15: Stop pretending! That hen's eggs are a miracle cure!

Hidden God Sect, the dilapidated small square.

"Phew—finally back."

Li Daoxuan stretched and casually tossed the wooden sword that had once shocked the entire crowd back into the System space. This trip to the Stone Kingdom, while he had put on quite a show, had truly exhausted his stamina—mostly it was just mentally draining.

Xiao Chen and Leng Yanran followed behind, carefully supporting the unconscious Shi Tian.

This kid was too reckless.

Just a moment ago at the Shi family, he had overdrawn the power of his Heavenly Tyrant Blood, forcefully pinning Shi Yi to the ground and rubbing his face in it, and even managed to clean out the Shi family's treasury while he was at it. Now that the ferocity had faded, he was like a balloon with all its Qi drained, slumped limply on Xiao Chen's back.

"Revered Master, Junior Brother doesn't look like he's going to make it."

Xiao Chen looked anxious, reaching out to check Shi Tian's breathing. "His breathing is as thin as a thread, and his whole body is burning hot. I'm afraid this is a backlash from the Heavenly Tyrant Blood! Should we feed him another drop of that Divine Medicine?"

Li Daoxuan glanced at him.

"What backlash? That's just hunger."

He waved his hand with an expression that said, "You're making a fuss over nothing."

"This kid is at the age where he's growing, and he just had a fight, so it's normal for him to be physically exhausted. That Divine Medicine is too potent; you don't understand the dangers of over-nourishing someone who's weak, do you? Feeding it to him now is just asking for him to die faster."

Xiao Chen was stunned: "Then... then what should he eat? Our Sect doesn't have any food stores."

Indeed.

The Hidden God Sect was so poor that even the mice had moved out; apart from two vats of water, you couldn't even find a grain of rice in the kitchen.

Li Daoxuan stroked his chin and swept his gaze toward the small courtyard behind the main hall.

That was where a chicken coop was fenced off with a few rotten wooden planks.

"Go, find Flowery in the backyard."

"She should have laid an egg in the last two days. Go get one and boil it for the Second Disciple. Remember to be gentle; Flowery has a bad temper, so be careful she doesn't peck you."

Xiao Chen was dumbfounded.

Flowery?

Who was that? Was there a hidden cook in the Sect?

Filled with questions, Xiao Chen carried Shi Tian on his back, with Leng Yanran following behind, and the three of them arrived at the backyard.

As soon as they entered the yard, a scent mixed with the smell of earth and... some kind of strange charred aroma wafted over them.

There, perched on the fence post, was a mottled hen.

Its build was slightly larger than an ordinary chicken, its feathers were a chaotic grayish-white, and the comb on its head was a deep, purplish red. At this moment, it was lazily preening its feathers, and in those bean-sized eyes, there was actually a hint of arrogant disdain.

"This is... Flowery?"

Xiao Chen's mouth twitched.

Revered Master called this ordinary-looking, even slightly rustic, mottled hen "Flowery," who supposedly had a bad temper?

He was just about to step forward to grab the egg.

"Don't move!"

Leng Yanran behind him suddenly let out a cry of surprise and grabbed Xiao Chen's arm.

Her voice was trembling, and she stared fixedly at the mottled hen, her eyes behind the mask filled with terror.

"What's wrong, Junior Sister? It's just a chicken..."

"A chicken? You call this a chicken?!"

Leng Yanran took a deep breath and pointed to the ground under the mottled hen's feet.

"Senior Brother, look carefully! Look at what it's stepping on under its claws!"

Xiao Chen looked closely.

Under the mottled hen's claws, it was pinning down half of a writhing, struggling insect.

The insect was entirely crimson, had a hundred legs, spat poison mist from its mouth, and emitted a nauseating, fishy stench.

"This... is this a Red-Refining Centipede?"

Xiao Chen was startled.

A Red-Refining Centipede was a Second Stage Yao Beast! It was extremely poisonous, and even Foundation Establishment Cultivators wouldn't dare to provoke it easily.

But right now.

The mottled hen lowered its head, and as if it were eating a spicy snack, with a "crunch," it pecked the head of the Red-Refining Centipede to pieces, then tilted its head back and swallowed it whole.

After eating, it even let out a burp, and a tiny wisp of flame sprayed from its mouth.

"Gulp."

Xiao Chen swallowed hard, feeling his legs go a bit weak.

Leng Yanran's face was even paler, and her voice was extremely low: "Senior Brother, if I'm not mistaken... this chicken has the Bloodline of a True Phoenix flowing through it! That's Phoenix True Fire! Although it's very thin, this is definitely a variant beast with the Bloodline of a Divine Beast!"

"What Revered Master is raising... is no poultry, it's clearly a Divine Beast!"

The two looked at each other, both seeing the shock in the other's eyes.

Is this really the Hidden God Sect?

The one sweeping the floor is a Sword God, the one guarding the gate is a Demon Emperor, and even the chicken they raise is a descendant of a Phoenix?

What the hell is this, a cultivation Sect or a Divine Beast zoo?!

"Then... can we still take this egg?" Xiao Chen was a bit cowardly.

"Take it!"

Leng Yanran gritted her teeth. "Since Revered Master told us to take it, it's a test for us! Besides, a Phoenix egg... that's a legendary nourishing treasure; if Junior Brother eats it, he'll definitely get better!"

When Xiao Chen heard this, for the sake of his Junior Brother, he decided to risk it!

He took a deep breath, circulated all his spiritual energy, and carefully circled behind the mottled hen.

Flowery seemed to be full and was dozing off.

Xiao Chen was quick-witted; he reached into the coop, felt a warm, round object, grabbed it, and turned to run!

"Cluck?!"

Flowery was startled awake, angrily flapping its wings, and a ball of flame sprayed from its mouth, nearly scorching Xiao Chen's butt.

"Run! This chicken has become a spirit!"

Xiao Chen let out an odd cry, hugged the egg, and rushed into the kitchen.

...

A quarter of an hour later.

A steaming bowl of boiled egg was placed in front of Li Daoxuan.

The egg was not big, only the size of a fist, and there were faint red patterns on the shell; one could vaguely feel a warm energy fluctuation.

"Revered Master, the egg is boiled."

Xiao Chen's face still had some black soot on it; it was from the smoke of the fire he'd started, fueled by the leftover flames Flowery had sprayed.

Li Daoxuan took a look and nodded with satisfaction.

"Alright, feed it to the Second Disciple."

Xiao Chen peeled the shell.

A strange scene occurred.

The egg white was crystal clear, like the finest suet jade, while the yolk presented a flowing golden-red color, as if magma had been sealed inside.

An indescribably rich aroma instantly filled the entire main hall.

Just by smelling it, Xiao Chen felt the spiritual energy in his body boil, and the exhaustion from being smoked by the fire vanished instantly.

"This is too fragrant..."

Xiao Chen swallowed his saliva, suppressing the urge to eat it himself, and passed the egg to the unconscious Shi Tian's mouth.

Although Shi Tian was unconscious, his body's instinct made him smell the scent of energy.

He opened his mouth and took an unconscious bite.

"Slurp."

The egg seemed to melt in his mouth, turning into a scalding hot current that slid down his throat into his stomach.

The next second.

Shi Tian's eyes snapped open!

"Roar—!!"

A low roar, unlike any human sound, erupted from his throat.

His skin turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye, just like a cooked shrimp. Steam rose from his head, and even his hair stood on end.

"Hot! So hot!"

Shi Tian jumped down from Xiao Chen's back, frantically tearing at his clothes.

Inside his body, it felt like a volcano had erupted.

The pure energy contained in that Phoenix egg was rampaging through his limbs and bones.

His Meridians, which had been dried up due to overdrawing his power, were instantly filled, to the point of overflowing!

"Crack! Crack!"

A series of crisp sounds like popping beans rang out.

That was the sound of bones growing.

The hidden injuries and broken ribs from the battle in the Stone Kingdom were washed away by this terrifying vitality, recovering as before in the blink of an eye, and even becoming tougher, glowing with a faint golden light.

It wasn't just the injuries that recovered.

His cultivation was also skyrocketing!

Qi Refining Level Nine... Foundation Establishment Early Stage... Foundation Establishment Middle Stage!

In just a few breaths, he had broken through two realms!

"Wow!"

Shi Tian opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but when he did, a half-foot-long crimson flame shot out, burning a black hole in the table in front of him.

Xiao Chen and Leng Yanran were so scared they retreated again and again.

"Mas... Revered Master! What's wrong with Junior Brother? He hasn't fallen into Qi Deviation, has he?"

Li Daoxuan calmly took a sip of tea, not even lifting his eyelids.

"What are you panicking about."

"It's just over-nutrition."

"Flowery usually eats high-protein insects, so the eggs she lays are a bit potent."

He watched Shi Tian, who was jumping around and spewing fire, and secretly clicked his tongue in his heart.

This chicken from the System really had something to it.

This wasn't an egg at all; it was basically a super-strength pill.

"Second Disciple, don't just focus on shouting that you're hot."

Li Daoxuan put down his teacup, his voice becoming a bit more serious. "Guide this power to wash through your limbs and bones. Even though your Supreme Bone is gone, your blood is still there, and your Physical Body is still there."

"Use this fire to temper your Physical Body into one of copper and iron!"

Hearing Revered Master's words, Shi Tian endured the bloating pain that felt like he was about to explode and immediately sat cross-legged.

He operated the "Chaos Divine Mill Visualization Method," guiding the violent Phoenix True Fire, forging every inch of his flesh and blood over and over again.

Each wash was a rebirth.

Half an hour later.

The red light on Shi Tian's body finally slowly faded, and that terrifying high temperature gradually converged into his body.

At this time, although he still looked thin and small, a precious light faintly flowed under his skin, and his whole body was like a piece of divine iron that had been tempered a thousand times.

"Burp—"

Shi Tian let out a long burp.

A wisp of black smoke came out of his mouth, carrying a rich sulfur smell.

He rubbed his hot belly, looking at Li Daoxuan with a mix of confusion and shock:

"Revered Master..."

"This egg is too nourishing..."

"I feel... I can punch a Dragon to death right now!"

"It's just... I'm a bit stuffed, I feel like I'm going to explode."

Li Daoxuan smiled slightly and stood up.

"Being stuffed is the right feeling."

"You're full, you've had your fill, and your injuries are healed."

"Next, we should talk about serious business."

He walked to the door of the main hall, looking at the sky gradually brightening outside, his eyes deep.

"If you've eaten my Hidden God Sect's egg, you're a person of my Hidden God Sect."

"Since your Senior Brother carried you back, from today on, you have to work too."

Shi Tian was stunned, immediately climbed up from the ground, and patted his chest with a thud.

"Revered Master, just give the order! Whether it's climbing a mountain of blades or descending into a sea of fire, this Disciple will never frown!"

Li Daoxuan shook his head, pointed to the pile of firewood in the backyard, and then pointed to the huge water vat nearby.

"It's not that dramatic."

"Our Sect doesn't support idlers."

"From now on, you're responsible for the firewood in the backyard, and you're responsible for filling the water vat."

"Remember, you are not allowed to use spiritual energy; you must use the strength of your Physical Body."

"This is also cultivation."

Shi Tian looked at the water vat that was half a person tall, then looked at his own thin arms and legs; instead of complaining, a burning fighting spirit ignited in his eyes.

Revered Master is tempering my physique!

He is laying the foundation for me to re-cultivate the Supreme Art in the future!

As expected, every word and action of Revered Master has deep meaning!

"Yes! This Disciple obeys!"

Shi Tian roared, picked up the carrying pole next to him, and rushed to the backyard.

Looking at the motivated Second Disciple, Li Daoxuan nodded with satisfaction.

Very good.

There's someone to carry water, someone to sweep the floor, and someone to cook will probably be here soon.

This Sect finally has a bit of life in it.

Just at this moment.

The System's notification sound rang in his mind again, with a long-lost sense of surprise.

【 Ding! 】

【 Detected that the host has bestowed a "Mutated Phoenix Egg" upon the Disciple Shi Tian. 】

【 Disciple Shi Tian's injuries have fully recovered, his cultivation has broken through, and he has awakened a trace of "Phoenix Nirvana" power. 】

【 Calculating critical hit multiplier... 】

【 Congratulations to the host! Triggered a five-thousand-fold critical hit! 】

【 Reward issued: One of the Ancient Ten Fierce Treasure Arts—True Phoenix Treasure Art (Complete Version)! 】