140 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 140: Illusory Presence After Yu Ming left, Xiang Shi Yan couldn’t help but disrobe to examine the mysterious marks that had appeared on her body. Sealing the room, she stood with nothing on her skin, conjuring a water mirror to view the sensual markings on the woman reflected within. Earlier, under the indecipherable gaze of Yu Ming, she had only glanced briefly at the marks on her legs and waist. Now, with a full view, Xiang Shi Yan's mind instantly recalled the sensation of being entangled by the Black Dragon in the lake. Indeed, it was just like that. With trembling fingers, Xiang Shi Yan traced from her collarbone down her back, waist, and thighs, mapping the path the Black Dragon had wound around her body. The marks were a pale pink, as striking against her snow-white skin as winter plums against snow. The pattern, though generally flowing downward, was not continuous. At first glance, they seemed like burns from scorching dragon scales, but in reality, they were intricately delicate, as if a person had carefully drawn the designs on her. This sent a shiver through Xiang Shi Yan. Staring at her reflection, Xiang Shi Yan pondered what this meant. Xuan Jiu had yet to take her life, affirming that Xiang Shi Yan had rightly gambled. When she fused with the dragon scale armor, she had staked her life, betting that Xuan Jiu had ulterior motives and wouldn’t kill her easily. In hindsight, maybe she had been reckless. While Xuan Jiu hadn’t harmed her outright, the inexplicable marks marring her skin were clearly a form of retribution. But what was the purpose of such retribution? Xiang Shi Yan had been vigilant against Xuan Jiu, yet she hadn’t realized the dragon scale armor harbored hidden dangers. Though the previous master had died, there was no trace of Bai Jing Huan left on the relic, proving it truly couldn’t acknowledge a new master. Though devoid of spiritual remnants, the armor bore a wisp of Xuan Jiu’s spirit. It merged effortlessly with her, allowing the Black Dragon to invade her consciousness, disrupting the calm depths of her mind. In an instant, even though her physical form was still amidst battle, Xiang Shi Yan felt submerged in water, entwined and dragged down by the Black Dragon. She didn’t even remember how she returned to her residence or how Xuan Jiu, ever watchful, had reacted. When she awoke, Yu Ming was already there. Though she couldn’t react physically, in her consciousness, Xiang Shi Yan was aware—the first time she had such a lucidity within the depths of her mind. Initially fierce, the Black Dragon seemed intent on crushing her, yet slowly it calmed. Despite being merely a lingering presence, the Black Dragon felt alive, nesting quietly at the bottom of the vast lake formed by her spiritual power, an image of tranquility as it coiled around her, resting in the void beneath. Xiang Shi Yan barely resisted being engulfed by this boundless peace, and before Yu Ming entered her mind, she could only maintain awareness by feeling the dragon’s breath and counting the scales pressing against her skin. Even now, closing her eyes, she could recall the rhythm of the Black Dragon’s body movements. She had an unsettling suspicion—perhaps even without reclaiming the relic, Xuan Jiu could still influence parts of what once belonged to her. Bai Jing Huan coincidentally retreated during their plan, paving the way for Long Rui Qing's actions. Looking back, it seemed too coincidental, possibly orchestrated by Xuan Jiu to achieve some objective, inadvertently benefiting them. A mere remnant couldn’t take Xiang Shi Yan’s life nor suppress her for long. She doubted it wasn’t Xuan Jiu’s doing. But what did it indicate? Bai Jing Huan bore no such marks, suggesting it wasn’t from the dragon scale armor. Xiang Shi Yan found herself troubled, exploring the tattoo-like marks—is it a warning or a restriction? Touching the red mark on her collarbone, Xiang Shi Yan infused it with spiritual power. Suddenly, a chill coursed down her spine as ragged scales brushed against her back. A shiver ran through Xiang Shi Yan, and she spun around in alarm, but her trembling hands met only empty air. Panting and suspicious, Xiang Shi Yan turned back to the mirror, her breath freezing. Although she couldn't visually perceive the creature binding her, her body distinctly felt the cold scales and the contraction of muscles, as familiar as the memories of its breathing rhythm. A dragon's tail coiled playfully around her right leg, the tuft at its tip lazily scratching her calf. Lifted by its unseen force, Xiang Shi Yan floated as though in the dragon's firm embrace. Unsure of herself, she instinctively reached out to hold the dragon's form sliding past her shoulder. The dragon's scales felt uneven, icy enough to raise goosebumps. In the mirror, the reflection of the woman seemingly engulfed by a serpent appeared pitiable. "You really have some nerve," Xuan Jiu’s voice resonated, tingling Xiang Shi Yan’s bone marrow from chest to toe, blurring the line between imagination and the Black Dragon’s presence manifest in her consciousness. Although Xuan Jiu’s form couldn’t be seen, the water mirror captured the Black Dragon’s image. Pressing its muzzle to Xiang Shi Yan’s ear, it didn’t open wide, yet a buzzing vibration emanated through her ear: “Not long after I said this was part of my essence, you dare wear it before me...” "So eager to become one with me, are you?" Pushing away its form, Xiang Shi Yan managed to free a hand to rub her inadvertently warm ear. "If you're in the mood to jest, it seems you're not too upset." Before she finished, Xuan Jiu tightened around her, drawing a whimper. “Do you realize that once fused into you, it cannot be extracted without flaying or taking your bones? Oh, knowing how you separated it from Elder Bai, you must understand this.” “You foresee the future better than I. Why view me as a calamity only to turn and seize your disciple's opportunity?” The Black Dragon, visibly uncomfortable, nudged Xiang Shi Yan’s forehead with its muzzle. "A well-seated living scale plucked so easily, yet you take issue with me keeping a masterless treasure?" “Ever consider that I, having done nothing, am labeled as the inevitable great villain? Truly disheartening.” “Release me.” Xiang Shi Yan struck her captor twice, but Xuan Jiu just shifted, using a claw to grasp her waist, grinning to reveal a mouthful of sharp teeth in the mirror. Catching a glimpse of Xuan Jiu's crimson long tongue, Xiang Shi Yan noted its disturbing in-between nature, neither beast nor serpent. It waggled subtly when she talked, as if yearning to consume Xiang Shi Yan whole. “I intended to hold you for a few days, to decide how to handle you, but your bold senior sister nearly made you both fools.” Xuan Jiu's voice dripped with malice. “Given you've forced my hand, shall I ask Yue Hua Jun if your fate remains?” The ill-intentioned question met no answer from Xiang Shi Yan: “What’s with these marks?” The Black Dragon struck her waist hard with its tail, its voice taut, “I asked first.” “Ah—” Xuan Jiu clearly acted with intent, the blow nearly breaking her skin open. Xiang Shi Yan couldn’t help but inhale sharply, seeing through the mirror a fresh bloody welt appear. “You’ve several scars; surely adding one more is no issue?” The Black Dragon positioned its menacing claws over the injury left by Hua Ye, lifting Xiang Shi Yan’s face with its snout to rub against her neck. “…” Frowning, Xiang Shi Yan closed her eyes, allowing its actions. “Has anyone mentioned you’re rather petty?” “Steal my belonging only to label me petty? Dare I not shred you here and now.” Enraged, Xuan Jiu seized her ear playfully with its snout tip, gently tugging. Dragons are said to embody righteousness, but Xiang Shi Yan envisioned them as fiery beings. The reality was quite shocking—not only was the Black Dragon's scaled hide freezing, its flesh also seemed sculpted from ice. Her ear reddened from its chilly play, overwhelming her control, as if intending to warm the dragon's maw. Turning her head to escape its grip, Xiang Shi Yan coldly retorted: “Had you the means to peel and consume me, last night would have sufficed. Clearly, it's not that you won’t, but your essence hasn’t fully manifested; your misty form can’t convert flesh and blood.” The previous night, despite extracting the dragon scale armor, Xuan Jiu refrained from seizing it outright. Her power surpassed Xiang Shi Yan’s—even this form shouldn’t have been able to best her. Instead of coercion, Xuan Jiu proposed an exchange for the treasure with methods to alter her cultivation and delay Hua Ye’s encroaching Tianren state. At that moment, Xiang Shi Yan realized it wasn’t that Xuan Jiu didn’t want to seize the treasure. Her main body must have been hindered somehow. Xuan Jiu's avatar, being merely an embodiment of spiritual power transformed into water, couldn't bear the immense power of the relic. If the avatar attempted to carry the dragon scale armor to the main body, the water core would burst and dissipate before reaching its destination. She intended to have Xiang Shi Yan leave, temporarily concealing the treasure until her main body could retrieve it. The phantasm currently entwining Xiang Shi Yan seemed akin to this and likely manifested due to the marks on her body. Xuan Jiu’s earlier attack hurt, but Xiang Shi Yan speculated that she couldn’t inflict any severe wounds on her now. "You seem so fearless because you’ve seen through my predicament," the Black Dragon said, its face devoid of expression, though Xiang Shi Yan guessed it was smiling again. "Yet even now, killing you would be child's play. Yue Hua Jun, do you know why I spared your life?" "Simply to learn of the future I’ve seen," Xiang Shi Yan sneered. "Since you too foresee the future, you know you face disadvantageous circumstances ahead. Seeing my determination to alter fate, you wish to ally with me." The Black Dragon let out a peculiar laugh. “What I see is fragmented and incoherent, but enough to tell me I'm on a path to nothingness. There’s still a chance to turn things around. If Yue Hua Jun agrees to collaborate, I offer my cooperation in return.” Xiang Shi Yan angrily kicked with her legs but failed to dislodge the dragon's tail. Hearing Xuan Jiu’s words, her frustration grew. “This is always the case; how can I believe in your sincerity?” Despite her words, the Black Dragon only slightly loosened its grip, rubbing its head against Xiang Shi Yan’s neck: “Impossible. The only control I have is over this remnant on the dragon scale armor. Without you, it vanishes.” “Even so, I don’t—” “It seems Yue Hua Jun doesn’t quite trust my sincerity in wishing to cooperate. Listen a bit longer, and you’ll understand why you and I should indeed have a common enemy. Bai Jing Huan’s death may have brought you the dragon scale armor, but killing him too soon was neither wise nor beneficial. I thought you wouldn’t risk my wrath by acting rashly. Seeing you flay him alive, I realized you had a personal vendetta against Bai Jing Huan.” The Black Dragon’s piercing gaze met Xiang Shi Yan’s, gradually stilling her struggles. “Did you seek to kill Bai Jing Huan because of the ‘Heart-Devouring Gu’?” Xiang Shi Yan froze, then glared at the dragon: “Where did you hear such a thing?” The previous night, Xiang Shi Yan had followed traces of Owl Shadows as Long Rui Qing directed, trailing twelve assassins sent to kill Bai Jing Huan to a desolate place on the outskirts of town. Despite having warned Long Rui Qing that Bai Jing Huan, bearing a relic, was no easy prey and advising caution, it seemed the others were unaware. The twelve Owl Shadows tangled with Bai Jing Huan for a long time but were ultimately slain, and Bai Jing Huan was left utterly spent. Long Rui Qing's choice not to report this might have been to orchestrate such a scenario for Xiang Shi Yan to easily reap the benefits and repay her kindness, or perhaps he felt explaining was simply too complicated. Ultimately, the advantage fell into Xiang Shi Yan’s hands. As Xuan Jiu stated, Xiang Shi Yan always knew the dragon scale armor was in Bai Jing Huan’s possession, but she never dared to covet it initially. Owning a treasure invited disaster, especially with Xuan Jiu still in Qingyuan City; seizing it would be too risky, possibly costing her life. Even knowing that killing Bai Jing Huan wouldn’t allow her to claim the sole benefit of the dragon scale armor, Xiang Shi Yan was resolute to slay him. This was all for the sake of Gong Ning. Zhu Cheng, the main culprit who controlled and harmed Gong Ning with the Heart-Devouring Gu, wouldn’t have risen to power without someone providing him with such a weapon, and that accomplice was Bai Jing Huan. Zhu Cheng harbored ideas of artificially creating genius cultivators and profiting from trading female cultivators. For the Zhu family, a mud boat, to succeed, more formidable supports were essential. Zhu Cheng aimed to ally with the Tai Xu Sect and conveniently used Bai Jing Huan, born of the Bai family of Huaihai City, to secure this connection. The Zhu family’s negotiations with the other two families commenced only when the evil chain had taken shape, but clandestine dealings with the Tai Xu Sect began over a decade prior. The true situation in Huaihai City wasn’t that the Xu and Bai families were abandoning the Zhu family in favor of the Tai Xu Sect; rather, all three families aimed to associate with it, with the Xu and Bai families fronting most of the transactions and serving as the Tai Xu Sect's cover. Normally, a sect having a vast number of infants was unusual, but sending young disciples to other sects for cultivation was customary for prestigious families. Zhu Cheng lacked cultivation talent, but he was trained expertly in formation techniques by the Zhu family. His nascent plan impressed Bai Jing Huan despite its early stages. However, with Zhu Cheng achieving nothing yet, the Tai Xu Sect couldn’t offer promises, so Elder Bai presented him with the Heart-Devouring Gu as a personal agreement upon leaving Huaihai City. In the past, Xiang Shi Yan tortured Zhu Cheng mercilessly to extract information about the Gu, the parties involved, and their illicit dealings, which culminated in her flaying Bai Jing Huan alive. Expecting the Owl Shadows to kill Bai Jing Huan without her intervention, Xiang Shi Yan hadn’t anticipated Long Rui Qing’s concealment placing him in her hands instead. When the water apparition appeared silently, Xiang Shi Yan hadn’t even sheathed her dagger. The man pinned beneath her struggled fiercely. Due to Xiang Shi Yan’s spell, he couldn’t lose consciousness. His eyes were wide with a mix of terror and rage as he stared at her. Covered in blood, holding a mangled human skin, Xiang Shi Yan raised her head to meet the water apparition’s gaze. The skin in her hands—precisely, the middle layer of skin she had sliced off was a transparent, thin-scaled layer—shook off blood and tissue, revealing its true form, shimmering like cicada wings under the stimulus of her spiritual power. Ignoring Xuan Jiu, she merely stood her ground, observing the man flayed and bleeding out at her feet. She looked down into his eyes, her voice hoarse: “I hope you remember that the last thing you see is me, Gong Ning’s junior sister, watching you die.” Bai Jing Huan's pupils dilated slightly. His mouth opened in a silent gasp, emitting only muffled sounds of air and blood gurgling in his throat before the light faded from his eyes, and he died. "The Heart-Devouring Gu is lost among the demon tribes, a serendipitous treasure. Even I do not know its original realm or ruins from which it emerged before landing in the Tai Xu Sect's hands. Prior to witnessing its might firsthand, I found its mention only in ancient texts." "You’ve seen it?" Xiang Shi Yan glanced warily at the dragon's amber eyes in the mirror. "Yes, I was once the contracted spirit beast of someone, already at the tribulation stage and nearing immortality. I suppressed my cultivation to serve my master until their natural end. Yet, my master fell under its control, and though my cultivation was strong, I was helpless due to the contract, resulting in a vile scheme against me." Briefly skimming over her past life, Xuan Jiu’s tone was calm, without a hint of anger, as if narrating another’s story. Yet suddenly, the dragon's demeanor drooped, the tail curled sadly around Xiang Shi Yan’s calf. Xiang Shi Yan frowned, unsure whether Xuan Jiu's words were a ploy to garner sympathy and trust or the truth. Intently, she scrutinized the black dragon’s image in the mirror, seeking signs of deception. Matching her gaze, the predatory slit pupils revealed no mirth. Previously, Xuan Jiu had only shown avatars, and this was Xiang Shi Yan’s first glimpse of her eyes. The dragon's head tilted as if questioning her thoughts. "I've avenged my grudge. Your vendetta with the Tai Xu Sect is none of my concern," Xiang Shi Yan said coldly, her gaze downcast. “As long as you don’t involve Yu Cang Mountain, I won’t interfere with your affairs.” “Such detachment wounds me. Who stole my scale yet? Sparing you from reckoning is evidence of my magnanimity. Moreover, should chaos arise within the cultivation realm, could Yu Cang Mountain remain undisturbed? Yue Hua Jun’s wish necessitates my demise.” Xuan Jiu chuckled, her sweet voice having a sticky quality that often clung to the ears. Her lilting tone made Xiang Shi Yan's ears feel inexplicably sticky, causing her to instinctively turn away as her forehead and nose brushed against the dragon’s abdomen. Startled, Xiang Shi Yan noted the unexpected softness beneath the dragon's tough scales, rendered softer with Xuan Jiu’s relaxed hold. With her arms partially embracing the dragon, she impulsively pressed a thumb against its soft belly. Feeling the ticklish sensation, Xuan Jiu wriggled, ceasing her laughter, and irritably said, "Pay attention." Realizing Xuan Jiu’s vulnerability to tickling, Xiang Shi Yan silently pinched the soft scales in an attempt to force the dragon to release her. However, the black dragon shook slightly, and her scales hardened instantly, compelling Xiang Shi Yan to relent: “My cultivation is meager with little influence of use to you.” "Your disciple is considered a 'Son of Fate' as interpreted by Tianji Sect and is attracting attention from various parties; not to mention he has unique abilities. Furthermore, Yue Hua Jun holds a position just below the highest at Yu Cang Mountain, surely you would be of use to me?" the girl continued, her voice soft and sweet. "After all, you are the last remaining descendant of the Jade Fox lineage, which holds sway even among the demon clans. There's no need to underestimate yourself." Xiang Shi Yan frowned, not because she underestimated herself, but because she wanted no association with Xuan Jiu. Deciding to drop the pleasantries, she fiercely kicked the dragon twice: "Scoundrel, I’ve tolerated you long enough, release me immediately!" "Ouch, these scales of mine are more decorative, it really hurts when kicked..." "What does that have to do with me? How can we have a proper discussion with me in this predicament?" Xiang Shi Yan retorted. Xuan Jiu smiled mischievously, "And what predicament would that be?" The words caught in Xiang Shi Yan's throat. What predicament indeed? Naturally... Her gaze instinctively fell to the mirror reflecting the bizarre scene as if from some peculiar illustration, making her bite her lip and avert her eyes. Her cheeks flushed pink, yet her body suddenly radiated chill, a layer of frost spreading along the Black Dragon where they touched. She gritted her teeth, "Hurry and let me go!" The frost was easily shaken off by Xuan Jiu’s writhing, her icy spiritual power having no effect. "No rush, no rush," Xuan Jiu said slowly, "Let’s discuss this matter." Seeing her ignore her words, Xiang Shi Yan struggled determinedly once more, surprised by the serpent-like grip of Xuan Jiu’s body around her. She realized that the scale-like marks Xuan Jiu had left on her skin were growing more vivid. In the dim confines of the room—particularly against the jet-black dragon’s body—they glowed as if emitting light. The Black Dragon solemnly proposed, "Practice dual cultivation with me." Author's Note: In one or two chapters, we will skip ahead in the timeline, a quick jump to major developments. A reminder to check out my upcoming work: "Bloed's Disease" Synopsis: Flora, a bounty hunter, gets a new job—escorting a rich heiress back home. With such a lucrative opportunity landing in her lap, how could she refuse? But the employer turns out to be an odd character. Watching from the shadows as the young lady licks the blood from her prey’s wound and speaks in a mix of ancient dialects, recounting tales from the old dynasty, Miss Misty indeed resembles a millennium-old corpse risen from a grave... As the first to discover this, Flora legally claims all rights over this 'non-human entity' and her assets. “Hush, be good, you don’t want more people discovering you’re a vampire, do you?” 1V1, profit-driven bounty hunter X enigmatic vampire heiress. A narrative of two people with secrets journeying together. Thank you to the little angels who showered me with king tickets or nutritious drinks from 2022-07-27 01:17:30~2022-07-25 20:45:19~ Special thanks to the little angel for providing a nutritious drink: Qing Yi 1 bottle; Thank you all for your support, I will continue to work hard! No pop-up ads on this site, permanent domain (xbanxia.com)