Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off

On the other side of the world, far beyond the reach of Dragon Beast City, there existed a place that ordinary beasts would never even dream of stepping into.

A lower domain.

The moment An Mo brought Rong Ye across that invisible boundary, everything changed so abruptly that Rong Ye could not even react in time.

One step... that was all it took.

Yet it felt as if he had fallen into an entirely different world.

Rong Ye stood frozen where he was. His mind became blank. For a long moment, he did not move at all.

"What... is this place...?" he finally asked, his voice low and unsteady.

He clearly remembered that just a moment ago, they had still been within the familiar lands near Dragon Beast City. But suddenly, he felt like he had fallen into a different world, even though he had nothing to prove his words.

A faint chill crept up his spine. Slowly, Rong Ye turned his head and looked at An Mo. That single glance carried far more than curiosity.

There was shock and disbelief in it. And faintly... there was even fear.

It was the kind of gaze one would direct toward something unknown, something that could not be understood.

"You..." Rong Ye opened his mouth, but the words seemed to catch in his throat.

An Mo stood there as if nothing unusual had happened. His expression was calm, almost indifferent, as though crossing between domains was no more significant than taking a simple step.

Seeing Rong Ye’s reaction, he let out a faint chuckle.

"Why?" he asked lazily. "Scared?"

Rong Ye’s body stiffened slightly. He lowered his gaze after a brief pause, his fingers curling unconsciously at his sides.

"...No."

The answer came out firm, but the tension in his voice betrayed him.

An Mo did not expose him. He simply glanced ahead and said, "Follow."

He offered no explanation. Nor did Rong Ye ask for one. Perhaps he did not dare to, or perhaps, in his heart, the desire to grow stronger had already surpassed his need to understand everything.

Just like that, he followed behind An Mo silently.

An Mo did not waste time after that. He led Rong Ye deeper into the lower domain, passing through barren stretches of land and strange rock formations until they finally arrived at a secluded area surrounded by towering stone pillars.

The energy here was dense, so dense that even Rong Ye could feel it pressing into his body without needing to consciously sense it.

An Mo stopped and glanced around briefly before nodding.

"This place will do."

Rong Ye said nothing, but he could already feel the difference. Compared to Dragon Beast City, the energy here was much purer and fresher. If one practiced in such an environment, the speed of improvement would undoubtedly increase.

"Practice here," An Mo said simply.

Rong Ye did not hesitate. He sat down immediately, crossing his legs, his expression turning serious in an instant. Without wasting a single breath, he took out the purple crystal An Mo had given him.

The crystal lay quietly in his palm, yet it emitted a deep and mysterious aura.

Rong Ye stared at it for only a brief moment before closing his eyes.

Soon, strands of energy began to flow out from the crystal, slowly being absorbed into his body. Not many in the beast world knew that crystal cores could be absorbed like this; most of them directly ate them to absorb the power.

But he was from a big clan, and as the heir of the nine tailed fox clan, his lineage was extraordinary, and he had been taught these things from childhood.

Time passed silently in the lower domain.

Days stretched into weeks without notice.

Rong Ye remained seated in the same position, unmoving like a statue. The energy from the crystal continuously poured into him, nourishing his body and strengthening his foundation.

His aura steadily grew stronger.

Yet strangely... nothing else changed.

As for An Mo, he quickly lost interest in watching.

After confirming that Rong Ye had entered a stable cultivation state, he simply left the area to explore the surroundings. To him, this lower domain was far more interesting than observing someone train.

Nearly a month passed before he returned.

When An Mo stepped back into the area, his gaze immediately fell on Rong Ye.

Rong Ye was still there in the same position.

An Mo raised an eyebrow slightly and walked closer.

However, the moment he sensed Rong Ye’s aura more clearly, his steps paused.

"...Still at five stripes?"

There was a faint trace of surprise in his voice. He glanced at the crystal beside Rong Ye. It had already shrunk significantly. More than half of it had been absorbed.

Yet Rong Ye’s rank had not increased at all. This was not normal. With that amount of energy, breaking through to the next rank should have been effortless.

An Mo narrowed his eyes slightly, but he did not interrupt. Instead, he stepped back and observed quietly.

Another month passed.

The pile of remaining crystal grew smaller and smaller, while Rong Ye’s aura continued to grow stronger. Even An Mo found it difficult to fully understand.

"This is not right..." he muttered under his breath.

For the first time, a hint of seriousness appeared in his eyes. Finally, only a few of the crystal remained.

An Mo straightened slightly, his gaze sharpening.

The moment Rong Ye absorbed the final trace of energy, An Mo stepped forward and spoke.

"Stop."

His voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

Rong Ye’s body trembled slightly. His eyes snapped open, and for a brief moment, a deep purple light flickered within them before fading away.

He let out a slow breath, as if waking from a long dream.

"It’s done..." he murmured.

A trace of excitement appeared on his face. He clenched his fists, feeling the power flowing through his body. Compared to before, he was undeniably stronger.

Without wasting a second, he checked his rank.

Then...

He froze.

"...What?"

The excitement on his face disappeared instantly, replaced by confusion. He checked again.

"...No... this... this can’t be..."

His breathing became uneven.

"I’m still... at five stripes?"

Disbelief filled his voice.

"I absorbed so much energy... I could feel it... my strength was increasing..."

His hands tightened into fists, his nails digging into his palms.

"...So why..."

"Why didn’t I gain more stripes?!"

His voice rose uncontrollably, echoing faintly in the silent surroundings.

An Mo watched him quietly for a moment before walking closer.

"...Finished?" he asked calmly.

Rong Ye stiffened. After a long pause, he lowered his head slightly.

"...I don’t understand," he said in a low voice.