"Since you didn’t refuse, I’ll call you Mira. Mira, please take care of me!" Wei Yun said, extending his right hand.

Mira tilted her head in confusion as it looked at the large hand. Unfamiliar with human customs, it instinctively leaned forward and licked his hand with its tongue.

Wei Yun shook his head helplessly. Under Mira’s puzzled gaze, he gently took her paw and placed it in his hand, shaking it up and down a few times.

After teasing Mira for a while, Wei Yun decided not to linger. Even though this was the outskirts of the forest, it wasn’t entirely without danger.

Instead of storing Mira away, he held it in his arms and began the journey back home.

Wei Yun remained vigilant throughout the journey. The wilderness teemed with wild spirit beasts, and while Mira had significant potential, it had yet to be converted into actual strength. A single wild spirit beast could easily overwhelm it.

Time passed slowly. Just as they were about to leave the forest, Wei Yun suddenly stopped. His left ear twitched slightly as he caught a faint, unusual sound.

Since becoming a Beastmaster, his senses had improved dramatically, allowing him to sense danger earlier than most.

Howl~

At the same time, Mira seemed to have sensed something. It let out a soft, juvenile growl toward a nearby bush.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, the bushes rustled, followed by a sharp whistling sound as a slender, dark figure shot out like an arrow, lunging directly at Wei Yun’s face.

At the last moment, Wei Yun instinctively crouched. The shadow narrowly grazed the top of his head as it flew past.

Turning swiftly, Wei Yun locked onto the attacker.

It was a small snake, about three feet long, with a pitch-black body and a triangular head. Its cold, slitted eyes radiated intense killing intent.

Having failed its ambush, the snake didn’t flee. Instead, it coiled its long body, flicking its forked tongue and revealing four sharp, venomous fangs.

Wei Yun extended his mental energy and immediately retrieved the snake’s information:

SPIRIT BEAST INFORMATION:

· Name: Shadow Snake

· Realm: Lower Tier, Level 2

· Species: Low Servant Class

· Quality: Low

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· Bloodline: None

· Attribute: Darkness

· Status: Healthy

· Weakness: Light

The Shadow Snake was a venomous creature that dwelled in darkness, relying primarily on ambush tactics.

Howl~

Mira let out another youthful growl, crouching with her limbs bent, ready to pounce.

“Mira, stay put. I’ll handle this!”

Wei Yun shook his head. Mira was too young and untrained to take on the Shadow Snake. If it were to get poisoned, the consequences would be dire.

Reluctantly, Mira obeyed, backing up a short distance.

With a metallic clang, Wei Yun drew the dagger he carried. He began circling the Shadow Snake with light, precise steps, searching for an opening.

Although Beastmasters primarily relied on their spirit beasts, they weren’t without the means to defend themselves. Upon becoming a Beastmaster, Wei Yun had not only undergone a transformation in his mental energy but had also gained heightened physical senses and strength.

The Shadow Snake’s expertise lay in ambushes. While it could be problematic in the shadows, being exposed left it at a significant disadvantage, making it much easier to deal with.

Even so, Wei Yun didn’t let his guard down. Despite his enhanced physique, the Shadow Snake’s venom was lethal, and a single bite could still be fatal.

After a brief standoff, the Shadow Snake grew impatient. Its coiled body tensed and sprang forward like a black arrow, lunging towards Wei Yun.

As it leaped, its mouth opened wide, revealing its four venomous fangs.

Wei Yun’s eyes narrowed as his body reacted instinctively. He twisted sharply, easily dodging the snake’s strike.

As the snake passed him, Wei Yun pivoted smoothly. His eyes gleamed sharply, and his wrist flicked as he slashed with his dagger.

This strike required the perfect combination of physical agility, sharp vision, and precise strength. A single misstep could mean failure.

The Shadow Snake seemed to sense the danger, but it was mid-air with no way to evade. The dagger struck its midsection cleanly, nearly cutting the snake in half.

Having landed a successful blow, Wei Yun quickly retreated, giving the Shadow Snake no chance for a counterattack.

The snake fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Its vitality was impressive, and it didn’t die immediately, instead hissing and rolling on the ground in agony.

Before long, its tail drooped lifelessly, and it stopped moving.

Even then, Wei Yun didn’t let his guard down. Picking up a stone, he threw it at the snake.

Thud!

As the stone struck the seemingly dead snake, it suddenly twitched violently, biting the rock with force. Its venom sprayed out, emitting a corrosive sizzling sound.

Snakes, including snake-type beasts, often exhibited reflexive movements after death. Approaching or touching them carelessly could have dire consequences.

After throwing a few more stones to confirm the snake was truly dead, Wei Yun stepped forward. He grabbed the body, straightened it out, and retrieved a bamboo tube from his bag. Squeezing firmly from the tail, he extracted its dark red blood into the tube.

Spirit beast corpses often held significant value. The Shadow Snake’s blood contained a dark energy known as yin energy, making it a key ingredient in certain dark-attribute elixirs.

After collecting the blood, Wei Yun used his dagger to cut the snake open, retrieving a fingernail-sized beast core and a snake gall.

The snake gall was medicinal, while the beast core, a source of energy for spirit beasts, could accelerate the growth of compatible beasts.

However, the Shadow Snake’s core was useless to Mira due to their incompatible attributes.

After finishing his work, Wei Yun carried Mira in his arms and resumed his journey down the overgrown forest path. A gentle breeze rustled his clothing as he walked.

About half an hour later, he emerged from the forest. In the light of the setting sun, he saw a city standing in the distance, about ten miles away.

The city wasn’t large, its surroundings enclosed by two-meter-high walls and a moat. This was Qiyun City, located in Tianhe County. Though not particularly prosperous, it served as the Wei Clan’s stronghold.

The Wei Clan wasn’t especially powerful, at most, they were a local powerhouse. At the county or provincial level, they were merely a third-rate force. However, within Qiyun City, they wielded considerable authority.

Due to the large number of clan members, the Wei Clan’s estate had been built on the outskirts of the city. Over ten generations of careful management had expanded it to cover a vast expanse of land, earning it the title of Wei Manor.

Taking a deep breath, Wei Yun strode down the familiar road, quickly heading toward Wei Manor.