Quite abruptly, the Fish-Dragon darted out from the shadowy recesses of the forest, displaying a speed that could rival that of a Vacuum Walking Cultivator. In a flash, it soared beyond the treetops, pausing momentarily at that height before bursting forth with an even more astonishing speed, transforming into a black line that shot toward the sky.
Upon reaching a certain altitude, the slender form of the Fish-Dragon began to sway violently in the void, a clear sign of its excitement. However, as Xie Yan's gaze followed the Fish-Dragon's movements, his mood had darkened to its utmost.
The Fish-Dragon's brazenly arrogant demeanor was a stark contrast to the lifeless Yu Ci, and it was a sight that was painfully glaring.
The Fish-Dragon was brought by Yu Ci, but it was Xie Yan who had half-forced Yu Ci to feed it with his Primordial Qi. Regardless of whether the ultimate goal was achieved, Yu Ci had complied without any discount, even delaying the crucial period of stimulating potential after the formation of his Yin Spirit.
The efforts and sacrifices made by Yu Ci were all remembered by Xie Yan. However, he wasn't even given the chance to make amends.
His sword-holding hand slightly tightened, Xie Yan had locked onto the trajectory of the Fish-Dragon: Without the Golden Bone Jade Disc, no matter how valuable the Fish-Dragon was, it was meaningless. Perhaps using this Heavenly Earth Spiritual Artifact as a burial companion for the young man would be satisfactory?
With a sizzling sound, a splash of blood exploded from the airborne Fish-Dragon.
Xie Yan was taken aback, his blade that had just been half drawn paused, for he had not made his move yet!
The moment the blood splashed, it seemed endless. The slender body of the Fish-Dragon seemed to be filled with firecrackers, exploding one after another, the force of the explosions causing its body to twist and contort violently, blood spattering in all directions, a sight that was utterly horrifying.
Everyone on the shadowy slope of the mountain was shocked by this scene.
The Fish-Dragon was in the throes of joy turning into sorrow!
This creature was initially attracted by the "delicacy". The so-called "delicacy" referred to the large creature that had been nurturing it with its own Primordial Qi for the past ten days. Although the Primordial Qi was nourishing, it was not as satisfying as swallowing the "delicacy" whole for a hearty meal! However, the power of the large creature was much stronger than its own, and in its simple memory, it seemed to have been at a disadvantage before, thus it had always been hesitant to make a move.
Until just now, a part of the large creature had suddenly separated, and that part had become very weak, weak to the point where it no longer feared it. That was an irresistible temptation!
Driven by instinct, the Fish-Dragon did not hesitate at all, rushed forward, and swallowed it whole!
With its wish fulfilled, the Fish-Dragon's simple mind was filled with joy. The taste was indeed wonderful, although it seemed a bit hard to digest, and there was a hint of another aroma. No, that was not an aroma, it was a ball of fire!
In just an instant, the flesh and Divine Soul of the Fish-Dragon were all ignited, followed by a violent explosion.
As the Fish-Dragon's flesh flew about, Yu Ci's Yin Spirit, already on the brink of collapse, was given a chance to buffer. The "aroma" that ignited the Yin Spirit was actually limited, when it burned more targets, it inevitably thinned out, allowing Yu Ci to hang on to life.
He knew he had been swallowed by the Fish-Dragon, this heavenly and earthly Spiritual Artifact was connected to his Aura, and the Yin Spirit, transformed by the Divine Bronze Mirror, might fool others, but not this creature. Yu Ci had not expected such a decisive turn of events, the Fish-Dragon retaliated without hesitation, albeit at a great cost.
The malicious scent was somewhat reminiscent of the "A Dream to Return" that once brought disaster upon Nan Songzi. Both ignited the inner fire Heart Demon, causing harm to the Divine Soul and physical body simultaneously. However, the duration was shorter, and the intensity was far more severe.
From the moment Yu Ci's Yin Spirit was affected, to the Fish-Dragon being blown into a bloody mess, the entire process took no more than three breaths of an average person. But having been in contact with the scent, Yu Ci and the Fish-Dragon had already made a round trip to the brink of the Death Gate! More precisely, they were teetering on the edge of the Death Gate, swaying uncertainly, unsure of which way to fall.
The Fish-Dragon was on its last breath, so was Yu Ci.
Although they managed to cling to a thread of life amidst the disaster brought about by the scent, Yu Ci's newly formed Yin Spirit had suffered a heavy blow. He was just a step away from soul scattering. However, precisely at this moment, the Fish-Dragon, desperately needing nourishment, instinctively activated its powerful absorption function. It intended to digest all the Primordial Qi it could draw from its surroundings to compensate for the damage it had just sustained. This, of course, included the Yin Spirit of Yu Ci that had already fallen into its stomach.
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At this moment, Yu Ci had no power to resist. He was like being stuffed under a gigantic grindstone, his already weakened Yin Spirit was crushed and grinded, unable to maintain its integrity. In the blink of an eye, it shattered and was pulled away by an irresistible suction. All he had left was the last bit of tenacity that even death could not erase, maintaining the most basic thinking and a thread of Divine Light that would not extinguish.
This was all he had now.
But because of this thread of Divine Light, even if the Yin Spirit was shattered, Yu Ci still maintained a sense of all the fragments and knew the position of each piece.
He suddenly understood something.
Yu Ci had long known that the Fish-Dragon's flesh and Divine Soul were integrated, with almost no distinction between the spiritual and physical. However, he only knew this in theory. He was not clear about the actual state of the fusion of the flesh and Divine Soul. Yet, at this moment, when his Yin Spirit was ground into fragments and integrated into the Fish-Dragon's body, he suddenly understood.
He noticed the direction in which the shattered fragments of the Yin Spirit were heading. It was not towards any part of the Fish-Dragon's damaged flesh and Divine Soul, but towards the core of the Fish-Dragon's body. Was that the Spine?
It was probably the position of the Spine, feeling more like a tendon, elusive, hard to grasp its entity. But all fragments of the Yin Spirit were absorbed there, including the life-giving Primordial Qi drawn from the outside world. All were gathered there. The Fish-Dragon's flesh and Divine Soul, though still on the verge of collapse, did not retain or miss a bit, but integrated all these nutrients into the "Spine".
At this very moment, the flesh and Divine Soul of the Fish-Dragon held only one significance: to absorb nutrients and transport them to this place. For this purpose, the flesh and Divine Soul of the Fish-Dragon had no set pattern. Its state was neither of the flesh body nor of the Divine Soul. Instead, it was ceaselessly changing to achieve the goal of absorbing all kinds of life energy, the Primordial Qi.
Observing all of this, Yu Ci had a strong feeling. To him, the Fish-Dragon appeared like a large brush soaked in ink, focusing its spirit and energy to draw the simplest horizontal stroke. This stroke embodied the "Spine" of the Fish-Dragon, and its flesh and Divine Soul were merely the ink blots at the edges. Compared to the former, they were insignificant.
This horizontal stroke governed everything, making all revolve around it, forming a simple and clear whole.
Yu Ci was inexplicably excited, as if seeing a glimmer of hope, but his thoughts were unprecedentedly clear and distinct:
"The whole, this is what can be considered the holistic thinking of the Primordial Root Qi Method."
After practicing the Primordial Root Qi Method, he categorized the Divine Soul and flesh body, including the later Divine Bronze Mirror, into the "Physical Image" as a whole. By using the reflection of the whole structure, he discovered the "Mental Image", condensing into the Yin Spirit. But how could that be considered a whole compared to the Fish-Dragon before him?
In the end, he was merely taking shortcuts, assembling different parts like building a house, forming a rough model. In fact, he had not put up the "main beam", that is, the "ideological framework" he had always lacked.
Only like the Fish-Dragon, with a clearly defined focus, even the flesh and Divine Soul served it, unifying everything onto an irreplaceable Spine, can it be considered a true amalgamation, a true whole.
In this state, as long as the "Spine" exists, everything exists!
What the Fish-Dragon possessed was exactly what he lacked.
The Fish-Dragon's consumption had reached its final stages, Yu Ci didn't think there was anything left of him besides his thoughts. But strangely, his thoughts were becoming clearer and spreading wider, and he thought:
In fact, if we talk about holistic thinking, this Fish-Dragon that is devouring him should also be considered a part of his "Physical Image". It's just that he didn't have a way to depict its complex flesh and Structure of the Soul with a single stroke, integrating it into the system of the Primordial Root Qi Method.
But isn't that exactly what it is now?
**********
When the Fish-Dragon was blasted into pieces, more than ten cultivators on the shady slope thought it was Xie Yan who had retaliated in anger. After all, he had unsheathed his sword halfway. They were heartbroken over the damage to this heavenly and earthly Spiritual Artifact. However, some people didn't pay any attention to it at all.
During the minor chaos caused by the Fish-Dragon, Ming Lan moved naturally to Red Yin's side. To onlookers, it would seem as if she were merely meeting with her own Master. Only Red Yin glanced at her, a half-smile on her face, already perceiving her intentions.
Thus, Red Yin initiated the conversation, "After tonight, I will return to the East Sea. I'll leave the matters here to you, Master Ming."
Ming Lan's usually radiant smile faded slightly, "Master..."
"No need to say more, I have my own plans," Red Yin's gaze swept over the faces of the surrounding cultivators, "A decade has passed, almost in vain. Thankfully, my days in this remote and desolate place are finally over."
As she expressed her sentiments, Ming Lan whispered, "The person who is to succeed you in the sect has not arrived yet."
Red Yin's eyebrows furrowed suddenly, her expression clearly showing annoyance. Ming Lan paused, but quickly realized that the female cultivator's annoyance was not directed at her.
In the dim night, Red Yin slightly adjusted her sleeves. Ming Lan, being the closest and most attentive, noticed that the female cultivator slightly changed her stance. Under the cover of her elegant clothes, her supple body made a small movement.
At that moment, she heard Red Yin hiss lightly, annoyed, "It's so hot!"
Ming Lan was taken aback, then saw the female cultivator's face darken significantly, her gaze shifting towards the Fish-Dragon in mid-air.
Her gaze followed suit, and then Ming Lan saw the severely injured Fish-Dragon, as if its bones were sucked out, plummeting straight down. A sudden mountain wind rolled the slender body of the Fish-Dragon, gently drifting sideways, hanging on a tree branch, motionless.
Just as everyone was surprised and puzzled, a very low moan came with the wind.
The sound originated from Xie Yan's position.
Xie Yan's face stiffened.
At this moment, Yu Ci opened his eyes, perfectly witnessing Xie Yan's unprecedented expression change from shock to ecstasy. He smirked, wanting to say something, but couldn't hold on, his head tilted, and he passed out.
**********
Brother Fishbone said to Red Yin: Let's get started; Red Yin said to Brother Fishbone: I'm not done with you! Ming Lan said: When stealing, always hide things in the right place.
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