Divine soul beasts were not easy to obtain. They had to acknowledge you as someone they served first. Also, they were quite rare in Heaven, as most of the beasts came from the mortal realm, ascending only into Heaven once they had reached the pinnacle of mortal cultivation. But even though I was glad I had made a contract, it was still out of the blue.

“You didn’t even ask my permission!” I squeaked.

Now that we were bound by the soul, he was easily able to enter my soul space. Although he was not able to speak, he communicated to me through the emotions that he delivered telepathically. He looked at me pitifully, as he scratched his ears and whined. He looked adorable. I hated how it made me want to cuddle him instead.

“Now that I’m your master, I’m going to work you to the bone!” I laughed evilly.

He knew my true thoughts (which was far from that), and ignored my comment. He made a cackling noise through his mouth, probably trying to imitate me. It would have been cute if it didn’t sound so eerie.

I grimaced, and he stopped his noise. He curled around my legs and nudged the side of his furry head against my thigh.

“I hate how adorable you are,” I muttered. I scooped him up in my arms and we rode my golden leaf back to the netherworld.

It was during the journey that the little fox in my arms started to change shape. Its fur retracted, and it was replaced by glistening white scales. Little wings sprouted from his back, and his snout became longer, his head a bit narrower. He looked like a serpent covered in pearls, but I knew what kind of beast he was.

I would have thrown him into the air if not for the blue eyes that were looking at me pleadingly.

“You lied to me. I thought you were a cute fox, but you’re actually a baby dragon!” I gritted my teeth.

It was one thing to become my soul beast without my permission, and it was entirely another thing to have him keep his identity before the contract. He turned back into fox form after he saw my anger, and quickly licked the side of my face, asking for forgiveness. It wasn’t easy for him to convey his reasons, as all I could feel were his turbulent emotions, but in the end, I accepted him back into my arms. I couldn’t win against the cuteness after all.

When I informed my uncle of the mother’s death (it turned out to be Seiran’s friend, not mother), he quickly sent a team to investigate the case. It turned out that a new deity who ascended into Heaven from the mortal world but a month ago had killed her. The fox had refused to become his soul beast, and he was so infuriated that he couldn’t contain the lightning bolt that escaped his fingertip. Divine spiritual beasts were difficult opponents, but it seemed that the fox had already prepared to die.

I wondered why, but I thought of the baby dragon in my arms. Perhaps she was trying to protect him, thus using herself as bait? I surmised that was the reason for Seiran hiding his identity. Although the norm of obtaining soul beasts were to have them accept you first, there was also a forceful way to do it without their consent. Somehow like what Seiran had done with me, with the roles reversed.

When The Emperor heard of this, he immediately gave out the order to return that deity to where he came from, stripping him of his immortality. He had to claw his way up from the 1st stage of the Nascent realm, which was the beginner stage in terms of cultivation.

This ex-deity cultivated long and hard, taking 20,000 years to climb up the ladder of Heaven again. He was repentant, and the Jade Emperor assigned him to become a guardian deity of the fox clan in recompense for killing one of their members. Well, it’s quite a good story, right?

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Author’s Note: so in case anyone is curious about the cultivation levels/realms, here they are :

1. Heavenly Beasts: Nascent realm, Xian profound, Empyrean

2. Spiritual Beasts in the mortal realm: first stage (Nascent realm and Sian profound). Once they turn human, they go through the process again with a realm taken out (Nascent realm, Xian profound, Empyrean, then ascension to Heaven). Once in Heaven, they have to cultivate again. They’re so hardworking!

1. Mortals: (Nascent realm, Xian profound, Infernal realm, Empyrean, Ascension)