Chapter 283: Asking a Tiger for Its Hide

In Chen Qingyang’s experience, when someone told him they had a better idea, that idea usually only benefited them at his expense.

“I wonder what kind of idea you have in mind, Senior?”

The True Dragon’s voice slowly echoed in his mind. “This Divine Soul of yours is truly wondrous. It has form, yet is formless; it has an appearance, yet reveals none. I could mold it into a circle if I wished, or flatten it completely. It’s as the saying goes: the vast ocean accepts all rivers, for its capacity is great…”

The creature was starting on a high note, pontificating with grand principles. Chen Qingyang didn’t interrupt, listening in silence.

Just then, a golden claw materialized in the void, a wisp of pure golden Qi Mechanism upon it. Unlike before, this strand of Qi Mechanism held no flame, simply coiling quietly like a golden thread. “Little Qi Refiner, do you know what this is?”

Though he couldn’t perceive the Qi Mechanism it contained, he figured it must be extraordinary. “I’m not sure.”

“Hehehe!” The creature sounded rather smug. “This is formed from my Dragon Tendon. The very essence of the cultivation I have amassed over my long life is condensed within it. Even those Foundation Establishment Masters could not hope to obtain a mere speck of it.”

“I have observed you closely. The True Essence in your body flows, generated from your Meridians, and gathers in Qi Vortexes that resemble a person’s acupoints. What’s more, the cloud of qi coalescing in your abdomen is like a Dantian. The only thing you lack… is this Dragon Tendon.”

“I shall embed it within your body to act as one of your Meridians—either the Ren Meridian or the Du Meridian. Once you merge with it, you will gain a hint of my divine essence. Then, by cultivating my True Skill, you will achieve twice the results with half the effort.”

Before Chen Qingyang stood only the Dragon Claw and the coiling golden thread; the True Dragon’s face was nowhere to be seen. Chen Qingyang paused. “Something this good must come at a price, right?”

The True Dragon’s voice boomed back immediately, rumbling like a thunderclap. “The price is that you will rapidly raise your Cultivation and get me out of here sooner.”

‘Only a three-year-old would fall for that.’ “Then let me have a look at it first!”

“Very well.”

The Dragon Claw, like a human hand, gave a light flick, and the golden thread drifted before the Conscious Fish. He carefully examined it with his Qi Mechanism but could find nothing amiss.

When he touched it with his Dragon Beard, he sensed the sheer power of the True Essence within. It was even more potent than that of the Earth Deity he had stolen from, if not more so.

“Never mind. This item is wonderful, but its origins are too murky for me to accept. Please, take it back, Senior.”

“Hey, now!” The True Dragon grew anxious, its eye once again pressing close to Chen Qingyang. This time, the flames burning within seemed to hold a certain alluring quality.

“Why are you so stubborn, Little Qi Refiner? I only mention this because I see that your Fire Attribute Technique is truly formidable, and I can’t bear to see your Cultivation hindered…”

As it spoke, Chen Qingyang remained expressionless, staring fixedly at it. After a long while, the True Dragon seemed to realize it was wasting its breath. “…Fine. I admit I have other intentions.”

Its voice was laced with resignation.

“What intentions?” Chen Qingyang finally responded.

“My main Divine Soul must remain here, so even if I leave a wisp of it in your body, I cannot use it for Possession. To do so, I would have to abandon a lifetime of Cultivation and suffer the agony of having my Divine Soul torn. I am absolutely unwilling to do that.”

‘That does make some sense,’ Chen Qingyang thought. ‘When Xuan Gui used Lin Qingxuan’s body to leave the Tai Xu Sect, he had to give up most of his Cultivation, and that was even with Lin Qingxuan’s special constitution. By the time they departed, Lin Qingxuan’s Divine Soul and Xuan Gui’s were in a symbiotic state—neither had destroyed the other.’

“So what is it you want?”

“Sigh…” The True Dragon heaved a sigh that echoed amidst the furious, surging flames. “It’s simple. This way, whenever you go out, I will see and hear everything you do. When you come back here, I can use this sliver of Dragon Tendon to witness it all… Just think of me as an old man. A pitiful old man who has been trapped here for a very long time… I desperately want to be free, but this is the only way I can have a taste of it.”

‘So he’s playing the pity card!’

This was still a dangerous proposition for Chen Qingyang. It would be like having a pair of eyes watching his every move.

His Conscious Fish, in particular, often had to pass through all sorts of Arrays. All his trump cards would be laid bare before the True Dragon’s eyes. The karmic implications were immense.

“No. That would put me at your mercy. I have plenty of secrets myself, and for the time being, I don’t want you to know who I am.”

“Hah!” The True Dragon flew into a rage. “Is this how you intend to cooperate with me? You have no sincerity at all! Can’t you even agree to this one, tiny request?”

Chen Qingyang was resolute. “No.”

“Heheheh…” In the void, the dragon’s form was nowhere to be seen, but its cry echoed all around.

It came in waves, powerful enough to make one’s head spin. Even Chen Qingyang, hidden away in the mountain, felt his scalp go numb with dread.

A terrible premonition rose in his heart. ‘What on earth is this creature going to do?’

Suddenly, an immense force clamped down on the Conscious Fish from all sides, holding it fast. He could only watch helplessly as the golden thread shot forward like a sharp arrow and pierced its body.

Flames ignited within his body as the Dragon Tendon began to merge with one of his Meridians. Two Dragon Claws then appeared on his left and right, spewing Li Yang Earth Fire at him.

He could neither speak nor struggle; he could only let it happen. The process lasted for a full day and night before the True Dragon finally ceased.

[Nanming Red Emperor’s Celestial Burning and Sea Boiling Daoist Truth: (1/34000)]

Just like that, his Conscious Fish’s Cultivation had been forced to break through to the Fourth Realm of Essence Condensation.