Invaluable Treasures

From what Shen Xu knew, there was only one master who could refine soft armour in the Canglan continent.

"I think his name is Master Qi." He muttered.

"What?" Zhen Yuan asked, his eyebrow raised in question.

"In the book, only one master can refine soft armour in the Canglan continent. If I don't remember wrong, his name is Master Qi." Shen Xu said, and his brows creased in thought.

Master Qi was the vice-dean of the Divine Rainbow Academy's school of weapon refining.

However, his role in the book was not prominent.

Shen Xu only remembered him because he boarded the merchant ship to leave the Canglan continent.

After that, he was never mentioned again.

"It would be good if you can learn from him." Zhen Yuan said, and Shen Xu nodded before he spoke.

"We will see when we enter the academy."

"What about the armour? What have you learned about it?" Zhen Yuan asked.

Hearing that, Shen Xu smiled and immediately became energetic.

"Not only can its appearance mirror my outer robe, but it can also block attacks from cultivators one big realm above mine." He said.

"That's good." Zhen Yuan said and rubbed Shen Xu's hair.

In the Canglan continent, the most powerful cultivators were in the golden core realm.

When Shen Xu advanced to the foundation establishment realm, the level of the soft armour would also grow.

After that, the double would have a way to survive if he encountered a golden core realm enemy.

"Ayuan, you picked the stone. Do you want the armour?" Shen Xu suddenly asked.

Although he liked the soft armour, he didn't want to take advantage of Zhen Yuan.

After all, Zhen Yuan earned the spirit stones and chose the gambling stones.

"It's not suitable for me." Zhen Yuan said but didn't explain.

Instead, he picked up the second stone.

"I will open it." He said, and Shen Xu nodded.

Like before, Zhen Yuan used a blasting talisman.

After a loud bang, stone shards flew around, and something rolled towards Shen Xu.

"What is it?" Shen Xu frowned and picked up the item.

The thing looked like a smooth-polished marble stone.

It was white, oval, and had a diameter of about fifteen centimetres.

"It's an egg." Zhen Yuan informed, and Shen Xu couldn't help but be surprised.

"What kind of egg?" He asked, feeling a little confused.

Hearing the question, Zhen Yuan shook his head and looked at the egg with a solemn look in his eyes.

"I don't know." He finally said and then continued.

"I can see its laws, but I don't recognise most. I only know it's an egg because I can recognise its life laws."

"In that case…" Shen Xu started and then held out his hands for Zhen Yuan to take the egg.

"No." Zhen Yuan refused and smiled before he spoke.

"Contract it."

"I have already contracted the soft armour. I don't want the egg."

"XiaoXu, I know what you are worried about, but there is no need to worry. When we encounter something suitable, I will not hesitate." Zhen Yuan said and looked at the third stone.

Seeing this, Shen Xu also looked at the unopened stone.

"Is it suitable for you?" He asked.

"Mmmm." Zhen Yuan nodded, and a mysterious look flashed in his eyes.

"What is it?" Shen Xu asked.

"I know it's suitable, but I don't know what it is."

"Open it quickly." Shen Xu urged, but Zhen Yuan didn't bother with the stone.

"Contract the egg first." He said.

"Okay." Shen Xu nodded and then sighed in resignation.

'Why do I have to shed blood every time I want to make a contract?' He complained and subconsciously looked at Zhen Yuan, his eyes filled with grievances.

However, he didn't delay his actions.

A moment later, he cut his left palm and allowed a line of blood to drip on the white egg.

"If you waited until the egg hatched, you wouldn't need blood to form the contract. However, depending on what is hatched, you may fail to make the contract." Zhen Yuan soothed and rubbed Shen Xu's hair.

"I know." Shen Xu said.

After all, he was a book reader.

He knew it was easier to contract an egg than to bind a living beast. 

More importantly, using blood to contract the egg would deepen the connection between him and the hatched beast.

Considering this, Shen Xu didn't complain and continued to lose blood to the egg.

After losing more than half his blood, the contract finally formed, and he sighed in relief.

"What a greedy thing." He complained.

"Take a healing pill and a blood-replenishing pill." Zhen Yuan said, and Shen Xu didn't need to be told twice.

Although the cuts on his finger and palm would heal quickly, even without a healing pill, Shen Xu didn't like to suffer.

Since he and Zhen Yuan weren't poor, there was no need to suffer unnecessary difficulties.

"XiaoXu, put the egg in the space. Later, we will prepare a small spiritual water bath and let it soak."

Hearing that, Shen Xu sighed.

"We need to earn more spirit stones." He said.

"Don't worry."

"Spirit stones won't be a problem when I become an alchemist." Shen Xu stated in a proud voice.

"I am looking forward to that." Zhen Yuan said and chuckled in amusement.

"Ayuan, open the third stone."

"Okay."

Soon after, Zhen Yuan broke the last stone and revealed a calligraphy brush.

"It's a brush." Shen Xu observed, feeling a little conflicted.

On one hand, he was happy for Zhen Yuan, but on the other, he was a little disappointed.

Shen Xu originally wanted to refine a brush for Zhen Yuan.

Unfortunately, his weapon-refining mastery was insufficient, so he could only postpone the matter.

Unexpectedly, Zhen Yuan got a brush before Shen Xu could learn the necessary skills.

"Don't be disappointed." Zhen Yuan said and took Shen Xu's hand.

When the young double turned to look at him, Zhen Yuan smiled and continued.

"You can still refine a brush for me. If you no longer want to refine a brush, there will be other things."

"Okay." Shen Xu said and subconsciously squeezed Zhen Yuan's hand.

"Is the brush a growth weapon?" He asked.

"Mmmm." Zhen Yuan nodded and proceeded to contract the brush.

Before the contract, the brush looked ordinary with a brown holder and white hair.

However, after the contract, its appearance completely changed.

Its brown holder turned black, the white hair turned silver, and nine golden runes appeared on the holder.

"For some reason…" Shen Xu started but stopped midsentence.

He didn't know why, but when he looked at the brush, he felt like he was looking at an inviolable divine treasure.

"Ayuan…"

"I know." Zhen Yuan said with a solemn look in his eyes.

At first, he only felt a pull to the gambling stone and guessed the treasure within was especially suitable for him.

When he broke the stone and discovered a brush, Zhen Yuan took it as a matter of course.

After all, he needed a brush to draw talismans, write inscriptions, and inscribe formations.

However, after contracting it, he realised the brush was more invaluable than he suspected.

"XiaoXu, as it turns out, I still need a brush." Zhen Yuan said with a mischievous look in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Shen Xu questioned.

"This brush…" Zhen Yuan sighed and then continued.

"I can't use it for the time being."

"Are you telling the truth?" Shen Xu narrowed his eyes and stared at Zhen Yuan.

He suspected the young man was trying to make him happy.

"I am telling the truth. For the time being, I can't use the brush. My cultivation is still a little lacking."

"In that case, I will work hard to refine a good brush for you."

"I am counting on you." Zhen Yuan smiled, and his eyes softened as he looked at his young wife.

"Ayuan, it's been many days since we met, but I have yet to cook for you." Shen Xu suddenly said.

At first, it was because Zhen Yuan didn't have ingredients in his house.

After that, they had to travel, and Shen Xu used all his spare time to study and practice his weapon-refining skills.

Now that they had some free time, Shen Xu wanted to cook for Zhen Yuan.

At the same time, he wanted to prepare food for the remaining part of their journey.

"Okay." Zhen Yuan agreed.

"Let's enter the space." Shen Xu suggested.

With that, the two entered the Chaos Flame Space.

In the space, Shen Xu went to the kitchen while Zhen Yuan dug a small spiritual water pool for the egg.

'When I picked the three gambling stones, I knew that two contained invaluable treasures and one contained a precious treasure."

'XiaoXu's soft armour is precious, while the egg and my brush are invaluable.' Zhen Yuan thought as he looked at the egg.

"If I am not mistaken, the egg will hatch a primordial beast." He muttered.

Unfortunately, his cultivation was too low, and he couldn't foretell more.

"As for my brush…" Zhen Yuan frowned, and a solemn look entered his eyes.

No matter how he thought about it, he didn't believe encountering the brush was a random coincidence.