My Dao Companion Keeps Failing to Transform

The serious blurb:

When Gu Honglian opens his eyes, he has forgotten everything about his past.

Where he came from and where he is going are mysteries; the road ahead is unclear.

In this world, the strong prey on the weak. Only by constantly cultivating and reaching the summit can he uncover the truth of his fate.

The Heavenly Dao has written his script, fate has decided his ending, and even his cultivation partner has already been chosen for him. As a mere chess piece, he swears to shatter the board.

Was meeting you among billions of living beings destiny, or the one variable fate couldn't account for?

Companion story: "My Master and I Compete at Acting," a sweet teacher-disciple romance with an older disciple and younger master (complete)

The unserious blurb:

Question: What should I do if my cultivation partner fails to take human form?

A passerby answers: Nothing you can do. Give up on desire.

Fluff-lover Gu Honglian says: Keep your cultivation partner as a pet. It's wonderful.

Onlookers: What a miserable man (or monster).

This novel is also called "My Cultivation Partner Is a Fox Demon" or "The Daily Life of Keeping My Cultivation Partner as a Pet."

The good-for-nothing seventh young master of the Gu family has a third-rank little spirit fox as a familiar. Through a twist of fate, the human and fox become cultivation partners.

Onlookers: A good-for-nothing young master and a good-for-nothing little spirit fox. A perfect match!

On the surface:

Cultivation fanatic Gu Honglian: Fine. We're going to stick together through life and death anyway. What's the difference?

Onlookers: ???

In private:

Gu Honglian cuddles the big fox and pets it to his heart's content: Such a nice feel. So fluffy. Mmm.

Later, the big fox takes human form, but Gu Honglian looks grave: That's an eyesore.

A Wu: Wait, let me try again! I'm actually really handsome! Fox spirits are all breathtaking beauties!

Gu Honglian: The kind that frightens a city into collapsing at a glance?

A Wu: ...

Gu Honglian: If you want to prove you're breathtakingly beautiful, hurry up and take human form!

A Wu: Sure! Right away! Immediately!

Later

Gu Honglian: ...

You can't even transform properly, and you call yourself a demon cultivator? How are you any different from Big Yellow next door?

A Wu: I know how to act cute.

Gu Honglian: Heh.

A Wu: I can protect you.

Gu Honglian: Heh.

A Wu: I... can also speak human language...

Gu Honglian: Heh.

A Wu: Darling, trust me. This time, I'll definitely succeed.

Gu Honglian: I fell for your nonsense. Give me back my fluff.

Male lead is the receiver. Both are reborn, but neither of them knows it (?).

A swaggering, occasionally airheaded fox-demon top × a calm, clever human cultivator who flirts without realizing it. They dote on each other.

If life is a conspiracy and living is only for the sake of dying, then I'll defy the ending already written for me.

They fight side by side and grow together. It's probably an action-packed story with a leveling-up plot.

They fight monsters, level up, and fall in love. A light, sweet, slow-burn story, with rough writing.

Theme: Life takes struggle. The good-for-nothing don't accept their fate. I decide my own destiny, not Heaven.