Little Phoenix advanced two levels, upgrading from a level 3 Holy Beast to a level 5 Holy Beast.
Above Qingluan's head, three pentagrams emerged, and soon another one added, four pentagrams in total, a level 4 Divine Beast!
"Master, master, I've leveled up!" Qingluan said excitedly. She hadn't expected to level up through a contract with her master!
"I've never heard that a contract could lead to leveling up," Dugu Qianye remarked with some surprise.
"This is the Ancient Beast Taming Technique."
While Dugu Qianye was puzzled, Dandan's voice, full of disdain, resounded, "The ancient contract laws and the current Beast Taming Technique are different. The Ancient Beast Taming Technique promoted mutual development between humans and beasts. The present Beast Taming Technique has degenerated. It merely treats Phantom Beasts as slaves."
"Dandan, you're awake?" Dugu Qianye said, pleased. After all, it was to take her out of the Endless Void that Dandan had weakened and fallen into slumber.
"Damn it, I've said I'm not an egg!" Dandan was infuriated.
"I know you're not an egg; you're a Heavenly Bead, but 'Dandan' is the name I gave you, how cute and fitting, right? Also, with your voice being so, um, youthful, could you stop saying 'old man' all the time? It sounds very odd."
"Master, is this Chaos Qi? I felt your Chaos Qi and called out to you, master," Little Phoenix said.
"Yes, this is a Chaos Heavenly Bead, and I've named it Dandan."
"Dandan sounds very nice, I want a name too."
"You'll be called Xiaohuo," she said, turning to look at Qingluan. "Your name Qingluan is very nice; you should keep the name Qingluan."
"Brother Dandan, I'm Xiaohuo, we're going to live together from now on, hee hee," Xiaohuo greeted Dandan in Dugu Qianye's Dantian.
"Dandan, has your spiritual power recovered?" Dugu Qianye asked, ignoring Dandan's protest.
"No, but I can absorb Phantom Power by myself now. Also, don't call me 'Dandan!' Forget it, I'm too lazy to argue with you. I'm off to rest. Don't bother me unless it's important," Dandan rolled its eyes and decided to ignore the unreasonable woman.
Feeling Dandan slowly rotating in her Dantian, the corners of Dugu Qianye's lips curved up slightly. She could sense that Dandan was no longer as dejected in its speech as before. No one would be lonely with everyone together in the future.
Once Dugu Qianye changed out of her wet clothes, Qingluan carried her away.
Originally, she had planned to return to Qifeng City, but seeing the drastic improvement in her own strength, Dugu Qianye decided to stay a few more days in the Cangmang Mountains, to find some beasts to practice on and consolidate her power.
She had Qingluan stop in a clearing in the middle area, then sent her into the Phantom Beast Space. With Qingluan there, if the Divine Beast's suppression was released, no beast would dare come close.
Phantom Beast Space was an area automatically created within the body after contracting a Phantom Beast, where the Phantom Beast would practice when not summoned.
Xiaohuo, in mimicry form, stood on Dugu Qianye's shoulder, refusing to enter the Phantom Beast Space, saying it wanted to see more of this vast world.
A few days later, at night.
"Master, master, let's have barbecue tonight." Xiaohuo had savored the barbecue made by Dugu Qianye a couple of days ago, and the deliciousness lingered in its memory.
"Okay, barbecue tonight," Dugu Qianye said as she gathered some dry branches nearby. At times like these, she deeply missed her old barbecue tools.
Seeing Dugu Qianye take out a piece of snake meat, Xiaohuo spoke excitedly, "Master, master, let's use my fire." With those words, it spat out a flame. As soon as the flame touched the snake meat, which was as big as a washbowl, the meat instantly turned to ashes.
"Master!" Xiaohuo looked at Dugu Qianye with a pitiful expression.
Dugu Qianye patted Xiaohuo's head and comforted, "Hehe, Xiaohuo's fire is too fierce for roasting meat. You don't need such a powerful flame. The Phoenix Golden Flame destroys everything it touches, tsk tsk, truly a great tool for erasing traces!"
Xiaohuo remembered Dugu Qianye's words and understood the use of the Phoenix Golden Flame, which led Xiaohuo to always be the most enthusiastic about erasing traces. Dugu Qianye later didn't expect that an offhand remark would lead him to teaching the child bad things.
After the meat was roasted for Xiaohuo. Eating the roast meat, Xiaohuo's spirits immediately soared. Dugu Qianye also called out Qingluan, and the two birds and their master happily ate together.
"Master, there's a fight ahead. It's a Silver Wolf fighting a group of Polar Rats," Qingluan, who was eating roast meat, said while looking ahead.
"Let's go and have a look," Dugu Qianye said, packing up and stealthily approaching.
In the forest, a Silver Wolf was fiercely battling a group of Polar Rats. The Silver Wolf was only a level four Holy Beast, while the Polar Rats were level one and two Holy Beasts. Although there was a two or three level difference, the Polar Rats had the advantage in numbers. With enough of them, even a prolonged battle could wear the wolf down.
The Silver Wolf also realized this and attacked even more fiercely, as if it intended to take down a few more with it.
Exhausted, the Silver Wolf lay on the ground, its eyes filled with stubbornness and unwillingness to give up. Dugu Qianye was deeply moved by the look in the Silver Wolf's eyes.
"Qingluan."
At Dugu Qianye's command, Qingluan released the Divine Beast's oppressive aura: "You all leave."
The Polar Rats, frightened by Qingluan's aura, quickly scattered.
Dugu Qianye walked over, crouched down, looked into the Silver Wolf's eyes, and said, "Come with me, and we'll grow stronger together."
The Silver Wolf looked at Dugu Qianye, knowing it was she who had saved it. It saw the same desire to grow stronger in her deep eyes. It slowly nodded its head.
Dugu Qianye placed her hand on the Silver Wolf's head, quietly recited the Beast Taming Technique, and after a while, the contractual rules descended, and a contract was established. Dugu Qianye advanced from a level two Great Phantom Master to level three, and because of the life-bound contract, Xiaohuo advanced another level to become a level six Holy Beast. Because Qingluan was not under a life-bound contract, it didn't advance with Dugu Qianye's contract advancement. However, the Silver Wolf advanced from a level four Holy Beast to level six. As the white light faded, all the Silver Wolf's injuries vanished, and it became a majestic Silver Wolf once again.
"Master." The Silver Wolf came to Dugu Qianye's feet.
Dugu Qianye picked up the palm-sized Silver Wolf, and before she could speak, Xiaohuo asked, "Do you have a name? If not, we'll call you Xiaoyin."
Dugu Qianye's face was full of black lines, Xiaoyin, "Xiaoyin"...
After collecting Xiaoyin, Dugu Qianye spent a few more days training in the Cangmang Mountains and then prepared to return. She had been away for almost half a month and wondered if others had noticed her absence.
Qingluan and Xiaoyin returned to the Phantom Beast Space to cultivate, while Xiaohuo remained exuberantly perched on Dugu Qianye's shoulder, chattering nonstop.
"Master, when will Brother Dandan wake up?"
"Master, why do you look younger than most people?"
"Master, once Xiaohuo grows up, I'll be able to carry you as we fly."
"Master, ..."
Hearing Xiaohuo's soft voice, Dugu Qianye felt like her heart was melting.
"Xiaohuo, do you know why you were in the Cangmang Mountains?" Dugu Qianye was curious, as Cangmang Mountains was not a place where Phoenixes stayed.