Chapter 12: Moonshadow Celestial Beasts Advancing

A dark and windy night—perfect for carrying out shady schemes, especially for those harboring ill intentions.

At the back of Beast Island, nestled in the ancient forest, was a small clearing of grass where the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts loved to play. Although not very large, the area was covered in blooming flowers of all kinds, attracting countless butterflies that fluttered through the air. These brightly colored, natural cat toys were the real reason the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts were so fond of this place.

But now, in the dead of night, it was unclear why they had snuck out here.

“Woof, woo~~” A distant beastly cry echoed from the other side of the clearing. Although still immature, it was noticeably rougher than the voices of the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts. It sounded somewhat like the creatures known as the Sun-Chasing. Chen Xi instinctively furrowed his brows and carefully peeked through the gaps in the bushes.

Sure enough, within just a few seconds, a half-grown Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast appeared in his line of sight. Its fur was a mix of black and gray along its back, gradually fading into pure white down its limbs. Its deep blue eyes were striking, though its excitement had caused its ears to plaster against its head, making it look a bit silly.

“Detected a creature that can be substituted with an equivalent term. Equivalent term substitution: Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast—ecological equivalent to Earth’s Siberian Husky.”

A… sled dog? One of the three great fools of the snow?

Chen Xi was momentarily stunned, then completely dumbfounded by what he saw next.

The situation was entirely different from what he had imagined. Instead of being bullied, the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts were actually the ones acting aloof. The half-grown Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast wasn’t attacking them at all, instead, it was fawning over them, wagging its tail eagerly, running back and forth, and even attempting to groom them with its tongue.

As for the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts, they were nothing like their usual soft and adorable selves around Chen Xi.

They completely ignored the Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast, acting cold and distant—almost like how the Moonlight Celestial Beast usually carried itself.

“Meow!” The small orange fluffball stood on a rock, puffing out its furry little head with an air of arrogance. Apparently, it found the Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast circling and nuzzling it too annoying, so it simply raised a tiny paw and smacked the Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast hard on the head.

But being just a tiny, chubby ball of fluff, even using all its strength, it didn’t hurt the Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast at all. Instead, the poor creature mistook it as an invitation to play. Its tail wagged even faster, and it bounced around happily, its head now covered in tiny paw prints from all angles.

So… this was the real reason behind the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts’ injuries? Watching them play, Chen Xi fell into deep thought.

Something didn’t feel right. This Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast, while rowdy, was surprisingly considerate and careful, treating the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts gently. The idea that it had gotten carried away and accidentally hurt them didn’t quite add up.

Moreover, if Chen Xi remembered correctly, the bite marks on the Moonshadow Celestial Beast’s leg were noticeably larger than this Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast’s mouth. They looked more like they had come from… a hyena or a wild dog?

“It was a Sun-Chasing Celestial Beast.”

Chen Xi was still lost in thought when an unexpected voice interrupted him.

“What?” He turned his head and, to his surprise, found the Moonlight Celestial Beast standing behind him. But his surprise quickly faded. He had been so used to thinking of these celestial beasts as kittens that he had overlooked something obvious—these were still celestial beasts. If not for Moonlight covering his tracks, the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts would have detected his presence long before he even left the cave, let alone followed them this far.

“Worried about me?” Looking at the obviously concerned yet feigning-indifference Moonlight Celestial Beast, Chen Xi couldn’t resist teasing it.

The response? A disapproving paw straight to his face.

Hmph, this lord was just taking a casual stroll! I-I wasn’t worried at all!

Awkwardly twitching its ears, the Moonlight Celestial Beast glanced around, unwilling to continue dwelling on why it had secretly followed Chen Xi out. Instead, it changed the topic to the cause of the Moonshadow Celestial Beast’s injury.

It turned out that the second-generation disciples of the Beast-Taming Clan had not come as innocently as they appeared. Recently, they had developed a kind of beast pill, said to enhance the physique of celestial beasts and help them level up. However, its effects were limited to those celestial beasts on Beast Island, whose physical conditions were already flawed. The main subjects of their experiments were none other than the fellow Sun-Chasing Celestial Beasts of the Sun-Chasing Clan.

“Their beast pills may look somewhat similar to your dishes on the surface, but in reality, they are vastly different. It’s nothing more than forcing growth, unable to truly strengthen the foundation and nourish vitality.”

At this point, the Moonlight Celestial Beast’s voice grew somewhat heavy. “As for their injuries, they were simply trying to defend our clan’s honor. Those fools from the Sun-Chasing Clan dared to say that my Moonlight Clan had poor judgment.”

Hearing this, Chen Xi could already guess the whole story.

To put it simply, the Beast-Taming Clan had used the Celestial Beasts in a scheme, trying to suppress him and restore their own reputation. But these little fluffy creatures were so delicate that Chen Xi usually worried about hurting them just by petting them—how could those Beast-Taming people bear to be so ruthless?

Chen Xi was genuinely furious this time. However, seeing the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts trying so hard to hide the truth just to keep him from worrying, his heart softened again. He felt he had to do something for them.

Without disturbing the playful Moonshadow Celestial Beasts, Chen Xi silently cradled the Moonlight Celestial Beast in his arms and walked back. However, he constantly calculating how to settle this score.

By now, he had a few cards up his sleeve. Whether it was the Beast-Taming Clan or those short-sighted immortals on Beast Island, it was time to deal with them all at once.

After all, now that he had become a Litter box servant, how could he continue muddling through life like before?

In the following days, Chen Xi enhanced every meal for the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts with the 【Divine Hand’s Rare Delicacy】 effect. Although the points drained like running water, watching the increasingly lively Moonshadow Celestial Beasts made him feel it was well worth it—something he should have done long ago.

The Moonlight Celestial Beast also sensed his intentions. Although it didn’t show it on its face, it had recently started keeping the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts from playing outside and began teaching them the Moonlight Clan’s combat techniques.

As a result, Zefeng Cave Mansion often saw the sight of palm-sized kittens with serious faces, earnestly instructing smaller kittens—a scene that made Chen Xi want to pounce on them and bury himself in their fluffy bellies.

Transformation always happens quietly.

That day, after finishing its meal, a Moonshadow Celestial Beast suddenly collapsed into sleep, its body glowing with a soft light, like a gentle cocoon wrapping the entire fluffy bundle.

A breakthrough?!

The Moonlight Celestial Beast’s rare expression of surprise appeared.

It was simply too incredible. Everyone knew that Celestial Beasts, unlike immortals, were born in accordance with the Heavenly Dao, with their level and constitution predetermined by fate. Unless their bloodline was exceptionally special, advancing was extremely difficult. Even those Beast-Taming Clan fools had spent millennia only barely managing to strengthen blood and vitality.

Yet Chen Xi had defied the heavens, forcing the Moonshadow Celestial Beast to advance.

A mere mortal, yet capable of defying the Heavenly Dao—such an ability was simply beyond belief. If word got out, even the auspicious beasts would likely bow willingly before Chen Xi for the sake of their clans, serving him without hesitation.

No, that cannot happen!

Chen Xi was clearly his personal chef!

The thought of other celestial beasts appearing around Chen Xi in the future made the Moonlight Celestial Beast uneasy. It flicked its tail irritably, an unusual restlessness rising within. Instinctively, it moved closer to Chen Xi, jumping straight onto his lap.

“What’s wrong?”

Chen Xi, focused on the Moonshadow Celestial Beast, was caught off guard by the sudden action. He quickly lowered his head to check.

But the Moonlight Celestial Beast didn’t answer. Instead, in a rare display of affection, it rubbed against his chest before quietly settling down. Its long tail curled around Chen Xi’s wrist, urging him to stroke its fur.

Nothing was wrong. It was just that such a good Chen Xi—he wouldn’t let anyone else take him away.

—

Meanwhile, in the Immortal Palace, Immortal Emperor Qing Yang also observed the scene through a water mirror.

Like the Moonlight Celestial Beast, he was utterly shocked that Chen Xi could help a celestial beast advance. But he quickly composed himself and immediately compiled the recent events of Chen Xi caring for the celestial beasts, sending them to the leaders of several great celestial beast clans. At the same time, he issued a decree:

“This must not be leaked! All celestial beast clans must regard Chen Xi as an honored one—none shall show him disrespect.”

That night, several leaders of the great celestial beast clans were left in utter shock by the emperor Qing Yang’s transmission.

Emperor Qing Yang had been in seclusion for two thousand years, without so much as a word during that time. Yet now, before even emerging from his retreat, he had broken his own rule—for the sake of a single mortal. That alone was enough to make them take this seriously.

However, after reading the message, they were completely stunned, rereading it over and over in disbelief.

“This… how is this possible? A celestial beast advancing is akin to defying fate itself. How could a mere mortal overturn the Heavenly Dao…”

In one of the four most mysterious Immortal Palaces, the sacred beast Vermilion Bird muttered to itself in shock, its usual regal composure completely shattered.

Meanwhile, in one of the three great secret realms, the ancient ferocious beast Qiongqi was unable to contain its excitement. If not for the rules restraining it, it would have rushed to Beast Island this very moment to meet Chen Xi in person.

After all, every clan had members who, due to innate physical limitations, were forced to remain on Beast Island. If Chen Xi truly had a way to change that, wouldn’t that mean families could finally reunite, and their kin would no longer be separated forever?

With this thought in mind, the auspicious and ferocious beasts, who had previously only occasionally checked the water mirror, now kept it open, closely observing Chen Xi and trying to understand what kind of mortal he really was. Their attention soon transformed into points in Chen Xi’s hands—though not to the terrifying extent that it had when Emperor Qing Yang first intervened.

Just like that, three days later, the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts finally completed their advancement. One by one, the round little orange furballs woke from their slumber. The very first thing they did upon opening their eyes was to seek out the Sun-Chasing Celestial Beasts who had defeated them before and challenge them again.

“Xixi Xixi, once I win, I’ll make them kneel and apologize to you!” One Moonshadow Celestial Beast stood upright, clinging to the hem of Chen Xi’s robe while sneaking bites of the dried fish in his hand, declaring with great determination that this time, they would reclaim their dignity—completely forgetting how they had once patted their chests and insisted that nothing had happened.

“You’re so dumb!” Amused by their silly and adorable antics, Chen Xi handed out the dried fish to them, choosing not to expose their well-intentioned lie. Instead, he reached out and ruffled the fur on their heads.

—

Martial Arena

Although they acted like chubby little fluffballs in front of Chen Xi, the Moonshadow Celestial Beasts were still descendants of ancient divine beasts at their core. They kept their word—after stabilizing their newfound strength, they actively sought out the Sun-Chasing Celestial Beasts for a rematch, even taking it to the Martial Arena.

The Martial Arena was different from other places—it was a battleground meant for life-and-death duels. And as the name suggested, in a deathmatch, there was no turning back.

“If we win, the Sun-Chasing Clan must kneel three times and kowtow nine times, just like my Moonlight Clan did to atone for their mistakes!” No one knew who gave them the idea, but a few Moonshadow Celestial Beasts had put up an enormous banner overnight, tying it right outside the Sun-Chasing Clan’s territory. They even released a few mimicry-capable celestial beasts across the mountains to spread the word, cursing the Sun-Chasing Clan in every way imaginable.

To make matters worse, these little troublemakers were ridiculously sly—the furious Sun-Chasing Celestial Beasts couldn’t even catch a single tuft of their fur.

Such a major incident naturally alarmed the celestial beings on Beast Island. But to them, the idea that the weak Moonshadow Celestial Beasts would dare to challenge the Sun-Chasing Celestial Beasts, who had consumed the Beast-Taming Clan’s beast pills—

It was simply absurd!

—

Author’s Note:

Moonlight Celestial Beast: I don’t care! Chen Xi can only be mine! ╭(╯^╰)╮

Emperor Qing Yang: Hmm, yes, only mine.