Cultivation begins with alchemy and collecting runes.

Li Xiuyuan breathed a sigh of relief as he finally escaped the entanglement of the law enforcement team.

He held the curled-up, barely breathing baby hamster tightly in his arms.

He was preparing to leave with the Migu Mouse when he heard urgent and somewhat simple-minded shouts from behind.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait."

Li Xiuyuan turned around and saw the person's appearance clearly. It was a Qi Refining Level 3 cultivator from the Beast Taming King family, who sold spirit beasts.

Wang Dalu rubbed his chest muscles and limped toward Li Xiuyuan.

There was no resentment on his face, but rather gratitude.

Although it was chaotic just now, he could see clearly that if Li Xiuyuan hadn't intervened and stopped Zhao Hu of the Wild Dog Gang...

Not only did he get beaten up for nothing, but he also failed to complete the task assigned by his family to sell the spirit beast.

He was an insignificant junior member of a branch of the family, and the low-level spirit beasts he sold at his stall were mostly of mixed bloodlines.

He is honest and kind-hearted.

Wang Dalu doesn't say much, but he remembers the kindness of those who helped him.

Looking at the righteous man who had "taken action" before him, and the golden jade rat that was clinging tightly to the black-clad man and refusing to let go.

He scratched his head, a simple, honest smile on his face, and began to introduce the product with great enthusiasm:

"Thank you for your help, fellow Daoist. My name is Wang Dalu, and I am a member of the Beast Taming Wang family. This Golden Jade Rat is a worthless trinket. If you like it, please take it as a pastime; it will serve as a way to express your gratitude."

"This golden jade rat is agile and has a fondness for wood-type spiritual energy. Fellow Daoist, take it back and train it properly; it will definitely be a master at managing spiritual fields!"

He genuinely couldn't see what use the golden jade rat was. The Wang family raised spirit beasts either to sell them for spirit stones or to make them work hard to save on labor costs.

The golden jade rat looks pampered, eating and drinking all day long, and you don't even feel bad if it runs away.

Furthermore, he witnessed Li Xiuyuan bribing the law enforcement team to avoid imprisonment.

He suffered heavy losses this time and had few spirit stones left. Using them to repay a debt of gratitude was exactly what he wanted.

Li Xiuyuan hadn't expected this person to be so straightforward, and thought to himself, "I've really struck gold!"

His face remained tense, showing not a trace of joy, and he even feigned reluctance, saying, "We cultivators should help those in need when we see injustice; it's just a small favor!"

"Besides, this is your spirit beast to begin with, there's no need for such formalities. The Beast Taming Wang family has the demeanor of an ancient gentleman and maintains excellent relations with independent cultivators. Last month, when the elders of the Wang family gave a sermon, I was among those listening!"

Wang Dalu felt even more embarrassed after being praised by Li Xiuyuan.

With a simple and honest wave, he returned the golden jade rat that Li Xiuyuan had handed him, and then took out a yellowed booklet from his storage bag and stuffed it into Li Xiuyuan's arms: "Fellow Daoist, please don't refuse. This is a worthless little thing. If you don't accept it, I will feel bad. When I go back, I might be scolded by the elders for not knowing how to repay kindness."

"This [Beast Taming Technique] is a beast taming method passed down through my Wang family. Fellow Daoist, you only need to use the Beast Taming Technique to form a master-servant contract with this little beast, and the spirit pet will never betray its master for life!"

"And this spirit beast pouch is just like a cultivator's cave dwelling. Spirit pets can rest inside as they please, and you only need to feed them on time!"

"With this Beast Taming Token, you can freely command your contracted spirit pet."

Seeing that the time was right, Li Xiuyuan readily accepted the [Beast Taming Technique], the spirit beast bag, and the beast taming token.

His long, slender fingers caressed the little golden mouse's soft fur, and the little creature curled up in his arms, behaving obediently.

It had no spiritual energy whatsoever and was no different from ordinary livestock.

He nodded slightly to Wang Dalu, his tone remaining calm: "In that case, I thank you for your kindness, Fellow Daoist Wang. Until we meet again!"

"Farewell, fellow Daoist!"

After exchanging pleasantries, the two parted ways.

Wang Dalu turned around to tidy up the messy stall and gather the remaining, weak spirit beasts.

He had no idea that his golden jade rat was a mutated bloodline of the ancient, exotic Migu rat.

Li Xiuyuan, carrying the little golden mouse, quietly left the market of rogue cultivators, his steps steady and his expression unchanged.

It was as if nothing had happened.

But he knew perfectly well that he had found a treasure during this trip to the market for wandering cultivators.

"A rare species with superior bloodline, possessing Foundation Establishment combat strength upon reaching adulthood!"

"You little mouse, it took me a lot of effort to get my hands on you. I hope you can achieve immortality with me."

Upon hearing this, the little golden mouse shrank into my arms, twitched its ears, and a hint of human-like liveliness flashed in its beady eyes.

……

After turning through three familiar alleyways, Li Xiuyuan returned to his warm little home.

He took the Misty Valley Rat out of his arms, and then, following the instructions in the Beast Taming Manual, cast a hypnotic spell to knock the Misty Valley Rat unconscious before placing it into the spirit beast pouch at his waist.

Then, the medicinal materials for fasting pills that I bought on this trip were carefully cleaned, processed, and dried.

Three hours passed in the blink of an eye.

A bright moon hung in the sky, and starlight sprinkled across the earth.

Li Xiuyuan sat cross-legged on the futon, carefully comprehending the essence of the Wang family's [Beast Taming Technique].

"Beast taming contracts establish a master-servant relationship. The royal family's technique certainly has its unique aspects."

"The restriction is not forcibly inscribed on the spirit beast, but rather it is similar to the forging of a natal artifact, allowing the cultivator to be in sync with the spirit beast's mind and 'voluntarily' enter into a contract. This can also greatly enhance the spirit beast's combat power and reduce the harm of it turning against its master in the future."

The Beast Taming Technique is not profound; in fact, it is quite easy to understand.

In less than half an hour, Li Xiuyuan had memorized the entire Dharma text.

[Spell: Beast Taming Technique (Beginner), 1/50]

A line of numbers popped up on the Knowledge Sea panel, displaying the introduction to the Beast Taming Technique.

"brush!"

Li Xiuyuan made hand seals, channeling his magic power into the Beast Taming Token.

Suddenly, he felt a faint connection to his soul deep within his consciousness, a connection that emanated from the spirit beast pouch at his waist.

"Master, the hamster is hungry!"

That's it!

Li Xiuyuan smiled as he ran his fingertips across the spirit beast pouch.

puff!

A golden-jade-colored spirit pet darted out of the bowl-sized bag.

It's the Migu Mouse!

"Squeak squeak squeak!"

The Migu Rat had clear, bright eyes, without a trace of ferocity. Instead, it looked dull and dazed, like a newborn baby, and was very close to Li Xiuyuan.

Li Xiuyuan valued the Valley Rat for its ability to guide and explore.

"Use the wood spirit energy refined by the Misty Valley Rat to relieve mental agitation, and control the mid-to-high-level wood spirit energy to nourish the spirit energy."

"Just summoning the Misty Valley Branch and the Blessing Grass to aid in battle is enough to overwhelm ordinary Qi Refining cultivators!"

"Once it comprehends the bloodline supernatural power [Spirit Wood Dao Pattern], it can cultivate with the help of the wood spirit energy of heaven and earth, and at the same time, it can break earth-type spells, which will be a great help."

"Little one, you can play in the yard!"

Li Xiuyuan fed the Migu Mouse a few Bigu Pills, then placed it in a corner of the courtyard to play by itself.

This Misty Valley Rat is still in its juvenile stage, roughly at the early stage of the first level, comparable to a cultivator at the first level of Qi Refining.

Similar to a rogue cultivator who has just entered the path of immortality.

……