A Spirit Beast Egg?

It was already evening by the time the spirit boat landed on Tiance Palace's White Stone Plaza.

Dusk crept in from between the mountain peaks, casting a soft, warm golden glow over the grey stone steps and eaves.

The disciples hopped off the spirit boat one after another and dispersed. Blending into the crowd, Lin Zhiyue returned to her courtyard first. She took off and stored the pieces of the Dragon-Riding Dreamscape and Forest Spirit's Verses sets, then checked on the egg in her space. The pale gold patterns on the eggshell glowed with a gentle warmth, and its spiritual energy flowed steadily, as if it were fast asleep.

After a moment's thought, she took the egg and headed out toward the main peak.

She had been to Qi Yan's residence a few times; it was a secluded little courtyard located behind the side hall.

The courtyard gate was unlocked, so she pushed it open after knocking twice.

Qi Yan was sitting by the stone table in the courtyard, wiping his blade. He looked up at her when he heard her footsteps. The lingering glow of dusk softened the contours of his profile. Today, he wore a simple dark grey robe without his usual dark red sash around his waist, making him look a bit more relaxed than usual.

“Master,” Lin Zhiyue said as she walked up to the stone table. She retrieved the egg from her space and placed it on the table with both hands. “I found this in the secret realm.”

The egg sat quietly in the center of the stone table. Its translucent white and gold shell shimmered with a gentle luster in the twilight. The pale gold patterns flowed slowly across the surface like a living thing, its spiritual energy pulsing steadily and reservedly.

Qi Yan stopped wiping his blade, his gaze landing on the egg. He stared at it for quite some time.

Putting down his blade and cloth, he reached out and gently touched the surface of the shell.

The moment his fingertip made contact, the gold patterns on the shell flared briefly before dimming again, as if acknowledging a stranger's touch with a hint of unfamiliarity, yet not pulling away.

Qi Yan withdrew his hand and looked up at Lin Zhiyue, a rare trace of seriousness in his tone. “Where did you find this?”

Lin Zhiyue briefly explained the stone wall, the black stone, the formation, and the Purple Xuan Grass sisters. She omitted anything related to the system, simply saying she had followed the scent of the Purple Xuan Grass to the stone wall and accidentally broke the seal to find the egg.

Qi Yan remained silent after listening, looking down at the egg again. His eyes lingered on the flow of the patterns on the shell.

“Its spiritual energy is exceptionally pure; this is no ordinary spirit beast egg,” he spoke, his voice slightly lower than usual. “Forming a contract with it is your fortune. Keep it safe, and do not show it to others lightly.”

Lin Zhiyue nodded.

She hadn't planned on flaunting it anyway. She had only shown it to Qi Yan because she was uncertain and wanted her knowledgeable master to take a look.

Since Qi Yan had told her to keep it safe, it meant the egg was indeed extraordinary.

She reached out to take the egg back, but Qi Yan suddenly reached over and gently pressed down on her wrist. His fingertips were warm, and she froze slightly at his touch.

Qi Yan looked at the egg, seemingly choosing his words carefully. After a moment, he said, “It requires spiritual energy nourishment to hatch. Your dual ice and wind spiritual energy is not the ideal nourishment for it, but since the contract is already sealed, you are its sole reliance. Channel your spiritual energy into it for fifteen minutes every day without fail.”

“If you ever lack the energy, I can help you,” Qi Yan added hesitantly.

Lin Zhiyue made sure to remember his words.

Qi Yan let go, picked up his blade and cloth again, and continued to wipe the metal with his eyes downcast, as if his previous words had been mere casual remarks.

Lin Zhiyue returned the egg to her space, stood up to bow and express her gratitude, and then turned to leave the courtyard.

When she reached the gate, she glanced back. Dusk had completely fallen, and only a single oil lamp was lit in the courtyard, its warm orange glow illuminating Qi Yan's downcast eyes.

Withdrawing her gaze, she didn't linger any longer and followed the stone steps back to her own courtyard.

That night, she buried the courtyard-protecting spiritual seed under the pine tree in the southeast corner of her yard, watered it with spiritual spring water, and then sat on her futon to channel spiritual energy into the egg for fifteen minutes.

Under the nourishment of the spiritual energy from her palms, the gold patterns on the eggshell grew slightly brighter than before. A wave of warmth seeped through her fingertips into her meridians, like a tiny breath responding to her.

Sitting at her desk, Lin Zhiyue pulled up the system panel. Sixteen Premium Draw Tickets were lined up neatly on the screen, glowing with a soft blue light.

Only one piece was left to complete the Sweet and Clever Cook set—the frosted wing back accessory. After a moment's consideration, she decided not to dump all sixteen tickets in at once and instead drew a few first to test her luck.

The first draw: a duplicate dress, converted into points.

The second draw: duplicate ruffled socks, converted into points.

The third draw—a pinkish-white light dispersed, and two frosted wings, thin as cicada wings, landed in her palms.

The wings featured a soft pink and white gradient, their edges dusted with fine silver sugar granules that shimmered slightly under the lamplight. They felt as light as a pair of clouds in her hands. On the back was a pair of extremely fine spiritual rune clasps, designed to fit snugly against her shoulder blades.

【"Sweet and Clever Cook: Frosted Wing (Back Accessory)" obtained. Congratulations to the host for unlocking the Sweet and Clever Cook set and obtaining the Dessert Master skill.】

Lin Zhiyue turned the wings over to inspect them before storing them in her space. All nine standard pieces had now been collected.

She put away the remaining thirteen Premium Draw Tickets, deciding to save them for when she truly needed them.

The next morning, Lin Zhiyue took out the Sweet and Clever Cook set.

She shut her courtyard gate and retrieved the nine pieces from the system space one by one.

Lin Zhiyue placed the white chef's hat with floral embroidery on her head and tied the lace apron into a neat bow behind her waist.

She spun around in front of the mirror. The hem of her dress flared out in a soft pink and white arc, and the apron's bow swayed gently behind her waist with her movements. She looked so sweet she could have walked straight out of a fairy tale book as a pastry shop girl.

She felt as though she had never worn such an adorable outfit in her entire life.

But it was undeniably beautiful. Moreover, the moment she gripped the pink spatula, various dessert-making steps and recipes automatically flooded her mind, as if this craft had been hardwired into her body from birth.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her skirt and ran out of her courtyard.

The side peak kitchen happened to be empty today, and the stove was so clean it looked freshly wiped.

Rummaging around, she found spiritual rice, spiritual milk, spiritual honey, and several kinds of spiritual fruits. She also spotted a pot of leftover spiritual tea that Qi Yan had left on the counter last time, so she casually decided to use it.

With the pink spatula in hand, her body moved faster than her mind, every step as precise as if she had rehearsed it thousands of times. The spiritual milk was heated to the perfect temperature, the amount of spiritual honey was just right, and the concentration of the tea was perfect to bring out the creamy and sweet flavors without overpowering them.

In less than fifteen minutes, four cups of warm milk tea were lined up neatly on the stove. A pale tea-colored sheen shimmered on the milky-white surface, and a sweet fragrance mingled with the refreshing aroma of spiritual tea, wafting through the kitchen.

She picked up a cup herself and took a sip. It was sweet but not cloying, with the tea and milk flavors blending beautifully. It went down smoothly, and the spiritual energy from the tea dissolved gently in her throat, leaving behind a comforting warmth. She squinted her eyes in satisfaction and leaned against the stove with her cup, thinking that this skill was indeed excellent.