154 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 154: Heartless (Part Two) Huai Ye held her head in her hands, the lingering dizziness and throbbing reminding her that what had just happened was not a dream. She followed closely behind her martial uncle, her eyes filled with confusion as she glanced now and then at the serpent demon striding confidently through the human cultivators' camp. Du Ruo noticed her gaze and gave her a broad smile, causing the still-frightened human girl to quickly look away, only to sneak another peek shortly afterward. Worried the girl might get a crick in her neck, Du Ruo pretended not to notice and instead turned to greet the human cultivator disciples who had paused their work due to her presence, smiling cheerfully. The woman made no effort to conceal the demonic aura surrounding her. The presence of a Nascent Soul level demon and the starkly different energies from a human led some high-cultivation, sharp-sensed disciples to mistakenly believe something was amiss. They hastily flew over on their swords to assist, only to end up staring dumbstruck at the elders of Jade Blue Mountain leading this bold demoness toward the central tent. The gathering crowd grew larger, with some still holding ink brushes poised over formation diagrams, while a few young disciples, frowning in confusion, had forgotten to set down the logs they carried. Though the crowd bore an unspoken pressure with their gaze, the demon envoy’s calm demeanor transformed the throng into what seemed like a welcoming committee. Because Xiang Shi Yan, who led the crowd, appeared too composed, it deterred the curious onlookers from approaching too closely. Instead, they maintained a not-too-close, not-too-far distance, observing the brazen serpent demon like a rare creature. "There's not much difference from human cultivators, really," a young girl beside He He whispered softly. He He merely smiled at her words. The serpent demon, lacking her true form, indeed appeared not much different from human cultivators on the surface, though inwardly... The sharp-eyed serpent demon recognized the coldly observing young girl. Although she was still somewhat scrawny, her features had matured, and the aura about her was different. Du Ruo playfully stuck out her tongue, her forked tongue flicking the air. Her scent hadn't changed much. "Tsk, it seems like she's been well-nurtured; that’s irritating," Du Ruo thought mischievously as she transformed part of her face to her true form, giving a half-mouthed grin. Immediately, there was a collective gasp from the crowd. The exotic beauty’s abrupt transformation was startling, draining the blood from Xu You Qing’s little face as her underlying fear resurfaced, prompting her to hide behind He He. However, the one she actually intended to frighten remained unfazed. That brat made a rude gesture at her before swiftly substituting it with an innocent smile as Xiang Shi Yan glanced over. "Who would have thought the country bumpkin Xiang Shi Yan picked up could now put on such airs?" Du Ruo mused with interest, snorting softly, but her gaze accidentally caught sight of the young man behind the girl. Feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity, Du Ruo furrowed her brow in contemplation before recalling that he was that Qin family youth the demon emperor had asked her to investigate a few years ago. Although initially pale from her transformation, upon realizing she was eyeing him, Qin Miao still smiled and nodded at her. The watching crowd—each exhibiting either fear or disdain—made his response seem an unnecessary affectation to her, eliciting a derisive snort. Du Ruo turned her attention back to teasing Huai Ye. Meanwhile, the elders of Tianji Sect had long since noticed the external commotion and the unusual demonic energy, yet they were prepared and were sitting solemnly inside the tent, awaiting what was to come. No matter the reasoning, with human cultivators suddenly amassing troops on the borders, the demon race couldn't simply stand by. Sending someone to investigate and negotiate was only natural; in fact, Du Ruo's arrival was later than they had anticipated. Leading the way, Xiang Shi Yan introduced them: "This is Du Ruo, the second disciple under the Demon Emperor, current Holy Maiden of the Demon Holy Cult, and leader of the Black Scale Clan. She is here under orders. I encountered her near the Valley of Resentful Souls and brought her along to avoid conflicts with other disciples." The serpent demon with striking and captivating features calmly clasped her hands in greeting, her clear voice compelling without being overbearing: "My master is in retreat, so I am here on my senior sister’s orders." Though the two elders couldn't grasp the nuances, Xiang Shi Yan, standing aside, raised an eyebrow. Du Ruo's senior sister was the former Holy Maiden and head of the Xiao Clan, Xiao Luan. The Xiao Clan had shown rebellion before, and it was known she was behind the affair in Cyan Speckled Forest. It was clear she wished to delay as long as possible, hoping for a demon race defeat to further discredit her master. Since the envoy appeared only now, Xiang Shi Yan realized her suspicions were not unfounded. Du Ruo’s words sought to pin the delay and lost opportunities on Xiao Luan. It seemed all was not harmonious within the demon race. Aside from the Xiao Clan, the Demon Emperor likely had other spies, and since the demon disturbances in Qingyuan City four years ago, perhaps even earlier, suspicions about his first disciple's loyalty had grown. "Please be seated, Envoy," said Yu Qi, the third elder in charge of the camp and various gathered sects, smiling warmly. Once Du Ruo was seated, he kindly inquired, "Does the envoy have any urgent matters to discuss?" "Though there's no formal agreement, for over a decade, the two races have coexisted peacefully and without conflict. But amassing a large force at the border now—surely that's unwise," Du Ruo began bluntly. But she understood that without a proper reason, human cultivators wouldn't take such blatant actions at the border, so she refrained from immediate accusations. "You jest, envoy. These are merely hot-blooded youths from various sects, hardly an army," Yu Qi explained. "Our gathering is to ensure the peace of the southwest of the mortal realm, not an intention to invade demonic territory." "Even so, the action of human cultivators is unsettling," Du Ruo said cryptically, glancing at Xiang Shi Yan with some doubt. Indeed, Tianji Sect was up to something. That prediction must have involved unspeakable secrets, and they had remarkably concealed the beast tide issue for half a month, even keeping the powerful Taixu Sect and others in the dark—a truly remarkable feat. Even the influential Taixu Sect hadn’t discerned Tianji Sect's intent, given their lack of espionage at the time; it was even less likely for the Demon Emperor. What "preserving the peace of the southwest"? It seemed foolish to Du Ruo, eyeing carefully. Xiang Shi Yan subtly signaled her not to rush, prompting the serpent demon to swallow back her next words. Du Ruo lifted her chin and continued, "I’m curious what secret business Tianji Sect has that it could gather such a force and keep it under wraps so well. I am thoroughly impressed." "You may not be aware, envoy, but the Tianji master recently divined the fate of the mortal realm, foreseeing trouble in the southwest, and thus ordered us to be stationed here to prevent beast tides or other disturbances. If you doubt, you may inspect it yourself; the equipment and formations are defensive, showing no intent to make the first move," Yu Qi clarified. Implicitly, this meant not being passive if the demon race attacked. Du Ruo scoffed, knowing they could easily concoct any narrative with a random group feigned as demon spies. The unyielding stance of the demon envoy came as no surprise, prompting Yu Qi to signal to Lian Xuan, who immediately stepped forward. Holding a jade tube, Lian Xuan, the fourth elder of Tianji Sect, presented it to Du Ruo with both hands. "To dispel any doubts, this is a handwritten letter from the Tianji master, requesting the envoy present it to the Demon Emperor. Your assistance with solving the disturbances of mutated beasts in Cyan Speckled Forest would ensure peace at the border, benefiting both sides." Du Ruo looked at the serious expression of the fourth elder, silently standing for a moment before accepting the jade tube, though her words carried a hint of suspicion. "Four years ago, the incident in Qingyuan City already impacted the peace between our races. Now is a turbulent time, elder. Do not fault me for being skeptical." The two races had maintained peace for nearly twenty years, yet disorder had surfaced in recent times. The incident four years ago, although the Demon Emperor swiftly responded to avoid leaving evidence in the hands of human cultivators, whether it was indeed the border renegades as the overly obvious evidence indicated, remained debatable. The atmosphere turned a bit tense, with Du Ruo holding the jade tube quietly, lips pressed thin, shedding her usual smile, revealing an uncharacteristic solemnity. Huai Ye, still with remnants of dizziness and a headache, found this side of Du Ruo new and unfamiliar. When she turned, she noticed Xiang Shi Yan was watching her. Xiang Shi Yan rarely smiled, or at least seldom did so towards adults. When Huai Ye was young, prone to tantrums due to her meridian pains, the woman who raised her would sometimes soothe the crying child with unintentional soft smiles. How Xiang Shi Yan mastered such comforting skills, or from whom she learned them, Huai Ye didn’t know. By the time she realized the seemingly boundless patience and warmth had boundaries, Huai Ye had long since lost that specialness. Huai Ye couldn’t grasp what Xiang Shi Yan’s subconscious gaze signified. The woman’s eyes held a look of compassion, intertwined with stirred emotions that emanated subtle, fragile ripples, difficult to detect yet confusing. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat as the young girl recalled the inexplicable question her missing martial uncle posed when they finally reunited in Xinyang City. Before speaking, Xiang Shi Yan unconsciously lifted the corners of her mouth, a faint curve that seemed to carry deep meaning, yet Huai Ye could only respond with a confused expression. “Regarding this matter…” Xiang Shi Yan broke the silence, “I met a ghost cultivator near the Valley of Resentful Souls.” Yu Zi Ming's laughter was soft, as if she knew full well how absurd her proposed deal was. She could easily find another puppet body, but the support her demon allies could offer certainly exceeded mere replacements. The white-robed woman looked at the laughing ghost cultivator, unsurprised to find that despite the ghost cultivator’s progress over two hundred years falling short compared to the ascended Dao Lord Lian Long, Yu Zi Ming was still quite formidable. Such was the cost for Yu Zi Ming’s attempt to forcibly reverse life and death through these kinds of rituals. Yet, even in her weakened state, the ghost cultivator remained formidable enough to not be underestimated. Xiang Shi Yan watched the delicate woman's prominently distended abdomen—terrifying not just for the ghost cultivator's prowess vastly surpassing her own, but for the ghost fetus she carried. Years ago, Xiang Shi Yan had escaped once from a malicious elder’s grasp, leading her master Lian Long to sever ties with Yu Zi Ming, yet he didn’t kill her, allowing the friend who had ruined her own body to flee in disgrace. Xiang Shi Yan could not fathom if love could truly drive someone to madness or if the woman before her was simply insane. The one nurtured in love within that belly, what had become of them now? Were they also as deranged as Yu Zi Ming? Xiang Shi Yan stopped pondering and coldly said, "Two hundred years ago, you dared to set your sights on Nascent Soul cultivators, but now you resign yourself to Jindan. I wonder, what was your late predecessor’s cultivation level that you so wish to resurrect, and how much weaker they’ve become now?" Yu Zi Ming raised her chin slightly, her frail frame defiant. "Two hundred years absent, and Lian Long’s little disciple has grown into an influential figure in the cultivation world. Is that girl your disciple?" Huai Ye had yet to reach her thirties, nearing the peak of Jindan cultivation, already surpassing where Xiang Shi Yan once was—a treasure in any sect. “No, Huai Ye is my martial niece, the head disciple of the Jade Blue Mountain Sect.” Hmm… Other disciples were easier to handle, but being a disciple of the sect's head was a complication. However, having wandered for years, Yu Zi Ming couldn’t care less. As a ghost cultivator, she was like a rat skittering in shadows; even if she did intend to snatch someone, there was no certainty the celestial world could find her. Yet Xiang Shi Yan’s words sparked interest in Yu Zi Ming. "You do know she has a Celestial Body, correct?" Xiang Shi Yan furrowed her brows. She harbored two fears regarding Huai Ye’s kidnapping: retrieving her from Yu Zi Ming's clutches and fearing her furnace body would be discovered by the ghost cultivator. This woman, crazed enough to maim herself and use unimaginable methods to protect her dead lover's fragments, had intentions with Huai Ye's furnace constitution that Xiang Shi Yan dared not contemplate. Observing Xiang Shi Yan’s somber face, Yu Zi Ming further provoked, "After all, a Thunder Spiritual Root derives from an anomalous Fire attribute, conflicting with yours… Was she raised solely for your senior brother’s use?" "Mind your words, elder," Xiang Shi Yan remained impassive towards her goading. "Even at the cost of my life, I intend to take Huai Ye away today." Contrary to her expectations, Yu Zi Ming generously said, “Then take her.” “Senior Yu…” “Don’t call me by that name,” the ghost cultivator’s gentle smile abruptly turned icy, her voice as sharp as needles. She told Xiang Shi Yan, "As long as you keep my presence hidden from those Tianji Sect people, I’ll let you both leave." Xiang Shi Yan firmly declined, "No, Tianji’s divination foresaw calamity in the southwest, and your appearance here is highly suspicious. How can I be sure you aren’t involved with the prophesied disaster?” She was certain—Long Rui Qing's appearance meant Yu Zi Ming was conspiring with Xiao Luan. If there was something only a ghost cultivator could achieve, breaking the seal on the Valley of Resentful Souls was likely it. With the seal gone, restrained spirits could escape, and the low-level demonic beasts would be driven to scatter—thus, throwing the Cyan Speckled Forest into turmoil. The corresponding demon borders with Cyan Speckled Forest were already unstable, and the demon race’s lack of vigilance meant a beast tide would be catastrophic. Demons inherently rejected ghost energy; devoid of ghost cultivators throughout history, such turmoil could only be caused by human cultivators. This situation, coupled with public outrage, would inevitably target the Demon Emperor criticized for advocating peace and appearing weak. "Pfft, don’t tell me you believe those soothsayers’ nonsense," Yu Zi Ming laughed loudly. "What if it were true? You think Long Rui Qing can shepherd her out of this forest?” “…” So, she saw through it all along. With ice mist spreading, Xiang Shi Yan offered no response, instead silently pointing her sword at Yu Zi Ming. "Ha, stubborn just like your master," the woman mumbled before clearing her throat. "What if I offered to exchange a method to heal the Celestial Body?" The chilling sword trembled slightly. A cure? Xiang Shi Yan had met only one other claiming to have a solution for the furnace constitution. Furnace bodies were similar, even in artificial ones like Zhu Yun and Zhu Yu where meridian pathways were traceable. A genuine solution might resolve not just their problems but the twins' as well. In an encounter during Qingyuan City’s incident four years ago, Xuan Jiu hinted twice at having the ability to address this issue. Xiang Shi Yan hadn't readily accepted her claims but was nonetheless shaken, though it was something unheard of. One was a ghost cultivator in the advanced Dazhi stage whose insights into bodily meridians likely surpassed Xiang Shi Yan’s, given how she had presumably etched formations throughout her body for life energy circulation, nurturing her ghost fetus. The other was a progeny from an ancient beast lineage with unfathomable cultivation, likely possessing esoteric knowledge as well. Xiang Shi Yan had witnessed Xuan Jiu’s alchemical prowess, likely knowledgeable of lost recipes aside from restorative pills, though she couldn’t gauge her full scope. While Xiang Shi Yan dared not claim her decisions were unreflective, many complicated considerations and emotions whirred within her mind, each a blade leaving indescribable marks with every churn. Most disciples in the camp had foundation-building or higher cultivation levels, enough to flee even if not defend themselves; on another note, while uncertain of Yu Zi Ming’s true objectives, if the seal on the Valley of Resentful Souls was broken, the consciousness-stripped spirits would be untethered in an impassable Green Spotted Forest, ruling out a military campaign through it. The greatest victims… were the mortal residents in the southwest. Weighing on the other side of the scales were the lives of her martial niece, a girl who, save for the cruelty of fate, should have had a smooth ascension, her senior sister’s orphaned daughter she couldn’t save, and those twins unable to cultivate smoothly, likely unable to defend themselves yet sought after. Their lives and futures, compared to the common good, seemed insignificant. Xiang Shi Yan, feeling both guilty for hesitating over an obvious truth and unable to sever emotions she should discard, couldn’t bring herself to decide. Xiang Shi Yan found it ridiculous when realizing she’d given any weight to Yu Zi Ming’s words. Leaving aside if the cure was real or useful... the very notion of this trade lacked credibility. Perhaps it was just a lie from Yu Zi Ming, who noticed Huai Ye’s constitution and sought to mislead her, or a changeable ghost cultivator whimsically toying with her. Neither side could guarantee each would honor the agreement, rendering the exchange meaningless. By that logic, seeking help from that troublesome black dragon might be more reliable—though she wouldn't do that. While calculating the worth seemed pointless, in her mind, Xiang Shi Yan had already forsaken those three children once. This marked the second instance she ignored a chance to potentially save Huai Ye. Author’s Note: New school term started. Our site has no pop-up ads, permanent domain (xbanxia.com)