Draining the Pond to Get the Fish! . . .
A storm of anger raged within Cha Eun Xiao, rendering him momentarily speechless.
[What in the world are you doing?]
[You're siphoning the spiritual qi from all my precious treasures and eagerly gulping it down! Those are all invaluable items...]
[And yet, you're still not satisfied, even urging me for more!]
Cha Eun Xiao realized that something must have gone awry on Brother Egg's side, leading to this inexplicable behavior. His trusted companion would never intentionally harm the Space; it held this realm in high regard. The only plausible explanation was that it had lost control.
Could it be that Brother Egg was on the verge of hatching?
If that were the case, and it lacked the necessary spiritual qi, calamity could befall the Space. It wouldn't merely fail to hatch; it could disrupt the entire realm.
"Damn it! I never imagined I'd owe you this much!" Cha Eun Xiao resolved to act swiftly. He clenched his teeth and hastily retrieved ninety-nine medicinal materials from his storage. Depositing them into the Wood Space, he observed the rapid resurgence of spiritual qi. Brother Egg, having rushed back to its plate, swiftly absorbed the rejuvenated energy, doing so even more voraciously than before.
[Could it be that it was suppressing its true speed earlier?]
Cha Eun Xiao couldn't afford to waste a second. He emptied his storage ring, depositing the treasures he had acquired from Ling-Bao Hall into the Space. As he did so, the Spaces automatically sorted through and absorbed them. The rate at which Brother Egg drained the Cosmic Hades was accelerating, leaving it visibly weakened and bereft of its signature cold qi.
Cha Eun Xiao couldn't help but muse, [You were so assertive when facing me, expelling your cold qi without hesitation. Yet, when confronted with Brother Egg, you suddenly appear as a coward!]
He found himself secretly hoping that the Cosmic Hades would persist a bit longer, perhaps sating Brother Egg's insatiable appetite. [Why not unleash your power now, instead of acting like a timid, weakened creature?]
Turning to the Space, Cha Eun Xiao withdrew an array of exceptional treasures and introduced them into the realm to bolster Brother Egg. Unfortunately, the majority of these prized items succumbed to rapid depletion, reduced to ashes by the Egg's insatiable hunger. The entity was in dire need of spiritual qi, and its voracity knew no bounds.
While the Space's insides were piled high with the vast collection of treasures, the sheer speed at which they were being consumed was astonishing. Cha Eun Xiao sensed a peculiar emotion emanating from Brother Egg, a feeling that left him apprehensive.
"Not... Not enough... More... I need more..."
His teeth gritted in anxiety, Cha Eun Xiao poured the entirety of his resources obtained from Ling Wuxie into the Space at once.
It was an overwhelming quantity of treasures. Once they entered the Space, it was immediately filled to capacity. The Egg, in its frantic absorption, reduced the material mountain to a virtual flatland within mere moments.
Cha Eun Xiao had expended everything he had, with no further resources to offer. All he could do now was watch, waiting to see what fate had in store.
Only the heavens could fathom whether the amount of spiritual qi would suffice.
Cha Eun Xiao pondered the immense volume of spiritual qi that had surged into the Space within such a brief span. He understood that this influx, even during his prime in his previous life, could have caused him to explode over a hundred times.
Such an estimate was conservative.
Now, however, all this formidable spiritual qi had been entirely devoured by Brother Egg. Coupled with what it had already consumed earlier...
Cha Eun Xiao couldn't even begin to fathom the sheer amount of energy required for Brother Egg to hatch.
He dared not imagine the staggering power it might possess once it did hatch.
Could it be something a hundred times more formidable than the legendary Xiao Monarch?
After a prolonged period of insatiable absorption, Brother Egg finally settled down.
The frenetic spiritual qi had ceased its chaotic dance, indicating that the Egg had presumably satisfied its voracious appetite.
It returned to its placid state, resting on the plate as it had before.
Observing the Egg's newfound calm, Cha Eun Xiao promptly ventured into the individual Spaces to assess their conditions. His heart ached as he surveyed the damage.
In the Wood Space, the medicinal plants lay in disarray. Some had even been reduced to ashes, and others of superior quality were gravely compromised. The leaves of the Tree of the Cultivating Tea drooped, betraying its state of distress.
Similar devastation had befallen the other Spaces. The Heavenly Crystal Marrow had diminished by a third, and the Cosmic Hades was a shadow of its former self. It failed to emit its usual frigid aura, let alone the powerful cold qi he had grown accustomed to.
Recovery for the Spaces would require a significant amount of time.
Cha Eun Xiao found himself at a loss for words.
Returning to Brother Egg, which now resembled an enormous, rotund watermelon, he couldn't help but exclaim, "How much longer will it take for you to hatch?"
The Egg swayed with an air of pride, radiating an unmistakable sense of arrogance.
Faced with such an insufferably haughty Egg, Cha Eun Xiao's earlier frustration gave way to a sigh of helplessness.
Approaching the plate and observing the pile of supreme dan beads, he couldn't help but feel like he was in a dream.
Each dan bead within that heap held the power to stir significant waves in the outside world. Yet, here they lay, piled together in seeming disregard, each of varying levels.
While this was never his intent, it had become his reality.
However, a profound revelation dawned as Cha Eun Xiao noticed three dan beads radiating a distinct, special glow.
"No way!"
He slapped his thigh in disbelief.
"Could it be... the Heaven Seizing Supreme Dan?"