**Chapter 3: Sea Crocodile Grass Snake Fire Fox, Demonic Beast Eggs Hold Mysteries**
By Gu Zhenren
February 9, 2013
Three weeks later, Shu Island.
Earth Altar, Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
“Choose your egg.” The Earth Altar Beast Master, his temples gray and his body slightly stooped, stood with his hands behind his back, silently observing the three young men before him. Though old, his presence was formidable, exuding a subtle pressure.
Now, three Demonic Beast eggs lay before Chu Yun and the others.
The one on the left was the size of a washbasin, uniformly pale blue. Its shell appeared stony, and if one listened closely, a faint sound of tides could be heard from within.
The middle egg, the size of a sea bowl, was deep green. Its shell gleamed, giving a sense of oiliness and smoothness. Small black spots dotted its surface. Sniffing it closely, one could detect the fresh scent of grass.
The egg on the right, also the size of a sea bowl, had a base of pure white shell, like snow, with uniformly distributed fiery red markings the size of fingernails. At first glance, it seemed like a blooming flower, radiating warmth.
Chu Yun’s dark, bright eyes were as calm as a deep pool. His heart surged, and his gaze swept over the first two Demonic Beast eggs, pausing almost imperceptibly on the one on the right. His expression remained serenely unchanged.
The Earth Altar Beast Master, though weathered by years, was secretly impressed. Chu Yun possessed a composure and maturity far beyond his thirteen years. In contrast, the other two young men beside him exhibited the impatience and hesitation typical of their age, both in their expressions and demeanor.
Like the customs on other islands, Shu Island held a unique Coming-of-Age Ceremony every year for thirteen-year-old young men with Beast Taming potential.
The island would select a portion of the high-quality Demonic Beast eggs obtained throughout the year and offer them to the young men to choose from.
The subsequent process involved not only successfully hatching the Demonic Beasts but also learning how to feed them, command them in battle, and subdue them.
In this World, Demonic Beasts represented power. The Coming-of-Age Ceremony signified the young men’s transition from a carefree childhood to a path of responsibility. One’s performance at the ceremony directly impacted their future.
The Coming-of-Age Ceremony was crucial. It was a turning point in life, from which countless powerful figures emerged to dominate the world.
Although thirteen-year-old young men possessed mature minds, they had not yet been truly tested. It was natural to feel anxious and hesitant when faced with such a significant moment. Yet, Chu Yun remained remarkably calm, earning a nod of admiration from the experienced Earth Altar Beast Master. “Truly worthy of being the adopted son of the Island Lord,” he mused.
“Damn it! Mother already investigated the origins of these eggs for us. She told us to pick the sea exploding crocodile and the green fang snake eggs. But how are we supposed to know which is which?”
“Yeah, apart from these two, there’s also a fire fox egg. If I pick that one, my life is over. It’d be so frustrating if Chu Yun got it for free!”
The two young men beside Chu Yun whispered to each other.
“This is infuriating, we can’t even ask that old man. Investigating the egg types is already against the rules. This ceremony is so unreasonable; they should just label the Demonic Beast names and let us pick!”
“It’s your fault for not studying properly. Now you can’t even identify a Demonic Beast egg.”
“You’re blaming me? Aren’t you the same? If you’ve got the guts, you pick first!”
Before the Demonic Beast eggs were even chosen, the two young men had begun to quarrel, their voices growing louder.
“Shhh, keep it down! What are you shouting about? Aren’t you afraid others will hear?”
“You’re the one with the loud voice, and you’re criticizing me?”
The two stood their ground, neither willing to back down.
The Earth Altar Beast Master heard them and sighed inwardly, shaking his head. “With your little whispers, I could hear you even outside the Earth Altar. Alas, how could the Island Lord, so wise and mighty, have such idiots for sons? No wonder some suspect if they are truly his own…”
This year’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony on Shu Island was rather special.
Not only were there only three eligible young men on the entire island, but all three were sons of the Shu Island Lord. Chu Yun was adopted, while Shu Da and Shu Er were his biological sons.
Despite their similar appearances, Shu Da was stout like a pig and hot-tempered, while Shu Er was thin, exuding an air of阴邪 (yīn xié – sinister and evil).
As they argued, Shu Er inadvertently glanced at Chu Yun, a glint in his eye. He whispered to Shu Da, “Stop arguing! I have an idea!”
Shu Da knew his younger brother was usually full of tricks and that this was likely not baseless. His spirits lifted, and he pressed, “What idea?”
Shu Er didn’t answer, instead turning to Chu Yun and shouting, “Hey! Chu Yun, I heard you’re doing very well in your studies and everyone praises your intelligence. Let me test you today. If you can identify these egg types, I’ll give you this bag of Disha Stone Coins.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Shu Da added, “If you identify them incorrectly and I choose the wrong egg, you have to swap eggs with me unconditionally!”
After saying this, the brothers exchanged a smug glance, considering everyone else a fool.
The Earth Altar Beast Master listened and shook his head, recalling a proverb: a fool is a fool because he sees everyone else as a fool.
Just as people differ, so do eggs. The Demonic Beast eggs placed here varied in their innate potential and value.
The Earth Altar Beast Master knew: the left egg would hatch a Sea Exploding Crocodile, a creature of high value. The middle one was a Green Fang Snake egg, its value just below that of the Sea Exploding Crocodile. While the fire fox egg had a pleasant appearance, it paled in comparison to the other two.
The quality of the egg directly affected the Coming-of-Age Ceremony’s score, which in turn influenced a person’s destiny and future. How could Chu Yun possibly agree to such a condition, identifying the eggs only to hand over his own future?
“Alright, I accept. But first, you must give me the Disha Stone Coins you’re holding,” Chu Yun said, a hint of a smile in his eyes as he glanced at Shu Da and Shu Er before nodding his agreement.
“Uh…” The Earth Altar Beast Master was taken aback.
“What a fool!”
“Short-sighted fool, hahaha!”
Shu Da and Shu Er exchanged a look, roaring with silent laughter.
“Here, you win. You got what you wanted.” Shu Er feigned indignation, but the triumphant smirk betrayed his scheming.
“Chu Yun, you better remember the conditions we just set! If you misidentify, you have to swap eggs!” Shu Da glared at Chu Yun and added menacingly.
Chu Yun smiled, took the bag of Disha Stone Coins, and weighed it, estimating about thirty pieces based on his past life’s memory and experience.
“Hey, you’ve taken the money, now hurry up and identify the eggs for us,” Shu Da urged.
At that moment, all eyes, whether Shu Da and Shu Er’s or the Earth Altar Beast Master’s, were focused on Chu Yun.
Chu Yun, clad in a simple white robe, remained calm. He blinked his dark, ink-like eyes, extended a slender finger, and pointed at the Demonic Beast eggs before him, smiling unhurriedly. “This left egg, the size of a basin, indicates a huge Demonic Beast. Its color is like the sea, simple and singular, suggesting this is not a twin egg but a single embryo. The faint sound of tides hints at a high-quality Water Element Demonic Beast. This is the Sea Exploding Crocodile egg.”
Shu Da and Shu Er’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. “Continue, continue!”
Chu Yun smiled and went on, “The middle egg, the size of a bowl, pale green like grass, indicates a Wood Element single embryo, nurturing a Wood Element Demonic Beast. Its glossy shell is characteristic of soft-bodied arthropods. The black spots on its shell suggest toxicity. The faint fragrance of grass surrounding it signifies a high aptitude for Wood Element Demonic Beasts. This is the Green Fang Snake egg.”
“As for the last one…”
“Stop, stop. Heh heh, I’ll take the left one!” Shu Er suddenly interrupted Chu Yun. Knowing two of the eggs, the last one must be the fire fox. Shu Er had no interest in it and spoke up immediately, determined to choose the better egg before anyone else.
“Go to hell! That Sea Exploding Crocodile egg is mine! When is it your turn to snatch my things!” Shu Da roared, his eyes wide with anger. He lunged forward and, with a thud, pushed Shu Er to the ground.
“Old man, I choose this egg.” Shu Da took a few quick steps forward, almost pouncing on the left Demonic Beast egg.
Shu Er stared resentfully at Shu Da, snorted coldly, and quickly scrambled to his feet. He went to the middle egg and said with a peculiar tone, “The Grass Fang Snake and the Sea Exploding Crocodile are both top-tier Demonic Beasts, it all depends on future nurturing and growth. Heh heh heh… We’ll see. Old man, this young master chooses this one!”
With that, he reached out and patted the middle Demonic Beast egg.
“Hiss hiss…” The Demonic Beast egg emitted a strong green spiritual light, and a hissing sound seemed to come from within.
Shu Er’s face instantly turned pale with fright, and he rapidly retracted his right hand. But then he became elated. “Haha, I remember now! This is the fetal movement spirit light! Mother was right, this Green Fang Snake has high talent and deep potential. Following me, you are fortunate!”
In his excitement, he let slip what he meant to conceal, yet he didn’t realize it. Shu Da was also immersed in joy, his hands stroking the left egg’s shell, almost pressing his obese body against it.
“Madam Shu gave birth to two good sons… Heh!” The Earth Altar Beast Master did not expose them. He cast a disdainful glance at the two brothers and then focused his gaze back on Chu Yun. He couldn’t understand why Chu Yun would readily give up two excellent Demonic Beast eggs.
“Could it be that the remaining fire fox egg holds some hidden marvels?” As he pondered this, the Earth Altar Beast Master glanced again at the left Demonic Beast egg.
This Demonic Beast egg had a bright, distinct red-and-white color. It was a decent egg, but compared to the other two, its inferiority was immediately apparent.
