Moreover, the ball of fur had already recognized that the contract technique used by Zhang Yiyi earlier was a chant unique to the Ancient God Clan, which further confirmed that Zhang Yiyi was either a member or a descendant of the Ancient God Clan.

This made it increasingly at ease, while its recognition and trust in Zhang Yiyi also grew exponentially. In this positive feedback loop, the bond they formed through their contract became even more solid.

"Maoqiu (Ball of fur), I'm Zhang Yiyi. From now on, we'll be partners who share both hardships and joys!"

Zhang Yiyi gave the ball of fur a heartfelt smile and added before it got agitated, "If you don't like the name 'Maoqiu,' you can choose another one yourself. But I think 'Maoqiu' is especially cute, just like you!"

"Hmph, I'm a fierce beast; how can I be described as cute?"

Maoqiu turned its face away in a huff, pretending to be indifferent. "But a name is just a label; it doesn't matter what you call me. You can name me however you like. Anyway, once I grow up, I'll choose a proper name for myself!"

This statement was an indirect acknowledgment of the nickname Zhang Yiyi had given it. "Maoqiu" didn't sound very impressive, but who could blame it when its new partner liked the name?

Oh well, even though it was a young beast, it was already over three thousand years old. What was there to quarrel about with a woman who had only lived a few decades?

"You're so great, Maoqiu. Don't worry; we'll practice and train together, grow stronger together, and support each other. You won't be lonely and helpless anymore."

As Zhang Yiyi spoke, she directly picked up the ball of fur in her arms and affectionately patted its little paw, her fondness evident.

After their playful exchange, she already felt a bit of affection for Maoqiu. With the bond strengthened by the contract, she became even closer and fonder of the little creature.

Maoqiu wasn't used to such direct expressions and instinctively coughed a couple of times, its beastly face turning red as it jumped onto Zhang Yiyi's shoulder to perch.

"Let's go, let's go! I've been stuck in this place for thousands of years; it's utterly boring. Hurry up and take me out for a stroll."

"Okay, but before we leave, I need to align our stories. We should avoid exposing your identity when we encounter those who came in with me to explore the treasures."

As Zhang Yiyi walked in the direction Maoqiu indicated, she skillfully reminded it of a few important points.

First, in front of Zheng He and the others, Maoqiu mustn't make any noise or use thunder strikes, nor can it utilize spatial spells to avoid exposure. After all, Zhou Ren had already speculated that Maoqiu might be a spatial thunderbeast. Human hearts are unpredictable, and she couldn't guarantee what thoughts would arise when they learned that Maoqiu was the same beast that had secretly attacked them.

Of course, once they were outside, unless it was extremely dangerous, Maoqiu couldn't casually use its overly obvious abilities in front of others.

As for behind the scenes or when the other party would definitely become a dead person, it could break this rule, but they still had to be cautious.

Second, from now on, Maoqiu was just an ordinary mutated little demon beast. Luckily, its spiky fur resembled that of a large porcupine, so claiming it was a mutated demon beast wouldn't raise suspicions.

Third, Maoqiu was saved by Zhang Yiyi when she escaped from a creature that had ambushed several people. Since it had helped her and refused to leave her side, Zhang Yiyi decided to keep it around.

These three points Zhang Yiyi mentioned were both restrictions for Maoqiu and, more importantly, protection for it.

After all, the allure of legendary fierce beasts was immense. If Maoqiu's true identity were discovered before it had truly grown, it would undoubtedly lead to danger.

Although Maoqiu was a bit silly, it understood these basic concepts, so there was no need for Zhang Yiyi to repeat herself; it simply agreed.

"By the way, Maoqiu, didn't you say you were very familiar with this place and knew exactly where the good stuff is?"

Once they exited the cave, Zhang Yiyi looked at the nearby mountains rich in spiritual energy and said to Maoqiu, "You should take me to scavenge for the treasures in these mountains first, and then we'll head to the bamboo house where Senior Jia lives to meet up with Zheng He and the others."

Since they had come, it would be foolish not to take advantage of the opportunity.

Moreover, Maoqiu wouldn't return here in the future, so leaving behind natural treasures would be a waste.

Upon hearing this, Maoqiu immediately wrinkled its little nose, its mind suddenly becoming much sharper.

No wonder it had failed to persuade Zhang Yiyi to make a deal with such conditions before; if it were in its place, it wouldn't want such an easy exchange either.

Zhang Yiyi immediately sensed Maoqiu's discontent but pretended not to notice.

She continued with a smile, "There must be plenty of natural treasures inside. Since you won't be coming back here, let's take them all to avoid wasting them. When we return to the sect, I'll pick out the ones suitable for you and let the sect help you refine beast pills, which will help you level up faster! Once you become more powerful than the great demons, you might even find a way to get back home!"

Like divine beasts, fierce beasts had an absolute advantage due to their innate bloodline. They didn't need to do much; even without deliberately training, as long as they lived long enough, they could naturally advance over time.

However, if they assisted in consuming some beast pills refined from natural treasures, they could significantly shorten the time needed for advancement and gain even greater power.

Zhang Yiyi skillfully seized upon Maoqiu's desire to grow and become stronger quickly. With just a little hint, she immediately achieved a satisfactory result.

From then on, there was no need for her to say much; Maoqiu eagerly led Zhang Yiyi to collect every natural treasure it knew of in the nearby mountain ranges.

Zhang Yiyi was generous, allowing Maoqiu to keep everything it could use, while the leftover items were stored in her storage ring.

As a result, Maoqiu became even more motivated. In the future, whenever they found themselves in a place with good treasures, Maoqiu would proactively help Zhang Yiyi collect treasures without her even needing to ask, seizing every opportunity to accelerate its growth and enhance its strength.

After all, anything it couldn't use, Zhang Yiyi definitely could, and anything she couldn't use could be sold for spirit stones, which could then be used to buy useful items for them.

For three consecutive days, Maoqiu led Zhang Yiyi to nearly turn the surrounding mountain ranges inside out, resulting in astonishing gains.

Zhang Yiyi smiled so widely that her eyes turned into slits, showering Maoqiu with countless compliments as both of them felt immensely satisfied.

"Wait!"

As they were left with the last few locations, Zhang Yiyi, who had been busy scavenging, suddenly paused and called out to Maoqiu with a serious expression.