Mysterious Beast Egg, Qi Refining Stage Seven

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, this time, thanks to your keen insight and miraculous healing skills, you promptly identified the cause and found the antidote, preventing my Mu Family from suffering a tremendous loss. My Mu Family is deeply grateful for this kindness."

"Therefore, the Patriarch specifically bestowed this item upon you as thanks. Please be sure to accept it."

At Zhou Chun's residence, after Mu Yunshan's arrival, he first expressed his gratitude once more for Zhou Chun's miraculous detoxification, then placed the reward the Mu Family Patriarch had asked him to deliver on the table, insisting that Zhou Chun accept it.

"This is..."

Zhou Chun looked at the jade box on the table, then gazed at Mu Yunshan with a puzzled expression.

"Inside is an exotic beast egg. It was something my Mu Family received at one of our marketplace shops several years ago. Supposedly, it's the egg of some kind of demonic snake."

"But over the years, my Mu Family has tried many methods and consulted many people, yet no one has been able to identify its exact origins, much less hatch it."

"After hearing about your miraculous detoxification skills this time, the Patriarch thought that since your family is a Beast Taming Family, you might possibly have a way to hatch it. Thus, he had me bring it as a gift for you, hoping that you might help my Mu Family solve this mystery in the future."

Mu Yunshan smiled faintly as he explained the gift's origins, then gestured for Zhou Chun to open the jade box and examine its contents.

After hearing him out, Zhou Chun's curiosity was piqued. He immediately reached out, opened the jade box, and took out the so-called snake egg inside.

The snake egg was oval-shaped, half a foot long and nearly three inches wide. It was entirely white and weighed almost two pounds.

Judging solely by its size and weight, it was certainly a Demonic Beast Egg.

As Zhou Chun rubbed the surface of the snake egg with his palm, he found that its shell was extremely hard and quite rough, unlike the soft, smooth shells of ordinary snake eggs.

In front of Mu Yunshan, he examined the snake egg using several different methods. In the end, aside from confirming that it was a living egg, he couldn't determine what kind of demonic snake it came from. He couldn't even confirm that it was definitely a snake egg.

Such a situation was exceedingly rare.

Generally speaking, only an egg that had just been laid, before its embryo had formed, would be impossible to identify as belonging to any particular creature. Such an egg also couldn't be contracted.

Yet this egg had been stored by the Mu Family for several years. In theory, it was impossible for its embryo to still be unformed. After all, the Mu Family had never used any secret technique to seal its Life Force.

And yet it wasn't a completely lifeless dead egg!

"I can't identify it. Please forgive my poor eyesight, but this is the first time I've ever encountered or even heard of such a strange matter. Perhaps after I return to my family, I can consult a few Family Elders and the Patriarch. Only then might we be able to determine the problem."

Zhou Chun shook his head with a wry smile and placed the snake egg in his hand back inside the jade box.

His reaction left Mu Yunshan somewhat disappointed, though he also found it perfectly normal.

After all, the Mu Family had invited several Violet Palace cultivators to appraise the egg back then, and none of them had been able to determine its origins.

As a matter of fact, when the Mu Family first received the egg, they had thought they had struck gold, believing it was very likely the egg of some intermediate-grade Demonic Beast, or even a high-grade one.

But after asking numerous people to appraise it without success, and after the egg showed no changes for a long time, the various higher-ups of the Mu Family had more or less forgotten about it.

If they hadn't been considering what gift would be suitable as compensation for Zhou Chun, even the Mu Family Patriarch might no longer have remembered the item.

Thus, Mu Yunshan quickly composed himself and smiled as he clasped his hands toward Zhou Chun. "Then I'll wish Fellow Daoist Zhou success in hatching this item and obtaining an excellent pet. I still have to return and report to the Patriarch, so I'll take my leave first."

"I'll see Fellow Daoist Mu out."

As he spoke, Zhou Chun rose and personally escorted Mu Yunshan outside. Only after closing the courtyard gate did he return to his room and continue pondering and studying the snake egg.

However, after studying and pondering the snake egg for three straight days, he still hadn't gained the slightest clue. In the end, he could only abandon the idea of figuring it out himself and first put it into his Storage Bag.

Because Zhou Chun had displayed exceptionally professional skill in detoxifying the Ink Scale Colt, his standing in the eyes of the Mu Family cultivators had clearly risen.

Not only did several Mu Family cultivators show him great respect during lessons, but the other Mu Family cultivators also greeted him with kind smiles whenever they saw him. Some even sought to purchase the Zhou Family's secret-made Snake-Repelling Salve and Beast-Repelling Powder from him.

Zhou Chun was naturally delighted by this.

The methods for making Snake-Repelling Salve and Beast-Repelling Powder weren't secrets in the Zhou Family. Even ordinary clansmen had access to them.

Only the Spirit Pet First Aid Pill he had fed the Ink Scale Colt that day was a true secret Zhou Family medicinal pill. Even ordinary core clansmen had no chance to access its formula.

The bottle in his possession had been specially bestowed upon him by the Patriarch, Zhou Daoyi, before he came to the Mu Family, in case any special circumstances arose.

Zhou Chun also took note of the Mu Family cultivators' desire to purchase Snake-Repelling Salve and Beast-Repelling Powder. When he sent a letter to Patriarch Zhou Daoyi reporting the situation, he deliberately mentioned it and suggested that the Zhou Family could sell large quantities of these items in the marketplace in the future to earn Spirit Coins.

Zhou Daoyi adopted the suggestion and sent a letter commending Zhou Chun. He was very satisfied with Zhou Chun's performance at the Mu Family and stated that once Zhou Chun's term ended and he returned to the family, he would surely receive a substantial reward.

Days passed one after another. Before long, a year and two months had passed since Zhou Chun arrived at the Mu Family of Biyun Mountain.

One morning, as he faced the rising sun and meditated in cultivation, a soft "pop" once again rang out from within his body as he opened another acupoint.

With the opening of this fifty-fourth acupoint, Zhou Chun's cultivation also broke through to Level Seven Qi Refining, and his magical power increased further.

"I've reached Level Seven Qi Refining already. At this rate, even if I just cultivate step by step, as long as I don't encounter a cultivation bottleneck, I should have a very good chance of reaching Level Twelve Qi Refining before I turn fifty!"

In the courtyard, Zhou Chun opened his eyes after ending his cultivation. Feeling the considerable increase in magical power within his body, he couldn't help but reveal a faint smile.

Having been in this world for more than two years, he had completely adapted to this life of cultivation—and was thoroughly enjoying it.

Every day, he meditated to refine qi, felt his cultivation and magical power grow bit by bit, then practiced several spells and tested their limits in various ways.

Occasionally, he teased that foolish Rock Earth Turtle, or chatted with other cultivators about all manner of things, exchanging ideas about unusual applications of various spells and arguing over which Golden Core stage cultivator was more powerful.

Such a fulfilling yet leisurely life was something his former self had only dared to imagine in his dreams.

He no longer had to work nine-nine-six every day, nor worry about mortgages, car loans, betrothal gifts, or other bothersome matters. All his troubles had vanished. Life was simply too wonderful.

"What a pity, what a pity. If only these days could continue forever!"

How he wished this leisurely life could continue forever.

But he knew in his heart that this was impossible.

There was no such thing as peaceful, carefree years. It was merely that someone else was carrying the burden for him.

Once the three years were over and he returned to the Zhou Family, setting aside all the other chores and assignments, no one could escape the duty of guarding the Spirit Cleansing Pavilion.

At that point, wanting to spend his free time drinking tea, playing chess, and chatting every day as he did now would be nothing but a pipe dream.

"Hmm, actually, it's not impossible. As long as I achieve successful Foundation Establishment and become a Family Elder, I'll be exempt from all miscellaneous duties!"

At this thought, Zhou Chun couldn't help laughing at himself.

He had suddenly thought of something amusing.

In this world, many Foundation Establishment cultivators were around fifty or sixty when they broke through to Foundation Establishment. Unwittingly, this seemed to put them at the same age as retirement in his previous life.

However, once a cultivator achieved successful Foundation Establishment, it wasn't merely a matter of being able to enjoy their later years in peace. They would also gain more than a hundred years of additional lifespan. Such benefits were beyond the reach of retirement packages at any level.

"If the young do not strive, the old will only grieve. It seems I'll have to fight hard as well. Even if it's for the wonderful retirement life after Foundation Establishment, I have to give it my all!"

Zhou Chun muttered to himself, then turned around and went inside to prepare breakfast.

Putting effort into making every meal was also a form of effort!