Proud Sword Soaring Clouds-Chapter 44 - 43: Magic Beast Egg and Frenzied Advancement

The giant stalagmites had been hollowed out in many places by years of erosion. The fierce gales at the peak shrieked as they passed through the holes. Many of Ling Xiao’s injuries had not yet fully healed. His recovery was only this fast because he had Ye Wen Ni brew numerous medicinal soups, which he consumed along with the meat from the two Magical Beasts. Without all that, he wouldn’t have been able to get out of bed for at least two or three months.

Although he knew there was no longer any danger here, the naturally vigilant Ling Xiao still slowed his pace, walking step-by-step into the forest of stone. After a few turns, a stone cave appeared before him.

The cave looked as if it were naturally formed. It was located on a huge boulder that jutted out from the mountainside, about seven or eight meters off the ground. It was perfectly situated on the leeward side; though the gales howled incessantly day and night, not a single gust could reach inside. The uncanny workmanship of nature was truly awe-inspiring!

’This is it!’ A look of joy appeared on Ling Xiao’s face. ’Hopefully, this Snow Mountain Lightning Falcon had a bit of a collector’s hobby.’ He began to slowly climb up the stone wall. Thankfully, the huge rock wasn’t smooth, or else climbing it would have been quite an effort, especially since jagged, strange rocks overhead blocked any attempt to simply jump up.

Ling Xiao climbed up bit by bit and peered into the cave opening. It wasn’t very deep inside, and it was remarkably clean and dry. A nest constructed from various branches sat at the very back of the cave. A deeply refreshing fragrance wafted from the nest; clearly, the branches used to build it were no ordinary branches.

Ling Xiao didn’t even see a single dropping; it was as clean as the bedroom of a neat freak. He couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. ’This Snow Mountain Lightning Falcon really is a highly intelligent Magical Beast!’

’What a shame... If I ever get the chance, raising one as a pet would be amazing.’

As Ling Xiao mused, he stepped forward. The Snow Mountain Lightning Falcon’s nest was over a person’s height. Ling Xiao reached out and tested it, finding it very sturdy. He climbed up and was thrilled to discover an egg in the nest!

"Haha!" Ling Xiao finally couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Compared to the two Magical Beast corpses and the Tier Five Crystal Core he had obtained, what Ling Xiao treasured most was this Snow Mountain Lightning Falcon egg before him!

In the Lanyue Empire, a single Tier Two Magical Beast egg had once been auctioned for the sky-high price of one million Gold Coins!

And that was without any guarantee it would even hatch. Even so, people fought tooth and nail for it. This was because while adult Magical Beasts could be hunted, their eggs or young were nearly impossible to obtain!

All Magical Beasts hide their offspring extremely well, never letting humans find them. For beasts that give live birth, bonding is only possible before the young open their eyes. But at that stage, the young are at their most fragile and can barely survive without their mother.

That’s why the value of Magic Beast Eggs has always remained high. Ordinary people couldn’t even dream of owning one. Even first-rate Mercenary Corps rarely had the financial resources to dabble in them. After all, one million Gold Coins could support a lot of people. Only the great families, with a thousand years of accumulated wealth, could possibly afford to spend so much to purchase them.

Thus, Magic Beast Eggs had always been items eagerly sought after by the nobility!

’What does the egg of a Tier Five Magical Beast signify?’ Ling Xiao had never considered selling it. Overjoyed, he placed the egg into his Space Ring, planning to take it out to hatch after he returned. After all, the little creature that hatched would need to be fed, and for knowledge on that subject, it was best to consult Yisha.

Ling Xiao searched the cave one more time but didn’t find the large number of Magic Beast Crystal Cores he was hoping for. ’Then again,’ he thought, ’if there were any, the Snow Mountain Lightning Falcon would have absorbed them long ago. Why would it have left them for me?’

...

Ye Wen Ni had originally thought that this small fruit helping her break through to the Great Sword Master realm was already a stroke of immense luck. But she discovered she was wrong—terribly wrong!

After sitting down cross-legged, she popped the Purple Blue Fruit into her mouth without the slightest hesitation. Miraculously, the Vermilion Fruit, which had felt quite firm in her hand, melted the instant it touched her tongue. A cool, sweet sensation slid down Ye Wen Ni’s throat. Before she could even savor the taste, she felt as if every meridian in her body was being roasted by blazing flames. Immediately after, it felt as if her entire body suddenly swelled up and then exploded with a deafening BOOM!

If Ling Xiao hadn’t warned her beforehand, Ye Wen Ni would have certainly opened her eyes to check if her body was still there.

An odd itching sensation arose from within her, as if all the blood in her body was on fire. The intense pain caused sweat to pour down her forehead like rain. Her delicate, rosy face instantly turned deathly pale, her expression one of extreme agony.

Then, Ye Wen Ni felt as if she were in a giant furnace, surrounded by roaring flames. Her mind was exceptionally clear, forcing her to watch as her body was devoured bit by bit, yet she could not even scream.

Just when Ye Wen Ni felt she couldn’t hold on any longer, Ling Xiao’s words suddenly echoed in her mind: "Hold on, I believe you can do it!"

’Yes, I can do it. I definitely can!’ A huge surge of confidence erupted within Ye Wen Ni. Miraculously, the pain seemed to lessen a great deal. She continued to guard her clear and pure Spirit Platform, holding on to a single belief in her heart: ’I will succeed! My little brother and sisters are waiting for me to lead them out of this sea of suffering! I will succeed... I will... succeed!’

BOOM! Ye Wen Ni felt as if her entire body was about to be stretched open. ’My body must be a giant balloon right now!’ she suspected. ’But there’s no turning back!’

Just as Ye Wen Ni felt she had reached her breaking point, all the meridian gates in her body burst open at once.

Like a dam filled with river water suddenly bursting open, a torrential power surged through every meridian in Ye Wen Ni’s body!

The three meridian gates of Youmen, Tonggu, and Shangqu were like small pebbles against a torrent, blown open without resistance by the surging power. The Inner Strength rapidly completed a cycle through these three meridians, and in that instant, all the pain vanished completely! In its place was a comfortable feeling, as if her whole body was basking in warm sunlight.

Ye Wen Ni suppressed her overwhelming excitement. She had just leaped from a Tier Three Sword Master to a Tier One Great Sword Master in an instant!

But it wasn’t over. Next, the three meridian gates of Siman, Henggu, and Qingming were also forced open by this torrential power!

Panque, Jiaoxin, Zhaohai... Tier Three Great Sword Master! 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Ran Valley, Lianquan, Qimen... Tier Four Great Sword Master!

Fushe, Chongmen, Zhubin... Tier Five Great Sword Master!

Finally, after this immense power broke through the Chengjiang and Tiantu meridian gates, its force began to weaken, leaving only the Jiuwei meridian gate unopened!

If Ye Wen Ni’s original strength hadn’t been so weak, this power might have even broken through to Tier Six Great Sword Master and reached Tier One Mad Sword Master.

Amidst her extreme surprise, Ye Wen Ni’s mind paradoxically calmed. She sat there, directing the now-tranquil Inner Strength to circulate for one full cycle through her body. This feeling of possessing such immense power was simply incredible!

Ye Wen Ni could finally perceive the realm her adoptive father had reached. ’Yes, my adoptive father is definitely stronger than a peak Great Sword Master, but I am younger!’

’This is insane! A sixteen-year-old Tier Six Great Sword Master... if word of this got out, all the major powers would be scrambling to recruit me, right? But... I couldn’t care less!’

Ye Wen Ni sat there calmly and mentally rehearsed the Jade Maiden Swordsmanship once more. She finally understood why Ling Xiao had taught her this sword technique. The Jade Maiden Swordsmanship, when infused with Inner Strength, was not just for show—it was... terrifying! Combined with her current strength, Ye Wen Ni was confident she would dare to draw her sword and fight even against a Mad Sword Master!

When Ye Wen Ni opened her eyes, she saw Ling Xiao watching her with a pleased smile, his lips pursed slightly.

Ye Wen Ni let out a soft cry, rushed over to hug Ling Xiao, and buried her head in his chest, murmuring, "Ling Xiao, thank you!"