Chapter 153: Successful Egg Hatching—This Is Our Child!
The shared effort of Lin Qi’an and Ran Yuwei to hatch the egg lasted an entire day. Finally, their perseverance bore fruit. With a crisp “crack,” the pristine eggshell fractured.
“Your Highness, did we… did we succeed?” Ran Yuwei exclaimed with excitement.
“Ahem, perhaps you should get dressed first,” Lin Qi’an responded awkwardly, shifting his gaze.
Their eyes remained fixed on the egg. Suddenly, a small head peeked out from the crack in the shell. Covered in soft, snow-white fur and boasting large, round eyes, it looked as innocent as a newborn kitten.
However, moments later, one head was followed by another, and then another—until nine small, curious heads emerged, gazing at the world beyond the egg.
“Wow… it’s so adorable!” Ran Yuwei’s heart melted.
She hurried to help the little creature break free from its shell. The being that emerged was entirely snow-white, with nine round heads and a charmingly fluffy tail.
Could this really be the ferocious Nine-Headed Baby Beast? Wasn’t it supposed to be a legendary terror?
The newly hatched creature itself seemed perplexed. How had it turned into such an endearing form? What about its fearsome aura? Where was its dignity as a mighty beast?
Still, as it moved, the creature could feel a vast and boundless power coursing through its tiny body. One swipe of its paw could likely collapse a mountain! Its strength had increased nearly tenfold compared to before.
The little beast couldn’t help but rejoice inwardly—whatever miraculous items Lin Qi’an had fed it must have been extraordinary. Following this prince was clearly the right choice.
The Nine-Headed Beast waddled over to Lin Qi’an, nuzzling against his pant leg with its fluffy heads in a shameless display of affection.
“Don’t try to win me over with cuteness,” Lin Qi’an remarked sternly. “You’re my trump card for the beast competition. If you embarrass me, I won’t hesitate to discipline you.”
“Don’t be so harsh!” Ran Yuwei interjected, scooping up the little creature and cradling it. “We hatched it together—it feels like our child. You should treat it more gently!”
Lin Qi’an fell silent. A human child in the future sounded far more appealing than raising a ferocious beast as a “child.”
“How’s it supposed to pull our carriage looking like this?” Lin Qi’an muttered.
The Nine-Headed Beast looked up, its baby voice sweet and earnest. “Your Highness, I’ll grow bigger in time. Just feed me lots of heavenly treasures, and I’ll be strong enough.”
“Maybe it’s easier just to roast you for dinner,” Lin Qi’an teased.
“Whimper?!” The little creature shivered in terror.
“Don’t worry, I’ll feed you!” Ran Yuwei giggled, stroking the beast’s fur. By now, her mind was at ease—after all, she and the prince already had a “child,” putting her ahead in the race for his affection.
Upon leaving the Lotus Realm, Ran Yuwei couldn’t contain her excitement. She dashed off to find Su Xueni and Zi Lianyou to share the news.
“Yuwei, you and His Highness spent the entire day in the Lotus Realm?” Zi Lianyou asked, her eyes filled with envy. Spending time with the prince often resulted in cultivation breakthroughs—a rare and coveted opportunity.
“Not only that, but we also had a child together!” Ran Yuwei declared triumphantly.
“What?!” Su Xueni and Zi Lianyou froze in shock, their beautiful eyes wide with disbelief.
Su Xueni grabbed Ran Yuwei’s wrist, frantically checking her pulse. “A child? How is that even possible?”
“Oh, not the kind of child you’re imagining,” Ran Yuwei clarified, laughing as she presented the Nine-Headed Beast. She then recounted the egg-hatching story with great relish.
“You two… certainly know how to have fun!” Su Xueni couldn’t help but marvel. Even she was impressed by Ran Yuwei’s creativity and audacity.
—
Over the next two days, the favored prodigies were busy preparing for the beast competition, each cultivating their own ferocious creatures to display their strength.
According to the rules, participants could only use beasts they had personally subdued—borrowing others’ beasts was strictly prohibited. This rule made the competition unpredictable, as any participant had a chance to win.
“Master, I’m ready!” declared Li Xuan with confidence.
He had captured a “Grand Mystic Spirit Bull,” a peak Celestial Realm beast of exceptional power. Most subdued beasts were weaker than their owners, but securing one of equal strength was a rare achievement.
After forming a blood contract, Li Xuan had even imbued the bull’s horns with a wisp of his blade intent—a legitimate and clever tactic. When activated, this blade intent could serve as a trump card, turning the tide of battle.
“This time, I’ll definitely defeat Lin Qi’an,” Li Xuan vowed.
The Xiling Temple had prepared extensively. Their chosen beast was the “Demonic Dragon Shark” from the Western Sea, a gargantuan creature spanning over a hundred meters in length.
Capturing it had required the efforts of numerous experts, and even then, a Celestial Realm master had lost his life to the beast’s ferocious bite during the process. Such a terrifying creature was rightfully known as the ruler of its sea domain.
Xi Chao, the representative of Xiling, had successfully formed a blood contract with the Demonic Dragon Shark. He sneered coldly as he issued his orders.
“I don’t care about anything else, but if you come across Lin Qi’an’s beast, tear it apart. Fail, and it will be your life on the line—understand?”
—
Meanwhile, Ye Yun had captured a “Primordial Ghost Tiger,” a truly ancient and domineering beast.
This fearsome predator was known for its ruthless nature; any unfortunate creature crossing its path was invariably torn to pieces and devoured. Capturing it had been a grueling task for Ye Yun, leaving him covered in wounds and utterly spent.
The tiger’s power was undeniable—it had managed to severely injure a peak Celestial Realm prodigy during the battle to subdue it.
At this moment, Ye Yun held a black pill in his hand, exuding an ominous aura. He forced the Primordial Ghost Tiger to eat it.
“Here, swallow this,” he commanded.
The tiger growled, resisting fiercely.
“Do you think you have a choice? I’ve gone through so much for this. It’s your turn to fight! Eat!” Ye Yun insisted.
Under his relentless command, the Ghost Tiger reluctantly swallowed the pill. Instantly, its violent energy surged exponentially. Its massive jaws opened wide, revealing blade-like fangs, while thick, steaming saliva dripped to the ground.
“Good,” Ye Yun murmured with a satisfied smirk.
—
In the Tianhai Dao Domain, confidence ran high. Beast battles were their specialty, as the region boasted numerous ferocious creatures with rare and ancient bloodlines. Even a random pick from their stock could easily overpower the beasts of the Canglan Dao Domain.
“If you can’t win a beast battle, you don’t deserve the title of Son of God,” their elder declared sternly. “You might as well wear a plaque saying ‘trash’ around your necks!”
“Understood! We will not bring shame to the Tianhai Dao Domain!” the participants vowed.
—
Amid the excitement of the masses, the beast battle finally commenced.
The venue was an enormous, circular coliseum in Tai’an City, spanning a hundred kilometers in diameter. The ferocious beasts would be released into the central battlefield, with spectators watching from the surrounding stands.
Protective formations had been set up to ensure the safety of the audience, no matter how fierce the battles became.
By noon, the arena was packed to capacity, with tens of millions of spectators crowding the seats. Onlookers ranged from common cultivators to nobles and the most powerful figures of the realms.
The Emperors and Saints were seated in the prestigious VIP area atop a high platform, while the elite cultivators occupied the front rows and sect disciples filled the rear.
Thanks to the use of projection stones, everyone had a clear view of the events unfolding in the arena.
The host, an esteemed quasi-Saint elder, stepped forward to address the crowd.
“I now announce the rules of the beast competition!” his voice boomed. “Each participant may send only one spiritual or ferocious beast into the arena.”
“Matchups will be determined by drawing lots. The victor advances, while the defeated is eliminated. Final rankings will determine your points, which directly affect your qualification for the Forbidden Land expedition. Give it your all!”
The crowd roared with excitement as the elder concluded. Without further ado, the first two contestants were called to the arena.
The opening match immediately captured the audience’s attention, pitting Princess Zhao Yunji of Tai’an against Lin Liuli of Beidou.
Zhao Yunji’s beast was a breathtaking Spirit Phoenix, while Lin Liuli summoned an elegant Celestial Crane. Both creatures were perfect representations of their respective masters’ grace and nobility.
“This is going to be a spectacle!” one spectator exclaimed.
“I can’t believe these two prodigious women are facing off in the first round!” another remarked.
“Just think about it—last round, they were protecting the prince together,” someone chimed in. “One is the prince’s elder sister, and the other his former fiancée. This match is going to be fascinating!”