Without sparing a glance at the corpse of the Bamboo Leaf Green Snake, Chen Yue walked straight up to the Golden Tree.
Looking at the plump golden holy fruits hanging from the tree, a wide smile stretched across Chen Yue's face.
"Hehe! Even if I don't use them myself, selling them would still bring in a fortune!"
After all, once Bastet reaches its Mature stage, maintaining its rapid progress will require resources that are far more expensive than what he needs now.
Not wanting to risk any changes, Chen Yue immediately began picking the fruits. Bastet sat nearby, grooming itself while staying alert to the surroundings.
It took some time and effort, but Chen Yue finally picked all the fruits.
Though each golden holy fruit was only about the size of an apple, there were so many that Chen Yue had to completely stuff his backpack to fit them all.
"I've heard the Federation sells things like spatial backpacks. I wonder how much they cost. Are they expensive? I'll definitely have to check when I get back."
Once everything was ready, Chen Yue called out to Bastet and continued exploring in another direction.
He walked along the outer edges of the area, and only stopped after what felt like a long time, when the sky had begun to darken. He was now considering whether to pause his exploration of the secret realm.
He hadn't come across any real opportunities along the way—there had been plenty of fierce beasts, sure, but not the one he had been hoping to find: the Holy Light Lion.
"Looks like my luck has run out! Guess it's time to leave the secret realm."
After all, Chen Yue had never planned to spend the night in the secret realm. This wasn't the peaceful and safe city; it was a place filled with danger and beasts lurking everywhere.
Without hesitation, Chen Yue turned around to leave the realm.
When he entered, he had received a teleportation device from the Federation that allowed beast tamers to safely exit the secret realm.
However, the device could only be used in safe conditions—teleportation couldn't be initiated while moving at high speed or during battle.
If the device was lost, one would have to find another person to teleport out together.
Fortunately, the teleportation device didn't limit the number of people using it at once, which made it much safer and more reliable for beast tamers.
After confirming that there was no danger nearby, Chen Yue took out the teleportation device, planning to return to Earth and try again tomorrow.
Just then, a clear bird cry reached his ears.
He paused and turned toward the sound.
A small gray bird the size of a checkered ball was flying rapidly through the air.
Behind it, an eagle-sized predatory bird was chasing it.
[Name: Gale Sparrow]
[Stage: Growth Phase – 21%]
[Potential: Legendary]
[Attributes: Wind, Flying]
[Skills: Wind Blade, Burst Speed, Storm]
[Description: A beast with immense potential in the wind and flying elements, with boundless future prospects.]
[Evolution Path]
[① Skydome Path – Can evolve up to Legendary Form]
Staring at the Gale Sparrow's impressive stats, Chen Yue exclaimed in shock, "It actually has Legendary-level potential!"
All the beasts he had encountered so far had mostly been of Elite potential. Even Rare potential was uncommon, let alone anything higher.
Looking at this Gale Sparrow, Chen Yue was certain:
"I've decided! The next contract beast slot will go to you!"
Since arriving in this world, Chen Yue had learned that the highest-ranked beast tamers were Legendary-level, and the strongest beasts were of Legendary potential.
Aside from Bastet, he had never encountered another beast with Mythical potential.
So this Gale Sparrow was clearly his best option for now.
He looked toward the pursuing beast—a much larger eagle-type creature. Upon scanning it with the Eye of Truth, he found that it had only Elite-level potential, though it was at the Mature stage—a Steel-Feathered Eagle.
This was the first time Chen Yue had encountered a beast of this level. He was only in the outer area of the realm, after all, so such a beast appearing here was quite unusual.
There was no time to think. Since he had decided to contract the Gale Sparrow, he had to save it first.
Bastet, responding to his command, sprang forward and intercepted the Steel-Feathered Eagle, slowing it down.
Although the eagle was agile and avoided Bastet's attacks, Bastet wasn't easy to deal with either—using its Flash and Light Claw skills to relentlessly harass the enemy, making it hard to retaliate.
Unfortunately, despite its lower potential, the eagle's level was higher than Bastet's. So Bastet could only keep distracting it and couldn't inflict any real damage.
Luckily, the Gale Sparrow wasn't a dumb beast. With its Legendary-level potential, it was far more intelligent than the average wild creature.
Seeing that Bastet had tied down the enemy, it didn't flee. Instead, it joined the fight against the Steel-Feathered Eagle.
Watching from the side, Chen Yue nodded with approval. "It didn't flee in fear—good temperament. It's well-suited to be my beast."
Potential was important, but temperament mattered too. No one wanted to contract a disobedient pet.
What made it even more valuable was that the Gale Sparrow was a wild beast, not one raised from youth by Chen Yue—so a stable temperament made it even more desirable.
The battle soon neared its end.
The Steel-Feathered Eagle, already struggling against Bastet, now began suffering multiple wounds with the Gale Sparrow joining in. Though not fatal, the injuries were accumulating.
After weighing its options, the eagle decided to retreat for now and return another day.
With a flap of its wings, it soared high into the sky and vanished without a trace.
The Gale Sparrow didn't pursue—it might not know the saying "never chase a desperate enemy," but its instincts told it there was no point in chasing what it couldn't catch.
As for Bastet, it couldn't fly at all, so there was no way it could give chase. It simply shook its head in a very human-like gesture and returned to Chen Yue's side.
Chen Yue gave Bastet a gentle pat on the head, and it rubbed affectionately against his warm palm.
Meanwhile, the Gale Sparrow had already landed on a branch nearby, watching Bastet with what seemed like envy.
It knew that contracting a beast tamer would lead to much faster growth. But it also knew that not all tamers were equal.
Being aware of its own talent, the Gale Sparrow didn't want to rush into a contract—it wanted to observe first.
Chen Yue had no idea what the Gale Sparrow was thinking.
Although he was eager to contract it right away, he also knew he couldn't rush things.
So he decided to try talking to the Gale Sparrow—maybe negotiate a bit.