“You sleep in my bed, and you steal my treasure… I should skin you alive.”

Wu Yuan’s eyes roamed over the hamster’s plump body, calculating the best spot to sink his claws. He slowly raised a paw, mimicking a slicing motion through the air.

Terror seized the hamster. Tears welled up in its beady eyes, streaming down its fur. In a panic, it puffed out its cheeks and spat a second stone onto the bed.

Wu Yuan’s claw froze mid-air. He sensed it immediately.

He snatched the stone up, examining it closely.

Seeing the violence pause, the hamster let out a long squeak of relief, its body going boneless as it collapsed on the sheets.

“This energy… it’s incredibly pure,” Wu Yuan muttered, his eyes narrowing. “Could this be a Spirit Stone?”

He glanced at the trembling furball. This hamster has secrets. It’s worth more alive than dead.

“I’ll spare you.”

Wu Yuan watched as the hamster wiggled off the bed and flattened itself on the floor in a submissive posture. Sensing the killing intent vanish, it lifted its head and flashed a fawning, ingratiating smile.

“Smart little thing.”

Wu Yuan hefted the Spirit Stone and gestured at the hamster. “Where did you get this? Are there more?”

The hamster stared blankly at the stone, then back at Wu Yuan, its expression empty.

Wu Yuan knew the creature wasn’t particularly bright, but he persisted. He shook the stone again, pointing to the distance, then back to his palm. I want more.

This time, the hamster understood. It scratched its head with a tiny claw, its eyes narrowing in deep thought.

A moment later, it began to squeak frantically. It waved its paws in the air, baring its teeth and making wild, aggressive gestures, while its eyes flashed with lingering fear.

Wu Yuan watched the charades carefully. “You’re saying the place you found this is dangerous? There are huge monsters that breathe fire? And it’s far away… you ran for a long time?”

The hamster nodded vigorously, looking at Wu Yuan with shock. It seemed surprised that this big rat could understand its clumsy language.

Wu Yuan was equally surprised. Communication? Is this a perk of becoming a Spirit Beast? I can understand the language of my own kind now.

He stored the information away. If the location is that dangerous, I can’t go yet. The Karma Pearl didn’t alert me to this Spirit Stone mine, which implies the danger level is likely ‘certain death.’ The Pearl only guides me to opportunities I can actually seize.

He would investigate the source once his cultivation base was stronger.

Wu Yuan nudged the hamster, which was now circling him and sniffing his fur, having apparently forgotten it was nearly executed thirty seconds ago.

“Idiot.” Wu Yuan kicked it aside and headed for the tunnel exit.

Seeing its boss leaving, the hamster scrambled to its feet and followed close behind, sticking to Wu Yuan’s tail like a burr.

Wu Yuan glanced back but didn’t chase it away. “If it doesn’t run off, I suppose I’ll keep it as a pet.”

Outside the burrow, the hamster froze.

It saw the owl.

Terrified, it shrieked and darted behind Wu Yuan’s rear, shivering uncontrollably. The corpse still radiated the lingering aura of Demon Power, a natural deterrent to lesser beasts. It was also why no insects or scavengers had touched the kill yet.

Peeking out from the safety of Wu Yuan’s shadow, the hamster took a second look. It realized the bird wasn’t moving. It was dead.

Instantly, its demeanor flipped.

The hamster marched out from behind Wu Yuan, chest puffed out, strutting toward the corpse with arrogant pride. It climbed onto the dead owl, yanked out a feather with its teeth, and waved it at Wu Yuan.

Its smug expression clearly said: Look at me! I am mighty!

Wu Yuan snorted, amused. “No wonder humans in my past life loved pets. This thing is entertaining.”

He ignored the clown and focused on the loot. It was time to process the kill.

He began to dismantle the owl. He used his claws to slice the meat, channeling his Demon Power to flash-dry the strips into jerky. This method was fast, convenient, and ensured long-term preservation.

The hamster watched the butchery, horrified. Blood dripped, flesh tore. The nut it had been holding slipped from its paws and hit the ground.

Wu Yuan turned, seeing the hamster staring blankly. Thinking the creature was hungry, he tore the half-eaten bird heart from the carcass and offered it.

“You want some?”

The hamster remained frozen, traumatized.

Wu Yuan paused. “Wait. Is this thing an omnivore? Can hamsters even eat meat? I’ve never raised one before.”

He shrugged. “Whatever. Any animal that survives in the wild has its own way of finding food. Not my problem.”

He tossed the heart into his own mouth and chewed.

The meat of a bird that had cultivated Demon Power was tough—like chewing on leather. The heart was even denser. But as he swallowed, a rush of energy exploded in his stomach. It was chewy, savory, and incredibly filling.

Waves of Qi and blood essence washed through his limbs, nourishing his cultivation.

“High-quality fuel,” Wu Yuan noted with satisfaction. “Becoming a Spirit Beast means I need nutrient-dense food like this. If I ate normal grain, I’d spend twenty hours a day just chewing.”

Wu Yuan worked efficiently. He sliced the remaining meat into strips, dehydrated them with Demon Power, and stored them.

He then expanded his storage room, excavating the earth and reinforcing the walls with his energy to keep it dry. He lined the floor with fresh hay.

Throughout the entire process, the hamster followed him step-for-step, terrified of being left alone. Wu Yuan had to be careful not to crush it when backing up.

Finally, the work was done. Wu Yuan lay down on his new bed. He had dismantled his old nesting materials and piled them into a small heap beside his sleeping spot.

“That’s yours,” he signaled.

The hamster refused to sleep in it. It insisted on squeezing onto Wu Yuan’s bed. Every time Wu Yuan kicked it off, it stared at him with pitiful, teary eyes.

Wu Yuan growled a warning. “No bed. And no shitting on the floor. Keep it hygienic.”

Defeated, the hamster dragged its little nest of hay until it was pressed tightly against the side of Wu Yuan’s bed. It curled up there, soaking in the proximity to its powerful boss.

Wu Yuan ignored it and began his first true cultivation session since his Awakening.

He activated the Fox Immortal Qi Condensation Method.

Above, the moon hung high. Under Wu Yuan’s guidance, strands of Lunar Essence drifted down, mingling with the earthly Spiritual Qi summoned by his Spirit Gathering Technique.

Specks of silver and white light began to swirl around him like fireflies.

His absorption rate had doubled.

The hamster’s eyes went wide. It could sense the rich energy pooling around Wu Yuan. Instinctively craving the power, it wanted to climb onto the bed, but remembered the threat.

It spun in circles, anxious. Finally, it settled for pressing its body as close to the bedframe as possible, closing its eyes to passively absorb the leaking aura.

Wu Yuan felt the pleasure of energy refining into Demon Power. It was addictive.

Hours passed.

The moment the moon began to dip toward the horizon, Wu Yuan snapped his eyes open and ceased his practice instantly.

He dared not risk inhaling Solar Essence.

Once, he had cultivated too long. A single wisp of the rising sun’s energy—Solar Essence—had entered his body. It felt like swallowing live coals. The Yang fire had nearly incinerated his Yin-aligned organs from the inside out. He had barely survived by purging it with his Demon Power.

“That’s enough for today,” Wu Yuan assessed, feeling the new strength in his veins. “My speed has increased drastically. At this rate, I can condense one full strand of Demon Power every three months.”

“I need 89 more strands to complete the Early Qi Condensation stage. It will get harder as I progress… but the future is promising!”

Seeing Wu Yuan in high spirits, the hamster did a little happy dance, waving its paws.

Wu Yuan chuckled. He reached out and pinched the hamster’s chubby, furry cheek.

“Since you’re sticking around, you need a name.”

He looked at the creature’s cream-yellow fur.

“Little Yellow.”

The hamster blinked, confused.

“Little Yellow,” Wu Yuan repeated, pointing at it.

After a few tries, the hamster finally understood.