The creature cradled in Ye Hanjun's hand was a tadpole.
It was a tiny, fragile little tadpole, as though it could be crushed with just a little force.
"The all-powerful creator of nature... has created another miracle?"
Ye Hanjun held out his palm, positioning it at eye level.
From the tadpole's point of view, a monstrous face it had never seen before in its life was suddenly brought up close.
The size of the creature's eyes alone was almost comparable to its own body.
Upon close scrutiny, the oppressive feeling that arose from being shrouded in shadow was insurmountable.
...
This was all Ye Hanjun's speculation.
The tiny tadpole, about the size of a grain of rice, seemed to be unaware of fear.
An unfamiliar life energy field was so close, its hot breath within reach.
Yet, the tadpole seemed unperturbed, and a spark of curiosity gleamed in its innocent, spiritual eyes.
"Yiye?"
"Yiye? Yiye?"
The tadpole wagged its tail and spun in a circle, as if it still wasn't quite sure what was happening.
What's happening? Why had its sleeping place changed without warning? Where was it, and what was it doing?
"A genuine Pure Beast, the mythical Pure Fond Spirits, encountered in such an unexpected way..."
Ye Hanjun had seen many spectacles, and the trials he had weathered since childhood dwarfed those experienced by any average practitioner a thousandfold.
However, this event shook him to his core.
Innumerable worlds, countless species, strange and peculiar beings abound.
Yet, this 'Pure Beast', had been mentioned only in bits and pieces in historical texts, biographies, and scriptures.
Relevant knowledge was largely absent, leaving extensive blanks.
The aura of mystery surrounding it was tantamount to the legend of the Holy Saint Embryo.
Ye Hanjun was amazed. Here, in the humble Giant Frog Marsh, a place where beginners came to choose their spiritual companions, he had encountered such a creature. And, it appeared in such a pure and flawless form.
This was truly... an honor beyond words!
"Yiye~~~~"
The tadpole had a long tail and a big head.
It peered around curiously, much like a fascinated child.
Moreover, it was incredibly well-behaved. It stayed in Ye Hanjun's palm without attempting to escape, either fearless or naive, unaware of the cruelty of human nature.
Ye Hanjun cupped some water in his other hand and gently poured it onto the tadpole.
Unexpectedly, the little creature shook its head, splashing water everywhere. Its tiny eyes squinted into crescents, finding the experience enjoyable and exciting.
"Little guy, follow me from now on."
"With me, you'll drink the most pristine Hundred Flowers Dew in the morning, century-old Golden Cassia Tree Latex for lunch, and exquisite wine brewed by fairy sisters in the evening... I'll make sure you grow fast and become a big and strong lad."
"Yiye!"
Although the young one didn't understand human language, communicating verbally with it was akin to playing the lute for a cow.
But as a Pure Fond Spirit, it instinctively distinguished between good and evil.
Ye Hanjun harbored no ill intentions... this was the only information it could gauge, nothing more.
"I wish Liuying were here."
"When she was little, the creature she wanted to see the most was a Pure Beast..."
Ye Hanjun murmured softly, his gaze momentarily vacant.
When his consciousness returned to reality, he shook his head slightly, brushing aside his distracting thoughts and pondering the situation he was in.
Pure Beasts... were exceedingly rare!
Fond Spirits that bore the 'Pure' Chaos Seal were as uncommon as a pearl in the vast ocean compared to the prevalent Demon Fond Spirits and Savage Fond Spirits.
Ye Hanjun was confident that within the vast Canghai Pavilion, only a select few with profound knowledge might have heard tales of the Pure Beast.
The rest - from the official mentors to the average students - would be worthy of his respect if they had even heard the term.
'Pure'... it represents a "miracle"!
They were said to be messengers of purity, born with nature's favor. In certain ancient legends, they were even associated with good fortune and perpetually shrouded in a mystery.
Ye Hanjun was born into the Ye family, a powerful clan that had stood unyielding for dozens of eras.
He had seen ancient demonic birds that blotted out the sky, ranging the heavens in flocks.
He had seen the Zhulong, a dragon who controlled day and night with its eyes, and winter and summer with its breath, awaken after millennia of slumber in the depths of the Earth.
He had seen dreadful undead dragons the size of mountains, circling at the epicenter of an apocalyptic storm, waging war against fallen angels on a stage set by the universe itself.
He had also resided in cemeteries where the corpses piled high like mountains, studying scriptures, practicing arts, and cultivating his virtue.
He had watched clan elders bathe in phoenix blood and temper their body with the holy blood amidst flickering lightning storms.
He had also witnessed all living creatures bow to the ground, the world wilting and weeping, on the day the sun exploded...
Ye Hanjun had witnessed all manner of creatures.
Some were strong, some weak, some ancient, some bizarre...
But Pure Fond Spirits… without a doubt, this was his first time witnessing one in the flesh.
"If my siblings knew that I've encountered a Pure Beast of true lineage, they would probably cause quite the bloody havoc."
"For them, the good stuff should only belong to themselves. Outsiders are merely temporary caretakers, regardless of whether the person is their own blood-related brother... Heh heh, it really is a cruel and real family."
Ye Hanjun chuckled softly, shaking his head in silence.
The little tadpole in his hand began to grow anxious, looking around nervously, carefully peeking, in search of the imaginary enemy that threatened its life.
"No worries, we still have plenty of time to grow. We might not be any weaker than them in the future."
Ye Hanjun extended a finger and gently scratched the little creature's head.
A surprising occurrence arose; although the little tadpole seemed to greatly enjoy being petted, in the silent world, the enhancement effects similar to those of the Ghost Shadow Spider and the Camellia Dog didn't trigger.
"Pure Beasts are innately pure, making their susceptibility to abnormal conditions dozens of times lower than ordinary Fond Spirits. It is also unlikely that they can be influenced by ordinary toxins…"
"Is it due to the little creature's physical constitution, or is it that my Instructor authority itself has restrictions?"
Ye Hanjun considered this for a few seconds, momentarily put down the little tadpole, and grabbed a jumping shrimp from the fish tank.
No matter how much contact or touch was made, the palm-sized jumping shrimp didn't exhibit any signs of pleasure.
On the contrary, being out of water, it became extremely fearful.
Continually trying to struggle, it tried to free itself from Ye Hanjun's restraint and return back to the fish tank.
Ye Hanjun thoughtfully observed.
When he switched to other water-bound Spirit Creatures, he found the results to be the same; not one was able to trigger a specific effect.
"There are restrictions, which is consistent with the hypothesis."
"The specific situation will need more samples for thorough research."
Ending the short experiment, Ye Hanjun looked at the little tadpole's shimmering, lively eyes, and couldn't help but smile.
"Thanks to my incomparable and perverted sense of perception, I would have never found you disguised as a stone."
"I don't know where exactly you were born, but I can tell you are still too young, more like a baby than an offspring."
"Yiye~~~~"
The little tadpole didn't understand, but seeing the "big tadpole" chatting with it, it seemed quite happy, shaking its head and repeatedly agreeing.
"Have I prepared a luxurious fish tank for you, or would you prefer to join in the fun and stay here with your little friends?"
Ye Hanjun held up the little tadpole and moved it next to the large tank.
This time, the little tadpole blinked its eyes and swiftly slid into the water.
"Yiye~~~~~"(≧∀≦)♪
After swimming around a couple of times, the little tadpole appeared jubilant. Its crystal clear body was nearly invisible in the water, making it hard to spot unless observed closely.
As for its arrival, the jumping shrimps, cyclops goldfish, and mini crabs were seemingly unaware.
It wasn't until the little tadpole got so close they were practically touching that they'd suddenly widen their eyes with disbelief.
"Innately low presence?" Ye Hanjun watched with interest.
Ancient books had indeed described it so.
Pure Beasts, as species favored by nature, whether sentient or ignorant creatures, found it hard to notice them based on instinct alone.
Even the most ruthless, violent creatures, as long as they did not lose complete control.
When encountering Pure Beasts, they would try to avoid them as much as possible, unwilling to cause a conflict easily.
Pure Fond Spirits—equivalent to carrying a life-saving amulet by birth!
Just this point alone, their racial value could be elevated to an unimaginable degree!
"Little guy, they are not playing with you."
Ye Hanjun squatted on the ground, quietly watching the little tadpole swimming around.
The small fish and shrimp ignored it, even fleeing when pushed, but the small tadpole always remained worry-free and joyous, a tadpole could also play happily.
"Yiye~~~~"
Hearing Ye Hanjun call to him, the little tadpole came up from the bottom of the tank.
Most of its head floating above the water, its tail wiggling, it was both obedient and cute, just like a small child.
Ye Hanjun burst into laughter; such a simple interaction was something he had never experienced in his life, everything felt new and fascinating.
"Innocence as a core personality trait, to some degree symbolizes the most important characteristic of a Fond Spirit…"
"This little guy is destined to be well protected, only after it passes through its most juvenile stage, the prime of its bloodline can be ushered…"
Ye Hanjun stretched out a finger again, and touched the little tadpole's cool forehead.
Then, he stood up, turned off the lights in the washroom, and walked out as it was.
"The luckiest thing today was finding the 'Pure White Tadpole', the future is full of hope and possibilities."
"But it's a pity, the little guy is too young, void of any combat skills."
"If I give the first Contract Imprint related to the Instructor to the little tadpole, I will fall into passivity for a short period, not being able to tackle various challenges, it is more than my heart's desire but beyond my ability…"
Ye Hanjun pinched his chin, furrowed his brows.
Due to the current situation, a switch of choice was necessary. Although it was unbearably frustrating, there was indeed no room for leniency.
"In other words, I still need to figure out a way to find a more suitable first Fond Spirit…"
Lost in thought, Ye Hanjun unknowingly returned to the living room, to the entryway.
"Roar!!!"
The Shield Armor Turtle had its limbs bound and couldn't move.
But that didn't stop it from spotting its target. Once it saw Ye Hanjun approach, it let out a supressed roar from its throat. The lonely night became irritatingly noisy.
"Never mind, the Contracted Spirit can be dealt with tomorrow."
"I've been annoyed by you for a long time... Come here!"