Even though they had never heard of anyone encountering mishaps while hatching Exotic Beasts, the fact that Mu Hanyan had not emerged for quite some time still inevitably worried the two of them.
Observing Mu Cheng’s eyes, Mu Hanyan saw the sincere concern and joy within them and felt somewhat puzzled. Had she guessed wrong? ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel⟡fire.net
She turned to Wu Qiuyun, his expression seemed genuine too, without a hint of deceit.
Had Ye Yanran made a mistake in her judgment? Now, Mu Hanyan was uncertain as well.
"There weren’t any troubles, but my strength just wasn’t enough to hatch it," Mu Hanyan said lightly, without further thought.
She knew they were also curious about the Exotic Beast Egg, but the first thing they asked was not about the beast, but if she had encountered any trouble. Putting aside Ye Yanran’s warning and her earlier suspicions, she was still quite touched.
"Even your strength wasn’t enough!" Mu Cheng and Wu Qiuyun both expressed their surprise with gaping mouths. She was, after all, a Great Swordsman; if her strength wasn’t sufficient, then what level of strength would be required?
"It seems this Exotic Beast is even stronger than we imagined. Brother Mu, congratulations," Wu Qiuyun said sincerely after a long while.
The higher the requirements for hatching indicated the greater the strength of the Exotic Beast. However, he had no greed toward it. He was acutely aware that with his own strength, even if he managed to obtain such a powerful Mutant Egg, whether he could hatch it was one thing; whether he could preserve his life was what truly mattered.
A man is not guilty for being poor, but for possessing a treasure he might be blamed, he understood this rationale well.
"Brother Han Yan, have some water first. You must be tired after all the effort tonight," Mu Cheng offered a cup of water to Mu Hanyan with earnest care.
Mu Hanyan hesitated slightly in her heart, then took the water cup.
The water, drawn from a mountain spring, was crystal clear without a trace of impurities. Mu Hanyan took a small sip. Her Heavenly Heart Technique could assimilate the power of all things, including poison, and though there were limits, a small sip should not be a problem as long as the limit wasn’t exceeded. After all, her current cultivation as a Great Swordsman meant that there were not many common poisons left capable of exceeding her limit.
The spring water was pure and had the unique sweetness of mountain springs. However, Mu Hanyan’s gaze became slightly frosty.
In that water, she sensed an unusual presence. Unlike other poisons that strike the heart and directly lead to death, it could erode one’s meridians and bones, dissolving a person’s Qi. In terms of toxic potency, it was several times more powerful than those lethal poisons.
What kind of refined poison was this, so deceptively cunning?
Had it been a month earlier, Mu Hanyan would certainly have been unable to resist its toxicity. But now, having ascended to a Tenth Rank Great Swordsman, her meridians and muscles had become much more resilient, comparable to a Beginner Sword Master. The poison not only failed to harm her but was quickly refined into Qi. Her previously dried-up meridians, like soaking in spring rain, became vibrant and full once again.
"Brother Han Yan, how does it taste?" Mu Cheng asked expectantly, looking at Mu Hanyan.
"Good, quite refreshing, and there’s a special flavor," Mu Hanyan said coldly, looking at Mu Cheng with irony, and then she boldly downed the now cool cup of spring water.
Indeed, Mu Cheng had conspired with Fourth Miss Zhao to poison her. Mu Hanyan’s heart turned ice-cold with disappointment in him.
"Is that so? That’s great, that’s just great." Seeing Mu Hanyan finish the water, Mu Cheng was overjoyed. He picked up his own cup and drank it all, then poured another for Wu Qiuyun, saying, "Brother Wu, try it as well, it really has a nice taste."