Chapter 2

In my previous life, it was always the same—whatever was left behind was mine to take.

Without hesitation, she chose the spirit tiger and left the spirit snake for me.

Father said, "You’ve been with the spirit snake for so long. Your sister graciously let you have it. You should thank her."

In truth, spirit tigers had a pure bloodline, a clear spiritual sense, and were unlikely to succumb to inner demons. The spirit snake, though powerful, had a mixed lineage, an erratic temperament, and a sinister, bloodthirsty nature. It was prone to obsession and cruelty.

The spirit tiger lived up to its reputation. Its cultivation progressed effortlessly, soaring to new heights as if it were destined for greatness—worthy of being the child of the emperor of spirit tigers.

The spirit snake, on the other hand, struggled due to its unstable foundation. I painstakingly nurtured its spiritual root, yet it showed no advancement for years.

Everyone waited for the spirit tiger to ascend, expecting the spirit snake to fall into decline.

But in Father’s eyes, I still owed my sister. It was as if any scraps she allowed to fall my way were a gift I should be eternally grateful for.

I came first, yet in the end, I was the thief.

Later, when the spirit tiger ascended, it succumbed to inner demons. In its madness, it tragically fell, disfiguring my sister and destroying her spiritual core. She was left unable to bond with any mount ever again.

The spirit snake, however, rose unexpectedly, shedding its dragon-like form to become a divine beast—the only divine beast in the world.

Father came to me, asking me to give the divine beast to my sister, so that its power might repair her shattered spiritual core.

I refused outright. Somehow, my sister overheard this and bore a grudge.

When I went to visit her, she detonated her spiritual core in a fiery explosion, determined to take me with her.

The blazing light illuminated my eyes.

The immense energy of her self-destruction consumed my body in flames.

She lunged at me like a madwoman, her eyes filled with hatred and insanity. "You wretched thief! What makes you think you deserve a life of glory?

"The divine beast should be mine!

"You’re only fit to pick up the things I discard!"

As my consciousness faded, I saw my father rushing toward me, panic-stricken.

In this new life, my sister chose the spirit snake without hesitation.

She leaned in close, her voice venomous and smug. "Take care of that useless spirit tiger for me. I’ll be waiting for the day you lose everything."

Relying entirely on a mount for everything again in this new life—it was a foolish approach.

The spirit snake’s spiritual sense was chaotic and fragmented. In my past life, I risked becoming a fool to comb through its spiritual sense daily. Its innate fire even scorched my spiritual root, leaving me unable to advance in cultivation.

Otherwise, my sister’s pitiful self-destruction wouldn’t have even scratched my defenses.

I looked at the black spiritual egg and sighed softly.

After spending over a decade with the spirit snake in the previous life, I’d weathered countless trials together with it.

I could only wonder what its fate would be under my sister’s care.

I smiled bitterly. Perhaps the spirit snake would be happy about the change.

It had long despised my gentle nature, believing that I held it back.

Now, the spirit tiger was my mount.

I cradled the spirit tiger as I returned to my room.

The spiritual egg burst into radiant white light before fading into hues of neutrality.

A tiny spirit tiger emerged on my bed.

Still in its juvenile form, it was scarcely the length of an arm. Its dense, snowy fur covered its entire body, with soft, downy baby fluff giving it an adorably innocent appearance.

It was like an oversized, fluffy dandelion.

The spirit tiger let out a soft cry, curiously spinning in place. It surveyed its surroundings before fixing its gaze on me.

With a light jump, it leapt to my side, tilting its head to study me.

In its cerulean eyes, my reflection shone crystal clear.

"So, you’re my servant?"

"I already know what you’ve been through. Stay with me, and I’ll make sure no one bullies you again!"

This tiny, haughty spirit tiger was unbearably adorable!

I scooped it up, burying my face in its belly and nuzzling it relentlessly.

The spirit tiger’s soft pink paw pads pressed against my cheeks. It tried to push me away but lacked the strength. It hesitated to use its claws, clearly unwilling to hurt me, and could only squirm helplessly.

"Let me go! Let me go!"

The fluffy spirit tiger’s face showed a trace of shyness and alarm.

So obedient.

Satisfied, I buried my face against its little belly one more time, inhaling deeply before finally releasing it.

The spirit tiger flopped onto the bed like a weary beauty who had been thoroughly tormented.

After a moment, it shook itself, hopping onto the bedside cabinet to look down at me.

Its tail swished high, brushing across the tip of my nose as it passed.

With its fur slightly ruffled, the spirit tiger straightened itself, speaking with a tone of stern authority.

"Servant! I forbid you from doing that again!"

Its composure was so steady, like a little kitten trying to act dignified. If it had been the spirit snake, I’d have been bitten by now.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the spirit tiger, who was trying so hard to raise its little head and look serious.

It leaned closer, studying me carefully for a moment before nodding approvingly. "That’s better!"

Then, in an elderly tone, it added, "Humans look better when they smile. Frowning all the time doesn’t suit you. Leave your worries to us mounts."

It was, perhaps, the first time anyone had ever said that to me.

I paused for a moment, then pulled it into my arms again.

It didn’t seem like a creature prone to inner demons. What had caused its downfall in the previous life?

Boom—

A deafening explosion shook the ground.

Waves of heat rushed in, and the unstable house began to rain dust from its ceiling.

Outside, chaos erupted.

"Lady Elena is fighting the spirit snake!"

I looked out the window to see the spirit snake’s otherworldly fire spreading across the mountains, painting the sky a fiery red.

Fighting? The spirit snake was temperamental but not unreasonable. What could Elena have done to provoke such wrath?

The spirit tiger let out a small roar, forming an icy blue barrier around us, shielding me from the searing heat.

I stroked its soft, dense fur. "Let’s go see what’s happening."

And perhaps, check on the spirit snake as well.

The spirit tiger gave a sharp cry and leapt onto my shoulder.