91 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 91: Dragonhide It had been ages since anyone had visited this place. A thin layer of dust coated the furnishings inside. Hesitant at the door, She raised her hand, sending a gust of wind to scatter the dust, then used her immense spiritual power to force the floating particles to settle back down quietly. She cleared a clean path before her so as not to leave any traces for whoever might come later. The window in the dilapidated study was open, and on the desk lay a yellowed, cracked jade scroll and weathered, broken pages. A deformed wolf-hair brush was casually left on the inkstone, as if its owner had merely stepped out for a moment and would soon return to complete an unfinished letter whose words had become illegible over time. It was unknown how many years ago that the owner of this place left this spatial pocket and never returned, perhaps due to some circumstances. A sudden weakening of spiritual energy led to the swift collapse of what was once a flourishing era. From the ancestral bloodline, she inherited knowledge of the terror and haste of that period. The celestial upheaval came without reason, initially affecting the various extraordinary creatures walking the divine land. The scarcity of spiritual energy was disasterous; beings as mighty as dragons and phoenixes needed to consume vast amounts of energy with every breath. The barren air was poison to them. Although the spiritual power in the earth veins could still be drawn upon, these weakened underground sources could not sustain several full-grown divine beasts. Attempting to would only wreak havoc upon the world. She had been placed hopefully amongst these veins, yet it seemed she was the only successful hatchling. The dragon who birthed her transformed its body into spirit beside its yet-unhatched offspring, allowing her to survive within a sealed, spirit-rich winter cave until the world’s spiritual energy gradually returned to a minimal level sufficient for her to live. In times when spiritual energy thrived, all could cultivate, and human cultivators were widespread across the land. Yet, once the changes occurred, those with multiple spiritual roots found it nearly impossible to cultivate, and the once-peaceful cultivation world was beset with myriad issues and endless strife. Some human cultivators, seeking to continue their progression, madly hoarded and drew spiritual energy. They relocated sects and structures to fabricated spaces, hoping to create an environment similar to the past for survival until spiritual energy was restored. However, numerous problems arose during this process, leading to the estrangement of these spaces from the human realm and loss of spatial control methods. This further exacerbated the depletion of spiritual power across the land. In the chaos, human cultivators declined, the once-thriving cultivation world fell silent, and civilization was interrupted. Even when situations improved later, differences in aptitude among humans caused a clear divide between cultivators and ordinary mortals. The cultivation realm never regained its former glory, while mundane civilization had to start anew. Records of this catastrophic era in the cultivation world were scarce, leading contemporary people to mistakenly believe that secret realms were created by predecessors to establish sanctuaries free from mundane disturbances. Such romanticized notions seemed overly naive. Faced with the desolate remnants of the ancient era, traces of hurried abandonment evoked a sense of melancholy. Her memories, inexplicably stirred, pieced together another fragment, prompting her to rub her head and sigh. She knew she didn’t belong to this era; merely existing would impact history. Yet a thread of hope lingered in her heart, that despite her efforts to hide her identity, she would inevitably stir storms. Standing silently by the interior couch, she gazed at a long robe hanging on a wooden frame. Like the glazed pearls in the courtyard, it appeared unassuming, with no spiritual aura revealed, as though a crude, low-grade spiritual garment. After a brief pause, she used spiritual power to brush away the surface dust, delicately touching it with her fingers, as if this ill-fitting robe in a masculine style was a cherished relic of the past. Her fingers glided across it, and she felt a shiver course through her. Despite having been separated from her body for centuries, it was close enough for her skin to transmit sensation. Unlike the sensation of human skin being touched, this was the raw, stirrings of her true form, curled within her human guise, generating a peculiar sensation. Who would feel alienated from their own skin? Sadly, she realized she felt no familiarity, only a trace of apprehension. “What are you still waiting for?” Yuan Jiu urged after a long silence, her essence, manifested in crisis, craving the return of her fragments even more than her mere half-self did. Taking a deep breath, She exhaled. Her fingers slid to undo the robes of the Jade Cang Mountain elder’s disciple attire. Xiang Shi Yan had once guided the naïve girl in dressing, now laying discarded. Accepting her present identity, traversing a rare stable rebirth, lay ahead, yet once again, she turned her back, choosing the thorny, bloody path of vengeance. A cold wind streamed through the window onto her pale, emaciated body. For a moment, she felt lucid, or perhaps bewildered? She glanced briefly at the crimson robes fallen to the dust-laden floor. Even without Yuan Jiu’s urging, she quickly looked away and retrieved the black robe from the rack. Draped over her petite form, it began to twist eerily. The dragonhide known as the Cloud遮 garb clung desirously to her, eager to reunite with its owner’s body. “Ugh...” The black robe, like a pair of massive hands, gripped her tightly, as if intent on crushing her, and though she did not resist, she couldn’t suppress a groan of pain. Her own skin, yet it thrashed uncontrollably, her skin exposed and vulnerable, seemingly about to be crushed. Her face flushed as she coughed blood, her gaze unintentionally drifting to the robe still warm on the ground. Even with her eyes bloodshot and her expression twisted in agony, she did not reject the Cloud Garb. In those moments of disoriented consciousness, the future she envisioned seemed so blissful. Her revenge was never to reclaim the fragments of herself, nor was it due to resentment from her cruel murder in life. The existence of the dragonkind no longer suited this era; fading to oblivion was of no consequence, for she never held her life dear. But something remained unresolved, thus she delayed enduring the celestial tribulation. She awaited her benefactor... her mother’s natural end. Xiang Shi Yan, a woman who found her path through detachment, was far better suited to it. Unlike the ever-worrying Xiang Shi Yan, who couldn’t help but feel responsible for others dying because of her mistakes, the indifferent woman practiced the Path of Ruthlessness to the Nascent Soul stage. Even watching brutal slaughter of children wouldn’t raise an eyebrow; devoid of responsibility, indifferent to worldly matters, she stood out only in innate talent and looks. The woman She secretly treated as her mother needed no avenging from her. Her survival instinct faded alongside her compassion for life, and she awaited injury and age to take her quietly. Resolute in healing her, aiding her ascension, and feeling furious on her behalf were all Her singular pursuits. The black robe clung tightly before slowly melding into her being, like melting ice and snow. It exposed the pale, blue-veined spine of a girl kneeling on the ground. Maintaining the posture, a strange, fitting black and gold robe manifested on her bare skin, granting her a regal aura mismatched with her appearance. The black and gold embroidery receded as if ebbing tides, reverting to the crimson robe she had shed, indistinguishable from mass-produced spiritual garments. Another piece of her missing self found, she stuffed the discarded clothing into a storage pouch before heading outside. Huai Ye and Qin Miao still slumbered. She returned to her spot, lying down with a convincingly natural sleeping pose. Her warm brown eyes shifted immediately into non-human slits. She pinned into the courtyard’s maze with her clear, golden right eye, peeking into their dreams. People trapped in illusions didn’t always realize they'd slipped into madness. Upon the mountain range of the Heaven’s Secret Sect, She watched Qin Miao reenact again and again the scene of the blind girl reuniting with the Heaven’s Mandate child. Suspiciously observing her surroundings, normally such detail in imagined scenes — the small gestures of the waiting blind girl or moss-covered steps — would be impossible if purely born of Qin Miao's imagination. She circled the dream’s master with a scrutinizing gaze. However, Qin Miao was said to have lived at the Heaven’s Secret Sect since she was twelve, with no known ties. Why then, was the idea of a "Heaven’s Mandate child" so fixed? Why was Qin Miao so invested? She squinted her eyes, recalling Qin Miao's unusual behavior a few days ago in Mist Gorge. It seemed that when Huai Ye encountered the bronze pot, he was also desperate to stop it. Almost as if... he could foresee the future, knowing what was going to happen? The scene before her eyes cycled endlessly, with Qin Miao sometimes holding his head and sobbing, at other times bursting into a rage, hurling insults at those around him, furiously smashing his cane on the ground. This maze magnified the true vision of the dragon's eye, replaying or altering the most unresolved memories of the person within the illusion, trapping them in their own hallucinations. To be honest, she had heard of the Qin family's massacre and assumed that such entangling dreams would be about the death of his kin. Yet, the perplexing and inexplicable scenes surprised her instead. Rubbing her chin, She mused, “The Child of Destiny?” The people of the Heaven's Secret Sect were quite bothersome. Yet using this to tease Qin Miao seemed somewhat amusing. It seemed the ones who destroyed the Qin family for the dragon bones were still lurking, and leaving him alive as a scapegoat wouldn't be bad. However, she had no intention of letting him cultivate easily with the dragon bone’s power. Since Qin Miao feared not being the destined one, she would turn his nightmares into reality. Dissolving into mist, she entered Huai Ye's illusion. In truth, she was surprised at how quickly Huai Ye broke free from the maze’s control. Even she had been trapped in an illusion for a time, and without her deeper obsessions, she might have been ensnared even longer. This was the first time she encountered someone so unattached to their past. Huai Ye's illusion neither provoked the rage and jealousy Qin Miao's did, nor did it become an obsession for her. She willed the outcome, rather than being manipulated by others. Shen Ming Ke, who chose a humiliating and painful path to honor the dead’s fanciful glory, sought survival, clinging to the stone steps by the lake, with no regrets. Whether she died there or not, she would have no objections. Indeed, she hadn't misjudged, Huai Ye was an odd, dense fellow. Watching Xiang Shi Yan descend from the skies to rescue the struggling girl in the lake, She couldn't help but feel a twinge of emotion. Before her awakening, she had received Xiang Shi Yan's care. If the one saved were truly a girl of humble origins, this modest memory might have been treasured forever. Yet the tearless monster merely concealed its identity for a time, fooling upright people for protection. ... The young Huai Ye curled up obediently in Xiang Shi Yan’s arms. Yet Her mind drifted to a scared girl, clutching an immortal’s hand, fearing abandonment. She shook her head, realizing the illusion was crumbling, she quickly withdrew. Awake again, Huai Ye found nothing. Frustrated, when she checked their waist tokens, she was surprised to learn they had unknowingly spent several days in the dream world. Gently prodding Qin Miao, who continued to babble in his sleep, yielded no results. Resolute, she kicked him hard. Surprisingly, it worked—the boy snapped awake, his impotent rage silenced. The senior sister with a frosty expression impatiently watched him, before turning to grab Her up from the ground, shaking her hard. "Wake up! The secret realm closes in just three days!" When She remained unresponsive, Huai Ye hoisted her up and called Qin Miao to enter the spiritual vortex outside the courtyard. As the map indicated, it was the correct passage. Since most of the map proved accurate, why wasn’t the crucial Cloud Garb found here? Puzzled, Huai Ye could only conclude that someone had taken it before them. Annoyed, she clicked her tongue, unsure how to explain this to her uncle. Out of the maze’s hold, She soon awoke, to Huai Ye's relief. Had she remained asleep, she would have completely failed in her uncle's entrusted task. From Xiang Shi Yan’s attentiveness, it seemed the Cloud Garb’s loss was significant. Anxious, Huai Ye summoned the golden-backed wolf to carry Qin Miao, while she flew with Her by sword. Traveling from the forest of Purity Insects to Lingguan Mansion took them nearly a month. Fortunately, an exit midpoint existed, or else they’d remain trapped for years. Even so, they hurried for three days and nights without rest, barely reaching the exit before the passage closed. By now, young cultivators waiting at the node had all departed, making them one of the few arriving in the late afternoon, thus avoiding trouble, as some blocked the entrance to rob others of resources. Weatherbeaten, the three crossed the water mirror, emerging in Beiwu Town. The plaza had thinned out; many sects left upon their disciples’ return. Disputes had previously erupted, and now, tension hung heavy. Only the three from Jade Cang Mountain remained. Long Rui Qing, despite knowing few things could harm Huai Ye in the Primordial realm, paced anxiously. Seeing the mirror wavering, she turned sharply, like a startled rabbit, and upon sighting Huai Ye's safe return with Qin Miao and Her, she first exhaled in relief, then stormed toward Huai Ye. "Why are you only now emerging? Do you know what happened…” She hadn't finished before seeing Huai Ye urgently searching around. Momentarily speechless, she held Huai Ye firmly, saying darkly, "People from the Void Sect attacked the disciples you were meant to lead at the exit." Huai Ye froze in her search for Xiang Shi Yan. "What?" "I’ll explain later." Observing her exhaustion, yet urgency, guessing she sought Uncle Yuehua, Long Rui Qing sighed, “Her uncle waits inside the flyer. Go to her first.” Furrowing her brow, Huai Ye briefly considered, then grabbed Her, equally weary, saying, “Go to Uncle and tell her the task remains unfinished. Huai Ye will accept punishment shortly.” Raising an eyebrow, She nodded, heading toward the Jade Cang Mountain flyer. “No need to… ah, whatever. It's over now, hearing later is moot. Elder Bai’s heavy-handedness, even without open conflict from the provoked sects... it’s regrettable Uncle Yuehua returned slightly late…” “Whether useful or not, recount it to me.” Huai Ye’s face darkened. Meanwhile, She was amused to find, outside the secret realm, her connection with Xiang Shi Yan's soul grew stronger. As she walked, she pondered the meaning behind Huai Ye's words. Was She tasked to care for Huai Ye’s two disciples yet let Qin Miao suffer a strange leg injury, difficult to heal? Stowing her questions, She ascended the flyer, each step light, leaping down the steps three at a time to Xiang Shi Yan’s cabin. Before knocking, the wooden door creaked open on its own. Smiling, She entered: “Master, I’m back—" Two unfamiliar girls were in Xiang Shi Yan's cabin. One lay resting on her lap, while the other sat at the table eating. Their identical appearances proved them twins. Her face fell instantly. Author's Note: He He: Hmph, in the end, I am but a passerby for you (livid being sidelined), it’s good to see master with future disciples to assist (furious), I hope you cherish these fragile disciples, don’t recklessly be the hero and cross swords with me. (gritted teeth) Thanks to the angels who cast overlord votes or nourished with nutrient fluids between 2022-04-17 15:03:52~2022-04-85 35:55:85~ Thanks to the angel who cast landmines: I’ll definitely make products doi tonight 1; Thanks to the angel who nourished with nutrient fluids: Crane Group Admin 10 bottles; Thank you all for your support, I will continue working hard! Ad-free site, permanent domain (xbanxia.com)