Both Sides Had Ulterior Motives

"Was there something special about this egg?" Xiao Yu asked when she saw how hurried Lin Qing looked.

"It looked pleasing enough, so I bought it!" He had now confirmed that it was not a White Crane egg, merely one that looked identical. He would have to go home and consult some books to find out what it actually was...

"Sure enough, it's not a White Crane egg. It's a Rainbow Crane!"

After flipping through some books at home, Lin Qing discovered that the egg he had bought belonged to the legendary Rainbow Crane—the same kind of Rainbow Giant Crane Feng Qing'er rode. It could grow as high as Tier 7, but the books contained only a few brief lines about this type of Magical Beast, so he knew little else.

But how had the egg of a Magical Beast capable of reaching Tier 7 ended up in Wutan City?

Forget it. I'll just raise it!

Shaking his head, Lin Qing put the matter aside when he failed to understand it. He could not enter the Magic Beast Mountains yet. Perhaps he could ask the Amethyst Winged Lion King in the future. As for using the Dou Huang Summoning Card to enter the Magic Beast Mountains?

He had once feared Gu Yuan's notice, and now Ling Ying was hidden within the Xiao Clan, making it inconvenient to summon him. He would wait until he left the Xiao Clan. There was no need for it now.

He placed the egg neatly on the table and surrounded it with books in a square.

Sensing the life force within the shell, Lin Qing took out the Jade Bottle in which he usually stored spirit liquid and dripped several drops of Ancestral Stone Spirit Liquid onto the eggshell. When he felt the liquid being absorbed, he was relieved.

"It can survive."

The Ancestral Stone Spirit Liquid was quite remarkable. It could heal certain injuries, was rich in energy, and could temper the body. Since Little Flame could consume it, Lin Qing had used it to drip on other Magical Beast eggs several times.

Basically, any egg capable of absorbing the spirit liquid would hatch normally, and the Magical Beast inside would be much healthier as well.

As for other methods of raising it, the original work had not mentioned any, and the Xiao Clan had no books on the subject. He knew no other way.

Right now, he was a complete novice with pitifully little knowledge. All he knew was that brute force worked miracles.

Xiao Xun'er's arrival did not cause much of a stir.

That very day, Xiao Zhan and the three Great Elders released word that a branch of the Xiao Clan had sent a girl over.

Apart from the direct descendants, who had been warned not to provoke her and had roughly guessed that her background was extraordinary, everyone else truly believed she was a distant relative.

As for the ordinary clan members, they only knew that a little girl had arrived and was living in the inner residence of the Xiao Clan. Their days remained no different from usual.

Lin Qing was also preparing to advance to Fighter. The Small Courtyard was definitely unsuitable; he feared that breaking through would cause his aura to leak.

After reaching the Ninth Duan of Dou Force, he had spent more than ten days stabilizing himself. Today, he felt that the time had come.

He left a note telling Xiao Zhan that he was going to the Back Mountain for secluded cultivation. Then, carrying some supplies, he ran straight to the Back Mountain and slipped into a concealed cave beneath a cliff. Across from it lay the mist-shrouded Magic Beast Mountains. After scattering snake-repelling powder at the entrance and casually setting out several Moonlight Stones, he sat cross-legged and adjusted his condition.

He slowly took a deep breath, then took the Jade Bottle from his storage space and removed the blue-green Medicinal Pill within. Gazing at it, Lin Qing smiled faintly and swallowed it in one gulp.

The moment the Qi-Gathering Powder entered his mouth, a faint chill spread through it. Moments later, a warm and pure energy surged from his mouth into his body. Lin Qing's body suddenly trembled.

With a calm expression, Lin Qing rapidly formed hand seals to absorb Dou Qi. His breathing gradually steadied, while the faint Dou Qi within him responded to his will and swiftly wrapped around that powerful, pure medicinal energy, beginning a frenzied refinement.

Finally, after reaching the critical point, Lin Qing successfully condensed his Dou Qi Whirlpool.

His consciousness sensed the milky-white whirlpool in his lower abdomen, slightly larger than his palm, slowly turning.

Internal inspection was an auxiliary ability that only Fighters could master. The greater one's strength, the more thoroughly one could probe the condition within one's body.

As his consciousness observed the small whirlpool, Lin Qing nodded in satisfaction. Although the whirlpool was tiny now, the energy it contained was definitely more than ten times stronger than the Ninth Duan of Dou Force he had possessed before!

Lin Qing could not help but laugh. Once one reached Fighter, Dou Might, Dou Qi, and Dou Qi were entirely different concepts. The gap between them was as vast as heaven and earth, utterly incomparable.

He had finally taken his first step toward becoming strong. He could finally cultivate a Cultivation Technique and more advanced Dou Techniques, and he could begin refining Medicinal Pills to become a respected Alchemist.

"Let's cultivate the Cultivation Technique first!"

Lin Qing then took out the Cultivation Technique jade slip he had read once before.

Swallowing Heaven Scripture: An attribute-less Cultivation Technique that raised one's cultivation by devouring the energy contained in all things between heaven and earth... It began at low Earth Grade, and its grade grew along with the cultivator's strength...

"Could this Swallowing Heaven Scripture be related to the Ruthless Great Emperor?"

However, Lin Qing was certain that, when cultivated to its peak, this Cultivation Technique would be stronger than the Flame Mantra, the Calamity Poison Body, and the Jade Serpent Three Flower Eyes. It would be even more perfect if he could add the Devouring Ancestral Talisman!

Cultivating a Cultivation Technique for the first time was somewhat slow, and this one was relatively high-grade, so Lin Qing spent some time on it.

After completing his Cultivation Technique cultivation, Lin Qing advanced directly from First-Star Fighter to Third-Star Fighter, without the slightest feeling of instability.

[Ding! The system has issued a new mission: Xiao Xun'er, a four-year-old girl, has developed some problems in her meridians due to the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame seed flame sealed inside her body, causing unbearable pain. The following choices have been triggered:]

[Choice 1: Use the Ancestral Stone to absorb the overflowing Heavenly Flame energy. Reward: Devouring Ancestral Talisman.]

[Choice 2: Secretly go over at night and use Dou Qi to nourish her meridians. Reward: Bodhi Seeds ×12.]

[Choice 3: Turn a blind eye. Reward: Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame.]

Had seven days already passed?

Lin Qing glanced at the three days' worth of rations he had left. Sure enough, time meant nothing to cultivators.

From an investor's perspective alone, Choice One would make the road ahead much easier. With Monster Cores and the like combined with the Cultivation Technique, I should be able to devour them directly. I just wonder whether this Devouring Ancestral Talisman, like the Ancestral Stone, was borrowed from the Heavenly Profound Continent. The little sleeping mouse inside the Ancestral Stone proves that it is the one Lin Dong obtained in Wu Dong. Luckily, the system lets me use and refine it directly. Choice Two's returns aren't bad either—twelve Semi-Saint opportunities, plus a top-tier rich beauty second only to Little Dragon Maiden. But she's only four. Even if she were eighteen... pfft, eighteen wouldn't work either. She would have to be willing. As for Choice Three, I could store the Heavenly Flame in the System Space, but I couldn't bear to let a little girl endure the pain of being burned by Heavenly Flame. Besides, if I handle this properly, I'll gain another wealthy friend in the future.

Lin Qing stroked his chin as he pondered inwardly.

I'll choose One. I'll let the Ancestral Stone absorb some of it in the courtyard during the day. Say, Ling Ying won't be watching constantly, right? Besides, I'm not even seven yet. He can't possibly keep watching me all the time, can he? Whatever. Just do it! The profit outweighs the risk.

But how to approach her left Lin Qing troubled.

"Should I just shamelessly tell her that I know medicine?..."

Just as Lin Qing racked his brains over how to become friends with Xiao Xun'er, Xiao Xun'er was preparing to approach him herself.

Naturally, Lin Qing would be happier once he learned that. The guilt he felt because his motives were impure would lessen somewhat when he discovered that her motives were impure as well.

In Xiao Xun'er's Small Courtyard, Ling Ying appeared before her.

A little girl floated as she sat on a stone stool, her nose running as she wore a contemplative expression. The sight was thoroughly incongruous.