Chapter 18: Golden Egg

Ding! The system has issued a quest.

Quest Description: Expand the sect's member count

Quest Objective: Recruit seven disciples (three already recruited)

Quest Reward: Current Most Needed Treasure Chest ×1, Mentor Virtue Points ×10,000

Bai Yuan looked at the newly issued quest, but he had no mood to deal with it, so he opened his attribute panel.

Host: Bai Yuan

Cultivation: Qi Refinement, Ninth Level

Items: Foundation-Establishing Pill Formula, Current Most Needed Treasure Chest

Special: Junior Alchemist, Junior Smith, Junior Formation Master, Junior Talisman Master

Disciples: 3

Bound Disciple: Bai Yu (Current binding limit: 1) (After binding a disciple, each time the disciple advances, the host will likewise advance the same cultivation level.)

Mentor Virtue Points: 15,300

Shop: Click to Open

Current Quest 1: Forge a Foundation-Establishing Pill, Reward: Intermediate Alchemist, 1,000 Mentor Virtue Points

Current Quest 2: Break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, Reward: Double the bound disciple limit, 10,000 Mentor Virtue Points.

Current Quest 3: Recruit seven disciples (three already recruited), Reward: Current Most Needed Treasure Chest, 10,000 Mentor Virtue Points.

"Looks like we have to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage to have enough Mentor Virtue Points to exchange for 'Great Dream Celestial Immortal Manual'," Bai Yuan muttered softly.

'Great Dream Celestial Immortal Manual' costs 20,000 Mentor Virtue Points. There are no other quests now; the only choices are to break through the Foundation Establishment stage or recruit four more disciples.

Compared to recruiting disciples, Bai Yuan still thinks forging the Foundation-Establishing Pill and having Bai Yu break through are the easier options.

After all, most weak Soul Beasts haven't awakened spiritual intelligence; powerful Soul Beasts would never take him as a master, and recruiting humans as disciples is too difficult. He has now offended the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect, and there is always a chance that a Title Douluo will come after him.

Ning Rongrong watched Xiao Wu being "buried alive", subconsciously swallowed her saliva, feeling terrified, and was relieved that the person wasn't herself.

"Serves you right, you call me a coward!" Ning Rongrong muttered inwardly, then ran to Bai Yuan's side and clasped his hand.

"Young Master Bai, I suppose I'm now your fiancée?" Ning Rongrong tried to make her voice sound gentler and more harmless.

From Bai Yuan's treatment of Xiao Wu, it's clear he isn't a lecher; otherwise he wouldn't have suppressed Xiao Wu so mercilessly.

Therefore, since beauty is useless, Ning Rongrong decided to approach from another angle.

Bai Yuan twitched the corner of his mouth, glanced at the extremely cute girl beside him, and soothed, "As long as you don't cause trouble, it's fine."

Ning Rongrong exhaled and said, "I promise not to cause trouble. I promise you'll let me go east; I will never go west."

"Then go find Bai Yu to teach you cooking," Bai Yuan said.

Ning Rongrong's expression stiffened, but she released his hand, returned to Bai Yu's side, and said, "Sister Bai Yu, please teach me how to cook and stir‑fry."

Bai Yu said expressionlessly, "I'm older than you; you should call me sister."

Ning Rongrong looked at the white‑haired loli before her, spoke nonsense seriously, then laughed, "I'm your master's fiancée; shouldn't you call me master's wife!"

Bai Yu didn't even lift her head, turned, and walked toward the upstairs kitchen.

"Better wait until the master marries me."

Bai Yu knew her master well; she also understood that Bai Yuan was merely soothing Ning Rongrong to keep her obedient, so she didn't take it seriously.

That night, after Bai Yuan ate a meal cooked by Bai Yu and then had her finish his own dish, the master and disciple left the place.

Bai Yuan currently had no intention of opening the Current Most Needed Treasure Chest, because if used properly it can be life‑saving.

As for transforming the second disciple into a Tree‑Demon form, Bai Yuan didn't think it urgent; he still couldn't bind a second disciple, so everything would wait until he reaches the Foundation Establishment stage.

Watching Bai Yuan and Bai Yu push the door and depart.

Ning Rongrong's heart fluttered uneasily, especially after half an hour, an hour, two hours later…

Ning Rongrong was about to lose patience and push the door to leave.

"Hold back, hold back, I must hold back. This is definitely Bai Yuan's doing, a trap, he's testing my resolve!"

"Outside is still the Star Dou Great Forest; a support‑type Soul Master like me can't possibly walk out alive," Ning Rongrong muttered to herself, trying to suppress her yearning for freedom.

Meanwhile, Bai Yuan was leading Bai Yu through the Star Dou Great Forest, searching for the herbs needed to forge a Foundation-Establishing Pill.

Over the years, Bai Yuan and Bai Yu have gathered almost all the ingredients for forging a Foundation-Establishing Pill; only one primary herb remains missing.

The two searched for herbs while evading Soul Beasts, but it was clear they were experts in this field and moved with great skill.

Suddenly, after confirming no Soul Beasts nearby, Bai Yu said, "Master, aren't you worried that your fiancée might run away?"

Bai Yuan glanced away as if at a mischievous disciple, and said lightly, "We've lived together for six years; don't you understand my thoughts as your master?"

Bai Yu asked with a smiling squint, "Thoughts? What thoughts? Could it be that you, Master, have feelings for me?"

Bai Yu covered her little mouth, a look of realization dawning, and said, "That's right; my appearance was molded by you, Master. You must have shaped me into your favorite form, right?"

Bai Yuan nearly had a face‑plant.

But hearing Bai Yu's words, he felt a bit embarrassed; indeed, he had originally fashioned her in his favorite likeness.

Later, due to other reasons, he ended up making a loli version, which now prevents her from growing up.

This made Bai Yuan look at Bai Yu with pity, then affectionately pat her head, and without a word continued on the road.

In recent years, they have basically explored the surrounding areas, yet still haven't found that Pearl Core Herb, so this time they ventured deeper.

Of course, given Bai Yuan and Bai Yu's current strength, they dared not go too deep, staying at most within the territory of ten‑to‑twenty‑thousand‑year‑old Soul Beasts.

After searching all night, they gained nothing; instead, they were attacked by several thousand‑year‑old Soul Beasts along the way.

However, beasts of this level could be easily handled by either Bai Yuan or Bai Yu.

"Master, is it okay for you to stay up late with a disciple?" Bai Yu, not wanting to walk, leaned on Bai Yuan's back and said.

Bai Yuan replied lightly, "What's wrong with it? More people, more eyes; if I miss something you see, we won't have to take that unnecessary detour."

Bai Yuan replied lightly, "What's wrong with it? More people, more eyes; if I miss something you see, we won't have to take that unnecessary detour."

"Then what do you suggest we do to find it?" Bai Yuan asked back.

Bai Yu lay silent on his shoulder.

But suddenly, Bai Yu raised her hand and pointed to a nearby tree hollow, saying, "Master, doesn't that white flower look like the Heavenly Spirit Flower you're looking for!"

Bai Yuan turned his head and saw a pure white flower blooming in the tree hollow; beside it lay an egg with a gold base but colorful hues.

"What kind of Soul Beast's egg is this?" Bai Yuan felt wary.

(End of chapter)