The shell of the magic beast egg was as smooth as jade, covered in a faint, milky-white halo that made it appear ever more sparkling and translucent. Touching it felt like caressing a young girl’s cheek—delicate and silky.
Ling Xiao took it out every day, set it aside, and used his Spiritual Power to sense it. At first, he got no response at all.
After a few days, Ling Xiao began to feel the little creature inside hesitate. It seed to want to get closer, yet it also seed a little afraid; with every ntal touch, it would quickly dart away.
A few more days passed, and Ling Xiao could now communicate freely with this little thing, sensing its various emotions. The feeling was particularly wondrous.
A happy smile finally appeared on Ling Xiao’s face. The collection in Shushan’s Library Pavilion was diverse and all-encompassing. Several rows of shelves were dedicated to all sorts of strange books, most of which were sole surviving copies or incomplete manuscripts of unknown origin. The events recorded within were often absurd and unverified, so most Inner Sect Disciples treated them as stories to pass the ti.
Among them was a book titled "Tales of Bizarre Beasts," which recorded many stories about unusual creatures. Ling Xiao had been very fond of it, and it was from this very book that he had learned how to avoid those powerful beasts.
One story told of a cultivator from the Ancient Era’s Cultivation Realm who was quite famous in his ti. His strength didn’t lie in how high his cultivation was; in fact, he was only at the Late Nascent Soul Stage. In an age where cultivators at the Divinity Transformation, Body Combination, and Tribulation Crossing Stages were a di a dozen, a cultivator like him, by common logic, wouldn’t have even earned a second glance.
But he had relied on an ancient beast, a Red Rock Turtle—a creature said to have the bloodline of the Xuanwu—to sweep through the entire Cultivation Realm!
The most miraculous part was that although the Red Rock Turtle was powerful, it was by no ans unique in the Cultivation Realm of that era. There were no fewer than several dozen cultivators who possessed similar beasts, yet only this man had achieved a state of telepathic connection with his.
This Red Rock Turtle possessed extrely high intelligence, and its coordination with its master reached a state of flawless perfection!
According to "Tales of Bizarre Beasts," after this cultivator happened upon the beast egg, he used his Spiritual Power every day to communicate with the unhatched creature. After it hatched, training it was as if he had divine aid. It grew at an incredible rate, becoming imnsely powerful in just a few short years.
Furthermore, the cultivator sought out countless Heavenly and Earthly Treasures to refine elixirs and nurture his pet. Eventually, he caused the Red Rock Turtle to mutate, making its attack and defense second to none in the Cultivation Realm. Most devastatingly, it was telepathically linked with its master. This synergy allowed them to win against opponents one or even several stages higher. Even if they couldn’t win, they could always retreat with ease... One had to know, an insurmountable gulf existed between each major cultivation stage. The difference between the Nascent Soul Stage and the Divinity Transformation Stage was far more than just a single level!
When Ling Xiao read this back then, he had been sowhat unconvinced. He’d wondered why, if such a thod for raising beasts existed, no other such cultivator had ever appeared. Why had that one man alone beco a legend?
After obtaining the Snow Mountain Lightning Falcon’s egg, he had for a ti forgotten about the little thing in his Storage Ring. It wasn’t until he discovered that the Tier Five Crystal Core had been completely drained that he sensed the miraculous nature of this Magic Beast Egg. It was then that he rembered the book he had read and tried to communicate with the little thing inside the egg. For the first few days, there was no reaction. But Ling Xiao was a patient person, and his perseverance finally paid off. He then realized that communicating with an unhatched pet was probably related to the innate power of the pet itself!
Perhaps that cultivator back then had also accidentally let his Red Rock Turtle absorb a Crystal Stone, which led to a mutation that enabled communication.
In the days that followed, Ling Xiao remained behind closed doors, spending his days either refining elixirs or cultivating.
anwhile, a few things had happened at the Imperial Academy.
First was Xie Xiaoyan’s withdrawal from the school. This once-talented girl, who had been on the Imperial Academy’s list of beauties, vanished from public view.
Following that, the Xie Family completely pulled their businesses out of the Imperial Capital. As word of the affair spread through the capital’s upper circles, the Xie Family’s business plumted to the point where they couldn’t continue to operate if they didn’t leave.
Many said this was revenge from the Ling Family, but those truly in the Imperial Capital’s business circles knew it had almost nothing to do with the affair between Ling Xiao and Xie Xiaoyan.
Rather, it was a joint attack from the major rchants of the Empire!
In the past, the Xie Family and the Ling Family were on good terms. Relying on their connection with the Lings, the Xies had aggressively entered the Imperial Capital, a move that displeased many at the ti. However, because of Ling Tianxiao, even if the major rchants were unhappy, they didn’t dare to offend a general who held so much power. Moreover, in the circles of nobility, the Ling Family was an indisputably great noble house!
That thing called heritage was sothing only nobles cared about. For rchants, any great noble house was one they could not afford to offend.
Now, after several incidents between the younger generation of the Ling and Xie families, while the two families weren’t quite like fire and water, they at least no longer had any dealings with each other. In fact, so well-inford rchants had already received news that the military supplies for the army under Ling Tianxiao’s command were no longer being procured from the Xie Family... This alone was enough to tell the whole story!
The second event concerned Ling Xiao’s strength. Seemingly pushed by certain interested parties, Ling Xiao beca a wildly famous figure at the Imperial Academy. He outshone several upper-year Great Sword Masters to beco the man of the hour.
It was just that this prominent figure seed a bit too low-key, not having stepped out of his dormitory for many days. The mysteries surrounding Ling Xiao had already beco the subject of rampant speculation. So even said he spent his days entangled with his two beautiful maids, their nights filled with song and revelry. Ling Xiao rely dismissed these rumors with a laugh and paid them no mind.
"Viscount Ling Xiao, here are the herbs you requested. There were a few we really couldn’t find. We’ve already posted bounties through the Adventurer’s Guild and the major auction houses. As soon as they are found, we will deliver them to you imdiately."
A plain-looking, middle-aged man looked at Ling Xiao with a humble expression, his attitude surprisingly respectful.
He was His Majesty the King’s confidant, so of course he knew what these herbs were for. And judging by His Majesty’s reaction after taking the dicine, the effects were excellent! According to the King’s personal Imperial Physician, if this continued, His Majesty’s strength would be restored to its forr level of a Tier Two Demon Swordsman by the ti of the Blast Fla Lion King Festival at the end of the year!
As confidants of His Majesty, their well-being was tied to the old King’s. Therefore, their respect for Ling Xiao, the one who was curing His Majesty, ca from the bottom of their hearts! Otherwise, with his strength as a Tier One Demon Swordsman and his status as Captain of the Royal Guard, how could he possibly hold a re youth in such high regard, even if he was a Duke’s son?
"Captain Hong Feng, thank you!" Ling Xiao calmly looked at the large pile of dicinal herbs that had appeared before him. The vast majority of these were ingredients that would be enough to drive even powerful cultivators in the Cultivation Realm mad with greed! He was already blooming with joy on the inside, thinking to himself that the monarch of a nation in this Mortal World was truly powerful! No wonder those Cultivation Sects of old liked to foster their own forces in the Mortal World; it was indeed far faster than searching for things by oneself!
As if suddenly enlightened, Ling Xiao thought back to his previous journey to the Vendia Holy Mountain in search of the Purple Blue Fruit. The act seed... a bit foolish now! But he didn’t regret it. If he hadn’t gone, he wouldn’t have obtained this Snow Mountain Lightning Falcon egg, nor would his Storage Ring still be filled with those Purple Blue Fruits!
Although every matter had its pros and cons, overall, if he had such a powerful organization at his service, his path of cultivation would surely beco much easier!
For a mont, Ling Xiao’s interest in cultivating his own forces surged dramatically!
"Then I will take my leave!" Hong Feng said with a grateful expression, giving Ling Xiao a nod as he prepared to depart. He always chose to co late at night when all was quiet, his movents extrely secretive.
"Alright. Captain Hong, please co again tomorrow. Although not all the herbs are here, we have most of what’s needed. I will refine a larger batch at once. His Majesty the King should take one pill every three days. By the Blast Fla Lion King Festival at the end of the year, he should be completely without worry!" Ling Xiao had beco familiar with Hong Feng and had a good impression of this loyal and righteous man. He didn’t mind telling him in advance; even if he didn’t, the imperial physicians would be able to figure it out anyway.
"The dicine that suppresses Inner Strength fluctuations..." Hong Feng was almost at the door when he suddenly turned back to ask. For the past few days, while taking the Antitoxic Pills, the old King had also been taking this elixir. After consuming it, he appeared no different than before. Even the two Sword Sect masters by the old King’s side couldn’t sense any change!
"Don’t worry, I’ll give it to you along with the rest!"
After Ling Xiao spoke, Hong Feng nodded heavily, turned, and left. Ling Xiao had Chunlan and Qiuyue close the door, then stared at the pile of herbs with shining eyes. The imnse happiness he felt was probably sothing no one else in this world could share with him. But what did that matter?
Suddenly, a tremor ran through his heart. Ling Xiao imdiately returned to his room and took out the Snow Mountain Lightning Falcon egg. Seeing that many of the Magic Beast Crystal Cores in his ring were still left, he figured it must have reached its absorption limit.
The mont he took out the Magic Beast Egg and held it in his palm, a joyous feeling was imdiately transmitted to his heart.
Ling Xiao was delighted. This little thing, after consuming a fortune, was finally about to hatch!
With the first, barely perceptible crack on the shell, more and more fissures slowly appeared across its surface. He could even hear the faint sound of pecking from within.
"Peck, peck..."
Ling Xiao watched the egg nervously, his heart filled with anticipation.
Finally, a sharp, golden beak broke through the shell. With a crisp cracking sound, the entire eggshell shattered. A strange, very ugly bird, its body still slick and wet, broke out of its shell!
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