82 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

### Chapter 82: Static The walls of Huaihai City rise several tens of feet higher than the city's towering, jumbled buildings. From the surrounding countryside, it stands like a fortress amidst a flat landscape. Built of smooth, blue-gray bricks, the walls' significance extends far beyond their humble appearance. Even the thinnest part at the top is several feet thick, yet the wall's core is hollow, densely layered with formations inscribed through spiritual power. These overlapping, interacting formations are the reason the walls have withstood numerous assaults over a millennium without falling. On the surface, the term "indestructible wall" refers to the brick walls encircling Huaihai City. However, it also encompasses the parts above, like a dome shielding the city, and those extending underground. The aerial and subterranean defense formations continually absorb the spiritual energy unconsciously dispersed by the city's cultivators in their daily activities. Meanwhile, the physical walls require the city's cultivators to rotate monthly in supplying spiritual power to sustain the central formations. From its inception, Huaihai City designated a large expanse for the potential settlement of itinerant cultivators—one reason being that the trio of great families couldn't possibly bear the formation's energy demands alone. Over time, these families joined forces with the itinerant cultivators to form a formidable power no one dared to challenge lightly. Given the city's collective supply of spiritual energy and its defensive formations, Huaihai City became virtually impregnable. Even attempts to besiege it into submission proved futile, as residents could sustain life through spiritual energy. Over the centuries, Huaihai City's resilience etched its "unbreachable" reputation across the cultivation world. Yet, what true impenetrable fortress exists? This illusion not only intimidated outsiders but also gradually constrained the minds of those within, as the wall transformed from a tool into a symbol. To further cement their authority, the three powerful families continually impressed upon the city's cultivators that it was their ancestors' built walls defending them from the demons at the inter-sectional borders. They emphasized how they provided refuge to itinerant cultivators, allowing them opportunities outside the constraints of sects. Humans are, by nature, inclined to trust authority. It didn't even take much for the city's cultivators to begin seeing themselves as inferior. In time, they forgot that without the itinerant cultivators' aid, the three families' alliance would be just an ordinary coalition. Search the cultivation world, and only those reared here lack pride. The wall's monthly required spiritual energy is substantial. Fueled by the rumors spread by Xiang Shiyan throughout Huaihai City, some itinerant cultivators seized the moment to rise against the families, eager to settle old scores. Those unable to oppose the powerful families directly expressed their dissent by refusing to energize the wall. Even with the Zhu and Xu families and their supporters, maintaining the full operation of the formations proved insufficient. While the rumors brewed and public dissent simmered for over ten days, Xiang Shiyan was not idle. She maneuvered her puppets to covertly survey the entire perimeter of the city walls, finally discovering the formations' weak spot. On ordinary days, when the formations worked seamlessly, the entire wall functioned as a single unit, with other parts compensating when a weak point was struck. But with the lack of energy, this small fissure stood exposed. Xiang Shiyan had come prepared for all possibilities, including an arsenal of explosive talismans mostly provided by her senior, Yu Ming. As long as Yu Ming kept silent, tracing the source would be impossible. Although Yu Ming's eyes held caution at the vague request, she ultimately chose to trust Xiang Shiyan. Yu Ming wasn't interested in matters beyond her own world. However, handing over a large quantity of volatile artifacts so readily, Xiang Shiyan felt a need to have a serious talk with her senior in the future. In the original story, Du Ruo and Zhu Yun, who align with opposing camps and come into conflict with the protagonist, Qin Miao, are depicted as semi-antagonists. Du Ruo, reducing her intelligence in the mid-story arc, betrays her faction to become a tool for the protagonist, thus cleansing her antagonist status completely. Zhu Yun, however, maintains a distance from the start, confronting Qin Miao to protect the Zhu family's interests. Differing ideologies push her further away, casting her as a rival leader in *Sword Immortals' Chronicles* rather than a mere follower of the protagonist. This status wasn't achieved because Zhu Yun was particularly favored. Initially, the author intended her to be part of the protagonist's harem. Before her official introduction in Huaihai City, brief, tantalizing mentions of Zhu Yun intrigued readers. However, once they learned about the Zhu family's past secrets through Qin Miao's investigations, their perception of her changed. At its core, *Sword Immortals' Chronicles* is a male-oriented power fantasy novel characterized by its simplicity. Early in the internet age, its readership consisted primarily of the target audience or those sharing the author's worldview. Logically, the women in this series should dedicate themselves wholly to the protagonist, serving him and, by extension, male readers as their ultimate life purpose. But now emerged a woman who not only didn’t conform but actively frustrated the protagonist’s (and reader’s) perspective. Naturally, some brittle readers were greatly displeased with her. Following Zhu Yun's debut, the forum's tone shifted. Some readers unabashedly expressed disappointment with comments like "used goods" or speculated about her past. Others, perturbed by their mockery of a pitiable girl's origins, rose to defend Zhu Yun, yet half the commentary remained dissatisfied with Zhu Yun joining the harem. The author was compelled to comment, affirming Zhu Yun would not develop a committed romantic relationship with Qin Miao. He attempted a different route, portraying Zhu Yun as a pitiable girl shackled by family and origin, unable to unite with her beloved. Not only that, but she often had to oppose him to safeguard her position, feigning indifference in the face of Qin Miao's lack of understanding and indignation. Perhaps the author fancied himself a literary master, envisioning Zhu Yun as the story's pivotal character that highlighted his prowess in crafting nuanced figures. Reading these sections, Xiang Shiyan was merely perplexed. Were future men truly so rare that outstanding women would flock to share a husband? Although not the author's intention, compared to other female characters, Zhu Yun retained more of her intellect and self—except for the part where, upon learning of her impending death, she allowed Qin Miao to exploit her remaining life force to reach the culmination stage. Xiang Shiyan discerned her strategic approach for this venture from the parts relating to Zhu Yun, including blowing through the supposedly indestructible wall symbolizing Huaihai City. As the story progressed, human-demon tensions reached irreparable levels—though Xiang Shiyan believed if Qin Miao hadn’t annihilated countless civilians in the demon city, the Taixu Sect’s diplomatic and cover-up efforts might have held for a while longer. Huaihai City, being the largest cultivator city on the boundary, was thrust into the conflict forefront. Consequently, the Xu and Bai families planned to repeat their old strategy, deploying itinerant cultivators against the demons while preserving their strength to aid Taixu Sect’s post-war expansion over other major sects. The Zhu family, having abandoned the aristocratic resource distribution system, successfully transitioned into "Huaihai Sect," forced to withdraw from the three-faction alliance, and allied instead with Jade Green Mountain and Huaihai's itinerant cultivators. Before the demon’s assault, Zhu Yun incited the itinerants to abandon the city for their safety, leaving the proudly staunch Xu and Bai families to face obliteration by the demon king's elite forces. This arc documented Huaihai City's defensive mechanisms in detail, and thoroughly depicted the history of the great families' exploitation of itinerant cultivators. Delusionally believing themselves owed gratitude even as death loomed, the Xu and Bai families couldn't possibly grasp the city's pulse, which only facilitated Xiang Shiyan's actions. Through the haze and the void in the wall's middle, Xiang Shiyan gazed upon the boundless fields beyond Huaihai City. Her thoughts drifted to the enigmatic woman known as Xuan Jiu. As the ultimate antagonist, though she appeared early in disguise and orchestrated many plots against Qin Miao and Taixu Sect, she remained shrouded in mystery, veiled from comprehension. In the text Xiang Shiyan had thus far, Xuan Jiu's powers manifested only twice. Once, she merely exuded spiritual pressure to immobilize mid-Nascent Soul stage Du Ruo, and another time...she "like a streak of inky lightning," pierced through Huaihai City's transparent spiritual barrier with her body. Xiang Shiyan, reflecting on the current, less-than-optimal defenses of Huaihai City, acknowledged she could hardly breach it alone, hence her reliance on external influences... Just what kind of immense power did this mysterious antagonist possess? Xiang Shiyan even doubted whether Huaihai City, marshaling all its force, could resist the largest demon coalition Xuan Jiu had ever led in history. Perhaps, Zhu Yun’s strategic maneuvers during power struggles inadvertently saved the lives of all the itinerant cultivators in the city. With a soft sigh, Xiang Shiyan cast a calm gaze toward the heads of the Xu and Bai families, whose faces were marked by shock. Now that the illusion was shattered, could reality finally bring these people to their senses? The blast was loud, too loud to cover up, drawing itinerant cultivators who swiftly surrounded the area, ignoring the two families' guards' attempts to disperse them. The crowd buzzed with anxious, fearful whispers. Xiang Shiyan distinctly heard two women conjecturing in fear, "Could this gaping hole actually be the work of the demon felons from the rumors, trying to escape Huaihai City? After so many eyes are on the three families, they couldn't possibly let them go easily." "Does that mean the rumors about kidnapped female cultivators being sold were true? I didn’t believe it before," the woman gasped, her fear mounting. "Apart from appearances, female cultivators wouldn't have much to offer unless... unless the children born of cultivators inherit better talents..." Xiang Shiyan saw in her peripheral vision the two women's faces turn ghostly pale as if a dreadful realization dawned on them. They discreetly stepped back together. When Xiang Shiyan's eyes briefly met one of theirs, and seeing the Xu and Bai families too preoccupied with calming the increasingly rowdy crowd, she gestured for silence toward the two unfamiliar women. Following Xiang Shiyan's gaze, the two women focused on the family heads amidst the ruins. The two Grand Ascension cultivators, aware of the itinerant cultivators' importance, dared not rashly quell the chaos with spiritual power. Their attempts to shout over the crowd fell flat, and they appeared like elderly mortals, red-faced and strained from shouting back and forth. Who would have the motive? Who would collude with outsiders to harm their kind to preserve their family's interests? Who refuses to search and shut down the black market openly? Who has been silencing this uproar since its spark? Who benefits? Certainly not us. Shhh, don’t let them overhear. A sudden shout erupted as flames surged from the distant council tower. The blaze licked at the mixed wood and stone structure, spiritual fire quickly consuming the wooden parts, threatening the high tower that symbolized the tri-families' grip over Huaihai City, along with the unsupported, elevated hexagonal stone table. Xiang Shiyan extended her spiritual sense to see someone hurriedly approaching on a sword. The individual wore the Zhu family's distinguished fiery-elder robe, face pale and expression a mix of shock and urgency. She understood her mission here was complete; everything could now reach its conclusion. The Xu and Bai families would surely blame Zhu Cheng's death on the itinerant cultivators who had stormed the Zhu Estate. They wouldn't seek the truth but seize the opportunity to quell the unrest quickly. Zhu Cheng's obscure death might not have directly involved the families, but maintaining peace in Huaihai City was closely tied to them. They had witnessed firsthand the potential of these so-called lowly dissenters. Releasing a long breath, Xiang Shiyan's fatigue was evident in her expression. She pondered, "System, do you think I can attend Zhu Cheng's funeral and then head back to Beiwuzhen with the twins to rejoin the unit in time?" No response came. The woman paused, then cautiously called again, "Are you still there?" The only reply was a barrage of static, with faint traces of human voices buried within, unintelligible amidst the chaos. **Author's Note:** The next chapter truly concludes this arc… I'm exhausted, folks. Today I played basketball and joined a square dance event hosted by the school. Thinking about it, I'm really healthy (sleeping from 5 am to 3 pm and squeezing all three meals into one). In the chapter after next, we'll return to the long-forgotten secret realm group. A heartfelt thanks to those who voted or supported with nutrient fluids from 2022-03-31 22:54:20 to 2022-04-03 35:45:42! 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