Chapter 033: Three Punches and Two Kicks

The beast egg was carefully summoned by Lin Zhan, suspended in the air. In that earlier flash of peril, he hadn’t had time to be cautious; he’d simply tossed it into his storage space and fled. Now, his actions were far more deliberate, for in his mind, anything called an egg was surely fragile.

He also worried that the Nine-Star Diagram in his palm might absorb the essence of the beast egg, so it was best to hand the trouble over to Xiao Yunyun as soon as possible.

The beast egg, aged and ancient, had lost most of its vital essence—only a fraction remained. Only when they reached the Snow Nether Palace, which oversaw the exchange of disciples’ honor and merit points at the Fiery Ice Mountain, would they know its true worth. Still, two thousand contribution points were guaranteed.

Without any particular display, Xiao Yunyun, known as the Miscellaneous Tenth Senior Brother, had already considered Lin Zhan’s actions. “Lin Zhan, you found this beast egg; what’s yours is yours. I won’t take it. You should use it for the exchange… Also, you don’t blame me for retreating into the passage first and leaving you behind, do you?”

“Of course I understand,” Lin Zhan grinned, nodding. “If it were a matter of life and death, there’s no need for more than one person to be sacrificed. If it were you, I’d probably have run first too. Ahem.”

With their tacit understanding, neither pursued the matter further.

Whoosh!

Unnoticed by the two, the little Seven-Colored Python released its grip from Lin Zhan’s arm—the same grip it hadn’t relinquished even when Lin Zhan smashed the glacial stone—and pounced upon the beast egg. It swiftly bound the egg in a tight coil, wrapping it up.

Witnessing this sudden change, both were bewildered. What was the little Seven-Colored Python up to?

They drew closer, and were instantly dumbstruck. The little creature was greedily absorbing the essence from the beast egg!

Miscellaneous Tenth’s face darkened. In just a moment, the remaining essence of the beast egg had been devoured without a trace…

Two thousand contribution points gone—Lin Zhan felt a pang of regret, his face growing darker.

At this moment, the little Seven-Colored Python was in an unparalleled state of bliss, oblivious to the silent curses and gnashing teeth it inspired. It didn’t know what had happened; upon awakening, it found the beast egg irresistibly alluring and had lunged at it without a second thought.

That fatal attraction proved a blessing—the essence inside the beast egg was blazing and intense, making the little python shiver with delight. It soon slipped into another deep, intoxicated slumber. Even when Lin Zhan detached it from the now empty beast egg, it merely twitched a few times before reflexively coiling around his right hand once more.

Only Lin Zhan and Miscellaneous Tenth Senior Brother were left, staring at each other.

Especially Miscellaneous Tenth—he glared at the little python wound around Lin Zhan’s arm, wishing he could roast it and eat it.

But then, both noticed something astonishing: atop the little python’s formerly smooth and translucent head, two tiny fleshy buds had sprouted!

Dragon horns?

Could the beast egg have been a dragon egg? Did the infusion of dragon egg essence grant it a trace of true dragon blood? Or perhaps it wasn’t a dragon egg at all, but its essence had awakened the inherited dragon nature buried within the little python’s lineage?

Whatever the case, the little Seven-Colored Python had received a tremendous blessing.

Though the dragon horns were only as wide as a finger, they emanated a unique dragon might, a subtle and awe-inspiring aura that seemed to echo true dragon chants within the mind.

Watching the newly transformed, distinguished little python drift back into sleep, the two could only shake their heads in helpless amazement. Just then, Miscellaneous Tenth’s so-called Celestial Demon Star God Silver Wheel finally returned, floating leisurely through the air.

Miscellaneous Tenth scooped it up and put it away, somewhat embarrassed. “Looks like my spiritual consciousness still isn’t up to par.”

Joking as they walked out of the cavern,

“Yun,” came an abrupt shout, “I’ve been waiting for you a long time!”

Walking ahead, Lin Zhan stumbled, and Miscellaneous Tenth, following behind, couldn’t stop in time and bumped into him.

Before they could regain their balance, several attacks shot toward them like lightning!

Lin Zhan was stunned—he wasn’t capable of resisting attacks of this caliber: three punches and two kicks, overwhelming and relentless.

“Go!” He only felt his collar yanked fiercely by Miscellaneous Tenth Senior Brother Yun, and before he knew it, he was thrown back into the cavern.

“They’re after me, not you. Hurry and get away!” Even as the words echoed, Lin Zhan could hear the sounds of fighting outside—the clash, the cold snorts, the chaos, all blending into a heated battle.

Oh, Senior Brother Yun! We came out together—how can trouble be divided into yours and mine?

Lin Zhan was somewhat indignant at Miscellaneous Tenth’s act of grabbing his collar and tossing him aside. Clenching his fist, he returned to the mouth of the cave.

In just that brief moment away, the battle had already turned brutal and tragic.

The first thing he saw was Miscellaneous Tenth’s slightly hunched back.

A heavy sword was planted in the ground, and the hand gripping its hilt trembled. Blood trickled down the handle and slowly spread across the blade… Miscellaneous Tenth Senior Brother Yun was wounded!

Looking at their opponents, there were six cultivators of varying ages—four young, two male and two female, and two elders.

One young man was seated on the ground, clutching his chest beside a ruined weapon—clearly gravely injured.

The other three young cultivators looked disheveled, their robes torn, faces haggard.

Only the two elders remained composed, their faces stern, eyes fixed upon their prey with cold, deadly intent.

Lin Zhan’s glance, brief as it was, caught the expression of every enemy present.

The two sides faced off, and Lin Zhan, uneasy, moved to Miscellaneous Tenth’s side. Turning to look, he was utterly shocked!

Only now did he see Miscellaneous Tenth’s injuries: his left eye was swollen grotesquely, the lid drooping—once bright and lively, it was now just a narrow slit.

From his mouth, thick black blood flowed in torrents!

“So much blood!” Lin Zhan couldn’t bear to look. “Even this conceited fellow has moments of such stubborn resilience!”

Miscellaneous Tenth opened his mouth, speaking indistinctly, his piercing gaze still locked fiercely upon his adversaries.

Lin Zhan understood him clearly—he was saying, “I told you to leave, so why did you stay?”

Indeed, if Lin Zhan had retreated into the cave, relying on its labyrinthine passages, he could have easily escaped.

That opportunity had been created by Miscellaneous Tenth’s resistance to the sudden attack.

But Lin Zhan hadn’t left.

“Senior Brother Yun, how do you have such formidable enemies?” Lin Zhan’s face was full of admiration, tinged with tragic resolve.

Miscellaneous Tenth turned, grinning through his pain: “The really dangerous ones haven’t arrived yet. Damn them for ganging up—if it were one-on-one, or if my cultivation hadn’t been sealed, believe me, I’d slaughter them all.”

As he spoke, Miscellaneous Tenth kept signaling frantically with his eyes.

Though his eye was swollen to a slit, Lin Zhan grasped his meaning: the secret of Miscellaneous Tenth’s sealed cultivation was still unknown to these enemies.

It seemed Miscellaneous Tenth was enacting a bitter scheme for some purpose.