85: The secret inside the divine spring

Inside the breath of life, Linn was in no rush to immediately consume the Level 5 potion to force a Breakthrough of his Bottleneck. The high consumption of Mental Energy and more than a month of continuous tension required a thorough relaxation and settling.

At this moment, he was half-leaning in the "lounge" naturally formed by flexible vines and white jade beside the divine spring, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing, feeling the life energy and elemental power in the space, which were so dense they had almost turned into mist, slowly nourishing his exhausted body and mind.

Dolia did not fly around as she usually did, but instead sat quietly on the edge of the spring, her small feet gently stirring the glowing spring water. The light from her pale golden spirit body merged with the radiance of the spring water, making her appear exceptionally holy.

The injured soldiers of the Star Sea Territory would never dream that what they often drank was Dolia's foot-washing water—though, of course, the divine spring was clearly impossible to pollute. This was a rare happy time for Dolia, and Linn never stopped any of her actions.

Dolia occasionally turned to look at Linn. In her pure eyes, characteristic of an elf, besides the usual closeness, there seemed to be a hint of unspoken expectation hidden within.

After a long while, Linn slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath. The exhaustion in his eyes vanished, and they returned to their usual clarity and depth.

He looked at Dolia and smiled gently: "Thanks to you this time, Dolia. Without your stable harmonization, the success rate of that Level 5 potion would have been at least 30% lower."

Dolia flew in front of Linn and shook her head gently, with joy and reliance: "If Master can succeed, Dolia has only done what she should have. As Master becomes stronger, the breath of life will also be better."

She paused, her small body turning slightly in the air toward the deep and unfathomable divine spring, her tone suddenly becoming somewhat solemn: "Master, you are about to have an Earth Rank Breakthrough, and there is something... Dolia feels it is time to tell you."

"Oh?" Linn sat up straight, noticing Dolia's rare solemn expression. This little elf was usually lively and cheerful, or focused on assisting while he was refining medicine; this was the first time he had seen such a demeanor. "What is it? About this breath of life?"

"Yes, Master." Dolia nodded and flew closer. Her voice sounded directly in Linn's heart, carrying a solemnity as if recounting an ancient secret: "This divine spring is not merely a source that gathers life energy. In its deepest part, beneath the core of the spring, something is still sleeping... a gift specially left here by the Goddess of Life before she departed, or rather, a test and an opportunity."

Linn's heartbeat quickened a little. Something left by the Goddess of Life? At the bottom of this spring? Although he knew the divine spring was extraordinary, he had only thought of it as a natural wonder and had never imagined that there was something else at its bottom. "What is it?" He couldn't help but ask, lowering his voice as if afraid of disturbing something.

"An egg." Dolia's thought was clear and certain.

"An egg?" Linn was stunned, and many guesses flashed through his mind instantly. A Demonic Beast egg? A Divine Beast egg? Something that could be specially left by the Goddess of Life and placed at the core of the divine spring to be nourished could by no means be an ordinary item.

"Yes." Dolia continued to convey information, her tone filled with immense reverence: "That was the offspring left behind by a very, very powerful existence who followed the Goddess of Life a very, very long time ago. That existence... was a Dragon. A Dragon God who held partial authority over life and nature."

"Dragon... Dragon Egg?! The offspring of a Dragon God?!" Even with Linn's current Heart-Nature, he couldn't help but gasp, standing up abruptly, his eyes filled with unbelievable shock.

Dragons! The top-tier creatures in the legends of the Cydiroat Continent, powerful beings standing at the pinnacle of countless races! They possessed long lifespans, terrifying physical strength, powerful talents, and staggering ranks that they would almost inevitably reach as they grew.

Any item or information related to a Dragon was enough to cause a bloodbath. And a living divine Dragon Egg? If this news were to spread, I fear even those old monsters deep within the Empires of the continent would be alarmed!

Dragon Rider... This term floated into Linn's mind involuntarily. That was the most Legendary hero in the mouths of bards, the ultimate symbol of glory and power that countless warriors and knights dreamed of! Riding a giant Dragon, soaring through the Sky, destroying city-states with a wave of one's hand... those were stories belonging to the Legendary era. Could it be that he actually had a chance to touch this legend?

Dolia confirmed Linn's shock and nodded seriously: "Yes, Master. That Dragon Egg was placed here before the Goddess of Life left, nourished by the purest divine spring for over ten thousand years. It has been in the deepest state of slumber, waiting for the right time and... a qualified contractor."

"Contractor?" Linn caught the key point and forced himself to calm down from the shock, but the sound of his intense heartbeat was still thumping in his own ears. "What conditions are needed? I can feel that, as I am now, it is extremely difficult to even get close to the core of the divine spring, let alone dive to the bottom."

The further down one went in the divine spring, the more terrifying the concentration and pressure of the life energy became. With his current Peak Gold Physique and Mental Energy, he simply could not go deep inside.

"Therefore, Dolia said, it requires you, Master, to first have an Earth Rank Breakthrough." Dolia explained, "Earth Rank is an essential leap in the level of life; your physical strength and Soul Power will both be greatly improved. Only then will you initially possess the qualifications to withstand the pressure at the bottom of the spring and approach the Dragon Egg. But this is still not enough..."

She flew in front of Linn, her eyes clear: "The Dragon Clan is born with strong and proud Souls, especially the divine offspring. To gain its recognition and attempt to establish an equal contract, your Soul strength must be tough enough to communicate with the Dragon Soul that is initially waking up inside the Dragon Egg. The revelation left by the Goddess of Life is... the Soul Power of the contractor must at least reach the High Earth Rank for there to be a possibility of success; otherwise, one will only be rebounded by the Dragon Might, and it may even damage the Soul Origin."

High Earth Rank Soul Power! Linn's eyes narrowed. Usually, when professionals have an Earth Rank Breakthrough, their Soul Power will increase accordingly, but generally, it only stabilizes at the Initial Earth Rank, and those with exceptional talent might reach the Intermediate level.

To reach the High Earth Rank, one either needs special opportunities or secret cultivation techniques, or... it is like himself, as an Apothecary, conducting high-precision Mental Energy manipulation for a long time, plus the nourishment of the "breath of life," his Soul was already much more condensed than those of the same rank. He estimated that once he successfully had an Earth Rank Breakthrough, his Soul Power would definitely increase significantly, even if it didn't reach the Peak, it wouldn't be far off.

The spark of hope instantly turned into a raging flame, burning in Linn's chest. The path before him leading to the Legendary realm! A Dragon Egg that had been nourished by the divine spring for ten thousand years! If he could successfully hatch it and sign a contract with it...

Linn took a deep breath, suppressing his boiling hot blood, his gaze becoming sharp and firm again. He looked at Dolia and said in a deep voice: "I understand. An Earth Rank Breakthrough is the first step. Then, I will do my best to raise my Soul Power to the High Earth Rank and try to communicate with that Dragon Egg."

He walked to the edge of the divine spring, staring at the water that looked calm but was bottomless, as if he could penetrate the layers of water waves and see the treasure sleeping deep in the spring.

"Dragon Rider..." Linn whispered to himself, the corners of his mouth curling into an arc as sharp as a blade. It was a desire for power, excitement for the challenge, and also infinite ambition for the future. "This really is... an unexpected 'big gift.' Dolia, thank you for telling me."

Dolia felt the surging determination and fighting spirit in her master's heart, and she also happily flew around him: "Master will definitely succeed! Dolia will always help Master!"

Linn nodded and said no more. He sat cross-legged and adjusted his state to the best. He took out the Level 5 potion, and starlight flowed within the emerald-like liquid. This time, he was not just having a Breakthrough for himself, but also for that partner who had been sleeping for ten thousand years, and for the higher Sky that the Star Sea Territory could reach!

He tilted his head back, and the potion went down his throat. The pure energy, as vast as a tsunami, mixed with profound fragments of life rules, instantly exploded within his body, rushing toward the solid Earth Rank barrier.