Ordinary creatures like Little Black were already quite convenient for delivering messages, but contracting a true spirit bird would grant limitless potential. Not only would it be an excellent aid for reconnaissance and tracking, but it could also play unexpected roles in critical moments.

The more Li Pingcan thought about it, the more restless he became. With a light tap of his foot, his figure shot forward like an arrow, closely pursuing those panicked vultures. Li Pingfu only had time to utter a "Hmm" before watching his younger brother's hurried figure with a helpless smile, quickly following suit.

The Weiyuan Escort Agency's guards were busy subduing the golden eagle, so no one noticed the Li brothers. Zhao Huafeng wasn't particularly fast on his feet and could only watch helplessly as the Li brothers followed the agency's Wang Liu and Zhao Xiaogua, disappearing deep into the dense forest.

"Those Li brothers truly move like the wind!" Zhao Huafeng's eyes held envy. If his own son could be so capable, why would he still be escorting goods at his age, nearly ruining Weiyuan Escort Agency's reputation with that failed delivery!

He then turned his head, his gaze sharp as he stared at the golden eagle, determined not to give it any chance to escape.

Deep in the forest, the two brothers moved with astonishing speed, tracking the vultures' trail and soon overtaking the Weiyuan group. Although Wang Liu and Zhao Xiaogua weren't slow either, once surpassed, they couldn't keep up with the brothers' pace. Losing the vultures' trail, they gradually fell behind and disappeared into the woods.

Li Pingcan activated both [Spore Sense] and [Animal Speech], countless tiny mushroom spores silently dispersing through the forest. His consciousness also connected with the startled birds and beasts in the woods.

"Caw caw! Bad people! Strange birds!"

"Hiss! Who stepped on me? It hurts, it really hurts!"

"Master, master, we've been beaten!"

Scattered information continuously flooded his mind. Li Pingcan quickly analyzed it and soon caught the vultures' thoughts. Following the sounds, he quickly detected a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy.

"Big brother, over there!" Li Pingcan suddenly sprinted in one direction. Li Pingfu's expression turned serious as his energy surged, immediately following with full readiness.

Ahead in a relatively open valley, a man in gray robes peeked furtively from behind a large tree, looking up at the sky. His pale face and anxious eyes clearly marked him as the vultures' master, waiting for them to bring back the "birthday gift."

The brothers exchanged a glance before approaching stealthily like mountain cats.

"Whoosh!" The next moment, a gale howled as two figures closed in like black lightning. The gray-robed man started violently, turning to see Li Pingfu's towering frame and fierce eyes, nearly scared out of his wits. He never expected the merchant caravan to be hiding an Innate Realm expert!

"Y-you... who are you?" the gray-robed man shouted while rapidly forming hand seals. Li Pingfu gave him no chance to cast spells. Without wasting words, he lunged forward with a powerful tiger pounce, his Innate energy carrying tremendous force as he struck the man's chest.

"Ah!" The gray-robed man screamed. He had intended to summon a magic tool to block, but the violent punch disrupted his energy flow, sending him tumbling to the ground. His chest caved in with several broken ribs, writhing in pain like a crushed insect, his face deathly pale.

Li Pingfu had held back to avoid accidentally killing the man, inwardly speechless—how could such a weak cultivator dare to rob people?

"Speak! What's the deal with that golden eagle?" Li Pingfu demanded sternly. The gray-robed man's face flashed with regret. He never imagined his perfected bird-training technique would fail, leading enemies straight to his hiding spot.

'Useless creatures!' He silently cursed the disobedient eagle while outwardly groveling, "I... I don't know anything! What are you talking about? I don't understand..." His shifty eyes clearly indicated lies.

"Big brother, let me handle this." Li Pingcan took out several vividly colored Hallucinogenic Mushrooms from his robe. The gray-robed man initially looked puzzled before turning scornful—he thought this was some poison threat. Having traveled widely and stolen many treasures, didn't he have top-grade antidote pills?

He didn't even struggle, wanting to avoid further pain. Yet the moment the mushroom entered his mouth, a strange sweetness spread, and his consciousness began blurring. The scenery before him twisted and distorted.

"What devilry is this?!" His last terrified shout came before he completely fell into the illusion, drooling mindlessly, "Aba aba aba..."

Li Pingfu watched in amazement—this method was truly supernatural. If only these mushrooms lasted longer than twelve hours, they'd be perfect portable weapons.

Meanwhile, Li Pingcan began interrogating the man, starting with the golden eagle. "What's the story with that golden eagle?"

"It's... family heritage. My grandfather was a Refining Qi cultivator who saw two spirit birds fighting in the mountains. When they didn't return, he took the nestlings home—said they were Innate Spirit Beasts. He trained them like ordinary birds... never thought it'd actually work..."

Hearing "Innate Spirit Beast," Li Pingcan's heart jolted. By definition, these were creatures born with awakened intelligence, capable of absorbing spiritual energy naturally. Usually offspring of powerful bloodline spirit beasts, yet spirit beasts reproducing was far harder than for cultivators!

Gathering their parents' strengths, Innate Spirit Beasts' bloodline talents far surpassed ordinary spirit beasts with tremendous potential. That golden eagle was actually an Innate Spirit Beast! No wonder it could steal the birthday gift so effortlessly—its speed left ordinary escorts in the dust.

"How did your grandfather tame it?"

"It was clever from birth but fiercely stubborn. Grandpa and father beat it, starved it, locked it up—sometimes for ten to fifteen days without food. Eventually it stopped resisting but became unresponsive... Later father tried scalding it with boiling water—figured it wouldn't die or get seriously hurt from that."

Li Pingcan's frown deepened with each word. Even training ordinary beasts shouldn't involve such cruelty—using such methods on a spirit beast was downright wasteful! No wonder the eagle looked listless and dispirited—chronic abuse had left it... depressed? Spirit beasts could get depressed? This realization shocked Li Pingcan.

Come to think of it, Innate Spirit Beasts were equivalent to human children in their naive stage. Suffering such horrific abuse over time would inevitably cause psychological issues!

"It... also likes shiny things. Sometimes it secretly hoards stones or gold pieces—we never knew where it hid them..." The man continued, his tone carrying grievance as if complaining about the eagle's "disobedience."

Li Pingcan felt slightly relieved—the eagle's preferences resembled Little Black's, meaning it might not be completely "withdrawn." He pressed on about the man's background, other "family heirlooms," and even private cultivation resources.

Learning the man was merely a rogue cultivator whose family was annihilated by powerful enemies, Li Pingcan cared even less. Such small fry would've been dealt with long ago by Weiyuan Escort Agency if not for the eagle.

"That's enough, end it." Before the hallucination concluded, Li Pingcan coldly threw a treasure-grade throwing knife, mercilessly piercing the man's heart. As a Druid, he despised such people most. Using [Earth Shaping], he buried the gray-robed man deep underground, thoroughly resolving the matter.

After eliminating the mastermind, the brothers searched the beast tamer's hideout. Aside from some stolen goods, several spirit stones, a few talismans, they found a thin booklet. 

'Even richer than that Refining Qi Stage Three woman in black!' Li Pingcan was surprised—with such wealth and being a Refining Qi cultivator himself, why rob escorts? Then it hit him—he got rich precisely by robbing escorts!

Picking up the booklet, Li Pingcan skimmed it before his eyes turned cold. "It's actually a 'Beast Taming Guide'!" The manual recorded basic beast-taming methods—nothing profound—but combined with beatings and starvation, it created a disastrous start for young spirit beasts. No wonder the eagle turned out "trained."

Besides these, there were common Refining Qi stage pills—quite a haul. As for other undistributed stolen goods, they'd serve as "payment" for helping Weiyuan Escort Agency. After all, Li Pingcan didn't know the original owners, and returning them might make people suspect the Li brothers instead. Doing good deeds was always costly and troublesome.

Returning to the escort team, the Li brothers handed over the recovered "birthday gift." The joy of recovering lost items overwhelmed Zhao Huafeng as he clutched the gift, thumping his chest. "Thank you, nephews! Weiyuan would've been finished without you! Name any reward!"

Losing the shipment would've brought unbearable wrath from important figures. Other escorts wept openly—after ten years with Weiyuan, they'd grown attached. If the agency collapsed, other escort houses might not take them in. While not unemployed, their incomes would plummet.

Fortunately, Chief Escort Zhao knew Zhao Huafeng, averting disaster. No wonder the Li brothers established themselves so quickly in Yunshui County—recovering the goods so swiftly proved their capability!

Of course, the birthday gift wasn't the brothers' only loot—what kind of flying bandit had such meager assets? But since they'd helped save the agency, by martial world rules, those "stolen goods" rightfully belonged to them without question.

"There is one presumptuous request," Li Pingfu said somewhat sheepishly. "Uncle Zhao, could we have that golden eagle?" Considering the eagle was a "primary culprit" that the agency would love to stew in a pot, this request felt inappropriate.

"This..." Zhao Huafeng hesitated briefly before agreeing. "Then I'll have it delivered to you." The eagle was useless to them beyond venting anger. Though its flapping wings seemed fierce, its spirit was broken, feathers messy—it might die in days without apparent value.

Hearing Zhao Huafeng's agreement, Li Pingcan looked at the wary, despairing eagle. Getting no response through [Animal Speech], he sighed deeply—contracting this spirit beast would be a long, arduous journey!

Li Family Residence

Weiyuan Escort Agency's carriage wheels rumbled. The golden eagle, restrained for hours by the escorts, struggled weakly with lifeless eyes.

"Release it," Li Pingcan said. The escorts hesitated. "This beast is vicious—what if it hurts someone when freed?"

"My big brother's here, isn't he?"

"Fair point." The escorts brightened—with an Innate Realm expert present, why worry? Several hands untied the ropes together.

Once freed, the eagle immediately struggled to fly, creating strong winds. But injured by Zhao Huafeng and weakened, it barely rose several meters before crashing down.

Li Pingcan approached slowly, speaking softly, "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you." The eagle screeched hoarsely, desperately retreating to avoid him. This was no spirit beast—just a wild animal! Chronic abuse had caused physical degeneration.

Li Pingfu shook his head—he trusted his brother's abilities, but this eagle seemed beyond saving. Once trust was broken, rebuilding it wasn't easy.

Keeping his distance, Li Pingcan crouched slowly, placing healing treasure medicine on the ground. "This medicine will heal you—take it and recover."

The eagle warily eyed the medicine and Li Pingcan, hesitation in its gaze. Accustomed to human malice, it distrusted all people. Yet the medicine's alluring fragrance, wing's agonizing pain, and sensing genuine kindness finally made it relent.

Cautiously extending its beak, it lightly pecked the medicine. A cool warmth instantly spread through its body, alleviating the pain. "Kraa..." Its low cry carried slightly less wariness.

Over the following months, Li Pingcan lived alongside the eagle, inseparable. He didn't force closeness or touch, simply providing daily medicine, using [Divine Blessing of Nature] to purify its body while continuously communicating through [Animal Speech], plus offering shiny gems it loved.

He described Spirit Mountain's natural beauty, the old peach tree's kindness, the Five Spirit Beasts' friendship. Like a patient therapist, he gradually warmed the eagle with pure goodwill. The eagle's wounds healed rapidly, its spirit recovering.

It began tentatively approaching Li Pingcan, no longer screeching sharply, its fearful gaze slowly replaced by curiosity and dependence. It mimicked his head tilts, quietly rested nearby during his meditation, even responded with cries during his stories about Spirit Mountain.

These subtle changes delighted Li Pingcan. Then one day—

"You... really won't hurt me?" The eagle's voice was hoarse but clear.

"Of course not—I'm your friend." Overjoyed, Li Pingcan pressed his advantage, stroking the eagle's soft feathers. Its body trembled slightly but didn't retreat—this was its first experience of gentle human touch, its feathers visibly quivering like "goosebumps."

"You're... different from them. I believe you." Its shaky voice held disbelief and long-lost trust.

Seizing the moment, Li Pingcan displayed the [Animal Companion] contract seal. "Want to try?" After brief hesitation, sensing the accepting energy, the eagle lightly tapped his fingertip with its beak.

"Boom!" An intangible ripple instantly connected them. A peculiar bond formed between Li Pingcan and the eagle—they became parts of each other, sharing senses and thoughts.

Contract successful! Information flooded Li Pingcan's mind:

[You have formed an equal soul contract with Golden Eagle (Innate Spirit Beast)—it becomes your loyal companion!]

[You acquired Golden Eagle's bloodline talent: Windriding (Can borrow limited windriding ability—greatly increases speed with minimal mana consumption).]

"Windriding!" Feeling this strange power linking him to the eagle, it seemed a mere thought could let him ride the winds and soar the skies. Li Pingcan was ecstatic—to live long, one must run fast! Or at least faster than fellow cultivators!

Ordinary sword flight couldn't compare to a golden eagle spirit beast's speed and altitude! Combined with his Druid skill [Dance of the Wind], [Windriding] would be unstoppable!

Eager to test this new talent, Li Pingcan stood in the backyard, mana circulating as peculiar energy flowed from the eagle's bond throughout his body. Even without transforming, he could directly "ignite" the bloodline!

Suddenly, intangible air currents lifted him effortlessly—his body became extraordinarily light, wind patterns clearly perceptible. This wasn't controlling wind but becoming part of it. His figure drifted like willow catkins, swift and erratic. Previously, only avian forms allowed short glides—now he could ride winds without transforming, a qualitative leap!

"This talent is incredible!" The exhilarating freedom of flight thrilled him. Though each windride consumed some mana, his Refining Qi Stage Two cultivation could easily sustain it.

"With [Windriding], my chances in Dragon Palace's third floor just improved!" Water Dragon Guards were immune to water spells, and his straight-line movements limited close combat effectiveness. Now, with enhanced speed and agility, he could better contend with them.

"Time to challenge the third floor!" The next day, Li Pingcan returned to Dragon Palace.

Green Jiao grinned mischievously, dragging out his words, "Little carp, you'd better perform well this time—don't get kicked out by Water Dragon Guards again... and again... and again!"

"Don't worry, things are different now." Li Pingcan retorted sharply, "Look who's talking—after a whole year, you still haven't passed the second floor? Practice those temptation-resistance techniques I taught you!" His tone was exasperated.

Green Jiao instantly deflated. "Those beauties and power temptations—I can't help falling for them! The illusions feel so real!" Shaking his head, Li Pingcan ignored the lustful dragon and entered the trial.

[Human Li Pingcan has entered Dragon Palace Third Floor *Hundred Battles Hall* Trial.]

[Trial Requirement: Survive against 'Water Dragon Guard' for one incense stick's duration.]