356: This egg is extraordinary.

At this point, Luo Feng took a large gulp of wine and slapped his thigh with a face full of grief and indignation.

"So you see! Our Sect might look like it has four people, but in reality, I'm the only one 'seriously' studying Formations! Master's world-shaking skills have to be inherited by someone, right? I have no choice but to study with all my might, for fear that the Legacy of our Formation Peak might one day be broken."

He turned his head, his eyes sparkling as he stared at Su Ming; it was the relief and fanaticism of finding a "kindred spirit."

"It's great now! Junior Brother, you're here! I saw the processes you set up at the Repair Hall and your ideas for improving Formation Plates, and I knew we were cut from the same cloth! I'm finally not fighting alone!"

Su Ming felt a bit uneasy under his fervent gaze, but a strange sense of belonging welled up in his heart.

Lin Yu's voice carried a hint of emotion. "A sword that only knows destruction, a beast that only knows communication, and a geek who only knows research. This lineup looks like a standard party for a dungeon crawl no matter how you look at it."

"Third Junior Brother, you've had too much to drink again."

Second Senior Brother Qin Yi put down the deboning knife, took a plain handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe his hands, and said in a mild tone, "Formation Peak has few people, not because no one wants to come, but because Revered Master is extremely picky. He says, 'In the Dao of Formations, quality is valued over quantity; it is better to have nothing than something subpar.' We are all very happy that you could come."

He looked at Su Ming, his gaze falling on the Storage Pouch at Su Ming's waist, which was where the black egg was kept.

"Junior Brother, that egg I gave you isn't just a meeting gift."

Second Senior Brother Qin Yi's voice became somewhat mysterious. "Master mentioned that you have a lot on your mind, carry heavy pressure, and live too exhaustingly. Raising a spirit pet is sometimes easier than dealing with people. Moreover, I heard Master mention once that the companion power of some ancient exotic beasts has miraculous effects on nourishing Meridians and stabilizing the Foundation... Of course, I can't guarantee whether that egg can hatch or what it will be if it does! Haha!"

Su Ming's heart stirred.

Stabilizing the Foundation? Was Second Senior Brother subtly reminding him about his damaged dao foundation? It seemed Revered Master truly placed great trust in these Disciples.

"Thank you for your concern, Second Senior Brother." Su Ming raised his cup in a toast.

Eldest Senior Sister Ling Shuang, who had been silent all along, also raised her wine bowl at this moment. Her cheeks were flushed with a faint crimson from the wine, losing some of her unapproachable coldness and gaining a bit of breathtaking beauty.

"Three days later, the Kindling Fire Sacrifice."

She only said six words, looking directly at Su Ming, her eyes seemingly swirling with sword light. "True Disciples from every peak will arrive. If someone provokes you, there's no need to endure it. Formation Peak is second to none."

This was the longest sentence she had spoken tonight.

Su Ming nodded solemnly and clinked cups with Eldest Senior Sister Ling Shuang.

This drinking session lasted until the moon was at its zenith.

There were no scheming probes or hypocritical pleasantries, only fish bones scattered across the floor and several empty wine jars.

The night breeze grew cool as the wine party dispersed.

Carrying her sword, Eldest Senior Sister Ling Shuang refused Luo Feng's offer to escort her, and with a flash of her body, she turned into a streak of sword light and vanished into the night. Second Senior Brother Qin Yi, carrying a few unfinished grilled fish, saying they were for the Spirit Cat's midnight snack, wobbled away.

"Come on, I'll see you back."

Although Luo Feng had drunk a lot, his eyes were surprisingly clear. He insisted on using that "clattering" Formation Board to send Su Ming back to Star Gazing Cliff.

The Formation Board rose into the air as the night wind whistled.

The main vein of Formation Peak below was radiant and colorful, forming a sharp contrast with this broken board.

"Junior Brother."

Luo Feng stood at the front, operating the Formation Board. His back looked somewhat thin under the moonlight, and his voice was slightly broken by the wind, yet every word was clear.

"At the Kindling Fire Sacrifice, besides mourning, it's also a time for each peak and even external Sects to observe the new generation of our Cloud Concealment. You returned with the border guarding true seal and were exceptionally accepted as a True Disciple by Revered Master; you're currently in the spotlight."

The Formation Board suddenly jolted, seemingly due to a poor connection at a rune node. Luo Feng expertly kicked a certain spot, and the board stabilized again.

He didn't look back, his voice deepening slightly.

"A tree that stands above the forest, the wind will surely destroy it. While our Formation Peak is protective of its own, there are some hidden arrows you must block yourself. Carrying the true seal makes you a target for everyone. In all things... be careful."

As he spoke, he reached back and lightly tapped his own heart.

"There are some things Revered Master can't say plainly, and Eldest Senior Sister disdains to say. But you must understand that this true seal is both a protective talisman and a death warrant. Those eyeing it are not only outside the Sect but also within it."

Standing behind him, Su Ming looked at the straight back of this usually carefree Third Senior Brother.

"I understand."

Luo Feng nodded and said no more. The Formation Board cut through the sea of clouds, heading straight for Star Gazing Cliff... By the time they returned to the Star Gazing Cliff Immortal Cave, it was already the Hour of the Ox.

Su Ming did not rest immediately.

He activated all the defensive Formations, hung the "Do Not Disturb" Restriction plate at the cave entrance, and then sat cross-legged in the center of the quiet room.

Moonlight spilled through the air vent specifically left at the top of the cliff, forming a spot of light on the ground.

Su Ming took out the heavy black egg and carefully placed it where the starlight was most intense.

"Master, this egg..." Su Ming probed with his Divine Sense, but it was still like a stone sinking into the ocean.

"Interesting." Lin Yu's voice sounded. "Leave it here. I just sensed that when the starlight shines on it, there seems to be an extremely faint rhythm inside, like breathing."

Su Ming stepped back a few paces as instructed.

Sure enough, bathed in starlight, the dark gold patterns on the surface of the black egg began to flicker on and off, as if an invisible hand was slowly plucking at the life force beneath the shell.

At first, there was nothing unusual. But when he viewed it in the state of Micro-Observation, he "saw" it—

The dark gold patterns on the shell's surface were not static carvings. Under the illumination of starlight, they were brightening and fading with an extremely slow yet profoundly mysterious rhythm. Each cycle was like a breath in deep sleep, swallowing pure Star Power and exhaling a trace of imperceptible resonance that carried an ancient and vast aura.

"It's... absorbing specific Star Power?" Su Ming was surprised and suspicious.

Lin Yu's phantom slowly emerged beside Su Ming, his illusory fingers sketching in the air, simulating the flow of that aura.

"The life inside this egg is born able to feed on stars and refine their essence..." Lin Yu paused; he didn't know much about this either.

As if to confirm Lin Yu's words, the black egg's breathing suddenly quickened for a moment.

Lin Yu's expression grew solemn. "At the Kindling Fire Sacrifice in three days, there will be many people with diverse motives. You'd better seal it along with the xuantian ring using the 'Void Breath-Concealing Formation'."

Outside the window, a hidden streak of light quietly crossed the night sky from the direction of the Outer Sect, seemingly heading towards... Criminal Law Peak.