The western slope no longer felt abandoned.
It felt fragile.
Li Chen stood inside the spirit chicken pen as early sunlight filtered through thin winter clouds. The wooden fence cast long pale shadows across frost-covered ground.
He counted again.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Seven physical chickens.
Inside the Beast Origin Space:
One ordinary.
One Iron Feather.
Total in existence: Nine.
Nine living creatures.
Four would be taken in ten days.
If he did nothing—
Total would drop to five.
Five was extinction territory.
He exhaled slowly.
The solution was no longer optional.
He had to breed.
---
Observing the Flock
He crouched inside the pen and studied the seven chickens carefully.
Five hens.
Two roosters.
Normal spirit chickens reproduced naturally, though slowly in winter.
Under stable feed and warmth, a hen could lay one egg every two to three days.
But the western pen was neglected.
Grain was minimal.
Cold slowed reproduction.
He needed controlled adjustment.
He stood and walked toward the grain storage.
Labor disciples were allocated measured portions daily.
But no one monitored minor fluctuations.
He took slightly more than usual.
Not excessive.
Just enough to increase nutrition subtly.
Back in the pen, he scattered the grain evenly.
The hens responded quickly.
Energy intake mattered.
He watched silently.
Breeding would take days.
He had ten.
---
Internal Constraint
That night, inside the Beast Origin Space, he stood before the two remaining chickens.
Internal count: 2
Extraction was impossible.
If he extracted one, total would drop to eight.
He could not afford that.
The Iron Feather Chick pecked at the ground calmly.
Bloodline Purity: 33%.
Stable.
He examined the breeding interface again.
Still locked.
[Unlock Requirement: Body Tempering Fifth Layer]
He closed the panel.
So be it.
First, physical breeding.
Then breakthrough.
Then internal breeding.
Sequential growth.
---
Day Three – First Egg
Three days passed.
Careful feeding.
No suspicion.
On the third morning, he found it.
An egg.
Small.
Pale.
Nestled beneath loose straw in the corner of the enclosure.
He did not react outwardly.
He simply observed.
One egg.
It must not disappear suddenly.
If eggs vanished, Wu Han would notice during inspection.
He waited until night.
Under darkness, he carefully stored the egg into the Beast Origin Space.
Physical count remained seven chickens.
No visible change.
Internal count: 3 (2 chickens + 1 egg)
Total existence: 10
He stood inside the gray world, holding the egg.
This was the first real multiplication since the system appeared.
He placed the egg gently on the flat ground.
The environment was stable enough.
Though primitive, it now had a faint mist sky and shallow water from previous habitat formation trigger.
He waited.
Egg incubation required warmth.
The Beast Origin Space temperature felt neutral.
He focused and used a small portion of spiritual energy to maintain stable warmth around the egg.
Not system acceleration.
Just natural assistance.
---
Day Five – Second Egg
Two days later, another hen laid an egg.
He repeated the process.
Stored at night.
Physical chickens remained seven.
Internal count now:
2 chickens
2 eggs
Total existence: 11
Slow.
Controlled.
Correct.
---
The Tension
On the sixth day, Zhao Ming appeared again.
He leaned against the fence casually.
"Still seven," he observed.
"Yes."
"Strange. You lost so many before."
"Feeding improved."
Zhao Ming snorted.
He stepped inside and kicked at straw.
Li Chen's muscles tensed internally but remained calm outwardly.
Zhao Ming crouched and inspected one hen.
"Better not hide anything."
He left.
Li Chen exhaled slowly.
He must reveal nothing prematurely.
---
Internal Hatching
On the seventh night, inside the Beast Origin Space, the first egg trembled.
A faint crack formed.
He knelt beside it.
The shell split open.
A small chick emerged.
Ordinary.
Bloodline Purity: 12%.
He nodded.
Stable.
The second egg hatched the next morning.
Bloodline Purity: 13%.
Internal count:
4 chickens (3 ordinary + 1 Iron Feather)
Total existence: 11
Physical: 7
Internal: 4
Breeding had begun.
Population increased.
Slowly.
Correctly.
---
The Quota Approaches
Three days remained before delivery.
He had 11 total.
After delivering four physically:
Physical would drop from 7 → 3
Total would drop from 11 → 7
Seven was still survivable.
Especially if physical breeding continued.
He could release internal chickens after delivery to stabilize visible numbers.
The system would not collapse.
Now—
It was time.
He had created buffer.
---
The Breakthrough Decision
That night, he sat cross-legged in his hut.
He gathered all stored Spirit Chicken Essences.
Total remaining from earlier harvest: 7
Seven was sufficient for a controlled Fifth Layer breakthrough.
He inhaled slowly.
If he delayed further, system breeding would remain locked.
If he broke through now, system habitat would improve before next cycle.
The timing aligned.
He began absorption.
First essence—warmth.
Second—compression.
Third—muscle tremor.
Fourth—bone vibration.
Fifth—barrier strain.
Sixth—pain surged through tendons.
Seventh—
He gathered all energy and pressed against the internal barrier.
Crack.
A deep internal vibration.
The barrier shattered.
Spiritual energy surged forward.
His meridians widened slightly.
Muscles compacted.
Bones hardened.
He exhaled sharply.
Body Tempering Fifth Layer.
He remained still.
Circulated energy slowly.
Stabilized foundation carefully.
An hour passed before he opened his eyes.
Power felt different.
Denser.
Controlled.
Not explosive.
Grounded.
---
System Evolution
Immediately, a familiar tone echoed in his consciousness.
[Host Advancement Confirmed]
[Breeding Interface – Unlocked]
[Habitat Stability Increased]
He entered the Beast Origin Space.
The gray world shifted visibly.
The mist sky became clearer.
The shallow water depression widened slightly.
Uneven terrain formed small patches.
Grass sprouts appeared faintly.
Not lush.
But alive.
Internal count:
4 ordinary
1 Iron Feather
Total internal: 5
He opened the breeding panel.
Fully active.
He selected two ordinary chickens.
Compatibility: 53%
He initiated.
Light enveloped them.
An egg formed smoothly.
He examined.
Mutation Chance: 5%
He smiled faintly.
System breeding was efficient.
No winter slowdown.
No natural risk.
He initiated another pairing.
Second egg formed.
Internal count now:
5 chickens + 2 eggs
Total existence: 13
Physical: 7
Internal: 6 (including eggs)
Population had fully recovered.
He felt relief settle in his chest.
The bottleneck had ended.
---
Delivery Day
Morning arrived.
Wu Han came as expected.
"Four."
Li Chen delivered four physical chickens.
Physical count: 7 → 3
Total existence: 13 → 9
He showed no emotion.
After dusk, he released three ordinary internal chickens into the physical pen.
Physical count: 3 → 6
Internal count: 6 → 3 (1 Iron Feather + 2 eggs)
Total existence remained 9.
No inflation.
No mistake.
Stable.
---
A New Phase
That night, inside the Beast Origin Space, the two eggs trembled.
They hatched naturally.
Two new chicks emerged.
Bloodline Purity: 14% and 15%.
Internal count:
1 Iron Feather
2 ordinary
2 new hatchlings
Total internal: 5
Physical: 6
Total existence: 11
Population rising again.
He stood beneath the faint mist sky.
The environment felt slightly warmer.
The shallow water reflected pale light.
This was no longer storage.
This was foundation.
He examined the Iron Feather Chick.
Bloodline Purity: 35%.
It stood taller than ordinary chicks.
Its bones visibly sturdier.
He did not rush mutation.
He did not force evolution.
He simply watched.
Growth had begun in both worlds now.
Physical pen.
System habitat.
Balanced.
Stable.
Sustainable.
He exited the Beast Origin Space and lay down quietly.
Outside, snow drifted softly.
Inside, multiplication had begun.
And for the first time since the lightning strike—
He was no longer conserving life.
He was creating it.
Silently.
Relentlessly.
Hidden beneath the eyes of the sect.
The Hidden Beast Emperor—
Had planted his first true seeds.