Kai sprinted back into the barn, his heart pounding with urgency. Inside, the once-slumbering creatures were now fully awake, their eyes wide with alertness and concern. They shifted uneasily in the barn, sensing the tension in the air and reacting to Kai’s earlier shouts.

  Ignoring their anxious stares, Kai made his way to the central pillar, his gaze scanning its surface with purpose. He moved quickly, running his hands over the rough wood until his fingers brushed against a familiar blue gem embedded within the pillar. The faint shimmer of the stone caught the dim light, a hidden key to the barn’s unseen mechanisms.

  Without hesitation, Kai hurried to the nearby storage area, pulling open a small chest and retrieving a sturdy, well-used knife. The blade had dulled over time, but it would do. He returned to the pillar, gripping the knife tightly, and pressed its edge against the blue gem. With careful precision, he pried at the stone, leveraging the blade against the wood. The gem resisted, its placement secure after years of being embedded.

  Kai gritted his teeth, applying more force. The knife creaked under the strain, but finally, with a sharp pop, the gem dislodged from its hold, tumbling into Kai’s waiting hand. He let out a breath of relief, holding the stone up to inspect it. Its surface glimmered faintly, its hue as vibrant as the day it had been placed there.

  This was it. The key to releasing the spirit beasts from their stalls and setting them free. Holding the gem tightly, Kai turned to face the restless creatures, determination blazing in his eyes.

  From his position near the central pillar, Kai's gaze shifted to the barn's large open door. Beyond it, the shimmering outline of a protective barrier, faintly glowing with residual qi, encircled the meadow like a translucent dome. That glow was rapidly fading. The stone in his hand—the spirit stone—was the core of the formation that powered the array.

  Now, with the stone removed, the intricate web of qi that maintained the barrier was unraveling. Cracks of light flickered and danced along its surface before it dissolved completely, leaving nothing but open air where the shimmering boundary had once stood. The protective ward that had confined the beasts to this meadow for years was no more.

  Kai tightened his grip on the spirit stone, the weight of his decision pressing heavily on him. Without the barrier, the creatures were finally free to leave this place. For the first time, they could escape the confines of the sect's control and return to the wild, where they might find true freedom—assuming they could avoid capture or death in the chaos outside.

  He glanced back at the creatures, now standing attentively, their eyes reflecting curiosity.

  Kai returned to the storage area, his expression strained as he rummaged through its contents. Dust hung in the air as he uncovered an old, neglected whip—a tool that had seen little use in his hands but had always been a symbol of control under Lei Ju’s tyranny. The sight of it made his stomach turn, but desperate times demanded desperate measures. He hoped he wouldn’t have to use it, but he needed something to guide the creatures out of the barn and beyond the confines of the meadow.

  Taking a deep breath, he stepped back into the barn, raising his voice and waving his arms in an effort to rouse the spirit beasts into motion. His sharp cries echoed off the walls, startling the creatures into action. Their ears flicked toward him, and they began to move, albeit slowly and with evident reluctance. Recognizing his intent, they filed out of the barn in a loose, hesitant herd.

  Kai followed closely, his heart pounding as he drove them toward the edge of the meadow, the former boundary of the barrier. The beasts stopped just short of the invisible line where the shimmering wall had once stood. Many of them had wandered here countless times before, only to be turned back by the unyielding force of the array. Their instincts told them the same would happen now.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  But Kai wouldn’t let them stop. With urgent shouts and sweeping gestures, he urged them forward. A tense silence fell over the meadow as the creatures hesitated, their eyes darting nervously between Kai and the open forest beyond.

  Finally, a brave Thunder Clap Cow stepped forward, its massive hooves crunching the grass as it crossed the threshold. It paused, waiting for the familiar resistance of the barrier, but none came. Realizing it was truly free, the creature bellowed low and turned to Kai.

  Kai seized on the moment, encouraging the others. "See? It's safe! Go on, you're free now!"

  The rest of the beasts shifted uneasily, looking to one another and then back at Kai. Despite the absence of the barrier, they hesitated, their loyalty to him keeping them rooted in place. Their eyes held a mixture of trust and confusion.

  “Get going! You’re free!” Kai shouted, his voice hoarse with desperation as he gestured toward the woods.

  Despite his urging, the spirit beasts remained still, their massive forms rooted in place. Their eyes flicked from the underbrush he was pointing to, then back to him, filled with confusion and sorrow. It was clear—they didn’t want to leave him.

  Kai’s heart twisted painfully in his chest. These creatures, who had grown to trust and depend on him, were now bound by loyalty that he wished he didn’t have to break. He took a shaky breath, his fingers tightening around the dusty whip in his hands. With reluctance weighing him down, he unraveled the whip and cracked it sharply through the air.

  The sound shattered the stillness, startling the beasts. Several flinched, their ears drooping as if stung by the noise. The sight tore at Kai, but he forced himself to raise his voice once more. “Get going!” he yelled, his tone firmer this time, though every word felt like a knife to his chest.

  The creatures hesitated but finally began to move, their steps slow and reluctant. One by one, they left the meadow, their massive forms disappearing into the shadows of the trees. Yet, every few steps, one of them would pause and glance back at Kai. Their eyes, large and glistening, held an undeniable sadness, as though silently asking why he wasn’t coming with them.

  Kai’s hands trembled as he watched them go, each backward glance from the creatures cutting deeper than any blade. He clenched the whip tightly, knowing it was the only way to ensure their safety, even as their sorrowful gazes made him want to call them back and give in to the companionship they offered.

  Eventually, all the spirit beasts had vanished into the forest, leaving the meadow eerily quiet—except for one. Snow, the Ice Fang Wolf, lingered, his piercing blue eyes fixed on Kai with an expression of sorrow so profound it felt like a physical weight pressing down on him.

  “Go!” Kai shouted, his voice raw with desperation as he waved his arms.

  When Snow didn’t budge, Kai cracked the whip in the wolf’s direction, the sharp snap ringing out like a warning. But Snow didn’t flinch. He stood steadfast, his massive white form unmoving, his gaze unwavering. The sadness in the wolf’s eyes deepened, mirroring Kai’s own anguish.

  Kai’s chest tightened painfully, and his teeth clenched as a few tears escaped down his face. “Snow…” he choked out, his voice trembling. “You have to go. I can’t look after all of you anymore.”

  The wolf tilted his head slightly, as if trying to understand, but made no move to leave. His loyalty was resolute, an unspoken promise to remain by Kai’s side no matter the cost.

  Kai gritted his teeth, swallowing the lump in his throat. “If there are demonic cultivators nearby, they might ignore you if you’re on your own. But if you stay with me, they’ll come for us both. I can’t risk that… I won’t risk that. So, please…” His voice broke, and he dropped the whip, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

  Snow took a hesitant step closer, his ears pinned back, his every movement heavy with reluctance. Kai turned away, wiping his face roughly with the back of his hand. “Go,” he whispered, barely able to say the word.

  For a moment, there was only silence. Then, with a low, mournful whine, Snow finally turned and padded toward the tree line. The wolf paused at the edge of the forest, looking back one last time, his eyes shining with a sadness that made Kai’s heart feel like it was being torn in two.

  “Goodbye, Snow,” Kai said softly, his voice nearly inaudible. Snow lingered a moment longer before disappearing into the shadows, leaving Kai utterly alone in the fading light of the meadow.