An Earthquake?

Only after every last drop of porridge in the pot had been shared out was breakfast finally over.

Li Fan smiled. Nan Feng and Ziling, those two little girls, looked so delicate and ladylike. Who would've thought they were such foodies?

Even Little White had been led astray by them. Today, she'd actually eaten two bowls of porridge.

He suddenly began to worry. Would Little White turn into a fat cat?

After the meal, he brewed a pot of tea and brought it out. He sat down in a stone chair, completely at ease, holding a handful of Corn kernels and occasionally scattering a few toward the free-range chickens.

The chickens milled around the Corn kernels.

"Big Sister... I-I feel like there's something strange about these chickens..."

Ziling watched the chickens, her big eyes growing dizzy.

Those chickens were clearly no ordinary beasts. Just looking at them made her feel oppressed!

"I don't know... But whatever the teacher raises can't be ordinary. They might even be some kind of divine beast. Haven't you noticed? The teacher feeds the chickens holy medicine..."

Nan Feng spoke with a complicated expression.

Comparing yourself to others could drive you mad.

Back at the holy land, they'd been considered prodigies, and in their day-to-day lives, they'd enjoyed a certain sense of superiority. After all, they'd had access to the sect's better resources.

Compared with ordinary forces, they'd practically stood above everyone else, out of reach.

But now, Senior Li's casually raised cat and flock of chickens... ate better than even the Supremes of their holy land.

If word got out, who knew how many Supremes would drop dead from sheer fury?

Still, when she thought of how she and Ziling had become this senior's disciples and gained such tremendous Immortal Destiny, she felt a rush of excitement.

"You're full, so it's time to practice. Ziling, your task today is to draw this egg!"

Li Fan reached into the chicken coop, pulled out an egg as big as his fist, and handed it to Ziling.

Ziling took the "egg," but stared at it blankly.

Senior Li called this an egg?

Nan Feng was just as shocked. She murmured, "This egg contains boundless fire spiritual energy, like a dormant volcano. And there are faint phoenix patterns on the shell... What kind of egg is this?"

"I feel like I'm holding a Supreme in my hands..."

Ziling was nearly on the verge of tears. What kind of ferocious beast had laid this egg? It hadn't even hatched, and it was already terrifying...

The worst part was that earlier, while they were eating porridge, Senior Li had apparently said that the chickens hadn't been laying eggs lately, so they'd had to make vegetable porridge instead...

Senior Li ate eggs like this all the time...

What kind of terrifying creatures did he keep as egg-laying hens?

"What's wrong? Don't you want to?"

Seeing Ziling standing there in a daze, Li Fan frowned and said, "The most important thing in painting is the fundamentals. And the fundamentals are about seeing through appearances to the essence. If you can draw a simple egg millions of times, honing your skills with each attempt, then you should be able to understand whatever you're painting inside and out."

"Only then will you have mastered the fundamentals."

He patiently instructed her. This girl Ziling had a certain knack for it, and since he'd taken her as a disciple, he had to take responsibility for her.

At his words, Ziling quickly nodded. "Ziling understands."

She set up rice paper, brushes, and ink on the stone table nearby, placed the "free-range chicken egg" in front of her, and began to study it and paint.

"Nan Feng, pour your master some tea, then play a tune."

Li Fan lounged in his seat and spoke contentedly.

Nan Feng immediately came forward and respectfully poured Li Fan a cup of tea. The curling steam instantly calmed her thoughts.

She respectfully brought the tea to Li Fan, then went to one side and began to play.

In the Small Courtyard, beneath the peach tree, Li Fan leisurely sipped his tea.

At his side, a beautiful woman played a tune.

Before him, a young girl painted.

Li Fan suddenly felt a deep sense of contentment. Even the strongest cultivators might not have a life as happy as his.

A long while later, Nan Feng finished her tune, and Ziling had covered a sheet of rice paper with drawings of the egg.

Li Fan gave them both a few pointers. His words were like a sudden awakening, and both girls came away with much to gain.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

"Xiao Li, open up! I brought you some meat!"

At that, Li Fan got up and opened the door.

Aunt Zhang stood outside, carrying the hind leg of some animal he couldn't identify.

"What's this?"

Li Fan looked puzzled.

Aunt Zhang smiled. "Xiao Li, listen, there was an earthquake last night!"

"You wouldn't believe it. So many mountains collapsed. We woke up to find the whole world turned upside down. But our Small Mountain Village didn't budge an inch—not a single thing moved. Isn't that amazing? And a bunch of birds and beasts from the mountains ended up dead right by the village!"

"Those birds and beasts are top-quality game, and their meat's delicious. Too bad their hides and flesh were so tough that everyone's steel knives broke trying to cut them. Luckily, you made me a kitchen knife earlier. That thing worked like a charm—I cut right through. So I brought you a hind leg."

Li Fan was stunned.

An... earthquake?

Behind him, Ziling and Nan Feng were even more shocked!

An earthquake? Could it have been the Cangli Mountain Range?

Had something major happened there?

And the leg Aunt Zhang was carrying... Why did it look a little like the leg of the legendary Golden Beast...?

"Thanks, Aunt Zhang. If there was an earthquake, I should go take a look too."

Li Fan took the meat Aunt Zhang had brought and casually hung it on the wall nearby.

He'd never been fond of eating wild game, but he could use it to feed the cat. Thinking of that, he stroked Little White and said, "You're in for a treat tonight."

Bai Xiaoqing had been staring at the leg in a daze. When she heard Li Fan's words, she was instantly thrilled.

Meow, meow, meow... Was it true?

Other people might not recognize it, but Bai Xiaoqing knew exactly what it was. That leg belonged to the legendary Golden Beast!

The Golden Beast was said to possess a trace of the Qilin's bloodline!

It could be considered a divine beast!

If she could get her hands on the flesh of such a divine beast, it would be of tremendous benefit to her!

Unable to help herself, she rubbed her head against Li Fan.

"Come on, let's go take a look."

Li Fan then left the Small Courtyard and headed toward the place Aunt Zhang had described, where the carcasses of birds and beasts lay scattered.

Meanwhile.

At the outskirts of the Cangli Mountain Range.

Imperial Sky Ships flickered in and out of sight. An unknown number of major forces had already arrived.

The auras of Supremes appeared in the sky from time to time.

Aboard one of the ships.

An old man with a long flute strapped to his back gazed ahead.

He was deep in thought.

"Senior Brother Tie Ming, the Cangli Mountain Range has truly opened. The sacred treasure our Ancestor left behind is bound to emerge!"

An old man with a paintbrush tucked into his belt came over. A fervent gleam shone in his aged eyes.

"But don't forget: only young people can obtain the sacred treasure our Ancestor left behind."

Tie Ming spoke in a low voice.

"Your disciples and mine are both first-rate in the holy land. Who could possibly compare to them?"

The old man with the paintbrush gave a disdainful laugh.

"Have you forgotten? Old Mo's two disciples arrived here several days ago. Old Mo may have passed away, but those two disciples of his are no pushovers. In the Qin Dao and the Way of Painting, they rank among the best of the younger generation in the holy land."

Tie Ming said.

"Two puny Spirit Severing Stage cultivators without a Supreme to protect them anymore—what kind of storm could they stir up?"

The old man with the paintbrush sneered. He waved toward the back of the ship and said, "Ao Ming, Zhu Xin, take some people and go find Nan Feng and Ziling. It's time they went to meet their master!"

At the rear of the ship, a man and a woman immediately nodded respectfully. "Yes, Master!"