The Dragon

The White Dragon and the Huoyun Jiao engaged in a fierce battle in the sky before they both plummeted to the ground, their bodies smeared with blood. The Huoyun Jiao, landing close by, let out a sharp roar at the White Dragon, emitting a piercing cry that grated on the ears.

Zuo Yuezhi, cautious of the White Dragon’s identity, moved forward to intervene with the Huoyun Jiao. Regrettably, the Huoyun Jiao was not his spirit beast, and further, it had gone into a frenzy upon seeing the Dragon’s blood. Its eyes turned a vivid blood-red, showing no sign of stopping.

As the White Dragon’s body fell, it encircled Gu Fuyou and two others, struggling to rise, emitting a low growl. Fresh blood poured from its interlocked sharp fangs, cascading down like a stream of blood, strikingly vivid against the green bricks.

Gu Fuyou, running and crawling to the White Dragon, thoughtlessly pried open its mouth. The Dragon, sensing her intent, tried to pull away. But Gu Fuyou had already lifted its upper jaw, reaching in and cutting a long gash on her slender arm with the Dragon’s sharp teeth, blood gushing and dripping into the Dragon’s mouth.

The White Dragon seemed enraged, growling at Gu Fuyou, uttering two short roars, with blood continuing to flow from its mouth, staining its white teeth red.

Gu Fuyou, appearing overly fragile before the White Dragon, seemed like a green leaf battered by wind and rain, on the verge of breaking.

The constant fear and anxiety; the safety of Xiaoyao City; wondering where to seek help; evading the capture by the Zuo family; Lu Yandong’s hostility; her own body containing the essence of a Qilin; the realization that she was the root of all strife and misfortune; these burdens weighed heavily on her heart, pushing her to the brink of collapse, unable to withstand any more stress.

Compared to these centuries-old cultivators, she had only lived a little over two decades. In the world of cultivation, she was but an inexperienced child.

Growing up sheltered by her father and brothers, she had always been headstrong and spoiled, primarily focusing on her own needs. She never thought about their sacrifices for her or the challenges they faced in maintaining the family’s prestige and position.

Her father and brothers protected her from the outside world’s hardships, striving to give her a carefree life. Even though she had encountered life-and-death situations, she came to realize that the world held challenges far greater than just surviving.

She had yet to truly encounter life’s difficulties. Eventually, she would need to shoulder the responsibility for Xiaoyao City’s safety, constantly worry about her father and brothers, and carry the guilt for the endless problems her impulsiveness had created, as well as for possessing the Qilin Marrow that led to much bloodshed. It would be then that she would truly grasp the weight of responsibilities.

Her untested nature, in that moment, was too fragile and easily broken.

Feeling as if she was on the brink of being torn apart by the storms of life, and seeing the White Dragon covered in blood, her heart was breaking. She couldn’t bear it any longer; if the white dragon died in front of her, she knew she would collapse, descend into madness.

“You’re hurt, you’re hurt…” she murmured, wanting to comfort her, but with so many wounds on her body, she didn’t know where to touch.

The Records of the Azure Emperor did not detail the effects of the Qilin Marrow; it only mentioned its immense spiritual power, one drop equating to the power of countless spirit stones. She was unsure if this power would help her wounds, but thought it was worth a try, as it could do no harm.

She was eager to feed her more, but the White Dragon reacted defensively, baring her teeth, flaring her nostrils, her whiskers swaying, and golden pupils narrowing sharply in anger. She was visibly enraged, furiously seething. Despite it being the world’s most sought-after treasure, coveted by all spirit beasts, she stubbornly refused to drink even a single drop.

She didn’t want it.

Though White Dragon refused, Huoyun Jiao, on the other hand, seemed increasingly eager, looking as if it wanted to swallow Gu Fuyou whole.

With a turn of his head, White Dragon let out a powerful roar that shook the heavens.

This angry roar was deafening, causing legs to weaken and hearts to fear. Huoyun Jiao, initially lunging, was halted by the roar. A primal urge to submit surged through its being, causing it to take a step back.

In that instant, everyone felt it; before them stood a true Dragon King.

The intimidation was brief. Once Huoyun Jiao regained its senses, it seemed eager to devour Gu Fuyou again.

The White Dragon positioned herself protectively in front of Gu Fuyou and two others in its body, facing the Huoyun Jiao with full alertness.

Gu Fuyou and her companions knew they couldn’t remain there for long and had to find a way out. Outnumbered and outpowered, they felt like trapped turtles. Even with the Qilin Marrow, Gu Fuyou doubted its ability to aid their escape, especially with the additional challenge of rescuing the trapped Gu Huaiyou.

Zuo Yuezhi exchanged a secretive glance with the elders of Biluo Sect. It was now undeniable that Gu Fuyou had ties with the Dragon clan. Their priority was to capture her.

Just as they were about to make their move, Lu Yandong suddenly grunted. The defense formation of the city lord’s mansion has been breached.

A fiery arrow struck the Huoyun Jiao in its vulnerable neck, too fast for it to evade. Though the Huoyun Jiao’s scales were as tough as a dragon’s and it was deeply cultivated, this attack made it howl in pain, revealing the arrow embedded in its flesh.

More than ten cultivators arrived on flying swords, breaking into the City Lord’s Mansion. Zuo Yuezhi recognized that the arrow matched the Golden Dragon tooth arrow he possessed, Zuo Yuezhi instantly alerted everyone: “It’s the Dragon clan!”

These cultivators moved towards Zhong Michu and others, aiming to rescue them. Zuo Yuezhi and his group, assuming they were after the Qilin Marrow, used their spiritual power to intercept them.

The Vice President and his group, upon arrival, realized the vast difference in strength between them and their opponents. Zuo Yuezhi, the Biluo Sect elder, and the Huoyun Jiao spirit beast were all powerful cultivators in the Hollow Void stage, with Lu Yandong at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, plus five Nascent Soul cultivators and several Golden Core cultivators under Zuo Yuezhi’s command, not counting those under Lu Yandong.

On their side, the Vice President was the only Hollow Void cultivator, supported by two Nascent Soul and about a dozen Golden Core cultivators — a strong lineup for a merchant association. However, with the President and Kunling away and part of their force guarding the guild, they were at a disadvantage, especially against the formidable Xu Ling Sect.

The principle of their merchant association was to keep their identities hidden. Yet now, to save their people, they had to reveal themselves.

Upon entering and seeing the blood-covered White Dragon, the Vice President’s eyelids twitched, cursing inwardly: “Damn it, even if we rescue them, I’ll get a tight scolding from Kunling. If we fail, I’m as good as dead, and they might even exhume and burn my remains.”

Upon hearing this, the merchant association members shivered, feeling a deep sense of loathing towards Zuo Yuezhi and his group for putting them in this difficult situation. Faced with their attempts to stop them, the members’ anger flared, and they quickly sprang into action.

While they were at a disadvantage in terms of individual power, they made up for it with superior magical artifacts. Handling countless treasures due to their role in trading magical artifacts, spiritual pills, and spirit beasts, they had many precious items at their disposal. Moreover, they covertly worked for the Dragon Clan and possessed weapons made from Dragon scales and Phoenix marrow, making their equipment incredibly strong. As a result, they managed to hold their ground against Zuo Yuezhi and his group.

However, Lu Yandong and the elder from Biluo Sect had yet to join the fight. Given that this territory belonged to Dongzhou, the moment Biluo Sect decided to intervene, they could easily overpower the merchant association.

Zuo Yuezhi shouted at the elder, “Elder, why are you hesitating? We can’t let them get the Qilin marrow!”

The elder from Biluo Sect didn’t want the Dragon Clan to obtain the Qilin marrow, but he was also wary of incurring the wrath of the Dragon Clan.

While they hesitated, someone else saw an opportunity.

Gu Fuyou took out the Yan’er Bell and, seeing the chaos in the Xu Ling Sect, smeared her blood on it. She recalled how the bell had reacted previously, possibly due to her blood providing spiritual power. Hoping to recreate the illusionary environment to rescue Gu Huaiyou and escape with Zhong Michu, she tried the same tactic.

However, even after smearing the bell with her blood, it did not react. Desperately shaking it, she pleaded, “Please work, I’ll give you as much blood as you need.”

The Yan’er Bell didn’t recognize her as its master. Its actions seemed mood-dependent. For some unknown reason, it didn’t cooperate with her.

Suddenly, the White Dragon, coiled around her shoulder, moved its head closer to the bell and growled threateningly. In response, the bell levitated and began to chime loudly.

The Yan’er Bell, smeared with Qilin marrow, was truly powerful. To Gu Fuyou and her group, their surroundings appeared the same. However, for others, the scene transformed dramatically; the courtyard now looked like a landscape of swords and flames. Even Zuo Yuezhi, skilled in the Hollow Void stage, was briefly ensnared by the illusion.

However, the Yan’er Bell had one flaw—it had no master.

Though sentient, the bell’s intelligence couldn’t match that of a human. Without a master to synchronize with, it lacked the flexibility and variety in creating illusions capable of confusing the senses and blurring the line between reality and illusion, making it a formidable weapon that even Hollow Void cultivators found hard to resist. Unfortunately, without a master, its illusions were rigid and less captivating, with many loopholes.

Zuo Yuezhi, who had known about Gu Fuyou’s possession of the Yan’er Bell, had researched this artifact beforehand and was prepared. After a moment of disorientation in the illusion, he managed to free himself.

In that brief moment, the White Dragon, carrying Gu Fuyou and two others, rushed to Gu Huaiyou’s side, intending to rescue him and flee.

Suddenly, a figure appeared, grabbing Gu Huaiyou’s shoulder and standing beside him. This man in blue, the elder of the Biluo Sect, looked down at Gu Fuyou, his eyes shining with a golden light, unaffected by the illusion.

Gu Fuyou abruptly recalled an elder from the Biluo Sect known for practicing the Unfeeling Way. Her knowledge of it, albeit limited, came from Yunran, who also pursued this path. This particular elder had mastered the Unfeeling Way and was endowed with a unique ability called Fire Eyes, Golden Gaze, enabling him to see through illusions. His focused mind, combined with these extraordinary eyes, made him immune to the illusion’s effects.

The Biluo Sect might have sent this elder specifically because of his ability to counter the bell’s power.

Before she could think further, the elder released a wave of spiritual energy. The White Dragon fell, and she was forced to kneel, trembling and unable to stand.

Gripping her sword embryo, she ignored the pain and pierced her trembling hand, letting the blood flow onto the sword. The White Dragon, sounding both annoyed and sorrowful, called out, “Gu Fuyou!”

Gu Fuyou swiftly turned the sword embryo, activating a defensive formation. Thanks to the spiritual power, the formation absorbed much of the pressure, easing the burden on her. Still, she felt weak and struggled to breathe steadily.

Her plan to secretly rescue Gu Huaiyou using the illusion was not feasible. They had already anticipated this and had taken precautions. She couldn’t forcibly take him back either. So, what could she do? She couldn’t just abandon Gu Huaiyou.

She glanced at the elder, then looked at Gu Huaiyou, who was still lost in the illusion. There was a look of heartbreak in her eyes, gradually clouded by a mist of despair. Her family had protected her carefree for over twenty years. Now that it was her turn, she felt helpless. She despised her own uselessness.

Her lips trembled, murmuring: “Gu Huaiyou…”

But the current situation didn’t even allow her a moment to succumb to her despair.

The Huoyun Jiao, still trapped in the illusion, charged and snapped at her. Although it seemed not to have broken free from the illusion, its precise tracking of Gu Fuyou’s location was a testament to the terrifying instinct of a wild beast.

The White Dragon roared, a sound distinct from its previous cries, filled with madness. It forcefully broke free from the suppression of the elder from BiLuo Sect and confronted the Huoyun Jiao head-on. They clashed, biting and tearing at each other as if possessed. Beneath the vast sky, the Dragon’s roar was incessant.

Roars of anger, mournful wails, painful groans, and fierce growls.

These were heart-wrenching sounds, capable of shattering souls.

Gu Fuyou looked up at the white figure in the sky, blood falling like petals of plum blossoms. Her lips trembled, unable to make a sound.

No, not you too…