Rebirth: The Fierce Dao Companion

Chapter 3 – Beast Pact

The little fluff ball didn’t respond, simply staying nestled in Lu Li’s arms.

After asking, Lu Li realized how young the creature was—it probably didn’t even understand speech yet.

With a soft chuckle, he cradled the little one and stood up, speaking again. “Since you’re not saying anything, I’ll take it as agreement. From now on, your name will be Tuanzi.”

With that, he prepared to leave.

But before he could take a step, Tuanzi suddenly wriggled in his arms.

Caught off guard, Lu Li fumbled his hold, and the little creature leaped from his grasp. It seemed headed straight for the ground.

Lu Li reached out to catch it, but Tuanzi curled into a tight ball mid-air and hit the ground, rolling a few times like a fluffy yarn ball.

Lu Li couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Tuanzi, seemingly dazed from the tumble, flailed its short limbs a few times before regaining its composure.

For a brief moment, Lu Li thought he detected a flash of embarrassment in Tuanzi’s movements. But when he looked more closely, its amethyst-like eyes were as calm as ever, as though nothing had happened.

By now, Lu Li was fairly certain that Tuanzi could understand him. It had a serious demeanor, showing no signs of playfulness or affection, which felt oddly at odds with its adorable appearance.

Lu Li didn’t recognize the species of this creature. Despite its small size, it could easily be much older than him—such things weren’t uncommon with magical beasts.

Watching Tuanzi steady itself and walk forward with an air of poise, Lu Li couldn’t help but think it exuded an almost serene elegance, as if it were strolling leisurely through a garden.

Shaking his head at his own fanciful thoughts, Lu Li followed behind.

Tuanzi made its way to its mother’s lifeless form. It used its tiny black nose to nuzzle the larger beast’s snout gently.

The sight tugged at Lu Li’s heart, softening him. But before he could dwell on it, the massive beast’s body began to glow faintly with a white light.

Moments later, the creature’s form started to fade, becoming transparent. Tiny motes of light rose from its body, gathering mid-air to form a radiant pearl.

After about the time it would take to sip a cup of tea, the giant beast’s body completely disappeared.

The pearl, now fully condensed, stopped glowing and floated toward Tuanzi.

With a sudden leap, Tuanzi opened its mouth and swallowed the pearl whole.

A blinding light erupted from Tuanzi’s small form, forcing Lu Li to shield his eyes with his hand, squinting as he watched the little creature hover mid-air, absorbing the light.

The process seemed to take a while—about two full incense sticks’ worth of time.

Finally, Tuanzi fell from the air, landing limply on the ground.

Lu Li rushed forward and scooped it into his arms.

The little creature looked exhausted, its once-brilliant violet eyes now dim and lackluster.

Lu Li, who had already grown fond of the little fluff ball, gently stroked its head. In response, Tuanzi lifted its head and bit down on Lu Li’s finger.

Before Lu Li could react, Tuanzi bared its sharp little teeth and bit hard.

Pain shot through Lu Li’s hand as blood welled up, but Tuanzi immediately began licking the droplets.

As soon as the blood was gone, a cold, detached voice suddenly echoed in Lu Li’s mind.

It was calm and indifferent, evoking an image of a lofty, untouchable figure—an ethereal presence akin to a flower atop a high mountain.

“I am Tun Tian. I pledge to form a beast contract with Lu Li, recognizing him as my master. From this moment forth, I shall serve at Lu Li’s command and never betray him—contract sealed.”

Lu Li felt a strange sensation, as though something had been etched onto his soul. If he possessed spiritual energy, he would have discovered an intricate violet pattern imprinted on his spirit—a design so elaborate and majestic it resembled an ancient, mystical totem.

But in his current state, Lu Li could see nothing. He simply stared at the little fluff ball in his arms, utterly stunned and unable to react.

Then, Tuanzi’s voice echoed in his mind once more.

“I have formed a beast contract with you. From now on, I am yours to command.”

Lu Li gaped at the fluffy creature, still staring back at him with its serene, unruffled amethyst eyes. It took him a moment to gather his wits and ask, “Why would you form a beast contract with me? I’m just an ordinary person.”

Tuanzi seemed to hesitate for a moment before replying, “You are not an ordinary person. You possess the Yang Yao Physique.”

Yang Yao Physique?

Lu Li’s face was a mixture of confusion and disbelief. “What’s that?”

Seeing his genuine ignorance, Tuanzi began to explain in its usual calm tone.

“The Yang Yao Physique is extremely rare—one in ten thousand years. It is a most precious constitution, granting extraordinary aptitude. Cultivation for someone with the Yang Yao Physique progresses at a speed unmatched by even those with Heavenly Spiritual Roots.”

Lu Li’s jaw dropped even further. He felt like a giant pie had fallen out of the sky and landed squarely on his head.

I’m... suddenly not ordinary anymore?

Having lived as an average person for nearly thirty years, Lu Li found this revelation surreal. Bewildered, he asked, “If I really have this physique, why hasn’t anyone noticed it before?”

Tuanzi observed Lu Li’s steady demeanor, impressed by his lack of arrogance despite hearing such news. Its opinion of him improved as it replied in a cold, clear voice.

“The Yang Yao Physique is so rare that few even know of its existence. Moreover, when tested with a basic spiritual stone, it would appear as though you had no spiritual roots at all.”

Lu Li nodded thoughtfully. “You said the Yang Yao Physique makes cultivation astonishingly fast. But I can’t even cast the simplest spell right now.”

“The Yang Yao Physique requires Purple Spirit Grass to awaken its potential,” Tuanzi answered matter-of-factly.

Lu Li quickly understood. His special constitution needed a catalyst to activate. Without it, he’d remain an ordinary person for life.

A spark of curiosity lit up in his heart. After all, having been a mere mortal his entire life, the idea of soaring through the skies and moving mountains was undeniably enticing.

“Where can I find this Purple Spirit Grass?”

Tuanzi paused briefly before replying, “In the Abyssal Lands.”

Lu Li blinked, dumbfounded. He had never heard of such a place.

Still, for the moment, the Purple Spirit Grass wasn’t his main concern. There was another matter that piqued his curiosity even more.

Looking at Tuanzi, he asked, “How do you know so much? And why did you choose to form a contract with me?”

Tuanzi’s amethyst eyes remained calm, as if it had anticipated the question. “I am merely residing in this body. Forming a contract with you benefits me because your Yang Yao Physique will aid my cultivation.”

It didn’t elaborate further, but Lu Li’s thoughts were already spinning. He had read enough novels in his past life to recognize a trope when he saw one.

This little fluff ball is probably some ancient powerhouse or a demon beast from the higher realms.

In any case, Tuanzi was undoubtedly his golden finger, his cheat code for this new life.

The sudden appearance of a protagonist’s halo left Lu Li momentarily overwhelmed.

Still, he knew better than to get carried away. He quickly composed himself, mindful of the old adage: Pride comes before a fall.

Lu Li had long understood one simple truth: there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

He didn’t believe for a second that Tuanzi merely wanted to stay by his side to cultivate. Otherwise, there would have been no need to form a beast contract.

After all, for a magical beast, a beast contract was akin to a shackle on its soul. Once bound, the beast’s life was tied to its master’s—when the master lived, so did the beast; when the master died, the beast perished as well.