The Salted Fish Cultivator: My Pet System Awakens

"Let's go before they send someone to drag us back," Lu Tian said, scratching the fox's head as it perched smugly on his shoulder.

The others nodded, their exhaustion evident as they began the trek back to the academy. The air was still heavy, the strange energy lingering even as the ruined shrine disappeared behind them.

The fox let out a soft yip, its ears twitching as it scanned their surroundings. Lu Tian glanced at it, his brow furrowed. "What's your problem now?"

"It probably senses something," Wei Jingyi said, her voice quieter than usual. She walked with one hand gripping the hilt of her blade, her deer-like beast trailing close behind.

"Great," Zhang Wei muttered, brushing dirt from his torn robes. "I thought we were done with surprises for today."

"We're not out of the woods yet," Yu Chen said, his tone grim. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword as his sharp eyes scanned the darkening forest.

"Literally," Lu Tian added, gesturing to the towering trees around them. "We're still in the forest."

The fox growled softly, its gaze fixed on a shadow moving just out of sight.

---

The group's pace quickened, the eerie silence of the forest weighing heavily on them. The only sounds were the crunch of leaves underfoot and the occasional snap of a twig.

"Anyone else feel like we're being followed?" Zhang Wei whispered, glancing nervously over his shoulder.

"We are," Yu Chen said flatly, his blade already halfway drawn.

Before anyone could react, the ground beneath them shook violently, and a deafening roar shattered the quiet. From the shadows, a massive figure emerged—a corrupted beast unlike any they'd seen before.

It was a towering, bear-like creature, its fur matted and patchy with dark, pulsating veins running along its body. Its eyes glowed an unnatural red, and its claws gleamed like sharpened obsidian.

"Why is it always bears?" Zhang Wei groaned, stepping back instinctively.

The beast roared again, charging toward the group with terrifying speed.

"Scatter!" Yu Chen shouted.

The group split, each taking a different position as the beast's claws raked the ground where they had stood moments before.

Wei Jingyi's deer beast charged forward, its antlers glowing faintly as it aimed for the creature's side. The corrupted bear swatted it away with a single massive paw, sending it tumbling into the underbrush.

"Deerling!" Wei Jingyi cried, rushing to its side.

The fox leapt from Lu Tian's shoulder, its movements a blur as it darted toward the bear. It landed on the creature's back, clawing at the pulsating veins running along its spine.

The beast howled in pain, thrashing wildly to dislodge the fox.

"Go for the veins!" Yu Chen shouted, his blade slicing through the air as he charged the beast. His strike landed cleanly on one of the dark veins, causing it to burst and release a foul-smelling black mist.

Zhang Wei joined the fray, his fists glowing with Qi as he delivered a powerful uppercut to the bear's jaw. The beast staggered but recovered quickly, its glowing eyes locking onto him.

"Brother Lu, any chance you want to help out?" Zhang Wei called, dodging a swipe from the creature's claws.

Lu Tian sighed, stepping forward reluctantly. "I was hoping you'd handle it."

He raised his blade, channeling a small burst of Qi into the weapon. The energy crackled faintly along the edge as he aimed for one of the bear's exposed veins.

The fox let out a sharp yip, drawing the beast's attention just long enough for Lu Tian to strike. His blade cut through the vein cleanly, releasing another burst of black mist.

The bear roared, its movements slowing as the group continued their assault. Wei Jingyi's deer beast recovered, its glowing antlers striking the creature's hind legs and forcing it to kneel.

Yu Chen moved in for the finishing blow, his blade piercing through the creature's chest. The bear let out one final roar before collapsing, its massive body dissolving into ash.

---

The group stood in the aftermath, their breaths heavy as they surveyed the remains of the corrupted beast.

"That thing was stronger than anything we've faced so far," Wei Jingyi said, her voice shaking slightly. She knelt beside her deer beast, running her hand along its side to check for injuries.

"It's getting worse," Yu Chen said, his tone grim. "The corruption is spreading faster than we thought."

Lu Tian leaned against a tree, his blade dangling lazily in his hand. "Great. So not only do we have collapsing shrines, but now the forest is throwing giant murder bears at us."

The fox returned to his side, hopping onto his shoulder and letting out a soft chi.

"At least you're enjoying yourself," Lu Tian muttered, scratching its head.

Zhang Wei wiped sweat from his brow, shaking his head. "I'm starting to think this whole 'investigate the disturbance' thing was a bad idea."

"You think?" Lu Tian said, raising an eyebrow.

Yu Chen sheathed his blade, his gaze hard. "We need to move. If there are more of those things out here, we can't afford to linger."

---

The group continued their journey back to the academy, their pace quickened by the lingering threat of more corrupted beasts. The forest seemed to close in around them, the shadows growing longer with every step.

As they approached the edge of the forest, another roar echoed in the distance.

"Not again," Zhang Wei groaned.

"Keep moving," Yu Chen said sharply.

The fox growled, its ears flattening as it glanced over its shoulder.

"Relax," Lu Tian said, though his tone lacked confidence. "We're almost out."

The group broke into a sprint as the roar grew louder, their breaths coming in short bursts. Just as the forest gave way to the open fields near the academy, a smaller corrupted beast burst through the underbrush—a wolf-like creature with glowing eyes and jagged teeth.

Yu Chen turned, his blade already drawn, but the fox acted first. It leapt from Lu Tian's shoulder, meeting the wolf mid-air. Its claws raked across the wolf's throat, sending it crashing to the ground in a heap.

The fox landed gracefully, its tail swishing as it trotted back to Lu Tian's side.

"Show-off," Lu Tian muttered, scratching behind its ears.

---

The group finally reached the academy gates, their bodies aching and their minds heavy with the weight of what they had seen.

Elder Zhao was waiting for them, his expression as unreadable as ever.

"You're late," he said.

"We ran into… complications," Yu Chen replied, his tone measured.

Elder Zhao's gaze swept over the group, lingering briefly on Lu Tian and the fox. "Report to the central hall. The head instructor will want to hear about this."

"Wonderful," Lu Tian muttered.

As the group made their way inside, the fox let out a soft chi, its tail brushing against Lu Tian's neck.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, glancing at it. "You saved the day. Don't let it go to your head."

Wei Jingyi smiled faintly, though the worry in her eyes hadn't faded. "Do you think this is just the beginning?"

Lu Tian shrugged. "Probably. But hey, at least it's not boring anymore."