Master Thorne's voice, though calm, was laced with an undeniable edge of probing authority. "Boy, what was that?" he repeated, his gaze fixed on Kenji with an intensity that made the hair on Kenji's arms stand on end. His eyes, sharp and discerning, seemed to pierce through Kenji, searching for answers beyond the obvious. The Luminawolf pup, sensing the shift in atmosphere, whined softly and nudged its head into Kenji's hand, a silent plea for reassurance.
Kenji's mind raced. He couldn't reveal the System. Not yet. He had to be careful. He remembered the System's initial prompt: Gain Elder's Trust. Full disclosure might not be the way to earn trust; it might lead to suspicion, fear, or even capture. He had to spin a plausible narrative, one that hinted at unique talent without giving away his cosmic secret.
"Master Thorne," Kenji began, his voice surprisingly steady, "I… I found an old, fragmented scroll. Tucked away in the very back of the pens, in a hidden compartment. It spoke of connecting with the spirit of beasts, understanding their frequencies. I thought it was just ancient wisdom, a quaint theory, but… when I followed its instructions, even incomplete as they were, I felt something. A connection. And this pup… it seemed to respond." He offered the most truthful lie he could.
Master Thorne's eyes narrowed further, absorbing every word. He glanced at the ancient, dusty stone wall Kenji indicated. "A hidden compartment, you say? In the Spiritbeast Pens? Interesting." He then looked at the Luminawolf pup, which was now looking at Master Thorne with a surprising lack of fear, its soft whines having ceased. This was unusual for a Luminawolf Pup, even a docile one, around a powerful cultivator it didn't know. "And this 'connection' allowed you to calm a pup in minutes, a pup that was previously distraught?"
Kenji nodded slowly. "I suppose so. It felt… natural." He tried to project an air of humble, bewildered discovery, rather than confident mastery.
Master Thorne remained silent for a long moment, his gaze unwavering. He was clearly unconvinced by the simplicity of the explanation, but there was an undeniable intrigue in his eyes. He had sensed something profound in Kenji's interaction with the pup. The fact that a supposed "trash root" could even perceive spiritual frequencies, let alone influence them, was unheard of. He leaned in, his voice dropping to a low, thoughtful murmur. "This 'fragmented scroll'… you still possess it?"
Kenji hesitated for a split second, then nodded again. "It's in my spatial pouch, Master." He had no doubt Master Thorne could demand to see it, but he hoped the System's "Auto-Decode" would disguise its true nature, making it appear as merely a complete, ancient text.
Master Thorne nodded slowly. "Very well. Keep it safe. Your… talent, however you came by it, is certainly unique. And potentially valuable. The Emberlight Sanctum values all forms of contribution." He straightened up, his gaze sweeping over Kenji's still-worn robes and the lingering traces of his menial duties. "Your duties here are concluded. Report immediately to the Great Spiritbeast Hall. Grandmaster Orin, the Hall Master, requires an assistant. You will serve directly under him."
Kenji's eyes widened slightly. The Great Spiritbeast Hall? That was a significant promotion. It was a place where true cultivators, often Spiritbeast Masters, trained and managed high-grade spiritual beasts. It was a direct step up, a clear sign of Master Thorne's trust. The System, always present, subtly updated: Elder's Trust Protocol Progress: 30%.
He bowed deeply, a surge of relief and quiet triumph washing over him. "Thank you, Master Thorne. I will not disappoint you."
The Great Spiritbeast Hall was a revelation. It was a massive, cavernous complex of interconnected enclosures, far grander and more spiritually vibrant than the outer pens. The air hummed with potent Qi, emanating from the powerful spiritual beasts housed within. These were not mere Luminawolves; Kenji saw shimmering Aether-Lynx, colossal, stone-skinned Goliath Bears, and even a majestic, silent Sky-Serpent coiled around a central, glowing pillar. Their presence was overwhelming, their spiritual pressure enough to make Kenji's nascent Qi Sensing tingle uncomfortably.
Grandmaster Orin, the Hall Master, was a towering man with a long, braided beard and eyes that held the wisdom of ages. He wore robes adorned with intricate beast-head embroidery and carried a staff that pulsed with ancient energy. He greeted Kenji with a gruff but not unkind assessment, his gaze lingering on Kenji's hands. "Thorne says you have a way with our creatures, boy. Let's see it."
His first assignment from Grandmaster Orin was not cleaning, but observation. Kenji was tasked with simply walking through the halls, observing the beasts, noting their behaviors, their moods. It was a test, he knew. A test of his claimed "Beast Whispering" skill. As he walked, he activated his "Qi Sensing (Basic)" and his "Beast Whispering Skill (Low-Grade)." The air came alive with a symphony of spiritual frequencies, of emotions. The contented rumble of the Goliath Bear, the restless energy of the Aether-Lynx, the quiet solitude of the Sky-Serpent. He was no longer just seeing them; he was subtly feeling their essence.
Days turned into a productive routine. Grandmaster Orin, initially skeptical, began to assign Kenji more challenging tasks. He asked him to assist with feeding volatile beasts, to calm agitated ones, to diagnose subtle ailments in others. Kenji, guided by the System, applied his "Beast Whispering" skill. He learned to project specific frequencies of calm, of dominance, of empathy. He learned to interpret their subtle growls, their shifts in posture, their spiritual fluctuations.
His successes were quiet, remarkable. He calmed a notoriously ill-tempered Storm-Horn Rhino that no one else could approach, simply by projecting a frequency of understanding its deep-seated fear. He eased the anxiety of a young Shadow-Claw Gryphon, allowing a medic disciple to treat its injured wing. Grandmaster Orin watched him with growing fascination, his initial skepticism slowly replaced by a profound curiosity. His deep-set eyes, usually calm, would widen almost imperceptibly as Kenji achieved another small feat.
One afternoon, a crisis erupted. The Great Spiritbeast Hall housed a majestic, but notoriously volatile, Crimson-Maned Lion, a high-grade spiritual beast that had recently entered a restless, agitated state. Its roars shook the very foundations of the hall, and its thrashing threatened to tear its reinforced enclosure apart. Several cultivators, including Lyra and a few other inner disciples, stood nervously outside, attempting to project calming Qi, but to no avail. Grandmaster Orin himself was present, his brow furrowed in deep concern.
"It senses something… a change in the Aether," Grandmaster Orin muttered, his voice grim. "Its spiritual energy is unstable. If it erupts, it could harm the other beasts, even shatter the Hall's foundations."
The Crimson-Maned Lion roared again, a sound that vibrated through Kenji's very bones. Its crimson mane bristled, crackling with uncontrolled spiritual energy. It looked like a living flame, dangerous and beautiful.
The System, ever-present, flickered to life, its blue text sharp against the chaotic background.
Mission: Tame a Mid-Grade Spiritbeast (Crimson-Maned Lion).Reward: Qi Condensation Realm Breakthrough.
Kenji stared at the screen, then at the raging beast. Mid-Grade? This thing looks like a raid boss! But the reward… Qi Condensation Realm Breakthrough. This was it. The very breakthrough he desperately needed. The System was pushing him. It trusted his skill more than he did.
He stepped forward, pushing past the nervous disciples. "Grandmaster," Kenji said, his voice surprisingly firm. "Allow me to try."
Grandmaster Orin turned, his eyes wide. "Boy? Are you mad? This is a High-Grade Spiritbeast in a frenzy! It will tear you limb from limb!"
"I believe… I believe I can connect with it," Kenji insisted, his gaze fixed on the magnificent, tormented beast. He felt the pure, untamed spiritual energy radiating from it, but beneath the rage, his Beast Whispering skill picked up a profound, aching sorrow. Not aggression, but pain.
He ignored Grandmaster Orin's protests and cautiously approached the reinforced bars of the enclosure. The lion immediately turned its glowing eyes on him, a guttural growl rumbling in its chest. Its crimson mane flared, and its powerful paw slammed against the ground, shaking the enclosure.
Kenji slowly raised his hands, palms open, adopting the posture from his "Beast Whisperer's Compendium." He focused, pouring every ounce of his concentration into his "Beast Whispering Skill (Low-Grade)." He sent out a steady stream of soothing Qi, not commanding, but acknowledging its pain, its raw spiritual energy. He projected calm, empathy, and understanding.
The lion hesitated. Its roars softened to a low rumble. Its intelligent, fiery eyes stared into Kenji's, searching. Kenji continued to project, pouring his understanding into the connection, acknowledging the pain he perceived, the vast spiritual energy it couldn't control.
Slowly, impossibly, the colossal beast began to settle. The crackling energy around its mane diminished. It lowered its head, its breathing still heavy, but no longer frantic. It rumbled, a deep, resonating sound, and then, with a heavy sigh, it slowly sank to the ground, its powerful body quivering, its fiery eyes still fixed on Kenji.
A collective gasp swept through the disciples gathered. Grandmaster Orin stared, his jaw slack. Lyra's eyes were wide with utter astonishment. No one had ever calmed a raging High-Grade Spiritbeast before, let alone a Crimson-Maned Lion.
Kenji, exhausted but triumphant, felt the profound spiritual connection solidify. The mission was complete.
The blue System screen, always present, flared with a triumphant green hue.
Mission: Tame a Mid-Grade Spiritbeast (Crimson-Maned Lion).STATUS: COMPLETE!
Reward: Qi Condensation Realm Breakthrough.
A profound surge of energy erupted within Kenji's core. It wasn't just Qi; it was pure, refined spiritual energy, flowing like a river through his veins, expanding his internal spiritual pathways, solidifying a nascent "Qi Sea" in his lower abdomen. His entire body hummed with power. He felt his muscles tighten, his senses sharpen, his very being transformed. He stood taller, his posture straighter, infused with an inner vitality he had never known. This was the legendary "Qi Condensation Realm."
The System confirmed his new status:
Cultivation Realm: Qi Condensation Level 1.
Kenji felt his eyes open, and the world seemed to shift, subtly. The ambient Qi, previously shimmering threads, now pulsed with distinct, vibrant currents. He could feel his own Qi, a small but growing sea within him, responding to his will. This was power. Real power.
Grandmaster Orin approached him, his expression a mixture of profound awe and deep bewilderment. He placed a gnarled hand on Kenji's shoulder, his grip surprisingly strong. "Boy… what did you do? That was a High-Grade Spiritbeast, in a full frenzy. No one has ever…" His voice trailed off, lost in wonder. He looked at Kenji, his gaze scrutinizing. "And your cultivation... you broke through. Just now. How?"
Kenji, still reeling from the surge of power, could only offer a small, breathless smile. "I… I just connected with it, Grandmaster. Found its sorrow."
Grandmaster Orin shook his head slowly, his wonder eclipsing his questions. "Incredible. Truly incredible. Your talent, Kenji, is unlike anything I have ever witnessed in all my centuries of life. This is no mere Beast Whispering. This is something far more profound." He turned to the other disciples, his voice booming with rare praise. "This is the future of our Spiritbeast Hall! Kenji Tanaka, from this day forth, you are an invaluable asset to the Emberlight Sanctum!"
A smattering of applause, hesitant at first, then growing into genuine admiration, filled the Great Spiritbeast Hall. Lyra approached him, her eyes wide with unreserved awe. "Kenji… you're amazing."
But amidst the admiration and the surge of new power, Kenji felt a chilling sensation. A familiar, piercing gaze. His eyes were drawn across the hall, to a small group of disciples, their faces reflecting various shades of astonishment and resentment. And at their head, his face a mask of contorted fury, stood Lord Valerius. His eyes, blazing with undisguised hatred, were fixed directly on Kenji. His jaw was clenched so tightly Kenji could see the muscles jump. The praise, the public recognition, the undeniable breakthrough of a "commoner with poor resonance," was a direct affront to everything Lord Valerius believed himself to be. His face was a thundercloud of jealous rage.