The instant he untied the ribbon, the parchment slipped from his fingers.
It did not fall. It hovered.
"What?" Li Yan rose at once, eyes narrowing as a soft, ethereal glow began to seep from the scroll's surface.
The light gathered, condensing into the figure of a man in his late thirties. His features were sharp, his posture upright and commanding. Long black robes embroidered with silver patterns flowed around him like mist. His eyes carried both authority and depth.
The projection spoke.
"If you are seeing this message, it means you are destined to possess the egg obtained with this scroll."
Li Yan remained silent, though surprise flickered briefly across his otherwise composed face.
The figure inclined his head slightly. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Chu Feng, a former member of the Shadow Haven Sect—one who has stepped into the Divine Realms."
The words settled heavily in the air.
Divine Realms.
Li Yan's gaze sharpened, but he did not interrupt.
Chu Feng continued, a trace of quiet pride in his voice. "The egg before you is no ordinary treasure. It is a Spiritual Beast Egg. During my travels beyond this world, across distant planets after leaving my sect and home planet, I encountered it."
His tone shifted—more serious now. "I attempted to hatch it many times. I failed."
Li Yan's eyes flicked briefly to the egg.
"Through years of study across various worlds, I uncovered the reason why I failed. Not because I lacked strength… but because I no longer met its requirements."
"Spiritual Beast Eggs exist in two forms. The first are ordinary eggs laid by living beasts. These hatch newborn Spiritual Beasts and may bond with cultivators without strict restriction."
He paused. "But this egg belongs to the second kind."
The glow around the projection deepened slightly.
"When a Spiritual Beast of exceptional will dies, its soul may undergo the Resurrection Wheel's trial. If it succeeds, it is granted rebirth—encased within an egg."
Li Yan's fingers tightened subtly at his sides.
"Such reborn eggs, however, demand a price. They may only be hatched by cultivators within the Qi Gathering Realm (Qi Disciple). Once that realm is surpassed, the opportunity is lost."
Silence followed.
Understanding dawned.
Chu Feng smiled faintly. "Knowing this limitation, I chose not to keep it. Instead, I entrusted it to my sect."
"But such a treasure cannot be given to chance. Strength alone was insufficient. I want to choose a cultivator who remained within the Qi Gathering Realm—yet possessed the potential to surpass all peers."
"The Pagoda trials were built for that purpose."
"My companions and I designed them, and the sect incorporated them into the annual competition."
His gaze seemed to settle directly upon Li Yan.
"If you hold this egg now, it means you have passed those trials. You are deemed worthy."
The projection began to fade, the light thinning.
"Follow the Companion Guide within the scroll to form the bond and hatch the egg."
His voice softened slightly as the final words lingered.
"I hope we meet one day, young cultivator. By then, the Spiritual Beast within that shell should stand at your side."
"Until that time—may your path be fruitful."
The light dispersed.
The scroll dropped gently back into Li Yan's hand.
The room returned to stillness.
Li Yan stood in silence for several breaths before lowering his gaze to the egg resting upon the table.
"Divine Realms… A reborn Spiritual Beast."
A faint murmur escaped him.
"Interesting. So, the cultivation does not end with Mortal Realms, but there are higher realms as well, which are called Divine Realms?"
He sat once more and extended his hand, brushing his fingers lightly across the egg's smooth surface. The shell felt cool—yet beneath it, something faintly pulsed.
"I'll ask about this to Elder Ji later, for now I will need to study the Companion Guide carefully," he thought, eyes steady with quiet resolve.
Li Yan lifted the scroll Chu Feng had called the Companion Guide and unraveled it fully.
Intricate inscriptions filled the parchment—ancient, complex, written in a script far older. Li Yan recognized fragments of the language, but not enough to read it smoothly.
Then the characters began to move.
The strokes rearranged themselves, shifting and reforming as though guided by invisible hands. Within moments, the text transformed into a script he could comprehend clearly.
"So it adapts to the reader," Li Yan murmured, faintly impressed.
A soft glow passed across the parchment as the first section settled into clarity.
____
The Origin of the Rebirth Egg:
The Rebirth Egg is formed when a Spiritual Beast's soul endures the trials of the Resurrection Wheel. Such beings are not newborn creatures but reborn entities, retaining fragments of memory and instinct from their previous life. They possess innate mastery over their elemental affinity and carry exceptional potential.
However, rebirth renders them fragile. Without proper nurturing, their spirit may fade before being reborn.
Li Yan's purple eyes narrowed slightly.
"Fragile… yet powerful."
A double-edged gift.
He continued reading.
____
The bonding process differs from that of ordinary Spiritual Beast eggs. The cultivator must be at the Qi Gathering Realm (Qi Disciple) and establish an initial connection through blood, then infuse his/her Qi. This gradual exchange awakens the spirit within and forges mutual trust and loyalty.
Li Yan lowered the scroll.
Without hesitation, he bit the tip of his finger. A single drop of blood welled and fell onto the egg's smooth surface.
The crimson bead spread slowly, then sank into the shell.
He placed his palm gently atop it and closed his eyes.
A thin strand of Darkness Qi flowed from his core, refined and controlled, entering the egg with deliberate care.
The reaction was immediate.
A faint pulse rippled outward—subtle, but distinct.
Not hostile.
Aware.
Li Yan's eyes opened.
"Interesting."
He withdrew his Qi and picked up the scroll again.
____
The Hatching Process:
The process unfolds in three stages: Awakening, Nurturing, and Birth. Each demands increasing commitment from the cultivator. Improper care may fail to hatch or cause instability in the Spiritual Beast upon emergence.
Li Yan's brows drew together slightly.
"That would be an unacceptable waste."
Awakening Stage:
The egg must be infused with the cultivator's Qi daily if possible, or at least once per week. Alignment between the cultivator's Qi and the egg's elemental affinity will accelerate awakening. Through the misaligned Qi, the failure of awakening will not occur, yet it will result in slow progress.
"Elemental alignment…" Li Yan murmured.
He had infused Darkness Qi—and received a positive response.
"Does that confirm Darkness affinity?"
"Or does it simply accept my Qi for now?"
After a moment of thought, his gaze sharpened.
"I'll test both Darkness and Fire."
If the beast responded more strongly to one, the answer would reveal itself.
Nurturing Stage:
Once the spirit within begins to stir, the egg must be placed in an environment rich in its elemental Qi. For darkness-affinity beasts: regions abundant in Yin energy, shadow-dense landscapes, specialized artifacts, or caverns saturated with dark Qi are ideal.
Li Yan leaned back slightly.
"That will require preparation."
He could construct an array formation tailored to concentrate elemental Qi. Alternatively, a natural site might suffice.
"The Fire Mine remains an option—if its affinity aligns."
He would not act blindly. Not with something born from the Resurrection Wheel.
Birth Stage:
Upon emergence, the Spiritual Beast must be supported with appropriate elemental resources. Rare herbs, Elemental Qi Stones, and Beast Cores aligned with its affinity are recommended. The process is taxing but yields extraordinary rewards.
Li Yan's fingers tapped lightly against the scroll.
"Beast Cores and Herbs are manageable."
He had already gathered sufficient resources through the Hunting Grounds.
"Elemental Qi Stones…"
That would demand exploration—or negotiation.
The next section of the scroll brightened as Li Yan's gaze moved downward.
____
Common Signs of the Hatching Process:
As mentioned earlier, the cultivator who forms a bond with a Reborn Spiritual Beast Egg must remain within the Qi Gathering Realm (Qi Disciple) at the beginning of the process. However, recognizing the signs of the egg's development is equally important.
These signs determine whether the hatching process proceeds safely or fails prematurely.
From the moment the bond is established, the cultivator must regularly feed Qi into the egg. During this time, the cultivator should avoid attempting a breakthrough to the Qi Refining Realm (Qi Practitioner) until the first sign appears.
The first sign is a small crack. However, this crack does not form on the true shell of the egg itself. Instead, it appears on a thin outer layer surrounding the egg.
"Outer shell…" Li Yan murmured as his eyes drifted toward the egg, its outer golden-and-black surface glowing. "So I must remain at my current realm until that first sign appears."
He continued reading.
Once the first crack appears on the outer shell, the cultivator may break through to the Qi Refining Realm (Qi Practitioner). After that breakthrough, the cultivator must continue feeding Qi into the egg while remaining at that realm until the second sign appears.
This process continues in the same pattern.
Each time the cultivator advances to the next realm and feeds their Qi, another crack will form on the outer shell of the egg. When the number of cracks reaches four, that is the final sign of the Awakening Stage.
At that moment, the outer shell completely disappears, signifying that the Awakening Stage has been completed. The egg enters the second phase—the Nurturing Stage.
During the Nurturing Stage, the cultivator must follow the nurturing methods described earlier, such as placing the egg in an environment that aligns with its elemental affinity. Unlike the Awakening Stage, there are no cultivation restrictions during this period.
The cultivator may progress at their own pace.
"Oh?" Li Yan muttered thoughtfully. "The process is longer than I expected."
Based on the description, the Awakening Stage would only be completed once the cultivator reached the Qi Harmonization Realm (Qi Grandmaster).
The final sign of the entire process would occur at the end of the Nurturing Stage. At that moment, the true shell of the egg would crack open.
That would be the moment when the Spiritual Beast was finally reborn.
____
Traits of Reborn Spiritual Beasts:
Reborn Spiritual Beasts surpass ordinary beasts of equal rank. Though reborn, they retain fragments of memory and experience from their previous lives. These remnants grant them exceptional battle instincts and a profound understanding of their elemental powers.
A faint smile touched Li Yan's lips.
"So I'll be raising a creature tempered by a previous life," he murmured. "Like myself."
The thought was not sentimental.
It was strategic.
He continued reading.
Yet such strength carries burdens. Reborn Spiritual Beasts may retain emotional scars from their past existence. Trauma, resentment, or instinctive wariness may manifest in their temperament. Only a patient and discerning cultivator can guide them beyond these remnants.
Li Yan's fingers tapped lightly against the couch as he considered the implication.
"Right, a beast with memory… may also carry grudges."
He would need to observe once it hatched. Instinct sharpened by experience could be an advantage—but instability could just as easily become a flaw.
Bonding would not be mere control.
It would require understanding.
At the bottom of the scroll, the text shifted once more, reforming into a final message.
To the destined cultivator: nurturing a reborn Spiritual Beast demands patience, wisdom, and resolve. The path is not simple. But should you succeed, the companion you gain will surpass ordinary bonds. May this be your most loyal ally upon the road ahead.
The glow faded.
The parchment rolled itself inward, the black ribbon lifting and binding it once more before settling into stillness.
Li Yan set the scroll aside.
His attention returned to the egg.
He rested his palm upon its smooth surface again, this time allowing Fire Qi to flow instead of Darkness. The warmth from his core streamed gently into the shell, controlled and steady.
He did not force it.
He guided it.
Calm. Measured. Intent clear.
"I do not know who you were," he said quietly, voice even. "Nor what you have endured."
The Fire Qi continued to seep inward.
"But in this life, you will not be weak. You will not be wasted."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"You will stand beside me."
The egg responded with a faint pulse—subtle, but more distinct than before.
Not rejection.
Not resistance.
Acknowledgment.
A quiet glint of determination surfaced in Li Yan's purple eyes.
Tomorrow's semifinals and finals could wait.
For now, this was the greater investment.
He leaned back against the couch, mind already turning through possibilities—array formations, special artifacts, elemental environments, potential resource locations.
"Darkness responds. Fire does not resist."
His gaze lingered on the gold-and-black shell.
"Which element truly belongs to you?"