It was late in the morning.

Sunlight spilled in vast sheets over Spirit Turtle Peak, plating the entire land in a layer of gold.

The young disciples of the Immortal Sect strode into the great hall with their heads held high. They were all consumed by the thought of how they had underperformed the day before; they had mined the Spirit Stone Mine at a slower pace and were determined to double their efforts today to get their hands on the borrowed Spirit Stones sooner.

Suddenly, a few gasps rang out from the front of the line. Soon after, the confusion spread throughout the entire crowd, followed by a continuous eruption of startled cries and screams. Everyone gazed fixedly ahead, as if they had stumbled upon something truly extraordinary.

On the great wall facing the crowd, there were three cages that hadn't been there the day before. Inside each one was a Soul Pet.

There was a pure white fox, a squirrel with bright red fur and eyes like black pearls, and a small, majestic lion with a coat of golden fur. The disciples recognized at a glance that these were Devil Souls, and they weren't very strong—all were in the Qi Refinement Realm. This caliber of Devil Beast was usually nothing to them; while training down in the mountains, they could dispatch dozens with a single slash.

Yet their appearance here caused a huge commotion. The reason was simple: they were just too cute!

"AHHHH—" one of the female disciples shrieked, her cheeks flushed as she clutched her face, her eyes practically melting. "What an adorable little fox!"

"Ohh, its fur looks so soft! I really want to stroke it!"

"That white fur and those tiny pink paws! It's so cute I could die!"

"I like that squirrel! It's so handsome and cute at the same time!"

"Hey, look! The squirrel's tail is on fire!"

"The little lion is beautiful too! So majestic! Wow, look, everyone… its fur is standing on end, and it's glowing with golden light! So cool!"

The female disciples' gazes darted back and forth between the three Soul Pets, their entire beings plunged into a state of near-frenzy. They screamed until they were hoarse without even noticing.

In the crowd, a vigorous male disciple from the Alchemy Sect saw this and couldn't help but sneer. "Come on, this is a world of cultivation. Is being on fire really that amazing? I can do that too!"

With that, he raised his hand, and a ball of alchemical fire materialized in his palm.

A disciple from the Physical Sect snorted, his voice low and gruff. "Exactly. They're just a few Soul Beasts. Those three are so small, I could crush all of them with one slap!"

The moment he said it, countless murderous glares fell upon him. He simply crossed his arms, striking a defiant pose.

"Go on, crush one. I dare you."

Just then, an even more imposing and robust voice resounded from behind the Physical Sect disciple. He shuddered, turning his head to see a woman nearly nine feet tall, with a broad, powerful build and fists the size of sandbags, glaring fiercely at him.

"S-Senior Sister…" The Physical Sect disciple's bravado instantly deflated. "What's so great about them?" he whined. "If you like them, I'll go down the mountain and catch you a couple of tigers later…"

SLAP!

A palm swung down from above, and he was sent sprawling to the floor.

The woman roared, "You don't know a thing! A cute girl like me obviously deserves the cutest pet to match!"

After speaking, she turned back to the three adorable pets, her eyes turning into hearts as her whole body seemed to contort. "Wow, they're so cute…" she whimpered softly.

Everyone: "..."

…

Just as Wang Xiu had predicted, the scene instantly erupted.

Never mind the female disciples; even many of the male disciples couldn't resist the allure of the adorable pets and began to shriek with excitement.

Someone couldn't wait to ask, "Senior Sister Xiao, where did you get these Soul Pets? Could you sell one to us?"

Seated behind the desk, Xiao Qingyu gently stroked the fur of the little tiger she had just received. "Not for sale!" she said with a light laugh.

"Aww…"

A chorus of disappointment rose from the crowd.

But then they heard Xiao Qingyu's red lips part slightly to utter two words: "They're free!"

Hearing this, the crowd fell into a brief, dead silence.

Someone exclaimed in disbelief, "What did you say?"

The corners of Xiao Qingyu's mouth lifted as she said softly, "Junior Brother Wang Xiu has said that these Soul Pets are a token of gratitude for all you senior brothers and sisters who were willing to trust the Divination Sect!

"Anyone whose cumulative loan repayment to the Divination Sect reaches 1,000 Spirit Stones can go to the Blessed Land Jiuli Hall and receive one Qi Refinement Realm Soul Pet from Senior Jiang Yourong!

"If the cumulative repayment reaches 10,000 Spirit Stones, you can receive a Foundation Establishment Stage Soul Pet!

"And so on!

"However, the number of Soul Pets is limited. It's first come, first served!"

WHOOSH!

In an instant, the crowd was in an uproar.

Countless people were practically buzzing with excitement. Such adorable Soul Pets, even at the Qi Refinement Realm, would likely fetch a high price from wealthy buyers based on their appearance alone.

But now, they were being given away for free? And the requirement was so simple—just repay a cumulative total of one thousand Spirit Stones?

No, that could hardly be called a requirement. They had to repay the money they borrowed anyway! This was purely a gift!

"Senior Brother Wang Xiu is too good, isn't he?"

"What a good person!"

"We just did what we were supposed to do. How can we possibly deserve such a gift?"

"He's thanking us for our trust in the Divination Sect? I don't know why, but hearing that suddenly makes me want to cry."

"Junior Brother Wang Xiu hasn't had it easy. He's endured all these years all by himself!"

"..."

…

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the crowd, a woman in flashy clothes cooed to the male cultivator beside her, "Senior Brother Lin, those Soul Pets are so cute! I really want one!"

Hearing her voice, blood rushed to Senior Brother Lin's head, and his eyes turned red. He patted his chest and declared, "Don't worry, Junior Sister! As soon as I borrow the money, I'll pay it right back and get a Soul Pet for you!"

The female cultivator said softly, "Senior Brother Lin, you're so good to me…"

In another corner, a woman with a delicate, melon-seed-shaped face sighed wistfully. "With pets this cute, there's no way I'll be able to get one before them."

At her side, four or five male disciples immediately stepped forward.

"Don't worry, Junior Sister! You still have us!"

"I will definitely help you!"

"It's only a thousand Spirit Stones, right? A month of mining will be enough! We'll be the first to exchange for a Soul Pet and bring it to you…"

Moved, the woman with the melon-seed face said, "Senior Brothers, Junior Brothers… I'm so lucky to have you all!"

Similar scenes were playing out in every corner of the crowd.

…

"Ahem."

Just then, Xiao Qingyu's cool voice echoed from the front of the great hall.

"I forgot to tell you all something. Because the creation of these Soul Pets involves certain secret techniques, when you receive one, you must sign a life-bond contract with it. The Soul Pet cannot be transferred or unbound. If the bond is broken, the Soul Pet will turn to ash and smoke!"

Upon hearing this, many people fell quiet. The female cultivators who had just received promises, in particular, saw their expressions change in an instant.

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