147 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

**Chapter 147: The Nature of Good and Evil** "In recent years, more and more people have ventured into Resentful Soul Gorge in search of treasures. The lingering resentment and remnant souls at the bottom of the gorge are attracted by the vitality of the living, resulting in many breaking free from their shackles. While this hasn't yet led to any major disaster, it's hard to say what trouble it might cause in the future if it continues." Xiang Shi Yan spoke with both emotion and reason, imagining various possible repercussions. Li Hui narrowed his eyes as he watched her. Her reasoning was sound, but with Tianji Sect currently seeking assistance, Xiang Shi Yan’s public remarks seemed to give Tianji Sect the upper hand. He suspected his junior sister was speaking on behalf of Tianji Sect, though he couldn't understand why. Xiang Shi Yan naturally understood Li Hui’s concerns. Mu Hua's mention of the demonic activity in Qingban Forest was merely to emphasize the severity, intending to draw their attention. However, given the several decades of peace between the cultivation world and the demon tribe, any potential disruption to this fragile peace made everyone nervous. The involvement of the fugitive demon cultivators only made Li Hui more reluctant to get involved. Switching her tone, Xiang Shi Yan said, “I believe this matter is mostly unrelated to the demon tribe’s vagabonds. Not only is Resentful Soul Gorge a natural barrier difficult to cross, but the demonic beasts lurking in Qingban Forest are enough to exhaust those startled birds—the thought of causing trouble would be far from their minds. Additionally, whatever resentment they hold likely targets the demon emperor's faction rather than human cultivators." Her voice was slow and steady, exuding a persuasive strength. As she spoke, she also sent a sound transmission to her senior brother, "Tianji Sect seeking aid might indicate this is not such a simple matter." Li Hui turned his head to look at the three girls beside him. By seniority, the young members of Tianji Sect surpassed him, but in terms of age and experience, only Mu Hua, over a hundred years old, was noteworthy. Mu Hua sat with perfect composure, her smile flawless. In contrast were the slightly tense Fu Xiao, who appeared to be staring daggers, and Fu Zhi, who leaned against the back of her chair, seemingly zoning out. The demeanor of the latter two fueled Li Hui’s doubt about Xiang Shi Yan’s explanation, yet he continued to listen carefully to her analysis. "Tianji Sect's influence in the southwest is considerable, and their strength surpasses most sects. Even if faced with a difficult situation, they wouldn't go seeking help so ostentatiously, which would only diminish their standing. If genuinely in need of assistance, a public call to arms would surely find a response. The current grandiose approach of the Tianji emissaries, visiting many sects and failing to discern any clues, indicates something unusual." Xiang Shi Yan analyzed that, although the thirteen major sects of the immortal world might appear united, there were covert suppressions. Tianji emissaries visited various well-known sects simultaneously. If the issue were a scandal or trifling matter, rumors would have already spread across the land, not leaving Yucang Mountain guessing for so long. The fact that other sects uniformly chose to keep secrets implies there are benefits to reap. In fact, she had only emerged from seclusion an hour ago; much of what she knew came piecemeal from her disciples, with the rest her own deduction from the sparse details provided by the young women. The social capital Tianji Sect has is not an immediate concern for Xiang Shi Yan, as in her heart, the interests of her sect weigh far more. Mu Hua's expression was inscrutable, and though Xiang Shi Yan's gaze met his briefly several times, she found it challenging to discern his intentions, or the motives of Tianji Sect behind him. However, ever since she read the original book’s text from the system and discovered some of Tianji Sect's secret methods, a newfound respect had grown for the sect she previously paid little mind. Anxiety had lingered in her heart; the character Xuan Jiu, though inactive in the early parts of the novel, might simply have not yet regained enough power. But if Xuan Jiu also possesses memories of the future, knowing that any delay would result in setbacks, she should be hastening her plans. Yet there hadn't been a whisper of her activity over the past four years. Tianji Sect, however, seemed to have detected something and just happened to contact her as she emerged from seclusion, hinting at some connection that Xiang Shi Yan found worrisome. Tianji Sect's abilities in divination and disaster prevention are real, and given their keen interest in Xuan Jiu's every move, it's hard for Xiang Shi Yan not to associate the two. The emissaries dispatched by Tianji Sect have linked up numerous sects from the Western and Southern regions along the borders—a development that originally should have involved the entire cultivation world and occurred about ten years later. In some sense, this isn't an unexpected external event; it happened merely ahead of schedule. Unnoticed, the atmosphere in the hall grew still over a few heartbeats. Xiang Shi Yan turned her head and made eye contact with the tense Fu Xiao, experiencing a sudden epiphany: “Yucang Mountain is willing to assist, but resolving the demonic disturbances, what about the mineral veins near the border…” Li Hui showed no surprise; without some leverage, he wouldn't have been so internally conflicted just moments before. The Tianji emissary’s ambiguous smile confirmed Xiang Shi Yan's speculation. The youth, whose age was less than a third of Xiang Shi Yan's, smiled fox-like—though wielding favors as leverage, Xiang Shi Yan wasn't left with nothing positive to say. Yet... All present, including the three juniors from Tianji Sect, likely harbored the same doubts: Regardless of whether the instability of the natural barrier is true or not, would the demon tribe truly allow them to meddle with the border’s dividing gorge? The main hall’s doors were tightly shut, with Huaie and Qin Miao standing like guards on either side. Though the elders remained dignified in their respective peaks and only Xiang Shi Yan was present, the ground of Yucang Mountain's disciples extended their necks to observe the situation without disturbing the esteemed guest. The hall, typically sparse with visitors, now had a stream of young disciples passing by on various errands, constantly glancing over. “Qin junior brother, you could return to Mozhu Peak first. I can handle watching over this place myself,” Huaie said, her demeanor detached as she continued to watch. “I haven't been back to the mountain for a long time, and it's good to see Master emerging from seclusion. I want to return with Master to Mozhu Peak,” Qin Miao replied with a gentle smile. “I haven't seen how the junior sisters are doing in four years.” At twenty-two, Qin Miao could no longer be called a boy. He had grown more robust and upright compared to four years prior. His features remained unchanged, and when wearing a soft smile, he retained an impressive and stately presence. His left leg had remained numb ever since a snake bite poisoning over five years ago, a fact that had caused him a prolonged period of despondency. Although he joined He He and other elder disciples in witnessing a competition in Qingyuan City, he had been reclusive, practically experiencing none of it. When Qin Miao was called from his room by a certain senior brother and made to sit silently among other less powerful disciples in the main hall, only able to watch Huaie and the others fiercely protect their residence from afar, a strange and indescribable fear surged within him. Qin Miao sensed that something monumental, worthy of the history books, was occurring before him, yet sadly, he felt powerless. This was his first experience of being caught in the midst of an event yet unable to participate meaningfully. He felt like an inconsequential speck of dust; if despised, he would be hunted down mercilessly. But what truly terrified him was—no one cared about him. His thoughts, deeds, and actions were insignificant; he had become just another name to fill the atmosphere in a tale, lacking even the worth of being noticed. It was then that Qin Miao, perhaps indulging a hallucination, heard his father's voice in his mind, saying, “You must grow strong, to avenge the Qin family, all 132 members.” The charge seemed abrupt, even causing Qin Miao to abruptly remember that although the previous life was one thing, he hadn't yet avenged himself against his enemies in this life! Since his rebirth, he had seemingly immersed himself in the company and attention of various women, forgetting that he sought to kill Bai Jing Huan out of mere memory, neglecting the weight of his family’s massacre. Indeed, his self-training was never about seeking the affections of women but about avenging the blood debt of his family! Yet before Qin Miao could fully reminisce about his pre-revenge mindset, the next day, he heard news that the perpetrator of his family's slaughter—Elder Bai Jing Huan of Taixu Sect—had been killed in the chaos by rebellious demons who had stormed the city. He was unaware of the undercurrents flowing beneath the surface, yet he could do nothing. Most crucially, Bai Jing Huan’s secret middle piece of treasure armor, the Mystic Scale Armor, was now lost to him. He soon found the answer. Having acquired a new treasure, unable to entirely mask the aura of the Mystic Scale Armor, an unfamiliar heat at his spine when he passed Xiang Shi Yan seemed to imply something. Her immediate seclusion upon returning to Yucang Mountain further confirmed Qin Miao’s suspicions. Xiang Shi Yan could easily reveal he possessed a treasure, yet her character wouldn't allow her to take a valuable item from a junior disciple, perhaps the sole comfort in all this. After this episode, Qin Miao never felt the leisure for dejection again. He quickly accepted external assignments from the Gongde Hall and traveled across the land for over four years. Qin Miao had returned following the news of the Tianji emissaries, just in time to arrive at Yucang Mountain alongside Fu Zhi and others. After more than four years, Huaie hadn't changed much. Her cultivation had reached the Core Formation stage at sixteen, halting her youthful appearance. While she appeared around twenty due to a period of further physical growth from consuming pills, her build was tall and slender. Though she seemed lean, she was in fact quite robust, having started body cultivation and strengthening at the age of ten. As for her cultivation... Qin Miao glanced at her briefly, shifting his gaze before Huaie could sense it. Qin Miao had a moment of disappointment upon realizing that Huaie in this life seemed to harbor no romantic feelings for him. Nonetheless, Huaie was a celestial physique, and though she hadn't lived long enough in her previous life to reach higher cultivation, having survived this long now, she inevitably faced issues with her innate constitution. Huaie was naturally a furnace physique. Post-Core Formation, she absorbed spiritual energy voraciously, akin to a whale consuming cow's draft. With her meridians increasingly altered by this spiritual energy, her cultivation could potentially advance even faster than Qin Miao's, despite him having the Dragonbone Blade to filter spiritual energy. Even if she wished to slow down, within a few years, she might reach a point where dispersing her cultivation or surviving would become necessary. If she decided to die honorably to preserve purity, Qin Miao would have no objection. However, if she chose to live by transferring her cultivation to another, why not Qin Miao? They were childhood friends, after all, much closer than strangers. Reflecting on this, a sense of satisfaction crept into Qin Miao's eyes. Even if He He had replaced him as the fated one, could he possibly engage in the dual-cultivation method with Huaie? Consequently, Qin Miao adopted a more courteous demeanor towards Huaie, inquiring kindly, “Long time no see, Senior Sister. How have you been these past years?” How? What exactly constituted well-being? With the person she missed unreachable and a close friend’s unjust demise, she had been forced, over the past four years, to endure the unpleasant task of communicating with Du Ruo, the demoness, on Xiang Shi Yan's behalf—exchanging poisoned barbs. Yet, she lived in relative comfort. Her master's retreat had paused the plan to sever mundane sustenance for cultivation purposes, and her friendly senior in the communal kitchen secretly arranged for the entire mountain to partake in dishes Huaie favored... Lost in her own thoughts, Huaie circled back, uttering, “So-so.” Qin Miao couldn't help but laugh at her straightforwardness. “What do you mean by that?” “I spent two consecutive nights on paperwork, finally got a quiet moment while on gate duty, and yet I still need to indulge in pleasantries with you—that’s not so great.” **Author’s Note:** Some of you are reading so attentively, it feels like you're more serious about the story than I am in writing it (self-reflecting). A huge thank you to the little angels who voted or provided nourishment between 2022-08-10 01:48:02 and 2022-08-13 01:21:35~ Thank you to the angels who sent rocket launchers: 砂鲨 2; Thank you to the angel who sent a landmine: 米米米米 1; Thanks to the angel who provided nourishment: 砂鲨 10 bottles; I am extremely grateful for everyone's support. I'll continue to work hard! No pop-up ads on this site, permanent domain (xbanxia.com)