Boiling is Actually Not Bad Either

Although it seemed on the surface that Chu Xingchen had gained nothing from his ventures in Cangzhou and Chizhou—as if he had merely worked for nothing, at least in Qinghe's eyes—there were still rewards given by the system.

One was a fragment of Heavenly Dao fortune, and the other was an inheritance.

But the true gains didn’t end there.

Perhaps due to Lin Luoyu’s breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage, or because his other disciples had been diligently cultivating, Chu Xingchen himself advanced from the peak of the Nascent Soul stage into the Divine Transformation realm.

Yet the good news didn’t stop there.

The True Martial Hall, which had been under construction by Ning Kun ever since Chu Xingchen had the funds, was finally completed.

As Chu Xingchen wrapped up the side quests, he received a system notification confirming the hall’s completion.

The effect of the True Martial Hall was somewhat mystical—it slightly boosted the fortune of all sect members.

Chu Xingchen examined the description and could only conclude that it was probably a good thing.

However, the reward for completing the True Martial Hall was a blueprint for an Enlightenment Chamber, which would require further construction.

So there was no rush for that.

Completing a series of system tasks also granted cultivation rewards.

Thus, not long after entering the Divine Transformation realm, Chu Xingchen successfully reached the mid-stage of Divine Transformation.

One could only say that Divine Transformation truly lived up to its name—Chu Xingchen was still studying his newfound power and the additional abilities that came with this realm.

However, the system had already issued the next phase of tasks.

It was unclear whether this was due to completing the side quests or because the system deemed the conditions met for the next stage.

Strangely, the rewards seemed to deviate from the usual foundational sect-building items.

[Series Task 1: Recruit five disciples]

[Reward: Mountain-Sea Ark]

[Series Task 2: Have any disciple reach the Nascent Soul stage]

[Reward: River-Mountain Scroll]

[Optional Series Task 3: Establish a sect at a location meeting the system’s spiritual energy density requirements]

[Reward: Shattered Spirit Jade Butterfly]

Since these were system-assigned tasks, including a newly introduced optional one, Chu Xingchen took the time to study them carefully.

The first two tasks were straightforward, though the rewards were harder to interpret.

Just based on their names, one could speculate endlessly about their true nature.

But rewards were rewards—as long as they were beneficial, that was enough.

The real focus was the optional task.

Normally, series tasks only unlocked the next phase after completing the entire set.

Finishing just Task 1 wouldn’t trigger new missions—this was the system’s rigid requirement.

Optional tasks, however, weren’t mandatory. One could choose to complete them before moving on to the next series or simply ignore them and proceed after finishing the compulsory tasks, claiming the stage rewards.

For Task 3, Chu Xingchen saw through the system’s intentions immediately.

At the edge of the task description, there was a percentage bar indicating progress—currently at 20%.

Undoubtedly, this represented the system’s satisfaction level with the current location.

Even with the underground spiritual vein and the system’s array enhancements, the land only met 20% of the requirements.

Chu Xingchen still remembered Li Yingling’s disdainful expression when they first arrived.

If they were to relocate to a place that fully satisfied the system’s conditions, his eldest disciple would probably…

Moreover, while the task appeared tactful, it was essentially a direct challenge.

Currently, the Eighteen Immortal Sects of the Central Continent monopolized the spiritual veins, concentrating most of the world’s spiritual energy there.

Other regions might have suitable spots, but those would undoubtedly already be claimed—and finding them would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

To truly complete Task 3, the only viable option was the Central Continent.

Thus, Chu Xingchen had already deciphered the system’s hidden agenda!

But so be it—the Central Continent it was.

Not only was Chu Xingchen now at the mid-stage of Divine Transformation, but he also had Bai Xuanling’s "Face Token"—a "Give Me Face" pass.

Even if he couldn’t strut around the Central Continent unchecked, he could at least afford to walk with a bit of swagger.

Still, the current sect location, though unimpressive in the eyes of Central Continent elites, held sentimental value.

Chu Xingchen could now afford to rebuild elsewhere with the profits from his pill sales.

Yet the memories of founding this sect remained vivid.

Back then, as a Golden Core cultivator with barely any spirit stones, his pills unsellable, the main hall only half-built, and the rest hastily sealed with ordinary wood…

Li Yingling and Li Xingtian had served as overseers, while Chen Baiqing had lounged on-site, reading books and snacking on candied fruits as the sect slowly took shape.

Every building, every path—even the sect’s layout—bore the marks of their contributions.

The stone table and chairs by the pond were there because Chen Baiqing had asked for them.

This wasn’t about money. From its humble beginnings, when everything was lacking, everyone had poured their heart into this place.

Even during his time in the Central Continent, Li Xingtian had dreamed of earning enough spirit stones to finish Chu Xingchen’s grand hall.

The thought of abandoning this place for the Central Continent stirred reluctance in Chu Xingchen’s heart.

But upon reflection, his attachment wasn’t just about the effort invested.

This sect carried too many memories—of the three disciples who had followed him from the start, and the two newer additions.

Whenever Chu Xingchen was present, laughter filled the spacious grounds.

Yet in the end, warmth didn’t come from buildings, but from the people around him.

As long as his disciples were with him, any place—with or without a roof—could be home.

Chu Xingchen didn’t dwell on the matter. After all, prime locations in the Central Continent were likely already packed.

Securing land that met the system’s standards wouldn’t be easy.

Still, one must always strive for higher grounds.

For now, Task 3 would remain optional—something to explore when he had time to scout the Central Continent.

There was no hurry.

At the moment, another pressing matter demanded attention.

Inside the newly furnished True Martial Hall, Chu Xingchen turned to Li Yingling and Li Xingtian.

Li Yingling reached out and touched a massive egg on the table—nearly as tall as Chen Baiqing—with a puzzled expression.

"Master… this egg?"

Chu Xingchen maintained a calm facade, though he too was baffled. This was the "inheritance" reward from the system’s side quest.

Honestly, when one thought of inheritances, they usually imagined artifacts, robes, weapons, or cultivation manuals.

Who had ever heard of an inheritance being an egg?

Even raising a turtle was more reasonable—at least the turtle would outlive you.

But this egg’s original owner had apparently died before it even hatched, turning it into an "inheritance" on the spot?

Li Xingtian examined it and offered his opinion: "It resembles the egg of a high-tier demonic beast."

Li Yingling stroked the egg and retorted, "No kidding! A normal beast’s egg wouldn’t be this huge!"

"Good, first piece of good news—we’ve all agreed this thing is an egg," Chu Xingchen said as he reached out to touch the enormous egg. "Now the question is, since it’s clearly alive, how do we hatch it?"

Li Yingling hesitated before asking, "Master, where did you even find this thing?"

Chu Xingchen stroked his chin. "Strictly speaking, it’s more of an inheritance than something I picked up."

Beside them, Li Xingtian nodded in understanding.

An inheritance? Li Xingtian was familiar with those.

"I used to come across things I didn’t understand but looked valuable all the time," Li Xingtian chimed in. "My first move was always to check the records. For an egg this big, something like the Bestiary or similar texts would probably have details—how to hatch it, how long it takes, that sort of thing."

"Let’s look it up first," Chu Xingchen agreed with a nod, then added,

"But if this thing takes centuries to hatch without even a progress bar, we don’t necessarily have to bother."

"Boiling it might actually be a decent alternative."

After all, Chu Xingchen had no intention of letting this egg outlive him.