The Transmigrator's Cultivation

Arc 15: Heavenly Secret Realm | Chapter 263: Qiulongs Gift

Arc 15: Heavenly Secret Realm | Chapter 263: Qiulong's Gift

Translator: Lynn

Xu Ziqing immediately became alert, a chill running through his heart.

…What is it?

With just a thought, Rongjin positioned himself protectively around Xu Ziqing, who then lowered his head to peer down at the whirlpool.

He saw a shadow slowly emerging from within the whirlpool. The massive shape almost spanned the entire river, evoking a sense of dread.

As the creature gradually floated upward, its body began to tilt, and then a head slowly rose from the whirlpool, exhaling as it ascended, causing the swirling waters to expand even further.

Once the creature’s head emerged, it ceased rising, instead raising its head to gaze upward, its eyes glinting coldly.

The creature had the head of a camel, the mouth of a donkey, the eyes of a tortoise, the ears of a cow, the scales of a fish, and the body of a snake. Its entire form was jet black, exuding an imposing and majestic presence.

Its appearance was strangely familiar, and at the same time, it radiated an aura of nobility, causing anyone who laid eyes on it to feel a tremor in their soul.

This creature was unmistakably a mo dragon!

Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but gasp, momentarily stunned.

Dragons are divine beings. In the cultivation world, even beasts with a trace of dragon blood are highly sought after, especially dragon-like monsters, which are more common. However, it is precisely because these creatures have dragon blood that they can dominate their territories in the seas.

But who has ever seen a real dragon?

Even though the cultivation world is rich in spiritual energy, it is not enough to sustain a divine dragon, let alone nurture one!

However, Xu Ziqing quickly regained his composure. The creature in the water lacked the horns that are a defining feature of a divine dragon. This likely wasn’t a true divine dragon.

Realizing this didn’t bring him much comfort.

Since entering the secret realm, he had encountered many wondrous sights, making it clear that the abilities of ancient cultivators were beyond comprehension, leaving him uneasy.

And this dragon-like creature—who knows how much of a divine dragon’s essence it had inherited?

The fact that it could exist here unscathed meant it likely possessed considerable power.

With these thoughts in mind, Xu Ziqing became even more vigilant.

At that moment, Yun Lie spoke, “This is a qiulong1literally means Qiu dragon.”

Xu Ziqing was taken aback. “…Qiulong?”

He seemed to recall something, and his eyes widened in realization.

A qiulong is a dragon without horns, a subspecies of the dragon.

Mortals have seen such creatures and mistakenly believed them to be young dragons. However, in the cultivation world, their true origins are well known.

It is recorded in ancient texts, passed down through unknown years, that this creature is the offspring of a divine dragon and a demon python. Because its bloodline is impure, it cannot reside permanently in the celestial realm and was thus cast into the cultivation world to live or die as fate decrees.

However, the Qiulong race was always rare. When encountered by cultivators, they would gather in groups to slay it. Although its essence is not as pure as that of a true dragon, it is still far superior to most other mixed bloodlines, making it a treasure of the mortal world. Over time, the Qiulong race has nearly become extinct. Yet, once its abilities mature, it can bring about a storm of bloodshed and even fall into demonic ways, potentially ruling an entire realm.

Thus, when Xu Ziqing realized that this creature was a qiulong, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of fear.

Once a Qiulong reaches adulthood, its power is comparable to that of an expert at the Nascent Soul stage. With a longer lifespan, it could reach the Great Ascension stage or even undergo tribulation, and due to its bloodline, it is immune to heavenly tribulation… This Qiulong is so enormous, that it is certainly not young, meaning it must be at least at the Nascent Soul stage.

Although both he and his Shixiong are highly talented, their cultivation level is far inferior to this creature’s…

At this point, Xu Ziqing could only force himself to stay calm. “Shixiong, shall we fight it?” He was already prepared to live and die alongside his Shixiong.

The next moment, he felt a steady hand press down on his shoulder. Only then did Xu Ziqing realize that he had been trembling slightly.

Yun Lie said, “This Qiulong is nearing the end of its lifespan. It is no longer our match.”

Xu Ziqing stiffened. Looking closely at the qiulong, he realized that his Shixiong was right. Earlier, his emotions had clouded his judgment, preventing him from examining it closely. Now, he could see that the Qiulong’s body was unsteady, lacking the vigor it must have had in its youth. Its imposing aura was more a result of its innate nobility than of overwhelming power.

Although its head appeared fierce, its eyes lacked sharpness, and the light in them was dim—clear signs of old age.

Its cultivation level seemed to be only slightly stronger than the late Golden Core stage, but still far inferior to the Nascent Soul stage.

If he and his Shixiong were to fight it, even if they suffered some injuries, they would surely be able to take it down.

Afterward, they could claim its dragon scales, dragon blood, and even its inner core, all for themselves.

It was an immense temptation.

But…

Xu Ziqing’s expression turned somewhat complicated.

Though the dragon is old, its dragon might remain.

Even as a sub-dragon, this still holds true.

Thus, even though it is trapped in these shallow waters, confined to this narrow river area, it still intimidates the surrounding monsters, preventing them from encroaching.

This is why the nearby beast lairs do not dare to cross its path, and why this area’s spiritual herbs and medicines remain intact.

Xu Ziqing was able to obtain so many spiritual herbs and plants, likely due to the benevolence of this Qiulong. In his previous life, the country he lived in had worshipped divine dragons for generations. Although this didn’t mean he had any special connection, it did make him hesitant. He might be willing to take action against various exotic beasts with dragon blood, but when it came to this ancient, dragon-like Qiulong, which was on the verge of death, he truly couldn’t bring himself to harm it.

He felt some regret, but the matter was not something he wished to pursue, and that was the end of it.

After hesitating for a moment, Xu Ziqing turned to Yun Lie and said, “Shixiong, it’s rare for it to have lived peacefully to this age. I…,” he paused, “I wish for it to pass away naturally. What do you think?”

At this moment, Xu Ziqing thought: that he indeed had compassion, but if Yun Lie needed the creature, he would still be willing to act despite his reluctance.

Yun Lie, though cold in demeanor, understood many of his junior brother’s thoughts. Seeing Xu Ziqing’s hesitation, he saw through it immediately and said, “Let’s move on.”

Xu Ziqing looked up suddenly, his eyes brightening.

Shixiong was willing to let the Qiulong go? He thought for a moment and felt a sense of joy.

Indeed, Shixiong was a person of righteousness. Though he killed to stop killing, he was not one to kill indiscriminately or out of selfishness.

The Qiulong was old, and on the verge of enjoying its natural lifespan, which was already a blessing. Moreover, the creature harbored no malice. If they were to take the life of such an elderly being for personal gain, it would be against their principles. Xu Ziqing’s reluctance was understandable, and even though Yun Lie’s emotions were cold, he was highly principled, so sparing the Qiulong was the right decision.

Xu Ziqing’s expression softened, and he addressed the Qiulong below, “My Shixiong and I are merely passing through, with no intention of causing you trouble. We’ll be on our way now, and hope you won’t obstruct us.”

The Qiulong, highly intelligent and not a mere demon, divine, or spirit beast, should understand human speech.

Sure enough, the Qiulong remained motionless.

Seeing this, Xu Ziqing relaxed and continued forward.

Before long, the two of them were nearly out of the Qiulong’s sight when suddenly, an old voice called out.

“Young one, I am moved by your intentions. Take this as a gift.”

Xu Ziqing was startled and immediately turned back.

A mass of golden dragon energy rushed toward him, gentle and rich with kindness, compelling him to reach out and catch it.

Xu Ziqing suddenly found himself grasping something smooth and soft, and it felt warm in his hand. He looked down and saw that the golden dragon qi had formed into a ball that he was holding. Inside, there was a cluster of dragon blood about the size of a thumb, three dark scales, and several dragon whiskers—an unexpectedly rich bounty, and the value was immeasurable.

This… this was truly beyond his expectations…

Xu Ziqing looked up in surprise at Yun Lie, his eyes full of confusion. “Shixiong, this…?”

Yun Lie remained expressionless. His left hand was still holding onto the rock wall, but he freed his right hand and placed it on top of Xu Ziqing’s head. “A righteous heart will not harm your fortune. You can accept it.”

Xu Ziqing smiled slightly and said nothing more. Perhaps Yun Lie was right—because he had no greed in his heart, he had earned the favor of the old Qiulong and received these three items. Since the Qiulong had willingly given them, with no trace of resentment, it was truly a gift to him.

Feeling grateful, Xu Ziqing stored the items and then turned to call out loudly, “Thank you, Honored One. We will take our leave now!”

The old Qiulong dipped its head slightly, its body sinking as it retreated into the depths of the river.

After parting from the old Qiulong, the two brothers moved much faster and, within about an hour, reached the end of the long river.

This river was the domain of the old Qiulong, so they encountered no further dangers along the way.

At the end of the long river, the water source split into several streams that flowed in different directions, and the surrounding mountain walls had come to an end. They had finally exited the fierce tiger mountain range, and now they could fly freely, no longer bound by the rules of the mountains.

Xu Ziqing, now at ease, reflected on the past day and night, realizing just how perilous it had been. The journey, though not long, had been full of unexpected twists and turns. However, he felt more at ease now—not only because of the many benefits he had gained but also because the experiences had given him more valuable insights.

As they extended their spiritual senses outward, they couldn’t gauge the vastness of the area. What had been a mere fragment of a map now made them feel small and unable to grasp the full extent of the world around them.

Now, they were faced with a problem.

They had come here to seek the essence of Heavenly Metal and the sword-shaped wood.

To find the essence of Heavenly Metal, they needed to locate an area rich in metal qi. Although the fragment of the map they obtained from the Fox King had some clues, it wasn’t directly connected to this area, making the search difficult. Therefore, since they had entered together with Xuanze, it was best to reunite with him first and then seek out the sword-shaped wood nearby.

But… this place was so vast—how could they find Xuan Ze?

If they released a signal, they were indeed isolated and vulnerable in this hidden realm, and a careless mistake might attract those with ill intentions.

As Xu Ziqing was pondering, Yun Lie began to walk ahead.

Xu Ziqing immediately followed, all the while extending his spiritual senses to remain alert to their surroundings.

Beyond the mountain range was an expansive land that stretched endlessly, dotted with some small mountain ranges that were not as treacherous as the fierce tiger mountain range.

The large grassy areas were advantageous for Xu Ziqing, allowing him to use his wood escape technique to bring his shixiong Yun Lie along, saving a lot of energy.

They traveled a considerable distance, but unfortunately, there was still no sign of Xuan Ze. Ahead, they saw a dense forest. To avoid any potential dangers, Xu Ziqing stopped before entering the forest.

But just as they stopped, before Xu Ziqing could discuss anything with Yun Lie, he heard voices coming from the forest.

His heart stirred, and he looked up.

At that moment, several people suddenly emerged from the dense forest.

Xu Ziqing’s wariness immediately intensified.

These people… had such heavy killing intent.

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