Li Yu and Zhan Tielan continued their leisurely hunt across the untamed wilderness of the Primal Howl Realm for another two days. The mother and son established a comfortable and highly efficient routine as they tracked exotic prey through the dense jungles and sweeping valleys.

The two focused their efforts on locating beasts possessing unique Qi and tender muscles while ignoring the rigid or heavily armored creatures that provided poor culinary yields. It was a strange and unorthodox way to go about hunting beasts, usually the focus was on the core or other valuable materials but the duo was after delicious meat.

The exertion of the hunt helped Li Yu refine his physical reflexes and gave him ample time to practice his new combat style. He spent the daylight hours perfecting the wide sweeping arcs and heavy cleaving strikes required to wield the glaive more effectively. Tielan watched his progress with a critical eye and offered subtle advice on his footwork to maximize his deadliness.

On the evening of the second day, they decided to set up camp next to a wide and serene lake. The water was crystal clear and reflected the starry sky like a perfect mirror. The surrounding trees were draped in glowing moss that cast a gentle green illumination over the rocky shore.

Li Yu cleared a space near the water and summoned his orange natal fire to build a cooking hearth. He prepared a hearty stew using the premium meat they had harvested from an Emerald Razorbeak earlier that afternoon. He seasoned the broth with fragrant herbs and let it simmer over the steady flames while Tielan sat nearby sharpening her hunting knife on a smooth stone, she couldn’t even remember the last time she’s had to process so many beasts personally like this.

The peaceful atmosphere of the campsite wrapped around them like a warm blanket as Li Yu stirred the stew and listened to the gentle sound of water lapping against the stones.

A sudden tug pulled at his mind. It was not a physical threat or a sudden spike of killing intent. It felt like a deep and rhythmic echoing from the very bottom of the nearby lake. The sensation tugged at his soul and made the ambient energy in his meridians hum in response. It was his Koi martial spirit that actually stirred.

"Mother," Li Yu spoke softly while pointing the wooden stirring spoon toward the dark water. "Something is calling out from down there. It feels incredibly dense and very old."

Tielan stopped sharpening her knife and stood up. She walked to the edge of the shore and focused her divine sense toward the depths of the lake as she crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes.

"You are right," Tielan confirmed with a curious tone. "If you hadn’t said anything I would have never probed far enough to feel it. I feel a strange gathering of energy buried deep under the mud. It is not moving but it is breathing. Let us go take a look."

Li Yu pulled the stew off the fire to let it cool and followed his mother into the water. They waded past the shallows and let their Qi form protective translucent bubbles around their bodies to allow them to breathe effortlessly beneath the surface. They moved downward into the dark depths of the lake.

The temperature of the water dropped rapidly as they descended and the physical pressure increased with every yard they traveled. This was incredibly unnatural as the depths they were going to shouldn’t cause such an effect. They swam past schools of glowing silver fish and thick patches of aquatic kelp until they reached the rocky bottom.

Tielan gestured toward a hidden fissure concealed behind a curtain of thick aquatic vines. Li Yu pushed the heavy vines aside and swam inside the opening. The narrow tunnel quickly expanded into a vast underground cave system flooded with cold water.

They followed the winding passage for a very long time. The tunnel twisted and turned through the bedrock while the ambient energy in the water grew richer and thicker the further they traveled. The walls of the cave were lined with glowing blue spirit crystals that provided a dim but steady source of light and seemed to be full dense and crystallized Qi.

The narrow passage eventually opened into a colossal subterranean cavern. The sheer size of the underground space was breathtaking since the tunnel here was incredibly tiny in comparison.

Resting in the very center of the cavern was a creature of staggering proportions. It stood as tall as a nine story pagoda and stretched just as wide across the cavern floor. How it got here was a complete mystery as it couldn’t have entered through that tiny tunnel. At first glance it looked like a gigantic and jagged mountain of dark rock covered in thick barnacles and ancient algae. Yet it radiated bountiful life and a staggering amount of Qi that made the surrounding water vibrate with visible ripples.

Tielan stopped swimming and hovered in the water. A rare look of surprise flashed across her face as she analyzed the aura radiating from the rocky structure.

"That creature is a Supreme Exalt," Tielan stated while keeping her voice steady through her Qi transmission.

Li Yu felt his breath catch in his throat and his eyes went wide. Finding one resting quietly at the bottom of a random lake was a stunning revelation. The jagged rock structure suddenly shifted as a deep and booming grinding noise echoed through the cavern as thick fissures opened along the top of the stony shell.

A long and pale neck emerged from the dark gap in the rock. A second neck followed it and then a third. The heads continued to rise one at a time until nine distinct heads swayed in the glowing blue water.

The creature was a bizarre cross between a hydra and a colossal oyster. The thick and impenetrable shell protected its main body while the snake-like heads observed the intruders with milky white eyes. The necks were surprisingly thin and lacked any protective scales while the jaws looked fragile. Li Yu had no idea such a strange mutation could even exist in the natural world.

"Leave this place," the beast spoke. Its voice resonated directly into their minds. "This is my sanctuary. I do not bother the people on the surface and I do not harm anything. I only seek peace in the dark."

Tielan swam a bit closer and analyzed the strange anatomy of the giant beast with a critical eye.

"You have achieved an incredible level of cultivation," Tielan noted while pointing toward the heavy shell. "But your physical form is a trap. This mutation or whatever it is that you are has made you immovable. Your own muscles cannot lift that giant shell. You cannot move at all."

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She swept her hand toward the swaying pale heads. "And your physical form looks incredibly frail compared to the density of your shell. It is a very strange evolutionary path you have walked. You have sacrificed all your mobility for defense."

The beast lowered its nine heads and let out a deep sigh that stirred the water into a swirling current.

"I do not understand my own anatomy either," the beast admitted with a rumble of resignation and surprising honesty. "The heavens dealt me a strange hand when I was born. I was mutated and twisted into this heavy form. But my Dao heart remains firm and unyielding. I believe that with enough time and accumulated energy, I will roam the heavens! I will break free of this stone and lord over the other beasts of this realm. Now I ask you to leave me alone. I have done nothing wrong and my shell is impossible to break through."

Tielan cracked her knuckles and a fierce grin spread across her face. Hearing a beast claim its defense was impossible to break was the ultimate challenge for a commander of the iron continent. She lived to shatter the unbreakable and tear down the immovable.

"Is that so?" Tielan challenged with a fiery glint shining in her eyes. "I have shattered fortress walls and cracked spatial barriers with my bare hands. I am very curious to see how your legendary shell holds up against my strength."

Li Yu quickly swam forward and placed his hand over his mother’s hand. He shook his head and gestured for her to wait. He did not want to see a Supreme Exalt die for a reason like that. Especially when he needed someone like this. He turned his attention back to the nine headed beast and formulated a different approach.

"There is no need for violence today," Li Yu called out while projecting his voice through the water using his Qi. "You want to reach the top and turn into something greater. I also want to reach the peak of cultivation and see what lies beyond. We can achieve this together. Come with me."

The nine heads tilted in unison displaying clear confusion. "Come with you?"

"I possess a unique inner world I call the Koi Sanctuary," Li Yu explained calmly. "It holds vast oceans filled with bountiful life and rich energy. You can live there in peace. You can continue to grow and gather strength without worrying about someone even stronger finding your cave and testing their weapons against your shell."

The beast seemed to ponder the offer as its long necks swayed gently in the cold currents. "And what do you demand in return for this safe haven? Nothing in the cultivation world is given for free."

"I ask that you help me in battle," Li Yu answered honestly. "I do not need you to fight directly or risk your heads. I just need you to allow me to drain your Qi while I fight to restore my own reserves. My combat style utilizes a hurricane of heavy weapons that drains my energy very quickly. In exchange, I will provide you with high grade cultivation pills and premium recovery pills to replenish whatever I take afterwards. It will accelerate your own growth while keeping me fighting on the battlefield during that period. Of course I would only do so when truly needed."

The nine heads hissed simultaneously and pulled back toward the safety of the rocky shell.

"I refuse your offer," the beast declared with a stubborn tone. "I might not be able to fight well right now but I will not be used as a mere battery for a human. I am a Supreme Exalt! I will one day rule the very heavens! I will not be tethered to a cultivator in such a demeaning manner."

The beast paused for a moment and a note of deep shame seeped into its grinding voice. "Even though I believe in my ultimate defense, I refuse to be paraded around the realms as a helpless shield."

Li Yu understood the pride of a high level beast and he knew words alone would not convince it to abandon its cave. It was a long shot anyways but he would try his best. He raised his right hand and channeled his spatial energy to tear open a portal directly into his inner world.

The portal expanded in the water and revealed the vibrant ocean of the Koi Sanctuary. The rich and dense life force of the inner world flooded into the dark underground cave. The cold water instantly grew thick with spiritual nourishment and warmth. The nine heads of the beast perked up and leaned closer to the glowing portal. The ambient energy radiating from the sanctuary was vastly superior to the waters of the cavern, even with those dense crystals lining it.

Just then, a brilliant light erupted from the portal. The majestic Koi martial spirit swam out from the inner world and entered the cave. The giant radiant fish glowed with an ancient and supreme aura that made the dark cavern shine like the midday sun. The Koi swam elegant circles around the colossal oyster shell and left trails of golden light in its wake.

The Koi spirit did not speak with human words but Li Yu felt a silent communication passing between his martial soul and the ancient beast. The Koi was offering a partnership built on mutual growth rather than forced subservience. It promised a sanctuary where the beast could rest and evolve with time.

A brilliant golden rune suddenly manifested in the water between them. The Koi spirit was making a direct contract with the beast itself instead of binding the creature to Li Yu.

This was a rare event, Li Yu had only seen his martial spirit act with such independent agency and forge a direct contract once before when a similar bond was formed alongside Khaos in the lower realms. The Koi took the initiative to welcome the beast into their shared ecosystem.

The beast looked at the glowing golden rune and then looked at the radiant scales of the Koi spirit. The shame and stubborn hesitation faded from its many milky eyes as the creature felt the sincerity of the spirit and recognized the immense potential for its own evolution.

"I accept your offer," the beast declared as its voice echoed as it formed a soul contract with the Koi martial spirit. "My name is Krag."

"It is an honor to meet you, Krag," Li Yu smiled as he channeled more Qi to expand the size of the portal to accommodate the colossal width of the rocky shell.

Krag channeled its vast reserves of Qi to levitate its stony body off the cavern floor and the creature slowly drifted forward through the water and passed through the glowing gateway. It entered the Koi Sanctuary and immediately sank into the deepest depths of the ethereal ocean where it found a comfortable and dark trench to call home. The nine heads retracted into the shell as the beast settled into a deep and peaceful slumber to absorb the rich life force of its new environment.

The portal snapped shut and left the underground cave feeling incredibly empty and quiet. The glowing blue crystals on the walls seemed much dimmer without the towering presence of the Supreme Exalt. Tielan crossed her arms and looked at the large impression left behind in the mud where the beast used to rest. She turned to her son and offered a casual shrug.

"You know I was very confident I could break that shell open," Tielan stated with a relaxed tone. "I could have just smashed the rock to pieces and taken the Supreme Exalt core for you. A core of that level would have provided a great boost to your current cultivation."

Li Yu swam back toward the tunnel leading to the surface and shook his head.

"It would be a terrible shame to kill such a unique and ancient creature just for parts," Li Yu countered while gesturing toward his chest where his inner world resided. "While a Supreme Exalt core would certainly help advance my cultivation right now, having a living battery at that level is much more helpful for my current needs. Krag will sustain my weapon formations far longer than any static core ever could. When the time comes to unleash my full arsenal, I will need every drop of Qi he can provide."

Tielan laughed loudly and the sound bubbled through the cold water. She pushed off the cavern floor and followed her son out of the underground space. She was proud of his thinking and his unique ability to turn a potential enemy into a valuable long term ally. They swam back through the winding tunnels and returned to the surface of the lake to enjoy the hot stew waiting for them at the campsite.