The air after the ambush was strangely serene, as if the forest itself bowed to silence. The faint rustle of the leaves blended with the slow rhythm of beastly breaths – subdued, calm, loyal. Around the clearing, the spiritual beasts that had once surrounded them stood still, eyes lowered. The faint shimmer of inscriptions still glowed faintly on their foreheads – proof of the bond Kiaria had just formed with them through the golden strand.
Diala stood near the chariot, still dazed by what she had witnessed. The beasts, once feral and murderous, now behaved like tamed spirits. Her gaze fell upon one of them – the elegant, silver-white Nine-Tailed Fox, its fur shining with ethereal brilliance. Nine tails flowed behind it like mist, swaying with rhythm, and each tip emitted faint sparks of light.
It was beautiful – and terrifying.
"Dia," Kiaria's voice broke the quiet.
She turned toward him, startled slightly. His tone was soft but steady, holding a faint command. "It's your turn now. You've seen how I formed my bond – now it's time you choose yours."
"Mine?" Diala blinked, her lips parting slightly. "You mean… a companion?"
Kiaria nodded. "Yes. A beast companion. And this one–" his gaze fell upon the Nine-Tailed Fox, "–is meant for you."
She froze. "Kiaria, this is… a priceless one. I can't take it."
"It's not about taking," he replied gently. "It's about resonance. This fox chose you the moment it saw you. You feel that connection too, don't you?"
Diala hesitated – but she did feel something. A faint warmth pulsing in her chest, syncing with a second heartbeat that wasn't her own. She could sense its gentle will, almost as if the beast whispered to her through silence.
Kiaria smiled faintly. "See? It's already begun."
Ferlin laughed from behind. "Little sister, just take it. We're family. No need to be so formal."
Elder Joufa – the oldest among the mercenaries, gray-haired and stoic – stepped forward, his weathered eyes observing Diala with deep curiosity. His aura was calm, yet dignified – a man who had walked through more battles than he could count.
"If I'm not mistaken," Joufa said quietly, "this little girl's martial soul is not simple."
The group turned toward him, then to Diala. Kiaria didn't answer. He only closed his eyes again, allowing his spiritual perception to expand. Within moments, he could feel it – two distinct pulses, one from Diala, and one from the Nine-Tailed Fox. The two heartbeats slowly synchronized, resonating at the same rhythm.
A faint golden shimmer flickered between them – invisible to most, but in Kiaria's eyes, radiant. The golden strand connecting them became clear as crystal, weaving between their souls like a thread of fate.
"Dia," Kiaria said calmly, opening his eyes. "Raise your left hand."
She obeyed. He took her palm gently, drawing runic symbols across it with his finger. The patterns glowed softly, pulsing with her heartbeat.
"Now," he said, "place your palm against the fox's forehead."
Diala stepped forward slowly. The Nine-Tailed Fox lowered its head, tails curling behind it in submission. When her hand touched its forehead, the air shuddered faintly – a soundless hum spreading through the clearing.
Light enveloped both of them.
The fox's nine tails rose high, their glow forming a circular aura around Diala. From behind her, twin shadows appeared – her martial souls. But they were changing – twisting, merging, reshaping.
The sight stunned everyone.
Behind Diala stood two towering forms – twin phoenixes of opposing colors. One burned in radiant golden flame, the other shimmered in silvery frost. Between them hovered a third symbol – a pulsating sigil of red and black, merging the aura of both souls.
Elder Joufa's eyes widened. "Two self-conflicting supreme martial souls…" he murmured. "Heavens above… she truly has both."
Kiaria stepped back, shielding his eyes from the light. The air vibrated, trembling with energy. Diala's hair fluttered wildly, her eyes glowing faintly as the energy of the Nine-Tailed Fox intertwined with her twin souls.
A third symbol formed in front of her chest – sharp, ancient, and familiar to only the oldest cultivators.
Joufa gasped. "Beast Soul Sacrifice symbol…! That's a demonic seal long thought lost to time."
He turned toward the others, voice heavy with awe. "That symbol means her companion will sacrifice itself to protect her – no matter what happens. Such bonds are rare even among divine cultivators."
The other mercenaries exchanged shocked glances. Even Staley and Ferlin stood frozen, unable to find words.
Finally, Joufa sighed deeply, the wrinkles on his face deepening as he spoke with gravity. "Little girl," he said, addressing Diala. "You're blessed – and cursed – in equal measure. These twin souls you carry… they're supreme, yes, but conflicting by nature. Such power can't coexist without restraint."
Diala, her breathing still heavy from the fusion, looked up at him. "What does that mean?"
"It means," Joufa said solemnly, "you must never exert more than thirty percent of your total spiritual power. Any more, and your twin souls will devour each other – and you along with them. You'll suffer backlash worse than death."
The air grew heavy with silence.
He continued, "Still… you're lucky. The Nine-Tailed Fox will balance you – temporarily. Its power of spatial isolation can separate your conflicting energies, allowing partial cultivation."
Diala's eyes brightened slightly. "Spatial isolation?"
"Yes," Joufa nodded. "It creates a small realm between your souls. As long as that barrier holds, you can cultivate safely. But never exceed your limit. Once your fox companion advances to the Supernatural Realm, your safe limit increases by twenty percent. Another twenty percent for each realm thereafter."
The fox, as if understanding, lowered its head again and nuzzled her hand gently.
Kiaria watched silently, his eyes gleaming faintly. The connection between them glowed brighter with each second – not just spiritual, but emotional.
Joufa continued, "Remember this as well – the Nine-Tailed Fox's bloodline is mythical. Until your spiritual cognition reaches fifty percent or more, you cannot bring it into your consciousness realm. That beast will be coveted – protect it at all costs. Keep it sealed in its cub form when in public."
As he said that, the radiant fox began to shrink, its form glowing. The tails folded into one, its body becoming smaller and softer, until what stood before Diala was no longer a mythical creature, but an adorable silver-furred cub with violet eyes.
It yawned softly, curling its tail around her wrist.
"See?" Joufa said with a smile. "A Marshal Realm beast can transform and conceal itself. Never break that concealment unless your life depends on it."
Diala smiled faintly for the first time in hours. "Understood."
She looked toward Kiaria. "Thank you… for this."
He chuckled softly. "No need. It's not a gift, Dia. It's destiny. You two were meant to meet."
Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she turned quickly, retreating toward the chariot. But Joufa raised a hand, stopping her.
"One more thing," he said, his tone serious again. "You're strong, girl, but strength draws envy. Don't reveal your origins. Keep your identity close – even your name can become a weapon against you."
Diala paused, glancing back at Kiaria. "He already knows," she said softly. "He stopped me from speaking it."
Kiaria's expression didn't change, but his gaze said enough. The unspoken truth between them hung in the air – that she was no ordinary traveler.
"Wise," Joufa said, satisfied. "In the martial world, bloodlines start wars. Remember that."
The old man turned his attention to Kiaria then, his sharp eyes narrowing with curiosity. "Now, boy," he said, "if you don't mind my asking – how did you manage to control that entire herd of beasts earlier?"
Kiaria met his gaze calmly. "Through the golden strand," he said simply. "The thread that connects all life. I can see it."
For a heartbeat, the world seemed to still.
Joufa blinked, unsure if he heard correctly. "You… can see the spiritual recognition threads of living beings?"
The other mercenaries murmured in disbelief. "Is that even possible?" "Only Saints can–"
Joufa cut them off, his tone trembling with awe. "You're barely five years old, aren't you? How could a child possess divine perception…?"
Kiaria smiled faintly. "I'm no divine being, Elder. Just someone who listens to what the world says."
Joufa stared at him for a long time before breaking into quiet laughter. "Monster… no, something beyond that. A child blessed by the heavens."
The tension eased. The beasts began to disperse, lying peacefully across the field. Diala sat quietly near the chariot, the little fox curled on her lap, asleep. The air carried faint ripples of spiritual energy, soothing yet powerful.
But even amidst the calm, the mercenaries' eyes remained alert.
Because somewhere beyond the horizon, a red symbol glowed faintly against the clouds – a mark burned by blood.
Whoever had led the high-ranked beasts here was no ordinary force. The "Red Hands," as Staley called them, had left their signature – a reminder that the true enemy had yet to reveal itself.
For now, though, peace lingered.The beasts rested.The warriors breathed.And under the calm sky of the Grasslands, Diala's fox slept soundly – unaware that its awakening had already changed the balance of the world.