Chen Yue didn't rush. Instead, he spoke gently to the Gale Sparrow,
"Hello, my name is Chen Yue. This is my partner and also my family—his name is Buster."
Seeing that the Gale Sparrow still didn't respond, Chen Yue remained calm.
"I know you can understand me. Listen, I can tell you're badly hurt. I've brought some food with me—if you don't mind, you can follow us. We'll protect you and give you a safe place to recover. What do you think?"
This time, the Gale Sparrow seemed moved. After a moment of hesitation, sensing that Chen Yue meant no harm, it slowly fluttered down and landed on his shoulder.
The Gale Sparrow was small in size, and it perched on Chen Yue's shoulder just right.
Seeing it had let its guard down, Chen Yue suppressed the excitement in his heart and began feeding it.
Only after confirming that the bird wasn't rejecting him did he finally relax.
"From now on, stay with us. Since I said I'd protect you—I'll keep that promise."
Originally, Chen Yue had planned to leave the secret realm. But after encountering the Gale Sparrow, he changed his mind.
Taking an untamed beast out of the secret realm was obviously not realistic.
After thinking it through, he decided to stay.
Now the most urgent problem was where they would sleep.
Naturally, this task was handed over to Buster, who took the lead, clearing the way while guiding Chen Yue forward.
Any wild beasts they encountered along the way were dealt with in a single move by Buster.
The Gale Sparrow watched and began to feel something stir inside—it was gradually accepting Chen Yue and Buster.
As they walked, it was mostly Chen Yue doing the talking while the Gale Sparrow listened silently.
Just before dusk fell, Buster finally found a cave.
Its previous owner had been a Shrub Bear, which wasn't very strong, and Buster handled it easily.
Chen Yue didn't mind the cave's condition and casually found a spot to sit and rest.
Noticing the Gale Sparrow had closed its eyes to sleep, Chen Yue didn't disturb it.
To him, this gesture signified a tentative trust—and he was very pleased.
Buster volunteered to stand guard at the cave's entrance, offering to keep watch through the night.
Chen Yue, naturally confident in Buster, sat down cross-legged and began practicing his breathing technique.
It's worth noting that Chen Yue's cultivation speed hadn't slowed at all despite reaching Silver rank.
"Still, now that I've reached Silver, the boost from this jade necklace isn't as strong anymore.
Looks like its effect decreases as I level up,"
he muttered, fingering the white jade pendant around his neck.
"But I can't afford anything better…"
To speed up his and Buster's growth, Chen Yue had nearly exhausted all his savings on rare materials—most of which were shockingly expensive.
Now he had only a few tens of thousands left.
He needed to reserve that money for food and daily supplies—no more big spending.
Still, the money was well spent. Their rapid growth made it worthwhile.
This train of thought made Chen Yue a little envious of those from powerful families—their cultivation speed was probably even faster.
"But hey, they've got resources. I've got a cheat. Let's see who gets stronger faster."
With that thought, he returned to meditation.
With Buster on watch, Chen Yue felt completely at ease.
The bond between them allowed Buster to alert him instantly if anything happened.
Chen Yue was fully immersed in his breathing technique, focusing his mind and body.
Elsewhere in the secret realm
Night had fallen. A dark moon hung high in the sky, eerily similar to the one on Earth.
Under the moonlight, danger loomed in the dense forest, and visibility was low.
A team of four was slowly approaching the cave Chen Yue had chosen.
At the front of the group, a burly man said,
"Captain, the Bibo Bird found a cave ahead!"
Just as he spoke, a green-feathered bird with a massive beak landed on his shoulder.
This was the Bibo Bird—an early-stage beast, its large beak being its primary weapon.
The man's name was Lu Qinghe, and the Bibo Bird was his beast.
The "captain" he referred to was a thin man walking at the back of the group—Han Pojun.
Han Pojun nodded.
"Good. It's getting late. The secret realm is dangerous at night—we need to find shelter soon."
As he spoke, he slid his hand down the back of the woman beside him.
The woman let out a soft moan and playfully chided,
"Mmm, Han-ge, you're so bad~"
She lightly tapped his chest with a coy smile.
Lu Qinghe didn't react. He was used to it.
He knew exactly what kind of person Yao Qingyi was—that flirtatious vixen. No wonder the boss doted on her so much.
Stimulated by her flirtation, Han Pojun's hand wandered lower, prompting another round of lewd sounds.
The two up front were lost in their own world, oblivious to the sinister expression on the face of the short man walking behind them.
"Tch! If it weren't for being kicked out of my last team, I'd never join this garbage squad!"
"Two maturing beasts and a bitch without even a single beast…"
His mind flashed back to the face of a certain young man, and his expression twisted with hatred.
"That damn brat! If I ever see you again, I'll make your life a living hell!"
This short man was Hans—the Bronze-tier Beast Tamer who had been defeated by Chen Yue.
After being dismissed by his former team, he had no choice but to join another one—though this one was far weaker.
With only two growth-stage beasts and one early-stage beast, Hans had no respect for them.
"Hmph! If the captain weren't at least decent, I wouldn't have joined.
If I get another chance to fight that kid, I don't believe I can't crush him with two growth-stage beasts!"
Fuming inside, he followed the others toward the cave.
Inside the cave
Chen Yue sat quietly, eyes closed, practicing his breathing technique. His breathing was slow and rhythmic, like a steady tide.
A faint mist swirled around him.
Beside him, the Gale Sparrow had already awakened from its rest. Most of the energy it had lost during the earlier battle had recovered.
Unlike contract beasts, wild ones couldn't use a Beast Codex to speed up recovery—they had to rely on slow, natural breathing to heal.
The Gale Sparrow glanced at the still-meditating Chen Yue, then at Buster, who was licking his fur contentedly.
An unfamiliar emotion stirred in its heart.
From Buster, the Gale Sparrow had learned of Chen Yue's rare talent—how he had reached Silver rank in such a short time, and even helped Buster evolve despite its humble beginnings.
To be honest, the Gale Sparrow was tempted.
If it became a contracted beast, it could grow even faster—and that aligned with its dream.
So, it decided: once Chen Yue woke up, it would express its willingness to form a contract.
After all, when a beast chases after a tamer, there's only a thin veil between them. It believed Chen Yue would agree.
But… would it seem too eager?
Just as the Gale Sparrow was lost in thought, Buster—who had been relaxing—suddenly narrowed his eyes sharply and looked toward the cave entrance.
Receiving the mental signal, Chen Yue slowly opened his eyes and followed Buster's gaze.
"Visitors."