43: Chapter 43 Star Beast

One week later.

The heavy snow had just cleared, and the entire Beijing Martial Arts University campus was wrapped in silver.

Su Yu, accompanied by Xiao Bai, stepped through the snow and arrived at Jinglin Garden.

As soon as he entered the gate, he noticed that the atmosphere today was somewhat different.

Usually at this time, Hong Tianyang would be lying on the rattan chair, drinking tea or cursing.

But today, there was an extra person in the courtyard.

It was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties, dressed in a meticulous grey Zhongshan suit, with retro round-framed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, and his hair combed neatly.

He was holding a strange metal instrument in his hand, scanning the old locust tree in the courtyard while muttering to himself.

"Little Yu, you've come."

Hong Tianyang waved his hand and introduced him with rare seriousness: "Let me introduce you. This is the Dean of our school's 'Universe Species Research Academy', and also the Federation's top biologist, Qi Yunshan, Dean Qi."

"Dean Qi." Su Yu quickly bowed in greeting.

To be a Dean at Beijing Martial Arts University, one had to be at least at the Star Lord Realm. Moreover, the title "Universe Species Research" sounded very high-end.

Qi Yunshan pushed up his glasses, his gaze shifting from the old locust tree to Su Yu. His eyes were gentle but filled with scrutiny: "I've long heard that old ghost Hong bragging about taking in a peerless Genius. Seeing you today, your Qi and blood are like mercury, your spirit is restrained—truly, you are an uncut jade."

"Alright, Old Qi, stop with the flowery language."

Hong Tianyang waved his hand impatiently, "I called you here today not to look at my disciple, but to look at this little thing."

As he spoke, Hong Tianyang pointed at Xiao Bai, who was curled up on Su Yu's shoulder to keep warm.

"Oh?"

Qi Yunshan's gaze instantly locked onto Xiao Bai. At that moment, his originally gentle eyes suddenly became fanatical, just like a bachelor seeing a peerless beauty.

"Is this the Vicious Beast... suspected of possessing high-level intelligence?"

Xiao Bai felt its fur stand on end from that fanatical gaze, and it bristled, shrinking behind Su Yu's neck: "You... what are you doing? This Venerable One is not tasty! This Venerable One hasn't bathed in several days!"

"It can really speak!" Qi Yunshan saw the situation immediately and became even more excited, "And its vocal organs are completely different from humans; it simulates vocal cords through spiritual vibration... Perfect! Too perfect!"

"Little Yu, can you let me examine it?" Qi Yunshan rubbed his hands, looking expectant.

Su Yu hesitated slightly and looked at Xiao Bai.

"Big guy..." Xiao Bai just wanted to refuse, but seeing Hong Tianyang's half-smiling expression, and remembering the fear of getting its butt spanked, it could only aggrievedly extend its paw, "Light... be light."

Qi Yunshan took Xiao Bai, his movements as gentle as if he were holding a rare treasure.

He took out a silver instrument from his carry-on cloth bag that was only the size of a palm but had an extremely complex structure, and gently pressed it against Xiao Bai's abdomen.

"Performing genetic sequence comparison... Detecting energy bands..."

The instrument emitted a faint blue light, projecting rows of data that Su Yu couldn't understand.

A moment later. Beep—!

The instrument emitted a sharp buzzing sound, and the data on the screen turned a glaring red.

Qi Yunshan's hand jerked violently, almost throwing Xiao Bai away.

"This... this!"

Qi Yunshan stared fixedly at the screen, his pupils dilated in shock, his voice changing pitch: "Genetic lock coincidence 0%! Energy level... immeasurable! It even detected a 'Star Core' reaction?!"

"Old Qi, speak normally." Hong Tianyang frowned.

Qi Yunshan took a deep breath, looked up, his eyes filled with awe and terror:

"Old Ghost Hong, this is not a Vicious Beast at all, nor is it a mutated beast."

After a long time, Qi Yunshan seemed to have thought of something and added.

"Perhaps it is a Star Beast!"

"Star Beast?" Su Yu and Hong Tianyang were both stunned.

Qi Yunshan's expression was serious as he began to explain: "So-called Vicious Beasts are products of indigenous planetary creatures undergoing genetic mutations due to the recovery of Origin Qi. No matter how strong they are, they cannot escape the category of planetary creatures."

"But Star Beasts are different."

Qi Yunshan's fingertips were trembling, "They are the darlings of the Universe, born in the depths of nebulae, feeding on starlight, and nesting in asteroid belts. Every adult Star Beast possesses the terrifying power to traverse the Void Realm with its Physical Body and tear apart warships!"

"The most crucial thing is that the Bloodline of a Star Beast is extremely noble and rare. In our 1st Star Zone, there hasn't been a record of a living Star Beast for three hundred years!"

"This little thing... once it grows up, it will be at least at the Peak of the Star Lord Realm!"

Hearing this, Su Yu gasped.

He knew Xiao Bai was strong, and he knew it was brought back by his father from that strange place in the Luoxia Mountains, but he didn't expect its background to be this immense!

"But..."

Qi Yunshan's tone shifted, and his face became extremely ugly.

"The appearance of a Star Beast is often accompanied by disaster. Because of their very existence. For those advanced civilizations or powerful predators in the Universe, a juvenile Star Beast is like walking 'Tang Monk meat'! Being able to keep one or eat one would be of great benefit to them!"

Su Yu's heart tightened, and he subconsciously wanted to take Xiao Bai back.

However. Just at this moment. A sudden change occurred!

Xiao Bai, which had been held in Qi Yunshan's hands, was originally listening to the gossip about its own background.

Hum!

It was as if an invisible key had been inserted into a certain Seal deep within Xiao Bai's brain.

A fragment of ancient, desolate memory, filled with endless fear, instantly exploded in its mind!

It saw fire. Fire filling the sky.

A huge, purple planet was burning. Countless creatures with six eyes were slaughtering small beasts like itself. The next moment, a white giant beast with a body comparable to a mountain, in order to protect it, was shattered by a beam of light that pierced through the galaxy...

"Run... child... run... don't look back... run!!!"

That desperate roar echoed across time and space, deep within Xiao Bai's Soul.

"Ahhhhh!!!"

Xiao Bai suddenly let out an extremely shrill scream. This cry was no longer the childish, milky voice from before, but was filled with wildness and madness!

"Roar——!!!"

A terrifying wave of Qi burst out from its small body.

Bang! Qi Yunshan, taking the brunt of it, was directly knocked over by this wave of Qi, crashing heavily into the courtyard wall, the instrument in his hand exploding into fragments.

"What's going on?!" Hong Tianyang was greatly alarmed, his figure flashing as he tried to suppress it.

But it was too late.

Xiao Bai's eyes instantly turned blood-red, and its originally snow-white fur began to grow rapidly, transforming into silver scales.

Rumble! The heaven and earth essence above Jinglin Garden went completely berserk.

Countless Origin Qi gathered crazily toward Xiao Bai, forming a huge funnel-shaped storm.

Immediately after. Whoosh—!

A silver-white beam of light, thousands of meters long, shot up into the sky from Xiao Bai, directly piercing the firmament and penetrating the protective shield of Yanjing Base!