The bear gall bladder was still intact, which made Brian Carter extremely excited. This black bear was huge, and it was estimated to have lived for over a hundred years. Such a century-old bear gall is an excellent medicinal ingredient. Unfortunately, there was no jade container available now, so it couldn’t be preserved fresh. He could only stick it to the stone wall to let it air-dry naturally.

Bear paw was also a delicacy—thick, tasty meat, and the gelatinous texture was top-notch in both nutrition and flavor.

Sharing the delicious roasted bear paw with the white tiger, Brian Carter felt, for the first time, the wonders of this world. You know, eating bear paw on Earth was extremely risky, and even then, you might not get the real thing.

Even more wonderful was that this dead tiger was incredibly clever. Somehow, it had brought over a chunk of mineral salt. Originally, the mineral salt was just something the tiger licked after eating, and then let Brian Carter lick as well.

After obtaining this salt, Brian Carter was overjoyed. Of course, he couldn’t supplement his salt intake by licking it like an animal. He crushed the rock salt and sprinkled it on the roasted meat, making it even more delicious. The white tiger’s eyes nearly popped out from watching him eat.

Fortunately, Brian Carter practiced the highest-level cultivation method of the cultivation world, which allowed his body to be nourished by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the shortest time. Otherwise, after two months of eating only a little fruit, even if he didn’t die, he would have been salt-deficient and exhausted. With salt, not only was his sense of taste greatly satisfied, but even his physical condition and spirit were noticeably invigorated.

Previously, out of fear of the white tiger, Brian Carter didn’t dare to explore the mountain at all. But now, having reached a tacit peace agreement with the white tiger through sharing food, he searched the area within several dozen miles. On the mountain, he discovered a small stream, drank his fill with excitement, and then happily took a refreshing bath downstream. It was a bit different from what he had imagined—except for the area within about a mile of the white tiger’s lair, where there were no traces of animals, the rest of the area was full of vitality, with abundant birds, beasts, fish, and insects. However, after searching the surroundings, he didn’t find any other ferocious creatures. It was probably a case of “one mountain cannot have two tigers”—with the white tiger present, other fierce beasts were either killed or had migrated elsewhere.

With the threat to his life from the white tiger gone, the days that followed were naturally much more comfortable. Not only did he use a knife to chop down trees and make a comfortable big bed, but he also crafted many utensils from rocks. Brian Carter planned to settle down here for now, because a quick survey of the surrounding area showed that outside the white tiger’s territory of several dozen miles, there were ferocious beasts everywhere. The most dangerous encounter was being chased for miles by several red wolves, only escaping when he ran into the white tiger’s territory, where the wolves dared not follow.

Therefore, Brian Carter decided not to leave the white tiger’s protection until he reached the Xiantian (Innate) realm. However, advancing from Houtian (Postnatal) to Xiantian was not something that could be achieved just by wishing for it. Many people with mediocre talent spend their whole lives unable to advance from Houtian to Xiantian. Even though Brian Carter considered himself talented, he wasn’t arrogant enough to think he could reach the Xiantian realm in a short time.

Chapter 6: Stepping into Xiantian

And so, the days passed by one after another. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter alternated. Ever since the white tiger’s hostility toward Brian Carter gradually faded, it never tried to attack the cave again. Thus, after the cave’s restriction disappeared, Brian Carter was able to rest peacefully. Still, he felt a bit guilty for occupying the white tiger’s lair, so, relying on his greatly increased strength, he used a broken long knife to dig a small den for the white tiger, so it wouldn’t have to sleep outside in the cold winter.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three years had passed. Through Brian Carter’s tireless efforts, and with the white tiger often intentionally or unintentionally driving some spiritually rich creatures from other territories over to him, Brian Carter’s internal true qi increased greatly. Even so, it still took Brian Carter three years to reach the peak of the Houtian realm. That’s how cultivation is—the progress is fast at first, but the further you go, the more effort and hardship each step requires. In less than half a year, Brian Carter reached the late Houtian stage, but it took more than two years to reach the Houtian Perfection stage.

At this moment, Brian Carter was wearing clothes made of animal skins, sitting cross-legged in the cave. Compared to when he first arrived, his face, which still had a trace of youthfulness back then, now showed a maturity born of experience—it was a world of difference. Although the white tiger’s territory was safe, it was not without challengers. Especially the wolf pack valley to the west, which sent large groups to harass them every few days—each time, a hundred or so wolves would come. As fierce as the white tiger was, it couldn’t withstand the wolf pack alone. Each time, only by working together with Brian Carter could they defend their territory. Over the past three years, Brian Carter had participated in more than a dozen such territorial defense battles. Meanwhile, the friendship between man and tiger grew deeper with each passing day.

The white tiger, with its innate sensitivity, also noticed that Brian Carter’s Houtian qi had reached its peak and that he was about to step into the Xiantian realm. While Brian Carter was meditating, the white tiger, instead of its usual relaxed demeanor, paced nervously at the cave entrance, its tiger eyes alertly scanning the surroundings.

Although Brian Carter didn’t understand why the white tiger was so nervous, from the perspective of cultivation, the process itself was defying the natural order. Especially the transition from Houtian to Xiantian—not only did it bring a huge change in physique, but one’s state of mind would also be elevated. Human lifespan would leap from less than a hundred years to five hundred years.

Generally speaking, breaking through to the Xiantian realm wouldn’t trigger heavenly punishment like thunder, but it would arouse the jealousy and fear of other species. Apparently, the white tiger had experienced this before, which was why it was so tense.