CHAPTER 80: CHAPTER 80: SECRET SPIRIT EGG FALLING FROM THE SKY

"Come towards me... come towards me..." Duan Shulin waved his hand and shouted at the streak of light, as if the Secret Spirit Egg could understand his words.

Chen Guan remained silent, observing the rapidly approaching Secret Spirit Egg. Unfortunately, the intense flames generated by its friction with the air made it impossible to see what the Secret Spirit Egg looked like inside.

"Heavenly spirit, earthly spirit... Supreme Elder Lord and Queen Mother bless me, make it work... bring it to me..." Duan Shulin chanted like a spell, gesturing at the streak of light, using every trick he could think of.

But when the streak of light got closer, he could only watch helplessly as it headed straight for Chen Guan.

Chen Guan quickly retreated as the streak of light crashed heavily onto the ground, creating a deep pit over a meter in diameter, scattering broken stones everywhere with a force more powerful than a grenade.

Fortunately, Chen Guan and Duan Shulin reacted swiftly, diving to the ground to avoid the risk of getting blown apart.

Chen Guan stood up, covered in dust, rushed to the edge of the pit, and without a second glance, picked up a white stone the size of a goose egg.

Ming Fei had already told him she had a strong intuition about this Secret Spirit Egg, confirming that it contained an extraordinary Secret Spirit, though she couldn’t say what grade it was.

After all, she only gained a trace of sensing ability from consuming the Nether Lotus, not a scanning capability.

Chen Guan examined the Secret Spirit Egg closely; it looked like a white quartz pebble, with no impurities, and nothing extraordinary or radiant about it. From a distance, it looked like a fresh goose egg.

Duan Shulin was also observing the Secret Spirit Egg and blinked as he asked, "Brother Guan, let your pet out to sense the quality of this Secret Spirit Egg, will you?"

"Sure." Chen Guan agreed and summoned the Warring States with a flick of his hand.

Duan Shulin was momentarily stunned, his eyes widening in disbelief as he asked, "Did you really feed the Nether Lotus to a guard dog?"

"Yes, is there a problem?" Chen Guan remained unfazed, allowing the Warring States to sniff the Secret Spirit Egg.

The Warring States sniffed and then barked at Chen Guan.

"Understood." Chen Guan nodded, signaling the Warring States to sit beside him.

"What did it say?" Duan Shulin looked at Chen Guan, bewildered, with a puzzled expression.

"It said the quality of this Secret Spirit Egg is excellent," Chen Guan mused, "I estimate it to be either unique or unparalleled."

"It only barked once, how could you deduce that much?" Duan Shulin looked at Chen Guan skeptically, somewhat disbelieving.

"Nothing but familiarity." Chen Guan offered no further explanation and stashed the Secret Spirit Egg away, knowing it required time and special conditions to hatch, something that couldn’t be done immediately. "Believe it or not, you said this Secret Spirit Egg wasn’t part of our agreement, so it has nothing to do with you."

"Did you really feed the Nether Lotus to it?" Duan Shulin still couldn’t believe anyone would feed such heavenly treasure to a mere guard dog.

"Are you going to chatter with me here, or are you going to search for the Secret Spirit Egg now?" Chen Guan asked Duan Shulin.

"Let’s find the Secret Spirit Egg first. If we can locate it, fine, otherwise we’ll collect it." Duan Shulin gritted his teeth, thinking, "Chen Guan isn’t stupid, there’s no way he’d feed the Secret Spirit Egg to a guard dog, he’s probably just joking. When it’s time to truly collect the Secret Spirit Eggs, he’ll summon the pet that ate the Nether Lotus."

With that thought, the two of them headed in the direction where the Secret Spirit Eggs had recently fallen. After crossing two ridges, they finally found a deep pit where a Secret Spirit Egg had fallen, but unfortunately, it was already gone.

"I think we should stop searching and go directly to crowded areas to collect them." Duan Shulin immediately suggested.

Chen Guan agreed there was no need to waste time searching, and it was better to collect the Secret Spirit Eggs sooner.

The two turned back towards the edge of the Ghost King Mountain Range. As they passed through a narrow mountain path, several cultivators emerged, blocking the already narrow mountain cave. They scrutinized Chen Guan and Duan Shulin for a moment before one cultivator coldly demanded, "Leave those Secret Spirit Eggs and get lost."

"We don’t have any Secret Spirit Eggs. We’ve been wandering the mountains all day and haven’t found a thing. We should’ve gone to the outskirts," Duan Shulin said as he took out a pack of cigarettes to offer the cultivators.

The previous speaker slapped the cigarettes out of Duan Shulin’s hand and icily retorted, "Cut the crap, leave your clothes and everything you’re carrying, then get lost."

Despite the insult, Duan Shulin didn’t look angry. He picked up the cigarettes with a smile and said, "I have a bit of a connection with Chief Steward Li of the Reincarnation City Lord’s Mansion..."

He didn’t finish his sentence before the cultivator slapped the entire pack out of his hand again, cursing, "Cut the damn crap, we don’t know any Chief Steward Li or Peach Steward. We only acknowledge our unbeatable godfather Yang Third Master, a top expert of the Second Awakening. Do as I say if you want to live."

Duan Shulin’s smile faded, but he showed no anger. He didn’t bother picking up the dropped cigarettes again; instead, he lit a match, ignited the last cigarette he had between his fingers, and took a long drag, blowing out smoke.

"I’m talking to you, got it?" The cultivator was displeased and reached up to grab Duan Shulin by the collar.

Bang!

Duan Shulin, cigarette clenched in his mouth, punched out. The man couldn’t react in time and was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the others, spitting blood from his mouth. The man’s chest caved in from the impact, leaving an imprint so deep that it was clear he wouldn’t survive.

Before the others could set down the body, Duan Shulin moved like a specter, dispatching them with punches that crushed their chest bones. Within half an unfinished cigarette, all the cultivators lay dead.

"Duan Shulin’s level has risen quickly, to around level seven or eight, I’d say," Chen Guan thought, surprised. In over a month of sharing the same tent, he’d never seen Duan Shulin cultivate, so how had he improved?

Duan Shulin snubbed out the cigarette against the ground and disdainfully remarked, "Trash like them dare act arrogant in front of Lord Duan."

"For you, they’re trash, but to others, what are you but trash?" a voice came from a large rock nearby.

Chen Guan and Duan Shulin turned to see an old man rise from a chair, lightly leaping seven or eight meters to land before them, making them both narrow their eyes and exchange a glance.

"A cultivator of the Second Awakening?" Chen Guan frowned slightly.