Looking at this talent, Jiang Xian could not help thinking: Now I'm not just the strictest father in Shrouding the Heavens and Perfect World. I'm about to get another title: the strictest father in Swallowed Star, especially to the Zerg. After participating in the Genius Battle, I'll be able to run wild across the entire universe.
Jiang Xian stayed near Proxima Centauri for several months, taking some time out to attend Luo Feng's wedding. With him, the strongest of the Earth Humans, serving as best man, the wedding had all the prestige it could ask for.
Day after day, blazing fire energy churned across the surface of the dark red dwarf star. The Red Emperor Fire Emperor Qi circulated rapidly in the stellar environment, and his comprehension of the law of fire continued to deepen.
Jiang Xian constantly absorbed the star's inexhaustible fire-attribute energy, and his cultivation climbed all the way to Star Level, ninth stage. He felt that his comprehension of the law of fire alone would let him crush his way through this Genius Battle.
As for Xiao Yan, he had returned to the Battle Through the Heavens World after breaking through to Dou Emperor some time earlier. He said he was going to prepare to refine the Fallen Heart Flame.
At that moment, Jiang Xian suddenly received a message from Babata.
Jiang Xian was hovering not far from Proxima Centauri's corona, with fiery-red Red Emperor Fire Emperor Qi circulating automatically around him. He opened his eyes and casually beckoned, drawing the terminal protected by the Red Emperor Fire Emperor Qi into his palm. Babata's messages popped up on the screen in an explosive flurry.
"Jiang Xian! I've just detected the Golden Horned Beast Egg arriving on Earth. It's on the deep seabed in the Pacific Ocean, several hundred nautical miles from the Hawaiian Islands! I've locked onto its energy fluctuations. Luo Feng is already heading there. You'd better come back to be safe, in case anything unexpected happens."
After reading the message, Jiang Xian raised his eyebrows slightly. "It's finally here."
The Golden Horned Beast Egg had arrived at the time it had in the original timeline, neither early nor late. Perhaps Sitting Mountain Guest had delivered it with precision.
Jiang Xian rose and flew back to the spaceship. Babata began starting up the ship, and its silvery-white, pyramid-shaped hull quickly set off from the star's vicinity and entered a Dark Universe route. Sitting in the control chair, Jiang Xian took out his communication terminal and sent Luo Feng a message.
"I'm already on my way. Hold steady for now. To be safe, don't rush into anything. Wait until I get back."
Luo Feng replied, "All right, I'll wait for you."
The spaceship traveled silently through the Dark Universe and soon reached the vicinity of the solar system. Then, following Babata's guidance, it quickly returned to Earth.
"Babata, where exactly is the Golden Horned Beast?"
"Near 21 degrees north latitude and 158 degrees west longitude, in waters about four hundred nautical miles south of the Hawaiian Islands, at a depth of roughly three thousand meters." Babata rapidly reported the coordinates. "The Golden Horned Beast's egg has already sunk to the seabed. The embryo's vital signs are stable, with no signs of hatching."
"Where is Luo Feng now?"
"Luo Feng arrived before you did. I notified him in advance to head to that location. He's waiting for you above the sea."
Jiang Xian nodded, and the spaceship flew straight toward the central Pacific Ocean. A moment later, a familiar figure appeared below, hovering above the sea. It was Luo Feng. At the sight of the silvery-white, pyramid-shaped spaceship approaching, Luo Feng felt slightly relieved.
Jiang Xian quickly flew out of the spaceship and over to Luo Feng. "Madman, how long have you been waiting?"
"Not long. I only just got here too," Luo Feng replied.
Babata flew out and hovered in midair. "Great, everyone's here. Luo Feng, the Golden Horned Beast's embryo is still developing, and its soul is at its weakest. Now is the best time to possess it. The Inheritance Soul Seal your teacher made was refined from the soul of a Universe Level, first-stage spirit reader. This Golden Horned Beast hasn't hatched yet, so it's only Planetary Level at most. Possessing it won't be too difficult. With Jiang Xian standing guard as well, we can make sure nothing goes wrong."
Jiang Xian and Luo Feng said no more and plunged straight into the ocean below. The two soon descended to a depth of three thousand meters, where the light had almost completely vanished.
Soon, they spotted an egg below them. It was oval, about twelve meters in diameter, with strange golden markings on its black shell. This should be the Golden Horned Beast's egg.
"Let me make it a little easier for you!" With that, Jiang Xian stepped forward and used the Beast Taming Method Yan had uploaded earlier, leaving the Golden Horned Beast's egg without the slightest will to resist.
"All right, Luo Feng, you can possess it now. I've practically spoon-fed you. If you still can't manage it, I really won't be able to keep it together," Jiang Xian joked as he looked at Luo Feng.
Luo Feng hovered cross-legged in front of the giant egg and closed his eyes. His spiritual force surged from between his brows like an invisible torrent, piercing the seawater and the layers of space over the eggshell's surface before striking precisely into the soul at the embryo's core.
Sensing the intruder, the Golden Horned Beast's embryo instinctively unleashed a violent soul impact, attempting to tear apart and expel Luo Feng's spiritual force, but it soon settled down again.
Under Babata's guidance, Luo Feng had tempered his spiritual force into something like a needle. Now, without yielding an inch, it pierced deep into the embryo's soul. He began using the Possession Manual, tearing apart, devouring, and assimilating those broken, fragile soul fragments.
Time ticked by. Luo Feng's brows were tightly furrowed, and fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead, but his spiritual force never stopped advancing.
Soon, half a day had passed. Luo Feng's own body suddenly collapsed. His spiritual aura appeared inside the Golden Horned Beast's egg.
Babata's excited voice rang out. "Luo Feng has completed the possession! Now he needs to wait to hatch!"
"Xian, Babata. It'll probably take another year before I can hatch," Luo Feng's consciousness transmitted just then.
Jiang Xian looked at the egg before him, then sensed that the life aura inside the Black Giant Egg on the seabed had already changed completely into Luo Feng's. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "Madman, want to come out early?"
"Yes, of course I do! Xian, do you have a way to help me hatch early?" Luo Feng said quickly.
"Get ready. I'll help you hatch early."
With that, Jiang Xian stepped forward and placed his hand on the Golden Horned Beast's egg. He began circulating the White Emperor Golden Slash from the Great Five Elements Art. A moment later, geng metal qi covered the entire Golden Horned Beast's egg.
"Madman, circulate the White Emperor Golden Slash I taught you before to speed up your development," Jiang Xian said.
"All right."
As the Golden Horned Beast's egg frantically absorbed the geng metal qi, a crisp cracking sound suddenly rang out. A fissure abruptly opened in the shell of the enormous black-and-gold egg deep on the seabed. The crack continued to widen, and black-and-gold light shone out from within.
The instant the shell shattered completely, a beast nearly twenty meters long emerged, its entire body covered in black scales, its eyes dark gold, and golden markings extending from its single horn to its tail.
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