Magical beasts' embryonic stem essence is the very core of bloodline development for magical beasts. Its purity and terrifying power outmatch anything of its class. It's like a human born with innate core energy ranging from zero to a thousand units with each range enabling that human to reach a far greater cultivation base.
The magical embryonic stem essence acts as a core seed, capable of giving birth to a powerful bloodline. These too have different power ranges from one-star king bloodline, emperor bloodline, golden emperor bloodline, ultimate primordial venerable bloodline, to the Wusheng Laomu peak bloodline.
When magical beasts face extinction, they burn all their blood essences and condense them into a single embryonic stem essence, allowing their bloodline to continue. Usually, this essence is born within another beast, marking that creature as an evolved beast.
Li Xuan's eyes almost bulged out. He hadn't expected to stumble upon such a treasure in this cursed place. He could already start counting the profits maybe something like this could cost millions, not in gold coins, but in emerald gold coins. He didn't know the exact value, but such an item was rare even across a thousand years; after all, the number of magical beast races wasn't even in the millions anymore.
Li Xuan stretched his hand toward the spot beneath his sword.
"Such a beautiful baby would make me rich enough to crush those Zhao family bastards. Hah, just wait," Li Xuan said with a villainous grin.
His growing hatred for those bastards and all the arrogant rich brats only made him more eager. He could already imagine stepping on their heads.
His grin widened as spiritual energy coiled around his palm.
"Palm strike!"
This time, he poured almost all his spiritual energy into his palm, and a small golden hand erupted from it about sixty centimeters long and half as wide.
The golden palm hovered between him and the sword. Around him, the green slime melted under its heat, finally setting his feet free.
Li Xuan aimed his open palm toward the spot, and the golden palm began to dig into the slimy liquid.
A powerful pressure radiated from below, making his hand tremble. Even though it wasn't his real hand, it felt as though he was reaching toward molten metal.
His sword, about a meter long, had driven deep into the ground — at least fifty centimeters below the surface which should have made it easy for the golden palm to reach. But it was as if the embryonic stem essence was sinking deeper and deeper.
Li Xuan stretched his hand further, focusing. His golden palm vanished from view, though he could still sense its pressure mere inches away.
"What the heck is going on?"
Li Xuan cursed through clenched teeth. He could no longer sense his golden palm let alone , even his spiritual energy seemed to fade.
The slimy liquid around him began melting and moving toward him. His footing slipped as the spot where his sword had been started to sink, the green slime swirling into a single point.
Li Xuan yanked his foot free and stomped, spiritual energy exploding from his body but it did nothing.
"Fuck!"
Then everything stopped. The liquid settled and hardened, solidifying into something as tough as stone.
He tried to move, but his legs wouldn't budge.
Li Xuan bit his lower lip, spiritual energy spilling continuously from his body, but nothing changed.
He wanted to curse the heavens themselves. A treasure appeared before his eyes, only to vanish and now he was trapped. If this was fate's joke, it was going too far.
Clenching his jaw, he thrust his hand skyward. Earlier, he'd kept his attacks small to avoid drawing the attention of magical beasts, but now he couldn't risk losing such a prize.
Another golden palm materialized, floating above the trees.
"With enough blood sacrifice, I'll enhance the power of the palm strike," Li Xuan muttered, gazing up at it.
He bit his tongue hard enough to draw blood, pain searing through him but he didn't stop. He bit harder, tearing into his flesh until blood dripped from his mouth. Like a madman, he bit again, his eyes watering. No matter what, he couldn't lose this chance.
He opened his free palm beneath his mouth, and blood dripped steadily into it. The crimson pooled until it overflowed, streaming between his fingers.
A rusty golden-pink flame ignited in his palm, burning the blood until it turned into a dark red mist that rose and merged with the levitating palm.
Blood continued to flow down his chin, along his neck, staining his clothes in thin trails.
The golden palm's color darkened to crimson as the burned blood merged with it. The trails of blood on his body also turned into mist, swirling upward to fuse with the palm. Despite the agony coursing through him, Li Xuan grinned crookedly.
He thrust his arm downward. The blackened palm shot into the slimy liquid with an impact so violent it sent slime and eggshells flying in all directions. At that moment, he didn't care if this nest had a queen , his only goal was the embryonic stem essence.
"Come out!"
He clenched his fist and yanked it upward. The black palm burst from the slime, clutching something tightly in its grasp.
Li Xuan's eyes widened in awe. A metallic egg shimmered before him, its surface swirling with five radiant colors that pulsed and intertwined.
Cracks spread through the black palm as the egg's light tore through its energy. Li Xuan clenched his fist tighter, pulling it close to his chest. The black palm followed, bringing the egg closer.
The slime trapping his legs began to melt whether from the egg's presence or the black palm's energy, he didn't care.
Li Xuan exhaled in relief and waved his hand, summoning his storage ring. A burst of silver light spiraled out, enveloping the egg before swallowing it whole.
He freed his leg and staggered forward. Night had fallen, and moonlight pierced through the canopy, illuminating his weary face.
Right now, his aunt was surely worried sick. He couldn't let her stay that way — she was the only person who truly cared. He'd once thought that brat from the Xiao family cared about him too, but he'd been proven wrong.
Li Xuan reached for the spatial tablet given to him by the supervisor, squinting through blurred vision to make out its faint etchings.