Cultivation starts with picking up attributes
Chapter 85: Ch-85: Empress Chick or Empress’s Chick?

Chapter 85: Ch-85: Empress Chick or Empress’s Chick?

The next morning began peacefully—until it didn’t.

Tian Shen awoke to the familiar warmth of blankets, the distant chirping of birds, and the scent of tea leaves steeped nearby.

As usual, Little Mei had curled into his arm sometime during the night, and Feng Yin had risen early, as she always did, practicing her sword movements in the courtyard with her calm, graceful aura.

Everything felt tranquil.

Until it happened.

"BAAAAWK!"

The screech tore through the courtyard like a demonic shriek, followed by an explosion of qi so dense it rippled through the air and knocked a few tiles off the roof.

Tian Shen sat up abruptly.

"...Was that a chicken?"

Little Mei, bleary-eyed and half-conscious, muttered into his chest, "Mmm... chicken soup?"

Another explosion rocked the sect grounds.

Tian Shen threw on his robe and rushed outside, only to find Feng Yin standing motionless in the courtyard, sword in hand, staring skyward with wide eyes.

"...You’re seeing this too, right?"

She asked, her voice strangely flat.

Tian Shen followed her gaze.

Hovering a few meters above their courtyard... was a chicken.

Not an ordinary chicken. This one was glowing.

Its feathers shimmered gold, its eyes burned with divine radiance, and it radiated a terrifying pressure akin to a Nascent Soul expert on a bad day.

It flapped once.

The sky parted.

It flapped again.

The clouds screamed.

"...What the hell!!"

Tian Shen whispered, shielding his eyes.

From beside him, Little Mei stepped out into the courtyard, rubbing her eyes.

"...Master... is the chicken ascending?"

They all watched in stunned silence as the chicken glowed brighter—until it suddenly screamed again.

"BAWK!"

Lightning cracked across the heavens. A beam of divine light descended from the clouds.

And then—boom.

The chicken exploded into golden mist, and a giant egg landed in the middle of the courtyard.

Thunk.

It didn’t bounce. It didn’t roll. It just sat there. Glowing. Humble. Dignified.

Feng Yin blinked.

"What... what just happened?"

Tian Shen stepped forward slowly.

There was an inscription on the egg’s shell. A glowing divine rune that read:

"THE EGG OF FATE – Hatch Me If You Dare."

"...We dare?"

Little Mei whispered excitedly, practically vibrating in place.

"No, we don’t."

"Yes, we will."

Tian Shen replied immediately. Feng Yin replied, at the same time.

"...Guys. We don’t even know what’s inside that thing. What if it hatches into a phoenix-chicken hybrid with divine puberty rage?"

He reasoned.

"I’ll spar with it," Little Mei said, tail wagging.

"I’ll train it," Feng Yin added.

"I’ll move out," Tian Shen muttered.

The egg cracked.

All three jumped back at the crackling sound.

With a shimmer of light, the shell fell away.

And from within, stepped—

A chick.

Tiny. Round. Fluffy. Innocent. It peeped once, its voice like a bell chiming through.

Then it blinked and looked up at Tian Shen.

He stared back.

"...Why is it wearing a tiny crown?"

The chick blinked again, then hopped up onto his shoulder like it owned him.

"Oh no. Nonononono—"

A golden ring of runes manifested around Tian Shen’s forehead.

A wave of knowledge also flooded into his mind.

[You Have Been Chosen As ’The Chicken Empress’s Attendant’.]

[You Must Feed, Groom, And Worship It.]

[Failure To Perform Duties Will Result In Spontaneous Karma Retribution.]

Tian Shen fell to his knees.

"I wasn’t ready for this!"

Little Mei clapped excitedly.

"It’s so cute!! Can we keep it?"

"It chose him, Mei."

Feng Yin said with a barely hidden smirk.

"Looks like you’re now the... Chicken Keeper of the Feilun Sect."

Tian Shen stared at the chick on his shoulder. It stared back.

All this while, the sky crackled with thunder.

"...That was a Heavenly Tribulation."

He muttered, deadpan.

...

The sun had barely risen over the jade-tiled rooftops of the Feilun Sect when chaos began to unfold across the outer court.

Word of a "Heavenly Tribulation in the outer disciple sector" spread faster than wildfire in a dry forest.

Elders, inner disciples, peak masters, and even a few retired recluses popped their heads out of closed-door cultivation.

Because Heavenly Tribulations did not just randomly fall from the sky.

Especially not in the residential courtyard of an outer disciple who hadn’t even broken into the Core Strengthening Realm.

...At least, not until now.

By the time Tian Shen had changed into something more presentable and concealed the chick under his robe’s sleeve with increasingly frantic internal pleading, the courtyard was packed.

Feng Yin stood by his side with arms crossed, her expression calm but eyes gleaming with suppressed laughter.

Little Mei had perched herself on the rooftop, legs swinging and grinning from ear to ear.

"They’re gonna find out he’s a Chicken Attendant~"

She sang in a whisper.

Tian Shen gave her a look, subconsciously telling her to transform back to her beast form, which she happily does.

The chick—who had been officially dubbed "Drowsy" by Little Mei in less than five minutes—had curled up inside his sleeve like a smug pet.

Occasionally, it peeked its golden-feathered head out to chirp sweetly... only for Tian Shen to discreetly jam it back in with a twitching hand.

"I should’ve thrown the damn egg into the river..."

He muttered.

...

A few minutes later, a gust of profound wind blew through the courtyard.

Then he arrived.

The manor of Elder Su. Stern, composed, and well-known for having zero sense of humor. She landed gracefully, her white robes fluttering with authority.

Behind her trailed several elders, all looking like they’d smelled something burning.

"Where is the source of the tribulation?"

Elder Su asked with cold authority.

Everyone pointed at Tian Shen.

Tian Shen pointed at the sky.

Elder Su’s eye twitched.

"I meant the cause, not the location," she said slowly.

The courtyard fell into a tense silence.

Tian Shen stood still, smiling awkwardly as Elder Su’s sharp gaze bore into him. Her eyes held the same weight as an unsheathed blade—precise, cold, and unforgiving.

She said, stepping closer.

"Disciple Tian Shen, what did you do this time? Were you cultivating some forbidden technique that summoned the Heavenly Tribulation?"

Tian Shen blinked.

"No, Elder. I was asleep."

A long pause. Elder Su’s left eyebrow twitched, Again.

One of the accompanying elders stepped forward, his eyes narrow. Elder Hui, known for his expertise in anomalies of the heavens and earth.

"You expect us to believe a Heavenly Tribulation manifested... because you were sleeping?"

Tian Shen nodded.

"I sleep very diligently."

Feng Yin covered her mouth to suppress a laugh. Little Mei let out a high-pitched giggle from the rooftop.

Elder Su ignored them and swept her hand in an arc. A silvery formation sprang up, casting runes into the air like dancing snowflakes.

"Reveal the residual karmic paths."

The formation pulsed.

And then...

It fizzled.

The runes turned black and burned into ash. A soft clucking sound echoed faintly in the air.

The elders all took a step back, startled.

"Did... did that array just refuse to work?" one whispered.

Elder Hui quickly drew another spell pattern, this one golden and shaped like a lotus.

It activated. For a second.

And then turned into a puff of feathers and disappeared.

The courtyard fell into a tense silence.

Tian Shen stood still, smiling awkwardly as Elder Su’s sharp gaze bore into him. Her eyes held the same weight as an unsheathed blade—precise, cold, and unforgiving.

"You," she said, stepping closer. "Outer disciple Tian Shen. Were you cultivating some forbidden technique that summoned the Heavenly Tribulation?"

Tian Shen blinked. "No, Elder. I was asleep."

A long pause. Elder Su’s left eyebrow twitched.

One of the accompanying elders stepped forward, his eyes narrow. Elder Hui, known for his expertise in anomalies of the heavens and earth. "You expect us to believe a Heavenly Tribulation manifested... because you were sleeping?"

Tian Shen nodded. "I sleep very diligently."

Feng Yin covered her mouth to suppress a laugh. Little Mei let out a high-pitched giggle from the rooftop.

Elder Su ignored them and swept her hand in an arc. A silvery formation sprang up, casting runes into the air like dancing snowflakes. "Reveal the residual karmic signatures."

The formation pulsed.

And then...

It fizzled.

The runes turned black and burned into ash. A soft clucking sound echoed faintly in the air.

The elders all took a step back, startled.

"Did... did that array just refuse to work?" one whispered.

Elder Hui quickly drew another spell pattern, this one golden and shaped like a lotus.

It activated. For a second.

And then turned into a puff of feathers and disappeared.

The courtyard was still. Tian Shen coughed softly, then smiled.

"Maybe... the heavens just made a mistake. Happens to the best of us, right?"

Elder Su’s face was a frozen lake, still and dark. Her eyes, sharp as blades honed for decades, focused squarely on Tian Shen.

Around her, the gathered elders—ranging from stoic formation specialists to twitchy alchemists with wild hair—closed in like hawks circling prey.

Tian Shen gulped.

Internally, Drowsy burrowed deeper into his sleeve, its little beak brushing his wrist like a smug pat.

It was warm, feathery, and an absolute menace to society.

"I will ask again," Elder Su said, her voice tight with suspicion, "What caused that Heavenly Tribulation?"

Tian Shen bowed respectfully.

"This disciple... is unsure."

"You’re unsure?"

Repeated Elder Bai, one of the older folks, his eyebrows twitching like unstable spirit grass.

"The tribulation was centered in your courtyard!"

"Indeed," Elder Su narrowed her gaze, "And you are still at the Foundation Establishment Realm. So you couldn’t normally arouse a thunder tribulation, unless—"

She hesitated, trying to find a polite word.

"... He has... God’s grace," Feng Yin offered helpfully.

Tian Shen shot her a betrayed glare.

The chick, unaware, chirped softly from inside his robe.

Elder Su turned her head slightly.

"Was that a bird?"

"I... don’t know."

Tian Shen denied, but a mischievous fox being herself, gone out of her way to reveal the truth(trouble).

"Kyuu~, Kyuuu~, Kyuuuu~"

Little Mei called out, tail wagging innocently.

’Yes, His secret chick-wife just ascended and laid an egg! Now he’s being a step-dad!’

Tian Shen groaned.

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