63 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 53: Guidance Qin Miao watched as his reflection was repeatedly distorted by the flowing water, and it took him a moment to realize that it wasn’t the reflection that was twisted, but his own expression. Upon rebirth, no one could truly grasp the depth of his excitement when he opened his eyes and discovered he had returned to a time before everything had started. In his previous life, he had reached the Nascent Soul Stage, wielded three secret treasures, and was nearly unmatched in the world of cultivation. Qin Miao had already experienced a difficult, yet far more thrilling and carefree life than most. Yet Qin Miao never believed his life was perfect. When he reflected on his past, he always thought he had lost more than he had gained. In his youth, his frail self inadvertently led to Senior Sister Huai Ye’s undeserved death. Being on opposing factions, he never revealed his feelings to Du Ruo and even had nowhere to grieve upon hearing the news of her death. It seemed as if everyone close to him faced misfortune, and in the end, the only one who stayed by his side was Xiang Shi Yan, but even then, having only one bright spot no longer satisfied him. Qin Miao had once thought that if he could exchange everything he had for everything he missed, he would do so without hesitation. Perhaps people always have unwarranted expectations and illusions about what they don’t have, while undervaluing what they do possess. Qin Miao hadn’t learned much from the sorrow of losing most of his closest companions, making reckless wishes that moved only himself. After all, anyone can superficially wish for something, but when such insincere wishes come true, how many would truly feel no regret? As it turns out, Qin Miao regretted it. When he imagined trading everything he possessed for the lives of his beloveds, he envisioned a life of seclusion in the mountains with them, a life of happiness together. But that didn’t mean he would revert to being the despised wastrel. He would still be the “favored by the heavens,” the “savior,” the “prodigy who achieved the Nascent Soul Stage faster than anyone in a millennium.” He was just “deeply affectionate,” willingly giving up all the privileges and respect the cultivation world offered him for the sake of his beloved saviors. Would that respect and admiration disappear without a trace? No, it wouldn’t. Should he ever return to the realm of martial arts, the major sects would still treat him as an honored guest, and tales of his extraordinary exploits would continue to circulate. When great enemies appeared, there would still be those who came, sighing, to seek his help. People who claim they’re willing to give up everything often don’t realize what they actually have. Prestige, talent, cultivation, resources, contributions—if everything he possessed was given a price, would Qin Miao truly be willing to sacrifice it all for the resurrection of Huai Ye and the others? Qin Miao imagined his beloveds persuading him to return to save the world for its safety, not a scenario where he lost everything and had to stand by, watching the women who should’ve been overshadowed by him shine brightly on their own. What’s strange about that? After all, these women loved the gifted, reliable, and strong Qin Miao, not the irritable, fragile, and weak version of him. Exactly, if he really lost everything, what reason would the “beloveds” have to value him? Qin Miao suddenly swatted at the water before him, feeling his head buzzing and his breath growing short and shallow, drawing in air like a bellows. He looked up to meet the eyes of He He and the blue wolf, who had been startled by the commotion. It was only then that he realized his entire face was flushed red, as if he were about to suffocate himself, with tightly strained muscles along his face and neck. He looked into the water again, meeting the gaze of an angry, humiliated creature. He regretted it. Compared to the ambitious resolve he had felt right after being reborn, Qin Miao now thought that replicating the success of his previous life would suffice, even at the cost of those women’s lives. After all, isn't the great trifecta of a man’s life: gaining power, getting rich, and losing his wife? Besides, if Qin Miao couldn’t become powerful, who would save them? The demon in the monster clan still awaited Qin Miao’s defeat… In the grand scheme of things, focusing solely on individual survival seemed a bit petty. Qin Miao’s mood eased significantly, feeling as though a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Exactly, their deaths weren’t entirely Qin Miao’s fault to begin with. He couldn’t understand why he had previously given himself such immense pressure. Huai Ye was killed by an elder of the Tai Xu Sect, and at least seventy percent of the blame should fall on them; Du Ruo was slain by that demon, something Qin Miao was powerless to prevent; as for Zhu Yun and Zhu Yu, their misfortune stemmed from their father’s actions. Qin Miao hadn't known initially that their cultivation would decline after being drained by the furnace, unlike other furnaces; Fu Zhi, that mad woman, even when all the sect leaders told her blowing up demons was inevitable, why couldn’t she understand his actions were for the greater good and threw herself into the river, claiming, “You are no chosen of the Heavenly Dao”? That had nothing to do with Qin Miao either… From beginning to end, it was only his master who stayed by his side. As long as he had his master, everything with other women was just for fun. Renewed resolve lit up in Qin Miao’s eyes. He knew his first pivotal opportunity was near. Previously, it was in the Mysterious Realm where he obtained Huai Ye and successfully transformed his fire spiritual root into a mutated thunder attribute. Although the situation differed slightly from his past life… if the chance arose, Qin Miao wouldn’t miss the opportunity again without even trying. The big wolf being whimsically squeezed by the girl suddenly perked up, eagerly looking skyward, having sensed that its master was swiftly approaching. It began howling woefully towards the horizon. Communicating with a contracted spirit beast required great mastery over one's spiritual sense. Threads of spiritual consciousness acted like a net embedded in the beast’s mind, conveying orders and receiving the beast’s thoughts, a feat not everyone could achieve. For those who trained their bodies, strengthening spiritual senses was almost pointless, as they neither needed to control life-bound magical artifacts nor manipulate techniques from afar. All their combat skills were executed at close quarters, through their own bodies, so their ability to operate spiritual senses was generally inferior to other cultivators. And although the big blue wolf looked magnificent, in reality, it was still quite young for a demon beast, with the cognitive age of a five or six-year-old child, its thoughts already chaotic and hard to articulate. Thus, when Huai Ye flew in on her sword, she heard the big blue wolf’s whimpering complaints in her mind, only half understanding phrases like “bad person bullied the dog” and “bad person grabbed the dog’s tail.” She thought it had been bitten by Worms of Purity while on the run. The girl was covered in blood and meat, as if she had just crawled out of a pile of corpses, her entire being exuding a foul stench, causing her to wear a solemn expression. When He He saw Huai Ye, encrusted with the blood and flesh of the Worms of Purity, walking towards him, he immediately frowned and gestured to stop her: "What are you doing? Don’t come any closer." The “we” here referred to himself and his beautiful, fluffy wolf. Huai Ye rolled her eyes, grabbed the fluffy tail of the big blue wolf from her hand, inspecting it left and right, discovering no worms clinging to it. The blue-backed wolf whimpered to snuggle up to her but, with its keen sense of smell, was repelled by the heavy stench enveloping its owner. Sticking out its tongue, it looked at her with pitiful eyes, pacing nervously behind her to avoid He He. There were obviously no worms, only He He grooming you with a brush. Huai Ye admonished the whining wolf: “Dog, sit.” The gigantic blue wolf took a couple of hesitant steps, then obediently lay down on the ground. Normally, wild-grown blue-backed wolves wouldn’t be this docile. Even most spirit beasts raised from a young age remained wild and difficult to tame once matured, but due to their immense difference in power, this particular blue wolf was raised under Huai Ye’s martial dominance, instinctively regarding her as its “alpha,” thus displaying a submissive demeanor. “Look at how you’ve dirtied its tail,” He He complained, pulling the wolf’s large tail over, immersing the end Huai Ye had soiled into the water to scrub it clean. “Dogs don’t like water, bad person pulling dog’s tail again,” the blue wolf whimpered, daring not oppose, instead directing its damp eyes pitifully at Huai Ye, hoping she could rescue its tail from the clutches of the perceived villain. Huai Ye paid it no mind, driving Qin Miao to where he couldn’t be seen, then tasked the blue wolf to protect him. Only then did she plan to strip down and wash. As she let her outer garment fall to the ground, she seemed to recall something, casting a quick glance at He He, her hands stopping at her innerwear, she gently entered the water. Although the Dust Removal Spell could cleanse filth from her body, she still felt unsettled inside, as if that muddy flesh still clung to her skin. He He crouched by the water's edge, observing her, noting that Huai Ye bore not a single large wound, assessing her strength. Judging by size and aura, that Worm of Purity was at least Golden Core stage, a whole stage above Huai Ye. Being the queen, it resulted in reduced flexibility and bloodsucking ability but gained the ability to command a swarm of worms, a feat not typically managed swiftly or unscathed by ordinary cultivators. Especially since the Worm of Purity’s skin could rapidly strengthen through blood, significantly limiting a body cultivator’s capabilities, Huai Ye’s combat ability was much stronger than He He had anticipated. The invasion of lightning-attributed spiritual energy can disrupt a cultivator’s internal spiritual energy flow, rendering them almost unable to cast spells or channel power into magic artifacts until they purge it from their system. In other words, it brings the weaker spellcasters and artifact users to the level where physical cultivators excel. The massive size of the Worm Queen made it difficult for it to dodge Huai Ye’s attacks. Before it could even use its blood manipulation technique, it was likely detonated from the inside by the lightning spiritual energy. Perhaps this is why, despite the difficulty of a physical cultivator ascending, Huai Ye resolutely chose this path. He He probably realized that, compared to the distant and unpredictable path to immortality, Huai Ye cared more about how many battles she could fight along the way. Submerging herself in the river, Huai Ye washed away the blood from her hair and slowly resurfaced after some time. The intense release of spiritual energy created a small-scale thunderstorm in the forest. Huai Ye had used up most of her spiritual energy and was feeling a level of fatigue she hadn’t for quite a while. Floating like a corpse, she surfaced, staring blankly at the sky. She said to He He, who was idly plucking grass by the riverbank, “The demon core of that big bug is water-aligned. It’s useless to me, so you can have it.” He He paused for a moment, looking away in displeasure. “Why give it to me? Keep it yourself. And you shouldn’t strip in the wild; it’s unbecoming.” “Oh.” Dripping wet, Huai Ye stepped onto the shore, used her spiritual energy to dry herself, and took out clothes from her Sumeru Bag, dressing with her back to He He, acting suspicious. However, she truly wasn’t injured, and He He couldn’t fathom what she was trying to conceal. “The demon core at Gold Core stage is useless to our Uncle Master. If you don’t want it, I’ll give it to Qin Miao.” Why let him get the benefit? However, the moment He He held the palm-sized demon core, its weight caused her heart to skip a beat. Huai Ye seemed oblivious, merely offering something she couldn’t use. Similarly, if it weren’t for Xiang Shi Yan’s guidance, she would have given the male-styled cloak to Qin Miao without hesitation. Plain and direct, yet at this moment, it unexpectedly irked He He. Then again, almost everything seemed to irritate her these days. He He no longer knew what she disliked or liked. Only when she was with Xiang Shi Yan could she momentarily fill the vexing void in her soul through the resonance of their spirits, temporarily escaping the torment of her soul's burning. Her skeleton itched with pain; Qin Miao was cultivating again. She couldn’t help but grimace, it hurt so much — she just wanted to be near Xiang Shi Yan. “Let’s gather our things and head in the opposite direction.” Huai Ye called the blue wolf with her spiritual sense to bring Qin Miao back. He He glanced back at the distant forest, hesitating. “Shouldn’t we wait for the others?” “Take out your waist token and infuse it with spiritual energy.” He He complied, revealing thirty light points, indicating that all disciples sent by Mount Yucang were safe. “We ran in the opposite direction. Crossing that forest isn’t wise now; some mutated bugs in the swarm can attack from high up.” Implying they’d have to fend for themselves now. This was exactly what Huai Ye wanted. With fewer people, it was easier to complete her little mission from Xiang Shi Yan. Originally, she wanted an excuse to leave the group, but that would be too burdensome for others. Now, with one injured and a newcomer, her senior brothers and sisters would also feel less pressured. He He wasn’t pleased; fewer people meant Huai Ye could watch them more closely, reducing her chances to act against Qin Miao. As for Qin Miao... his reaction was peculiar, seemingly eager, yet he pretended to oppose, reluctantly agreeing after some back-and-forth with Huai Ye. He He squinted at him suspiciously. Qin Miao inadvertently met her gaze, causing his heart to skip a beat as he concealed his intentions, feigning calmness as he pointed to a spot on the map. “We should be mindful of the time we spend in the secret realm and not venture too far out. Making Ling Guan Fu our furthest goal seems appropriate.” Ling Guan Fu was the place marked on the map given by Xiang Shi Yan as the location of the cloak. Huai Ye nodded, oblivious to the evasive yet burning gaze her junior cast upon her. What was there… a trap he set or allies waiting? He He wondered but noticed Qin Miao pause for a moment somewhere at the bottom of the map when retracting his hand. No, the secret realm’s cycle made it difficult to set traps in advance here, and even if allies were present, their numbers couldn’t be large. Qin Miao must have prearranged a meeting point with his accomplice, but why Ling Guan Fu? If his accomplice was advancing with other teams, determining the path and pace would be challenging. … Unless the one collaborating with Qin Miao to seize Huai Ye as a prized furnace was leading a team from Mount Yucang, deciding the direction and pace for the entire team. But even then, it wouldn’t be foolproof. Long Rui Qing, responsible for team member allocation, was a friend of Huai Ye’s, unlikely to betray her. He had ensured utmost fairness. Apart from Huai Ye’s team, where she could easily assert control due to her overwhelming prowess, all other groups had leaders of similar cultivation levels to avoid a centralized authority and mixed familiar members to prevent cliques. Under these circumstances, it was quite challenging to dictate a team’s direction and pace. He He studied the map anew and slowly formed a plan. Find a place the team must pass through, where it’s reasonable to spend the required group time. If you asked He He where she would choose, she’d certainly pick Misty Gorge. From here to Ling Guan Fu, there are three routes, but the peak on the left houses the nest of a Nascent Soul Blue Sparrow, and the rightland holds the territory of a Nascent Soul level Scarlet Lynx. These two high-level spirit beasts have long remained, blocking the path for cultivators. As long as the team stays within Misty Gorge for the allocated time, they could rendezvous with their allies. He He slowly placed her finger on the map, pointing to the narrow passage marked as Misty Gorge, unsurprised by Qin Miao’s subtle reaction at her choice. Author’s Note: Sharing a rather ridiculous event with everyone, As I was feverish and went to the campus clinic, they decided to take me to the county hospital’s fever clinic for a nucleic acid test (this university is in a rural area). But many people needed nucleic acid tests that day, so the kind-voiced nurse asked me to wait at the entrance for a bit. Though sunny, being winter in the north, it was still chilly (in the morning, my fever was 38.3°C). After about half an hour and just as my phone battery was running low, the nurse called an ambulance as if I had already turned into a red code. The ambulance driver made the ride feel bumpier than an amusement park go-kart and finally reached the place. Then, gently leading me inside, the nurse bid me farewell, saying, “You can hail a cab back afterward (^_^).” Me: ???? I’m not familiar with the roads, and before I could finish, I was whisked away by a nurse inside the hospital. The hospital fever clinic nurse, donned in full protective gear, checked my temperature: 37.2°C. Check again, still 37.2°C. Nurse: You’re fine, off you go. I still couldn’t figure out why the chill breeze helped me cool down. I had to hobble back to campus, got lost for about ten minutes in the sprawling premises before crashing into my bunk for the afternoon. Take care, everyone! QAQ Our site is ad-free, permanent URL (xbanxia.com)