Chapter 97: I Can Become Your Familiar

Chapter 97: Chapter 97: I Can Become Your Familiar

The ancient creature continued staring at Xi Yunxui.

Its enormous crimson eyes remained fixed on her, the black pupils narrowing slightly as the spiritual energy around them continued to gather toward its open jaws. Xi Yunxui could feel the spiritual power within her body being pulled outward, as though an invisible force had wrapped itself around every strand of energy and was attempting to drag it from her meridians.

The sensation was unlike anything she had experienced before.

It was not merely a gentle absorption.

It felt as though an unseen hand had reached directly into her body and seized control of her spiritual energy. Every thread of power trembled beneath that force, straining against the invisible pull as it was drawn toward the ancient creature.

Her fingers curled tightly.

She wanted to move.

She wanted to run.

Yet her body refused to obey.

The pressure surrounding her was so immense that even breathing had become difficult. Her limbs felt heavy, her meridians seemed frozen, and the spiritual energy within her dantian churned helplessly beneath the creature’s overwhelming presence.

The difference between their strengths was simply too great. Even the system had warned her not to fight, and after witnessing the creature emerge from beneath the mountain, Xi Yunxui had no intention of testing whether the system was exaggerating.

The pressure intensified.

Her spiritual energy began flowing toward the creature faster.

Strands of pale spiritual light emerged from her body, twisting through the air like thin streams of mist before being swallowed by the darkness surrounding the beast’s jaws. With every breath, Xi Yunxui could feel her reserves diminishing.

Xi Yunxui’s face tightened as she struggled to maintain control.

’Is it really going to suck everything out of me?’

She tried to circulate her cultivation technique, attempting to force the spiritual energy back into her meridians, but the moment she gathered it, the invisible force pulled even harder. Her dantian trembled, and a sharp pain spread through her chest.

She could feel the energy leaving her body, and for the first time since she had begun cultivating, genuine panic started creeping into her heart.

If the creature drained her completely, she might not merely lose her cultivation. Her meridians could be damaged, her foundation could collapse, and she might even lose consciousness before anyone could help her.

But just as she thought the creature was about to drain her completely—

It stopped.

The invisible force vanished without warning.

The spiritual energy that had been rushing toward the creature abruptly settled back into her body, leaving Xi Yunxui standing there in stunned silence. The scattered strands of spiritual light sank into her meridians and returned to her dantian, though they continued trembling as if they had not yet recovered from the creature’s terrifying pull.

She blinked.

The ancient creature stared at her.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

The forest remained unnaturally quiet. Even the wind seemed to have stopped, leaving only the faint rustling of leaves and the distant sound of loose stones rolling down the mountain.

Then the enormous beast shifted its weight.

Xi Yunxui’s eyes widened.

The creature began lowering its massive body.

Its hind legs bent, and the enormous weight of its body descended toward the earth. The ground groaned beneath it, cracks spreading through the soil as its claws pressed into the mountain slope. When it finally settled onto the ground, the impact caused the entire mountain to tremble.

Boom!

A wave of dust rolled through the forest.

The trees swayed violently, their branches shaking as clouds of leaves scattered through the air. Loose stones tumbled down the slopes, and several larger rocks broke apart when they struck the ground below.

King C immediately grabbed onto a nearby tree to steady himself, while Hui instinctively clung to Xi Yunxui’s clothing. Biyu flapped frantically overhead before landing on a branch, its feathers puffed up in alarm.

Xi Yunxui barely noticed.

She was staring at the creature.

It had sat down.

Actually sat down.

Its enormous hind legs were folded beneath its body while its massive forelegs rested against the ground, much like an oversized dog or cat settling comfortably in front of its owner.

Except this particular ’dog’ was large enough to make the mountain tremble simply by sitting down.

Xi Yunxui swallowed.

The creature lowered its enormous head.

It continued lowering it until its face was directly in front of hers. The movement alone created a powerful gust of wind that swept through her hair and caused her clothing to flutter behind her.

One crimson eye alone was nearly the size of her entire body.

Xi Yunxui’s lips parted.

The creature stared at her for several seconds before finally opening its mouth. Its rows of dark, jagged teeth were visible within the cavernous darkness of its throat, and a faint red glow flickered deep inside its jaws.

"Human."

The deep voice rolled across the forest.

It was not loud in the ordinary sense, yet the sound seemed to resonate through the mountain itself. The earth beneath Xi Yunxui’s feet vibrated, and the surrounding trees shuddered as though they had heard the voice of something far older than the world around them.

Xi Yunxui froze.

Her eyes widened.

’It can speak?!’

The system’s response appeared almost immediately.

[Of course it can speak.]

Xi Yunxui stared at the creature.

’Of course?!’

[Host, it is an ancient creature that has existed for an extraordinarily long period of time. It would be strange if it could not communicate.]

Xi Yunxui was speechless.

She looked back at the enormous creature.

That explanation did make some sense.

It was just that she had never expected to encounter a creature that looked as though it had walked straight out of an ancient monster legend and have it casually speak to her. The beast was large enough to blot out the sky, powerful enough to shake an entire mountain, and old enough to remember eras that had vanished from history.

Yet it was speaking to her as calmly as though they had met in an ordinary courtyard.

The creature’s gaze remained fixed on her.

"The spiritual energy within your body is peculiar."

Its voice was deep and ancient, carrying a strange weight that seemed to vibrate through the surrounding air. Each word rolled over Xi Yunxui like distant thunder, but there was no immediate hostility in its tone.

Xi Yunxui’s expression changed.

The creature continued studying her.

"In all the thousands of years I have existed, through countless eras and the passing of innumerable generations, I have never encountered spiritual energy like yours."

Xi Yunxui listened carefully.

There was something strange in the creature’s voice.

It sounded almost thoughtful.

Almost nostalgic.

The ancient beast seemed to be searching through memories buried beneath thousands of years of existence. Its enormous crimson eyes remained focused on Xi Yunxui, but its attention appeared to have drifted toward some distant time.

The creature’s enormous crimson eyes narrowed slightly.

"Except..."

It paused.

For the first time, a subtle change appeared in its expression. The ancient creature’s voice dropped into something quieter, almost as though it were speaking to itself.

"That one lady."

Xi Yunxui frowned.

’What lady?’

The words carried a faint sense of recognition, but also something deeper—perhaps respect, perhaps confusion, or perhaps the lingering impression left by someone who had existed long before her.

But the creature did not elaborate.

Whatever memory had crossed its mind disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, and its attention returned entirely to Xi Yunxui.

"Who are you?"

Xi Yunxui stared at it.

For some reason, the question caught her completely off guard.

She gave an awkward little laugh.

"Me?"

The creature remained silent.

Its enormous head did not move, and its crimson eyes continued watching her with patient intensity. It seemed willing to wait as long as necessary for her answer.

Xi Yunxui pointed toward herself.

"I’m a maid."

The system immediately appeared.

[That is not what the ancient creature is asking.]

Xi Yunxui’s smile froze.

’What else am I supposed to say?’

[The creature is asking about your identity.]

Xi Yunxui frowned.

’My identity is a maid.’

[That is your occupation.]

’Isn’t that my identity?’

[No.]

Xi Yunxui almost argued with the system, but the ancient creature was still staring at her, patiently waiting for an answer. Its silence somehow made the situation even more awkward.

She scratched her cheek awkwardly.

"Well... I’m a maid."

The system responded without hesitation.

[Host.]

"What?"

[What is your name?]

Xi Yunxui’s eyes widened slightly.

"Oh."

The realization finally reached her.

Right.

The creature was asking who she was, not what she did for a living.

She looked up at the enormous beast.

"My name is Xi Yunxui."

The ancient creature watched her for a moment.

"Xi Yunxui."

It repeated her name as though committing it to memory, carefully pronouncing each syllable in its deep, resonant voice.

Xi Yunxui nodded.

"Yes."

The creature tilted its enormous head to one side.

"Do you have a familiar?"

Xi Yunxui blinked.

"A familiar?"

She stared at it blankly.

"What is a familiar?"

The creature’s expression seemed to become slightly puzzled. Its massive brow lowered, and the faint glow in its crimson eyes flickered as though it could not understand how someone with such unusual spiritual energy could be unfamiliar with something so basic.

Xi Yunxui, meanwhile, suddenly remembered something.

She had read plenty of cultivation stories before.

Familiars.

Spiritual beasts.

Contracted beasts.

Companion creatures.

The idea was usually that cultivators could form some kind of bond or contract with powerful beasts, allowing those creatures to become their companions and, in some cases, fight alongside them. Depending on the method, the bond could involve a spiritual contract, a master-servant relationship, or a mutual agreement between the cultivator and the beast.

Xi Yunxui’s eyes slowly widened.

’Wait... is it asking if I have a spiritual beast companion?’

The system answered.

[Most likely.]

Xi Yunxui looked at King C, Hui, and Biyu.

King C was staring at the ancient creature with an expression that suggested he had already decided he wanted nothing to do with this conversation. His body remained tense, and one hand was still gripping the tree beside him as though he expected the beast to change its mind and attack at any moment.

Hui was hiding partly behind Xi Yunxui, only one eye visible as she cautiously observed the enormous creature.

Biyu was perched on a branch, watching them with wide eyes. Her feathers remained puffed up, and she kept shifting her feet nervously.

Xi Yunxui looked back at the ancient creature.

"I don’t think I have one."

The creature stared at her.

Then it shifted one of its enormous forelegs and placed it more comfortably against the ground. The movement caused another tremor to pass through the earth, though this time it was much weaker than before.

"I can become your familiar."

Xi Yunxui’s mouth dropped open.

"What?"

The ancient creature’s enormous head moved slightly closer. Its breath washed over her like a hot wind carrying the scent of stone, ash, and something ancient that she could not identify.

"I do not mind."

Xi Yunxui stared.

The creature continued in the same calm voice.

"As long as I can absorb your spiritual energy."

Xi Yunxui’s expression slowly changed.

The creature’s crimson eyes gleamed with unmistakable interest.

"Or eat it."

Silence filled the forest.

Even the insects seemed to have stopped making noise.

Xi Yunxui stared at the ancient creature.

The ancient creature stared back.

King C slowly turned his head toward Xi Yunxui.

Hui peeked out from behind her.

Even Biyu stopped moving.

Xi Yunxui finally found her voice.

"...Eat my spiritual energy?"

The ancient creature nodded.

Its expression remained completely serious, as though it had just proposed the most ordinary arrangement in the world.

Xi Yunxui’s face twitched.

The system immediately appeared before her.

[Host, please remain calm.]

Xi Yunxui stared at the enormous beast in front of her.

’It wants to become my familiar because it can eat my spiritual energy?!’

[That appears to be the case.]

Xi Yunxui looked at the creature again.

She had expected it to attack her.

She had expected it to threaten her.

She had even expected it to demand some kind of ancient treasure, rare medicinal pill, or priceless spiritual artifact in exchange for sparing her life.

But apparently, this terrifying ancient creature had looked at her, tasted her unusual spiritual energy, and decided that becoming her familiar would give it a convenient source of food.

Xi Yunxui swallowed.

The thought of forming a contract with a creature powerful enough to destroy an entire mountain was already frightening. The fact that the creature’s primary motivation appeared to be its desire to consume her spiritual energy made the proposal even more alarming.

She could not tell whether becoming its master would make her safer or place her in even greater danger.

For the first time, she understood that perhaps the most frightening thing about this ancient creature was not its size.

It was its completely unreasonable appetite.