Far beyond the mossy ridges of the Azure Cloud Sect, nestled between mountains that hummed with ancient energy, an event occurred that hadn't taken place in over a thousand years:
The Spirit Beast Summit.
At the heart of an ancient grove, surrounded by glowing trees and misty stones, spirit beasts of every rank gathered under the moonlight. Their bodies shimmered with raw qi, their eyes filled with reverence—and fear.
In the center stood a vast jade pedestal, untouched by time. Carved into its surface were the claw marks of the Nine Heavenly Beasts, predecessors of a long-forgotten age.
Tonight, that pedestal glowed again.
The Attendees:
Liuying the Serpent Sage – a thousand-year-old emerald snake with a beard of silver mist.
Ashpaw of the Flame Fox Clan – a crimson fox who once burned a city trying to toast a marshmallow.
Mu'lan the Thunderhorn Stag – an antlered guardian beast revered by monks.
Xiaoyun the Lotus Crane – elegant, blind in one eye, able to sing flowers into bloom.
And dozens more—small and large, winged and scaled, sacred and mischievous.
They had all come for one reason:
The Cat.
"A descendant of Bai Hu walks the world again," hissed Liuying, coils tightening. "One with divine qi. Untrained. Unbothered. Yet the stars bend to his will."
"I saw him in a vision," said Xiaoyun, lowering her wings. "He flattened a demon with a yawn."
"A yawn!" Ashpaw barked, scandalized. "Do you know how long I trained to breathe flame properly?!"
"Three hundred years," muttered Mu'lan, munching on spirit moss. "Still smells like burnt feathers."
The flame fox glared. "It was ONE phoenix chick!"
Silence fell as the mist parted.
A new beast arrived.
Small. Pale. Fluffy.
Whiskers.
He trotted into the clearing like he'd taken a wrong turn looking for a warm lap. His eyes blinked once at the crowd, then again at the glowing pedestal.
He sighed.
"Oh great. A council."
The crowd bowed, instinctively.
Even the serpent lowered his head.
Whiskers stopped mid-step. "Are you bowing… to me?"
"Yes, Great One," rumbled Mu'lan. "You are the Divine Cub. Last heir of the White Tiger. The heavens mark your coming. The stars tremble at your purr. We are yours to command."
Whiskers sat down. Slowly.
"…I just came here to nap in that puddle."
He nodded toward a shallow moonlit pool behind the pedestal.
"It looked warm."
Liuying blinked. "Y-You don't seek… the throne?"
"Throne?" Whiskers tilted his head. "That fancy rock thing? Looks uncomfortable. Not even padded."
A sharp silence rippled through the summit.
Ashpaw gasped. "You would REFUSE the throne of the Spirit Beast Realm?!"
"Absolutely," Whiskers replied, already licking his paw. "Too much paperwork. I already ruled one kingdom. It had an electric blanket and floor heating. I'm retired."
The beasts began murmuring in panic.
"Then who will lead us?"
"Without guidance, the realms will fracture!"
"We need a monarch!"
"Did he say… floor heating?"
Whiskers yawned.
"Listen," he said, padding toward the moonlit puddle, "I'm flattered. Really. But ruling over you lot sounds exhausting. Just… handle your own problems. Or vote or something."
He stepped into the shallow pool, turned twice, and plopped down with a satisfied purr.
The water instantly shimmered, infused with divine qi. Flowers bloomed along the edge. The moon pulsed overhead.
The beasts stared in reverent silence.
He was napping.
And the world was adjusting around him.
At that moment, in a ruined sect to the east, an evil cultivator sensed the divine pulse and screamed.
In the Skyfire Plains, a sleeping phoenix stirred from centuries of slumber.
And in the far north, a massive shadow with burning golden eyes opened its maw.
"The cub has returned," it growled.
Back at the summit, Whiskers snored softly, twitching once.
The spirit beasts stood still for hours, unsure if they should move.
Finally, Xiaoyun stepped forward. "He… may not wish to rule. But his aura alone restores the land. His qi soothes the wilds. He is the Sovereign of Sleep. The Emperor of Ease."
Liuying nodded. "Then let it be declared. He may refuse the throne—but we shall serve him regardless."
Mu'lan lowered his antlers.
Ashpaw sighed. "Fine. But I'm not bowing again unless he does something truly impressive."
Whiskers flipped over, muttered in his sleep, and purred.
The stone pedestal cracked in half.
Ashpaw bowed immediately.