As Li Qian spoke, his gaze fell upon the nearby Central Pond. Mu Qianqian understood his meaning, nodded, and asked, "So, what’s the purchase price?"

A smile touched Li Qian’s lips as he looked at Mu Qianqian and held up a single finger. "One Hundred Vines Monster!"

After their last battle, Li Qian had learned a few things about Mu Qianqian from Elder Tie.

Li Qian had been quite surprised to learn that she was the current successor to the Mysterious Forest Secret Realm in the Yunwu Mountain Scenic Area.

Before the water slide was fully repaired, both Qizai and Ah Fu had completed their evolutions at the Hundred Feet Waterfall in the Yunwu Mountain Scenic Area.

Especially the first time, during Qizai’s evolution, they had even been attacked by the Ancient Divine Teachings.

Back then, he had keenly sensed that there was more to the Yunwu Mountain Scenic Area than met the eye.

After Elder Tie’s explanation, Li Qian had a moment of clarity. It confirmed that his intuition back then had been correct.

The Yunwu Mountain Scenic Area did indeed hold secrets unknown to the public, or at least to ordinary people.

Furthermore, the fact that the Mu Family, who managed the Mysterious Forest Secret Realm, would dare to develop the entire Cloud Mist Mountain into a scenic area was, admittedly, quite surprising.

On second thought, however, it was a clever move. It was the principle of hiding in plain sight; who would have ever guessed that the legendary Mysterious Forest Secret Realm was located right inside a bustling tourist attraction?

It wasn’t just Li Qian who hadn’t considered it; even the members of the Ancient Divine Teachings back then had likely never suspected it.

Racking his memory, Li Qian figured it all out. The one who had made a move in the Yunwu Mountain Scenic Area, unleashing the Wooden Dragon Skill, was very likely Mu Qianqian’s Pet Beast. In fact, he was almost certain it was her Thousand Vine Demon.

From Elder Tie, Li Qian had learned that the Mysterious Forest Secret Realm was formed from the Beast Taming Space of a Saint Spirit Level ancestor of the Mu Family after their passing.

It contained an extremely rich concentration of Wood Energy, making it perfectly suited for the growth of Wood-type Pet Beasts.

The Hundred Vines Monster was one of the Mu Family’s signature Pet Beasts. They had mastered its evolutionary path and could continuously evolve them into Thousand Vine Demons and even Ten Thousand Vines Demons!

One had to understand that the Ten Thousand Vines Demon was a rare Wood-type Pet Beast with Potential reaching Emperor High Rank. If cultivated properly, or if a mutation occurred, it wasn’t impossible for it to advance to the Holy Spirit rank.

However, the conditions for a Thousand Vine Demon to evolve into a Ten Thousand Vines Demon were said to be extremely strict. Even the Mu Family themselves possessed very few.

If Li Qian were to offer a Frostfire Salamander in exchange for a Thousand Vine Demon, their values would be roughly equivalent. But exchanging for a Hundred Vines Monster? Without a doubt, Mu Qianqian would be getting a massive bargain.

He proposed this seemingly disadvantageous trade not only to diversify the Pet Beast population at his Cultivation Base but also because he had his eye on its future evolutionary Potential.

Once it was raised to the point of evolution, Li Qian was confident that he could go to the Mu Family at the Mysterious Forest Secret Realm in the Yunwu Mountain Scenic Area and have them help with the evolution without any issue.

Evolving it into a Ten Thousand Vines Demon wasn’t out of the question either—it was all a matter of paying the right price.

If Li Qian eventually mastered the method to evolve a Frostfire Salamander into an Ice and Fire Giant Dragon, the Mu Family would surely not refuse to trade a Ten Thousand Vines Demon for one.

Clearly, when Li Qian proposed the trade for a Hundred Vines Monster, Mu Qianqian understood his intentions. She knew this meant she would, at the very least, have to help him evolve it into a Thousand Vine Demon down the line.

Understanding Li Qian’s plan, Mu Qianqian didn’t agree immediately. "I need to discuss this with my family."

’Even though I think I could just agree to this on the spot,’ she thought. ’Even considering the future resources needed to help the Hundred Vines Monster evolve, getting a Frostfire Salamander is absolutely worth it.’

’Strictly speaking, we’d still be getting the better end of the deal.’

’After all, a Frostfire Salamander has the Potential to reach Tier Nine Dominator, whereas a Thousand Vine Demon only has the Potential for Tier Seven Dominator.’

Although she felt she could agree outright, she couldn’t make the decision to trade away one of her family’s signature Pet Beasts, the Hundred Vines Monster, on her own. So, her saying she needed to talk to her family wasn’t an excuse; she genuinely had to consult them.

"Of course." Li Qian smiled and waved his hand, indicating that she was free to call her family. Then he added in a calm tone, "I hope we can reach an agreement."

Yes, in Li Qian’s eyes, this trade was a form of cooperation—one that was mutually beneficial.

He was confident the Mu Family wouldn’t refuse. And even if they did, it wouldn’t be a big deal. While the Hundred Vines Monster had immense Potential and was worth researching, if Li Qian was truly set on obtaining one, he had other avenues.

Li Qian wasn’t the least bit anxious; he just waited patiently. Not much time passed—about five minutes later, Mu Qianqian reappeared before him.

The poised woman spoke elegantly, a smile on her face. "Li Qian, my family has agreed. We’ll trade for your Frostfire Salamander. And we’re not offering a Hundred Vines Monster—we’re offering a Thousand Vine Demon!"

Her words were both expected and unexpected. He had anticipated they would agree to the trade, but he hadn’t expected them to offer a Thousand Vine Demon instead of a Hundred Vines Monster.

After all, while a Hundred Vines Monster could evolve into a Thousand Vine Demon, the cost of that evolution was not cheap.

After a moment’s thought, Li Qian understood their reasoning. If they had traded the Hundred Vines Monster, they would owe him a favor. Later, when he wanted to evolve it, they would have to get involved again. Rather than making two trips for one task, it was better to settle it all in one go.

Moreover, trading a Thousand Vine Demon for a Frostfire Salamander was a trade of roughly equal value, which would also leave a good impression on Li Qian.

Having figured it out, Li Qian smiled. He didn’t play coy and agreed directly. "In that case, it would be rude of me to refuse."

"You can go try to communicate with them now." With the deal struck, he pointed to the nearby Central Pond, where all seven Frostfire Salamanders were.

Li Qian hoped Mu Qianqian would consider Demon Heaven and the others who had already evolved. If all seven Frostfire Salamanders remained at the Cultivation Base, they wouldn’t receive the best possible training. Their ideal destination was to follow a promising Beast Master who would genuinely care for them.

Based on his observations and their previous experience fighting side-by-side, Li Qian felt that Mu Qianqian would be an excellent choice.

As for the likes of Sun Shouhe, that was out of the question. Li Qian wouldn’t sell to him even if he had the money; selling a Pet Beast to him would just be a waste of its Talent.

Li Qian’s thoughts aligned perfectly with Mu Qianqian’s current needs.

Her Power Level had reached the Dominator Level long ago. The reason she hadn’t formed a contract with a new Pet Beast was simple: quality over quantity.

As the current successor to the Mysterious Forest Secret Realm, her standards were incredibly high. Ordinary Pet Beasts simply wouldn’t catch her eye.

Having a ready-made Frostfire Salamander to form a contract with was much better than waiting. It wasn’t that she couldn’t afford to wait, but rather that it was unnecessary.

She had seen Li Qian’s Frostfire Salamanders before. They had all likely just recently evolved, so there was no risk of them being difficult to bond with. There was still plenty of time to build a connection.

So she nodded and, without hesitation, walked in the direction Li Qian had indicated.