Chapter 16: The Ruby Dragon Egg
Li Hongyou’s words caught Bai Xuan completely off guard.
She looked no older than sixteen or seventeen, yet her tone was crisp and official—like someone who’d spent her entire life behind a government desk.
“Hm?”
Suddenly, Li Hongyou’s gaze landed on the crimson shard resting atop Bai Xuan’s desk. “May I take a look at that?”
“This? Do you recognize it?”
Curiosity piqued, Bai Xuan handed her the red fragment.
Li Hongyou took her time, turning the shard over in her palm, studying it from every angle. Finally, she spoke, her voice slow and measured: “This is… most likely the shell of some creature’s egg.”
“Eggshell?” Bai Xuan blinked in surprise.
He’d always assumed it was some sort of gemstone, or perhaps a rare scale. It had never crossed his mind that it might be an eggshell.
Li Hongyou narrowed her eyes, as if she were withholding something.
Bai Xuan found himself growing increasingly intrigued. He hadn’t expected much from this girl with her peculiar temperament, but she was proving to be unexpectedly insightful.
After a long, thoughtful pause, Li Hongyou finally said, “If I’m not mistaken, this is the shell of a dragon’s egg.”
“A dragon?”
Bai Xuan’s eyebrows shot up.
So it really was a Ruby Dragon egg fragment?
Before he could ask further, the Book of Worlds pulsed within his mind, and a line of luminous text unfurled before his inner eye:
【Ruby Dragon Egg Fragment: Insert into the Book of Worlds to unlock Character Setting—Ruby Dragon Egg (Epic).】
Oh?
An Epic Setting?
Bai Xuan’s eyes gleamed, fixed on the prompt.
Was his luck really this good?
But why hadn’t this information appeared before? Perhaps the rarity was simply too high for the system to register immediately.
“Where did you find this?” Li Hongyou suddenly asked.
“Forest Park,” Bai Xuan replied offhandedly.
Li Hongyou fell silent, then returned the eggshell to him. “Keep it safe. This is extraordinarily valuable.”
With that, she floated out the window and vanished into the sky.
Bai Xuan couldn’t help but wonder—was she off to search for more fragments?
Just then, Bai Yu entered the study. “Bai Xuan, I’ll be out of town for the next few days.”
“How long will you be gone?” Bai Xuan set down his controller and turned to her.
“A week, maybe. Hard to say,” Bai Yu replied. “You’ll find your living expenses in the cabinet in my room, but don’t go wasting money.”
“Got it.”
Bai Xuan nodded, then asked, “Are you leaving today?”
“I’m heading out tomorrow. Need to pack first.”
“Okay. Take care.”
He didn’t say much more, but inwardly, he’d already made up his mind: Tonight would be his one chance—he had to inject the Gene Enhancer into Bai Yu.
“I’m heading out for now. I’ll make dinner when I get back.”
“Alright.”
As soon as Bai Yu left with Liu Qian, Bai Xuan returned to his room—only to find Serene already awake, though something seemed… off.
She was sitting on the floor, legs folded beneath her like a duck, her gaze distant. Behind her, her succubus tail swayed absently.
“Serene?”
Bai Xuan called her name, snapping her out of her daze.
“Mmm, my lord.”
Serene lifted her face, her sapphire eyes gradually regaining focus.
As her gaze sharpened, her heart-shaped tail and demonic horns vanished with a soft, bubble-like pop.
Huh?
Bai Xuan was taken aback. How exactly did Serene’s transformation work?
The past two days hadn’t been like this—at least, not until yesterday…
He was still pondering when Serene suddenly undid her pajamas, her flawless figure revealed without a hint of self-consciousness.
“?!”
“Wait, Serene, you—?”
But Serene seemed unfazed. She simply reached for the golden gem beside her and pressed it to her chest.
At once, a snow-white bodysuit shimmered into existence, wrapping around her in an instant—her Holy Vestments, perfectly donned.
Bai Xuan stared, momentarily stunned.
So the Holy Vestments were this convenient?
And as soon as she was dressed, Serene’s entire demeanor shifted—she was once again the cool, composed paladin.
Wait, could it be…?
“Is there anything you need me to do today?” Serene asked, fully collected now, her gaze steady on Bai Xuan.
“Uh…”
Bai Xuan was at a loss for words, his mind still lingering on the scene he’d just witnessed.
There was no helping it—such beauty lingered long after the moment passed.
The last time he’d felt this flustered was in the VR section…
“My lord?”
“Ahem!”
“I was just… thinking about something,” Bai Xuan coughed, regaining his composure. “Did you sleep well last night?”
“Yes. I’ve never slept so comfortably,” Serene replied softly, lowering her eyes. “And… last night, I had my first dream.”
“A dream?” Bai Xuan perked up. “What did you dream about?”
A faint blush crept across Serene’s cheeks. She hesitated, then whispered, “I dreamed… you and I…”
“Me?”
“We went together to meet His Holiness the Pope.”
“And then?”
“Then… before His Holiness, we completed…”
“Completed?”
“We completed a vow. A sacred vow. You became a paladin, just like me.”
“…?”
Bai Xuan’s feelings were mixed. That was it?
Then why was she blushing just now…
“But…”
There’s more?
“But what?”
“In the dream, His Holiness suddenly summoned you alone into his private chambers… and then, from inside, I heard… unpleasant sounds.”
Serene frowned slightly, confusion and worry flickering in her eyes.
“What kind of sounds?” Bai Xuan lowered his voice, unable to resist asking for more details.
Somehow, he just knew this dream was about to take a turn.
“I don’t remember. Those sounds… I’d rather forget them as soon as possible,” Serene said softly, shaking her head.
Bai Xuan’s curiosity only deepened—what exactly had Serene heard?
Wait… Did I get defiled or something?!
“Dreams aren’t real. No need to take them seriously,” Bai Xuan said quickly.
“Mm.” Serene nodded, though a complex light still lingered in her eyes.
“Alright, time for us to head out.” Bai Xuan seized the chance to change the subject. “This world still needs us to save it.”
“Understood.”
With that, Bai Xuan activated the Teleportation Array, transporting them to the Sinfire mission zone.
…
“So that brat found the dragon egg fragment here?”
Li Hongyou appeared in Ninghang City’s Forest Park, her pale crimson eyes surveying the landscape.
She closed her eyes, sending a ripple of power outward—within a kilometer, every loose object lifted gently from the ground, hovering a few inches in the air.
She flew low, skimming just above the earth, searching the entire park with systematic precision.
“Found it!”
Her eyes snapped open, and she dove straight into the lake at the park’s center.
Moments later, she burst from the surface.
And with her, she hauled up a massive skull…