Sea Crocodile, Grass Snake, Fire Fox, Mysterious Secrets Within the Demonic Beast Egg

Three weeks later, Shu Family Island.

The Earth Altar, the coming-of-age ceremony.

"Choose your eggs." The Earth Altar beastmaster had graying temples and a slightly hunched frame. He stood with his hands behind his back, watching the three youths before him in silence. Though aged, his presence was formidable, radiating a faint, oppressive pressure.

Now.

Laid out before Chu Yun and the others were three beast eggs.

The one on the left was the size of a washbasin and pale blue all over. The shell looked like stone, and if one listened closely, a faint sound of tides could be heard emanating from within.

The one in the center was the size of a rice bowl and deep green. The shell had a sheen that gave it an oily, lubricated feel. Its surface was dotted with tiny black spots. If one sniffed it carefully, one could even catch the fresh scent of green grass.

The one on the right was also the size of a rice bowl. The base of the shell was as white as snow, evenly distributed with bright red flame-like markings the size of a fingernail. At a glance, it looked like fresh flowers in full bloom, and a sense of warmth immediately arose.

Chu Yun's pitch-black, bright eyes were as calm as a deep pool. His heart surged with emotion, but his gaze swept over the first two eggs and paused almost imperceptibly on the one to the right. The expression on his face remained as indifferent as ever.

When the beastmaster's gaze fell upon Chu Yun, even he, a man who had weathered many storms, felt a secret sense of wonder. Chu Yun possessed a composure and presence far beyond his thirteen years. In contrast, the two youths beside him displayed the restlessness and hesitation typical of their age in both expression and demeanor.

Like the customs of other islands, Shu Family Island held a unique coming-of-age ceremony every year for thirteen-year-olds who possessed the aptitude to become beastmasters.

The island would select a batch of high-quality beast eggs acquired throughout the year and provide them for the youths to choose from.

In the subsequent stages, they would not only have to successfully hatch the beasts from their eggs but also learn how to feed them, command them in battle, and subdue them.

In this world, beasts represented power. The coming-of-age ceremony marked the moment youths left behind their carefree childhoods to formally embark on a path of responsibility. Their performance at the ceremony would determine their future prospects.

The ceremony was of great importance. It was a turning point in life. Countless powerhouses had started here, gradually rising above the rest to become figures who dominated the world.

Although thirteen-year-olds were mentally mature, they had yet to be truly tempered. Facing such a momentous occasion, restlessness and doubt were inevitable. Yet, Chu Yun's display of indifference caused even the highly experienced beastmaster to glance at him sideways, silently praising him in his heart: He is truly worthy of being the adopted son taken in by the Island Master!

"Damn it! Mother already scouted the origins of these eggs for us. She told us to pick the Sea Burst Crocodile and the Green Fang Snake eggs. But how are we supposed to know which is which?"

"Exactly. Besides those two, there's also a Fire Fox egg. If I end up picking that Fire Fox egg, my life will be ruined. And if it just ends up benefiting that brat Chu Yun for nothing, I'll be so frustrated!"

Beside Chu Yun, the two youths were whispering to each other.

"It's hateful that we can't ask the old man. Scouting these egg types was already against the rules. This ceremony is so unreasonable—they should have just labeled the beast names so we could pick them directly!"

"It's all your fault for not studying properly. Now, you can't even tell the eggs apart."

"Are you blaming me? You're the same! If you've got the guts, you pick first!"

Before the eggs were even chosen, the two youths began to bicker, their voices growing louder and louder.

"Shh, keep it down! What are you arguing about? Aren't you afraid someone else will hear us?!"

"You're the one with the loud mouth, and you're criticizing me?!"

The two were at each other's throats, neither willing to yield.

The beastmaster heard them and shook his head slightly, sighing inwardly: With your little tricks, I could hear your whispers even from outside the Earth Altar. Sigh, the Island Master is brilliant and mighty; how could he have two such blockheads for sons? No wonder some people doubt whether they are his biological children...

This year's ceremony on Shu Family Island was somewhat special.

Not only were there only three youths who met the criteria on the entire island, but all three were the Island Master's sons. Chu Yun was the adopted son, while Shu Da and Shu Er were the biological heirs.

Though they shared similar features, Shu Da was as fat as a pig and had a volatile temper, while Shu Er was as thin as a rail and radiated a sinister aura.

In the midst of their argument, Shu Er caught a glimpse of Chu Yun. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and he whispered to Shu Da, "Stop arguing! I have a plan!"

Shu Da knew his younger brother was usually full of schemes and wouldn't be acting without a reason, so he immediately perked up and asked, "What plan?"

Shu Er didn't answer him, but instead turned to look at Chu Yun and shouted, "Hey! You, Chu Yun, I hear your studies are excellent and everyone praises your intelligence. Let's test you today. If you can identify and distinguish these egg types, I will gift you this bag of Earth-Fiend Stone Coins."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shu Da immediately added, "If you identify them wrong and make me pick the wrong egg, you have to swap eggs with me unconditionally!"

After speaking, the brothers exchanged a smug look, treating everyone else like fools.

The beastmaster couldn't help but shake his head inwardly, suddenly recalling a proverb: Fools are fools because they treat everyone else as fools.

People have differences, and eggs have distinctions. The beast eggs placed here varied in quality and potential.

The beastmaster naturally knew that the egg on the left could hatch a Sea Burst Crocodile and was of high value. The one in the middle was a Green Fang Snake egg, only slightly less valuable than the Sea Burst Crocodile. As for the Fire Fox egg, while its quality was decent, it paled in comparison to the other two.

The quality of the egg directly affected one's performance in the ceremony and concerned one's future destiny. How could Chu Yun possibly agree to such a condition, identify these eggs, and then hand over his own future?

"Fine, I agree. But you must hand over the Earth-Fiend Stone Coins in your hand to me first." Chu Yun glanced at Shu Da and Shu Er, a trace of a smile flashing in his eyes as he nodded in agreement.

"Uh..." The beastmaster was stunned.

"What a fool!"

"Short-sighted thing, hahaha!"

Shu Da and Shu Er looked at each other, laughing wildly in their hearts.

"Here, consider it your win, you got the better of us." Shu Er tried his best to put on an indignant face as if he had been swindled, but the smug, conspiratorial smile at the corner of his mouth betrayed him completely.

"Brat Chu Yun, remember the condition you just agreed to! If you identify them wrong, you have to swap!" Shu Da glared at Chu Yun and added viciously.

Chu Yun smiled, took the bag containing the Earth-Fiend Stone Coins, and weighed it. Relying on the memories and experience of his past life, he immediately estimated there were about thirty coins.

"Well? You've taken the money, why aren't you identifying the eggs for us yet?" Shu Da urged.

For a moment, Shu Da, Shu Er, and the beastmaster all focused their attention on Chu Yun.

Chu Yun, dressed in a simple white robe, remained indifferent. He blinked his ink-black eyes, stretched out a slender finger, and pointed at the beast eggs before him. With a calm, unhurried smile, he said, "The one on the left is the size of a basin, which means the beast is massive. The color is oceanic and purely monochromatic, indicating this egg is not a twin, but a single-core. The faint sound of tides is a sign of high-grade water-elemental aptitude. This is the Sea Burst Crocodile egg."

Shu Da and Shu Er's eyes lit up upon hearing this, their expressions a mix of urgency and delight. "Keep going, keep going!"

Chu Yun smiled and continued, "The one in the middle, as large as a bowl and pale green like grass, indicates it is a Wood-attribute single egg, gestating a Wood-attribute spirit beast. The luster on the shell is greasy, a characteristic of soft-bodied arthropod spirit beasts. The black spots on the shell signify that it is poisonous. The faint scent of fragrant grass lingering around the egg is a sign of the spirit beast's profound innate talent. This is the egg of a Green Fang Snake."

"As for the last one..."

"Stop, don't say it. Heh heh, I'll take the one on the left!" Shu Er suddenly interrupted Chu Yun. Since he knew what the other two were, wasn't the remaining one just a Fire Fox egg? He had no interest in that, so he spoke up immediately, determined to beat everyone else to the best one.

"Go to hell! That Sea Burst Crocodile egg is mine! Since when is it your turn to snatch things from your big brother?" Shu Da glared, his eyes wide, and let out a roar. He gave a fierce shove, sending Shu Er tumbling to the ground with a thud.

"Old man, I've chosen this egg." Shu Da stomped forward a few steps, nearly throwing himself onto the spirit beast egg on the left.

Shu Er glared at Shu Da with venomous resentment, snorting coldly in his heart as he scrambled up from the ground. He ran over to the egg in the middle and said in a mocking, sarcastic tone, "The Green Fang Snake and the Sea Burst Crocodile are of the same rank; it all depends on how they are raised and nurtured later. Hehehe... we'll see about that. Old man, this young master chooses this one!"

As he spoke, he reached out his palm and patted the spirit beast egg in the middle.

"Hiss, hiss..." The spirit beast egg suddenly emitted a dense green light, and the sound of a snake hissing seemed to emanate from within.

Shu Er's face turned deathly pale with fright, and he retracted his right hand like lightning. But immediately, he grew joyful again. "Haha, I remember now! This is the spiritual light of fetal movement! Mother was right; this Green Fang Snake has brilliant talent and deep potential. Following this young master is your good fortune!"

He had let the truth slip in his excitement, though he remained oblivious to it. Shu Da was also immersed in his own joy, stroking the shell of the egg on the left with both hands, nearly pressing his entire obese body against it.

"Madam Shu has raised two such fine sons... heh!" The Earth Altar beast tamer did not expose them, sweeping a look of disdain over the pair before focusing his gaze back on Chu Yun. He could not fathom why Chu Yun would hand over these two superior spirit beast eggs so readily.

"Could it be that this remaining Fire Fox egg holds some hidden mystery?" Thinking this, the Earth Altar beast tamer swept his gaze over the Fire Fox egg once more.

This spirit beast egg was bright in color, with distinct red and white markings, and could be considered a decent egg. However, compared to the other two, the gap in quality was immediately apparent.