Mystic Eyes: My Eyes Steal the Laws of Cultivation

The world suddenly spun into a whirlwind. The wind howled in Mu Yanyu’s ears the moment she was thrown from the winged beast.

As she fell, her arms tightened desperately around the cloth bundle that held the fox. Panic froze her movements for an instant.

"KYRIAN!!"

She screamed, stretching one arm toward Kyrian, who was quickly becoming more and more distant.

Her scream was swallowed by the air, while despair surged in her mind. But the instinct to survive spoke louder.

She remembered the token she had received. Quickly, with trembling hands, she grabbed it, shutting her eyes tightly. It was the only thing she could rely on now.

Then, energy emanated from the token, followed by a sudden sensation of slowing down. When she opened her eyes again, she was already standing on the forest floor.

She was slightly dazed but completely unscathed. The token in her hand had disintegrated. Taken by the wind.

She then took a deep breath while biting her lip. She had been completely separated from Kyrian. And now that she was far away, she realized what the climate of this place really was.

Hot, truly hot, and suffocating. She breathed deeply, trying to control her quick breaths. But she had no time to calm down.

Because suddenly, a low growl echoed behind her.

Yanyu instinctively drew her sword and spun around.

No thinking. The days of training with Kyrian took over. The sword left its sheath in one smooth, precise motion.

From the bushes, a wolf at the 6° stage of the Qi Accumulation realm leapt at her, its fangs aiming for her neck.

The blade shone, cutting. A silver arc intercepted the beast’s neck. The cut was clean.

The creature’s head separated from its body and rolled on the ground, while the body collapsed heavily.

At last, silence. She could calm herself.

She looked around, her heart still racing. No further movement or beasts for the moment.

She sighed, lowering her sword slowly. Her attention turned to the cloth bundle she held more carefully.

She unwrapped the fabric, revealing a small white fox. It was still sleeping, or at least seemed to be. Its breathing was calm, a sharp contrast to Yanyu’s heart still pounding with adrenaline after plummeting from who knows how many meters high.

"At least you’re fine." Yanyu murmured in relief. After all, Kyrian had entrusted the fox to her.

It was then that something seemed to change.

A tremor ran through the fox’s body. The eyes, which had been completely closed, suddenly opened.

They were the same cross-shaped irises, gray and deep. But now they shone brighter with an intense lucidity. There was no confusion.

As soon as the fox’s eyes locked onto Yanyu, a low growl rumbled from its throat, carrying pure hatred.

Before Yanyu could think or say anything, the fox moved. In a white blur. It leapt from Yanyu’s hands, its sharp claws aiming at her face.

Yanyu cried out in surprise, instinctively throwing her body backward. She let go of the fox, which landed perfectly on the ground a few meters away.

The fox crouched slightly, ready to attack again.

Yanyu breathed heavily as she looked at the small fox, immediately noticing the changes.

The fox had not grown, but its fur seemed even whiter. Not only that, a distinct golden stripe had appeared underneath its body, running from neck to tail.

But what had changed the most was its strength. Yanyu sensed it instantly. This pressure was that of a beast at the peak of the Qi Accumulation realm.

"Wait!" Yanyu, seeing the fox preparing to attack, shouted. Raising her sword into guard and taking a defensive stance.

"Calm down! Look around, we’ve lost Kyrian. Attacking me won’t help at all." Yanyu said, but...

The fox did not seem to listen. Its cross-shaped eyes burned with hostility, completely fixed on Yanyu as if she were the source of all evil.

It growled again, baring its small, sharp fangs.

And just as Yanyu thought it would attack again, something changed. The fox suddenly sniffed the air, its head moving and turning to the side, distracted by something Yanyu could not perceive.

Its hatred toward Yanyu seemed momentarily forgotten or ignored when another feeling took over.

With one last growl in Yanyu’s direction, as if warning her, the fox turned and darted into the forest.

"Wait!" Yanyu cried again. And without hesitation, she ran after it.

Losing the fox was unimaginable for her. Kyrian had entrusted it to her. She ran, following the trail of the fox as it disappeared between the trees.

The chase was not long. Yanyu found the fox in a small clearing. Standing over the corpse of a beast, a boar of the 7° stage. The beast’s throat was open, torn by a swift slash.

The fox did not even seem out of breath, much less injured. It ignored the dead beast completely. Then, it began frantically digging at the base of a gray tree trunk.

In moments, the small fox uncovered two Ash Fruits. And without hesitation, it swallowed them both, one after the other, a gleam of satisfaction passing through its eyes.

Then Yanyu cautiously approached, her sword still lowered. Just to protect herself, not in an attack stance.

"You... you can find them?" Yanyu asked, her voice filled with disbelief. The fox, from a considerable distance, had gone straight to the fruits.

The small beast turned its head to her. The growl of hatred was now weaker. Replaced by a different look. The fox did not attack immediately. It only evaluated Yanyu, observing her with its eyes.

Seeing that the fox seemed calmer than when it had first awakened, Yanyu saw an opening. She sighed and spoke in the calmest voice she could muster.

"Look... we’re in a test. If we manage to get these fruits, we can go to the Verdant Sword Sect." Yanyu began, then crouched a little, almost at the fox’s level.

"There, they have thousands, many spirit stones. More than you can imagine. Kyrian will get plenty and give you as many as you want." Yanyu finished, trying to convince it.

The name ’Kyrian’ made the fox’s ears perk up slightly. The interest was clear. The fox seemed to look around for a moment, not finding the one who fed it.

"He isn’t here. Help me!"

"Help me find more of these fruits. For every two you find, you can keep one. And I promise that, when we find Kyrian, he’ll give you a mountain of spirit stones. Many of them."

Yanyu spoke again. With a certain expectation.

Yanyu’s strength was not very special compared to everyone else in the test. If she managed to get the little fox to help her, it would be perfect. With the fox’s strength, she would be free to roam the forest.

The fox remained still for quite some time. Its cross-shaped eyes are piercing Yanyu’s. The inner struggle was visible.

But somehow, Yanyu noticed that the uncontrollable hatred the little one had was diminished after awakening this time.

Finally, after a minute, it let out a small grunt. Not a friendly sound, but one of acceptance.

An agreement had been formed between them.

Yanyu smiled from ear to ear.

"Great! You lead the way." She said excitedly, trusting the fox.

It looked at her with slight disdain and ran in a specific direction. Yanyu followed with a smile.

Thus, the strange relationship between the two had begun.

*******************************************

At a great distance from Red Mountain, an elegant shadow tore the sky.

A figure descended slowly, her dark green robe fluttering in the wind, wide sleeves flowing like leaves.

In a blink, she passed over the grand gate of the Verdant Sword Sect, landing without caring for the distant disciples’ gazes.

It was Mei Ran, the one responsible for supervising the test. After sending a message earlier, she had quickly returned to the sect.

Without pause, she crossed the corridors, climbing several stone steps until she reached the great main hall of the sect.

The massive doors opened with a light creak, revealing the hall illuminated by green crystals, where six imposing chairs were arranged in a semicircle.

Four of them were already occupied by ancient figures. Each exuding a pressure greater than Mei Ran’s.

Mei Ran walked calmly, her serene gaze not landing on anyone, and then sat in her place. The hall fell into silence. All awaited something.

Moments later, footsteps echoed beyond the doors. Then a man entered.

He looked ordinary at first glance. But his mere presence made the air in the hall turn sharp, as if countless invisible swords were suspended in the air.

Even the elders felt their bodies stiffen.

Immediately, all rose from their seats and bowed slightly.

"We greet the sect leader."

The man did not answer immediately but walked to the highest chair and sat. The pressure weighing on everyone finally ceased all at once. Giving way to an even deeper silence.

The sect leader’s cold, cutting gaze swept over each one in the hall.

"Tell me, what is so important that you would call for my presence right before the meeting with the other sect leaders?" The man said, his mood heavy, looking directly at Mei Ran.

The youngest elder in the history of the sect.