C5 Spirit Animal Egg

"Damn it, I'm going all out!"

In a flurry of panic, Su Jiuming raised his sword and brought it down with all his strength, unleashing his one and only, albeit practically useless, move—the Stone-Shattering Sword Aura.

Unexpectedly, his hand veered off course, and not only did he miss his target, but the sword aura also struck a massive rock as tall as two men.

With a thunderous crash, the hard rock split in two like a block of tofu, collapsing to either side.

The cut was smooth and even, with clear lines, as if it had been sliced by a skilled craftsman.

"Thank you for sparing my life, Chief! I, Mei Cheng, am no match for you, Su Jiuming, and I humbly concede defeat!"

Mei Cheng halted, swiftly sheathing his sword. He then cupped his fists and gave Su Jiuming a deep bow, his voice booming with a tone rich in awe and respect.

Initially, Mei Cheng had been skeptical. Having never witnessed Su Jiuming in action, he doubted the hyperbolic tales shared among the disciples.

But now, Mei Cheng was a believer. Su Jiuming's swordsmanship was truly exceptional; a single stroke of his sword aura had shattered the rock.

Faced with such power, Mei Cheng had no choice but to acknowledge his superiority.

The other disciples on-site were equally astounded by the feat, lavishing praise upon their Chief.

Thus, Su Jiuming inexplicably emerged victorious in the martial arts contest. Still reeling from the close call, he had Lee Daoquan escort him away from the arena.

Lee Daoquan himself was taken aback. Was this the same man rumored to be inferior to even the Outer Sect disciples?

It was hard to believe that Su Jiuming, devoid of any inner energy, could wield his sword aura to cleave through solid rock.

Nonetheless, Lee Daoquan kept his thoughts to himself. If his junior brother preferred humility over showing off his skills, he would respect that wish and lead him away.

No sooner had Su Jiuming and Lee Daoquan departed than the disciples began to fervently discuss the event. Even Bai Yifeng, the Sect Master, was somewhat astonished.

It was important to note that the rock Su Jiuming had cleaved was not just any ordinary stone, but a black iron stone inscribed with protective runes.

The stone's innate hardness, coupled with the strength of the runes, made his accomplishment all the more remarkable.

The protective array was designed not only to shield spectators from the sword qi above the arena but also to withstand any damage from cultivators below the Foundation Building level, who couldn't even scratch it. Yet, Su Jiuming's Stone-Shattering Sword Aura not only cleaved the mountain rock but obliterated the protective runes etched into it. Even Bai Yifeng might not have been capable of such a feat. And to think, this was done without Su Jiuming exerting any internal energy.

"Given that Chief Su Jiuming has split the mountain rock, the protective array on it has also been compromised," it was announced. "All subsequent matches will be stopped at the first touch. Disciples observing from below must remain vigilant to avoid injury from any residual sword qi."

Despite the initial shock, it was clear that a Chosen One like Su Jiuming was in a league of his own, far removed from the common folk. The Veiled Moon's grand competition had to go on. Bai Yifeng quickly turned his attention to the necessary follow-up tasks, including commissioning a new protective array stone. While the Outer Sect disciples' matches might proceed without issue, the absence of the protective array stone could spell disaster during Inner Sect contests.

Bai Yifeng found himself regretting his decision to allow Su Jiuming to demonstrate his skills on stage. He resolved that, unless absolutely necessary, he would not permit Su Jiuming to exhibit his power before the disciples again—it was simply too perilous.

"My goodness, the protective array stone! How powerful must one be to split such a massive stone?" one disciple marveled. "And with such ease—it was like slicing through tofu. Had the Sect Master not pointed it out, I wouldn't have noticed that the stone was fashioned from Mystic Iron Stone, known for its exceptional durability."

"Is this what a true master is like? Chief Su didn't even use his inner energy, did he? That's incredibly powerful!"

Hearing these words from Bai Yifeng, the Sect Master, the disciples' gazes towards the mountain rock transformed with newfound respect. They understood that the gap between an ordinary mountain rock and a rune-carved protective array stone was immense—comparable to the difference between heaven and earth. The fact that Su Jiuming could split such a formidable stone without using his inner energy was astonishing, especially considering it was the Veiled Moon Sect's own protective array stone.

The prowess of Chief Su Jiuming was truly formidable.

Typically, the mighty would scorn interacting with the less powerful, yet a powerhouse like the Chief willingly offered his support and cheers to us, the Outer Sect disciples.

We were deeply touched by this gesture and silently vowed to dedicate ourselves to our cultivation, aspiring to one day keep pace with Su Jiuming.

[Ding! Mission completed.]

Meanwhile, Su Jiuming, having returned to Misty Peak, received the system's notification and finally came back to his senses.

He had participated in the martial arts competition primarily for the spirit animal, so the mission ought to be complete. But where was his reward?

"System, the mission is completed. Release the mission reward."

Having bid farewell to Lee Daoquan, Su Jiuming felt no need for pleasantries with the system and directly requested his reward.

Considering the life-threatening risks he took to complete the mission, receiving a spirit animal would be a small consolation.

"System? Are you there?"

After a lengthy wait without any reward in sight, Su Jiuming grew restless and called out to the system once more.

Silence. There was no reply, as if the system had vanished into thin air.

Growing impatient, Su Jiuming retreated to his abode atop Misty Peak and brewed a cup of tea. As he leisurely enjoyed his tea, an oval object suddenly materialized before him.

It was an egg, noticeably larger than the average chicken egg.

[The system reward has been distributed. Please check it.]

This was accompanied by a prompt from the system.

Yet as the notification sounded, Su Jiuming stared at the egg before him and involuntarily spat out the sip of tea he had just taken.

He picked up the egg and shook it, finding its texture, shape, and color indistinguishable from a regular egg.

"Come on, system, are you messing with me? You promised a spirit animal, and all I get is an egg?"

"Don't play dead. Answer me. What's the deal with this egg? Cough up my spirit animal."

"Damn system, say something! What am I supposed to do with an egg?"

"…"

In that moment, his frustration boiled over. He bombarded the system with questions, yet received no response, and his tirade grew fiercer.

[...Do you want me to speak?]

"Isn't it obvious? I need an explanation. What's this all about?"

Su Jiuming had been cursing for quite some time, growing weary from the tirade. Just as he paused to catch his breath, the system chimed in again. Already on edge, Su Jiuming launched into another round of expletives.

[Very well, as you desire.]

[The egg contains the spirit animal you requested. You simply need to incubate it for it to hatch.]

The system's tone had shifted, no longer icy and emotionless, but now with a nonchalant air.

"So you're pulling one over on me? How do you expect a grown man to hatch an egg?"

"And why not just implant a fertilized egg inside me while you're at it?"

Despite getting an answer, Su Jiuming's frustration only intensified.

Promised a spirit animal and given an egg instead? This was outright deception, a calculated move by the system.

[Incubating the egg isn't as complicated as you imagine. Just hold onto it, and it will naturally hatch within a week.]

The system maintained its indifferent demeanor.