Section 11: Hatching the Heavenly Fox Egg

As the Sea Burst Crocodile continuously inhaled the water essence, its form expanded, and its cultivation base steadily increased.

"Five years of cultivation." Shu Da's breathing grew heavy; five years of cultivation was already the watershed between the mediocre and the excellent.

"Six years of cultivation!" He grew agitated. It was truly worthy of being a Sea Burst Crocodile.

But it had not stopped yet. His eyes shone with excitement as he shouted, "Seven years of cultivation!"

By now, the Sea Burst Crocodile stood half the height of a man. Its claws and teeth glinted with a cold light, and its ferocious aura grew even more intense. It seemed satiated, and the speed at which it inhaled the essence slowed down, yet it continued nonetheless.

"Eight years of cultivation!" Shu Da was so exhilarated he nearly jumped. At the final moment, the Sea Burst Crocodile had finally surged to eight years of cultivation. Without a doubt, this was a potential for growth that was absolutely superior!

Feeling a tight connection form in his heart with the Sea Burst Crocodile, Shu Da laughed heartily: "I am truly a genius!"

His emotions were so intense that he suddenly felt lightheaded, the world spinning around him. Just as he was about to collapse, a surge of spiritual energy was transmitted back from the Sea Burst Crocodile.

Deep blue water-attribute spiritual energy quickly flowed through Shu Da's entire body. He shuddered, feeling as if he had consumed a potent tonic; the sense of weakness was swept away, and he instantly became full of vigor.

"Your skin is lovely, truly supple!" Within the lowered bed curtains, Shu Er was currently mounted on his personal maid, his hands kneading her full, tender breasts at will.

He made smacking sounds, his eyes flashing with lust, his lower body thrusting incessantly, completely disregarding the tears in the maid's eyes and her deliberately stifled sobs.

"That fellow Shu Da has no appreciation for romance. Such a fine maid, and he wouldn't even know how to enjoy her! Hmm? Why is there such a racket outside?" He asked with displeasure, his voice dripping with lewdness.

A servant's reply came immediately from outside the door: "Reporting to the Second Young Master, the First Young Master has successfully hatched his beast egg. Furthermore, the beast egg has extremely high aptitude; upon its first inhalation of essence, it surged straight to eight years of cultivation."

"What? He actually snatched the lead!" Shu Er's movements stiffened, a sharp, cold light flashing in his eyes.

"Damn it!" He cursed viciously, though the speed of his thrusts only grew faster. The maid beneath him bit her lip, in the depths of agony.

After a blink of an eye, Shu Er's movements came to a sudden halt, a look of mixed debauchery, relief, and heavenly bliss appearing on his face.

"Ah..."

He sighed deeply, then donned a robe. He hurriedly retrieved his own beast egg.

A short while later.

"Five years of cultivation... seven years of cultivation, eight years of cultivation! Hahaha, my Green Fang Snake also has eight years of cultivation. Someone, go quickly and tell Mother this great news!" Shu Er looked at the grass-green serpent coiled at his feet, his face full of wild joy.

Truly, the heavens did not fail me!

"Shu Da's Sea Burst Crocodile is a water-attribute beast. Water generates wood, and my Green Fang Snake is precisely a wood-attribute beast! Shu Da, oh Shu Da, although you were born a moment before me, you are as stupid as an ox. The position of City Lord will definitely be mine, it definitely will!"

At this moment, Shu Er was full of confidence, his ambition surging, his entire body boiling with excitement.

The mountain looked close, but the horse would die of exhaustion before reaching it.

By the time Chu Yun climbed the nameless volcano, it was already past midnight. The moonlight was like water, illuminating the path ahead as bright as white jade. Following the memories of his past life, he successfully found the cave he remembered.

This cave was located halfway up the nameless volcano. The interior was not particularly dark, as the special texture of the rocks provided a reddish-brown glimmer. Upon entering, Chu Yun felt a warmth distinct from the outside. The familiar scene filled him with an instinctive sense of intimacy.

He ventured deeper, and the temperature rose. At the bottom of the cave, he saw a hot spring just as he had hoped. Steam billowed from the pool, which was of a moderate size. More importantly, the water in the pool was flowing.

Chu Yun was delighted; with this hot spring, he would save himself countless troubles.

Next, he performed some tasks, such as sprinkling the Tasteless Powder near the cave entrance and using the Iron Vine Hemp Rope to set up simple traps to serve as warnings.

Afterward, he did not rush to hatch the egg. Instead, he chose a flat spot and settled down to sleep.

He possessed the memories of his past life, so he naturally understood all the precautions needed during the hatching process. Though he was anxious at heart, he tempered his patience and planned to proceed slowly.

The moon set and the sun rose, the sky brightened, and the forest welcomed a vibrant morning. Crisp birdsong rang out in waves, like the pleasant melody of a flute.

Chu Yun awoke.

He stretched his body thoroughly and began to limber up. After this sleep, he felt extremely refreshed, and his physical strength had returned to its peak.

Taking out his dry rations, he ate until he was eighty percent full before officially beginning the incubation of the Supreme Heavenly Fox Egg.

The first step: cleansing.

The purpose of cleansing was to remove any foreign odors. Newborn beasts were exceptionally sensitive and were particularly prone to remembering the first person they saw; his appearance, scent, and more would be deeply etched into the beast's mind.

Cleansing, removing odors, and restoring one's natural scent could establish a more solid and intimate bond between the human and the beast.

The greatest taboo was for a person to carry the scent of others. Therefore, before hatching the egg, one must never engage in overly intimate physical contact with anyone else.

Chu Yun had fought a battle the previous night and trekked through the mountains; he carried the smell of blood, mountain stone, and vegetation—a complex and heavy mixture that completely masked his own scent. Cleansing his body was the top priority.

In this regard, the hot spring in the cave was the best choice. There was a mountain stream nearby, but after traveling between it and the cave, he would inevitably pick up other scents along the way.

Chu Yun removed his clothes, which were stained with mud, moss, and blood, and tossed them far away. He stepped into the hot spring and began to wash carefully.

The water temperature was pleasant, soothing his entire body like a gentle touch. The curling steam caused Chu Yun's pores to open wide, and a feeling of extreme comfort rose from his heart.

He meticulously scrubbed every corner of his body—his hair tips, scalp, ears, nostrils, and so on—leaving not a speck of grime behind.

His physique was more slender than the obese Shu Da and slightly more robust than the gaunt Shu Er. The body of a thirteen-year-old boy had soft, smooth skin, and his muscle lines possessed a streamlined beauty. Although half-hidden by the steam, a youthful aura, slightly immature yet rich and fragrant, radiated from him, showing a vibrant and flourishing vitality.

He spent over half an hour scrubbing himself three times over, ensuring everything was perfect, before finally stepping out of the spring, satisfied.

Donning the new clothes he had prepared, Chu Yun shed his previous bedraggled appearance, looking entirely refreshed. He was naturally handsome to begin with, and in this simple, pale-white linen garment, anyone who saw him would surely sigh, "How wonderful it is to be young."

He no longer carried any foreign odors, radiating only the warmth of the water vapor.

However, even these vapors did not satisfy Chu Yun. He waited patiently until the moisture had completely evaporated before proceeding to the next step.

The second step: washing the egg.

Monster beast eggs are often covered in grime and filth on their shells, necessitating a thorough cleaning. Once a monster beast hatches, the shattered shell serves as the young creature's first and best meal.

Food, naturally, must be hygienic and cleaned properly.

In a short while, the dirty water in the hot spring drained away, replaced by a flow of clear, fresh water. Using this warm spring water, Chu Yun carefully and meticulously washed the Heavenly Fox Egg.

With the egg washed, it was time for the third step—selecting the location.

Choosing the site for a monster beast egg to hatch is a matter of great importance. Locations rich in primordial energy are ideal, whereas densely populated areas like villages or towns, while bustling with human activity, are typically lacking in primordial energy and thus not the best choice.

Conversely, places rarely visited by humans—forests, grasslands, and the vast ocean—are teeming with primordial energy and make excellent incubation sites. Certain unique monster beast eggs have extremely strict environmental requirements; they will not hatch unless the conditions are specific. Forcing an incubation in such cases would only kill the creature inside.

The cave where Chu Yun was currently staying, for instance, was situated on the mountainside of an unnamed volcano and backed by a forest. It was rich in fire-type primordial energy, and beyond that, it contained abundant earth-type, wood-type, water-type, and trace amounts of free-floating metal-type primordial energy.

It was countless times better than Shu Family City.

The fourth step: building the nest.

Constructing an incubation nest is a step that varies from egg to egg. Some monster beast eggs have particularly complex, even difficult, requirements. However, Chu Yun's Heavenly Fox Egg did not fall into that category.

He took out fifty pieces of Baleful Earth Stone and arranged them into a stone pile, forming a circular, tray-like structure.

Baleful Earth Stone can convert surrounding primordial energy, transforming fire-type energy into water-type, or earth-type into metal-type. It is the primary material for nest-building.

Generally speaking, about thirty pieces of Baleful Earth Stone would suffice. But Chu Yun reasoned that he would rather waste a few stones to ensure everything was done to perfection, allowing the newborn Heavenly Fox to absorb the most abundant primordial energy possible.

Beyond the primary material of Baleful Earth Stone, there were auxiliary materials.

This was where the bag of Snow Sand gifted by Grandpa Red Spear came in handy. Snow Sand is a rare material, white and crystalline, possessing the property of being warm, moist, and spiritually resonant. Using it allows one to better and more quickly connect with the spirit of the monster beast.

After pouring out the entire bag of Snow Sand, Chu Yun was pleased to find that it was exactly the right amount.

Next, the fifth step—dripping blood.

In human society, there is the concept of blood-testing for kinship. Dripping blood is a crucial step in establishing a connection, refining a monster beast egg, and making the beast one's own.

The more refined the blood used, the better the effect. The best blood in a person's body is the heart-blood. However, this does not mean one must literally cut open their chest and dig out their heart to drip the blood.

Generally, a Spirit Beast Master will bite their finger to draw blood. As the saying goes, the ten fingers are connected to the heart; thus, such blood is also considered heart-blood.

However, the method Chu Yun employed was not this. He bit the tip of his tongue, holding a mouthful of vital essence blood. A person must think with their heart before using their tongue to speak; therefore, the blood on the tongue is also heart-blood. Furthermore, because the tongue is soft and possesses vitality, it is more vivid and warm than the blood from a finger.

It is just that ordinary Spirit Beast Masters do not bite their tongues to use tongue-tip blood when hatching eggs. This is because using this method is far more painful than biting a finger. A bitten finger can be bandaged and kept from use, but the tongue cannot; it must be used for eating and speaking.

In his past life, Chu Yun did not use tongue-tip blood, but rather fingertip blood. However, since his rebirth, his mindset had undergone a subtle change. He wanted to do everything to perfection to make up for the regrets of the past.

Then again, to refine a top-tier monster beast egg, using tongue-tip blood was only appropriate.