"It is nothing."

Ning Fan shook his head, dispelling his speculations about Ye Honglian. Yun Qingyao knew nothing of the matter anyway; asking her would only add to his troubles.

"Husband, we have broken through."

"The Profound Extreme Realm!"

Yun Qingyao spoke with excitement.

"Mm."

Ning Fan nodded.

Suddenly, Ning Fan recalled Yun Qingyao's performance when fighting Lin Yao. The strength and methods she displayed were largely identical to his own.

Leaving aside the identical martial skill, the Dragon Snake Evolution Hand, she had managed to fight head-on and even gain the upper hand against Lin Yao, a Profound Extreme Realm cultivator, while only at the half-step Profound Extreme Realm herself. If someone claimed Yun Qingyao did not possess a combat cultivation method, Ning Fan would certainly not believe it.

Furthermore, if she did, it was highly likely to be the Tianxuan Heart Sutra.

Thinking from this perspective, Ye Honglian truly might be Yun Qingyao's second personality.

"..."

Ning Fan shook his head once more. Why was he pondering the relationship between Yun Qingyao and Ye Honglian again?

It was clearly impossible to obtain a definite answer.

"Husband, after we rest for a while, shall we go deal with those people?"

Yun Qingyao asked.

"No, there is no rush."

Ning Fan replied.

Before settling the score with Ji Wuxi and the others, there was still one matter left unhandled-the thing situated at the roots of the strange tree had yet to be investigated.

According to Ye Honglian.

The true Fated Chance lay at the very end of the strange tree's root system. He had no idea what that Fated Chance actually was.

"Follow me."

Ning Fan and Yun Qingyao swam through the spirit vein for a while before finally finding the roots of the strange tree. The two followed the root system, diving deeper.

They did not know how long they descended-at least a full two hours.

Only then did they finally reach the bottom.

"This is!?"

Ning Fan's eyes widened at the sight before him. The roots of the strange tree were a tangled, intricate mess, but at their very source, they coiled tightly around something.

Looking closely.

It was an egg?!

"..."

Ning Fan exerted some effort, pulling the roots apart one by one, and retrieved the strange egg from the gaps between the roots.

The egg was not small.

It was roughly the size of six fists. From its exterior alone, it was difficult to discern what lay inside.

So, the question remained-

How should he handle this egg?

Refine it?

He did not know if that would work, but judging by the fluctuations of Spiritual Qi emanating from the egg, refining it would yield even less benefit than refining a few Spirit Stones.

It fell far short of the great Fated Chance Ye Honglian had mentioned.

Hatch it?!

That was feasible.

"..."

A thought flashed through Ning Fan's eyes. In the cultivation world, many spiritual objects could be claimed through blood recognition. Whether the blood drop would take effect or not, it was worth a try.

He would test it first and see.

Thus, Ning Fan bit his index finger and smeared his fresh blood onto the eggshell.

The next moment.

Crack-

A crisp cracking sound rang out, and a fissure appeared on the eggshell. Ning Fan instantly held his breath, eagerly anticipating what was inside.

"Crack, crack, crack."

The cracking sounds grew more frequent. Finally, with one last snap, the eggshell split in two down the middle.

The contents were finally revealed before Ning Fan-

A turtle.

A palm-sized turtle.

Ning Fan: "..."

This turtle did not look strong at all. It merely gave off the aura of the mid-stage of the Yellow Extreme Realm. Was this the great Fated Chance Ye Honglian had spoken of!?

However, Ning Fan did feel a faint blood connection with the turtle before him.

Wait.

A blood connection with a turtle...

Mm...

It felt more than a little awkward.

"Husband."

"What kind of turtle is this?"

Yun Qingyao tilted her head, looking the small turtle up and down. Occasionally, she raised her hand and poked at its shell.

Yet, no matter how she provoked it, the turtle had no reaction.

"Is it dead?"

Yun Qingyao boldly poked toward the turtle's head. Just as her finger was about to touch it, the turtle's head shot out with the speed of a thunderbolt, biting firmly down on her outstretched finger.

"Ow!!"

"H-H-H-Husband, save me, save me!!"

Yun Qingyao flailed her arm frantically, tears welling up in her eyes.

"..."

The corner of Ning Fan's mouth twitched.

Seriously.

Why did you have to provoke it?

The turtle was minding its own business, yet you just had to poke its head.

Weren't you just asking for trouble?

However, Ning Fan's heart also tightened.

The reason the turtle grew angry did not seem to be solely because of Yun Qingyao's actions. The phrase "Is it dead?" seemed to be what had truly provoked it.

It possessed intelligence?!

Ning Fan was startled by his own guess.

No, that couldn't be.

Normally, Demon Beasts could only awaken their intelligence at the mid-stage of the Earth Extreme Realm, whereas this turtle was merely at the Yellow Extreme Realm. If it already possessed intelligence at the Yellow Extreme Realm...

Just how noble must its bloodline be!?

"Let go."

Ning Fan tried to issue a command to the turtle. Sure enough, as his words fell, the turtle actually released its bite.

Yun Qingyao quickly withdrew her finger, clutching it and rubbing it in pain. But the next moment, she paused in slight astonishment.

She hurriedly brought her finger in front of Ning Fan.

"Husband, look!"

"Alright, alright, I know it hurts. Your husband will blow on it for you."

Ning Fan said dismissively.

"No, it is that martial skill!"

Yun Qingyao shook her head repeatedly.

Only then did Ning Fan notice a faint black-grey energy swirling around Yun Qingyao's palm. It looked exactly like the manifestation of the Dragon Snake Evolution Hand. However, this black-grey energy was not being gathered by Yun Qingyao's will; it was flowing naturally.

The black-grey energy gradually coalesced, and the form it took was not a snake.

Rather, it was thicker and longer.

-A Flood Dragon!!

"This!?"

Ning Fan was greatly shocked.

He remembered.

The Dragon Snake Evolution Hand was a martial skill that could be continuously upgraded. The condition for doing so was to come into contact with and refine the blood of specific Demon Beasts.

Wait...

Ning Fan turned his gaze back to the turtle. Sure enough, there was a tiny, almost imperceptible trace of blood on its head. That blood had not come from Yun Qingyao.

It had come from the broken eggshell.

"..."

Ning Fan quickly grabbed the eggshell. Fortunately, the liquid condensed from Spiritual Qi was not a true liquid, and the fresh blood inside the eggshell was still present.

Ning Fan quickly pressed his hand into the eggshell.

In an instant.

A sharp pain shot through his palm.

"Hiss-"

This sharp pain felt no different from being bitten by the turtle.

Ning Fan endured it.

This was an opportunity to upgrade the Dragon Snake Evolution Hand, he absolutely could not miss it!!

This pain lasted for a full dozen breaths before finally subsiding.

Ning Fan withdrew his hand.

Sure enough.

His hand had undergone the exact same change as Yun Qingyao's. Ning Fan felt that his Dragon Snake Evolution Hand now contained a surge of beastly power. By relying on this additional beastly power, he could manifest a Flood Dragon instead of a snake when using the Dragon Snake Evolution Hand!!

The might of a Dragon Snake Evolution Hand that formed a Flood Dragon was further enhanced, firmly stepping into the category of a Profound Rank Low Grade martial skill!!

A massive improvement!!

"This truly is a great Fated Chance."

Ning Fan was very satisfied.

Setting this turtle aside.

Just upgrading the Dragon Snake Evolution Hand alone was enough to make this entire ordeal worthwhile. Moreover, Ning Fan felt that this turtle before him was absolutely no Mortal Grade creature.

"Let's go, back to the shore!"

Ning Fan narrowed his eyes and murmured to himself.

Some debts.

It was time to settle them properly!