179 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 179: The Temple Fair He He's body was, surprisingly, one of flesh and blood. Xiang Shi Yan had initially expected the touch to feel like that of a puppet molded from spiritual power, where a blade could slice through each layer of its flesh seamlessly. As her own blade pierced through, leaving a gaping wound on He He's body, Xiang Shi Yan could almost feel herself tearing a vast chasm through her flesh. Her musings were indeed redundant. She had tenderly caressed every inch of the girl's skin, and each layer of flesh was undeniably real. Her hands had once felt the warm body beneath gradually turning feverish... Xiang Shi Yan realized she was amusingly hoping the person before her was merely a puppet or an illusion, so she could continue deceiving herself that the He He in front of her was just another trick devised by Xuan Jiu to toy with her. But how could He He ever be Xuan Jiu? In a fleeting moment, Xiang Shi Yan's memory brought forth images of a girl with whom she'd once conversed by a bonfire in her youth, a girl who would cling pitifully to her hand and hide behind her, a girl who returned her gaze with a smile akin to that of a loyal dog's being called by its owner... They perished at the same time, their bodies dissolving into mere illusions, coalescing into the young girl who stood in front of her, her face adorned with a detached smile. From the very beginning, it had always been Xiang Shi Yan's own wishful thinking. The black dragon was adept at deception, while Xiang Shi Yan, who thought herself to be reserved and composed, unwittingly fell into her trap. All along, Xiang Shi Yan's avoidance of everything related to this world's harbors was a sham; her longing for brief tranquility was a sham; her speculation of the girl's elusive crush was a sham; the impulsive affection she hesitated over was a sham. Even the kiss she allowed in a moment of emotional chaos, the intense tidal wave that seemed to carve into her heart, and the person she imagined as part of her future — it was all a sham. Xiang Shi Yan felt a belated sense of sorrow, so much so that even He He's indifferent expression seemed to carry a hint of mockery. He didn't evade nor block her two strikes; Xiang Shi Yan knew it wasn't an act of penance. Many cultivators frequently traveled nearby, and they were still within the territory of the Tai Xu Sect. He He had been diligently restricting her magic and actions to avoid raising any alarms that might draw more troublesome individuals from the sect... or leaving any evidence behind. He He was waiting for the opportune moment to subdue her in a single strike; Xiang Shi Yan was also waiting, maneuvering cautiously for the chance to exchange life for life amidst any flaw she could find. The black-gold robe showed no bloodstains, but every time He He tiptoed on the ground, seeds hidden within the dragon blood-tainted sand sprouted, blooming into spiritually vibrant flowers as if infused with spiritual power. Xiang Shi Yan had witnessed such a scene in an illusion, where, after the Dragon King Ke Min perished, his body transformed into mountains, and his blood nourished the basin, giving birth to a boundless forest sea. He He had deceived her, conspired with ghost cultivators, and stolen the Dragon King's pearl. Afterward, posing as a junior disciple, she blamed Xiang Shi Yan for risking herself. "Truly... utterly deceitful." Xiang Shi Yan's lips moved, managing to squeeze out these words. Her gaze couldn't help but follow the patches of flowers and grass on the ground. When she withdrew her sword from He He's body, Xiang Shi Yan almost had the illusion that she had already shredded her internal organs. The icy spiritual power imbued in her life sword suppressed the black dragon's formidable resurrection power. The thin, barely graspable waist bore two massive penetrating wounds, spilling precious dragon blood. The legendary dragon scales, impervious to all weapons, now adorned Xiang Shi Yan's body, shielded from He He's interference. When the dragon bone knife pierced through Xiang Shi Yan's rib from beneath, it easily tore through the protective energy shield of the dharma adept and the superior-grade spiritual attire she wore, but it made a metallic friction sound upon cutting into her skin. He He, unprotected, however, didn't fall. It seemed like the sword wounds had not affected her in the slightest. After their blades clashed once more, both retreated a step. Indeed, she could gouge her own eyes, sever her arm and plead for mercy, clearly deeming such minor pain inconsequential. A water blade, as thin as parchment, flew toward Xiang Shi Yan, freezing just before it could reach her in a wave of cold. Xiang Shi Yan cleaved it apart with a single sword swing, shards of ice brushing past her temple. When she raised her eyes again, He He was already upon her. A shimmer of cold light flashed across the bone blade; Xiang Shi Yan felt her neck grow warm as the blade grazed her neck, its contact with the emerging black scales creating a spark, their faces barely an inch apart as they passed each other. He He spun around and delivered an additional strike. Xiang Shi Yan noted how the blade seemed enveloped in a faint black aura, hurriedly raising her sword in defense, only to find that her fate-bound spiritual sword, forged from meteorite iron, was sliced through as if it were mere tofu. Raising her broken blade, she plunged half of it into the girl's chest. At this moment, she was only a sword's hilt away from that beating heart. Cold blood trickled down the blade, coating Xiang Shi Yan's hand. The moment the sticky blood touched her skin, the traitorous black scales eagerly emerged, greedily absorbing the flowing dragon blood. Xiang Shi Yan's breath trembled as He He gently coughed twice in front of her, her lips tinged with a hint of blood. "Cough cough..." The translucent golden feline pupils were striking, He He gazing at Xiang Shi Yan, her voice barely a whisper: "A momentary infatuation wrapped in atmosphere and scent cannot be called love, right?" She said, I'm not in love with you. Xiang Shi Yan's lips shaped words she couldn't utter. Despite everything, she wasn't filled with regret for her previous indulgence. What truly frustrated Xiang Shi Yan was her failure to be the first to voice such words, leaving her with nothing but embarrassing ignominy. "…Yes." For some reason, the one who had hesitated so much before couldn't utter those decisive words. Xiang Shi Yan heard He He sigh, followed by the cool touch of He He's hand gently covering her eyes, and she lost consciousness. “...Host! Host, can you hear me?” The mechanical voice, accompanied by a crackling electrical sound, repeatedly echoed in Xiang Shi Yan's ear. The system continuously stimulated the unconscious woman with a unique mental wavelength, finally receiving a faint response after a long while. “Huh... Where is this...?” Xiang Shi Yan could already smell the fresh scent of soil after the rain and the humid air flooding into her nostrils, bringing with it the distinct aroma of the forest's flora and fauna, even before she opened her eyes. “Thank heavens you're finally awake! We thought you were dead when your mental link suddenly cut off just now. It was terrifying.” The system attempted to speak but was abruptly interrupted by a young woman's voice. Then, after another burst of noise, the person nearest to the microphone shouted, “We only wished you a happy marriage for less than ten minutes!” At this moment, Xiang Shi Yan felt as though her head was on the verge of exploding. Dazed and puzzled, she looked up to find herself seemingly in some dense forest, her sense of smell inexplicably heightened a hundredfold. The mishmash of scents swirled in her nose, prompting her to shake her head reflexively. Before she could regain her bearings, the voice in her mind pressed further, “You seem to be having a hard time, so we’ll hold off on questioning why the disciple you took in turned out to be the main villain…” The person took a deep breath and asked, “Would you mind explaining why she entered your inner consciousness—where you call your Sea of Consciousness—as if it were her own home? The ‘wall’ your system built to protect your mind from invasion didn’t affect her in the slightest.” “It’s a long story…” Xiang Shi Yan felt a repressed frustration building within her chest. She replied, “Do you know where I am now?” “Uh, while you were fighting, I managed to re-tag He He, and she’s now replaced Qin Miao as our primary observation target… Oh, how strange, the information indicates that both of your coordinates currently overlap. She must have stored you in some treasure she carries with her. Let me check her movements in the time you were unconscious… Hmm, judging by the speed, you two should be on an airship now. Huai Ye should be nearby; it seems the people from Yu Cang Mountain have taken you two back with them.” “Tsk, it seems she has no intention of revealing her identity in the short term.” Xiang Shi Yan speculated that she was likely considered officially missing, while Huai Ye and the others remained oblivious, believing they had traveled miles to rescue their gravely injured junior sister. Where exactly is this place? Xiang Shi Yan surveyed her surroundings. She had never heard of any storage treasure capable of harboring living beings. After all, He He was of ancient lineage; did she somehow comprehend the prehistoric arts of spatial manipulation? Or perhaps this place had some connection to the dragon pearl she took? Pondering, Xiang Shi Yan attempted to stand, only to lose her balance and topple over. The logistical team was astonished by the pitiful whimper that escaped her lips when she fell, while Xiang Shi Yan herself stared blankly at the small, furry hind legs in her field of vision. “Hm?” With disbelief, she moved her leg, only to be startled finding the motion mirrored by the plushly furred paw. As she flexed her momentary toes, they opened to reveal sharp, retractable claws. “Something seems amiss…” an operational staff member commented from a distant computer terminal. “I tried connecting in, and suddenly, this view popped up. But the nanobots haven't unlocked… Where did this camera come from?” He projected the image onto the central screen, and the group gaped at the sight of a little gray fox, muddied, tenaciously attempting to stand on all fours before tumbling over again. Ordinarily, the system can indeed borrow the host's perspective even without deploying a camera, but having such a sudden and clear bird's-eye view is clearly unusual. "Host, please try moving around a bit. Our staff is checking for any anomalies." "Alright." Her already not-so-clean fur got further matted in the mud, forming small knots here and there. Xiang Shi Yan had somewhat grown accustomed to moving on all fours. She lifted her front paw, nudging the pinkish paw pad with her nose before she gingerly made her way into the forest. She hadn't walked far when an incongruous scent reached her nose. Humans. Many of them. "Host, we're receiving this footage due to an automatic feedback loop within a false information stream. The source traces back to you, and now most of what you're seeing is derived from memories of your past experiences. You're likely inside an illusion." Xiang Shi Yan looked up at the sky. It was twilight, and the dim light filtered through the bamboo grove. The little fox made its way toward the shadowy direction of the lights. The gray fox nimbly leaped onto the head of a statue being carried by someone. Its white-tipped tail brushed over the statue's shoulders and face. Sitting perched at that height, it watched the glowing lights and the bustling crowd below with a hint of bewilderment: "I've never been to a temple fair before..." Author's Note: She's turned into a wild fox. Thanks to all the little angels who voted for me with king tickets or nourished me with nutritional fluids between 2022-10-10 21:31:33 and 2022-10-12 13:31:35~ Special thanks to the little angels who nourished me with nutritional fluids: 点颠点癫 70 bottles; 火锅烫鸡蛋 20 bottles; 补衣服 10 bottles; linjpinx 1 bottle; I truly appreciate everyone's support, and I'll continue to work hard! Our site has no pop-up ads, permanent domain (xbanxia.com)