Bai Shuying's body froze. "What was that sound?"
After a moment, the sound did not come again. Confused, Bai Shuying repeated her actions.
Hua Xiran softly let out a sound again, "Mmmmh."
Bai Shuying's body froze again, and soon the restrictions on her body loosened, allowing her to lean back, and what came into view stunned and shocked her.
A sleeping Hua Xiran wearing a white robe with the middle parted, showing her cleavage. Bai Shuying jaw dropped and was freaking out inside.
Wha-what's happening?! What is this?! How did this happen?! Could this be a drinking accident? I didn't drink a lot before this. Wait, let's calm down for a moment and retrace my steps. I was training and fell asleep on the ground, then that weird void adventure, so it should not be on my end.
Bai Shuying was lost in her thoughts and did not notice that Hua Xiran had opened her eyes with a smile on her face.
Heheheh, so adorable!
Hua Xiran only slept for a small amount of time, as a soul transformation realm cultivator, the need to sleep is unnecessary, so when she felt Bai Shuying move, she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.
Hua Xiran did not expect Bai Shuying's boldness. That she would rub her face on her chest then she would caress her waist, but what surprised her the most was having her butt groped twice.
Bai Shuying calmed down, and her sky blue eyes met a pair of emerald eyes. In this awkward silence, at least for Bai Shuying, she hesitated and spoke in a low voice, "Um, master, what happened after I fell asleep?"
Hua Xiran, looking at Bai Shuying's slightly red face, decided to hide everything and said, "Nothing, after I found you, I placed you on your bed, but I also felt exhausted after working and accidentally fell asleep with you."
Hua Xiran, with her arms around Bai Shuying's neck and her legs wrapped around Bai Shuying's waist, detached herself from Bai Shuying and tightened her white robes, and smiled at Bai Shuying, "Well, I'll be going now. Make sure to attend your class today."
Hua Xiran quickly left, leaving the stunned Bai Shuying behind. After she left, Bai Shuying rested on her bed, staring at the ceiling, piecing together everything that had happened. Her face turned from slightly red to bright red, she hugged her knees and rolled left to right, muttering, "Oh no!"
Bai Shuying remembered the compromising position she and Hua Xiran were in and what she did to Hua Xiran. Bai Shuying raised her hand, staring at it, making grasping motions. Soon she slapped her cheeks and said, "Okay, let's forget it and head to class."
Bai Shuying quickly changed her clothes and ran to the beast taming class. What she failed to notice was that she was wearing different clothes from when she was sleeping on the ground to when she woke up.
…
The Beast Taming class was being held on the beast farm, a small patch of land filled with trees where beasts are kept and raised in the Yin-Yang Sect.
Bai Shuying joined the other disciples in the open area, waiting for the instructor to show up.
Bai Shuying looked around and noticed that she did not know anyone, so she silently sat on the ground while the others chatted.
A muscular man walked in front of all the disciples, and he spoke in a loud voice, "Quiet down, class will be starting. I am the instructor Qi Chen, an Outer Elder, who will be teaching the beast taming class."
Qi Chen looked at all the new disciples and continued to speak, "Does anyone know what Beast Taming is?"
A disciple answers.
"Making a beast submit to you."
"Wrong. Anyone else?"
All the disciples were confused.
Bai Shuying guessed what it could be.
Some novels I've read were centered on Beast Taming, so submission is not the answer then…
She muttered in a low voice.
"Cooperating with a beast."
Qi Chen smiled at Bai Shuying's answer.
"Correct."
The other disciples were surprised and could not help but ask.
"How is that correct?"
"Disciple with the red hair, can you explain why you're correct and their wrong?"
Bai Shuying was surprised to be put on the spot, thinking.
Why does everyone call me by my red hair? I know I have red hair, but still.
Bai Shuying nodded her head and explained.
"The previous answer given was incorrect because it said submission. In Beast Taming, you form a team between the human and the beast. A team is a form of cooperation with a relationship of equals, not master and servant."
Elder Qi smiled and clapped his hands.
"Perfect! Many have a misconception that Beast Taming is enslaving a beast to your will, but that is wrong. You are supposed to form a relationship of equals."
The disciple who answered previously tried to defend himself.
"B-but what happens if they betray you?"
Qi Chen looked at the disciple with disappointment.
"If it's an equal relationship, as long as you treat them well, they will not, but if you force them into servitude, they will. The beasts you form contracts with do not have much intelligence."
All the disciples nodded their heads to this and accepted the answer.
"For a Beast Tamer, nurturing and raising the beast is the Dao path. The stronger the bond between the tamer and the beast, the further you will go."
Bai Shuying did not care about the Beast Taming Dao; she just wanted a little pet.
If Elder Qi knew that was her reason her attending the class, he would have pulled a muscle.
Elder Qi pointed at the forest and said, "The forest behind you holds beasts that the sect gathered."
Then Elder Qi took out trays filled with eggs and placed them on the ground.
"Here are beasts still in the egg stage who have not hatched yet. You have a choice between raising a beast from infancy and raising a beast that is already grown."
Elder Qi looked at all the disciples and raised two fingers and said, "You have two types of contracts you can form with them…"
For tamers to create a bond with a beast, they must either form a blood contract or a soul bond. Both types have their advantages and disadvantages.
To perform a blood contract, a tamer must use a special formula that shapes their blood into a small formation that is dropped on a beast's head. By using the blood as a medium, a shallow bond is created. The advantage of this method is that if the beast is killed, the tamer does not face a backlash, while the disadvantage is poor communication between the tamer and the beast.
To perform a soul contract requires fulfilling two conditions: the tamer has to be at the foundation establishment stage, and the beast must have intelligence. A soul contract involves the exchange of a small piece of the soul between the two. The tamer performs the soul division. For humans to separate a portion of consciousness, one must be at the foundation establishment stage, while for a beast, they would need to be smart enough to give consent. The advantage is having a strong bond to feel and communicate with the best, but the disadvantage is that if the beast dies, the tamer damages their consciousness.
After Elder Qi finished his explanation, he picked his finger, taking a drop of blood and forming a formation as a demonstration, amazing the new disciples.
"Whoa!"
"Since you have a connection with the drop of blood, use your qi to change it into this formation."
A disciple curiously asked, "Elder Qi, are soul and consciousness two different things?"
Elder Qi took a moment, then said, "We assume they are the same. There is not much information about it; maybe those who have reached the nascent soul realm would know."
Elder Qi smiled, "For today, you will be performing blood contracts. You will learn more about soul contracts, but that is for the future when your cultivation increases."
Elder Qi stood silently observing the disciples with his arms crossed.
The disciples in the class split into two groups. The majority of the disciples entered the forest to search for beasts to form a contract with, while the rest looked at the tray of eggs on the ground.
Bai Shuying looked at the eggs, rubbing her chin, and wondered.
Would my sixth sense work?
She started to pick eggs with her hand one by one. Elder Qi found her behavior weird as Bai Shuying shook her head as she sorted through the eggs. Bai Shuying stopped at a large, light orange egg that barely fit in her hand, and her sixth sense was activated.
Her eyes sparkled and she smiled, taking the egg, thinking.
This is the one!
Bai Shuying went back to her spot and sat down on the ground cross-legged, the egg resting on her lap.
"Elder Qi said to form a blood contract, you need to form a formation with your blood based on the formula he demonstrated, and then place a drop of blood on the beast."
Bai Shuying pricked her finger a small crimson drop seeped out her finger. Using her qi, she levitated the drop and changed its form into a formation and laid it onto the shell of the egg. A miraculous scene happened; the blood seeped into the egg and disappeared. The egg started to wiggle left and right.
Bai Shuying suddenly felt an intimate connection with the egg. Now she understood the feeling of the beast inside the egg, but those feelings confused her.
Why does it feel lonely and afraid?
Bai Shuying sympathised with the egg's feelings. She picked it up with both her hands and hugged it to her chest. She used her index finger and rubbed its shell to comfort it, saying in a soft voice, "It's okay, you're not alone anymore, and there's nothing to fear, I'll protect you."
The beast inside the egg went close to the area. Bai Shuying pressed her chest on feeling the warmth. The beast closed its eyes, sensing the emotions of love, care, and security similar to what its mother always made it feel, emanating from its connection with Bai Shuying.
Bai Shuying giggled at the egg, which stopped wiggling. Now expressing feelings of happiness and joy.
"I wonder when you will hatch?" she softly murmured.
Bai Shuying did not realize at this moment that she had made two mistakes: her sixth sense only activates on great opportunities, and she was a half-fox, half-human. Using a blood contract as a hybrid to form a bond with the egg was an act of becoming its parent. Not an adoptive parent, but a biological parent.
All the disciples returned and sat on the ground. Most had different types of beasts near them, while others, like Bai Shuying, had an egg in their hands.
Elder Qi nodded his head and smiled. "Good, now all of you have started your journey as Beast Tamers. To celebrate this occasion…"
Elder Qi took out a bunch of pouches from his spatial ring and continued to speak, "Here are beast pouches where you can store your companions."
One at a time, disciples picked up a pouch and expressed their gratitude. The last person was Bai Shuying. After expressing her gratitude, she showed the egg to Elder Qi and asked, "Elder Qi, what would I need to do to hatch this egg?"
Elder Qi curiously looked at the egg and said, "The egg seems to align with fire and yang qi. As long as you supply it with enough energy, it should hatch."
Bai Shuying tilted her head in confusion. "Is there a difference if I give it fire or yang qi?"
Elder Qi smiled, "Yes, there's a difference. Fire qi is of low quality, while Yang qi is of higher quality, but Fire qi is easier to obtain than Yang qi. If you give the egg Yang qi, its potential and strength will be much greater."
Bai Shuying nodded her head and said, "Thank you, Elder Qi."
"No problem, if you have any questions, feel free to ask."
Bai Shuying walked out of the beast farm, looking at the egg in her hand, lost in thought. She did not notice that there was a person in front of her. Bai Shuying bumped into the person quickly, protecting the egg. She stepped back and quickly said, "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
The female disciple, annoyed, spoke in a harsh voice, "Next time, watch where you're going."
Bai Shuying did not say anything back because it was her fault, but she soon became bewildered as the sharp-eyed girl did not leave, but crossed her arms, looking at her intently.
"Tch, here I challenge you to an alchemy duel."
The sharp-eyed girl gave Bai Shuying a piece of paper, turned on her heel, flipping her hair, and left, leaving behind a stunned Bai Shuying.
"Huh."
She looked at the paper in her hand, then at the back of the girl. Bai Shuying cried but had no tears, thinking.
I just bumped into you! Why am I suddenly being challenged?!