Help Your Brother Choose a Cultivation Partner

"You brat, you got it wrong. Isn't this just an egg... Wait!"

Zhang Guangli, who had not cared in the least, narrowed his eyes and snatched the egg from Zhang Xuanchen's hands.

He carefully examined the fine patterns on the eggshell.

His expression grew ever more shocked.

Spiritual energy coiled around it, and more faint patterns emerged—enough to prove this egg was anything but ordinary.

After three days, the egg had undergone considerable changes.

It had grown to the size of an ostrich egg.

As a strand of spiritual energy entered it, Zhang Guangli suddenly burst into laughter.

His voice was thunderous; even Zhang Xuanlong, herding cattle several li away, heard it.

"Hahaha! Such vigorous life force! Even the egg of a Purple Cloud Eagle that can grow to the Second Order Peak doesn't have life force this strong!

"Xiao Chen, this is good stuff! Your luck is simply beyond compare! If I'm not mistaken, this is the egg of a Golden Core Realm Yao Beast!

"However, my abilities are limited, and I can't tell what kind of Yao Beast it is. Your luck truly is incredible!"

Zhang Guangli held the egg in one hand while wildly shaking the youth's body with the other.

His expression was feverish.

Zhang Xuanchen felt as though his brains had been shaken into paste.

He raised a hand to stop him. "Thirteenth Grandfather, you're about to shake me to death."

Only then did Zhang Guangli realize that his actions were damaging his image. He immediately coughed twice.

His expression turned solemn. "Xiao Chen, how do you plan to deal with this egg?"

"Of course I'll hand it over to the Zhang Clan. My goal is to become a Nascent Soul True Lord, even a Spirit Transformation Great Power. An Yao Beast egg that can only grow to the Golden Core Realm? I don't think much of it." Zhang Xuanchen waved a hand without the slightest hesitation.

Zhang Guangli chuckled. "You brat, you're actually looking down on Golden Core now. Still, with your talent, you really do have a chance of breaking through to the Nascent Soul.

"But don't aim too high and forget where your feet are. You must keep your feet on the ground.

"As for this egg, I'll find a way to hatch it and wait for a fated junior to exchange Contribution Points for it and form a contract.

"Everyone has seen your contributions to the Zhang Clan. You are also a future pillar of the Lineage. If you need anything, go directly to the treasury and take it. No one will object. I have nothing much with which to reward you, but I will inform the Clan Leader of this matter."

Zhang Xuanchen said seriously, "As a descendant of the Zhang Clan, enjoying the Lineage's protection, I should naturally make whatever contributions I can."

After his Wind Fire Dual Spiritual Root had been tested, he received the Zhang Clan's highest standard of cultivation resources. He cultivated a Golden Core Cultivation Method and had not needed to spend any Contribution Points.

One had to know that the Lineage only made Qi Refining cultivation methods and First-tier Spells available to its members.

To cultivate the higher Foundation Establishment techniques and Second-tier Spells, one needed to exchange Contribution Points.

Naturally, the prices had all been reduced to the lowest possible level.

Take the Foundation Establishment Pill as an example.

A Low-grade Foundation Establishment Pill cost around twenty thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones. At an Auction or during special periods, the price could rise to thirty or forty thousand.

But within the Lineage, one could exchange fifteen thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones or ten thousand Family Contribution Points for a Foundation Establishment Pill.

That was the difference between descendants of a Lineage and Rogue Cultivators.

Of course, Spirit Stones could not be directly exchanged for Contribution Points, but spirit herbs, medicinal pills, magical artifacts, and Spirit Talismans could.

Over the years, Zhang Xuanchen had greatly propelled the Zhang Family's development, while the Zhang Family had provided him with the greatest convenience.

The two had long since become inseparable.

He had not hesitated at all about handing this egg over to the Zhang Clan.

After all, no matter who formed a contract with it, it would increase the Zhang Family's strength.

Seeing Zhang Xuanchen like this, Zhang Guangli felt immensely gratified and laughed heartily.

"Hahaha! Good! If the Zhang Family stands united as one, then one day we may well become a Nascent Soul Lineage, or even a Spirit Transformation Lineage!"

Whoosh!

As the two spoke, a streak of light came hurtling toward them.

The young man on the sword wore a terrified expression, his body swaying from side to side.

When he was still several dozen meters away, he fell straight to the ground with a bang, landing face-first in the dirt.

Seeing the youth's appearance, Zhang Xuanchen laughed loudly.

"Hahaha, Fourth Brother, your Sword Control Technique still needs work! Hahaha."

The young man climbed to his feet, patted the dust from his clothes, and rolled his eyes. "The Sword Control Technique is the hardest First-tier Spell to cultivate. Do you think everyone has comprehension as astonishing as yours?"

The youth was named Zhang Xuntong. He was twenty-one years old, at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, fourth among the Xuan Generation, and possessed Four Spiritual Roots.

Zhang Guangli naturally had the ability to catch Zhang Xuntong just now.

But he had not done so.

Who had not fallen a few times while cultivating the Sword Control Technique?

Could one master the Sword Control Technique without taking a few falls?

"Xuntong, is something the matter? You even used the Sword Control Technique you just started learning."

Suppressing his amusement, Zhang Guangli looked at Zhang Xuntong.

"Thirteenth Grandfather, the Clan Leader asked me to notify Seventh Brother and have him come over."

Within the Lineage, unless it was a formal occasion or outsiders were present, they did not address one another by official titles. It helped draw the descendants closer together.

Hearing this, Zhang Guangli said, "Just so happens I also have something to explain to the Clan Leader. Xuntong, I'll have to trouble you to throw all the pills in this pouch into Moon Gazing Lake to feed the fish.

"The Spirit Beast Garden is spacious enough for you to fall... no, to cultivate your Sword Control Technique."

Before he even finished speaking, Zhang Guangli grabbed Zhang Xuanchen by the collar and vanished from the spot.

Leaving Zhang Xuntong alone, utterly bewildered in the wind.

Meanwhile, at the Clan Leader's Small Courtyard.

Zhang Hongzhan and a cold, stern young man dressed in blue robes sat beside a white jade table.

Before his own father, Zhang Xuanbing did not use the Breath Concealment Technique.

Looking at his eldest son, Zhang Hongzhan sighed.

"Twenty-one years old, Foundation Establishment Middle Stage! Xuanbing, in just over ten years, your cultivation is nearly surpassing your father's.

"This talent truly makes others envious. In a few more years, I should retire and let you become the Zhang Clan Patriarch."

Zhang Xuanbing replied, "Without the Lineage's nurturing and protection, I could not have achieved what I have today.

"As for the position of Clan Leader, Father, you know me. I have no interest in it, nor do I have any talent for management. It would also affect my cultivation.

"When Xiao Chen is a little older, let him take it."

Good heavens, for a moment it was impossible to tell whether he loved his little brother or was setting him up!

Zhang Hongzhan helplessly shook his head.

In other lineages, people would fight until their heads were split and blood flowed for the position of Clan Leader.

Yet everyone in the Zhang Family shirked it. They understood the position clearly: aside from cultivation, it meant handling clan affairs and socializing with the leaders of other lineages.

There was not even the slightest chance to go out and have fun. It was terribly troublesome.

He had already approached many descendants qualified to become Clan Leader, but all of them had declined, saying it would affect their cultivation.

His eldest son had a cold and detached personality. Aside from cultivation and matters concerning Zhang Xuanchen, nothing else mattered to him.

He was a little better toward fellow clan members.

Toward outsiders, other than that eternally frozen, ice-block face, he showed no other expression.

Getting him to speak of his own accord was harder than a Five-element Spiritual Root breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

Just as Zhang Hongzhan was about to say something, Zhang Guangli and Zhang Xuanchen appeared in the Small Courtyard.

"Oh, Xuanbing is here too? Good heavens, your cultivation has already caught up to this old man's."

Sensing the spiritual energy fluctuations radiating from Zhang Xuanbing, Zhang Guangli said in shock.

Zhang Xuanchen was not surprised. A Heavenly Spirit Root cultivated faster—that was perfectly normal.

He asked in confusion, "Father, Brother, why did you call me here?"

Zhang Hongzhan glanced at Zhang Xuanbing and smiled. "It's nothing much. We just want you to help your brother choose a Cultivation Partner."