Fifteen minutes passed.
Leo's Nen and blood were still continuously pouring into the phantom beast egg.
His right palm was pressed against the eggshell. Under the control of his Nen, the wound in his palm had not healed, and his blood was greedily absorbed by the shell like a small stream.
Golden Nen poured out from his palm, forming a layer of flowing light on the surface of the eggshell before being swallowed by it.
A normal first-class Nen User has a total Qi capacity of about 70,000 to 100,000 points. Being able to burst out 2,000 to 3,000 points of manifested Qi at once is already quite good.
Leo estimated his total Qi capacity to be around 550,000, and he could burst out about 10,000 points of manifested Qi at once.
Nen capacity is divided into Potential Aura Power (POP) and Actual Aura Power (AOP).
If a Nen User is compared to a car, Potential Aura Power (POP) is the gasoline, Maximum Power Output (MPO) is the capacity of the fuel tank, and Actual Aura Power (AOP) is the engine's fuel consumption.
However, the Actual Aura Power (AOP) that affects actual performance isn't necessarily in the same proportion. Just because your car has a large tank and plenty of gas doesn't mean your engine has high power; everyone's cultivation and explosive power differ.
Of course, for the sake of comparison, the proportions are usually assumed to be consistent, as it is very difficult to actually measure the proportional relationship between them.
And the output rate of a Nen system is equivalent to your engine's fuel ratio.
The Qi capacity of the Ant King's Three Guards is also very exaggerated, with a total Qi capacity likely around 700,000.
Due to the constant loss of blood, his powerful physical recovery ability was continuously producing fresh blood.
His bone marrow was accelerating blood production, his blood vessels were contracting and expanding, and his heart was beating faster and stronger than usual, like a high-speed pump.
But even so, the rate of loss still exceeded the rate of regeneration.
Leo grabbed the high-energy food nearby and began to eat—barbecued meat, energy bars, compressed biscuits, and milk were stuffed into his mouth in large gulps, quickly digesting to provide energy for his body.
The food was rapidly broken down and transformed in his stomach, sent throughout his body, and then converted into energy by his cells.
According to his feeling, the egg was currently only one-third full.
But his Nen was already forty percent depleted.
This egg was indeed a bottomless pit. If he hadn't reached level eighty, he might have failed just like Zeno.
Time passed minute by minute.
Leo kept eating and drinking to replenish his energy consumption, and the food decreased at a visible rate.
His face had begun to turn pale, his lips were white, and his eye sockets were slightly sunken—this was caused by the body losing too much blood.
The phantom beast egg was constantly absorbing, and even his powerful body was starting to struggle.
He could feel the blood rapidly draining from his body, and with every heartbeat, a large amount of fresh blood was drawn out from the wound in his palm.
Leo grit his teeth and thought to himself.
'Could it be that this egg was left for too long and has been hungry for too long, which is why it requires such a massive energy supply...'
No wonder Zeno could only give up.
If he hadn't given up, he would have been sucked dry without even satisfying the egg's needs.
But he was an Enhancer; his physical strength, recovery ability, and Qi capacity far exceeded those of ordinary people, so he could still hold on.
Another half hour passed.
The filling progress inside the egg had exceeded eighty percent.
Leo's Nen had hit rock bottom, and the Qi capacity indicator flickered wildly deep in his consciousness, like a lamp about to go out.
Sweat began to bead on his forehead, and his whole body was trembling.
His body was swaying, and every breath carried a heavy sense of overexertion.
But he was still gritting his teeth and persevering.
He was pushing his potential—the power that was usually unused, hidden deep within his cells and only triggered at the moment of life and death, was being squeezed out bit by bit.
Nen was still being outputted; although it was much weaker than at the beginning, it never stopped.
The surrounding food had been mostly eaten by him, and the floor was piled with empty plates and packaging bags.
Converted to an average person, the blood Leo had lost exceeded the total blood loss of forty people combined.
Forty people.
If this blood were poured into barrels, it could fill several large ones.
And he was enduring it solely by relying on his own blood-making ability.
He held on for another five minutes.
Finally, the egg was about to be filled.
He could feel the strong life fluctuations coming from within the egg—it was something deeper, like a heartbeat, like a pulse, as if something was waking up inside.
The feeling was very strange yet very familiar, as if an invisible connection had been established between the life inside the egg and himself, a Bloodline connection.
The patterns on the eggshell brightened to the extreme, and the entire egg was glowing. An azure light swirled in the training room, reflecting off the walls and ceiling in a pale azure hue.
The life inside the egg was telling him—it was about to be full.
Leo felt it; it was a pure exchange of intent, very peculiar.
A minute later, the phantom beast egg began to vibrate violently.
It was a violent vibration, as if something was about to burst out from inside.
Then, it cut off Leo's Nen and blood supply.
The moment the link was broken, Leo almost collapsed to the ground.
He supported himself with one hand on the floor, panting heavily and taking deep breaths.
His vision was a bit blurry, but he stared intently at the constantly vibrating egg without looking away.
"Crack."
The first crisp sound came from the eggshell.
The first crack appeared, extending from the top of the egg to its middle. It was as thin as a hair, but exceptionally clear in the azure light.
The cracks continued to expand—a second, a third, a fourth—new cracks branched out from the first one, like tree branches gradually covering the entire exterior of the egg.
Azure light poured out from the cracks, illuminating the entire training room.
Leo held his breath.
The next moment, an azure claw broke through the eggshell and stretched out.
The claw wasn't large, covered in fine azure scales, with sharp nails that glinted coldly.
It grabbed the edge of the eggshell and pushed hard.
Then came another claw.
Both front claws stretched out, followed by the hind claws.
With all four claws exerting force at once, the cracks on the eggshell grew larger, and fragments fell down with a clatter.
Leo showed an excited smile, and the fatigue in his body was completely washed away at this moment.
"Bang—"
A Dragon head poked out from the eggshell.
The Dragon head was even more majestic than he had imagined—it didn't have the hideous appearance of a Western dragon, but was more like the image of an Eastern Dragon he was familiar with.
The head was slender, the snout was prominent, and long whiskers grew on both sides of its mouth, fluttering gently in the air.
Two horns grew from its forehead, like deer antlers, presenting a warm jade-white color.
Its eyes were large, and its pupils were azure-gold, like two gemstones, clear and translucent.
It shook its head, shaking off the eggshell fragments, and then looked around.
At first glance, it saw Leo.
The next second, the entire egg completely shattered.
A slender young dragon soared from the fragments and circled the training room once.
It was about a meter long, its entire body covered in fine azure scales that shimmered with a cold luster under the lights.
Unlike the Three-winged Flying Dragon of the Zoldyck family, it had only one pair of wings—but that pair of wings was longer than its body when unfolded.
The Azure Dragon let out a roar at Leo.
The sound wasn't loud, even a bit immature, like the cry of a newborn kitten.
But its flight posture was very steady; with every flap of its wings, it glided a long distance in the air.
It flew toward Leo, its head nuzzling into Leo's embrace, acting like a spoiled puppy.
Its whiskers brushed against Leo's chin, feeling ticklish.
Leo reached out and stroked its head.
The scales were cool and smooth, with a warm body temperature underneath.
"Great."
He murmured.
Leo looked at the Azure Dragon, intending to give it a name.
Leo thought long and hard but couldn't think of a good name; he had difficulty naming things.
"Forget it, I'll call you Xiao Qing from now on."
Hearing Leo's words, the Azure Dragon gave a soft snort as if in response.
It looked up at Leo with its azure-gold eyes and then stuck out its tongue and licked his face.
Its tongue was thin and soft, with a hint of warmth.
Leo was very happy.
He sat on the floor, covered in sweat, his clothes crumpled, and his hair a mess.
The Azure Dragon left his embrace, turned to fly toward the pile of eggshell fragments on the floor, and began to eat them in large mouthfuls.
The eggshell fragments made a crisp cracking sound in its mouth. Leo watched quietly, a smile always on his face.
From now on, he would have the ability to fly.
What boy hasn't fantasized about riding a dragon and soaring through the sky?
This was the best experience!
A long while later, the Azure Dragon finished all the eggshell fragments. Its body had clearly grown a meter longer, and its physique was much more robust.
Its originally meter-long body had become over two meters, its wings were wider when unfolded, and the luster of its scales was deeper.
It flew back to Leo's side, landed in his arms, folded its wings, rested its head in the crook of his neck, and closed its eyes.
Leo reached out and gently patted its back.
The Azure Dragon let out a satisfied low hum, its breathing became steady, and it soon fell asleep.
The training room fell silent.
There was only one person, one dragon, and a floor full of trash.
The sunlight outside shone through the transom window, hitting the Azure Dragon's azure scales and reflecting tiny glints of light.
Leo leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.
He also needed to rest; he had consumed too much Qi and blood.