With a furious snarl, the Grade 2 wolf charged at Yi Chang, its powerful legs propelling it forward with incredible speed. Even as it moved, its protective gaze remained fixed on the egg, unwilling to leave it for too long. Yi Chang's eyes narrowed. This would be no easy fight. He was still only at the Qi Gathering Realm Stage 6, equivalent to a Grade 1 Stage 6 beast. A direct confrontation with a Grade 2 creature was suicide for most—but Yi Chang was no ordinary cultivator.
As the wolf closed in, Yi Chang sidestepped its initial swipe, the beast's claws slicing through the air with lethal precision. He retaliated with a punch to its side, but the wolf's hide was far tougher than the previous beasts. His fist met resistance, only forcing the beast back a step. The wolf growled, shaking off the impact and lunging at him again, this time with its jaws wide open, aiming for his neck.
Yi Chang ducked under the attack, but the wolf's agility surprised him as it twisted mid-air, swiping at his leg. Pain flared as the wolf's claws grazed his skin, drawing blood. He hissed in irritation, pushing through the pain and channeling more qi into his next attack. He couldn't afford to drag this out—the Grade 2 beast was far stronger, and with each passing second, it gained the upper hand.
"Enough," Yi Chang muttered, focusing his cosmos-chaos qi into his fists.
The wolf leaped at him again, but this time, Yi Chang was ready. His body flickered as he evaded the attack, his qi-enhanced speed giving him the edge. He closed the distance in an instant and delivered a powerful punch to the wolf's side. The force of his strike sent shockwaves through the beast's body, and for the first time, it staggered.
But the wolf wasn't done. It snarled in defiance and charged again, this time more aggressively, its eyes burning with rage. Yi Chang felt the strain in his dantian as he funneled more qi into his next move. He couldn't hold back any longer. With a deep breath, he released a burst of cosmos-chaos qi, his aura flaring with renewed intensity. The wolf sensed the danger, but it was too late.
Yi Chang leaped into the air, twisting his body as he brought his fist down with all the force he could muster. His punch connected with the wolf's skull, and the cave shook with the impact. The Grade 2 beast let out a final, pitiful whimper before collapsing to the ground, its body limp and unmoving.
Yi Chang landed lightly beside the fallen beast, panting slightly. He could feel the depletion of qi in his dantian—this battle had pushed him to his limits. The wolf had been formidable, and it had taken almost all of his qi reserves to bring it down.
But it was over.
His eyes drifted to the egg the wolf had been protecting. He could feel a faint but potent qi emanating from within, and something about it piqued his curiosity. Whatever was inside, it wasn't ordinary. But for now, Yi Chang needed to rest.
After a few minutes of rest, Yi Chang pushed himself to his feet, his gaze settling on the egg nestled behind the now-dead Grade 2 wolf. The egg seemed out of place, an enigma in the midst of a pack of wolves. He frowned, slowly stepping closer. Wolves certainly doesn't lay eggs, and this one radiated a faint but mysterious energy, unlike any beast he had encountered before.
He crouched beside the egg, his divine sense sweeping over it. The egg was smooth, with faint patterns etched along its shell, and though its qi signature was weak, there was life inside. That much, he could tell. But the life force was fragile, as if whatever was growing within hadn't fully developed yet. He furrowed his brow in contemplation.
"This egg... it's not from the nine-tailed fox clan, that much is clear though it seems to have their ability to influence mind. So what in the world is it? And why were the wolves protecting it?"
His mind raced with possibilities. The Mind Erosive Herb had drawn him here, but now it seemed clear that the real source of it was this egg. The mutated wolves and the Grade 2 beast weren't simply staying this cave—there wasn't nearly enough spiritual energy in this place to account for that kind of cultivation those wolves had, this world spiritual qi is to negligible and would certainly not be easy for the wolves to sense it or absorb. So, it had to be this egg. The wolves must have seen it as a blessing, a fortune that had elevated them in strength, and they protected it with their lives. But something felt off. The egg had clearly influenced their minds, twisting their natural instincts into a fanatical need to guard it.
Yi Chang extended his divine sense again, but even with his cultivation, he couldn't penetrate the egg's shell. His current strength wasn't enough to fully comprehend what lay within. Frustration flickered across his face. He was still too weak to understand the mysteries of the egg, and whatever life was inside remained elusive to him.
Left with no choice, he reached out and placed his hand on the egg's surface. Immediately, he tries to send a ttrace of his qi into the egg a strange sensation surged through him as the egg began absorbing his qi. He felt the flow, subtle at first, but then it intensified, devouring his qi greedily. Yi Chang gritted his teeth, and pulls back, but the egg tries continued to draw in more of his qi, refusing to let go.
"I can't... sustain this..." he muttered, his body already drained from the earlier fight. He couldn't afford to let the egg siphon any more of his qi.
With a swift motion, he pulled his hand away. The egg stopped drawing from him, but he could still feel its hunger, a deep pull for more qi, especially it seem to be greed for his cosmos-chaos qi and he simply couldn't provide right now.
"This is too much for now," he muttered. "I'll have to take it with me and figure it out later."
Yi Chang wrapped his arms around the egg and carefully lifted it. Though large, it wasn't overly heavy. The smooth surface gleamed under the faint light of the cave, and he could feel the slight tremor of life pulsing from within. He tucked it under one arm and made his way toward the cave entrance.
Outside, Old Man Feng had been pacing nervously. The old steward had heard the wolves' howls and snarls from a distance and had grown increasingly anxious with each passing minute. He'd tried to calling for help on the phone, but the forest had no signal, and the idea of leaving Yi Chang behind had filled him with dread. Still, he couldn't muster the courage to enter the cave himself. The howls had stopped, and the eerie silence that followed only made him more uneasy.
When Yi Chang finally stepped out of the cave, clutching the large egg in his hand, Old Man Feng's face lit up with relief and joy.
"Young Master!" he exclaimed, rushing toward him. "You're alright! I was about to run in after you, but… well..." His eyes landed on the egg, and his voice faltered. "W-What is that?"
Yi Chang smirked faintly, raising the egg slightly. "This? It's an egg and presently a mystery. So am bringing it with me to investigate."
Old Man Feng blinked in surprise. "An egg? From... wolves? How could—"
"They weren't protecting the herb," Yi Chang interrupted, his voice calm but firm. "They were guarding this egg. It's the real source of the plant, and likely the reason for the wolves mutation."
Old Man Feng's eyes widened as he stared at the egg. "Are you sure it's safe to bring it with us, Young Master? It seems... dangerous."
Yi Chang shrugged. "Whether it's dangerous or not, it's coming with me. I need to understand what it is, and that's not happening here."
Old Man Feng nodded, still visibly shaken but trusting in Yi Chang's judgment. "Very well. I'll prepare the car. Let's get out of this forest before anything else happens."
As they made their way back to the car, Yi Chang kept a firm grip on the egg. Whatever lay inside the egg, he knew one thing for sure—it was coming with him and he would certainly find out what it is.