The Red Wolf was thoroughly rattled by the Black Jiao's words.
Master, are you implying that this person is even more powerful than you?!
The Red Wolf shivered again at the thought. It knew that if the Black Jiao wanted to kill it, it would be as easy as lifting a finger. And now, this Black Jiao referred to this seemingly young man, who appeared to have just reached the Foundation Establishment stage, as "The Existence!"
How powerful is he exactly?
Looking at the Black Jiao, the Red Wolf noticed that the Jiao had no visible cultivation aura and had taken the form of a mere dog. This lack of respect for its form could only mean one thing: this "Existence" must be unfathomably terrifying to command such submission from the Jiao.
The Red Wolf trembled even more, now showing extreme respect towards Chen Pingan.
Seeing the Red Wolf intimidated, Chen Pingan felt immensely satisfied. The Black Bear was joined by the Red Wolf as they continued their journey. Not long after, they encountered another beast. This time, the beast was only at the Nascent Soul stage.
Before Chen Pingan could make a move, the Red Wolf swiftly approached the beast and brought it before Chen Pingan. Impressed by the Red Wolf's initiative, Chen Pingan realized it would make an excellent henchman. With a bit of threatening, he successfully recruited the new beast into his growing entourage.
After some more walking, the Black Bear led Chen Pingan to a cave. Chen Pingan and the Black Jiao entered while the other beasts waited outside. Inside, the cave was surprisingly clean. As they ventured deeper, Chen Pingan used a lantern to illuminate the darkness. The cave opened up into a large space where five beast corpses lay. These were not bears but other beasts whose heads had been smashed in.
Chen Pingan examined the scene, realizing these beasts had likely been stored by the Black Bear for its winter hibernation. Without hesitation, he collected the valuable parts from the beasts. While gathering the remains, he stumbled upon several glimmering objects.
"What's this?" Chen Pingan muttered, picking them up. To his surprise, they were spatial rings filled with valuable items, including over a thousand spirit stones.
"This..." Chen Pingan was stunned by his unexpected windfall. He then realized that the corner where he found the rings was filled with other discarded items, likely the remnants of meals where the rings had been swallowed along with their owners and later discarded as waste.
Looking outside the cave, Chen Pingan's mind raced with new possibilities. Why bother finding beast corpses when he could simply visit the lairs of various beasts and collect treasures directly?
"Time to make some serious money!" Chen Pingan declared, feeling like a genius. Deciding to visit as many beast lairs as possible, he instructed the Black Bear to continue following him. The bear, though puzzled, dared not disobey.
Exiting the cave, Chen Pingan addressed the other beasts, giving them new orders. With a growing entourage, he visited the Red Wolf's lair next. There, he found even more spatial rings and spirit stones, more than doubling his previous haul.
As they moved towards the next lair, they encountered more beasts. With the Red Wolf and others handling the intimidation, Chen Pingan's work became increasingly efficient. However, as they progressed, they faced stronger foes.
Stopping suddenly, Chen Pingan noticed a massive beast ahead. The Red Wolf and others, usually so domineering, now trembled. Under a large tree lay a colossal Green Snake. Its eyes glowed with a menacing green light, and it towered over the group like a deity.
Chen Pingan felt a pang of fear, realizing the stark difference in their powers. But before he could act, the Black Jiao released its Dragon's Might, instantly subduing the snake. The snake, sensing the Jiao's dominance, quickly submitted.
"Did I just trigger my visual bug?" Chen Pingan wondered, seeing the beasts' changed behavior. Confirming the bug's effect, he commanded the Green Snake to lead him to its lair.
The Green Snake, a mid-stage Deity Transformation level beast, now joined Chen Pingan's ranks. With his growing horde, Chen Pingan swept through the beast mountain range, gathering more followers and treasures.
Unbeknownst to him, his actions caused a stir, resembling a beast tide. As he continued his sweep, a group of people arrived at the mountain's edge. Dressed in uniform blue garments adorned with three characters—Beast Tamer Pavilion—they were a formidable force, only slightly inferior to the top sects.
"Spread out and find the beasts. We need a hundred for this mission," commanded an elder at the peak of the Deity Transformation stage. The group, all at the Nascent Soul stage, dispersed to begin their hunt.