151 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 151: Disappearance The fleeting apparition on the jade pendant vanished instantly, and the figure in the forest disappeared without a trace. Yet, Xiang Shiyan had no doubt it was indeed a person. The human cultivators gathered on the plains surrounding the Qingban Forest's northern side had made it nearly impenetrable. Sneaking in silently was no easy feat. Upon reflection, it seemed more likely that the figure belonged to the demon clan. Xiang Shiyan hesitated. The ghost attached to the jade pendant had been saved by Xuanzui. She couldn’t be certain whether the girl, who bore some resemblance to He He and whom she had seen only once, still retained memories and personality from her life. For now, she could only regard the ghost as Xuanzui’s subordinate. As she pondered, it occurred to her that perhaps the fleeting figure in the forest was Xuanzui herself, attempting to draw her in through the ghost. If Xuanzui were indeed here, it might be worthwhile to meet her and gather some intelligence. Standing atop her spiritual sword, Xiang Shiyan wore an inscrutable expression. She glanced back at Huaiye, who was watching her from a distance, recalling the words the young girl had spoken earlier. A mix of emotions surged within her. What of Huaiye's path in immortality? Naturally, it was a smooth and promising journey. At only twenty-six, she had reached the late stage of her Gold Core cultivation, and she claimed to be nearing perfection in her realm. Since being introduced to this path by Xiang Shiyan at the age of ten, Huaiye had almost never met with setbacks. Yet, this easy path of cultivation seemed to lead her towards another path—one of destruction. Xiang Shiyan had no doubts that Huaiye could form her Nascent Soul by the age of thirty-five, a feat that did not surprise her considering she had formed hers at thirty-three. But how long Huaiye could live thereafter, Xiang Shiyan could not guarantee. With unobstructed meridians and no hidden illnesses unlike He He, Huaiye chose the path of body refinement only after quickly building her foundation within a year. It was then, while preparing body refining herbs for Huaiye, that Xiang Shiyan first encountered the girl's meridians. She recalled the trembling sensation she felt as her spiritual energy flowed unobstructed through Huaiye's meridians, akin to a fish swimming freely in the sea. She had heard of the existence of 'cauldrons', unique physiques different from ordinary cultivators, but never examined one so closely. From a prestigious sect, respected masters, and unmatched talent, Huaiye's path appeared effortless. Xiang Shiyan could even envision those waiting enviously for the prodigy treasured by Yucang Mountain to eventually fall. The cultivation speed of the 'Heaven and Human Body' was both admired and coveted in the immortal world. Huaiye was indeed well protected by Xiang Shiyan and Lijiu, with no one else aware of the secret—not even Yuming knew that his junior and senior concealed such a truth. Upon discovering this, Xiang Shiyan realized that the endless pain Huaiye felt as her meridians expanded was the reason behind her choice of cultivating her body. The girl only felt relief when swinging her fist or wielding her sword. How many years did she have left? Twenty years? Ten years? Rather than spending her last years falling apart while being coveted, Xiang Shiyan wondered if guiding her onto the path of immortality might have harmed her. Had she known, she might have allowed Huaiye a peaceful mortal life. Xiang Shiyan recalled Xuanzui threatening to solve Huaiye's constitution issue if she assisted her, a claim originally dismissed by Xiang Shiyan. She had never heard of curing innate physiques; had it been possible, she would have healed herself long ago and reached higher realms. But the black dragon had persistently mentioned it, exhibiting impatience for Xiang Shiyan to inquire. However, Huaiye couldn’t wait. Zhu Yun and Zhu Yu were also slowly progressing on their paths, but with unsatisfactory results due to incompatible meridian cultivation techniques. Xiang Shiyan's adjustments were a mere drop in the ocean. Resolute, Xiang Shiyan telepathically told Huaiye, "Wait here for me. I’ll investigate further. If there truly is activity here as Elder Yu claims, there will be traces." Huaiye hesitated from afar. "Let me accompany you, Shishu." "The ghost aura here is dense. Without a Nascent Soul's firm mind, you could easily be swayed by vengeful spirits, and I can’t guarantee your safety," Xiang Shiyan insisted sternly. "Do not get closer. Stay beyond the influence of the wraiths and be ready to support me." Only after hearing Huaiye's reluctant agreement did Xiang Shiyan feel reassured as she flew towards the fissure. She collided several times with gusts from below; the ghostly breath congealed sharply like blades. Avoiding them quickly, she flew towards where she had glimpsed the figure. The person had been located in a clearing near the wraith crevice, where few demonic beasts roamed, other than the rare species cultivating with ghost qi. Xiang Shiyan descended lightly as a leaf, emitting no sound. She gathered her spiritual senses, shielding her consciousness, to avoid detection or spiritual invasion, and placed a hand on the still-warm jade pendant. "Left," a faint voice akin to a mosquito's buzz instructed, unfamiliar yet undeniably the spirit within the jade guiding her. Xiang Shiyan attempted to connect with the pendant using her senses but received no reply, as though the ghostly guide's sole duty was to direct her path, leaving further interaction denied. With no other choice, Xiang Shiyan followed the pointed direction. Under the dense canopy, little light penetrated. Unprepared for the forest's lushness near the wraith gorge, she noted the growing spiritual path here. Given the natural blockade, numerous resources lay unharvested—several spiritual plants caught her eye within visible range. White-robed, Xiang Shiyan surveyed her surroundings cautiously. Near the ground, magical energy use became unwieldy due to the gorge's pull, yet she remained unaffected, expertly channeling energy to her feet, moving silently on the dry leaves below. Then another sound reached her ears—footsteps, not her own. Stable and alternating, the steps grew distant. Xiang Shiyan enhanced her hearing with spiritual energy, listening while advancing, until a woman stepped into her obstructed view. The woman, garbed in pale blue, wore her hair simply. At this range, Xiang Shiyan couldn't discern her energy or cultivation, her presence expertly masked. The woman cautiously navigated the floor's peculiar pull, tentatively finding her footing against its sway. Concentrating her energy, Xiang Shiyan moved ethereally, closing the distance. Sensing something, the woman halted, sunlight failing to penetrate the tree canopy, casting a dimness in spite of daylight. Ghostly aura permeated the forest, faint wails echoed from wraiths vested within the distant gorge. Cultivators, with keen senses, could feel an indescribable intuition when observed, even without direct sight—an inexplicable awareness. Such was Xiang Shiyan’s certainty of a presence behind her. She stared at the woman in blue and felt another gaze upon herself. In an instant, it was unclear who moved first, breaking the forest's eerie stillness. With a gesture, Xiang Shiyan summoned two golden cords, binding both figures, one in front and one behind, from the foliage. Preparing to turn, she was suddenly struck, sent sprawling as a dark-clad woman slammed into a distant tree. Disheveled, Xiang Shiyan lifted her head, meeting the bound woman's gaze. Both paused in surprise. Du Ruo, her lower half having reverted to its original shape, had struck Xiang Shiyan’s pursuer. Her tail though bound, retained some agility. Realizing Xiang Shiyan was the one shadowing her, Du Ruo exhaled, before tensing again. Following Du Ruo's gaze, Xiang Shiyan was shocked to discover another familiar face lurking silently behind her. Having not extended her senses, she hadn't pinpointed the location. The woman was only partially bound, her free hand signaled silence, fearing any noise. "...Long Shizhi, it’s been a while," Xiang Shiyan raised an eyebrow, helping her up. Mindful of Du Ruo, an enemy of Long Ruiqing, being there, Xiang Shiyan knew exposing her identity wouldn't benefit a spy like herself. She signaled silently while softly speaking, "Why are you here?" Long Ruiqing, recognizing Du Ruo, split her attention, communicating telepathically with Xiang Shiyan: "Master sent me for herbs." Evidence of her task still scattered as plants lay where she had been thrown. "Leave quickly. Don't approach rashly," Long Ruiqing urged telepathically, forgetting to correct Xiang Shiyan’s address in her haste. Xiang Shiyan pushed her doubts aside and first reached out to untie Du Ruo. The woman walked over with an impatient expression and, holding back her frustration, said to Xiang Shiyan, "How many times have you tied me up now?" Seeing that Xiang Shiyan seemed familiar with the other person, she extended a hand somewhat apologetically to Long Ruiqing, who was sitting by the tree roots clutching her chest. "Is this someone from Yuehua Lord's past? Why were you so startled earlier?" The woman hesitated for a moment before taking Du Ruo’s hand and letting herself be pulled up. Long Ruiqing darted anxious glances around before lowering her voice, hoarse with concern. "There is... a powerful beast living here. We are no match for it, so we shouldn’t make any sudden noises to provoke it." Hearing this, Xiang Shiyan's brow furrowed, not because of the mentioned beast, but because of Long Ruiqing’s secret message: "She will discover you soon, you must leave quickly." Never before had Long Ruiqing shown such an expression, and Xiang Shiyan could tell she was genuinely afraid of something. Her fear was not feigned, and it piqued Xiang Shiyan’s curiosity. "Who is 'she'?" "One of that person's retainers." Long Ruiqing’s answer came quietly. Understanding dawned upon Xiang Shiyan. The incident happening now could not be a mere fault of the natural barrier itself. She initially thought it was another trap set by Xuanzui. That's why she had been tracking Xuanzui’s movements — they had accurately predicted the danger and warned the immortal realm to prepare. But if this wasn't aimed at the Tai Xu Sect specifically, and didn’t benefit the revenge-seeking black dragon, Xiang Shiyan had been unsure. If it were the work of the demon clan’s hand, it made sense. A beast tide in the Qingban Forest would benefit neither side, but the demon clan's homelands, with their towering mountains, were more defensible compared to the river valleys and modest ranges on the human side of the border. For the clan Long Ruiqing served, carving an opening on the border was the goal. After a beast tide, the demon beasts would be few and panic-stricken, unlikely to attack cultivators. Reinforcing the natural barriers would then allow forces to march right into the southwest territories of the human cultivators’ realm. As for the visitors of the demon clan left hand’s retinue... unknown, formidable figures. Xiang Shiyan did not doubt their strength, as they might have been sent to deal with the wraith crevice, suggesting they were not to be trifled with. She noticed a faint gleam enveloping Long Ruiqing, a power cloaking Xiang Shiyan’s senses, making her mistake Long Ruiqing for ghostly energy from the wraith gorge. Perhaps it was also why Long Ruiqing, despite being at the Gold Core stage, was unaffected by the malevolent spirits. Such camouflage could only be used here. "Naturally, I merely landed to investigate briefly, and now find nothing amiss, I shall depart," Du Ruo said. "But there is something I wish to discuss with you," she added, tugging at Xiang Shiyan’s sleeve. Seeing the furrow in Xiang Shiyan’s brow, she realized the situation had blown up, and surely the demon emperor was aware. Human cultivators amassing on the border couldn’t go unaddressed by the demon clan. Du Ruo could very well be an envoy — and a spy. "I came with Huaiye. You’ll need to disguise yourself." Before Du Ruo could respond, Long Ruiqing’s face turned pale as she exclaimed, "Huaiye is here too? Where is she?" Her sudden reaction took Xiang Shiyan by surprise, thinking Long Ruiqing was unsure how to face Huaiye. "Don’t worry. I told her to wait far above us. She won’t see you." "I just crossed over from above, traversing the barrier to get here, and I certainly saw no one!" Long Ruiqing said, her voice urgent.