Chapter 271 The Hunter Who Killed Immortals (22)

"Oh my… I know I'm cute but… please… don't stare at me…" the sweet melodic voice echoed through the cave.

The giant egg shifted slowly from side to side as if it was wriggling around in embarrassment.

Now Xu Lu had seen a lot of strange sights in her many lifetimes.

She had experienced the afterlife, she had seen vampires and now she had lived among immortal cultivators but this…

This was truly bizarre.

"Sorry… I um… I…" Xu Lu stuttered as she truly had no idea what to say.

How was one supposed to talk to a giant egg?

This was part of the test, right? Or had she finally gone insane?

"Turn around! I told you not to look at me!" the voice yelled loudly with a trace of anger in its melodic tone.

Xu Lu followed its directions and turned to face the wall. She spread out her spiritual senses just in case the egg decided to attack her.

"That's better!" the voice exclaimed in a happier tone.

"Now firstly I want to congratulate you for passing the Trial of the Depths… none of the previous challengers have managed to swim through those murky depths without dying in the process."

"You are clearly a warrior of great strength!"

Xu Lu kept silent as she recalled how she had managed to pass the challenge. Was she supposed to swim through those waters?

Maybe it was best not to tell the egg that she had used her sword to fly over the pools and avoid the challenge altogether.

"Now you have a choice before you!" the voice spoke in a low whisper that was still loud enough to cause Xu Lu's ears to ring.

"You may either select a random technique or…. Me!"

"Can I see the techniques?" Xu Lu immediately asked.

"No!" the voice replied.

"What happens if I choose you?" Xu Lu followed up with another question.

"We fuse!" the egg said happily.

"Fuse?" Xu Lu asked in a puzzled tone.

"Fuse!"

That still didn't explain anything. Xu Lu asked a few more questions but the egg refused to answer her concerns.

Alright so… err….

Xu Lu closed her eyes and carefully mulled over the different options.

So according to the entity made from sand, these trials were designed to be completed by spiritual beasts.

Therefore, the rewards must be tailored for them… not for humans.

The entity did say that most of the techniques would be useless for her so there was a high probability that if she selected a random technique… it would be worthless.

Still the other option was… concerning.

Fuse? What did that imply? Physical fusion? Mental fusion?

Xu Lu scanned the original Xu Lu's memories for anything similar but found nothing.

The closest thing to fusion in this world was possession techniques that some demon cultivators would use to gain new bodies.

This was clearly a risk but… Xu Lu could not help but be tempted.

The original Xu Lu's request to abandon the Holy Sword Sect and join the demon cult would make her the enemy of the righteous sects.

The shame of having a saintess join the demonic path would be an insult that the Holy Sword Sect would not be able to ignore.

She needed strength in order to pursue that goal and honestly… a few risks would have to be taken.

"I will choose you," Xu Lu finally spoke after thinking about the matter for a few more minutes and coming to a decision.

"Excellent!" the egg cheerfully replied.

"Now approach me and place your hand on my surface. No matter what happens… do not remove your palm."

Xu Lu turned around and walked towards the egg. As she got closer, she could make out more details about its appearance.

The golden egg's surface appeared to be smooth at a distance but was actually covered in thousands of tiny bumps.

The egg's height was around the size of a person.

If Xu Lu had to guess, then she would assume that it was roughly five feet ten inches in length.

Truthfully there was a small part of the saintess that regretted her choice, but it was too late now to turn back.

She stretched out her hand and pressed the whole of her palm against the side of the egg.

Nothing happened for several long seconds.

Then…

Xu Lu flinched as a pulsating warmth travelled from the center of the egg and into her palm and the rest of her body.

This warmth started out as a comfortable heat but soon turned into an unbearable hellfire.

Sweat droplets ran down Xu Lu's skin as she panted for breath.

Her hand felt as though it was being burnt and Xu Lu could see blisters forming on the surface of her skin.

The pain was unbearable.

Every single muscle in her body felt as though it was on fire. Xu Lu tried to bear with the pain but eventually opened her mouth and screamed.

"Arghhh!"  Xu Lu yelled in agony as the warmth reached her dantian core and slowly began to fuse with her qi source.

Crack!

The top of the egg shattered, and long jagged lines spread out from the breaking point.

Xu Lu squinted her eyes and could see a four-legged creature curled up in a fetal position inside the egg.

She tried to make out more details but a sharp burst of pain forced her to her knees. She landed on the ground with a heavy thump and barely managed to keep her palm on the egg.

This was a mistake.

She was going to die.

Xu Lu let out a painful groan as a loud cracking noise filled the air. The jagged lines on the egg got wider and wider with every passing second.

Finally… BOOM!

A loud explosion of light rocked the underground chamber and several large rocks fell down from the ceiling directly above Xu Lu's body.

The last thing that the saintess saw before she blissfully fell into an unconscious slumber was a particularly large stone hurtling towards her face.

Thud!

.

.

.

.

"My head… cough! Cough!" Xu Lu's voice trailed off as her body shuddered.

She opened her eyes and winced as a dull throbbing pain spread across her body.

She could not see anything but could feel a heavy weight pressing down on her. Xu Lu tried to move but discovered that her arms and legs were pinned down.

"Come on… come on…" Xu Lu muttered as she struggled to move. She circulated qi into the meridians in her arms and attempted to hoist her body upright.

She managed to shuffle and shift around for several minutes.

It was a long process but eventually Xu Lu was able to crawl her way out of the rock pile that she was buried under.

She pushed a large rock out of the way and finally managed to escape her stone prison. Xu Lu winced again as she looked at her bloodied and dirty robe.

She did not look like a saintess at the moment… she looked more like an injured beggar.

Xu Lu frowned slightly as she took a look around her surrounding.

The underground space was now completely destroyed, and the golden egg was nowhere to be found.

What had happened?