183 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

### Chapter 853: The Imprisoned Fox "Recently, your complexion has improved a bit." Upon hearing Hua Ye's comment as she scrubbed the bloodstains off white silk, the girl on the bed paused in her movements to pull on her clothes. He He's body was still tightly wrapped in thick gauze from her torso to her abdomen, but the wounds had begun to heal and were no longer bleeding uncontrollably as before. While fastening her thin robe, He He softly said, "I must thank you, Senior Sister, for taking care of me during this time." "...No need to thank me." Hua Ye felt a bitter taste in her mouth. Overnight, the people of Mo Bamboo Peak had vanished, leaving He He all alone. Although she was anxious to search for Xiang Shi Yan, she couldn't bring herself to ignore He He, who was gravely injured and had no one to care for her. Since Long Rui Qing's death in Qingyuan City five years ago, Hua Ye, as the head disciple, no longer enjoyed the leisure she once had, taking over the responsibilities her dear friend used to share. Three months ago, after the incident at Resentment Gorge was resolved, the impassable lands of the heavens were finally opened after thousands of years. The sects involved, led by Tianji Gate and Yucang Mountain, took over a vast portion of the Greenish-Blue Forest, dividing its rich resources. Hua Ye found herself overwhelmed with work. Even if she wanted to care for He He, she could only find two or three brief moments each day to visit her, bringing food for her immobile junior sister, changing her bandages, and helping her clean up. On less busy days, Hua Ye would bring documents to Mo Bamboo Peak to work alongside He He in her room. But those days were rare, and most of the time, He He lay there alone. "I wonder where Master Aunt has gone," Hua Ye said casually, though her fingers trembled as she wrung out the cloth, slightly distorting the white silk. A cultivator disappearing suddenly wasn't an uncommon event. It was often just a case of someone entering a secret realm or a relic, re-emerging a few months or years later. But Xiang Shi Yan's case was different. According to He He, she had been lured away from Yucang Mountain by Qin Miao. The senior brother, envying the favor she received from their master, had malevolent intentions. Fortunately, Xiang Shi Yan discovered this and arrived in time to stop Qin Miao from succeeding. It would have been better if that had been the end of it. However, He He was later found critically injured, lying on the wasteland, while Qin Miao's battered corpse remained nearby, and Xiang Shi Yan was nowhere to be found. After waking from such an ordeal, He He couldn't clearly recount what had happened. She claimed her last memory was of Xiang Shi Yan rescuing her from Qin Miao's grasp, accidentally killing him during his fierce resistance. No one doubted the confused narrative of the young girl, but it was evident her account lacked significant details. Something must have happened after He He lost consciousness, as Xiang Shi Yan's "accidental killing" couldn't have been brutal enough to dismember Qin Miao's corpse that thoroughly. Hua Ye was perplexed, unable to piece together the whole story from He He's account alone. Day by day, her growing anxiety gnawed at her. A few years ago, Xiang Shi Yan had disappeared similarly, when the news of Yue Hua Jun's death spread like wildfire across the land. At least then she was merely uncontactable... this time felt even more distressing to Hua Ye. Back then, she could abandon everything to search for her master aunt. Now, the burdens she bore kept her chained to Yucang Mountain, leaving her to face the echoing silence of her fruitless reports and a sense of impotence even when facing her weakened junior sister. She felt as if she had been losing something from a certain moment onward... Hua Ye lowered her hands, staring into the basin where the water rippled with a faint red hue. The girl on the bed comforted softly, "Master won't be harmed." Her words held a firm certainty that left Hua Ye puzzled as she turned back. He He smiled at her and said, "I guarantee it." Hua Ye only stayed with He He for an hour before being called away again. Soon, the frail girl was left alone once more. In the mountain cave of Mo Bamboo Peak, a place of secluded meditation for Xiang Shi Yan, no one could have imagined that the seemingly missing Yue Hua Jun was actually imprisoned within his own cave, unable to escape. Even Xiang Shi Yan herself couldn’t believe she would find herself in such a dire situation one day. The white-robed woman sat on the floor with a desolate expression. The entrance to the cave was sealed with a powerful barrier. Although she could easily see the surrounding mountains, she was isolated from the world. Not only were her spiritual power and voice blocked, but even her body was distorted by the illusion of the barrier. Her once pristine robes were now stained with blood and dirt. Xiang Shi Yan's hands lay on her knees, fingers trembling slightly as drops of blood trickled from her fingertips, soaking her clothes with bright red splotches. After attempting to take her own life, the black dragon imprisoning her grew serious, confiscating her storage treasures and weapons while sealing some of her spiritual apertures. Now, although Xiang Shi Yan could still normally operate her spiritual power for cultivation, she couldn’t project it outward, rendering her powerless against the barrier holding her captive. With no other recourse, she tried this desperate measure. The blood of a cultivator contained spiritual energy, especially for a Grandmaster stage demon cultivator like her. Xiang Shi Yan used her blood to draw on the barrier, her only hope being that her formations might break the seal despite being unable to utilize spells. However, her dragon scales were too resilient, making it difficult even for Xiang Shi Yan to tear her own skin. The Xuan Scales Armor covered most of her body, leaving only her hands, feet, and head unprotected. In her struggle to draw the formation, she bit her own fingers until they were shredded, her untrained new fangs even breaking several of her nails. She was not skilled in this field and ended up in a pitiable state without making the slightest impact on the barrier. "Host..." the System softly called out to her, unable to provide a better solution. The shock of seeing Xiang Shi Yan pick up a short sword to cut her throat affected not only He He; the host's mental state had deteriorated to a concerning degree, but since Xiang Shi Yan refused psychological counseling, the System was powerless to intervene. As the central figure of this world and her destined adversary He He, the tangled threads between them made it difficult for the System to intervene directly in this world. Any interference could potentially lead to the world’s consciousness discovering and expelling it. But should it come to a point of necessity, the System wouldn't hesitate to act... Xiang Shi Yan, her face pale and desolate, looked up as the view outside the cave showed autumn's descending dusk. Patterns drawn in blood, imbued with spiritual energy, adorned the translucent wall where they slowly burned the steadfast barrier, emitting a sizzle. Two days before, as she sat at the entrance lost in thought, exhaustion overtook her nerves long enough for a brief rest. Yet when she opened her eyes again, she found Hua Ye standing at the entrance. Hua Ye couldn't enter due to the permanent barrier in Xiang Shi Yan's personal realm. It was unclear if the girl was there searching for clues about Xiang Shi Yan’s disappearance or merely reminiscing by looking at her possessions. She stood there for a long time, unable to see inside from where she was but gazing intently at that stone wall for nearly a quarter of an hour. Xiang Shi Yan almost believed she was being watched. From only a hand's breadth away, the person Hua Ye was searching for was desperately pounding on an invisible wall, her bloodied fingers dragging harrowing streaks through the air. Hua Ye eventually departed. Helpless, Xiang Shi Yan could only watch her fly away on her sword until she vanished from sight. The woman collapsed, curled up on the cold ground, staring vacantly into space. Perhaps at first, when she realized she was trapped, she retained some pride, maintaining her composure before the demon. But as time wore on, the agony of betrayal not only remained but grew like a snowball, rolling larger and larger, twisting Xiang Shi Yan into her current state. The female cultivator’s eyes were bloodshot, fear gripping her too tightly to allow even a moment of rest. Every time she closed her eyes, the vision of the slender girl’s corpse staring wide-eyed back at her haunted her. In reality, love was secondary. Over the years spent entwined with He He, each remembered detail now served as a knife slowly slicing her apart. Her girl died that night, and it was Xiang Shi Yan who drove the sword through her chest. The dragon that emerged wasn’t He He. No matter how much she tried to deny it, the dragon would still come nightly to inspect its prisoner. The setting sun’s glow was blocked by a looming shadow, and Xiang Shi Yan refused to look up. A hand gently lifted her chin. The girl's voice, soft as ever, said, "Master's spirits seem low. If you aren’t sleeping well, shall I fetch a couple more blankets?" The female cultivator did not respond, turning her head to shake off the hand. He He, unfazed, crouched in front of her, tenderly cradling her hands. "Why do you keep doing this to yourself? Ah, your nails are cracked... Does it hurt?" He He's cold fingers brushed over Xiang Shi Yan's shredded fingertips, gentle as a feather's touch, bringing with it a mocking sense of tenderness. He He knelt before her, delicately kissing Xiang Shi Yan's fingertips. "Let me bandage you, Master." Xiang Shi Yan violently pushed her away, wrapping her fingers forcefully around the girl’s delicate neck. The reopened wounds on her fingers bled anew, red streams trickling down into He He's collar. The woman rasped hoarsely, "Don't call me that! I'm not your master; you are merely... merely—" He He easily pried Xiang Shi Yan's hands apart, gripping her wrist tightly. In an instant, her human eyes transformed into reptilian slits, and a chilling aura emanated from her. "Did you take the pills I left last time, Master?" "Don't... call me that..." Xiang Shi Yan refused to meet her gaze, struggling but unable to break free, her turned-away face looking pitiable. He He sighed, lifting Xiang Shi Yan from the ground with one hand. The seemingly frail girl effortlessly picked up the woman who was more than half a head taller than herself, carrying her struggling form to the stone bed and tossing her onto it. Xiang Shi Yan's room, once filled with her belongings, had anything potentially threatening already removed by He He. What remained was mostly shattered by Xiang Shi Yan in a fit of frustrated deception. Despite discovering the betrayal and her emotional breakdown, Xiang Shi Yan wasn't someone who would usually lose control like this. He He imagined her master to be someone who would hide her sufferings deep within, outwardly showing nothing. But Xiang Shi Yan's current behavior was not entirely unexpected for He He. Ever since Xiang Shi Yan merged with the Xuan Scales Armor five years ago, her transformation into a pure-blooded jade fox demon, delayed by her mixed heritage, had been triggered. Left unchecked, she would eventually shift towards a full demon transformation. He He's dragon blood accelerated this change, infusing Xiang Shi Yan's aura with a hint of primordial power. The awakening of her bloodline also stirred dormant animalistic instincts, with some primitive and impulsive emotions starting to dominate and distract Xiang Shi Yan's heart. He He didn't seal her spiritual veins, yet Xiang Shi Yan found it impossible to calm her soul and channel her spiritual energy for cultivation. She felt as if a small fox was clawing at her insides, refusing to let her rest. Amid the demon fox clan, jade foxes are known for being sensitive and emotional, a trait linked to their innate bloodline. While such emotional acuity is advantageous for those cultivating the Path of Emotion and adept at illusions, for a latecomer like Xiang Shi Yan, it was uncertain territory. Never before had the surge of emotions been so vivid and unrestrained, leaving Xiang Shi Yan unable to repress them. The changes made her feel more melancholy about becoming less human. Within a month and a half of this transformation, fur had begun to grow on her neck and hands. At this pace, Xiang Shi Yan would soon be able to reveal her true jade fox form within a month. The Grandmaster cultivator curled helplessly on the bed, unable to control the fox ears that appeared, sadly pressing back against her head, wanting nothing to do with the black dragon who held her captive. Those droopy fox ears, when viewed from the front, appeared round and tempting to He He, always making her want to take a bite. But if she actually did, her master might just cry, so He He restrained herself. She bent down and picked up a small jade bottle, saying, "Master, if your injuries aren't treated soon, they might leave lasting effects. Don't harm yourself out of spite for me." He He had an abundance of high-quality pills that Xiang Shi Yan could destroy at will, but her health was what mattered. In that battle, He He hadn't held back much, and Xiang Shi Yan, under life-threatening circumstances, was no opponent to be toyed with as before. Even her internal organs and meridians were likely damaged. "I won't take them. Who knows what you've put in there," Xiang Shi Yan said, shivering in response as He He approached, pulling a blanket over her face defensively. The System had already confirmed that the healing pills were harmless, but Xiang Shi Yan refused the victor's charity. He He took a deep breath and forced a smile back on her face. She coaxed Xiang Shi Yan out of the blanket with half-hearted cheer, pressing the woman's shoulders firmly. "Open your mouth." Xiang Shi Yan glared at her coldly, clenching her jaw shut no matter how He He pinched her face. He He had no choice but to press her fingers against the woman's jaw while squeezing to force her mouth open. In response, Xiang Shi Yan's ears pricked up, her pupils narrowed, and her teeth elongated into sharp, beast-like fangs, biting into the black dragon's hand with an intensity as if wanting to tear off a piece of flesh. Murmuring incoherently, Xiang Shi Yan bit down hard on He He's finger. The pill dissolved immediately upon contact, and Xiang Shi Yan swallowed reflexively. Coughing slightly, Xiang Shi Yan wretched uncomfortably as He He released her. Acting on impulse, she reached to provoke her throat to vomit it out, but He He caught and restrained her hands again. Forcibly, the slender girl subdued Xiang Shi Yan, whose strength had multiplied due to her beast transformation, pressing her down onto the bed. "Don't move," He He commanded, shaking another small bottle from her sleeve. The fox demon's glance told her she knew exactly what it was, and she struggled even more fiercely. With the bottle's cap open, an eerie fragrance wafted out. Xiang Shi Yan squeezed her eyes shut in agony, trying to evade He He's actions. It was said that dragon blood and meat could prolong life and were rare treasures for demons. Even though Xiang Shi Yan had no desire for them, her body's instincts screamed with craving. Blood filled her mouth quickly, and Xiang Shi Yan whimpered softly. Each time her body felt pleasure from consuming dragon blood, she was consumed by the urge to bite her tongue and end it all. The act of consuming another's blood was repugnant enough, but receiving it from He He added an extra layer of shame. Through her struggles, He He's hand remained gently placed on Xiang Shi Yan's mouth, her fingers tracing beneath her chin down to her neck, only releasing her when Xiang Shi Yan reluctantly swallowed the dragon blood. The moment the pressure eased, Xiang Shi Yan shoved He He away. Her eyes, slightly reddened from the retch, still shimmered with unshed tears. Whether from instinct or true discomfort, her ears lay flat against her head, and her tail remained tucked between her legs, as if she were a bullied bride. The blood rapidly assimilated into her body, working with the previously consumed pill to heal her injuries. Xiang Shi Yan felt an itch rise in her chest, as if a feather were teasing her heart, while the wounds on her fingers rapidly regenerated. Her mangled nails were pushed off by new claws emerging, falling to the ground. This itchy and painful sensation was something Xiang Shi Yan had endured many times of late. Resistance was futile. He He would simply force the pills down her throat or submerge her in medicinal baths. The disparity in power was too great, and Xiang Shi Yan, now just a mortal albeit with great spiritual power, had no means to fight back. Like raising a pet beast with gentle perseverance, the demon dragon tended to her injuries with painstaking care, leaving Xiang Shi Yan feeling powerless. Her rage and defiance only seemed to amuse He He, as if her snarling protests were a fox's half-hearted tantrum. This was the part Xiang Shi Yan hated even more than the dragon blood—a stream of warm water that enveloped her hands with a strange suction, cleansing away the blood to reveal new, pink skin beneath. Unlike the sensation of submerging her hands in mere water, each strand of the flowing liquid seemed alive, meandering over her skin under He He's direction like some eerie creature. Xiang Shi Yan clenched her teeth, a blush creeping across her face, desperate to withdraw her hands from the water-bound tendrils. "Let me go... no..." The sensation was akin to being devoured whole by some creature, repeatedly licked and probed. Her vigorous struggles proved ineffective against the fluid that climbed ever upward along her arms. With gentle persistence, the water brushed away the blood at the corner of her mouth, rolling over her body despite her resistance, leaving Xiang Shi Yan immaculately clean despite her disheveled state. He He washed her like a cat, feeling gratified as Xiang Shi Yan's resistance faintly waned, and she gently petted the quivering fox ears atop her master's head. "Weren't you planning to kill me? Then cultivate diligently, for one day..." Her voice halted abruptly as a sweet, cedar fragrance filled her nostrils, making He He freeze on the spot.