The wager was over.

Shen Xian had profited immensely.

According to the rules of the Spirit Beast Pavilion, the victor who personally selected a spirit beast was entitled to thirty percent of the betting pool’s profits.

But of even greater value were the token engraved with the emblem of the Wanxiang Chamber of Commerce and the genuine Mystic-grade spirit beast.

As Ye Shun completed the handover formalities with the shopkeeper, the Beast Taming Ring used to control the spirit beast was delivered into Shen Xian’s hand.

This was a Master-Servant Ring. Bound by it, even a fourth-rank spirit beast had no choice but to obey.

They descended the stairs.

With Ye Shun acting as his guard, those dejected cultivators harbored no thoughts of seeking revenge, left only with bellies full of regret.

Shen Xian looked at the white cat. “Let’s go home.”

Hearing this, the spirit cat’s ears twitched slightly, but it deliberately turned its head to the side.

It held its chin high. Even covered in wounds, its amber vertical pupils still radiated a disdain that looked down upon all living things.

Now free from the Spirit Beast Pavilion, the surrounding suppression arrays could no longer restrain it.

It leaped gracefully down from the fighting platform, yet deliberately landed heavily in front of Shen Xian, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Staring directly at Shen Xian, the tip of its tail tapped impatiently against the ground, as if questioning: Didn’t you promise to set me free?

“I will let you go, but don’t be impatient. I still don’t know how to remove this Beast Taming Ring. Besides, I’m not restricting your freedom,” Shen Xian transmitted mentally.

In truth, removing the Beast Taming Ring wasn’t difficult at all. The key point was that he wanted to keep this little creature.

After all, his second brother still had designs on him. Who knew what other troubles awaited him upon returning home this time? Having this fourth-rank spirit beast by his side added another layer of protection.

Moreover, if Ye Qingxian liked it… he could get an even better spirit beast in return.

The Thunder Pattern Spirit Cat let out a low growl. The silver thunder patterns on its neck suddenly glowed faintly, and tiny arcs of electricity danced across its battered body—a warning for Shen Xian not to try any tricks.

But in the end, it still followed him, maintaining a distance of exactly three paces.

Shen Xian shook the Beast Taming Ring in his hand and walked outside.

Ye Shun hurried to catch up, while the Thunder Pattern Spirit Cat followed at a leisurely pace…

Leaving behind a crowd filled with profound regret.

In a private booth on the second floor, a man shrouded entirely in gray robes revealed a pair of green eyes, glaring fixedly at the spirit cat behind Shen Xian.

That should have been his!

…

Back at the Ye Family estate, Ye Shun escorted Shen Xian to Clear Frost Pavilion. “Young Master-in-law, if you go out in the future, please don’t hesitate to contact me.”

Having made a huge profit, his mood was exceptionally joyful. His respect for Shen Xian had grown deeper and more sincere, coming truly from the heart.

He genuinely felt that this rumored good-for-nothing direct descendant was different from what people said.

“Young Master, you’re back!” Upon entering the courtyard, Xiang’er came forward to greet him. Her eyes immediately lit up when she saw the Thunder Pattern Spirit Cat following behind. “Oh? Why is this cat so badly injured?”

Although the battle hadn’t damaged its foundation, it had left the Thunder Pattern Spirit Cat in a pitiful state, looking utterly wretched.

Xiang’er’s face filled with sympathy. She wanted to crouch down and pick it up to bandage its wounds…

“Don’t touch it,” Shen Xian cautioned.

This little thing had a terribly proud temper. It wouldn’t even let him touch it. It wouldn’t be good if it hurt his maid.

Xiang’er immediately obeyed and pulled back.

Just then, the door to the main room opened. Ye Qingxian, having finished her daily cultivation, stepped out.

Dressed in simple attire, she exuded an elegant aura. The phoenix-shaped jade pendant at her waist swayed gently in the breeze. Her gaze immediately fell upon the Thunder Pattern Spirit Cat.

At that first moment of eye contact, the proud Thunder Pattern Spirit Cat seemed to sense something profound. A trace of docility suddenly appeared in its previously arrogant vertical pupils, with none of its former wild and untamable nature remaining.

It crouched low and slowly approached, making soft whimpering sounds.

When it reached Ye Qingxian’s feet, it looked up and let out a soft “meow.”

Ye Qingxian’s expression remained impassive. After one glance at the cat, she shifted her gaze to Shen Xian.

As if asking: What is this?

Seeing this, Shen Xian raised an eyebrow slightly and explained with a smile, “I won it from the beast-fighting arena. Its bloodline is quite good. If you like it, I’ll give it to you.”

“Anyway, this little thing is incredibly proud. It only shows such a docile attitude in front of you.”

Ye Qingxian remained silent for a moment before finally nodding her head slightly.

This little creature was not bad. If nurtured properly, it could become a significant asset.

Especially since it currently possessed strength comparable to a Golden Core Realm expert; it could resolve considerable trouble in the early stages.

After her agreement, Shen Xian did not see any system prompt.

He suddenly thought of something and handed over the Beast Taming Ring to her as well.

【Host has gifted Dao Companion Ye Qingxian a fourth-rank Mystic-grade spirit beast: Thunder Pattern Spirit Cat. Received tenfold blessing return. Reward: fourth-rank Earth-grade spirit beast: Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise. Claim?】

Indeed.

Only by handing over the means of controlling the spirit beast did it count as a true gift.

However, this returned spirit beast only changed in bloodline; its cultivation realm remained exactly the same.

That was fine. After all, an Earth-grade bloodline had greater potential—it could reach the Integration Realm or even the Mahayana Realm. Moreover, a tortoise’s lifespan was extremely long; it could even serve as a clan-guarding spirit beast in the future.

Withdrawing his thoughts, Shen Xian chatted with Ye Qingxian for a few more sentences about today’s events before returning to his room.

Alone and unobserved, he immediately looked at the information regarding the Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise:

This tortoise contains a trace of the ancient Bixi bloodline and possesses two innate divine abilities.

First: Earth Vein Sense—Can detect unclaimed natural treasures within a three-hundred-mile radius. Detection range for earth-attribute treasures expands to five hundred miles. Can discern true spiritual energy fluctuations concealed by arrays.

Second: Earth Fiend Shadow Meld—Can briefly merge into earth veins to conceal form and aura. Unless an opponent’s spiritual sense surpasses yours by two major realms or more, detection is extremely difficult.

Both these innate divine abilities were extraordinary.

Shen Xian was overjoyed.

However, he did not rush to claim it.

For one thing, he couldn’t easily explain this suddenly appearing fourth-rank Earth-grade spirit beast. For another, this Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise required the regular consumption of “Jade Marrow Crystal” to maintain its shell’s spiritual nature.

Given Shen Xian’s current resources and foundation… he truly lacked the means for its long-term upkeep.

To prevent it from starving to death after summoning it now… he could only wait before calling it forth.

Anyway… having one fourth-rank spirit beast by his side meant he didn’t need to worry even if a Golden Core Realm expert made a move against him.

A few more days passed.

The Thunder Pattern Spirit Cat had completely accepted Ye Qingxian as its master by now, spending every day curled up at her feet.

Counting the days… Shen Xian should be returning home soon.

On this particular morning, people from his family arrived.

A white jade spirit boat hovered in mid-air, its hull carved with flowing cloud patterns, shimmering faintly golden under the morning sunlight.

Leading them was that Nascent Soul True Lord who had intervened before.

And beside him… there was also one entirely unexpected person.