"So, is this ultimately a good thing or a bad thing?" Yuan Ming asked, somewhat unsure.

"It's half good, half bad, I suppose. The outcome won't be known until after it hatches. It's also possible that it might not hatch at all. If Sixth Uncle from my sect were here, I could let him appraise it," Gu Qiuming said pensively.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming still felt there was a greater possibility that it had become stronger. Xi Cangqiong had hidden this egg in Biluo Cave, and for many years, it had been soaked in the Essence Blood of countless demon beasts collected by Beast Slaves! It couldn't be just an ordinary Winged Bird!

"Fellow Daoist Hagon, name your price," Gu Qiuming spoke, then added with emphasis, "Anything you ask!"

"I'm not selling this item. I only wish to entrust it to your Treasure Spirit Pavilion to help it hatch," Yuan Ming said.

Though he had been prepared for such an answer, a look of evident disappointment still flashed in Gu Qiuming's eyes when he heard Yuan Ming say he wouldn't sell.

"Believe me, the chances of a mutation yielding a useless creature are definitely greater than producing a stronger spirit beast. Instead of taking this gamble yourself, it would be better to name a good price and sell it, yielding greater profits," Gu Qiuming advised.

"This egg was gifted to me by a friend; it holds a different meaning for me. Even if a weakling hatches, I would still accept it," Yuan Ming replied with a smile.

How could he possibly sell the Blood Egg that Xi Ying had given him?

"Alright then, since that's the case, I won't try to persuade you further. However, I must make it clear beforehand: this Winged Bird Egg is no ordinary egg. The Treasure Spirit Pavilion can't hatch it; I will have to take it back to our Zhenling Sect and use an Array to hatch it," Gu Qiuming said.

"Fine, that's not a problem, but I want to go with you," Yuan Ming said after a moment's thought.

"Of course. After the spirit beast hatches, you'll need to tame it quickly while it's still young. If you wait until it grows up and develops its wild nature, taming it will be much harder," Gu Qiuming explained.

"How much will it cost for the incubation?" Yuan Ming inquired.

"According to the rules of our sect, hatching a spirit beast egg using an Array requires at least a hundred Spirit Stones. Since we're friends, I can hatch it for you personally and take ten Spirit Stones less. Ninety Spirit Stones, and any additional Array energy consumption will be calculated separately. The price remains the same even if the hatching fails," Gu Qiuming stated.

"That price is acceptable," Yuan Ming responded, nodding his head.

"Prompt decision! I still have some matters to deal with here; let's depart early tomorrow morning," Gu Qiuming said with a smile.

"If I may ask, where exactly is the Zhenling Sect located?" Yuan Ming asked.

"On the other side of the Rain Ruins Swamp, not too far from here," Gu Qiuming replied.

"Good, then let's set off early tomorrow morning."

After making their arrangements, Yuan Ming left the Treasure Spirit Pavilion.

...

The next day, early in the morning.

Yuan Ming and Gu Qiuming set off for the Zhenling Sect, riding cranes.

Meanwhile, inside the Rain Ruins Swamp, Hua Zhi was using vines to weave a plow-like object. She sat on it, with two three-foot-long black fish bound by vines at the front, pulling her swiftly along.

On the way to Zhenling Sect, Gu Qiuming informed Yuan Ming about some basic information regarding the sect.

He learned that Zhenling Sect was situated on the eastern side of the Rain Ruins Swamp, a small cultivation sect built along the lakeshore of the swamp, mainly specializing in the incubation and taming of spirit beasts, with a heritage that spanned several hundred years.

In fact, the Zhenling Sect was somewhat similar to Biluo Cave, except it lacked most of the spirit beast capturing business.

What set it apart was that, though the Zhenling Sect was also a cultivation sect, its main body was composed of the "Gu" family, which also absorbed many cultivators with different surnames.

The individuals with real power within the sect were almost all from the "Gu" family, while Gu Qiuming was just a collateral member of the family.

Upon reaching the territory of the Zhenling Sect, Yuan Ming was the first to see a series of beautifully carved stone archways lined up neatly, stretching over hundreds of yards.

Most of these archways were engraved with phrases like "A Thousand Years of Prosperity," "Scenic Moonlit Views," and "Marvelous Cave Heavens." Only on the last and largest archway were engraved the three characters "Zhenling Sect," written in a bold and impressive style.

Clearly, this sect had once been very prominent, giving Yuan Ming even more confidence.

Standing under the archway and looking back, Yuan Ming saw a series of buildings with white walls and black tiles, nestled among lush forests by the lakeshore of the swamp. Shrouded in mist, they exuded a hazy sense of beauty.

From afar, he could hear a chorus of exotic birds and animal calls emanating from that cluster of buildings.

After entering the Zhenling Sect, Yuan Ming discovered the sect, which resembled a town, was divided into many areas, each breeding different types of spirit beasts. The numbers seemed modest, but the varieties were diverse, including birds and beasts of all kinds, each area protected by an Array's light shield.

On the shore of the swamp lake, there were also fenced-off ponds, which astonishingly contained aquatic breeds of spirit beasts.

As Gu Qiuming led Yuan Ming through the sect, they encountered many people who would greet Gu Qiuming proactively. However, the terms they used were familial titles like uncle, brother, and cousin rather than martial brother or martial sister.

"Your Winged Bird Egg is a bit special. I should have my uncle take another look at it to avoid any mistakes," Gu Qiuming said, leading the way into the sect's interior.

"Sure," Yuan Ming readily agreed.

The two of them passed through a series of arches and corridors to arrive at a secluded courtyard.

"Sixth Uncle is the Law Enforcement Elder of the Zhenling Sect; he has always been strict. When we meet him later, I'll do the talking; you just listen. If you have any questions, you can ask me after we leave," Gu Qiuming seemed to hold a certain fear for his uncle.

Yuan Ming nodded.

"Junior Gu Qiuming seeks an audience with Sixth Uncle," Gu Qiuming called out as they arrived at the entrance to the courtyard.

"Come in and talk." After a moment's wait, a steady, somewhat hoarse voice came from within the courtyard.

Gu Qiuming immediately gestured for Yuan Ming to follow and led him into the courtyard.

In the yard, under an old pine tree with a vigorous appearance, a dignified elderly man with gray hair and a short gray beard sat on a stone bench, reading a scroll with eyes that radiated an inner light.

Upon seeing the two enter, the elder's brows involuntarily furrowed.

Gu Qiuming, aware that he was displeased with him for bringing an outsider, rushed to speak:

"Sixth Uncle, my friend here has acquired a peculiar Spirit Beast Egg. My vision is limited, and I could not determine what it is. I vaguely guessed it might be a Winged Bird, but the egg is red. I wish for you to take a look."

Upon hearing this, the authoritative elder put down the scroll in his hands, clearly interested.

"Among the younger generation, you have been roaming around for years and have a good eye. If you say it's a Winged Bird Egg, you are probably not wrong. Bring it out for me to see," the elder asked.

Gu Qiuming hurriedly made a signal to Yuan Ming, who understood and immediately took out the Blood Egg and placed it on the table.

The authoritative elder's gaze landed on the egg and after a mere glance, he asked:

"You got this egg from the Southern Border, didn't you?"

"How did you know?" Yuan Ming asked in surprise.

"This is just an ordinary Winged Bird Egg, but it has been nurtured with the Blood Nourishment Method, which is commonly used by the Beast Tamers in the Southern Border," the elder explained.

"What is the Blood Nourishment Method?" Yuan Ming inquired.

"Beast Masters of the Southern Border soak bird eggs in the blood of several demon beasts after acquiring them to imbue them with vitality upon hatching. The red color of the eggshell is simply due to the absorption of blood essence. You need to incubate it soon; otherwise, without blood nourishment for too long, the creature inside will starve," the elder said with a glance at him.

"Sixth Uncle, I want to use a Formation to incubate this egg. What do you think?" Gu Qiuming tentatively asked.

"That's acceptable," the authoritative elder said indifferently, then became silent.

Gu Qiuming, along with Yuan Ming, gave their thanks and took their leave.

"Putting a talent to a small use," the elder murmured quietly.

As the two left the courtyard entrance, a young man dressed in a Cloud Brocade Robe, with handsome features and fair skin, and a lock of hair hanging over his forehead, looking somewhat unrestrained, walked past.

"Oh, isn't that Brother Qiuming the Lone Arm? You're always out making a fortune; why have you come back today?" the young man said upon seeing Gu Qiuming.

Gu Qiuming only gave him a cold glance and didn't bother to respond, leading Yuan Ming away.

The young man didn't seem to care; he chuckled and walked into the yard, respectfully greeting the elder: "Sixth Uncle."

"Qiulong! Why are you disrespectful to your cousin?" the authoritative elder looked at him disapprovingly.

"He's nothing but an incapacitated, one-armed good-for-nothing," Gu Qiulong said nonchalantly as he took a seat opposite the elder.

"Shut your mouth! He lost his arm fighting for our clan," the elder suddenly snapped.

Apparently, Gu Qiuming didn't take the recent events to heart; he continued to chat and joke as he led Yuan Ming to a relatively distant courtyard. The yard was deserted, with antiquated decorations, and the paint on the doorposts was peeling, suggesting that Gu Qiuming had not stayed here for a long time.

"Fellow Daoist, this is where I reside; you may stay here for a few days. I need to go to the clan's Incubation Room to help incubate this bird egg," Gu Qiuming found a room for Yuan Ming and settled him in.

"How long will it take?" Yuan Ming asked.

"About ten days or so. Don't worry, when the Winged Bird is about to hatch, I'll bring you there in advance. However, for the next few days, we probably won't see each other," Gu Qiuming said.

"No worries, I will stay and await the good news," Yuan Ming said with a smile.

Gu Qiuming looked at him with an odd expression, seemingly having something to say but hesitating.

"What's the matter, is there anything amiss?" Yuan Ming asked.

"It's nothing much, just that during my absence, you'd better stay in the yard and please don't wander around elsewhere," Gu Qiuming said with evident difficulty.

"I thought it was something serious, don't worry." Yuan Ming laughed.

Afterward, Gu Qiuming left with the Blood Egg, and Yuan Ming wandered around the yard for a while before bringing his fingers together and pressing them to his forehead.

Suddenly, four soul crows flew out from his forehead, soared into the sky, and headed outside the yard.

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