"Old Liu, Master," Qian Duoduo called out in his heart.
Liu Boli was half-closing his eyes in the Golden Toad, snoring.
He never slept, let alone snored.
Qian Duoduo smiled; this indicated that he didn't want to be Qian Duoduo's helper.
"Old Liu, if I can't win later, don't let me become food for the Golden Tiger," Qian Duoduo earnestly requested.
"Mm," Liu Boli hummed.
Although his hum was soft, it was as if Qian Duoduo had swallowed a pill of courage, making his Spiritual Vein hot and his Spiritual Qi boil.
Whoosh, the Golden Rooster Sword soared into the air, a golden rainbow carrying a cold wind, directly piercing the Golden Tiger's two lantern-like eyes.
The Golden Tiger arrogantly waved its tiger claw, and with a "clang," claw and sword met, sending the Golden Rooster Sword flying back.
Qian Duoduo's spirits were lifted. Facing his full-force strike, the Golden Tiger's relaxed demeanor clearly showed it was the strongest opponent he had ever encountered.
As expected, it was formidable!
The Golden Rooster Sword flew back, and Qian Duoduo poured all his Spiritual Qi into the hilt. When it reached the Golden Tiger, the Spiritual Qi surged towards the sword tip, and a rooster's crow suddenly burst forth.
The sound wave hit the tiger's head, causing the Golden Tiger to involuntarily lower its head, its mane flying everywhere.
Before Qian Duoduo could rejoice, the Golden Tiger's claw had already swatted away the Golden Rooster Sword. A mighty tiger's roar suddenly erupted, assailing him.
This tiger's roar carried the anger provoked by the rooster's crow, stirring up a strong mountain wind. Enveloped by the roar, Qian Duoduo's legs went numb, his feet felt weak, and even his Spiritual Awareness diminished considerably.
This must be the tiger's might, right? The king of the mountains lives up to its reputation!
Taking several deep breaths, Qian Duoduo steadied the somewhat wavering Golden Rooster Sword and, with a powerful swing, chopped towards the tiger's head.
The Golden Tiger took a step forward, shook its head, let out a low growl, and heavily struck the Golden Rooster Sword with its claw.
"Boom," Qian Duoduo's right arm went numb, and the Spiritual Qi connected to the Golden Rooster Sword almost disintegrated. The Golden Rooster Sword flew back uncontrollably and, with a "thud," plunged into a nearby mountain rock.
The Golden Tiger let out a roar and pounced towards Qian Duoduo.
"Master--" Qian Duoduo cried out, sweat on his back soaking through his blue robe. The Golden Tiger in front of him grew larger and larger, its golden whiskers by its mouth actually over a foot long.
At this moment, the tiger's claw, sharper and finer than the sword tip, stopped just above his head.
Liu Boli appeared out of thin air, one hand placed on the Golden Tiger's forehead. The Golden Tiger seemed to be frozen in mid-air, its lantern-sized tiger eyes flickering erratically, its lively and agile demeanor like a puppy that had been caught.
When a Golden Core Great Perfection Cultivator makes a move, a Ninth Level of Qi Condensation is no different from an ant.
While admiring him, Qian Duoduo secretly told himself that he needed to become stronger!
"Are you convinced or not?" Liu Boli asked softly.
The Golden Tiger immediately blinked its eyes and nodded slightly—it had understood Liu Boli's words.
Liu Boli pressed his palm, and the Golden Tiger gently landed on the ground, regaining its freedom.
The Golden Tiger wagged its thick tail, sat on the mountain rock, and looked at Liu Boli with its eyes.
"This little fellow still has potential for growth. How do you plan to handle it?" Liu Boli looked at Qian Duoduo.
The Golden Tiger turned its head and squinted at Qian Duoduo, opening its mouth to reveal two large fangs.
"This is being convinced by Master, but not by me," Qian Duoduo couldn't help but chuckle. "You're not convinced now, but I'll make sure you are in the future."
"Let it go to the Estate—" Qian Duoduo approached the Golden Tiger, controlling the fear that arose from his heart, "The Spirit Beast area still needs a boss."
The Golden Tiger shook its head, looking pitifully at Liu Boli.
Liu Boli nodded, and the Golden Tiger immediately softened its body, its eyes dimming, and it reluctantly rested its head on its tiger paws.
Qian Duoduo reached out, disregarding the Golden Tiger's resistance, and smoothed its mane. "Let's make a deal. If I can't beat you in a year, I'll let you come back."
The Golden Tiger raised its head, its eyes shining, and nodded continuously.
"However, if you lose, you still have to listen to me."
The Golden Tiger nodded again upon hearing this.
"I'll give you a name, let's call you… Brother Tiger, meaning the elder brother among tigers," Qian Duoduo patted the tiger's back. The Golden Tiger's body stiffened; it neither nodded nor shook its head.
Liu Boli turned around and disappeared from Qian Duoduo's sight, returning to the Golden Toad.
The Golden Tiger felt the pressure lift, slowly stood up, its whiskers by its mouth spread open, and its back gradually arched.
"This little Brother Tiger, take him to the mountaintop," Liu Boli's voice came from his waistband.
This voice was like a spell, making the Golden Tiger instantly docile. It certainly didn't understand whether the person in front of it was Liu Boli or the Qian Duoduo who couldn't beat it.
Before long, following Brother Tiger, Qian Duoduo ascended Fengtou Mountain.
On the mountaintop, there was a tiger-shaped imprint, which should be Brother Tiger's Spiritual Platform for Cultivation.
Qian Duoduo stood at the imprint, feeling the wind from all directions and the Spiritual Qi gathering from all sides. This was truly a treasure land for Cultivation, no worse than the Immortal Caves of the inner sect.
He sat down cross-legged, circulated the Ever-Rich and Ever-Noble Art, and his Spiritual Awareness spread from the mountaintop down the mountain.
Brother Tiger beside him, seeing Qian Duoduo occupy its spot and even release his Spiritual Awareness, was not to be outdone. It shook its tiger body, radiating a layer of spiritual might that also enveloped the mountain. Spirit Beasts, like humans, have their own Spiritual Awareness. The higher the level, the stronger the Spiritual Awareness. Spirit Beasts above the Jin Beast level can even communicate with people verbally.
"Heh heh, this is not being convinced and wanting to compete," Qian Duoduo secretly rejoiced. He knew that his Spiritual Awareness was not that of an ordinary Qi Condensation Level Five.
He deliberately took his time, slowly extending his Spiritual Awareness downwards. At three hundred zhang, Brother Tiger's spiritual might caught up with his Spiritual Awareness, and after a while, it surpassed it.
Brother Tiger proudly raised its head. Qian Duoduo could feel its two large eyes shining and 'baking' him.
Five hundred zhang, seven hundred zhang, nine hundred zhang, Qian Duoduo felt the edge of Brother Tiger's spiritual might.
Whoosh, Qian Duoduo's Spiritual Awareness surpassed it.
Brother Tiger's mane beside him bristled, and it tried hard to extend its spiritual might further, but spiritual might was just spiritual might; it couldn't be forced out.
One thousand zhang, easily passed. One thousand three hundred zhang, one thousand five hundred zhang, Qian Duoduo's Spiritual Awareness also reached its limit.
Within his Spiritual Awareness, Brother Tiger's spiritual might slowly receded. It seemed to understand that this was not its strong suit, or perhaps it believed it was due to Liu Boli's intervention.
In any case, it also developed respect for Qian Duoduo's Spiritual Awareness under the blue robe.
The species on Fengtou Mountain's peak were much simpler than those in Buhuan Estate. There were only extremely weak Spirit Beasts and Spirit Birds, like Ling Rats and sparrows. There were more types of spiritual plants, and on the eastern sunny slope, there were also some that could be used as medicine.
Perhaps due to ample Spiritual Qi, or perhaps because they were rarely disturbed, the spiritual plants, Spirit Beasts, and Spirit Birds on Fengtou Mountain were all full of vitality.
Of course, except for Brother Tiger beside him, who remained sullen.
Vitality, like sweet dew, continuously flowed from the heavenly court into his Spiritual Vein, transforming into streams of cyan Spiritual Qi, compressed and propelled by the Ever-Rich and Ever-Noble Art. His already halted Spiritual Awareness became active again, slowly unfolding down the mountain.
After a long time, Qian Duoduo finished his Cultivation and stood up, feeling greatly refreshed. This treasure land of Fengtou Mountain had expanded his Spiritual Awareness by another hundred zhang.
All his already opened Spiritual Veins had turned into the first layer, third level, a bluish-white!
He took out the task Jade Slip, drew the surrounding terrain of Fengtou Mountain, took a small piece of rock from the mountaintop as an Ore sample, and recorded the entire process without error. Qian Duoduo's first exploration mission was complete.
"Brother Tiger, let's go," he put his arm around the Golden Tiger's neck and walked down the mountain from the north side.
Although the Golden Tiger was a bit resistant, its neck stiff, it still took reluctant tiger steps, leaving the peak of Fengtou Mountain, leaving its home.