163 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 153: Lian Long "Zi Ming." The delicate woman turned around, looking noticeably more lively recently. The courtyard was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, each one surprisingly divided into four neatly cut sections along the leaf veins. Even more astonishing was that the only tool in the woman’s hand was a long spear with both its blade and tip worn dull. "Lian Long... you've come." Ji Zi Ming placed the spear by the wall, her face lighting up with a gentle smile as she invited her friend inside. As Lian Long crossed the threshold, she glanced back at the disheveled courtyard. Ji Zi Ming had not cultivated for nearly a decade, yet the spiritual energy within her continued to grow wildly, relentlessly feeding her strength. Despite her emaciated appearance, she exuded an odd vitality. Her primary spiritual weapon had long been abandoned. When Ji Zi Ming needed to vent her excessive energy, she used mundane metal weapons that opposed the flow of spiritual energy. Yet, even so, every swing left sharp marks along the wall of her secluded courtyard. Lian Long eyed the discarded, deformed blades along the wall, testament to the uncontrollable spiritual power swelling within Ji Zi Ming, a clear sign that she was living on borrowed time. She had summoned her only friend to help with her affairs after her death. This task ought to have been managed by Ji Zi Ming’s disciple, but Yu Ji had been expelled from the sect over a decade ago. Lian Long wasn’t privy to the details, but Ji Zi Ming’s expression when mentioning it was humorously difficult to decipher. Lian Long’s relationship with the young girl wasn’t particularly close, but she could somewhat imagine what kind of event had driven the solitary and expressive Ji Zi Ming to keep it shrouded in secrecy. This sort of drama fascinated Lian Long the most — a ghost cultivator, universally scorned, turning out to be a gentleman of great moral integrity, while her seemingly obedient little disciple followed in unexpected footsteps... "You haven’t told her yet?" Lian Long received Ji Zi Ming's meticulously prepared list, skimmed through it, then set it aside. The lonely ghost cultivator lacked deep ties with anyone who might receive her legacy, so she generously left half of her accumulated resources, unrelated to her sect practices, to Lian Long, asking only that the remainder be passed to her sole heir. At such a cultivation level, unless it was a rare treasure, possessions offered little to no assistance in her practice. Lian Long wasn't particularly interested in them; rather, she was more intrigued by Ji Zi Ming’s disciple. "I haven’t." Ji Zi Ming spoke calmly, as if uninterested in placating Lian Long’s curiosity to dig deeper, immediately shifting the topic. "If you don’t find her, please hold onto it first. She’ll return here within five years and will head to Jade Cang Mountain after reading my letter." The poor girl had been wandering for over a decade, enduring not only the typical hardships of a rogue cultivator but also the disdain of others, forcing her to live a life of anonymity... Every few years, Yu Ji would return to seek her master's forgiveness, but Ji Zi Ming never saw her again. Lian Long chuckled softly. "Your heart is truly hard." "What good would softness be? I won’t live for long." Even if Yu Ji stood before her, Ji Zi Ming wouldn’t know what to say. Ji Zi Ming’s irrepressible energy didn’t last. Soon, she was bedridden, burning with fever day and night. Her physical body might have been swiftly disintegrating, yet she was actually dying little by little. At times, when Ji Zi Ming’s fever spiked, she seemed disoriented, clutching Lian Long’s sleeve, pleading pitifully not to leave. She was all she had left, softly asking if she could bring Yu Ji back, then retracting it after a while. When the fateful day arrived, Ji Zi Ming seemed weightless, like she’d become pure spiritual energy. She woke before dawn and sat cross-legged in her practice room, waiting alone for death to come. Lian Long observed her body beginning to collapse but turned away, opening the courtyard door. Outside stood a pale-faced Yu Ji, appearing as though she too had received a death sentence. The anxious woman seemed to forget why she was there, left speechless. Lian Long smiled, tapping Yu Ji’s shoulder. “You’ve waited nearly a month. This is your last chance, go on.” She leaned closer to the girl’s ear and whispered gently, "Set her free." "Does she call herself Yu Zi Ming?" Her master smiled easily, strolling leisurely near the already chaotic Heavenly Chasm. Two decades ago, Xiang Shi Yan frequently traveled with her master across the land. It wasn’t until Gong Ning married, leaving Mo Bamboo Peak unattended, that she returned to Jade Cang Mountain. Yet, in just over twenty years, she felt a growing distance from her master. Her master always invoked an inexplicable wariness and strangeness in her. Not to mention this was the second time she watched a friend’s body disintegrate, and Dao Lord Lian Long’s reaction seemed unnaturally calm. Seeing Xiang Shi Yan nod, Lian Long let out a low laugh, covering up her amusement, but her shaking shoulders gave her away. Even within the emotional path, each person’s insights were vastly different. Xiang Shi Yan had learned a lot from Lian Long when she first delved into the path of emotionless cultivation. Even after twenty years, her master remained as ineffably detached as ever. Xiang Shi Yan’s suspicions weren’t unfounded. The ghost king was indeed incomplete, her core exceedingly unstable. After freeing herself from internal restraints, she could only act briefly, and after separating from her master, she struggled to sustain. After Yu Zi Ming’s death, her ghost servant crumbled before everyone’s eyes like sand and mud. Lian Long seemed unsurprised, not even slightly moved by the discord between her two old friends, standing lightheartedly before Yu Zi Ming’s corpse, shouting to her companion from afar, “Elder Tian Ji, does a ghost cultivator’s body require regulation or processing?” The woman in a light blue dress didn’t respond. Unable to hear Lian Long’s shout, she focused intently on suppressing the ghostly aura spreading within her third disciple. Not until the fourth elder of Tian Ji Sect, Lian Qiao, communicated in sign language did she slowly shake her head. Receiving the response, Lian Long calmly tended to Yu Zi Ming’s simple burial. Xiang Shi Yan suspected her interest in Yu Zi Ming’s mysterious tricks and watched warily, restraining her master’s hand. “What do you plan to do with... Senior Yu Ji?” "Do you pity her?" "Of course not." "Then you’re afraid I’ll dabble in dark arts." The woman swaggered away, carelessly whistling for her disciple to follow. Yu Qi had lost consciousness, and Tian Ji had temporarily suppressed the ghost aura invading her, managing to save her life in the nick of time. She nodded towards Xiang Shi Yan, who was respectfully awaiting orders, signaling her to leave. Reading from Tian Ji’s calm expression that Senior Yu Qi was fine, Xiang Shi Yan couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. After all, she had broken through midway and hadn’t been of much help, leaving the two elders to face the ghost king alone. Although things concluded smoothly, she still felt quite guilty. Catching up with Lian Long, she cautioned, “Master, appropriate study is fine, but becoming too obsessed with such fringe paths...” Lian Long gave her a sidelong glance, “Do you think I’m that kind of person? I’ll take her back and bury her alongside her master.” She was satisfied to see Xiang Shi Yan’s bewildered expression, both dumbfounded and endearing. Realizing her master was teasing her again, Xiang Shi Yan immediately wore a stern face, refusing to continue the conversation. Only then did her master chuckle apologetically, “That ghost king’s core was merely a stolen fragment of a soul. That person had been properly buried in their lifetime. Once affairs here wrap up, I’ll leave, making a detour to... lay Yu Zi Ming to rest with her.” “Were they truly master and disciple?” “Most likely a lonely child is easily drawn to an adult who is gentle and gives a sense of security…” Lian Long muttered softly, then suddenly shifted, “I took you from that house. Why aren’t you more diligent in your gratitude?” Xiang Shi Yan, drained of spiritual energy, was already struggling to fly stably. She nearly slipped off her spirit sword at her master’s words. Rubbing her forehead, she wondered how Lian Long had the gall to ask such a question. Who eagerly took her in only to lose interest after two weeks and passed the childcare duties to Gong Ning? And who, just to see her flustered expression, repeatedly tossed her into monster dens? She was indeed the farthest from a comforting presence in the world. However, Lian Long’s musings suddenly made Xiang Shi Yan feel guilty. Setting aside Hua Ye, the young He He who readily showered affection and hugs on her master had now grown into a young girl at Yun Ting. After leaving seclusion this time, Xiang Shi Yan hadn’t had much chance to be alone with He He, unsure if the young girl had come to recognize her feelings for her master were merely childhood attachment and the illusion it formed as she matured. When she considered it, she seemed to have frequently offered help to children with troubled pasts... A sudden burning sensation on her neck, the memory of the girl's soft, cool lips brushing against her skin still lingered, occasionally emerging to whip Xiang Shi Yan’s conscience. Not receiving the typical sarcastic retort to her joke, Lian Long squinted, noticing her little disciple unconsciously touching her neck, keenly perceiving something amiss. The other two Nascent Soul stage cultivator seniors who accompanied Lian Long and Tian Ji were patrons from other sects. Aside from the four of them, several elders of the Great Ascension and Nascent Soul stages had also come to support, joining the disciples guarding the camp to resist the beasts' tide. After handing over the aftermath near the Heavenly Chasm to these elders, the two seniors rushed to the encampment, using their imposing presence to drive the defeated beasts back into the Azure-Spotted Forest. Landing from her sword, Xiang Shi Yan felt an immense relief from standing on solid ground again, allowing herself a brief moment of relaxation amidst the fatigue that overwhelmed her. Her exhaustion finally caught up with her, causing her to sway slightly. Suddenly, a slender and soft body collided into her embrace. "Master left me again..." a young girl murmured in a muffled voice, burying her face into Xiang Shi Yan's neck. Her displeasure was evident as she scrutinized Xiang Shi Yan's travel-worn appearance, frowning as if feeling the pain herself. "How did you get so hurt?" He He didn't mention it, but until she did, Xiang Shi Yan hadn’t even realized the extent of her injuries. Most of her wounds were to her muscles and bones, while the bloodstains on her torso stemmed from a ghost claw injury that occurred before she could activate her protective armor. Though the wound wasn't deep, the embrace from He He made every joint and muscle seem to ache dully. What stung more than the physical pain was Lian Long's piercing gaze, which made Xiang Shi Yan feel foolish for not realizing earlier how sentimental her master truly was. Lian Long had a penchant for interpreting the mundane in peculiar ways, showing lavish affection indiscriminately. “He He, greet your Grandmaster.” Xiang Shi Yan took the opportunity to swivel her shoulder, freeing herself from He He’s embrace, and guided her toward Lian Long. A glint appeared in the young girl's rounded eyes. So this was the legendary Dao Lord Lian Long... He He felt a sudden twinge in her lower back. Transforming into her true form was still somewhat challenging, and though countless spells had struck her while she flew in her dragon form, only Lian Long’s water whip had landed a hard hit, leaving an energy that was surprisingly difficult to dispel. Studying Lian Long curiously for a moment, He He demurely lowered her eyes and clasped her hands in greeting. "He He greets Grandmaster." Ordinarily, meeting one's Grandmaster would demand a formal bow, but their lineage wasn’t particularly fixated on etiquette. Moreover, Lian Long seemed unconcerned about being a sudden Grandmaster to the girl, whose bright eyes were affixed longingly on Xiang Shi Yan. Noticing her master’s peculiar gaze assessing He He, Xiang Shi Yan immediately became alert. She positioned herself between the girl and the incorrigible woman. “Master, is there anything else you need?” Lian Long had earlier mentioned she didn't intend to stay long, but Xiang Shi Yan was more than eager for her to leave. “No need to rush,” the woman replied leisurely. “I haven’t been back to the mountain in ages. A short stay wouldn’t hurt, and I’ll take care of the burial when I head back.” “I’ve heard that all three of you disciples have taken on students? I must take a good look at them.” Author's Note: Next chapter, returning to the mountain. Starting the countdown to the showdown.