Chen Beiyuan lifted the strange egg that had drifted toward him from the Dragon Blood Pool. As his hands brushed against its rough surface, the grotesque veins covering its shell, and the faint rhythmic pulse beneath it, an odd expression appeared on his face.
He could clearly sense the vigorous life force contained within the egg, along with an inexplicable feeling of familiarity emanating from it.
"Could this be the dragon egg of the Eighth-Rank Ferocious Beast, the Blood-Calamity Dragon Emperor?!"
The absurd thought flashed through Chen Beiyuan's mind.
It wasn't an unreasonable assumption.
After all, the Dragon Blood Pool had been formed from the Blood-Calamity Dragon Emperor's natal dragon blood.
If there was anything hidden so carefully within it, then it could only be the Blood-Calamity Dragon Emperor's dragon egg.
That's right.
A hidden dragon egg.
Chen Beiyuan was certain that if the Imperial Royal Family had known such an egg existed, they would have taken it long ago.
The reason it had never been discovered was most likely because it had been deliberately concealed.
The value of a dragon egg possessing a pure dragon bloodline was beyond measure.
At the very least, it represented the future birth of an Eighth-Rank Ferocious Beast.
Not to mention that it belonged to the mutated dragon race known as the Blood Dragon.
Once fully grown, it would rank among the absolute strongest of ferocious beasts of the same level.
Even ordinary Eighth-Rank Battle Emperors would have to avoid confronting it head-on.
As long as it could be hatched and bound through a Master-Servant Contract, its owner would essentially gain a top-tier beast companion.
The value of this dragon egg was enough to drive even the greatest factions into a frenzy.
Even the Imperial Royal Family could never ignore such a treasure.
"Fortunately, I set up a concealment barrier beforehand. Otherwise, I'd be the one in trouble."
"My life wouldn't be in danger—Jiang Baiyi doesn't have the guts to kill me—but this dragon egg would almost certainly be taken away."
Looking at the Abyss that enveloped the entire secret realm, Chen Beiyuan silently congratulated himself.
A moment of caution had earned him an extraordinary opportunity.
Jiang Baiyi had acted like a kind and approachable elder because there had been no serious conflict of interest between them.
But if he learned about the dragon egg, turning hostile would be inevitable.
The Imperial Royal Family would never allow Chen Beiyuan to walk away with what was likely the Blood-Calamity Dragon Emperor's egg.
When overwhelming利益 was involved, rules meant nothing.
A Fifth-Rank Battle Marshal simply wasn't qualified to negotiate with the Imperial Royal Family.
Only an Eighth-Rank Battle Emperor barely had that privilege.
A genius who had yet to mature was still just a genius.
"So that's it... The real reason the Dragon Blood Pool's energy was draining so rapidly was because this dragon egg intercepted it halfway."
"No... 'intercepted' isn't the right word. The energy belonged to it in the first place. Compared to it, everyone who entered this secret realm was the true outsider."
"But in the original story, this dragon egg never appeared. Why did it reveal itself after I arrived? Could there be some special connection..."
As Chen Beiyuan gently stroked the dragon egg, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
Recalling everything unusual that had happened since entering the secret realm, he suddenly froze.
The answer struck him.
The Dragon Blood Dao Fruit.
On the surface, the Dragon Blood Dao Fruit rewarded by the system was an unrivaled treasure used by cultivators to temper their bodies.
But in reality, it had been nourished with the blood essence of the Ancient Dragon Clan and was a supreme bloodline treasure created specifically to aid the growth of their descendants.
The dragon egg had most likely sensed the aura of the Dragon Blood Dao Fruit and chosen to reveal itself.
In the original novel, Lin Xiao—the Child of Destiny—had never possessed such a bloodline treasure.
Naturally, the dragon egg had never been drawn out.
When the secret realm eventually collapsed, the egg had been lost in the endless void, disappearing without a trace.
"It seems we truly are fated to meet."
"By encountering me, you've managed to escape disaster."
Holding the dragon egg in his arms, Chen Beiyuan sighed.
Originally, he had planned to ask his family to help him find a guardian beast.
But now...
What beast companion could possibly compare to the future Blood-Calamity Dragon Emperor?
Not wanting to risk unforeseen complications, Chen Beiyuan decided to establish a blood oath with the dragon egg immediately and claim it as his own.
Once the contract was formed, no matter who tried to seize it, it would be meaningless.
As its master, he could destroy the beast's soul with a single thought.
Likewise, if he died, the beast would perish alongside him.
Of course, if the beast died first, he would suffer severe soul damage.
But compared to the tremendous benefits, that price was insignificant.
As the heir to one of the empire's greatest noble families, Chen Beiyuan had received a comprehensive education since childhood.
Naturally, he was well versed in blood oath rituals such as the Master-Servant Contract.
Without hesitation, he bit the tip of his finger and forced out a drop of blood essence.
Using it, he inscribed mysterious runes across the dragon egg's shell and completed the blood oath ceremony.
However...
When the ritual ended, he felt no spiritual connection whatsoever with the dragon egg.
It had failed?
How was that possible?!
Chen Beiyuan frowned deeply.
Everything had gone perfectly.
Why had it failed?
"Again!"
...
He tried again.
And again.
Several more attempts followed.
Every single one ended in failure.
Not even the slightest effect.
His expression gradually darkened as he stared fixedly at the half-meter-tall dragon egg in his hands.
"Unless someone had already formed a blood contract with it, there's no reason I should keep failing."
"But that's impossible."
"Who would make a blood contract with a dragon egg only to leave it hidden here afterward? Weren't they afraid someone would steal it?"
"Wait..."
"Perhaps this isn't the Blood-Calamity Dragon Emperor's egg at all."
"Perhaps..."
"It is the Blood-Calamity Dragon Emperor itself!"
Chen Beiyuan's pupils contracted into needlepoints.
In an instant, he understood the truth.
The Blood-Calamity Dragon Emperor was fundamentally different from ordinary dragons.
Besides possessing an overwhelmingly powerful physique and astonishing regenerative abilities, it also possessed an extraordinarily unique innate talent.
Rebirth.
According to legend, whenever a Blood-Calamity Dragon Emperor suffered irreparable injuries, it would willingly regress.
From adulthood...
To adolescence...
To infancy...
Until it transformed into a newly formed dragon egg once again.
A reborn Blood-Calamity Dragon Emperor was essentially a completely new individual, devoid of all its previous memories.
Only after growing back into an Eighth-Rank Ferocious Beast and returning to its peak would it recover every memory from before its rebirth.
Not only would all of its once-incurable injuries be completely healed, but its strength would become even greater than before.
It was an almost bug-like innate ability.
Equivalent to having an extra life.
Of course, the talent also carried tremendous risks.
If it perished during the rebirth process, then death was final.
No second chance.
No wonder the Imperial Royal Family had never found the Blood-Calamity Dragon Emperor's corpse all these years.
They had only discovered the Dragon Blood Pool.
Because long ago...
It had already been reborn into a dragon egg.
The Dragon Blood Pool had merely been prepared in advance to nourish itself and accelerate its future growth.
At this moment, Chen Beiyuan was almost completely certain.
The dragon egg in his hands...
Was none other than the reborn
Eighth-Rank Ferocious Beast—the Blood-Calamity Dragon Emperor.