I want to tread the heavens

The moon over the old land has always been cold and aloof.

But tonight's twin moons are somewhat different. The slightly larger "Azure Moon" rising in the east has a very faint, almost imperceptible reddish halo around its edge. The smaller "Plain Moon" in the west, on the other hand, is exceptionally bright and clear, its moonlight spreading like silver frost across the ground, carrying a chilling coolness.

Ling Xiao sat cross-legged under the old locust tree in the courtyard, trying to guide the sparse stellar energy through his meridians according to the methods of the "Stellar Sensing Chapter". Since obtaining the complete method and with the jade pendant to assist in sensing, his cultivation speed has increased several times compared to before. Although the spiritual energy and stellar energy of the old earth are thin, his foundation is gradually being strengthened.

Fa Cai lay at his feet, chin resting on its front paws, eyes closed, seemingly asleep. But upon closer inspection, one could see that beneath its dusty gray fur, its muscles would occasionally twitch slightly, and its ears would unconsciously twitch, catching the subtle sounds carried by the wind that were imperceptible to humans.

As the night deepens, everything becomes silent.

Around midnight, the crimson moon rose to its zenith, its crimson glow seemingly intensifying. The pale moonlight also reached its peak, illuminating the entire courtyard as bright as day.

Just then, Fa Cai's body trembled violently.

It opened its eyes without warning. Under the moonlight, its amber pupils shimmered with a faint silver glow! They were no longer as lively or cunning as usual, but rather a blank, empty look, as if driven by some ancient instinct.

"Get rich?" Ling Xiao noticed something was wrong, stopped cultivating, and looked down.

Fa Cai did not respond to him. It stood up unsteadily, its limbs seemingly stiff, and a very low, indistinct whimper came from its throat, as if it were enduring some kind of pain, or as if it were resisting something.

"What's wrong with you? Did you eat something bad?" Ling Xiao reached out to touch its head.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the top of Fa Cai's head—

"Awooo————————!!!"

A piercing, high-pitched wolf howl suddenly erupted from Fa Cai's throat! The sound was nothing like its usual whimpers or warnings; it was a wild roar filled with ancient desolation and untamed arrogance! The sound waves echoed far and wide in the silent night sky, shaking the leaves of the old locust tree to fall in a rustling sound!

Ling Xiao's eardrums throbbed from the shock, and he instinctively took a half-step back, his eyes filled with horror.

Even more astonishing changes followed!

With that howl, Fa Cai's gray fur stood on end! The tips of each hair began to shimmer with a clear, flowing silvery-white halo, as if moonlight were flowing beneath its fur! Its body swelled and grew taller at a speed visible to the naked eye!

His height, which had originally only reached Ling Xiao's knees, had grown to his waist in just a few breaths! His physique had become much more robust, his muscles bulging and bulging under the silver light, exuding an explosive sense of power. His limbs had lengthened, his claws extended, gleaming coldly. His once somewhat rounded wolf muzzle had become long and sharp, and his amber pupils were completely filled with silver light, cold and majestic, with not a trace of his usual "husky" aura remaining.

An indescribable, faint pressure, seemingly emanating from the primordial era, emanated from the center of Fa Cai. Although still very weak, the oppressive feeling at the level of life itself made the jade pendant around Ling Xiao's neck slightly warm, and the "Star Sensing Chapter" within his body automatically accelerated its operation, as if resisting on its own.

"Get rich...you..." Ling Xiao stared in disbelief, almost unable to believe that the magnificent, powerful, and dangerous silver giant wolf in front of him was the same partner who spent his days stealing chickens and dogs and acting silly.

"Woo-hoo-hoo-!!"

Fa Cai (or rather, at this moment) seemed to have completely lost its mind. Its silver pupils were unfocused. It simply tilted its head back and looked at the pale moon in the sky, letting out an even more violent and long howl! This time, the ancient pressure contained in the howl was even stronger!

"Woof woof woof—!"

"Whoosh—!"

"Gah—!"

Almost the instant the howl rang out, a violent commotion erupted throughout the entire outer courtyard of the Guo family, no, even from the direction of the inner courtyard! Dogs barked, horses neighed, birds took flight in alarm... Especially in the spirit beast garden near the east side of the outer courtyard, the low-level spirit beasts used for transportation and the guard dogs kept there seemed to sense the arrival of their natural enemy, all of them went mad, banging against the fence and howling, and a sense of panic spread like a plague!

"What was that sound?!"

"A monster! A monster is howling!"

"It's coming from the east! Go check it out!"

"The Spirit Beast Garden is in chaos! Go report this to the manager immediately!"

In the distance, lights began to come on one after another, and voices and footsteps quickly approached, converging towards the courtyard.

"Oh no!" Ling Xiao snapped out of his shock, cold sweat pouring down his back. If Fa Cai were seen looking like this, making this noise, it would definitely be interpreted as "a monster infiltrating and plotting something nefarious!" Guo Dahai was just looking for an excuse; this was practically a golden opportunity delivered right to his doorstep!

"Fa Cai! Wake up! Change back quickly!" Ling Xiao panicked and rushed forward to hug it. But as soon as his hand touched Fa Cai's silvery fur, he was repelled by a gentle but firm force, unable to get close at all.

Fa Cai remained unresponsive to the commotion around him and Ling Xiao's calls, still lost in his roar to the moon. The silver light around him grew brighter and brighter, and his size seemed to continue to expand.

"We can't wait any longer!" Ling Xiao gritted his teeth, his gaze sweeping towards the abandoned well in the corner of the courtyard. The well was very deep, with branching passages at the bottom. It was one of the secrets he and Fa Cai used to dig for fun, and they had never told anyone about it.

He rushed back into the house, grabbed two tattered quilts as fast as he could, and rushed back to Fa Cai's side. At this moment, the silver light on Fa Cai's body began to flicker erratically, his massive body swayed slightly, and his long howl was tinged with weariness.

"I'm sorry, Fa Cai!" Ling Xiao seized the opportunity. During Fa Cai's long howl and pause for breath, he used all his strength to suddenly cover its head with two quilts. Then he pounced on it, tightly hugging its still not very thick waist (relatively speaking) after it swelled up, and used his shoulder to push it towards the dry well!

"Huh?" Fa Cai seemed to be interrupted by this sudden "attack," a hint of confusion flashing in his silver pupils, and his struggle weakened.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ling Xiao used his foot to pry open the half-covered wooden plank over the dry well, and rolled into the dark well mouth with Fa Cai in his arms!

"Thump!"

The bottom of the well was covered with soft, aged leaves, which cushioned the fall. Ling Xiao was dazed and confused from the fall, but he didn't care about the pain. He immediately got up, groped his way to the hidden entrance to the side passage that they had half-covered with gravel, and dragged and pulled Fa Cai, who was still struggling unconsciously and whose silver glow was flickering, into the passage. He then crawled in himself and quickly sealed most of the entrance back up with gravel, leaving only a small gap for ventilation.

After doing all this, he collapsed into the narrow, dark, earthy side passage, leaning against the cold, damp cave wall, breathing heavily. He could still hear the distant, increasingly loud voices coming from above the well.

The side passage was pitch black, with only the flickering silver light emanating from Fa Cai's body providing the sole source of light.

At this moment, Fa Cai was curled up deep in the side passage, its massive body almost blocking the way. It no longer howled, but emitted painful and suppressed "woo-woo" sounds from its throat. Its body trembled violently, and silver light surged across its surface like chaotic electricity. Each time the silver light shone brightly, its body would twitch. Its body temperature was frighteningly high, and even from several steps away, Ling Xiao could feel the scorching heat.

What alarmed Ling Xiao even more was that Fa Cai's breathing became increasingly rapid, his eyes were sometimes unfocused, and sometimes flashed with pain and struggle, and even a trace of silvery foam seeped from the corner of his mouth.

"Fa Cai! Hold on! Look at me!" Ling Xiao rushed over, ignoring the heat, and hugged Fa Cai's burning neck tightly. He could feel a violent, ancient, and enormous power awakening and surging within Fa Cai's body, and Fa Cai's own consciousness and small body were desperately trying to withstand and control this power.

It's a bloodline awakening! Uncle Rong had previously hinted that Fa Cai might not be of ordinary blood. But the magnitude and pain of this awakening far exceed our imagination!

Ling Xiao was frantic with worry, but utterly helpless. He knew nothing of cultivation, bloodlines, or how to help a spirit beast through its awakening. All he could do was hold Fa Cai tightly, trying to transfer his meager, warm aura—cultivated through the *Starry Sky Sensing Manual*—through contact, while simultaneously whispering in its ear:

"It's alright, Fa Cai, it's alright... I'm here, Uncle Rong is here too... Hang in there, just hang in there..."

"When you're better, I'll take you to the kitchen and steal some freshly cooked braised pork. I'll give you the whole pot..."

"Don't you enjoy watching Instructor Zhang's daughter practice swordsmanship in the West Wing? Next time, I'll keep watch for you, so you can watch to your heart's content..."

"Get rich, hang in there... We promised to leave this place together, to see the stars, to eat all the delicious food in the world... You can't break your promise..."

His words were incoherent, yet every word came from the bottom of his heart. In the darkness, the boy's voice was choked with sobs, yet unusually firm. The jade pendant around his neck seemed to sense its owner's anxiety and the ancient and noble aura emanating from Fa Cai, radiating a gentler and more peaceful light than usual, enveloping the man and the wolf.

Perhaps it was Ling Xiao's company and words that had an effect, perhaps it was the nourishing power of the jade pendant that worked, or perhaps it was because Fa Cai had weathered the most violent phase. Gradually, Fa Cai's trembling subsided, the silvery glow on his skin began to flicker rhythmically, and although his breathing was still heavy, it was no longer so erratic. The terrifyingly high temperature also began to slowly decrease.

But it still didn't wake up, falling into a deep, seemingly exhausted sleep. Its swollen body gradually shrank as the silver light receded, eventually returning to its normal size, though its fur seemed smoother and shinier, with a faint trace of silver light remaining.

Ling Xiao dared not be careless, maintaining the embracing posture without moving, until he confirmed that Fa Cai's body temperature had returned to normal, his breathing was steady and long, and he was really just asleep. Only then did he slowly exhale a long breath, feeling almost completely exhausted.

Only now did he realize that his back was completely soaked in cold sweat, and that the areas on his arms and chest that had been scalded by the heat from the fire were burning painfully. His lower back, which had just been slammed into the dry well, was also throbbing with dull pain.

But he didn't care about any of that. He carefully put Fa Cai down, letting it curl up more comfortably on the hay, and then moved to the fork in the road to listen intently.

The commotion above the well had subsided considerably, but not completely. The faint sounds of Guo Dahai's furious shouts and the footsteps of the guards searching the area could still be heard. Someone seemed to mention the dry well, but this was quickly refuted—"That well is long abandoned, bottomless; anyone who fell in would have died instantly, let alone such a large monster!" "There's no trace at the wellhead; it probably ran into the mountains..."

Ling Xiao held his breath, remaining motionless. After an unknown amount of time, the commotion above finally ceased completely, returning to silence. Only the mournful sound of the night wind blowing across the well's mouth could be heard.

He slumped back down, and by the dim light of the jade pendant, looked at Fa Cai, who was fast asleep and seemed to have just finished playing, and felt a mix of emotions.

Shock, lingering fear, relief, doubt... all eventually transformed into a profound and weighty realization.

Fa Cai, his partner, this little rascal who's always causing trouble and making him take the blame for countless things, is really... anything but ordinary.

The strange phenomena tonight—the desolate wolf howl, the silvery glow, the oppressive aura, the change in size… all pointed to the presence of a powerful and ancient bloodline flowing within it. Uncle Rong's guess was correct.

This might be an opportunity, but it's also a huge danger. Once exposed, the Guo family will never tolerate it, and high-level cultivators interested in strange spirit beasts will flock to it.

"It seems that from now on, I'll not only have to keep watch for you when you steal meat," Ling Xiao muttered to himself, gently stroking Fa Cai's soft neck hair with his fingers, "I'll also have to help you keep this huge secret."

He leaned against the cave wall, pulling the sleeping Fa Cai closer to his chest, warming it with his own body heat. Exhaustion washed over him like a tide, but he dared not sleep. He had to stay until Fa Cai woke up, confirm that everything was alright, and also be wary of a possible surprise search from above.

A few rays of moonlight sparsely pierced through the crack at the well's opening, casting a faint beam of light in the darkness.

Dust particles floated within the beam of light.

The boy, embracing his wolf, guarded a burning secret deep underground, a secret that would soon change their destiny.

The long night is not over yet.

Many members of the Guo family are destined to have a sleepless night because of this unsettling moonlit night.