Kylin Eggs

The Great Luo charged into a Demon Race clan guarded by a Great Luo ancestor, beat its ancestor half to death, and seized an Acquired Spiritual Root.

He traded it to Yellow Dragon for more than ten five-hundred-jin jars of Crimson Blood Wine, then made a great show of them among the Witch Race.

That gave the other witches an idea. They began raiding the Demon Race too, driving the conflict between the witches and demons to new heights.

Of all his trades with the witches, the one that set Yellow Dragon's heart racing came from a witch who looked quite young. The child had lugged over several stone eggs of different sizes, left behind by some unknown race.

"I broke into a cavern while digging my dwelling and found these inside. They must be worth a lot. I want a big jar of wine, just like Wu Tong got." The young witch pointed at the five-hundred-jin jade jar beside Yellow Dragon and stared at him eagerly.

Yellow Dragon picked up an egg and examined it closely, but sensed only lifeless stillness within. Disappointment crept into his heart.

Still, his rule when trading was to check everything rather than let a treasure slip by. He inspected the eggs one by one.

Then he reached a stone egg noticeably larger than the others.

A faint trace of life appeared in his senses. Yellow Dragon focused, sending a sliver of his Primordial Spirit inside bit by bit. The complete outline of a living creature appeared before his Primordial Spirit!

Yellow Dragon's pupils contracted, but his face betrayed nothing as he forced down the turmoil in his heart. A Kylin egg!

And one that was still alive!

Ever since the First Kylin had led the Kylin Race to merge themselves with the Primordial World's earth and become a symbol of good fortune, their Karmic Hindrance had been wiped away. But they had also vanished from the Primordial World.

"Hmm. Only one egg still has a trace of life, and there's no telling whether it'll hatch. It's not worth a whole big jar of Crimson Blood Wine." Yellow Dragon spoke evenly. He took out ten stone jars, each holding ten jin of wine, and pushed them forward. "Will you trade this egg for these?"

"Yes! I trust you wouldn't cheat me!"

The child saw the stone jars, jumped for joy, then scooped them up and ran off in a flash.

Before long, the child returned with several witches of about the same age, each carrying a few stone eggs.

Yellow Dragon's mouth fell open. His jaw nearly hit the ground. Had these witch children raided a Kylin nest?

After examining several dozen eggs, Yellow Dragon found that seven Kylin eggs still held life. All the rest were dead!

He gave the witch child two five-hundred-jin jars of Crimson Blood Wine and took all the Kylin eggs.

Yellow Dragon carefully placed the eggs in the Mysterious Yellow World. For the seven still alive, he carved a hollow into a Spirit Vein and filled it with Sweet Dew water so they could slowly absorb its vitality.

Months of trading had earned Yellow Dragon a fortune. The witches who had traded with him for Crimson Blood Wine had also grown rapidly stronger.

The witches of the Houtu Tribe ventured into Demon Race territory with increasing frequency.

But just as Yellow Dragon was reaping the rewards of his trading in the Houtu Tribe, the tribe's mood changed abruptly. A grim, oppressive air spread everywhere.

Years of conflict between the witches and demons erupted at last under the strain of the witches' frequent raids. All-out war had begun!

"The Demon Race is attacking on every front. The war has started, young friend Yellow Dragon, and you shouldn't remain among the witches." Houyi appeared suddenly before him. "I invited you here as my guest, but I never expected war with the Demon Race to come so soon. You study under a Sage. You shouldn't be drawn into a war between our races."

"I'll send you back to Kunlun now!"

With that, he raised a fist and punched open a deep passage through space, leading to parts unknown.

Yellow Dragon dared not delay. He bowed solemnly to Houyi, Wu Tong, and the other witch friends who had come to see him off. "Take care, everyone! Next time, the drinks are on me!"

Outside Kunlun Mountain, space suddenly split open and a figure flew out.

Yellow Dragon glanced back at the slowly shrinking passage and felt a pang of envy. Being a Great Luo must be nice. A journey that would have taken me thousands of years, and one punch sent me here.

"Still a little off. Kunlun is ten million li away," Yellow Dragon murmured.

At a thought, an Auspicious Cloud gathered beneath his feet and carried him swiftly toward the gates of Kunlun Mountain.

The closer he came to the gates, the busier his surroundings became.

All manner of beings had gathered: spirits of plants and trees in human form, beasts that had attained the Dao, Human Race cultivators, and even a few beings born of heaven and earth.

Yellow Dragon understood at once. The Three Teachings of Kunlun had never stopped accepting disciples, though very few managed to enter a Sage's tutelage.

Something occurred to Yellow Dragon. He descended on his cloud and joined the crowd heading for Kunlun's gates.

But as they neared the imposing gates, wreathed in Dao patterns, the crowd came to a halt.

Several Jie Sect Disciples sprawled across the entrance, blocking the way. They wore haughty expressions and sized up each being who wished to take the trial, their eyes gleaming with scrutiny and greed.

Their leader had a greenish face, two horns, and upturned eyes. He held a spiked club and looked nothing like a Sage's enlightened disciple. His face was full of menace.

Yellow Dragon frowned slightly at the sight of them and slowed his steps.

The leader pointed his club at a boy with a pure, clear aura, a transformed innate spiritual plant. "You there, boy. You want to enter the mountain, take the trial, join a Sage's tutelage, and study the Sage's supreme Dao. Do you know the rules?"

The boy had a youthful face and clear eyes. He bowed respectfully. "This junior understands. I must pass the trial set by the Sages, which will test my character and aptitude before they decide whether to accept me."

"Hah. The trial?"

The Jie Sect Disciple scoffed and exchanged a glance with his companions. A secretive smile passed among them. "Of course there's a trial. But whether you get to take it without trouble depends on how sincere you are."

He held the spiked club in one hand and rubbed the fingers of the other together. His meaning could not have been clearer.

The boy froze, plainly at a loss. "Sincere? I seek the Dao with all my heart. My sincerity is—"

"Spare us the nonsense!"

Another Jie Sect Disciple, his face thick with jowls, cut him off impatiently. "Don't you understand? If you want to take the trial, you have to offer us senior brothers a little 'gate fee' first!"

"We don't ask for much. Spiritual plants, immortal herbs, rare treasures, innate spirit iron—bring out whatever valuables you have! Keep us happy, and your path through the trial will be smooth."

The young spirit plant's face went pale. Though he had an extraordinary true form, he had spent his days absorbing spiritual energy and had never bothered collecting possessions. He had nothing on him, let alone a treasure to offer. "I... I don't have anything..."

"Nothing?"

The leader's face darkened. He swung his spiked club and snorted. "If you've no sincerity, don't blame us when the trial proves difficult."