106 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 105: Zhao Di He He reluctantly admitted that she felt a hint of hesitation as she approached familiar territory. Although she had lived as Lin Pan Di, a neglected village girl unloved by her parents, for merely ten years—a blink compared to the vast expanse of her past life—He did not deny that she had indeed lived through that identity. Memories and personality from that time had become an undeniable part of her. Ten years might not be significant to He, but to Lin Pan Di, it was practically her whole life. Unfortunately, He was not one to forgive and forget. This journey down the mountain was prompted by invitations from a few fellow senior sisters... or at least, that was what He told Xiang Shi Yan. Rumors of malevolent spirits harming people in Pengzhou Huocangfu had reached Yucang Mountain. As usual, the Zong Council put out a task notice, mobilizing disciples to investigate. This was a common practice for training celestial mansion disciples in Shenzhou during their travels—more often than not, these were mere shadows and whispers. Nevertheless, having undertaken the mission, an investigation must be conducted. Of course, it couldn't have been mere chance that led to a mission landing in the hands of senior sisters she had ties with. He used magic to obscure the mission, making it visible only to a handful of female disciples with suitable cultivation levels and in need of contribution points. If they didn't accept it, then no one could. Recently, the usually lively and adorable junior sister appeared listless for reasons unknown. Upon gentle inquiries, it was revealed she was homesick. When the others learned He wasn’t recruited from the towns near Yucang Mountain and didn’t have any local kin, having not descended the mountain for months, her longing after witnessing the secular world in Beihu Town wasn't surprising. While cultivators need to sever ties with the mundane, why force it on someone so young? Conveniently, her actual hometown was Xinyang City, neighboring Huocangfu. The senior sisters warmly invited her to join, knowing she had reached the seventh level of Qi Refining and wouldn't be a burden. While passing through Xinyang City, the leading senior sister perceptively allowed her to visit home first, promising that resolving the matter at Huocangfu wouldn't take long. Thus, He could seize this opportunity to reunite with her family. This suited He just fine, sparing her from concocting excuses. Dressed in a crimson attire, the young girl gracefully landed from her flying sword, waving goodbye to her senior sisters. Yet, moments after the female disciples departed, her elder disciple robe twisted, silk threads shimmering, transforming into a short, black, gold-embroidered jacket. He pulled out a ribbon from her sleeve, tying her long hair up high, adding a touch of worldly charm to her gentle appearance. Even in luxurious attire, it was unlikely anyone in town would recognize her. He wandered aimlessly through the city, having no real familiarity with Xinyang City's layout—only having spent some time there with Xiang Shi Yan before leaving. The young, ethereal-looking girl walked the bustling streets alone, clearly exuding wealth and nobility. She attracted many gazes, seemingly unguarded and unescorted. Yet, apart from a few blind little beggars she swiftly dealt with, few dared to approach her. Xinyang City, considerably distant from renowned celestial mansions on Shenzhou, was initially unfamiliar with cultivators. However, a major event occurred six months ago, even implicating the beloved governor. The day’s rumble and upheaval were like an earth dragon's wrath, prompting many to flee, only for everything to abruptly quiet down. The brave ventured towards the tumult, finding the governor's mansion partially collapsed and the massive corpse of a twisted serpent lying still. The horrific scene, with human bodies wrapped under the snake's form, was chilling. Soon enough, the nearly decapitated form of Governor Wang Ying, severed by the serpent's tail hook, was identified. Among the rubble, only two exceptional young women remained. One impatiently stuffed the snake’s corpse into a Sumeru bag to prevent mortal misuse; the other, smiling kindly, stepped swiftly to the gathering crowd to explain what had transpired. Du Ruo succinctly unraveled the relationship between the snake and their governor, shocking the masses. Governor Wang Ying, a paternal figure to the people, had been involved in such deeds? Some, relieved yet trembling, bowed to the humanlike black-scaled serpent demon, as if she were a divine savior. Du Ruo paid them little mind as she left, yet the tale spiraled further out of context in whispers over time. Six months later, upon He's return, she overheard storytellers animatedly recounting how the former governor and the demonic Taoist transformed into a two-headed serpent, later vanquished by a beautiful, thunder-commanding celestial maiden. She couldn’t help but chuckle silently. If they ever heard such rumors... He slowly withdrew her smile. She had resolved that after this trip, she wouldn't return, so why recall them? Irritated, she clicked her tongue, paid for her tea, and turned to leave. Though claimed as homesickness, He didn’t truly consider that impoverished, quarrelsome village her home, nor those foolish relatives as family. With cold detachment, He mused that her cheap mother’s fleeting maternal instincts might see Lin Pan Di’s stillbirth as a mercy. He strolled leisurely through bustling streets, absorbing the human vibrancy. Despite having witnessed far grander scenes, walking these roads stirred a complexity within her. Could those scant ten years as a village girl really influence her so profoundly? He doubted it. Such ten bland years should ripple insignificantly through her complex centuries-long memories. The true impetus behind her unrest was... Xiang Shi Yan. Xiang Shi Yan shared a portion of her soul with her, to anchor Lin Pan Di’s dying spirit to her body and mend her form. Her master's soul attached itself to the part where she lived as "Lin Pan Di," embedding it in He's soul, leaving an indelible imprint of those monotonous years. The name drifted into her mind, and He closed her eyes, shaking her head, unable to dispel the female cultivator’s visage. Frustrated, she rubbed her temples. A weak voice echoed in her mind, softly saying, “She’s not advantageous for our plans. Master’s strong sense of justice would hinder us.” He paused before replying, “I know.” In her sea of consciousness, Xiang Shi Yan’s spiritual mark had frozen much of its "waters," creating an icy shell pinning the black dragon beneath. Yuan Jiu curled warily into a ball; since the main consciousness awoke, she often slept to conserve strength. Despite He's efforts to preserve her, as a mere fragment, Yuan Jiu continued to wane. Yet now, Yuan Jiu stirred, semi-transparent and elongated, coiled beneath the surface, idly blowing bubbles. With He standing at the base of Nine Saddle Peak, Yuan Jiu felt a stronger connection to her body, easing somewhat. Yuan Jiu was a splinter of He's soul, made to animate her life-bound artifact. A noble artifact should possess its own spirit, yet since He’s life-bound artifact was forged from her own demon core—or dragon pearl—she rejected the notion of any foreign consciousness. She casually sliced a piece of her soul, embedding it into the furnace. In life, while fleeing enemies, she tore open a rift at Tianxin Realm's edge, slipping unnoticed into the mundane world of Nine Saddle Peak. Blessed with natural beauty but lacking spirit energy, it hosted no celestial mansions nor attracted cultivators. With her protective spells, she remained undiscovered. The body and residual soul were mere bait, intended to lure foes into a trap. He wagered everything on her primary soul, with only her life-bound cauldron and its spirit lying in a mountain lake as her solitary insurance against unforeseen circumstances. Based on historical timelines, she slumbered here for almost seven to eight centuries. Remarkably, that individual, feasting on her flesh and drinking her blood, managed to survive nearly a millennium before being killed a few centuries before her rebirth due to unknown reasons. Unexpectedly, that person chose a similar strategy before death, hiding their soul in a dragon bone saber, seizing their descendants over generations, likely plotting revenge akin to her own designs. During the hundreds of years of He's slumber, only one cultivator, Xiang Shi Yan, unknowingly stopped by Nine Saddle Peak. Others had avoided the area mainly because the spiritual energy, already sparse, had further dwindled due to He's presence, making it unappealing to those seeking cultivation. Xiang Shi Yan had been ambushed by demons at Tianxin Realm. With the resolve to self-destruct, she stumbled through the tear opened by He and ended up in this "godforsaken place." The lack of spiritual energy prolonged her injuries and illnesses, hindering her ability to harness spiritual power. She survived on the charity of a village girl for quite some time. Before immersing her consciousness into a stillborn, He left an order with her fragment: should she fail to awaken her consciousness as He before the age of ten, Yuan Jiu was to forcibly awaken her. In retrospect, it seemed Yuan Jiu perceived Lin Pan Di as entirely distinct from her core, treating her rather brusquely. During her time as Lin Pan Di, He found Yuan Jiu intimidatingly eerie. The anticipated day came, and Yuan Jiu, seeing no sign of He's rebirth, took it upon himself to seize her during a flood. The small mountain lake in Nine Saddle Peaks held no inherent magic, but after centuries of nourishment from her dragon pearl, it underwent subtle transformations, bestowing unique benefits on all creatures inhabiting or frequenting its waters. Du Ruo, the black-scaled serpent demon who once teamed with Xiang Shi Yan and Huai Ye in Xinyang City, claimed to be investigating anomalies in the water region, likely stemming from He's dragon pearl. The waters also nurtured malevolent forces. A water ghost, born of a drowned soul, ended up taking the fall for Yuan Jiu, mistaken by Xiang Shi Yan as the kidnapper of Lin Pan Di. In truth, the barriers Xiang Shi Yan faced when her spiritual sense probed the waters that day were part of an array He had set to safeguard her life-bound artifact before her death. Ah, here she was again, unwittingly reflecting on matters involving her master. Some people and events, the more you strive not to think about them, the clearer they become in your mind. He casually drew a spiritual sword from her Sumeru bag—it was nearly as tall as she was at this point, somewhat ill-fitted to her youthful stature. Yet she cared little for appearances now; with a flick of her fingers, she sent the sword aloft. Normally, sword flight was achieved post-Foundation Establishment. Her presence in Qi Refining Level Seven was merely a facade, unnecessary without an audience. From her vantage point, the lush mountains and clear waters were unchanged since her departure. However, her exit from Nine Saddle Peak differed from her initial plan. She vividly remembered the female cultivator standing behind her, gripping her shoulder tightly as if fearing she might tumble from the spiritual sword, wrinkling the fabric in her grasp. Lowering her gaze slightly, He's eyes skimmed over the village nestled on the foothill plains. She recalled its layout and the people within. Her gaze briefly touched a newer courtyard at the village's edge before she flew towards the mountain lake. The lake, its banks breached by relentless rain months ago, had been replenished, gleaming like a polished jade plate nestled at the valley's source. Reeds lined the lakeshore; now, in autumn, their fluffy plumes and stalks were snow white, bending to the breeze, casting ripples upon the lake’s glassy surface. He descended gracefully, the water enveloping her feet, soaking her robes, yet she remained unconcerned, her expression almost playful. Her affinity with water was unlike that of ordinary water element cultivators; she was the water, and the water was her. Standing amidst the waters, it felt as though her senses extended through the liquid depths. Invisible wards quivered, attuned to their master’s return. Beneath the lake’s silt, her life-bound cauldron lay, silently anticipating her arrival, its surface shedding murk under her imagined gaze. Slipping off her shoes, He waded barefoot into deeper waters, allowing herself to be submerged completely. The tranquil lake, devoid of a single ripple, seemed to freeze the world in time, wrapping He in the serene embrace akin to returning to an egg's warmth. Yet within that tranquility lurked something peculiar. The girl floated just below the surface, sunlight piercing the water but illuminating only a few meters below. Her dark eyes calmly focused on the lakebed. Something churned the lake’s depths, swirling mud and sediment, obscuring her view. The current of some unseen presence buffeted He, shadowy figures darting amidst the colloidal veil, suggesting movement. Silently, an unnatural stillness resumed. Then, before her, a humanoid figure emerged from empty space, grasping her ankle and dragging her downward. A water ghost. The woman's bridal gown, dulled by the lake's embrace, clung to a pallid, bloated form. Yet her long black hair, streaming in aquiline waves, shrouded her face, mistakenly conveying a dismal elegance, hinting at some vestige of life’s colors. He offered no resistance, gently prying the ghost's icy grip from her ankle as one would a petulant child's. Locking eyes with the grotesque apparition, she closed her own in weary resignation. On the shoreline, she’d sensed something amiss beneath the water’s surface. Normally, she would expel such insolent spirits nesting within her domain immediately, yet that aura bore a familiarity she dreaded confronting. For too long submerged, the female ghost’s clouded eyes had turned milky, akin to boiled fish eyes. Yet He fondly remembered the lively warmth they once held. Tenderly, she reached out, caressing the ghost’s clammy, bloated face with mingled nostalgia and pity. “Sister, how I wish I could say ‘long time, no see.’” Author's note: Dear readers, my probability theory exam is dead. Thank you to the angels who voted or provided nutrient solutions between 2022-05-07 35:55:33 and 2022-05-10 35:59:17~ Special thanks to the angel who dropped a landmine: Abu, with 1 piece; And to the angels who provided nutrient solutions: Fish 25 bottles; Mo Jin Heng 10 bottles; Tea Cat Su Ning 1 bottle; Thank you all for your support. I will continue to work hard!