After handing the mysterious snake egg over to the Zhou Family's Third Elder, Zhou Daoquan, who was the most skilled in the Beast Taming Technique, Zhou Chun stopped worrying about it.
It would be best if Zhou Daoquan could figure out a way to hatch the egg.
Even if he couldn't figure it out and the mysterious snake egg was destroyed, Zhou Chun could still receive a compensation of up to five hundred Spirit Coins.
Either way, he wouldn't be at a loss.
In the following half year, Zhou Chun's life rhythm had returned to the state it had been in before he visited the Mu Family.
However, because more and more Loose Cultivators were coming to Jiufeng Ridge to practice cultivation, the time that Zhou Family Cultivators like him spent guarding the Spirit Cleansing Pavilion had been reduced.
For many Loose Cultivators with low cultivation levels and weak combat skills, the safest way to earn Spirit Coins was to guard the Spirit Cleansing Pavilion for various cultivation sects, family clans, and marketplaces.
Compared to venturing out to fight with Demon Beasts and compete for the resources of spiritual objects, guarding the Spirit Cleansing Pavilion might be more exhausting and less rewarding, but it was safe and stable.
And a safe and stable job is definitely sought after by most people in any world.
If it weren't necessary to supervise these Loose Cultivators, and to save some Spirit Coins, the Zhou Family could even completely outsource the task of guarding the Spirit Cleansing Pavilion to the Loose Cultivators.
Because of these Loose Cultivators taking on this arduous task, Zhou Chun and other members of the Zhou Family had more time to meditate, practice cultivation, and learn other cultivation techniques.
During this half-year, Zhou Chun took a Spring Sun Pill about every fifty days, and within fifty days after taking the elixir, he could break through a meridian point each time.
It was almost certain that after he had consumed all eight Spring Sun Pills, his cultivation level would definitely advance to the eighth level of the Qi Refinement Realm.
At the same time, his Spirit Pet, the Rock Earth Turtle, had also rapidly increased its cultivation level after continuously taking the Beast Spirit Pill, estimating that it might catch up with its master within another year or so.
One day, as Zhou Chun was returning from reading in the Book Collection Tower on Flying Rock Peak, he saw his cousin Zhou Zhengyong waiting outside his courtyard.
Upon his return, Zhou Zhengyong immediately stood up with a happy expression and said, "Thirteenth brother, I'm glad you're back."
"Brother Yong, what do you need from me?"
Zhou Chun looked at Zhou Zhengyong with a slightly surprised expression, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.
From Zhou Zhengyong's demeanour, it seemed he was here for a personal matter rather than official business.
"It's like this, yesterday while I was on duty, I chatted with a Loose Cultivator. He mentioned in passing that he once saw a group of Red-Tailed Monkeys."
"As someone who also focuses on the Beast Taming Technique, you should know that wherever a group of Red-Tailed Monkeys appears, there is a high probability that there's something that can purify their bloodline and enhance their cultivation."
"My own Red-Tailed Monkey has been stuck at the middle-tier of the first rank for several years now, and despite consuming many Beast Spirit Pills, it hasn't made a breakthrough, mostly likely due to its impure bloodline."
"So this time, I would like to ask for your help, thirteenth brother, to accompany me to that place and see if there's a chance to obtain spiritual objects that can help my Spirit Pet break through!"
Zhou Zhengyong said this with a face full of anticipation, looking at Zhou Chun.
As expected, it was a private affair.
Zhou Chun understood, then faced Zhou Zhengyong's expectant gaze, paused to ponder for a moment, and then nodded in agreement, "Since you've come to me, Brother Yong, given our relationship, of course, I have no reason not to help."
Having agreed to this, before Zhou Zhengyong could express his joy and thanks, Zhou Chun continued, "However, Brother Yong, you've only heard this through hearsay and haven't seen it with your own eyes. In my opinion, it's best to first gather information and understand the details of this group of Red-Tailed Monkeys before we take any action."
After saying this, he saw the joy on Zhou Zhengyong's face slightly fade, and embarrassment and guilt emerged in his eyes.
Hu!
Zhou Zhengyong took a deep breath, quickly adjusted his state of mind, calmed his emotions, and then looked at Zhou Chun seriously, nodding and saying, "Thirteenth brother, you're right. I was indeed too eager to come to you with just the information I had."
After speaking, he said solemnly, "Then I will come back to you for help after I have investigated clearly."
Zhou Chun, hearing this, earnestly advised, "You should also be careful, Brother Yong. Among those Loose Cultivators who come to our family to practice cultivation, there might be people who have practiced here in the past!"
"Thank you for the reminder, thirteenth brother. I will be careful," Zhou Zhengyong replied as he nodded and then left.
And as Zhou Zhengyong's departing figure receded, Zhou Chun couldn't help but think of his own Rock Earth Turtle.
In terms of potential, the Rock Earth Turtle was obviously stronger and more outstanding than Zhou Zhengyong's Red-Tailed Monkey.
Essentially, as long as it was nurtured properly and one was willing to invest, it was not impossible for it to advance to a first-class superior Demon Beast within five years.
But by that time, the Rock Earth Turtle's bloodline potential would have also reached its limit.
If he wanted the Rock Earth Turtle to advance to the second tier in the future, he would inevitably have to, just like Zhou Zhengyong, go out of his way to find certain Spiritual Objects that could purify or mutate its bloodline.
However, that should be something to consider after he achieved Foundation Establishment himself; there was no need to think too far ahead for now.
Zhou Zhengyong was undoubtedly a man of action, as the very next day, Zhou Chun heard that he had taken leave from the Zhou Family.
Then, seven days later, Zhou Zhengyong, who had just returned from outside and hadn't even been back for a full day, came to Zhou Chun's residence again.
"Thirteenth brother, I have personally gone to scout and observe, and can confirm the presence of a Red-Tailed Monkey Group of around twelve or thirteen. The Monkey King is a first-class superior Demon Beast, while the rest are mid-tier and low-tier first-class Demon Beasts."
"Moreover, I've made sure of it—the valley where the monkey group resides indeed has exotic fruits growing. If I'm not mistaken, they should be Vermilion Sun Fruits."
Inside the living room, after Zhou Chun had welcomed Zhou Zhengyong in, as soon as Zhou Zhengyong sat down, he didn't even bother with the tea and hastily began to speak about his findings from the past few days.
His impatient nature also left Zhou Chun somewhat speechless.
But upon further reflection, it seemed rather normal.
Typically, Cultivators who specialize in Beast Taming Techniques have personalities that resemble those of their Spirit Pets.
Since Zhou Zhengyong had chosen a hot-tempered Red-Tailed Monkey to nurture as his Spirit Pet, his temperament likely had similarities to that of his Spirit Pet.
As for Zhou Chun, whether his former Spirit Pet, the Windshadow Leopard, or his current Rock Earth Turtle, both seemed to coincide with his own cautious and steady nature.
Holding back the words of counsel he wanted to say, Zhou Chun instead followed Zhou Zhengyong's comments and said, "According to you, Brother Yong, just the two of us are likely not enough to handle that many Red-Tailed Monkeys. I'm afraid we'll need to ask a powerful elder to oversee everything!"
Hearing this, Zhou Zhengyong's brow furrowed, and he couldn't help but let out a soft sigh, "Indeed, we do need to invite an elder with a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivation level to ensure our safety!"
"But which elder should we invite?"
He furrowed his brow, considering which of the Zhou Family Elders he had a decent relationship with.
For a personal matter like this that required asking for help, it was definitely only possible to ask someone with whom relations were quite good.
Not only would the matter of payment be more agreeable, but it would also minimize conflict during the operation.
Thus, after pondering left and right for a full half-hour, Zhou Zhengyong finally looked up at the quietly waiting Zhou Chun and said, "How about Uncle Jiapeng from the Zhou Family? His elder's Spirit Pet is the flying Demon Beast, Iron Feather Hawk, which has been nurtured to a first-class superior level and can carry one person during flight. With his elder's oversight, the trip will certainly be safe and sound."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chun immediately nodded in agreement, "If it's Uncle Jiapeng, then certainly there are no objections."
Uncle Jiapeng of the Zhou Family was also quite a renowned figure among the "Jia"-generation Cultivators.
His own cultivation level was not particularly outstanding, currently still only at the tenth layer of the Qi Refinement Realm, but his Spirit Pet, the Iron Feather Hawk, was one of those rare flying Spirit Pets that could carry a person, and its own combat strength was also quite formidable.
With the Iron Feather Hawk at his side, unless someone ambushed him, there were almost no individuals within the Qi Refinement Realm capable of capturing him.
After all, even with a Flying Artifact at hand, relying on a Qi Refinement Cultivator's Mana and speed of controlling the artifact, one still could not compare to the flight speed of flying Demon Beasts like the Iron Feather Hawk.
Zhou Chun was somewhat surprised that Zhou Zhengyong had managed to involve this clan uncle to assist.
However, when he remembered Zhou Zhengyong's heritage, the reason seemed clear.
Unlike his own ancestors, who were Mortals for several generations, Zhou Zhengyong's father was also a Cultivator of the Zhou Family, who unfortunately perished on a mission.
If his father were still alive, he too would have been a "Jia"-generation Cultivator, and it was possible that he had connections with Uncle Jiapeng back in the day.
Of course, these were things Zhou Chun didn't need to delve into and investigate further.
With the plan settled, Zhou Zhengyong then immediately went to find Uncle Jiapeng from the Zhou Family, and Zhou Chun also began to prepare for the trip.