55: Chapter 55: Using bears as the primary force, using bears to control people!

Shi Jian withdrew the bear paw resting on Shi Mo's head, squinting his eyes as he scrutinized it carefully.

The mutation wasn't thorough enough, but the Foundation was solid.

On this Black Bear, the Bloodline Power of the Dark Gold Ape had preliminarily undergone Fusion with its Origin; the patch of dark golden fur on its spine was proof of this.

In the future, if it could obtain treasures related to the Metal Dao, perhaps it could advance further.

But that was a matter for later.

Right now, what Shi Jian cared about more was something else.

"Shi Mo." Shi Jian spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying the majesty of Bloodline suppression.

Shi Mo raised its vertical pupils, looking at him quietly.

"You've been with me for these years, it's time to go out and walk around."

Shi Mo's ears twitched; it didn't seem to quite understand.

"What's the point of just lazing around here?"

Shi Jian patted the ground with his bear paw, kicking up a spray of gravel: "Look at little Mao, he's barely over twenty and is already running the merchant business for the entire Family, and you?"

"You're not young anymore, yet you spend every day holed up in the Beast Valley patting stones for fun?"

Shi Mo fell silent for a moment, lowered its head, and let out a muffled whimper.

Sun Mao stood to the side, somewhat confused.

Shi Jian turned to look at him, his tone casual: "Sun Mao, I recall that the Black Dog by your side only has an ordinary Bloodline, right?"

"Replying to Old Ancestor, yes."

"It's not enough."

Shi Jian was straightforward: "You are now the person in power of the Sun Clan; without a Spirit Beast that can be shown off by your side, you lose face for the entire Family when you go out."

Sun Mao's heart skipped a beat; he had vaguely guessed something, but dared not respond, only bowing and listening.

"Let Shi Mo follow you."

Five words, light as a feather.

But to Sun Mao's ears, it was like a thunderclap on flat ground!

Shi Mo, one of the three Yao Beast bears personally raised by the Old Ancestor!

Carrying a mutated Bloodline, a being destined to grow to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Old Ancestor in the future—for the Old Ancestor to promise this, what immense trust it was!!

Sun Mao's knees buckled, and he knelt on one knee: "Old Ancestor, this... how could I, Mao, deserve this..."

"Get up."

Shi Jian interrupted him without even lifting his eyelids: "It's not that I'm giving it to you. Shi Mo is my kin, not anyone's vassal."

"You will sign an equal contract—equal mutual assistance, neither subordinate to the other. It will protect your Dao and fight for you, and you will be responsible for finding cultivation resources for Shi Mo and feeding it well."

"Do you understand?"

Sun Mao took a deep breath, stood up, and cupped his hands solemnly: "Mao understands, I will certainly not fail the Old Ancestor's entrustment."

Shi Jian hummed with satisfaction and turned to look at Shi Mo.

Shi Mo immediately understood, stood up, and walked in front of Sun Mao; it lowered its head, pressing its broad forehead against Sun Mao's palm.

This action was identical to when it first bowed to Sun Mao seven years ago!

Only back then, Shi Mo was merely coveting that piece of beast bone.

But now, its choice carried a deeper meaning—a mandate from the Old Ancestor—this was an understanding and compliance with the Old Ancestor's will.

Sun Mao felt the touch of coarse, hard fur on his palm; that huge bear head lay quietly, waiting for his response!

Sun Mao bit his fingertip, forcing out a drop of essence blood.

Shi Mo opened its mouth, extended its tongue, and rolled the drop of essence blood into its mouth.

The equal contract was established.

A faint thread of spiritual power connected between the human and the beast.

Sun Mao felt the steady, thick power within Shi Mo, like a sleeping volcano ready to erupt at any moment.

And through the contract, Shi Mo also sensed Sun Mao's heartbeat, his breathing, his burning heart, and various emotional fluctuations!

"Alright, take it down and get used to each other."

Shi Jian yawned, continued to lie back on the rock, and assumed a lazy posture, a major matter settled in his heart.

Sun Mao bowed again and turned to leave with Shi Mo.

Sun Boan stood where he was, watching the silhouette of Shi Mo following behind Sun Mao, feeling deeply moved; from this day on, Sun Mao was the first member of the Sun Clan to form a contract with a bear Yao Beast.

This honor would only grow heavier in the future.

"Old Ancestor, you are..."

"What's yours or mine? Isn't it just finding a good home for the little cub."

Shi Jian squinted his eyes: "Alright, you go get busy too. Let that greyish little thing come see me."

Sun Boan was stunned: "Grey... are you talking about Elder Rat?"

"Nonsense, could it be you, you mongrel?"

Sun Boan laughed bitterly, let out a 'sigh,' and turned to retreat...

Once everyone had left, Shi Jian lay on the rock, his eyes rolling again and again; Shi Mo and Sun Mao—he had planned this move for a long time.

The three bears that had received Enlightenment could not all stay holed up in the back mountain; they had to be slowly released. Shi Mo was the most spiritual and agile!

Placing it by the side of a core figure of the Sun Clan, fighting side-by-side with Sun Clan Cultivators, advancing and retreating together—as time passed, they would slowly get used to the existence of the bear Yao Beast.

A little longer, and they would become dependent.

When the bear Yao Beast thoroughly became an inseparable part of the Sun Clan, became the Foundation of the Family, and became a totem in the Bloodline Legacy...

At that time, it would be Bear-Centric, ruling humans through bears!

It was just a matter of time.

Shi Jian licked his bear paw; this was exactly the way he wanted to infiltrate, little by little, into every generation of Sun Clan Disciples.

To bind them firmly!

Before long, a grey shadow darted out from the grass, jumped onto the rock, and squatted in front of Shi Jian, rubbing its two front paws together, like a little follower, respectful and reverent.

It was Elder Rat.

This sleek, grey-furred Spirit Beast rat had been following Sun Mao for these years, traveling north and south, but its truly loyal master had always been only one!

"Elder Rat, pays respects to the Old Ancestor."

Hearing this, Shi Jian nodded.

Elder Rat had also received his Enlightenment, and after so many years, it had already reached the Peak of a Level 1 Yao Beast, comparable to a human at the Perfection of Qi Refining.

Although it did not have the combat power of the bear Yao Beasts, it excelled in agility and concealment, and could command hundreds of thousands of rats, making it Shi Jian's most core eyes and ears.

"Speak, what have you seen outside these few years."

Elder Rat responded and began to narrate the changes over these years bit by bit.

Sun Mao was the same as when he was little—focused and reliable in his actions, strict but not harsh in managing subordinates, and treated clan members and Spirit Beasts equally.

Since gradually taking power in the clan, over these seven years he had increasingly valued the cultivation of Spirit Beasts; whether it was the bear Yao Beast lineage, the Spirit Dog lineage, or the Spirit Rat lineage, all had grown significantly!

The Mingqiu Merchant Alliance was operating well, the interests of the Nine Counties were distributed evenly, and no hidden dangers had appeared yet.

Regarding White Cloud Temple, Daoist Master Yunxiao remained firmly seated, his attitude toward the Sun Clan relatively kind, providing support intentionally or unintentionally.

There was only one thing: over in Fenghe County, recently there were large Family forces infiltrating toward Baiyun Prefecture, tentatively acquiring spiritual mines and medicinal fields.

"Fenghe County?" Shi Jian's eyes rolled.

Elder Rat nodded and squeaked twice more.

Shi Jian was silent for a few moments, then hummed.

He didn't know the situation in Fenghe County, but if they could reach out to Baiyun Prefecture, there was at least the shadow of a Golden Core Master behind them.

This matter had to be kept an eye on.

After all, previously, Shi Jian had ruined the schemes of the Fenghe Sect's Golden Core Master, Yan Qiu, preventing him from successfully taking over Baiyun Prefecture as he had wished.

This infiltration in every aspect might well be his scheme!

"Continue to follow Sun Mao,"

"If there is any abnormal movement, report it immediately. Also, disperse your rat children and grandchildren as much as possible to supplement the sources of information."

"Sigh, this small one understands."

Elder Rat respectfully agreed, then slipped into the grass and disappeared.

Shi Jian lay back on the rock.

The twilight in the back mountain was thickening, and the sunset glow covered half the sky...

The myriad lights in the city lit up one after another, dense and numerous, looking like a sea of stars spread on the ground, like twinkling stars.

Thirty years.

From a Foundation Establishment bear Yao Beast on Mingqiu Mountain, to now, possessing a whole clan, a powerful great Yao Beast at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage—it really hasn't been easy...

Everything was under control; thus, Shi Jian felt at ease in his heart.