Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 636 Hatching the Demon Egg

Just by locking eyes with an opponent, he could make them act according to his will. Although that member of the Demon Clan was of a much higher rank, he had already suffered numerous injuries in their previous battle. Now, with his guard completely down, Ye Qingchen successfully used his ability on the first attempt.

The Demon Clan within the Devil’s Cave had been almost entirely swept clean, leaving only rare Spirit Stones and medicinal herbs behind. The group and their beasts quickly plundered the area, stripping it bare in just thirty minutes. At the very back of the cave was a crystal-clear, azure pool of water. As the Demonic Qi dissipated, the nature’s spiritual energy within the pool began to overflow, making every breath feel incredibly refreshing.

Cheng Lu stubbornly refused to move. He hugged his Demon Egg and played by the water’s edge. "Why can’t I take this with me? I wanted to make a nest for my little pet. This is a natural spring! Such a great resource, and I can only look at it, not touch. It makes my hands itch!"

Li Nian’er couldn’t stand his constant whining. Just as she was about to speak, the Heaven-Devouring Azure Python on her wrist shamelessly slithered into the spring, cutting off her words.

Zhu Liang, on the other hand, was unconcerned. He had acquired a small golden egg on this trip, an unexpected gain that left him quite satisfied.

A small gray mouse with shifty eyes squirmed in Xiao Xiao’s arms, warily scanning the surroundings. Occasionally, other mice would peek out from holes in the ground, only to quickly dart back in upon seeing the group.

"Young Master, why don’t you look for a suitable demon familiar here?" Xiao Xiao suggested thoughtfully.

They had already killed enough of the Demon Clan to earn the points on their tokens needed for entry into one of the ten great Ancient Clans. Since their objective was complete, there was no need to take further risks on the third layer. This Devil’s Cave was an exceptionally good location; he might just find a suitable demon familiar to serve as a partner in future battles! Thinking this, Xiao Xiao strongly urged him.

Ye Qingchen, however, remained silent, his mind on other plans.

That little stone inside my body has been continuously absorbing Demonic Qi from this cave. It seems like a living creature, and if I’m not mistaken, it’s from the Demon Clan. If I could hatch this little fellow and make it my spirit pet, that wouldn’t be a bad idea at all!

Ye Qingchen decided to act immediately. He took out the stone and, using the Art of Contract taught by his sect, tried to place a contract mark upon it. The stone, however, was completely impervious; the mark couldn’t penetrate it at all.

Ye Qingchen frowned, a headache coming on. Could I have been wrong? Is this useless rock not a Demon Egg?!

Refusing to give up, he formed a series of hand seals, forcefully driving the talisman he had just drawn into the stone. Instantly, the stone began to glow with a brilliant light. The Demonic Qi it had absorbed now flowed out from within, etching a black-and-red seal onto its surface. The seal vanished in a flash, too fast for Ye Qingchen to see clearly.

Before he could react, the stone shot from his hand and plunged into the spring, sinking without so much as a ripple. Li Nian’er and the others noticed the movement and glanced over, but they saw nothing out of the ordinary.

However, the Demon Egg and the Heaven-Devouring Azure Python, which had been swimming happily just moments before, shot out of the water as if terrified. They moved at an incredible speed, as though a deep-water monster was about to devour them!

Cheng Lu exchanged a confused look with an equally bewildered Li Nian’er, and they both stared blankly at the spring.

Li Nian’er was speechless with anger. A moment ago, her Heaven-Devouring Azure Python had been full of life, but after leaving the water, it coiled around her wrist and played dead. It wouldn’t move no matter what she did, like an inanimate object. Seeing that nothing worked, she resigned herself to the situation and went back to picking herbs.

Cheng Lu, for his part, watched his lively egg turn into a silent, listless one. With a sense of hopeless resignation, he stuffed it into his pocket and went back to work.

Xiao Xiao had seen her Young Master throw something into the spring. Although she was curious, she didn’t ask any questions and simply stood by him quietly.

The little gray mouse in her arms, however, peeked furtively toward the water before yanking its head back and burrowing desperately into her robes, wishing it could shrink itself out of existence.

Puzzled by her pet’s strange agitation, Xiao Xiao asked it what was wrong. The mouse ignored her, scrambling into a side pocket in her robes and refusing to even peek its head out.

Ye Qingchen hadn’t noticed any of this. He was using his Dual Pupil Martial Soul to observe the Demon Egg he had just thrown in. The moment it hit the bottom of the spring, a vast amount of nature’s spiritual energy began pouring into its shell through the water. Under this infusion, the stone’s brownish-gray exterior started to turn transparent, gradually melting away into a thin film.

Inside was what looked like a soft, clueless piglet! Ye Qingchen stared at the creature encased within the stone, so frustrated he wanted to punch a hole through it.

What the hell is this? Other people get snakes or some other powerful pet. What am I supposed to do with this? Roast it?

As the thought crossed his mind, the piglet at the bottom of the spring instinctively flinched. Its entire body was a tender pink, seemingly underdeveloped. But as it absorbed the concentrated spiritual energy, its form began to solidify.

Wisps of Demonic Qi started to seep from the spring’s source at the very bottom. These wisps grew thicker and more intense, all of it being drawn into the piglet’s body.

With the infusion of Demonic Qi, the piglet’s body underwent a drastic change. Its pinkish-white skin started to darken, the shade deepening moment by moment until it became a small ball of charcoal.

Ye Qingchen’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. What is going on? Wasn’t it pink just a second ago? How did it end up like this? Well, whatever. Black is better than pink, I guess!

A powerful energy fluctuation erupted from within the Devil’s Cave, putting Zhu Liang and the others instantly on high alert. They stared intently at the spring, adopting combat stances, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

Li Nian’er also wore a grave expression. Her little snake had been frightened enough to flee the water and now refused to budge. This meant the thing at the bottom had to be even more formidable than what they had faced before.

Cheng Lu, however, appeared unfazed. Seeing Ye Qingchen still standing by the edge, he called out a warning, "There’s something in the spring! You and Xiao Xiao, get over here quickly!"

But neither Xiao Xiao nor Ye Qingchen moved. They stared intently at the water as if guarding a treasure of their own, showing not a trace of fear.

Watching them, Zhu Liang seemed to realize something and couldn’t resist peering into the spring himself. But before he could get a clear look at the churning energy within, a pitch-black, coal-like ball shot out of the water and darted straight toward Ye Qingchen.