He pointed to the distant mountains and said, "When my junior brother went there for training before, he saw deer and goats. We might be able to find some beast milk."
"Mm, thank you," Xing Yue said, and then headed straight in that direction.
The little beast seemed to be starving, constantly licking her palm, which made her very uncomfortable.
Watching the little beast gulping down a milk bottle larger than itself, Xing Yue sighed helplessly. She wondered how much was appropriate for the little beast to eat, hoping it wouldn't overeat.
The little beast suddenly let out a burp, then rolled on the grass and landed in front of Xing Yue. As Xing Yue wiped its mouth, she looked at the milk it had finished and pondered.
There were still ten days until the secret realm opened. Judging by the little beast's appetite, she should stock up more food for it.
Xing Yue tucked the little beast into her pocket, leaving only its head exposed for air, and continued to search for lactating mother beasts to "borrow" milk from. After filling half of a small storage bag, Xing Yue returned to the camp.
Her main objective for coming to the secret realm had been largely achieved. For the remaining days, she just needed to wait for the secret realm to open and then leave.
Xing Yue placed the little beast aside and resumed her cultivation with closed eyes. Five hours later, the little beast woke up and whimpered, asking for food from Xing Yue.
"All you do is eat!" Xing Yue gently nudged the little beast's head with a single finger. "When will you return what you took from me?"
The little beast didn't understand, but it continued to rush forward with a determination that it wouldn't stop until it achieved its goal.
Xing Yue tossed a bottle full of milk aside. The little beast followed the scent and crawled over. After panting for a few breaths, it continued to gulp down the milk.
Xing Yue poked the little beast's soft belly. Full and satisfied, the little beast flipped over, allowing her to pet it freely, its expression one of utter contentment.
The little beast grew quickly. Ten days later, it was almost as long as Xing Yue's arm.
As soon as they exited the secret realm, elders from the Tianya Sect came to check on the disciples. This secret realm was discovered by several major sects. Because it was often used as a training ground for juniors, even if there were conflicts between disciples of different sects, they would only go so far and would not take lives.
"Yue'er, how was it? Did you find a breakthrough opportunity this time?" As soon as she returned to the sect, the Sect Master quickly summoned his most promising disciple.
"Just one step away," Xing Yue said, suddenly taking out the Breakthrough Grass. "This trip to the secret realm yielded some gains. I would trouble Master to ask an elder to refine a pill to help me reach the peak of the Earth Realm and break through to the Heaven Realm."
"Good, good!" The Sect Master was beaming with excitement. His judgment was indeed excellent.
Xing Yue merely nodded indifferently, her demeanor exceedingly cool. "Then, this disciple will return to cultivate."
"Go! Go!" the Sect Master said joyfully. "Oh, right, that little beast in your arms, do you want to send it to the Beast Taming division?"
Xing Yue looked down at the little beast, which was restlessly clutching her sleeve even in its sleep. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "It has a connection with me. There's already karma intertwined between us. It might as well stay with me for now!"
A flicker of surprise crossed the Sect Master's eyes. He then looked closely at the little beast in Xing Yue's arms, wanting to see what was so special about such a small creature that it could make his usually aloof disciple consider keeping it.
After a careful examination, the Sect Master concluded that it was probably because of its appearance. His disciple was a girl, after all, and her choice of spirit beast might naturally lean towards appearance.
After some thought, he agreed. After all, a cultivator could contract with more than one spirit beast, and one spirit beast slot wouldn't make much of a difference.
Xing Yue secretly breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that her master had not used his cultivation to observe it. He was only seeing a part of the little beast's appearance, which was hidden. Therefore, even with his vast knowledge, he wouldn't be able to immediately determine the little beast's species.
As the chief disciple, Xing Yue resided on a mountain peak. She had named it Ruo Yue Peak.
The scenery at the foot and the summit of the mountain were vastly different. For a long time, Xing Yue had lived alone at the peak, practicing her sword and cultivating. She had already achieved the ability to abstain from grain, rarely appearing in public. Each time she did, her strength had improved. Over time, she became a legend in the eyes of the new disciples.
However, Xing Yue's current state of mind was somewhat shattered. She had an ice-element spiritual root, and her residence was naturally a world of ice and snow.
The little beast's attribute was indiscernible, but after being exposed to the cold wind twice, it actually fell ill.
As soon as Xing Yue arrived at the mountain, she went to the Pill Pavilion to exchange for various types of medicine, especially those for cold protection, preparing them in ample quantities.
Once the little beast was no longer afraid of the cold, it was full of energy and ran all over the mountain. Xing Yue set up a restriction at the peak, prepared some food for the little beast, and then went into seclusion to cultivate.
When Xing Yue emerged half a month later, having broken through to the Earth Realm, she was stunned by the scene before her.
The energetic little beast was wreaking havoc. Except for the area where Xing Yue had been cultivating, not a single spot on the peak was intact.
Xing Yue's brow furrowed deeply, her expression one of utter despair. Had she brought back a little ancestor?
Seeing her, the little beast immediately scurried over, as if asking for a hug.
Xing Yue looked at the little beast's size and fell into thought. Was its diet that good? It had grown so fast that she could no longer hold it.
Xing Yue gently patted the little beast's head, then directed its attention to the destroyed structures. The little beast's body stiffened noticeably, and a guilty look flashed in its eyes as it whined and acted cute.
Xing Yue remained unmoved, stating calmly, "I know you can understand me. Think about how you're going to compensate me for them!"
The little beast looked like it was about to cry, whimpering as if in distress, pawing at the snow on the ground.
"Mm, I understand. It'll be recorded as debt! You can repay it all when you transform," Xing Yue calmly took out an account book and made two entries.
The little beast looked at the book in Xing Yue's hand with some confusion. It jumped up to grab it, but Xing Yue quickly put it away.
"Wuwu," the little beast, unwilling to give up, continued to try, before finally collapsing dejectedly.
"Good boy~" Xing Yue, with insincere affection, crouched down and patted the little beast's head to comfort it, then said mercilessly, "Later, I'll go down and pick out a cultivation technique suitable for you. Work hard, and you can repay your debt once you transform."
The little beast looked even more wronged and tried to use its cuteness to sway Xing Yue. Xing Yue mercilessly pinched a finger and a sword instantly lifted them both, flying down the mountain.
This was the little beast's first time "flying." It trembled, tightly gripping Xing Yue's trouser leg. After a while, it hesitantly glanced down, then fearfully retracted its head, only to look again and shrink back.
Xing Yue, who clearly felt every movement of the little beast with her divine sense, had a smile in her eyes. It was so scared, yet it kept looking. Truly a case of being weak but loving to play.
Standing before the Beast Taming Tower, it was the first time the little beast had seen so many people in its life. It looked around with curiosity, while tightly clinging to Xing Yue, not daring to move an inch away.