Chapter 13: Chen Xi Is the Treasure of My Moonlight Clan

“Chen Xi and the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts must have gone mad!” Wang Xun couldn’t help but sneer as soon as he heard the news. The other members of the Beast-Taming Aristocratic Family around him were equally dismissive to the extreme.

In the Immortal Realm, the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts were notoriously weak. Even though their kin, the Moonlight Celestial Beasts, had mastered the laws of heaven and earth, the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts, with only a single character difference in name, possessed no magical talent whatsoever. The only thing worth mentioning about them was their relatively strong physical bodies. However, in the Immortal Realm, which celestial beast didn’t have a physique far superior to ordinary beings?

Thus, the so-called strength of the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts was nothing remarkable. If not for the Moonlight Clan taking them under their wing after Emperor Qing Yang’s ascension, they would likely still be nothing more than ornamental pets traded and played with.

And now, the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts dared to challenge the fierce and battle-hardened Sun-Chasing Clan. The outcome was obvious without even needing to predict it. Moreover, the one they had challenged was precisely the Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast that the Beast-Taming Clan had used to test their beast-nourishing pills.

This particular Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast was originally a fourth-rank beast. Under the meticulous care of the Beast-Taming Aristocratic Family, its combat power had skyrocketed, reaching the peak of the fourth rank. Even against another fourth-rank beast, it was invincible—let alone facing these chubby, foolish cubs.

“A mortal, ignorant and arrogant, so they deserves to be humbled.” The seemingly dignified chief disciple of the second generation of the Beast-Taming Aristocratic Family stroked his beard and spoke leisurely. But beneath his sanctimonious appearance hid a sinister and ruthless heart.

—

Two days later, the day of the deathmatch finally arrived. The entire martial arena was bustling. Not only had most immortals gathered, but nearly all the celestial beasts had also come to watch.

Beast Island was usually quiet, as the celestial beasts here were all born with deficiencies and had no choice but to seek refuge for their cultivation. It had been nearly a thousand years since an celestial beast had challenged another to a duel in the arena. Now, the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts’ high-profile actions had sparked widespread curiosity. Even the second-generation disciples of the Beast-Taming Aristocratic Family—who were typically mysterious and rarely appeared in public—had shown up, now being surrounded by various immortals like stars orbiting the moon.

“Young Master, there’s still some time before it begins. This place is noisy—should I arrange a place for you to rest?” Immortal Wuyi had also arrived. At this moment, he was speaking to a young man who looked unfamiliar.

“No need, Immortal. You’re too courteous. Now that I am also a member of Beast Island, I should naturally abide by its rules,” the young man replied politely. However, his smile did not reach his eyes, and his expression was filled with arrogance.

This young man was Wang Luo, the direct son of the Beast-Taming Aristocratic Family’s patriarch and its future heir. The Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast was primarily raised and observed under his leadership. It was also he who had orchestrated the incident where a Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast had wounded a Moonshadow Celestial Beast—his intent was to curb Chen Xi’s arrogance and test his limits.

As the two were talking, Wang Luo’s gaze suddenly shifted to a figure approaching from a distance.

It was Chen Xi, accompanied by the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts.

“Xixi Xixi! I will definitely win this time!” The chubby little beasts, having barely grown despite their advancement, thumped their chests in a show of confidence. With their round bodies and tiny legs, their back-and-forth glances as they walked made it seem as if they might trip and roll into a pile at any moment—utterly adorable.

Chen Xi chuckled and ruffled their fur one by one. Then, he picked up the one set to compete and gave it a solemn reminder. “If you can’t win, run. Do not get hurt.”

“If you’re so afraid of it getting hurt, why agree to a deathmatch?” Wang Luo, having overheard, scoffed and said disdainfully, “You’d best restrain its impulsiveness. If anything happens, the consequences aren’t something a mere mortal like you can bear.”

Chen Xi, however, simply smiled indifferently. “And you, as the one who instigated this deathmatch—can you bear the consequences?”

“You’re talking nonsense…” Wang Luo instinctively wanted to retort, but before he could finish, an overwhelming aura suddenly pressed down on him, cutting him off mid-sentence.

A pair of emerald-green feline eyes narrowed into slits, brimming with icy killing intent, locking onto him as if, in the next moment, he would be struck down in a pool of his own blood.

Moon… Moonlight Celestial Beast?!

Recognizing the milk-white cat squatting on Chen Xi’s shoulder, Wang Luo instantly knew what it was. A divine beast descendant with the bloodline of Bi’an, born with the ability to discern right from wrong, truth from falsehood.

Before the Moonlight Celestial Beast, no scheme could escape its scrutiny. To it, the laws of the world, justice and injustice, were determined in a single thought.

At this moment, the Moonlight Celestial Beast stood firmly by Chen Xi’s side, serving as the greatest backing for his survival on Beast Island.

He had been too impulsive.

Taking a step back, Wang Luo had no choice but to restrain himself and avoid provoking Chen Xi any further. The other Beast-Taming Clan immortals with him also chose to retreat, keeping a temporary truce with Chen Xi.

Meanwhile, the time for the duel had arrived. The Moonshadow Celestial Beast and the Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast had already stepped onto the battle stage.

Small—it was unbelievably small. The little round creature, even shorter than a hand, became almost indistinguishable across a mere dozen meters. Compared to the fully grown Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast, it was as weak as an ant, seemingly fragile beyond measure.

The Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast, seeing such an opponent, couldn’t help but reveal a look of disdain. It even deliberately cast a provocative glance at the Moonshadow Celestial Beast’s previously injured leg.

“I hope you can still roll away alive today.” Its sinister tone carried an unmistakable killing intent. Yet this time, the Moonshadow Celestial Beast showed no intention of avoiding it. Instead, it lifted its head and stared back defiantly.

“Meow—” A tender kitten-like cry echoed, but unlike its usual sweet and soft tone, this one carried a chilling sharpness, filled with the aura of battle.

“Interesting.” The Moonshadow Celestial Beast’s fighting spirit took the Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast by surprise. But given the vast disparity in power, it didn’t believe the Moonshadow Celestial Beast had any chance of victory.

“Just make sure you and your foolish little slave don’t end up regretting this.” It sneered before letting out a low growl, forming a hand seal. In an instant, blazing crimson lotuses erupted, engulfing the entire battlefield in a sea of flames.

“It’s you who will regret this!” The Moonshadow Celestial Beast’s voice was strikingly firm. “Your kind are the real foolish slaves. Chen Xi is a treasure of my Moonlight Clan, a treasure your Sun-Chasing Clan couldn’t obtain even if you begged on your knees. And now, I’ll personally make you understand this truth!”

Turning its gaze toward Chen Xi below the stage, its clear feline eyes shone more brilliantly than the finest glazed crystal. Bending its front legs slightly, it spoke with a solemnity far beyond its tender form.

“Xixi, watch me—I fight for you alone!”

The moment the words fell, the tiny orange ball shot forward at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow. It charged toward the Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast with an unstoppable momentum, as if nothing in this world could hinder its advance.

The bold declaration and fierce battle spirit left the surrounding immortals momentarily stunned. But within mere seconds, they regained their senses, dismissing it as nothing more than empty posturing.

After all, the Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast wielded fire, while the Moonshadow Celestial Beast belonged to the most useless enhancement-type class. As the name implied, enhancement-type beasts had innate talents in vitality and strength. But in the Celestial Realm, which beast didn’t already have an overwhelming natural advantage in physique? This made enhancement-type abilities one of the most worthless traits.

Moreover, the Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast had already formed its hand seal in advance, turning the entire stage into a blazing inferno. Even the immortals themselves had to be cautious in such an environment. A Moonshadow Celestial Beast, which could only rely on its body, was nothing more than a sitting duck. It wouldn’t even make it close before being reduced to ashes.

“There’s no suspense in this.” The crowd shook their heads and soon turned their attention to discussing the Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast, which had signed a contract with the Beast-Taming Clan.

For some time, there had been rumors that the Beast-Taming Clan had methods to enhance the physique and combat strength of celestial beasts, though many had remained skeptical. But now, with the Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast as an example, they could personally witness the extraordinary results of the clan’s breeding techniques.

“What a pity for that Moonshadow Celestial Beast,” an immortal with a softer heart sighed. Even Wang Luo had already begun smiling in anticipation of victory.

Yet, in that instant, the battlefield changed dramatically. So quickly, in fact, that Wang Luo hadn’t even finished curling his lips into a full grin before he was forced to immediately suppress it.

The Moonshadow Celestial Beast, which had been surrounded by flames, suddenly broke free from the spell’s constraints, leaping out of the blazing encirclement. It stepped atop the very flames themselves, hovering in midair.

It was fast. Its speed was truly too fast. It was as if an invisible, transparent bridge had appeared out of nowhere, supporting the Moonshadow Beast to continuously leap and weave through the raging flames, unscathed. At the same time, its momentum finally fully unfolded at this moment. The immense spiritual power from the beast’s small orange body erupted suddenly, crushing the proud Sun-Chasing beneath its feet.

“This is impossible!” The Sun-Chasing cried out, and the immortals led by Wang Luo couldn’t believe it either.

“Level five! It’s actually at level five!” An experienced immortal exclaimed, and the members of the Beastmaster family led by Wang Luo immediately changed their expressions.

The Moonshadow Beast still looked very small, but the gap in level could no longer be made up by its size. It was getting closer and closer. In the blink of an eye, it had already reached the Sun-Chasing’s front.

“Die!” With a furious shout, a phantom suddenly appeared behind the orange ball. The figure was imposing, with the clear “King” character on its forehead, marking it as the king of all beasts. At  this moment, the Moonshadow Beast’s bloodline of a Beast King finally manifested. The Sun-Chasing, which had been trampled underfoot, let out a pitiful beastly wail.

Killing intent and battle spirit reached their peak in this instant. At the same time, the Moonlight Celestial Beast standing on Chen Xi’s shoulder also let out a beastly roar with the pressure of a divine beast, “Anyone who offends the Moonlight Clan shall be executed, even from afar!”

“Woo—” At this moment, all the beasts in the arena were compelled by the imposing aura, and they all roared in unison, paying homage to their King. As for the immortals, those with lower levels became unstable and filled with fear.

At this very moment, everyone’s attention was on the Moonshadow Beast, so no one noticed that the water mirror at the edge of the arena had quietly activated. The Beast leaders who had previously received the communication from Emperor Qing Yang also witnessed the Moonshadow Beast’s victory.

Unlike the immortals who were shocked by the Moonshadow Beast’s promotion, the Beast leaders’ emotions were now extremely excited.

Since the appearance of the Immortal Realm, the beasts’ innate talent levels had been restricted by the Heavenly Dao, unable to progress. No matter their bloodline, from the moment they were born, their future had been completely restricted. But now, with Chen Xi’s appearance, they saw a glimmer of hope. Although Chen Xi was still a mortal, he could already defy the heavens and alter the course of fate, allowing the Moonshadow Beast to break through its physical limits. If he were to comprehend the Heavenly Dao and become an Immortal Emperor, would there be any beast in the Immortal Realm that he couldn’t tame?

“Send the order down, from today onward, Chen Xi is the honored guest of our Phoenix Clan!” Zhuque quickly commanded his attendants. Meanwhile, the same scene was unfolding in the caves of other Beast Clan leaders.

Without these immortals realizing it, the name of Chen Xi had already spread among the beasts. However, due to Emperor Qing Yang’s orders, the higher-level beasts did not dare to approach Chen Xi directly.

In the martial arena, the victorious Moonshadow Beast joyfully jumped down from the stage, its front paw hooking onto Chen Xi’s clothing, standing upright, and proudly saying, “Xixi Xixi, am I amazing? I won!”

“Hmph! We can win too!” The other Moonshadow Celestial Beasts, unable to stand its arrogant look, rushed up to knock it down. Some bit its ears, some grabbed its tail and scratched it with their hind legs. Before long, they were all rolling around in a heap, completely losing the imposing aura it had earlier when it crushed the Sun-Chasing. It reverted to its usual somewhat silly, cute self.

Watching them play, Chen Xi couldn’t help but smile and bent down to separate them one by one. The Moonshadow Celestial Beasts didn’t resist but instead scrambled to hold onto Chen Xi’s wrist, rubbing their heads against his palm, seeking affection.

Silence.

Whether it was the scheming Immortal Wuyi or Wang Luo, who thought Chen Xi would be taught a lesson, they all fell completely silent at this moment. They stared at the bloodied Sun-Chasing lying on the arena, unable to believe their eyes.

The shock that the Moonshadow Beast brought was immense, and behind that shock, Chen Xi became a legend in their eyes. His strength was so overwhelming that they could no longer accept that he was a mortal, the lowest existence in the Immortal Realm. For if that were true, wouldn’t it mean that these immortals were even worse than useless trash?

But now, the reality was clear, and none of them could refute it.

Immortal Wuyi furrowed his brows deeply, his expression unstable. As for the immortals from the Beastmaster families led by Wang Luo, they all flushed red, feeling embarrassed and unwilling to face the world.

“The dead Sun-Chasing Celestial Beastwas said to have a high status in the Sun-Chasing clan, but I hope you take responsibility for your words and actions,” Chen Xi said, finally noticing the change in the atmosphere. He casually made the final remark before leading the victorious little round creatures back to the Zefeng Cave Mansion.

The face-slapping was over, and on such a warm afternoon, the best thing to do was sit on a rattan chair and bask in the sun with the cats. Chen Xi had no interest in staying any longer to enjoy the sight of those immortals looking embarrassed and desperate.

Glancing at the Moonlight Celestial Beast sitting steadily on his shoulder, this proud little kitten was becoming more and more affectionate with him. Although still prideful and a bit awkward, hidden beneath that was pure trust and joy. Chen Xi’s ability to reach this point on Beast Island was greatly due to its unconditional protection.

“Let’s go, we’re going home.” Chen Xi couldn’t help but kiss its fluffy ears, his voice softer than usual, filled with emotion.

The Moonlight Celestial Beast was instinctively captivated by his tone. But in the next moment, it reacted and immediately extended its paw to press against Chen Xi’s lips.

“How dare you!” It was inappropriate to be so intimate in public! Alright, at least they should return to the cave first. The Moonlight Celestial Beast pressed its ears, looking around nervously, then shot Chen Xi a fierce glare.

Meanwhile, in the Immortal Palace, Emperor Qing Yang, who had seen the entire scene through the water mirror, thoughtfully touched his cheek before, without realizing it, blushing.

It was indeed a bit improper for the emperor’s personal chef to act so affectionately in public. This was against protocol.

After thinking for a while, he waved his hand over the water mirror. As the image disappeared, Emperor Qing Yang himself also vanished from the Immortal Palace.

—

On Chen Xi’s side, everything was peaceful, but after a brief silence, the immortals also began to take action.

At the Immortal Wuyi’s Palace, Wang Luo sat with several trusted aides, discussing the aftermath of the fierce battle between the Moonlight Celestial Beast and the Sun-Chasing Clan, and how to handle the consequences.

—

Author’s Note:

Zefeng Cave Mansion

Chen Xi: Mwah~

Moonlight Celestial Beast: Mwah~ 【blushing.jpg】

—

Regarding the true form of the “attacker,” it is not the Bi’an. The Moonlight Celestial Beast mistakenly thought it was a Bi’an because the Moonlight Clan initially classified it as part of the Bi’an bloodline. Otherwise, why would the Moonlight Celestial Beast directly recognize the Bi’an, part of the Dragon Nine Sons bloodline, as a revered figure? As for the true form, it’s a plot point that will be gradually revealed later. The reason Bi’an is used is because after researching the Classic of Mountains and Seas and many other sources, it was found to resemble the intended form while still holding subtle symbolic meanings. The Qiongqi, a fierce beast, is not mentioned much here because it’s well-known for being a savage beast, but feel free to look it up. As for the White Tiger, it is the ruler of the four Immortal Palaces, an essential character. The next focus will be on the Bi’an and Suanni from the Dragon Nine Sons. Suanni, to put it bluntly, is like the one who shows incense burners to the Buddha. Although the Bi’an could be seen as a gatekeeper, it’s still a civil servant, so to speak. The Bi’an governs lawsuits and laws, and in this context, it helps explain why the little kitten sees things so clearly. Therefore, the Bi’an was chosen in the end. Those familiar with my writing know I tend to give the attacker a higher status, so this Bi’an definitely isn’t the attacker’s original bloodline but rather a representation of a fragment of his divine consciousness. After all, the attacker’s original intention was for the Moonlight Celestial Beast to watch over the Moonlight Clan, so naturally, a suitable bloodline like the Bi’an was needed to fulfill this task. The Bi’an, who governs the laws, was the perfect fit.