Chapter 30: Synthesize a New Talent Skill

“It’s unlikely it’ll lay another egg like this anytime soon; otherwise, farmers would’ve long noticed its uniqueness and never sold it to the vendor, let alone ended up in my hands.”

“Perhaps it’s related to what it eats—I should study and experiment carefully!”

Zhou Qing muttered to himself, then sat cross-legged on the spot, picking up the precious spiritual egg and clenching it in his palm as he began absorbing its spiritual energy.

He soon beamed with delight—the pure, unadulterated spiritual energy flowed directly into his body, making the cultivation method “Taiqing Xuanqi Jue” run far more smoothly.

“If I could absorb and refine this every day, breaking through to the late Foundation Establishment realm would be effortless!” Zhou Qing rejoiced.

At that moment, Yan Xiao Hu’s anxious shouts came from outside.

“Fourth Brother, Fourth Brother, are you alright?”

Zhou Qing had just stood up when Yan Xiao Hu kicked open the courtyard gate and stormed in.

“Third Brother, at least respect my privacy!” Zhou Qing said helplessly.

Seeing Zhou Qing unharmed, Yan Xiao Hu scoffed. “Unless you’re bringing female disciples home to spend the night, you’ve got no privacy. By the way, was that mountain you blew up?”

He pointed toward the distance.

Zhou Qing nodded, then spread his hands. “I’ve just barely mastered the Silver Dragon Hand—I couldn’t resist testing it.”

“Barely mastered? Already?” Yan Xiao Hu exclaimed.

He’d witnessed its power just moments ago—it was truly extraordinary, befitting the famed divine art of the Supreme Elder.

Zhou Qing merely smiled.

“Cluck, cluck, cluck~”

Yan Xiao Hu then crouched down to tease the old hen. The hen not only had poor eyesight but seemed to have bad hearing too.

Though he called from the left, the hen turned its head right, looking utterly confused, then pecked at the ground with quick, rhythmic taps.

“A stupid chicken!” Yan Xiao Hu was utterly speechless.

Zhou Qing just smiled silently.

“Let’s go. I heard today the Jin Leizong is facing off against Tianji Men. Those fortune-telling types—I wonder how much combat power they’ve got. I’m curious!”

Zhou Qing obviously had to go; lately, his ignore points came entirely from being a bystander.

“Wait a moment!” Zhou Qing went inside to change clothes, then tied a rope around the old hen.

Watching Zhou Qing walk the chicken again, Yan Xiao Hu couldn’t help but say, “This scrawny old hen—what’s so fun about walking it? Just tie it up at home.”

Zhou Qing dared not. What if it ran off?

Or got stolen and eaten?

After all, it looked fairly plump—all those feathers were just deceptive.

Not just the feathers—this whole chicken was full of deception.

I’ll have to investigate thoroughly later—what breed is this thing?

“Third Brother, I’m warning you—don’t even think about laying hands on this chicken. From now on, it’s my little brother!” Zhou Qing said seriously.

Yan Xiao Hu scoffed again and turned to leave.

That deceptive old hen? He’d refuse it even if it were given to him for free—it’d make his teeth ache.

But Zhou Qing took two steps, then stopped, gazing far into the horizon.

Yan Xiao Hu stepped forward and patted his shoulder. “Don’t wait. I heard Senior Sikong Yan of Cangyan Dao Palace has been pursuing Xuanyou Immortal, but she got so annoyed she moved into an inn in Yanlong City. So you’re out of breakfast.”

Zhou Qing was stunned, then awkwardly scratched his head. The two descended the mountain together.

Yanlong City!

Near noon, the battle resumed. Zhou Qing deliberately stayed far from his third brother, hugging the old hen as he became a bystander.

[Ignore Points +1]

[Ignore Points +1]

[Skill Fragment +1]

………

As afternoon neared, a skill fragment unexpectedly refreshed—Zhou Qing was thrilled.

Now he had two fragments; he only needed one more to synthesize a new talent skill.

This filled Zhou Qing with anticipation.

Over the next ten days, as ignore points continuously increased, a virtuous cycle formed: more and more people failed to notice him, causing his ignore points to keep rising.

[Ignore Points +1]

[Skill Fragment +1]

[Ignore Points +1]

………

Today, another skill fragment refreshed. Not only that—the talent skill [Lowered Presence] successfully leveled up to Level 3.

[Skill Fragment: 3/3 (Available)]

“Obtain.”

Excited, Zhou Qing immediately initiated synthesis.

The skill fragments instantly reset to zero; “Available” became “Unavailable.”

Soon, a message appeared in his mind.

[Talent Skill—Daily Appraisal: Can appraise all things in the world except humans. This talent is fixed, cannot be upgraded or gain additional uses.]

Zhou Qing blinked. He hadn’t expected this talent to be fixed—appraising all things in the world?

What did that mean?

But it sounded interesting.

With a thought, his interface appeared.

[Name: Zhou Qing]

[Age: 19]

[Cultivation Base: Foundation Establishment Mid-stage]

[Cultivation Method: Taiqing Xuanqi Jue]

[Talent Skills: Daily Appraisal,]

[Heart-Appraisal Vision—LV2 (55/200),]

[Lowered Presence—LV3 (1/100)]

[Skill Fragments: 0/3 (Unavailable)]

Looking at the seemingly dim-witted old hen in his arms, Zhou Qing initiated an appraisal.

He quickly received the result.

[Egg Hen: A rare spiritual chicken that has mutated excessively. Possesses powerful digestion, capable of consuming anything to purify it, then excreting it as eggs. To increase egg-laying probability, feed it well and take it for walks regularly.]

Line after line of information appeared before him. Zhou Qing finally understood what the new talent skill [Daily Appraisal] meant.

Except for humans, he could appraise only one thing per day.

“A mutated Egg Hen? I knew it! All these days I’ve scoured countless texts and found not a single record matching you—you’ve mutated beyond recognition!”

Zhou Qing was speechless.

He’d read about Egg Hens before—they were brightly colored and much larger than this one, famous for laying at least ten eggs daily.

So this dull, ordinary-looking farm chicken? It’s the result of over-mutation.

Zhou Qing chuckled bitterly.

But fortune and misfortune go hand in hand. Though it mutated too far, who else would’ve found you but me? From now on, you won’t have to struggle to lay eggs every day, nor end up slaughtered in old age.

I’ll care for you till your end. In return, lay me one spiritual egg every ten or fifteen days—fair deal, right?

Zhou Qing smiled as he stroked the hen’s head.

[Heart-Appraisal Points +3]

Just as Zhou Qing was overjoyed, a notification suddenly chimed.

He froze, scanning the surroundings, and soon spotted Li Daoxuan.

Li Daoxuan appeared to notice Zhou Qing by chance, his face twisted in distaste, then he turned back to the battle on the square.

His original note above his head—[Persistent Lecher]—swiftly changed to [Lecher Who Plays with Stupid Hens].

Zhou Qing was instantly furious.

What’s wrong with me playing with a chicken? What’s it got to do with you?

Don’t you dare say I won’t find more chickens.

Totally Momingqimiao !

(End of Chapter)