C2531 Fire Qilin
C2531 Fire Qilin
Over the years, Jiang Fann had visited many remarkable places and had a good sense of what each had to offer. He was certain there was a unique flame in the Molten Valley, but it wasn't valuable enough to risk offending a powerful figure who knew his identity.
Zhu Ying felt a bit frustrated. She wouldn't blame Fang Xiang for the trouble with the demonic beasts surrounding the valley, especially since he had risked injury to bring her this gift. It was clear that the creature inside the egg was extraordinary, given the commotion it caused.
About an hour later, Zhu Yan appeared above them, his face full of excitement. "You can really leave the Molten Valley!"
Zhu Ying nodded vigorously. "I can go on adventures with you now, but I need to break through first."
Fang Xiang sidled up to Zhu Yan and whispered, "Remember to take me along when the time comes..."
"Get out of here! What's going on? You two aren't planning to run off with my sister, are you?"
Zhu Ying shook her head. "Fang Xiang gave me a demonic beast egg. When I bonded with it yesterday, it caused a strange phenomenon, and last night the Molten Valley was besieged by demonic beasts. Jiang Fann helped me escape and led the beasts away. Is everything okay back home now?"
"The reason those beasts retreated was because of this. Who would've thought a beast egg could be so powerful?"
He glanced at Fang Xiang, surprised. "Why are you so injured? Didn't Jiang Fan help you heal?"
Jiang Fan chuckled, "Did you really think Zhu Ying's problem solved itself? I hadn't finished healing him when the beasts arrived."
Zhu Yan looked puzzled. "Was the Nine-Turn Elixir used to heal her? Why did you and the elder keep it from me? Couldn't I have helped?"
"You're Zhu Ying's family. If you were anxious, it could have caused major issues. Besides, with your current abilities, you really couldn't have helped."
If anyone else had said that, Zhu Yan would have been furious. But Jiang Fan's expertise in alchemy was far beyond his, so he had the right to speak that way. Moreover, Jiang Fan had not only helped him at the alchemy conference but also guided him in potion-making and even healed his sister. Zhu Yan owed him a lot.
Zhu Yan looked at Jiang Fan, feeling a bit frustrated. "Opportunities like this don't come often. Missing one might mean missing out for good!"
Zhu Ying smiled, "Brother, I'll tell you all about the healing process later."
Zhu Yan nodded and then continued, "Let me see that beast egg."
"Its aura could attract powerful beasts, which is very dangerous."
"We're already far from the Valley of Fire, so bringing it here shouldn't be a problem. Worst case, we just leave. But first, we need to figure out what this thing is. We can't just walk around with a ticking time bomb on us."
Zhu Ying didn't say much and simply summoned the mysterious egg. However, aside from her, even Jiang Fann's Divine Eye couldn't see what was inside.
Jiang Fann suggested, "Try infusing it with your spiritual strength to speed up its hatching. Then we can assess the situation."
Zhu Ying nodded and began following Jiang Fann's advice. This wasn't a particularly unique technique for practitioners; everyone knew how to handle beasts.
Since she had already bonded with it, Zhu Ying could nourish it directly with her spiritual strength, promoting its rapid growth. Yet, the egg remained eerily still, showing no reaction.
This puzzled Zhu Ying.
"What's going on? It was so responsive yesterday. Why won't it come out today?"
Fang Xiang speculated, "Could it have developed a mind of its own?"
Zhu Ying tried for several more minutes, but the egg only absorbed the spiritual strength without any sign of hatching.
Jiang Fann hesitated for a moment before retrieving a pill from his Hundred Treasures Bag and placing it next to the egg.
Zhu Ying and Fang Xiang didn't recognize the pill, but Zhu Yan's eyes widened in surprise, clearly taken aback.
"Beast Elixir! Is this something you crafted? Do you know the recipe?"
Jiang Fann didn't respond but kept his eyes on the creature's egg, curious to see if the little one inside would react. As the elixir's energy was sensed, patterns resembling a formation appeared above the egg. A tiny paw print emerged on the shell, as if reaching for the elixir in Jiang Fann's hand, but it didn't break through.
This was a promising sign. Jiang Fann then spoke, "Do you like the feel of this? I know you can understand me. This Beast Elixir is the best way for young creatures like you to awaken intelligence. If you come out of your shell, this elixir is yours."
With that, Jiang Fann handed the elixir to Zhu Ying, as the little creature trusted her more, being its owner. Jiang Fann extended his spiritual sense, staying vigilant. There were powerful creatures around, and their sudden appearance could be terrifying.
Soon, a loud beast roar echoed from behind, but it was still far away. The group wasn't too worried. If needed, they could just take the egg and move elsewhere to continue their efforts.
Zhu Ying used the elixir to entice the creature inside the egg. This time, the patterns on the shell flickered with light, and the four of them could feel an intense heat spreading around.
Cracks began to appear on the egg, and everyone watched with eager anticipation, curious to see what would emerge.
A burst of red light broke through the shell and leaped directly into Zhu Ying's hand, swallowing a pill. Only then did everyone see what it was.
It was a palm-sized fire qilin, now excitedly rolling around in Zhu Ying's hand, its energy contained, showing great affection for its owner.
The voice of the Purple Jade Eagle echoed in Jiang Fann's mind. "It's truly a holy beast!"
Fang Xiang was equally astonished. "Oh my... a fire qilin! A holy beast with such a powerful lineage!"
Zhu Yan, brimming with excitement, gave Fang Xiang a thumbs-up. "Haha... you're a true friend, gifting a holy beast like this. I'm really lucky this time..."
As a practitioner of Fire Arts, Zhu Yan understood the value of a fire qilin, a creature with limitless potential.
Fang Xiang didn't show much reaction, simply accepting that he wasn't meant to have it. He never imagined that the beast egg he brought back from a dangerous place would turn out to be a fire qilin.
Looking at the shattered eggshell on the ground, Zhu Yan exclaimed excitedly, "This is top-tier material for crafting potions, maybe even for forging spiritual weapons. We can't let it go to waste..."
With that, he moved to pick it up.
The little creature in Zhu Ying's hands jumped to the ground, letting out a soft growl, blocking Zhu Yan. Under Zhu Yan's puzzled gaze, the little guy turned around and quickly devoured the eggshells. Everyone could feel its aura noticeably strengthen as patterns, similar to those on the eggshells, appeared on its body before quickly fading away. It was clearly some kind of technique.
Jiang Fann didn't say much. He rose into the air, flying high to look beyond the group. To his surprise, he saw several massive beasts approaching. They weren't moving slowly, but they were suppressing their auras, unlike when he had seen them before. Back then, they had been openly aggressive, showing no fear.
Jiang Fann returned to the group and glanced at the small fire qilin. "Little guy, are those beasts coming because of you?" The fire qilin wasn't afraid of Jiang Fann and didn't bother to respond, scratching itself nonchalantly. It only reacted when Zhu Ying spoke to it.
The beasts would soon arrive, and Jiang Fann didn't have the patience to wait. He turned to Zhu Yan. "Brother Zhu Yan, I have a recipe that requires the true blood of a holy beast. It's a top-tier elixir that can enhance your Fire Arts. This little fire qilin may not be big, but its true blood should be enough for your entire Zhu family to use."
Jiang Fann's words clearly startled the little creature, who immediately hid behind Zhu Ying's legs, watching Jiang Fann warily. Zhu Yan seemed to understand Jiang Fann's intention and looked expectantly at the fiery creature.
"That would be fantastic! It could significantly boost our tribe's overall combat strength. Next time those beasts come looking for trouble, we can handle them and then trade their cores for treasures!"
The little one couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up in a sweet, childlike voice—it was a little girl. "You’re all bad people..."
Zhu Ying picked up the little one and chuckled softly, "Don't scare her."
Jiang Fann spoke, "I originally thought it was the egg state that attracted those beasts to the valley, but now that it's hatched, they're still gathering. They're about to arrive, and if we don't figure out what's going on, it's going to be a problem sooner or later. We might as well use its true blood for medicine, which would save us a lot of trouble."
The little girl replied, "They are my guardian beasts. I was supposed to be born in a thousand years, but someone took me out. The valley's aura could speed up my growth, so after absorbing the energy there, I woke up and bonded with a master. The guardian beasts sensed my presence and are definitely coming to rescue me. If you don't like them, I can make them leave. Just don't use me for medicine..."
Fang Xiang sent a message to Jiang Fann: "I didn't expect this guy to be such a big deal. Those beasts are actually its guardians."
"I think you're the impressive one, managing to get this guy out of there in such a dangerous situation. It's a miracle you're still alive."
Zhu Ying, holding the little creature, informed the three of them, "It's telling the truth."
At that moment, a massive shadow blocked out the sun, casting everything into darkness.
Everyone looked up to see a gigantic head staring down at them. It was one of the three beasts that had previously clashed with Zhu Rong.