897: White Depth Field

White Depth Field

"So, White Depth Field, why are you crying?" Ning asked the little white cub.  2

"I ran away from home and came here to fight against the other beasts to get stronger," the little cub said.

"Oh, you wanted to get stronger, huh? Did you do it?" Ning asked.

"No, master. All I did was I ended up getting lost. Now I can't find my way back, and I… " the little cub started crying.

"Hey, hey, don't cry," Ning said. "I'm here, so you will be fine."

Ning took the little cub and petted it for a while. "Tell me, why did you want to become strong? You are so young, you have plenty of time to get stronger."

"I need to do it fast, master. My cousins who are the same age as me, and started cultivating at the same time as me are all at least 3 minor realms higher than me," the little cub said with a sad face. "They always tease me, they call me the trash of our family."

"I want to show them that I am not the trash they think I am," he said.

Ning couldn't help but smile when he saw the little cub's determination. A mischievous smile formed on his face as he thought of something that would keep him entertained for the next 40 or so thousand years.

"Do you want my help in getting stronger?" Ning asked.

The little cub looked up curiously. "Can you help me, master?" he asked.

"Hehehe," Ning laughed as he moved his hands. Suddenly, 10 drops of crimson blood appeared in front of him. "Take this."

"What is this blood, master?" the little cub asked.

"I will tell you once you are old enough to know," Ning said and made White Depth Field ingest all the 10 drops of the blood through his forehead.

The little cub growled in pain but within a few minutes, he managed to get a handle on his pain. The black stripes on his white fur became darker after combining the 10 drops of blood into his bloodline.

"Oh, you are quite compatible with the blood. I guess it's better since you don't have to evolve at all," Ning said. "All the other ones I had, Night, Aegis, and Blue had to evolve."

"Who are they, master?" the little cub asked.

"They are my friends," Ning said with a melancholic smile. "Just like you."

"Oh, we are friends?" the little cub asked.

"Yes," Ning said. "Now, since we are friends, how about I give you a small gift?" 

"Oh, what is it, master?" the little cub got excited.

Ning smiled and brought out a book. "Here," he handed it over to young Depth Field. "It's a cultivation method. Use it and you will improve very quickly."

"Oh…" the little cub's face darkened a little.

"What's wrong?" Ning asked.

"I can't read," the cub said.

"You can't read?" Ning asked. "Do beasts not read in this world?" 

"They do, but not me," the little tiger said. "They tried to teach me many times, but I just can't read. The letters look jumbled to me. Sometimes upside down, sometimes backward."

"Oh," Ning thought. "I didn't know beasts even had dyslexia. Wait, let me get you a picture version that should help you a bit."

Ning changed the book to just pictures and with that, the little cub could now understand everything.

"Thank you, master," he said.

"Come on, your parents must be getting scared. Let's get you back," Ning said. 

"But I don't want to leave, master," the little cub said.

"Weren't you scared because you could find a way?" Ning asked.

"Yes, but not anymore. I want you to stay with you," he said.

"I'm sorry, but you can't," Ning said. "But you can come to meet me from time to time. I won't leave this place for a very long time, so you should be able to come to meet me."

"Is that true?" the little cub asked excitedly.

"Of course," Ning said. "I can't leave just yet. Come, let's go."

Ning took the little cub back to the edge of the forest, where he could walk back to his family on his own.

He told the little cub to only come to meet him again when he reached the next major realm.

Ning went back to his hut and stayed around for another few years, which was what it took for the little cub to reach the major realm before the one where they could properly use their Sea of Qi.

He talked with the slightly grown beasts and realized that he had become strong. However, he was quite fascinated to learn that the little cub was actually hiding his abilities from everyone.

"Didn't you want strength before? Why do you hide it then?" Ning asked.

"I didn't want strength to be better than anymore," the now-adult White Depth Field said. "I simply wanted others to not look down on me and treat me as not their equal. You will be surprised how harsh our family can be to those that don't show potential."

"I see," Ning said. He was quite enjoying the current situation. 

The tiger went back and Ning told him he would meet him once he entered the Qi Condensation realm.

It took more than a few decades for the tiger to do so, but that was only because he was taking his time with his cultivation. Any faster and he would be considered a genius, wherein he would have to take more responsibility than he would like.

The next time he came, Ning was happy to see that he had grown big.

"You are growing quite well. I almost didn't recognize you," Ning said.

They talked for a while, and White Depth Field even talked about a Lynx beast he had fallen in love with and was planning to marry soon.

"Would you like to come to visit our family, master?" White Depth Field asked.

Ning thought for a bit. "Sure, why not? I'm a little interested in your family as well."

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