"Roar! Roar!"
The "Mountain-Crushing Bear" male was heavily wounded. It roared in defiance, signaling the "Mountain-Crushing Bear" female, who had been fighting the Wind-Cleaving Eagle, to retreat. Then, it charged back at Wei Tu, attempting to hold him off with its wounded body.
However, the "Mountain-Crushing Bear" male was clearly too weak to continue fighting Wei Tu.
Wei Tu discarded the "Talisman Heart Tablet" and resumed his battle with the bear using his physical strength. He moved quickly, wrapping his fists in five-colored glowing light and delivering a powerful blow to the bear's abdomen. The sound of the impact was followed by the bear's blood splattering out in a gushing spray.
Without hesitation, as the "Mountain-Crushing Bear" male sluggishly attempted to retaliate, Wei Tu swiftly pulled back and delivered a powerful kick to the bear's shoulder.
The combined force of his physical power and Golden Core cultivation burst forth, amplifying the pressure.
Crack! Crack!
The "Mountain-Crushing Bear" male, overwhelmed by the tremendous pressure, knelt, crashing to the ground with a loud thud, its blood soaking into the earth beneath it.
At the same time, the ground beneath them sank several feet deep.
"Roar! Roar!" The "Mountain-Crushing Bear" male tried to rise again, but this only caused more pain and achieved nothing.
"Hand over your offspring, and I'll spare your life," Wei Tu said, transmitting this message into the bear's mind with a consciousness as powerful as a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.
The "Mountain-Crushing Bear" male roared in fury, pounding its chest, signaling its refusal to submit. It even appeared ready to self-destruct its demon core.
However, when it saw Wei Tu's sleeves shoot out another batch of talismans that quickly formed a talisman array and descended near the female bear, the male began to hesitate.
It had already felt the power of the talisman array moments ago, which had nearly killed it. If the array were to land on the female bear, it would surely result in the death of both bears.
At this moment, Wei Tu was only asking for its offspring. He wasn't forcing them to sign a soul contract and submit to him as spiritual beasts.
The male bear reasoned that by giving up one offspring, it could save the lives of both parents.
Moreover, once its offspring was in Wei Tu's hands, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. After all, Wei Tu was a strong cultivator. With his guidance, the cub might grow stronger than it ever could.
Agreeing meant survival for the entire family. Refusing meant death for all three.
The "Mountain-Crushing Bear" male wavered.
It figured that it could always sire another offspring in the future.
It roared several times and began consulting with the pregnant female bear.
As the head of the family, the male bear was persuasive. Although the female initially disagreed, after listening to the male bear's reasoning, she gradually relented and agreed.
"I can guarantee that the contract between you and my offspring will be an equal one," Wei Tu added, his tone kinder than before.
Upon hearing these words, the female bear gave in, following the male's decision to hand over their offspring in exchange for the safety of the entire family.
...
The day of the female bear's delivery drew near.
After finishing the battle, Wei Tu and Wei Xiuwen's family waited nearby.
During this time, Wei Tu considered trying to convince the "Mountain-Crushing Bear" couple to leave the passage with him, but after some thought, he abandoned the idea. He did not bring it up.
The "Mountain-Crushing Bear" couple had already reached adulthood, and their wild nature was difficult to tame. While he could force them to submit now, it didn't mean they would truly serve him or become his spirit beasts.
Most beast monsters, when faced with a spirit beast contract, would fight to the death rather than submit.
Giving up an offspring was one thing; submitting to someone was quite another.
After about ten days, the "Mountain-Crushing Bear" female finally gave birth to a cub the size of a baby's head.
This cub resembled its parents, with its entire body a sandy yellow, but its chest and abdomen bore golden fur, just like the father's after using his innate divine power.
"High-quality Earth-tier bloodline," Wei Tu thought to himself as he observed the cub.
A third-tier (Earth-tier) beast monster does not always produce a cub with an Earth-tier bloodline; only pure-blood descendants can achieve such a bloodline.
However, there were exceptions.
For instance, the "Mountain-Crushing Bear" male, having returned to its ancestral bloodline, might have offspring whose bloodline exceeded its own.
Now, this "Mountain-Crushing Bear" cub had a bloodline surpassing both its father and mother.
An Earth-tier high-quality bloodline meant that as long as the cub didn't die young, it had a high chance of reaching the late third-tier.
With careful cultivation, it might even reach the fourth tier and become a Celestial Beast.
Such a bloodline was rare, even within the Beastmaster Sect.
"Roar! Roar!"
The "Mountain-Crushing Bear" female reluctantly licked her cub a few times before kneeling before Wei Tu, holding up the cub and offering it to him.
"I will take good care of your child," Wei Tu said.
He understood the female bear's intent, nodding slightly and accepting the cub, agreeing to the female bear's request.
For someone like him, raising a spiritual pet was natural. These pets were born without blood feuds. Their loyalty was the highest.
Since he had taken the "Mountain-Crushing Bear" cub, it was inevitable that he would raise it with great care.
After all, materials from first- and second-tier beasts were more valuable than others.
...
After taking the "Mountain-Crushing Bear" cub, the Wei family didn't linger and continued their journey.
The region where the "Mountain-Crushing Bear" was found marked the latter half of the "Secret Passage."
Thus, after nearly a month of travel, guided by the map, the Wei family finally exited a mountain cave and arrived in a barren land.
"This is Kang Kingdom."
After exiting the passage and entering a foreign land, Wei Tu felt a mix of emotions.
Though he had left Zheng Kingdom several times before, the stays were always brief, and he would return quickly.
This time, however, as he left Zheng Kingdom for Kang Kingdom, it was uncertain whether he would ever return to his homeland. It could be decades, hundreds of years, or perhaps even a lifetime before he set foot in Zheng Kingdom again.
Zheng Kingdom was his homeland.
While Wei Tu felt nostalgic, Wei Xiuwen and his wife experienced a sense of relief after narrowly surviving their encounters in the "Secret Passage." They had faced two threats from Golden Core demon beasts.
Though Wei Tu had resolved these threats, the pressure on them was immense. One misstep, and they could have perished.
"Father, should we first look for my sister or gather intelligence?" Wei Xiuwen asked as he stepped forward.
In this foreign land, he preferred to gather intelligence first before taking any action.
However, unlike him, his father, Wei Tu, was a Golden Core True Lord and might possess intelligence about Kang Kingdom that Wei Xiuwen didn't know, which would save them from this step.
"First, gather intelligence," Wei Tu decided after a moment of thought.
While in the Loose Immortal Alliance, he had gathered some information about Kang Kingdom, but due to geographical isolation, the information was outdated, from decades ago, and was often inaccurate.
Moreover, Zhao Jiangwu had provided him with information about the "Secret Passage," but the passage had been built thousands of years ago, and the changes at the other end would be vast by now.
...
Wei Xiuwen, a peak early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, was more than capable of gathering intelligence in this unfamiliar land.
Wei Tu also wanted to train his only son, so after giving him the "Wind-Cleaving Eagle" for protection, he allowed Wei Xiuwen to go out and gather information.
Of course, Wei Tu didn't fully trust Wei Xiuwen. After he left, Wei Tu sent a second-tier Seven-Colored Phantom Moth to follow him covertly.
The Seven-Colored Phantom Moth carried part of Wei Tu's consciousness.
This way, Wei Tu could observe every move Wei Xiuwen made.
Fortunately, Wei Xiuwen didn't disappoint his father. After finding a nearby city, he didn't recklessly start asking questions but first learned about the local customs, changed into local attire, and went to a bookstore in the city.
After reading the local geography and biography records, Wei Xiuwen also inquired about the local noble families.
A few days later, Wei Xiuwen returned to the group.
"Father, I have gathered information about the area. We are in the southern border of Kang Kingdom, where the customs are similar to those of Zheng Kingdom. To the east is the 'Wǎ Lèng Tribe,' part of the 'Shè Rì Tribe,' one of the three major tribes of Kang Kingdom... In between, there are over ten tribes separating us from the 'Zhá Mǎ Tribe,' where my sister is."
Wei Xiuwen spoke slowly.
Afterward, he imprinted the information he had gathered onto a blank jade slip and handed it to Wei Tu, who was meditating.
"Also, I bought some local Kang Kingdom clothing in Duō Yán City."
Next, Wei Xiuwen took out clothes from his storage bag and distributed them to the Wei family.
"You thought of everything," Wei Tu praised, impressed by Wei Xiuwen's thoroughness.
Even when handling matters himself, Wei Tu would only be able to manage to this extent.
After changing into Kang Kingdom attire, the Wei family didn't waste any time and set off towards the eastern border of Kang Kingdom, where the Zhá Mǎ Tribe was located, to reunite with Wei Yan and the others.
A few days later, after bypassing Duō Yán City, they reached the heart of Kang Kingdom and saw the vast grasslands and herders, which were starkly different from Zheng Kingdom.
The vast green grass stretched as far as the eye could see, dotted with flocks of pure white sheep, galloping horses, cattle, and tents scattered everywhere.
"I heard that Xiāo Kingdom, by the sea, has a different view from Kang Kingdom," Wei Tu thought to himself.
Thanks to his previous life, he wasn't surprised by the scenery of Kang Kingdom's grasslands.
...
More than ten days later.
Wei Tu's Huang Yan boat reached the eastern border of Kang Kingdom, arriving at the Zhá Mǎ Tribe, an affiliated tribe of the "Yìng Dǐng Tribe" from one of the three major tribes.
A message was sent.
Half an hour later, Wei Yan, dressed in a blue skirt, flew towards the Wei family and appeared before them.
"Father, Xiuwen..." Wei Yan's face lit up with joy when she saw her family, and she immediately greeted them.
"This is?" Wei Yan then noticed Wei Changshou beside Mei Zhen. Her tone was slightly surprised, and she seemed to have a guess in mind.
However, since she wasn't sure of Wei Changshou's surname, she didn't reveal any familial affection.
After all, if he shared the surname Mei, she, as his aunt, would not have any blood relation to him.
"This is your nephew, named Wei Changshou."
Wei Tu briefly explained.
"His surname is Wei?" Hearing this, Wei Yan's face immediately broke into a smile as she affectionately patted Wei Changshou's forehead.
"Father, how did Xiuwen and my sister-in-law suddenly come to Kang Kingdom?" Wei Yan asked through sound transmission.
Several decades ago, Wei Xiuwen had clearly expressed his desire to stay in the Xīyá Mei family.
Now, seeing Wei Xiuwen and his wife in Kang Kingdom, something must have changed.
Wei Tu carefully considered his words and told Wei Yan about the Heavenly Maiden Sect's bounty on their heads.
Such important matters that concerned the survival of their family didn't need to be kept secret from the younger generation.
Knowing early would help them prepare in advance.
This way, when the Heavenly Maiden Sect arrived, they wouldn't be caught completely off guard.
"The Zhá Mǎ Tribe isn't a place to stay for long. After all these years in Kang Kingdom, do you know where there are suitable third-grade spiritual lands for sale or rent?"
Once safely in Kang Kingdom, Wei Tu began considering plans for his cultivation.
Previously, he had sent Wei Yan ahead to secretly enter Kang Kingdom, partly to have her scout out the land and establish a foundation for him.
Now that he had reached the Golden Core realm, it was no longer suitable for him to join any forces.
Major factions rarely take in scattered Golden Core cultivators unless there's a special reason.
Not to mention, a Golden Core cultivator with an unknown background like himself would find it even harder to be accepted.
The situation for scattered Golden Core cultivators was quite awkward.
Smaller factions would be wary of accepting such cultivators, fearing they might seize control of the faction.
Larger factions, like Kang Kingdom's Nascent Soul factions, had no need to accept such cultivators and wouldn't want to share their resources.
Therefore, at this point, Wei Tu asked Wei Yan about suitable third-grade spiritual lands, not about any faction or tribe that might recruit scattered Golden Core cultivators.
"The great forces of Kang Kingdom are the 'Three Tribes, Two Mountains, and One Palace.' The tribe I belong to, the Zhá Mǎ Tribe, is an affiliate of the 'Yìng Dǐng Tribe'... A decade ago, I heard that the grand priest of the 'Fén Shān Tribe,' one of Yìng Dǐng Tribe's sub-tribes, was getting old and planned to temporarily lease their sacred mountain, Yán Fén Shān..."
"Additionally, Dì Jiàn Mountain also has extra spiritual pulse sites available for sale or rent."
Wei Yan said slowly.
Dì Jiàn Mountain is one of the mountains in the "Three Tribes, Two Mountains, and One Palace" forces of Kang Kingdom.
Upon hearing this, Wei Yan suddenly realized something and looked at Wei Tu in surprise, "Father, have you broken through to the Golden Core?"
A third-grade spiritual land was the standard for Golden Core cultivation. If Wei Tu was still at the Foundation Establishment stage, he wouldn't be able to use a third-grade spiritual land or even be qualified to rent one.
"I was lucky to break through a few years ago."
Wei Tu smiled.
"If you're looking to rent a third-grade spiritual land, I recommend trying the Fén Shān Tribe. They have no strong protectors, and the rent for Yán Fén Shān, a third-grade spiritual land, will certainly be lower."
Wei Yan continued, "Moreover, unlike the major sects, the Yìng Dǐng Tribe is a tribal alliance, and they don't reject outsiders entering."
"Many of the tribe's grand priests are outsiders."
Yán Fén Shān? Fén Shān Tribe?
Wei Tu thought for a moment and added it to his list of considerations.
"How are Aunt Qi and Xian'er doing in the Zhá Mǎ Tribe?" After discussing serious matters, Wei Tu thought of these trivial matters.
Several decades ago, the Tàoshān Táo family gave him five smuggling quotas. He used three of them for Wei Yan, Qi Feng, and Wei Xian'er.
Qi Feng had been one of his concubines many years ago.
He had no emotional attachment to her.
However, Qi Feng had agreed to be his concubine because she sought a stable environment for cultivation.
"Aunt Qi tried to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm a few years ago... but she failed and died."
Wei Yan sighed as she spoke.