Chapter 7 : A Rare Prey on Spirit Lake

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered with a moment of recognition as he recalled the name of this particular demonic beast.

The Violet-Striped Goose [a type of demonic waterfowl] is a first-rank demonic avian and, much like the Azure Spirit Fish [a type of spiritual fish], is an exceedingly rare creature known for its relatively docile temperament.

Due to its gentle nature and low combat prowess, this type of demonic beast is easily preyed upon by other creatures, making it a rare species within the cultivation world.

He never expected to encounter such a demonic avian here today.

Upon further reflection, however, it made sense. Spirit Lake Isle possessed a Spirit Vein [a natural conduit of concentrated spiritual energy], and the more ferocious aquatic demonic beasts in the lake had long been cleansed by the Chen Clan. The environment was perfectly suited for such water-dwelling demonic avians, so attracting a migrating Violet-Striped Goose was entirely plausible.

"Finally, I've got you in my sights," he murmured.

Eldrin Chen suppressed his urge to strike immediately, waiting patiently for the perfect moment to act.

The Violet-Striped Goose was remarkably similar to an untamed wild duck—inherently timid and vigilant, ready to flee at the slightest sign of disturbance.

Although the goose before him was only first-rank middle-grade, it was a flying demonic beast. If he failed to strike with a single, decisive blow, he would likely miss his chance to slay it.

This particular Violet-Striped Goose was exceedingly cautious, skulking around the school of Spirit Fish [fish imbued with spiritual energy] in the lake for a long, drawn-out time.

The Spirit Fish King [a powerful, intelligent fish demon beast] also spotted it and charged forth with menacing intent. This was precisely what the Violet-Striped Goose [a large, predatory waterfowl with distinctive purple markings] had hoped for. With incredible speed, it swam towards the distance, leading the Spirit Fish King farther and farther away.

Gradually, the younger fish in the school could no longer keep up. Seizing the moment, the goose beat its wings, took flight, and dove towards the straggling juveniles.

"Now!"

The moment the demonic bird touched the water, Eldrin Chen erupted from the depths. He channeled his spiritual energy, sending the Verdant Leaf Sword [a flying sword with a leaf-like blade] slicing through the air towards his prey.

The Violet-Striped Goose reacted swiftly. It instantly conjured a shield of spiritual energy and frantically beat its wings to take flight and escape. Yet, how could its speed compare to the lightning-fast strike of a flying sword?

Eldrin Chen guided the Verdant Leaf Sword with his will, controlling it as effortlessly as his own limb within a range of thirty Zhang-lengths [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters]. The sword transformed into a streak of emerald light that pursued the goose. With a sharp *clang*, it pierced through the spiritual shield and impaled the creature mid-air.

"Excellent."

Having slain the Violet-Striped Goose with a single strike, Eldrin Chen could not help but reveal a look of triumph.

The Violet-Striped Goose was not only delicious but also aided cultivation when consumed. This single goose was worth at least thirty Spirit Stones [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation], equivalent to six mature Azure Spirit Fish [a type of spirit fish prized for its energy].

However, ordinary adult Azure Spirit Fish were only First-Rank Lower Grade, while this Violet-Striped Goose was First-Rank Middle Grade. Such a disparity in value was only to be expected.

Slaying this Violet-Striped Goose not only recouped the loss of the four Spirit Fish, but also yielded a modest profit, lifting Eldrin Chen's spirits considerably.

The sole regret was that he had never learned a binding-type spell, nor did he possess a binding-type magical artifact. Otherwise, he would have considered capturing the Violet-Striped Goose alive.

Like the Azure Spirit Fish, this docile type of spirit beast held a sliver of potential to be tamed into a Spirit Beast. Once domesticated, the spiritual eggs it laid would become a not insignificant source of income.

"I should have bought a binding artifact," he lamented.

A pang of regret struck him. Learning a binding spell would have delayed his cultivation progress, but a first-rank, lower-grade binding artifact cost only a few dozen Spirit Stones [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy]. If it could have been used to capture the Violet-Striped Goose and make it lay spiritual eggs, the profit would have been immense.

"Right, the eggs!"

A sudden realization dawned on Eldrin Chen. He swiftly stored the slain goose and immediately headed towards the Reed Marsh from which the creature had emerged, intent on searching the area.

After searching for half a shichen-time [one Shichen-time equals two hours], he actually discovered another Violet-Striped Goose deep within the Reed Marsh.

Contrary to expectations, this goose did not flee. Instead, it channeled its spiritual energy to engage Eldrin Chen in a magical duel. However, it was no match for him and was slain amidst the reeds within a few exchanges.

After dispatching the second goose, Eldrin Chen searched the vicinity and, as he hoped, found a nest containing several Violet-Striped Goose eggs.

"We've struck gold."

Gazing at the Violet-Striped Goose eggs, his heart surged with excitement.

These spiritual eggs were rich in Qi [the vital energy that flows through all living things] and free of impurities, making them even more precious than Spirit Rice. Each one could fetch a single Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy].

Before him lay a clutch of twelve such eggs, and, more importantly, all twelve pulsed with nascent life, the young Spirit Goose within already partially formed.

"They're already halfway to hatching."

"It seems this pair of Violet-Striped Goose has been at Spirit Lake Isle for quite some time."

Eldrin Chen looked at the eggs, a broad, irrepressible smile spreading across his face.

The reality matched his speculation. The goose pair had arrived at Spirit Lake Isle a year prior. Coincidentally, during that period, his granduncle at the Vital Essence Refinement 9th Tier had been reassigned to escort a shipment of Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious pill that aids in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm]. Eldric, whose cultivation was still shallow, seldom ventured far from Lake Heart Island, and thus had completely missed their presence.

Finding the Spirit Lake safe and secure, the Violet-Striped Goose pair had settled in, making it their home, building a nest, and raising this brood of offspring.

Though inherently timid and cautious, the Violet-Striped Goose had grown complacent after a full year of undisturbed peace. Their vigilance had waned, emboldening them to foolishly set their sights on the Spirit Fish.

Little did he expect that merely two days after commencing his hunt, he would encounter Eldrin Chen, resulting in the male goose being slain. The female, driven by maternal instinct to protect her brood, refused to flee, and thus they became a pair of doomed lovers.

The clutch of Violet-Striped Goose eggs left behind was already half-incubated, estimated to hatch within a month.

After bringing the clutch of Violet-Striped Goose eggs back to Lake Heart Island, Eldrin Chen immediately set about constructing an incubation nest for them.

Having grown up in an era of information explosion, his previous life, though unremarkable, had granted him some hearsay knowledge about hatching poultry eggs.

Although termed a goose, the Violet-Striped Goose was essentially a type of wild duck, and moreover, a spiritual duck with even greater Life vitality.

Drawing upon the general principles he recalled from his past life, he used his spiritual power to fashion a nest with an ideal environment. He then devoted himself daily to tending the spiritual eggs, taking on the role of the mother goose.

Thus, a month passed, finally bringing them to the eve of the ducklings' hatching.

On this day, Eldrin Chen kept vigil before the spiritual eggs, his heart stirred with anticipation as he gazed at the Violet-Striped Goose eggs, his face etched with anxious impatience.

"*Crack-crack—*"

After waiting for half a day, he finally heard the cracking sounds. Then he saw a dusty gray duckling peck its way through the shell and come waddling eagerly toward him.

Eldrin Chen was momentarily stunned before he realized the truth. This species of goose imprints upon the first living being it sees upon hatching, considering it its parent.

"So, I've become a mother goose?"

He felt a mixture of amusement and exasperation, yet a wave of relief washed over him.

There is but a single character's difference between a Demonic Beast [a wild, untamed creature infused with demonic or spiritual energy] and a Spirit Beast. The latter has simply been tamed by cultivators, its fierce wildness subdued.

Without a unique Beast Taming [a specialized cultivation art for subduing and bonding with spiritual beasts] method, it is exceedingly difficult to tame a Spirit Beast. The Chen Family naturally possessed no such art. Their so-called domestication of the Azure Spirit Fish was more akin to semi-free-range husbandry, as the Spirit Fish [fish imbued with spiritual energy] could not possibly escape the confines of Spirit Isle Lake.

However, the Violet-Striped Goose was a Demonic Beast avian. Flying Demonic Beast are notoriously difficult to domesticate. While adult Violet-Striped Goose possess an Innate [the foundational first stage of cultivation] nature that is relatively docile and non-aggressive, without a proprietary Beast Taming method, a single misstep could see them take flight, never to return.

Fortunately, the newly hatched gosling, having imprinted on Eldrin Chen as its parent, bypassed the need for taming entirely. By simply raising it to maturity, it would directly become a loyal Spirit Beast.

Understanding this, excitement surged within Eldrin Chen. He decided to remain by the nesting site, waiting for the remaining eggs to hatch one by one.