108 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 108: Sisters A powerful oppressive feeling from the other end of her soul connection caused Xiang Shi Yan's heart to race. The female cultivator rubbed her temples, still partially adrift in deep meditation, her consciousness not entirely clear. She found herself placing a hand over her heart, sensing a mysterious palpitating discomfort she couldn’t quite calm. Was it He He? What was happening to her? Rising from the meditation mat, Xiang Shi Yan wore a tense, somber, and slightly bewildered expression. Instinctively, she pushed open the door and stepped outside, only to stand frozen in indecision. After silently reciting the calming incantation twice, she forced herself to regain composure. He He had traveled with a few other disciples to Pengzhou. Xiang Shi Yan had reviewed their mission beforehand. Although rumors of malevolent spirits existed, they had only injured people and had not claimed any lives, nor caused any significant turmoil. It seemed to be nothing grave, and the disciples accompanying He He were of sufficient cultivation—none lower than Foundation Establishment. They should not be in too much danger. Huo Cang Fu was located near He He's hometown, Nine Saddle Peak. Recently, the young girl had shown signs of homesickness and might have stopped by home. However, given the scant spiritual energy around Nine Saddle Peak, it wasn’t attractive to cultivators, and the mountains were full of mundane beasts. With He He at the seventh layer of Qi Refining, any danger might lie more with her uncomprehending family than herself— What was she thinking about? Xiang Shi Yan couldn't help but hold her forehead in exasperation. Was she genuinely empathizing with He He's emotions, sensing such overwhelming panic and unease? It felt like an invisible force gripped her, making it almost impossible to breathe until the sensation finally dissipated. Her heart pounded intensely as if it was being tightly wrapped in someone else's spiritual power and consciousness, causing her discomfort and anxiety—could it be... her own? What was He He facing? Xiang Shi Yan pressed her lips together. Her hand rested on the door, and ultimately, she quietly closed it. She turned to take a glance at the deserted courtyard before unswervingly soaring away on her sword. What was it? Why had it targeted He He? What was she doing at this moment? Xiang Shi Yan's mind was in turmoil; she yearned to reach her disciple's side as quickly as possible— even a second sooner would be better. At that moment, Xiang Shi Yan couldn’t ascertain whether she would be able to save He He from some unknown lurking threat, nor did she know if He He could hold on until she arrived. Her only intent was to rush to He He's side. Xiang Shi Yan hadn't experienced such rapid heartbeats in a long time. She was scared—pure, unadulterated fear left her at a loss for how to proceed. A bizarre feeling crept upon her, as if the creature melding its soul with hers at present was not the soft yet tenacious young girl, but something too daunting to gaze upon directly. Yet, Xiang Shi Yan had not anticipated that the young girl worrying her so was, at this very moment, standing lively and uninjured on the lake's shore in the mountains. He He stepped ashore, turned back, and with a gesture, the array patterns scattered across the lake fell silent. The cerulean aquatic spiritual energy quietly descended into the depths before vanishing. The Primordial Wine and Spirit Pearl Furnace now slumbered peacefully in her dantian, waiting to be summoned again, consistently emitting faint spiritual waves. By channeling her internal spiritual power into the spirit pearl that acted akin to a monster core, He He immediately felt lighter throughout her being, especially in her mostly human form, not yet fully restored. Her true self remained weak, unable to sustain all her spiritual power, necessitating her continued use of a human form. She flexed her limbs, a smile on her face as she looked at the water ghost she had trapped floating in a bubble. Despite the protective barrier created by He He, Lin Zhao Di still suffered from the dragon’s chi. The entire ghost, languid like a sun-baked creature, lay curled in the bubble, silently clutching her child. He He set her down. It was midday, with yang energy at its peak, making ghosts uncomfortable under the sun. Fortunately, the clouds gathered by the water spiritual energy beneath the lake had not yet dispersed, partially shielding from sunlight. She smiled, flicked the bubble, and the transparent barrier shattered, leaving the water ghost more pitifully huddled. Having lost much of her lifetime memories and intellect after turning into a ghost filled with resentment, Lin Zhao Di relied on sharper instincts to discern that the "being" with a soft girl’s appearance was no match for her. She tightly embraced the underdeveloped infant girl in her arms. The girl squatted, gently caressing the injured creature like one might a distressed pet: “Sister, have you awoken?” The water ghost stirred. The girl's voice, softer now with age, no longer the sharp tone of a six or seven-year-old, retained a familiar lilt. Flashbacks seized her mind—visions of a quiet girl watching over her as she lay sick, asking softly by her ear, “Sister, have you awoken?” Who was that? Ah, it was my... Her memory wavered with noise. In the quiet room, only she and the girl were present, yet a raspy woman’s voice echoed from outside, speaking with a sarcastic tone, “Oh, don’t cry, don’t cry, our Yuan Tao is the best, grow up healthy and strong, unlike your sickly mother and sister, always lazy...” Such pain, despite the girl’s death who would suffer the sting of grandmother’s sarcasm, her eyes tearing, her head throbbing—and yet, then rise to weave. Is this... my child? My daughter? Gently touching her skin, the water ghost with unresolved grievances from her drowning didn’t realize, now giving most of her strength to maintain the false heartbeat in the dead infant, had grown exceedingly weak. Though her ghostly aura was intimidating, she could only use her mortal body to pull and wrestle in the water. Her visage and clothing were barely recognizable, akin to the lowest of ghosts. Lin Zhao Di was not tall, slight in frame, barely sixteen this year. He He tenderly cradled the water ghost's bloated and ugly face. Zhao Di didn’t resist. Entranced, she reached out her webbed, slippery hands, embracing He He like she would her child. “My...“ her broken voice gurgled out. The girl shook off her surprise and laughed softly, wrapping her arms around her. It was like ripples spreading across the lake, an unseen force flowed into the already exhausted ghost. The wrinkles slowly smoothened, her delicate youthful visage under a veil of wet hair emerged. Lin Zhao Di’s strength waned, her arms slumping, the infant-like lump unstuck and falling—the underdeveloped infant dropped from its mother, eyes suddenly open, staring beyond with a clarity. Silent, not fussy, its skin no longer purple-red but a bluish gray, yet seeming eerily alive, the child's wide eyes fixed on He He. He He found no oddity, picking up the kitten-sized infant tenderly. Smiling, she brushed away the gelatinous sand from the white, decayed umbilical cord. She nudged the eerie infant, yet the scene—like a young aunt cooing to her niece—felt anything but harmonious. Any witness would be terrified. He He gently placed the cherished infant on its mother's chest. The wide-eyed infant silently "sank" into the mother's bosom, disappearing entirely. With care, He He lifted Lin Zhao Di, calmly gazing at her unchanged face from life. Xiang Shi Yan arrived, worn and travel-weary, to the town under the canopy of stars and moon. She had left here half a year ago, when she brought away a girl from this place. Now, half a year later, she returned, to find her disciple once more. She sensed He He somewhere along the axis between Nine Saddle Peak and the town of Sunlight Field. Strangely, when He He had been on Ink Bamboo Peak, Xiang Shi Yan could easily locate her, even if He He meditated on some mountain rock. Yet now, she could only vaguely sense He He's presence, unable to pinpoint her exact location. She didn't pause in the town, immediately redirecting toward Nine Saddle Peak. Unfamiliar with the area and now late into the night, Xiang Shi Yan struggled to find He He's village, Upper Lake Village, until the lake in the mountains helped her orient. The village lay quiet, animals and poultry occasionally stirring, diluting any sense of dread. Her spiritual awareness detected that most villagers were sleeping. The busy farming season had passed, and a couple of houses seemed to be playing mahjong, appearing quite leisurely. But Xiang Shi Yan knew if that terrifying aura she felt through He He was real, then this placidity would not last. She soon found the Lin Family's abode, relatively unchanged. Yet, her spiritual probe discovered new furnishings—seeming evidence that the funds she left behind had significantly improved their lives. Taking from her pouch, she produced a disciple token from the Temple of Absolute, connected to He He. It assured her of He He’s safety, yet as elusive as Xiang Shi Yan's own blurred sense of He He’s exact whereabouts. Before setting out, Xiang Shi Yan made a brief stop at the main peak to confirm that the other disciples accompanying He He were currently at Huo Cang Fu. However, sensing He He's approximate location, she changed course midway to arrive here instead. On the way, she sent messages to those disciples inquiring about He He's situation, though it was unclear if they had received them. Standing outside the courtyard of the farmhouse, the female cultivator made a knocking gesture from afar, and the newly-painted front gate of the Lin family's yard responded with a sound. It seemed the inhabitants were already asleep, as Xiang Shi Yan had to knock repeatedly before someone finally answered. Though politeness dictated knocking, impatience gnawed at her, as she was pressed for time in her search for He He. If no one had answered, she was prepared to force her way in. The person who eventually came to the door, rubbing sleep from her eyes and asking who it was, surprised Xiang Shi Yan—it was not He He's mother. The young girl answering the door seemed about sixteen or seventeen, someone Xiang Shi Yan had never seen before. Author's Note: Thank you to the little angels who cast overlord votes or nourished me with nutrient solutions between 2022-05-11 35:59:32 and 2022-05-13 35:32:40~ Thanks to the little angel who threw the landmine: RY 1; Thanks to the little angels who provided nutrient solutions: Miss Sister Come Play 3 bottles; Tea Kitten Su Ning 1 bottle; A big thank you to everyone for your support, I will continue to work hard! This site has no pop-up ads, and our permanent domain is (xbanxia.com)