51 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

Chapter 51 As Bai Fan continued to walk forward, the skeleton began to reveal its shape. The faint cold light in her hand illuminated its spine, which extended into the distance—looking at this skeleton, it seemed over a thousand meters long. “It should be some great beast. Let's check out the skull up front.” Initially, Bai Fan thought it might be a giant snake, but upon seeing the afterbone toe, she speculated that it was a giant lizard. As Bai Fan moved closer, the skull of the giant lizard came into view. She walked behind the skull, then crawled out through its eye socket. Upon closer inspection, Bai Fan noticed that the skull seemed less like a lizard and more like a dragon. “Heavens, could this really be dragon bones?” Bai Fan could hardly believe what she was seeing. Given the power of flood dragons, it was hard to imagine that a true dragon, which guarded an entire realm, would die here. As she inspected further, Bai Fan noticed a long object piercing through the dragon's abdomen. Raising the luminous pearl, she discovered it was a long spear, stained with blood from piercing the dragon's body. Coming a bit closer, Bai Fan could still feel a faint trace of dragon's might. Even after many years, the darkened dragon blood still contained dragon might. Yet, no matter how hard Bai Fan tried, the seemingly ordinary spear would not budge from the ground. Bai Fan frowned slightly and kicked the spear. It was akin to using her tail with great force, but the spear remained completely unmoved. “Whoever killed the true dragon like this was truly cruel. It looks like it was pinned to the ground with a spear and died in agony.” Bai Fan muttered to herself and then remembered something. She took out the blue conch shell from her chest. “I almost forgot about this. This is a true dragon divine beast; Maybe Si Bu Xiang knows more.” Injecting a bit of spiritual energy into the communication conch, the conch flashed with light. After a long while, a lazy voice came through. “Little snake, it’s been a while since you contacted me. Haven’t you found the wasteland yet?” The Fire Qilin's voice sounded somewhat smug. Bai Fan scratched her head, feeling a bit guilty about talking to Si Bu Xiang since she had apprenticed under another master. “No, still haven’t found it.” “Still haven’t found it? What have you been doing all these years that you couldn’t find a single place?” “I've joined a sect and I'm cultivating.” After Bai Fan finished speaking, the other end remained silent for a while before a voice finally came through: “Very well, you have your own path to follow. I won’t force you, but you must help me with the matter of the wasteland. Even though it's not essential, I feel uneasy without it.” “I’ll do my best.” “So, why have you contacted me this time? Did something happen again? Are you stuck in another volcano?” “No, not in a volcano this time. I fell into a cave and found a dragon skeleton.” Bai Fan's voice was quite steady, but the Qilin on the other end went silent upon hearing this. “A dragon skeleton, you say? Where did you find it?” “In a place called the Misty Forest. I was being chased to near death and accidentally fell in here.” “Misty Forest? What kind of place is that?” As Bai Fan listened to the Qilin's questions, she thought it might be better to ponder things herself. Who knows how long Si Bu Xiang has been locked up in Wan Feng Ta. “It’s a forest near Xuan Ming. The beasts here seem easily maddened. Once they smell blood, their eyes turn red—even I am somewhat affected.” Upon hearing this, the Fire Qilin lay down and pondered for a long time before saying: “See if there’s any dragon crystal in the dragon’s skull.” “Dragon crystal? What's that?” Following the Fire Qilin’s instructions, Bai Fan went into the dragon’s skull, holding her luminous pearl to look around. “Dragon crystals are a special memory crystal unique to the dragon clan. When a dragon dies, its brain crystallizes over time, becoming a dragon crystal. This crystal encapsulates the dragon’s lifetime experiences and the legacy of the dragon clan.” “Dragons have such things?” “All divine beasts have it. It’s a self-preservation mechanism to prevent the loss of legacy. Hurry up and see if you can find it.” Bai Fan wandered within the skull, about the size of a small hall. The inside was empty, and the jade-like bones reflected the light from her luminous pearl, making the place bright. Eventually, Bai Fan squinted her eyes and saw a basketball-sized crystal rolling into a corner. Her eyes lit up, and she shouted, “I found it.” “Found it?” “Yes, found it.” Bai Fan set down the luminous pearl and lifted the large crystal. Instantly, a warm current flowed into her hands, making her feel immensely comfortable, especially the four dragon sinews in her body. “Absorb it.” “Huh? Why?” The Fire Qilin’s exasperated voice came through: “Don’t you have the transformation technique for becoming a dragon? Now is your chance. Don’t waste it. This is the legacy of a dragon.” Bai Fan pondered for a moment. She recalled that Si Bu Xiang had once made her absorb a red crystal, which nearly cost her life. She would not act recklessly this time. “A dragon’s legacy does sound tempting, but this dragon must be as old as my master. Are you sure I, a mere cultivator of twenty to thirty years, can handle the immense knowledge it holds? If I become an idiot, who will help you with the wasteland?” The Fire Qilin, hearing this, realized the small snake had a point. It had only considered the benefits and not whether she could handle the essence of a dragon crystal. “Oh, then keep it for now. But let me remind you to hide it well. The maddened beasts you mentioned are likely influenced by the dragon crystal. Carrying it with you is dangerous.” Bai Fan felt speechless holding the crystal. This thing was truly troublesome. Carrying it might attract a swarm of beasts, but leaving it behind meant missing out on its benefits. “What should I do then?” “I can’t do much from here. If I were there, I’d take it to a place of rest.” As Bai Fan looked at the mysterious and colorful crystal, a peculiar sense of familiarity made her eyes shift between snake pupils and human ones. Originally, she planned to store it in her storage bag, but it didn’t feel secure, so she placed it in her dreamscape. Only there would it be safe from prying eyes and sealed off from the outside world. Even the flood dragon core stored there had gone unnoticed by Si Bu Xiang. Once in the dreamscape, Bai Fan casually threw the dragon crystal in. She glanced around and saw that the area devastated by thunder was finally showing signs of green again. The split flood dragon core remained inactive, and nothing had grown beneath it, though she remembered planting many dragon snake grasses there. “Little snake.” The voice of the Fire Qilin suddenly pulled Bai Fan out of her dreamscape. “What’s wrong?” “Take the dragon bones with you and bring them to Wan Feng Ta next time. I’ll place them at rest.” Bai Fan nearly flared up at hearing this: “I can’t do that! These dragon bones are enormous. I simply don’t have the ability to move them. You should come and take care of it yourself next time.” “You, little snake, can’t handle even this? Aren’t you my disciple? You should at least be able to do this.” “Oh, now you remember I am your disciple? Ever since I left Wan Feng Ta, you haven’t taught me much. I got stuck in a volcanic crater, and you said you couldn’t help. When I asked you about an item, you mentioned spirit stones, and after absorbing them, I nearly died. Now, when I ask about dragon bones, you want me to carry them back? You should remember that I’m just a small foundation-stage cultivator.” Bai Fan had much resentment towards the Fire Qilin. If not for her good fortune, she would have been in deep trouble due to its unreliable guidance. After some silence, the Fire Qilin paced back and forth in its cave, increasingly anxious. Eventually, it said, “Keep the communication conch supplied with spiritual energy. Make sure it doesn’t cut off.” Confused by the Fire Qilin’s instructions but compliant, Bai Fan stably maintained the spiritual energy flow into the conch. The original flickering light suddenly brightened. Bai Fan felt a massive drain on her spiritual energy, and panic set in. What was Si Bu Xiang doing, pulling spiritual energy from her so ruthlessly? She would surely be drained dry. But having given her word, she had no choice but to comply. She pulled out a Qi Circulation Pill and swallowed it. In an instant, the previously scant spiritual energy was replenished. Bai Fan suddenly regretted using the Qi Circulation Pill so hastily. As the light grew stronger, the communication conch spit out a black hole. Bai Fan was stunned; she remembered being kicked into one of these by Si Bu Xiang before. And out came the Fire Qilin. “You…” As soon as the Fire Qilin emerged, its muscular, splendid form made a thudding sound with its hooves, and the surrounding darkness lit up with flames emanating from its body. “Is this the place?” “How did you get here?” “Through a spatial leap, of course.” Bai Fan's expression shifted repeatedly. The Fire Qilin craned its neck to look around. “So it really is dragon bones. I wonder which dragon clan member this was. Huh, there's a spear here too.” The Fire Qilin turned to Bai Fan, and with a sniff of her scent, declared, “Not bad, little snake.” Seeing Bai Fan’s changing expression, the Fire Qilin spoke as it examined the dragon bones, “Want to know why I didn’t go to the volcano last time? I’ll tell you, it requires spiritual energy for me to come out. The bit you can provide is only enough to sustain me for half an hour at most. Back then, you hadn’t even reached Foundation Establishment; it was impossible for me to come.” As the Fire Qilin spoke, it stored the dragon bones piece by piece into its neck area, a process it completed quickly, leaving only the spear embedded in the ground. It walked over and kicked the spear. The spear’s hum echoed, making the whole cave seem as if it would collapse. “A dragon spear, huh? The dragon clan sure was unlucky to die from their own crafted weapon.” Bai Fan narrowly dodged a falling stone, holding the luminous pearl. “Can you get me out of here first? If we stay any longer, I might be stuck here forever.” “No rush, take that dragon spear first.” Bai Fan glanced at the massive spear. “I can’t move it.” The Fire Qilin walked over and kicked the dragon spear, sending it flying in front of Bai Fan. It was rusted and massive, more like a pillar than a spear. Imagining herself wielding a large pillar was absurd. “It’s unusable.” The Fire Qilin snorted unhappily at Bai Fan's words. “Fine, if you don’t want it, I’ll take it to the place of rest.” With a tap of its hoof, the rusted weapon disappeared. As the cave was about to collapse, the Fire Qilin dashed out with Bai Fan, not bothering to find a path but instead smashing its way out. Bai Fan watched in amazement as the Fire Qilin used brute force to clear a path. In her time at Xuan Ming Sect, everyone relied on spells, but the Fire Qilin relied purely on its innate power. In the presence of a divine beast, Bai Fan finally understood what true inherent power was. With the cave collapsing, the small cliff also gave way. A group of Mo Xiu searching for Bai Fan in the Misty Forest immediately noticed and rushed over. Before they could reach them, the Fire Qilin muttered, “I haven’t come out in thousands of years, and the first thing I encounter is ticks. Why haven’t these Mo Xiu become extinct?” No sooner had it spoken than the Mo Xiu appeared before them. The Mo Xiu spotted the commotion and ran over, only to be stunned by the scene. The Xuan Ming junior disciple was standing next to a red, monstrous beast with blazing hooves and scales, its red mane strikingly beautiful. “Huh? Where did you get this beast? But it won’t help you. You’d better surrender now and let me kill you quickly; it’ll save you some suffering.” Hearing this, the Fire Qilin's flames exploded like a volcanic eruption. Sulfurous smoke puffed from its nostrils. “Damn tick, insulting me.” It opened its mouth and spewed flames, scorching a thousand meters of forest, and leaving the Mo Xiu in ashes. Bai Fan watched with her jaw almost dropping. She had experienced this flame before, but back then, it only roasted her skin. Now, this fire was at an entirely different level. She realized the Fire Qilin had gone easy on her before. After spewing the flames, the Fire Qilin sneezed twice, coughing out some black smoke. It smacked its lips and turned around. “Sigh, not as good as dragon breath. It didn't reach far enough.” “Uh…” Bai Fan had been pondering an escape route, but now a path was clear. She suspected Xuan Ming might have noticed the commotion and would soon send people over. “Were you really chased around by that tick?” “Yeah.” “That’s really embarrassing for me. Back in my day…” Before it could finish, the Fire Qilin was sucked into a black hole. Its time was up. Bai Fan held her forehead, looking at the pathway burned through the Misty Forest, and wondered how she would explain this. Yi Xi Zhen Ren had just returned from borrowing a scent mouse from Xuan Guang Zhen Ren. Before they could release it, a flaming pathway burst through the Misty Forest, leaving them in shock. “What’s going on?” “Let’s investigate.” Several zhenren flew over, gasping at the sight of the burned forest. Only a Nascent Soul cultivator could have done such damage. The scent mouse Yi Xi Zhen Ren had brought out of his sleeve was pure white, with round ears and a short tail. It headed directly for the source of the commotion, prompting Yi Xi Zhen Ren to follow quickly. “My second disciple is there; we must hurry.” Walking along the burned path, Bai Fan soon met Yi Xi Zhen Ren, noticing a small white mouse squeaking at her feet. “Xuan Yu.” Bai Fan looked up with surprise. “Master.” “Are you alright? Where’s the Mo Xiu?” “They’re gone, burned by the flames.” “That’s good. But what caused that fire? Was it you?” Yi Xi Zhen Ren was doubtful. Bai Fan shook her head. “No, it was someone else.” “Who was it? Who dared intrude on our Xuan Ming?” Bai Fan sighed, gritted her teeth, and said, “It wasn’t an intruder. Someone passing by saw the Mo Xiu and decided to intervene.” Yi Xi Zhen Ren's face lit up. “Is that person still here?” “They’ve already left. Seemed to be in a hurry.” Bai Fan made something up, hoping her master wouldn’t pry further. One lie required more lies to cover it. “Did you properly thank them?” Bai Fan remained silent, thinking how Si Bu Xiang had been abruptly transported away before finishing his words. “Do you remember how they looked?” Bai Fan shook her head. It was better to pretend this person was unseen and untraceable. The Fire Qilin’s identity had to stay secret. Yi Xi Zhen Ren looked around regretfully. “It seems we need to increase patrols around Xuan Ming. We can’t let such intrusions happen again.” Other zhenren asked Bai Fan about the features of this mysterious person. She casually described them as wearing black, with an indistinguishable face. “A powerful person who wished to remain anonymous.” “They might be an Incarnation cultivator helping us in passing. There are those who lend a hand as they pass by.” The zhenren concluded that the one who burned the Misty Forest was an Incarnation-stage mighty figure. Upon returning to the sect, Bai Fan was taken in by Yi Xi Zhen Ren for questioning. Luckily, she had prepared her story, weaving a tale of being chased by Mo Xiu until she stumbled into Misty Forest. Just when she was desperate, a powerful cultivator appeared and incinerated the Mo Xiu, saving her life without a word and then vanishing. Bai Fan deliberately added details about how the beasts went berserk, giving the story more credibility. Eventually, Yi Xi Zhen Ren believed her. Seeing Bai Fan's weary face, Yi Xi Zhen Ren said, “You’ve had a rough day with these Mo Xiu disturbances; go and rest for now. You don’t need to attend any lectures today. Come back in a couple of days.” “Yes, Master. Disciple takes leave.” Following a young attendant out, Bai Fan reflected that she needed to focus on cultivating, even if her cultivation level didn’t improve much. Learning some survival techniques was crucial. Initially planning to head straight back to her cave, she passed by the Phantom Sword Pavilion and wondered if she should also practice swordsmanship. After all, stronger combat skills would enhance her chances of survival. Her master had high cultivation but wasn’t adept in combat. Maintaining peace in the cultivation world would be fine, but the world wasn’t stable. Swordsmen, even in great sects like Xuan Ming, had a dedicated lineage of sword cultivation. It was becoming harder to find tranquility these days. Seeing the Phantom Sword Pavilion disciples, who marched by with stern faces and unwavering eyes, was quite astonishing to Bai Fan. “Sword cultivators.” This reminded Bai Fan of the thief she had sent to Wan Jian Sect. She wondered how he was doing. Hopefully, he wouldn’t turn out like these stern-faced sword cultivators. “Ah, it seems necessary to learn the sword,” Bai Fan thought, recalling the Pure Yang Sword in her storage bag, then shaking her head. “That sword probably isn’t appropriate to use now.” Lost in thought, Bai Fan was startled when someone called her name from behind. The voice was unfamiliar. Turning around, she saw a young boy in a standard Xuan Ming disciple's outfit with a bamboo name tag reading “Xuzhu” on his waist. “You’re Bai Fan?” His tone was somewhat haughty. Bai Fan noticed he was shorter than her, probably thirteen or fourteen years old. “Yes, what do you need?” “I heard you caused a stir in the Daoist Library and ruined the top prize.” Bai Fan squinted, smiling faintly. This kid seemed to be picking a fight. “Seems like that did happen.” Xuzhu wasn’t pleased with Bai Fan’s nonchalant tone and said angrily, “Do you know my senior brother lost his chance to get the Daoist Canon because of you? He had studied the annotations deeply, hoping to win that page of the canon. He clearly had the best annotations, but because you went up there talking nonsense, we ended up with nothing, and he was used by you.” Bai Fan’s mood soured. While it was true she had spoken rather freely, why did this kid think his senior brother’s annotations were the best? She had read many annotations, and they were at best equally matched. “Which section did your senior brother annotate?” “The twelfth section.” Bai Fan rummaged through her memory and finally recalled the annotations from that day, finding the twelfth section and reciting it. The boy nodded, “Yes, that’s the one.” “You’re claiming your senior brother’s annotations were the best. What makes you think they deserved the top prize?” Puffing his chest, Xuzhu replied arrogantly, “My senior brother’s annotations were excellent.” “These annotations don’t stand out as the best. That’s blind optimism about your senior brother’s skills. If he truly had that capability, Xuan Guang Zhen Ren would have decided long ago. There wouldn’t have been a need for my supposed nonsense.” “Anyway, it’s your fault.” The kid stubbornly blamed Bai Fan, making her face darken instantly. She thought to herself how much she disliked bratty kids. ※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ Thank you all so much for the support with the nutritional supplements. I’m incredibly touched. Lately, my old eyes have been struggling, so my vision isn’t great. I want to thank the little angels who cast [Grenades] and [Nutritional Supplements]~ Thanks for the [Grenade] from: 铃仙, 1 count; Thanks for the [Nutritional Supplements] from: 22390522, 50 bottles; lulula945, 20 bottles; Thank you all for your support. I will continue to work hard! Previous Chapter Contents Next Chapter