The Egg Incident

Along the way, Little One fought countless bloody battles. When he couldn't win, he ran. In less than ten days, he had become a little savage, covered in the blood of vicious birds and beasts, with no time even to wash.

Shi Lin hadn't done much to help Little One. That was also to toughen him up and keep him from relying on Shi Lin.

He only helped when Little One's life was in danger.

Actually, Shi Lin and Little One were about evenly matched in strength. It was just that Shi Lin possessed the heaven-defying Undying Art, which could raise his strength by a large margin. He could generally be invincible among those in the Cave Heaven Realm.

Little One raced onward, stopping only to eat and rest. The mountains were far too dangerous; there was no time to waste. He had to save his strength and stay sharp.

After that, he suffered a serious injury. He had gone to look for water when a Crocodile Dragon suddenly burst out of a frigid pool and pounced on him. Its runes revolved, suppressing everything around it, and it nearly killed him.

At the time, Shi Lin happened to be away from Little One. He was fighting a Heavenly Star Ape.

He sensed that Little One was in danger and rushed toward him at top speed.

It was the worst injury Little One had ever suffered. Even his powerful body was torn to pieces, his bones exposed. Under the secret power of the Crocodile Dragon's runes, he had nearly been crushed to death.

In the end, the Crocodile Dragon wanted a meal and tried to swallow Little One. That gave him an opening. With a swing of one arm, he unleashed a hundred and eight thousand jin of divine strength. When it came close, he tore off one of the Crocodile Dragon's forelegs, leaving it dripping with blood that stained the frigid pool red.

Taking advantage of the opening, he leaped up and stomped on the Crocodile Dragon's head, cracking it. He nearly kicked it to pieces.

The Crocodile Dragon writhed in agony, then plunged into the frigid pool. Little One took the chance to escape and ran toward the distance.

The Unicorn heard the commotion and swiftly galloped over. It carried him away from the area, helping him evade a deadly calamity.

The Crocodile Dragon was extremely vicious. After the pain passed, it burst out of the water and spat. A burst of rosy light erupted from its mouth, sweeping a mountain peak flat in an instant.

Just then, Shi Lin arrived. He used the Undying Art, then summoned a gigantic Suanni.

Before the giant crocodile could react, the Suanni brought down a heavenly thunder tribulation and struck it to pieces.

The tribulation shattered its flesh, sending blood and thunder exploding into the air.

When the rain had stopped, the ground was covered in red and ash.

"Whew!" Shi Lin put away the Indestructible Golden Light and caught up with Little One.

"Are you all right, Little One?" Shi Lin asked anxiously.

Little One was terribly weak. In some places, his bones were exposed.

"I-I'm all right." Little One forced out a faint smile.

"Let's find somewhere safe and treat your wounds." Shi Lin supported Little One, then climbed onto Little White and rode off.

Over the next several days, Furball found all sorts of strange fruits. In a rare display of generosity, it even bit through its own skin and squeezed out three drops of golden blood for Little One to swallow. Only then did he begin to recover.

During those few days, Shi Lin killed many birds and cooked some for Little One every day.

Little One recovered very quickly. After a few days, he was lively and full of energy again.

The golden Zhu Yan, no bigger than a fist, truly had miraculous blood. Once Little One had recovered, not even a scar remained.

Half a month later, the two of them were already two hundred thousand li from Stone Village. The Unicorn was extremely fast, and they were still about a hundred thousand li from the border of the ancient kingdom.

"Chirp, chirp..."

At dawn, while Little One was still fast asleep, Furball came running from deep within the primeval mountain range, clutching an egg as big as a stone mill. It radiated dazzling light.

Little Shi Hao heard the commotion and sat up at once, just in time to see the scene. Furball was winking and making faces, looking terribly pleased with itself. It held an egg many times larger than its own body and kept chirping happily, making for a ridiculous sight.

The translucent egg was covered in multicolored markings and dazzling hues. Rays of light shot from it one after another. It was clearly no ordinary thing; even as an egg, it already radiated a terrifying aura.

There was no doubt it was extraordinary. Little One even wondered whether it was the bloodline of a divine bird. Otherwise, why would it be so unusual?

"Did... did you steal it?"

"Chirp, chirp..." Furball protested, putting on a stern little face and patting its chest as if to say, "Do I look like that kind of creature?"

"Bad news! There's a Primordial Ferocious Beast. We have to run!" Shi Lin flew out of the forest and called to Shi Hao.

Suddenly, a terrifying bird cry rang out from deep in the mountains. The surrounding peaks shook, and a shocking killing intent surged toward them like raging waves.

Plop! Furball tossed the egg straight to Little One, then jumped onto the Unicorn's back. With no loyalty whatsoever, it tried to flee ahead of the others.

Did Little One need any more explanation? He clutched the multicolored egg, leaped up, and landed on the Unicorn's back, fleeing alongside them.

Shi Lin rode behind them on White Cloud and called out.

"Furball, you've caused trouble again!"

"Furball, you really are something!" Little One scolded.

Furball put on an innocent, skyward-looking expression and ignored them. But in the end, it secretly glanced back toward the mountains. When it saw the murderous aura sweeping over them like a storm, it lost its nerve. With a whoosh, it jumped to the ground, picked up a hard stone, and hurried back, ready to crack the egg with it.

"Ah, an egg this divine—are you really going to crack it open?" Little One hesitated.

Furball gestured as if to say, "It'll help you recover." In truth, drool was already pouring from its mouth, dripping onto the Unicorn's back.

Several dozen li away, a group of people stood in another area. At their head was a beautiful woman with an otherworldly bearing: her delicate face was fair, her eyes lively, and her figure graceful. She wore white robes that snapped in the mountain wind, as though she might ride the breeze away. Beside her stood an old woman and more than a dozen powerful figures, each extraordinary.

"Listen, that vicious bird is crying out!" The group stopped several dozen li away, on high alert and ready for battle. The woman at their head wore snow-white robes and possessed an otherworldly beauty. Her black hair was soft and lustrous, smooth as satin. Her fair, oval face showed no tension as her limpid eyes gazed toward the depths of the mountain range. "We're so far away. It shouldn't have noticed us."

From deep in the mountain range came the bird's cries, like ten thousand swords clanging together or ten thousand horses galloping. The rumbling shook the mountains, sending massive rocks tumbling down as if an earthquake had struck. That showed just how terrifying the vicious bird was.

From afar, dazzling light blazed into the sky in that direction. Its waves surged like the sea, as if an eternal divine furnace were burning between heaven and earth. It was like the birth of a deity, illuminating every direction.

"This vicious bird is descended from a Primordial Divine Bird. At first, we thought it had broken through and needed to replenish its blood and energy, so it devoured an entire tribe of several million people. Only later did we discover that it was about to lay an egg," a middle-aged man said.

"This is a powerful remnant. The blood of the Primordial Divine Bird, the Peacock King, flows through its veins. The egg it laid is extraordinary. We must obtain it. If we raise it carefully, perhaps we can bring back some of the might of the Primordial Divine King. Its precious art was once renowned as peerless!" The old woman spoke excitedly. Though she was advanced in years, she was hale and hearty, and silver runes flickered in her eyes.

Primordial Remnants like this were already rare and powerful creatures. Once their lineage and origins were traced, their eggs became even more mysterious and precious.

Obtaining a precious art from an adult Five-Colored Peacock was simply impossible. Setting aside the terrible price of capturing one, it could shatter the runes on its own body with a single thought, leaving no way to get them.

Obtaining the remains of a Suanni and discovering its original runes, as had happened in Stone Village, was exceedingly rare. It was only one of a handful of exceptional cases.

There was no way to uncover the secrets of the Primordial Divine Bird, the Peacock King, from an adult remnant. The only way was to target its egg, hatch it, and raise it by their side. Only then might they glimpse the secrets of a Primordial Divine Bird's precious art.

"Something may have gone wrong. We should hurry after it. Everyone, be careful." The woman in white's gaze shifted. Her red lips parted, revealing glistening teeth, and her voice was incredibly melodious. Her beauty was beyond compare.

"It just laid an egg, so its body is at its weakest. This is our best opportunity." Everyone nodded.

They had no idea that their fears had come true. The descendant of a Primordial Divine King had lost its egg and was now going mad, scouring the land and hunting down the egg thief.

"Little White, run! It's here!" Little One glanced back. Five-colored divine light soared into the sky, and its vigorous life force surged like waves crashing on the shore, astonishingly powerful.

A massive peacock rose from deep within the mountains. A layer of glowing mist enveloped its body, radiating five-colored light. When it spread its wings, it swept everything away, leveling the forests and Stone Mountain.

Pfft!

Furball's little paw was up to no good. It gripped the hard stone and swung with all its might, trying to crack the five-colored divine egg. The stone shattered, but the eggshell remained completely unharmed, shimmering with crystalline light.

Little One jumped in alarm. "Furball, don't mess around! That vicious bird will catch up soon. I think we should hurry up, toss the egg, and run for our lives."

The fist-sized golden Furball rolled its big eyes. It hugged the five-colored egg and turned its side to Little One, as if to say, "It's mine. Don't you dare throw it away."

Then it did something astonishing. Since the stone couldn't crack the shell, it began gnawing at it, grunting as it sank its glittering little teeth into the eggshell.

"Hey, Furball, don't bite it!" Little One yelled. This was a mysterious and powerful treasure egg. He had been pondering it: if it truly hatched, perhaps they could gain another astonishing precious art.

Now that he had the Original True Interpretation, cultivation was no problem. What he lacked most was a precious art.

Precious arts were exceedingly rare in this era. Even large tribes numbering tens of millions had only one precious art to protect their clan, along with a few minor divine abilities. It was impossible to find several more.

Crack!

To the astonishment of Little One and Shi Lin, Furball's row of pearly white teeth did the trick. The shell broke open, and five-colored divine light swirled around it as a terrifying surge of vital essence burst forth.

"Furball, you little wastrel!" Little One was furious and regretful. He grabbed it by the tail and held it upside down, but Furball still wouldn't let go. It clung to the shell with its teeth, dangling there and grinding away with all its might.

It was too late. The five-colored treasure egg had been broken open, and Little One couldn't be bothered to say anything more. After all, Furball had carried it back from deep in the mountains. It had the right to decide what to do with it.

"Smack, smack..."

Furball began sucking at it with gusto, thoroughly enjoying itself. It paid no attention to the overwhelming five-colored divine light behind it. Its little belly was round as a ball as it eagerly sucked out the egg's liquid.

A fragrant scent wafted out. The liquid inside the five-colored treasure egg was crystalline and brilliant, its fragrance filling the air. Furball ate with gusto, completely absorbed, chirping all the while.

Boom!

An endless sea of divine light swept toward them from every direction. Rocks flew everywhere, and the Unicorn was nearly lifted off its feet. If it hadn't been so fast and changed direction at once, it would have been struck by a boulder weighing tens of thousands of jin that had been hurled up by a collapsing Stone Mountain. "It's caught up!" Little One's scalp went numb. This was a Primordial Remnant, far too powerful for them to fight at their current level.

The Five-Colored Peacock hadn't seen them yet, but it knew the egg thief was in this direction. It pursued them relentlessly, enraged to the extreme.

Their only consolation was that the Unicorn ran so fast. Any other creature would have been caught in the blink of an eye. Even so, it was only a matter of time before they were caught.

The Primordial Remnant was far faster than the Unicorn. If the forest hadn't obstructed its view, it could have reached them with a single flap of its wings.

The golden Furball finally started to panic. It shoved the five-colored treasure egg into Little One's hands, then scratched its ears and cheeks, trying to use a precious art. But it strained for a long while without displaying any Three Heads and Six Arms, and cried out anxiously.

Seeing this, Little One could no longer hold back. He picked up the crystalline bird egg and started pouring it into his mouth, gulping it down without pause. In just a moment, multicolored light began to shine from his body, dazzling and radiant.

Hum! His whole body turned crystalline, covered in runes. He was about to break through and enter the next realm.

"Oh no! Willow Deity told me to suppress my cultivation for a month, so there must be a reason. It wouldn't be good to break through to that level now." Little One was startled.

He thought of the Original True Interpretation. It recorded the Primordial Demonic Bird, the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow, which could devour hundreds of millions of living beings in a single gulp and refine their blood and essence, storing them within itself until it needed to release them.

Little One had studied that diagram for a long time. Although he hadn't learned the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow's unique method for circulating runes, he had grasped some of its principles and could store his vital essence and spirit within his body.

Hum! His whole body glowed. One rune after another lit up, transforming into tiny but distinct divine furnaces that drew in the vital essence.

Every part of his body shone. One tiny but lifelike divine furnace after another took shape, glowing in every inch of his flesh and blood. They devoured the vital essence and stored it within.

"Willow Deity said that the firmer your foundation, the better when you enter the next realm. The more abundant your vital essence and spirit, the greater your accomplishments. I'm just getting ready in advance." Little One continued gulping down the liquid from the five-colored bird egg. Its crystalline luster flowed around him, and he had completely forgotten the danger, utterly absorbed in what he was doing.

"Chirp, chirp..." Furball kept calling out. Though this glutton sensed the danger behind them, it still hadn't forgotten to eat. It wanted to take the crystalline treasure egg from Little One and keep gulping it down.

The whole egg was as big as a stone mill, brilliant all over, translucent and shining, with rays of light pouring from it in every direction. More than half of the liquid inside had gone into Little One's stomach, yet his belly hadn't even grown round.

His body glowed. One rune after another lit up, drawing in the vital essence and refining the liquid into light, which it stored within those brilliant symbols.

Little One burped. He really couldn't eat any more. The egg of the descendant of the Five-Colored Divine King, a Primordial Remnant, contained far too much vital essence.

Furball snatched it away and hugged it, continuing to gulp down the liquid. Its big eyes rolled around as it peeked behind them. The Five-Colored Peacock had finally spotted them and was charging at them in a furious attack at top speed.

"A Spirit Transformation Realm Primordial Ferocious Bird, a Five-Colored Divine Bird? It seems so weak."

"Why don't you let me use it to practice?" Shi Lin told White Cloud to hide, then leaped off its back and flew toward the rear.

"Little One, you two go on ahead! Don't worry about me!" Shi Lin shouted.

"But—" Little One lowered the bird egg.

"Trust me!" Shi Lin said.

Little One paused. He trusted Shi Lin.

"Okay!"

"Little White, charge ahead!" Little One shouted.

They raced up a towering mountain. Below them, a great river roared, its waters more than ten li wide. The waves surged magnificently, and the water thundered with an astonishing roar.

What's more, the river was frighteningly black. They could feel the chill from far away, and not a single living creature was anywhere nearby.