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Chapter 23: Beast Egg
The matter about Yu Ying accepting him as a disciple and that he could accept Taking Consciousness again was all bs that he made up. Although he hated Xiao Kui, he knew that he couldn’t win without the help of Taking Consciousness. Therefore, he used these lies to mess up his state of mind first, increasing his own chance of winning.
When Yi Xichen arrived at Fengqi Temple, Yu Ying was already waiting for him in the main hall.
“Disciple Yi Xichen, here to pay my respects.”
Yi Xichen knelt down in front of Yu Ying respectfully. While in front of Yao Budu he always acted casually, he still knew when to be respectful.
”Child, come here, let me take a look at you.”
Confused, Yi Xichen obediently walked forward.
Yu Ying looked at Yi Xichen in silence for a moment, then placed his finger on his forehead. Yi Xichen was taken back for a second, hesitant of whether or not to open his sea of knowledge. Even though he was facing the sect leader, he still couldn’t trust him completely yet.
Fortunately, Yu Ying wasn’t planning to break into his sea of knowledge. He took his finger back after feeling his spiritual energy.
“Child, you’re not a false spirit root after all, you have an extremely rare mutated spiritual root. It was I and the elders’ fault that we weren’t able to tell before.”
Yi Xichen quickly replied, “It’s my special physique, it was natural that you guys weren’t able to tell. I myself only found out recently as well.
Yu Ying nodded, “Your physique is indeed very special, and there’s a strong force that sealed your spiritual pathways, allowing you only to exert about ten percent of your true strength. You have such potential yet had so many years of your time wasted, such a pity.”
“Not at all, not at all,” Yi Xichen said with a smile, “Since it’s a seal, there will be one day I can break out of it. It wouldn’t be too late then.”
“Oh?” Yu Ying asked, “You already know how to break the seal in your body?”
Yi Xichen hesitated for a second, then replied vaguely, “There will always be a way.”
He has already discussed with Zhangsun Zijun that next year, when they can go practical training outside of the mountain, they would go collect the five Treasures of the Heaven and the Earth, and then try to refine it. But he didn’t tell the truth to Yu Ying, because he really didn’t know how Zhangsun Zijun knew about all this.
Yu Ying continued, “Fortunately, I know a way, which perhaps can break your seal. Child, are you willing to be my disciple?”
Yi Xichen stunned in place. Hello? Did I hear that right? Yu Ying Zhenren wants me as his disciple? God, no way! I was just joking around, what, did I manage to learn Fortune Telling Technique?
Seeing him not giving a reply, Yu Ying asked again, “You don’t want to?”
“Uh

”
Yi Xichen only had time to be shocked and not to consider whether to agree or not. The matter itself was way too weird. Out of the hundreds of people in the Heavenly Sword Sect, everyone knew that Yu Ying was pretty much a sword nerd. He wouldn’t even show up on any sect issues or events unless he absolutely had to. And yet now, Yu Ying seemed to have changed his personality completely.
Yi Xichen asked, “Why?”
This time it was Yu Ying’s turn to be stunned, he obviously didn’t expect Yi Xichen to dare to ask a question back to him, the sect leader. He frowned, as if he had never thought about this question before. After thinking for a while, he replied, “I’ve been cultivating for over two hundred years, yet never met a mutated spiritual root that’s like your’s. Although I’m not known for my disciples, I am still a sect leader after all. With me guiding you, perhaps it can make up for your shortcomings over the past years.”
So this is
 loving talents?
Under normal circumstances, Yi Xichen wouldn’t even think before agreeing. After all, being a disciple of the sect leader, he wouldn’t have to worry about any spirit stones and spiritual materials. But right now, he was hesitating. Although technically, it wouldn’t count as “betraying” Yao Budu, it just didn’t feel too comfortable for him. For him and Zhangsun Zijun, Yao Budu was more than just a master, he was a father.
Yu Ying spoke again, “In order to break the seal in your body, I’m afraid we’ll need some Treasures of Heaven and the Earth. But don’t worry about that, I’ll find a way to get those for you.”
Yi Xichen felt even more moved. Looking for those spiritual materials with Zhangsun Zijun would definitely be a hard journey. With Yu Ying’s help, everything would be much simpler.
But he still replied in the end, “Sect leader, can you allow me to think for a few days?” Although he had already decided, he still wanted to hear Zhangsun Zijun and Yao Budu’s opinion first. If Zhangsun Zijun and Yao Budu didn’t agree, well, he would just say pass.
Yu Ying definitely didn’t expect that Yi Xichen wouldn’t agree immediately, but he didn’t force him, and simply replied, “Of course, come back to me when you’ve decided. But even if you don’t want to take me as your master, I’ll still try and help to break your seal. After all, you’re a disciple of my Heavenly Sword Sect.”
Hearing such promise, Yi Xichen almost started to dance on the floor. He quickly bowed again and left.
After leaving Fengxi Temple, Yi Xichen was in a great mood. He hummed a small tune while on his way back. But not long after, he suddenly noticed the grass beside him moving. Yi Xichen stopped and looked curiously at that spot. After a short wait, the grass moved again, as if there was something inside.
There were a few Golden Toads that lived on Heavenly Sword Mountain. The saliva of these Golden Toads could be used to refine pills. People could often see disciples of Medicine Hall squatting in the grass looking around, that was them looking for Golden Toads. Sometimes, disciples from other halls will join and help too. If they managed to catch one or two, they could exchange them for some primary spirit stones. But after catching too many of them, the Golden Toads grew smart as well, and learned to hide in hard-to-find spots. Therefore, their prices have been rising recently.
Yi Xichen immediately became interested. Although he didn’t need the Golden Toad for any pills, he could still exchange them for some spirit stones. Today must be his lucky day!
Yi Xichen tiptoed towards the patch of grass, and when it was within reach, he took a deep breath and prepared to pounce on it!
But suddenly, the grass moved again, and a big gray rock rolled out of the grass.
Yi Xichen didn’t know what to do anymore, “This
 what kind of rock is this?”
That “rock” seemed to have turned upset after being called a rock by someone, and rolled towards Yi Xichen, then bumped his toe.
“Huh?” Yi Xichen bent down and picked up the “rock”. “Is this
 an egg?”
It was indeed a gray egg, about the size of a man’s head. When Yi Xichen picked it up, it rolled around in his arms restlessly.
Obviously, this was a baby demon beast who was just about to break out of its egg. But for some reason, Yi Xichen couldn’t feel any demon energy coming from it. He looked at the egg for a second, trying to figure out what kind of beast it could be.
“You’re probably a spiritual beast raised by an elder right?” Yi Xichen placed it back into the grass, “You should hurry back, or else the elder will be worried.”
There was no beast who dared to lay its egg on Heavenly Sword Mountain, so it must be raised by someone here on the mountain. Since it didn’t have any demon energy coming from it, then that meant it must be a spiritual beast. A newborn natural spiritual beast was an extraordinarily rare treasure. In the eyes of a cultivator, it was about the same as getting a Heavenly Spirit Root. There was no way a disciple could afford such rare treasure, so it must be the pet of one of the elders.
Yi Xichen stood up and was about to leave, but that egg rolled towards him again. It seemed very clingy, as if it really liked him.
Yi Xichen smiled and waved his hand at him, “You should hurry up and go, I’m from the Medicine Hall, if you don’t leave fast enough I’ll refine you into a pill!”
The gray egg rolled on the ground in frustration, then after a while, it rolled back into the grass.
After driving away the spirit beast egg, Yi Xichen continued to hum his tune as he walked towards the disciples’ dorms. Soon, he came by Shennong Temple. What he didn’t know was that in the grass beside Shennong Temple, there was another living thing waiting for him – Xiao Kui.
After being summoned by the sect leader, everyone soon left, except for Xiao Kui. After thinking about it, he decided to wait here and ambush Yi Xichen. The so-called “ambush” was not a head on fight, that was against the sect rules. He didn’t want to be evicted from the sect just by such a little act. He had an even worse idea.
He’s here! Seeing Yi Xichen walking over, Xiao Kui held his breath and prepared to throw the thing in his hand.
Yi Xichen didn’t notice him and walked straight by.
Here’s my chance!
Xiao Kui pinched the small black bug at his fingertips, then flicked it towards Yi Xichen’s back. The little black bug flew in a parabola in the air and landed on Yi Xichen’s shoulder.
Yes! Xiao Kui squeezed his fists excitedly.
That was an eavesdrop bug. He was worried that Yi Xichen was really about to be Yu Ying’s disciple, worried that Yi Xichen would accept Taking Consciousness twice. He also speculated that he was just being played, so he wanted to use this eavesdrop bug to learn the truth. Although this was not an act of a gentleman, he Xiao Kui wasn’t a gentleman to start off with. He could throw even more slanderous tricks if he had to. He just wanted to learn the truth so that he could prepare for tomorrow’s match. Lose to Yi Xichen? Not in a million years!
Yi Xichen, on the other hand, had no clue that there was an eavesdrop bug on him already. He continued to hum his tune as he walked.