"You little guy..."

Qin Fang was very fond of this intelligent little mink. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He immediately took out a jade vial and poured out a Cultivating Yuan Pill, handing it to the little mink, "This is for you..."

The little mink tilted its head, looking at the pill with curiosity. It sniffed it with its little nose, and its eyes suddenly lit up. Quickly, it extended its tiny paws and snatched the pill.

Before Qin Fang could react, the little mink swallowed it without hesitation, not caring if its belly was already full...

Initially, Qin Fang was a bit worried. However, after seeing the little mink consume the pill and the immense elemental energy erupting from it, he was surprised that it didn't even burp as it digested it effortlessly.

Of course, that didn't mean there was no reaction at all. The little mink soon leaned against Qin Fang's shoulder, closed its little eyes, and seemed to fall asleep...

Although it looked like it was asleep, its body was firmly perched on Qin Fang's shoulder, without a single movement, which was rather peculiar.

"Old Qin, this little guy... it's not simple at all!"

Monk Wukong noticed something, looking at the Snow Fox Ferret with some curiosity, and spoke with a hint of envy.

Qin Fang also noticed. Though the little mink was asleep, its grey fur was slowly shedding, giving way to the snow-white fur that had been hidden beneath...

"Oh? What do you mean?"

Qin Fang was taken aback. His scouting skill, though formidable, was still limited at the grandmaster level and couldn't reveal everything.

Judging from Monk Wukong's words, it seemed there was more information unknown to him, so he couldn't help but ask.

"If my guess is correct, this Snow Fox Ferret of yours might be a variant breed, perhaps possessing some spiritual beast or even divine beast lineage..."

Monk Wukong explained his suspicion without reservation. "In our Shaolin Temple, we also have a variant spiritual beast that possesses the bloodline of the divine beast White Tiger, making it far stronger than its kind from birth..."

"Is that so?"

Qin Fang was momentarily stunned. It seemed unexpected for the little mink to have such uniqueness.

However, after a brief recollection, it didn't seem that strange. After all, it had driven out the fierce Xuan Shui Python from its centuries-old lair. How could this little mink be ordinary?

If it weren't for Qin Fang having the Flowing Shadow Divine Sword, breaking through the python's defense would have been impossible. Given the python's might, even a grandmaster-level expert might have lamented in defeat.

Such a formidable creature was driven away by a Snow Fox Ferret a fraction of its size, much to Qin Fang's disbelief if it wasn't for the reality of the situation.

Moreover, the fact that Little Dragon, who was of divine beast level, which commonly disregarded most beings, chose to subdue this little creature personally, besides assisting Qin Fang, also implied its own interest in the little guy.

"It seems that in the future, any good stuff shouldn't exclude this little one..."

Staring back at the Snow Fox Ferret, Qin Fang couldn't help but murmur. This little creature had an extraordinary origin and great potential for the future. If nurtured well, it could become a significant asset.

The key issue is that, although Qin Fang had Little Dragon, a divine beast, as a protector, the external environment greatly restricted Little Dragon, unlike the little mink, which was far more practical.

Given this, Qin Fang pondered the idea of training the little mink toward the spiritual beast's path, ensuring it received a share of any good items, which might help it quickly advance!

Also, Qin Fang remembered one thing: there was actually a spiritual beast in the Shaolin Temple, and it was a variant as well...

Spiritual beasts, like spiritual medicine, were extremely rare, and even more scarce than spiritual medicine, nearly impossible to come by.

The primary difference is that while spiritual medicine is rare yet harvestable upon discovery, a spiritual beast differs...

Spiritual beasts are inherently powerful, with even the weakest having strength at least at the master level peak of cultivation, and that's among those not known for combat.

If it's those more ferocious spiritual beasts, their strength would indeed be incredibly terrifying...

The Shaolin Temple's variant spiritual beast was not to be mentioned, as Qin Fang had not seen it and could not comment.

However, in this hidden sanctuary behind them, the fierce beast concealed within the dark chamber, although Monk Wukong couldn't precisely estimate its strength, could be confirmed as an extremely powerful spiritual beast, and of supreme level...

To obtain a spiritual beast, unless raised from young, most have to be captured by oneself...

The scenario of raising spiritual beasts from young is extremely rare, with the young of spiritual beasts being incredibly few and far between. Perhaps one or two appear across the world within decades, given their much longer life span than humans, surviving for hundreds to thousands of years as if it's child's play, and their offspring being astonishingly rare.

For capturing them, the first condition is to possess the strength to subdue the spiritual beast, and then also to win its submission and willingness to follow...