Chapter 202: Insect Egg! Purple Crystal Titan Dragonfly
Chapter 202: Chapter 202: Insect Egg! Purple Crystal Titan Dragonfly
This wasn’t a stone, but an egg!
Originally, Zhu Ge had been thinking that he could just plant this tree in the Six Paths Valley; it didn’t matter whether the fruit ripened or not.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to fight for the Star Anise Fruit, but that he was certain he couldn’t win.
As one might expect, the Star Anise Fruit would end up in the hands of the four strongest individuals.
As for compensation?
He wasn’t that naive.
Even if he received compensation, he would only end up being targeted and resented.
Those people were either paragons from the Sheji Chart or veteran Third Realm powerhouses.
It wouldn’t be wise to put himself in danger over a piece of fruit.
That was why he had snatched the tree and fled.
But he never expected that he would actually get an egg!
A Purple Crystal Titan Dragonfly!
This wasn’t just some ancient species—it was an Ancient Divine Beast!
According to the records from the old man’s inheritance he had received, a Purple Crystal Titan Dragonfly would automatically possess the strength of a great one upon reaching adulthood, making it a truly deserving Divine Beast!
Just like a paragon.
The Human Race called them paragons, while the paragons of the Demon Race were known as Divine Beasts.
Some were Demon Beasts that could fight above their realm; though they came from ordinary beast bloodlines, they were still considered Divine Beasts.
But a Demon Beast like the Purple Crystal Titan Dragonfly was a Divine Beast on the same level as the divine dragons and phoenixes of legend—a powerhouse from the moment it reached adulthood.
Even in the Great Witch’s memories that Zhu Ge possessed, he had never encountered such a being; he had only heard of it through the inheritance.
Fortunately, even without direct contact, it was still possible to identify it.
It was like with dinosaur fossils; you didn’t need to have seen a living dinosaur to determine what the original creature looked like from its fossil.
Although that Great Witch didn’t know what a Purple Crystal Titan Dragonfly looked like, he had seen its remains and knew how to identify and refine it.
One had to understand that much of the content in the Witch Dao inheritance, whether from the Great Witch or the old man, was already useless.
This wasn’t because the information was wrong, but because the "raw materials" mentioned within it were missing.
For example, how to identify a Purple Crystal Titan Dragonfly Egg, how to make it grow, how to hunt it, how to raise it, and so on.
This part of the inheritance was useless because the Purple Crystal Titan Dragonfly had long been extinct in the current era.
It was like in his past life; knowing the recipe for an extinct species was useless because there was nothing to cook.
Zhu Ge had never imagined it. He’d thought this "superfluous" content from his memories was only good for reading like a story.
But he never expected to actually encounter a Purple Crystal Titan Dragonfly Egg.
As for the Star Anise Tree?
According to legend, the presence of a Purple Crystal Titan Dragonfly would automatically cause supreme-grade Elemental Level Nine-Light Fruit to grow, which could nourish one’s Divine Sense.
The Star Anise Fruit was merely a byproduct spurred into existence by the Purple Crystal Titan Dragonfly Egg.
If the Purple Crystal Titan Dragonfly Egg hatched and he used the methods from the Great Witch and the old man’s inheritances to raise it, he could eat Nine-Light Fruit like a common meal.
"What is that thing?" Yu the Scholar asked, puzzled, as he sized up the stone in Zhu Ge’s hand before glancing back at Zhu Ge. "Has staring at it driven you mad?"
CRACK! CRACK!...
Seven or eight Red Mist Whips appeared in succession, directly shattering Yu the Scholar’s Literary Energy Shield.
"Scholar, watch out, or I’ll bewitch you and make you fall in love with a Big Belly Dog!" came Hua Liusha’s voice, spoken through gritted teeth.
"Alright, alright, Scholar, stop running your mouth," Zhu Ge said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, as he put away the Purple Crystal Titan Dragonfly Egg.
Back when they were dealing with the Fungus God in the village, Zhu Ge had discovered that many of Yu the Scholar’s actions and expressions were just an act.
He usually acted meticulously and very seriously.
But that was because their master was around.
The real Yu the Scholar?
Afraid of bugs, a trash-talker, and a coward.
The complete package!
Of course, when things really got serious, Yu the Scholar was also the type to step up without hesitation.
"Anyway, this thing is very useful, haha." Zhu Ge chuckled. "But Scholar, what about you? How long until you break through to the Third Realm?"
"It’s hard to say." Yu the Scholar’s enthusiasm for conversation vanished in an instant.
Zhu Ge gave a sly chuckle and went back to recalling the inheritance in his mind.
Hatching this Purple Crystal Titan Dragonfly had its own set of requirements.
Zhu Ge carefully sifted through the memories from the old man’s inheritance in his mind.
The method for hatching a Purple Crystal Titan Dragonfly wasn’t complicated, but the conditions were extremely demanding.
First, the egg needed to be placed in an environment rich with Spiritual Qi and warmed by it for about ten days to revive it.
This made Zhu Ge think of the Spiritual Water and Spirit Soil.
Those were filled with Spiritual Qi.
Second, after the egg revived, it needed to be irrigated with the Blood of the Hundred Beasts once a day for a hundred days.
Finally, after a hundred days, the egg would hatch on its own, and the larva would break out of the shell.
Of course, while it seemed simple, these weren’t actually the hardest parts.
The real problem was that this egg had been dormant for far too long. Ordinary beast blood was completely incapable of awakening it.
It required the essence blood of a Third Realm Demon Beast or higher.
As for the essence blood of a Third Realm Demon Beast, he did have the corpse of a Tree Lizard.
But that Tree Lizard was already dead, and most of its essence blood had been lost. It might not be enough.
’I’ll worry about that later.’ Zhu Ge carefully placed the Purple Crystal Titan Dragonfly Egg into a grass bowl and put it in the safest location.
The group continued forward and soon saw large swaths of desolate farmland, overgrown with weeds, with a few collapsed thatched huts visible here and there.
Further ahead, wisps of cooking smoke drifted up, and a village of moderate size appeared in their view.
The village was quite hidden. If not for the arrival of their large force, it’s likely no one would have ever found it.
"Palace Master Zhu, there’s a village ahead," Zhao Tieshan reported, running up from the front. "Should we go around it?"
"No need," Zhu Ge said with a wave of his hand. "This is a good place to stop and rest. We can also check on the situation in the village."
The troop halted outside the village, and Zhu Ge led Yu the Scholar and the others inside.
It wasn’t a large village, with only about a hundred households.
Most of the houses had earthen walls and thatched roofs; only a few homes in the center of the village were made of blue bricks and tiles.
Seeing the troop of Soldiers, the villagers all scurried into their homes. Only a few brave young men stood by the roadside, clutching hoes and wood-cutting knives, watching them warily.
"Don’t be afraid, old sir," Zhu Ge said, dismounting and cupping his fist to an old man by the road. "We are from the Six Paths Palace, just passing through. We’d like to borrow a place to rest for a bit."
The old man sized him up for a few moments, then looked at the Soldiers in their matching black uniforms behind him. The wariness on his face didn’t ease in the slightest.
In such chaotic times, an armed force like Zhu Ge’s could be even more terrifying than Demon Beasts.
The old man asked curiously, "Six Paths Palace? Never heard of it."
"We’re from Jianshui City," Zhu Ge said. "We’re on our way to relieve the siege of Mengzi City."
The old man’s eyes lit up. "Mengzi City? You’re going to save Mengzi City?"
"That’s right," Zhu Ge replied with a smiling nod.
"Good! Good!" the old man exclaimed, nodding excitedly. "What would you like to eat? The village may be poor, but we still have some food. I’ll have the villagers prepare it for you!"
"There’s no need. We brought our own rations," Zhu Ge said with a smile. "We can just make camp in the open space at the village entrance."
"How could that be acceptable!" The old man waved his hands dismissively. "You’re on your way to save people. How can we let you eat dry rations? Wait here, I’ll have the villagers slaughter some chickens!"
Without waiting for Zhu Ge to stop him, he turned and walked away.
In the open area at the village entrance, the Soldiers began to set up camp.
Zhu Ge sat on a large rock, watching the villagers bustle about, bringing over bowls of hot congee and baskets of coarse grain flatbreads. A warm feeling washed over him.
"This is the Human Race," Yu the Scholar said, sitting beside him. He held a bowl of congee, sipping it slowly. "No matter how poor or destitute, they will give all they have whenever a guest arrives."
Zhu Ge nodded, then sighed. "Alas, for the many hardships of the people."