The first light of dawn stretched across Longxu City, casting long shadows over the ancient stone streets and ornate rooftops. The air held a crisp chill, the scent of early morning dew mingling with the faint trace of incense drifting from nearby shrines. Today was a day unlike any other—a day that would shape the destinies of thousands of youths from all corners of the continent.
At the heart of the city stood the National Beast Tamer Institution, an imposing fortress of jade pillars and ancient runes that gleamed softly beneath the rising sun. It was here, year after year, that hopefuls gathered for the sacred Beast Selection Ceremony—the moment when latent powers awakened, spiritual bonds formed, and futures were forged.
The courtyard buzzed with the nervous energy of teenagers clad in black training robes, their faces flushed with anticipation and fear. Parents and mentors stood to the side, their voices a mixture of encouragement and anxious pride. Laughter and whispered prayers filled the air.
Among the crowd moved a solitary figure—quiet, tall, and seemingly untouched by the swirling chaos.
Yanzhi Tianyin.
At fifteen years old, Yanzhi was already striking in stature, standing 190.50 cm tall with a lean, well-trained frame. His white hair flowed like silk, falling past his shoulders in gentle waves. But it was his eyes—one golden as dawn, the other violet as dusk—that set him apart most of all.
Whispers followed him as he passed.
"Byakko's descendant," one said with awe.
"Those eyes… they say he holds the White Tiger's blood," another whispered.
"Do you think he's ready for the ceremony?"
Yanzhi paid no heed. He had long since learned the value of silence, especially when harboring secrets.
A year prior, under the eerie glow of a blood-red moon that bathed the Eastern Peaks in scarlet light, Yanzhi had awakened a power no other tamer possessed—the Heavenly Eye of Blood Eclipse.
Unlike typical cultivation eyes that merely enhanced perception, Yanzhi's Heavenly Eye could pierce the very essence of beings—revealing their true potential, hidden bloodlines, and the threads of fate that wove their futures. With it came a terrifying ability: to summon a shadowy black tiger spirit that devoured fragments of others' bloodlines, granting Yanzhi temporary access to their powers—wings, elemental affinities, or regenerative traits for now.
This ability was forbidden, feared even by the ancient gods.
No one knew this secret but Yanzhi.
The World of Power
To understand Yanzhi's journey, one must first understand the world itself.
Every living thing pulses with Heavenly Qi, the spiritual energy flowing through the universe. Through cultivation, individuals learn to awaken, refine, and harness this energy, transcending mortal limitations. This path is measured by ten grand realms, each subdivided into ten stages:
Qi Initiation
Qi Refining
Foundation Establishment
Core Formation
Nascent Soul
Spirit Ascension
Saint Realm
Heaven Ascension
Divine Origin
Immortal Emperor
Each stage marks a leap in power, lifespan, and mastery over the laws of nature. Yet few ever ascend beyond the middle realms, and those who reach the highest stages are legends whispered in every corner of the world.
Parallel to cultivators are the Beast Tamers, those who forge sacred bonds with spirit beasts—creatures birthed from divine energy and the elemental forces. Beasts are ranked from F to SSS, each with ten stages. A beast must complete all ten stages of a rank before evolving to the next. The ultimate goal is to raise beasts to the SSS rank, where they transcend mortal limitations and become near-divine entities.
And then there are bloodlines.
Rare and coveted, bloodlines are fragments of divine or ancient beast essence passed down through generations. A mortal bloodline is common; a divine bloodline is a gift of the gods. Bloodline traits grant elemental affinities, extraordinary physical gifts—like flight or regeneration—or rare powers that shape a tamer's destiny.
Yanzhi's bloodline was one of the most revered: the lineage of Byakko, the White Tiger of the West, a celestial guardian embodying lightning, ice, shadow, and fire, Also the Shito God of Storms, Sea, and Wind SuSanoo-No-Mikoto.
The National Beast Tamer Institution
The Institution itself was a monument to power and history, its jade pillars inscribed with the names of past legends and its walls humming with ancient magic. At the heart of it lay the Selection Hall, a grand chamber filled with floating cages and shimmering orbs—homes to countless spirit beasts awaiting their future masters.
As the opening ceremony started, the crowd was divided into groups and called forward.
Yanzhi found himself among the fourth group, stepping calmly yet with focused intent toward the glowing portal that led into the Selection Hall.
Inside, the air was thick with the energy of thousands of beasts, each one radiating unique Qi patterns and elemental signatures.
The Awakening of the Tamer Core
For every aspiring Beast Tamer, the ceremony was more than just choosing a beast—it was the moment their Tamer Core awakened.
The Tamer Core was a spiritual organ that formed inside the dantian during the contract with a spirit beast. It acted as the vital bridge linking the tamer's soul to their beast's Qi, enabling synchronization, communication, and power sharing.
Without a Tamer Core, a tamer's Qi could not flow into a beast, making any bond fleeting and weak.
Normally, this core crystallized as a glowing vortex of spiritual energy during the ceremony, reflecting the tamer's bloodline and elemental affinity. Its appearance was unique to each individual, a symbol of their potential.
The Moment of Choice
As Yanzhi scanned the beasts, many students reached eagerly for the most dazzling and aggressive creatures—flaming phoenixes, roaring stone lions, and shadow mantises shimmering with lethal grace.
But Yanzhi's eyes—his Heavenly Eye—saw beyond surface brilliance.
He activated his power quietly, painting the hall with visions only he could perceive.
Colors and patterns danced over the beasts' Qi. Some were bright but capped by invisible ceilings, others weak and fading. And then, near a shadowed corner, a subtle pulse caught his attention.
There, inside a misty orb, floated a slender, serpentine creature. Its scales shimmered between midnight black and deep ocean blue. Delicate fins fluttered like wings, and its silver eyes held quiet intelligence.
The crowd ignored it.
But Yanzhi's Heavenly Eye revealed the truth:
[Rank: F, Stage 1
Potential: SSS+
Evolution Path: Six stages leading to the Abyssal Storm Serpent
Elemental Affinities: Water, Lightning, Shadow, Space
Hidden Trait: Adaptive Shift Core (Locked)
Compatibility: 100%]
Steeling himself, Yanzhi approached the orb.
Their eyes met.
In that silent moment, a bond formed—a destiny intertwined.
The entire hall fell silent.
The instructor overseeing the ceremony—Master Lei, a grizzled Beast Elder—blinked in disbelief. "Repeat that, Tianyin?"
Yanzhi gestured to the nearly forgotten tank. "The unnamed aquatic one. I want it."
Murmurs exploded like wildfire.
"He's insane—why not the Flame Wyvern? Or the Celestial Saber Cat?"
"He could've taken an A-rank and shot straight to the elite class!"
"That thing won't evolve past E-rank, tops."
"He's just flexing—trying to show he can win with trash…"
Master Lei furrowed his brow but nodded. "Very well… Initiating the bond."
The tank glowed. Ancient sigils encircled the beast and the boy. The ritual commenced.
Inside Yanzhi, he felt a sudden pull. The core in his chest—dormant until now—shattered open like a chrysalis. His Tamer Core formed in a flash of searing silver. The bond shot through his arm like lightning.
The guppy-like serpent stirred.
Its sleepy eyes widened. It locked gazes with Yanzhi.
"You… chose me?"
Yes, Yanzhi replied in his mind. You have potential beyond even the gods. I'll bring it out of you.
A pulse of heat, then cold, then overwhelming energy surged through both of them. The beast's body shimmered faintly as a silver scale grew behind its fin. Its name etched itself into Yanzhi's mind.
Name: Nuo.
The bond was complete.
When the glow faded, Yanzhi stepped down from the platform, now officially recognized as a Tamer. Nuo rested in a portable stasis orb on his wrist in the form of a bracelet. It pulsed with a gentle hum, in sync with Yanzhi's heartbeat.
The crowd parted for him, some glaring, some laughing behind their hands.
"He's throwing his future away."
"No matter how smart he is, a beast like that will drag him down."
Yanzhi didn't respond.
He didn't need to.
He saw their potential too. Most of them—mediocre. Limited. Only a few were worth keeping tabs on.
Xue Yori: Arrogant, but a descendant of Raijin. Strong lightning affinity.
Mei Lanxu: Beast warden with rare sealing bloodline.
Toma Ashenvale: Not strong, but his intelligence on beast evolution would be valuable.
Qi Feiyan: Rare soul healer—possibly the key to Nuo's deeper forms.
And one more… still hidden. A wildcard. But dangerous.
Yanzhi's eye shimmered again.
He already knew he'd need to use some… and devour others.
And so the path began—not of righteousness, nor of villainy, but of absolute ascension