Chapter 0: 50. I am still growing
After hearing the System prompt, Qin Gou immediately poured spiritual power into his eyes. He discovered that Qiu Qian Yue’s pleasure point had returned to its original position, the back of her neck, which was only sensitive when she was interested in girls, rather than the overly normal spot it had become after being influenced by the Heart Reversing Mirror. He finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Being this girl’s master has really worn me out. Qin Gou chuckled, then reached out and untied the Xiangluo Belt around Qiu Qian Yue’s soft waist. As the creator of this spatial magic artifact, Qin Gou communicated with it using his spiritual power and easily placed Qiu Qian Yue into the small, self-contained space within the belt.
It was just as Qiu Qian Yue herself had once done, safely placing all her good sisters within it and carrying them with her.
“Start drawing the Natal Dharma Aspect that you just rewarded me with,” Qin Gou thought to himself. Although he was excited to have a Dharma Aspect so quickly, he knew that his old friend, the System, was never this generous under normal circumstances.
Even though it had repeatedly emphasized that the rewarded Dharma Aspect was ‘unsealed,’ Qin Gou was no stranger to its methods and knew its tricks ran deep.
A massive roulette wheel appeared in Qin Gou’s vision, its pointer spinning rapidly. Names renowned throughout the Cultivation World constantly flashed on the wheel.
The Vast Sea Dragon King Dharma Aspect, the Blazing Sun Dharma Aspect, the Evil Gu Immortal Dharma Aspect… In a flash, Qin Gou even saw Zhao Xin Ting’s Heavenless Dharma Aspect among the options.
And finally.
The pointer stopped steadily, and two unfamiliar words appeared before his eyes.
‘Demon Star’.
In an instant, Qin Gou’s surroundings changed rapidly. He found himself in a pitch-black space.
The only light here was a colossal, nearly blinding, eternally burning blue flame emanating from a massive meteorite before him, occupying almost his entire field of vision.
Qin Gou knew this was the first contact between the Dharma Aspect and its host, a kind of special master-acknowledging ritual.
He didn’t hesitate and stepped forward. The intense heat naturally emitted by the ‘Demon Star’ Dharma Aspect had no effect on him as its master.
The moment Qin Gou’s palm touched the surface of the blue meteorite, the two merged instantly, their bloodlines connected. After a dizzying whirl, Qin Gou felt as if he had woken from a dream. His consciousness returned to the Listening Sword Tomb, as if everything that had just happened was a mere dream.
Yet, he could clearly feel that with a single thought, he could bring that giant blue Demon Star to descend upon the world and shatter all things.
“System, list the data for the ‘Demon Star’ Dharma Aspect.”
Soon, Qin Gou learned everything about the ‘Demon Star.’
As a Dharma Aspect, it possessed the formidable destructive power common to all Dharma Aspects. However, it lacked special abilities like the Divine Feather Dharma Aspect’s ‘Feather Transformation of All Things’ or the Mother of Cursed Gods Dharma Aspect’s ‘Endless Curse.’ It seemed its rank wasn’t very high?
However, the System gave the ‘Demon Star’ Dharma Aspect a very strange evaluation, which greatly confused Qin Gou.
“I am still growing.”
Qin Gou asked in confusion, “Who is ‘I’?”
The System’s voice was emotionless: “I am I.”
“You? The System? Or is this Demon Star Dharma Aspect actually an ‘egg,’ with something else hidden inside?”
From then on, no matter how Qin Gou questioned it, the System would not provide any further precise answers.
“Then can I truly use this Dharma Aspect as I please? Has it truly been unsealed by you?” Qin Gou, filled with doubts and helplessness, changed his question.
“The Host can use the ‘Demon Star’ Dharma Aspect freely. However, due to the Host’s low realm and lack of sufficient spiritual power, using the Demon Star Dharma Aspect will automatically cost the Host’s lifespan as an equivalent exchange.”
“I knew it,” Qin Gou chuckled wryly. “Such a heavy price, it’s almost like a weakened version of the Heavenless Dharma Aspect.”
Now, with the Myriad Seed, such a miraculous and powerful Natal Spirit Tool, Qin Gou could continuously produce Profound grade Longevity Fruits. Each fruit swallowed could extend his lifespan by ten years.
It was a pity that Longevity Fruits could not be consumed indefinitely, otherwise, so many mighty cultivators in the Cultivation World would not have passed away in unwilling resignation.
The number of Longevity Fruits each person could consume varied, more or less, but it was always finite. Whether consuming a low-grade Profound grade Longevity Fruit or the legendary Heavenly grade Longevity Fruit, it would occupy one slot.
Even so, the Demon Star Dharma Aspect was still very useful for Qin Gou at this moment.
It could already serve as his greatest trump card, a hidden killer move that would shock the world when finally revealed.
In a moment of life-or-death crisis, a cultivator in the Hidden Weapon Realm, insignificant before a mighty figure, would instantly sacrifice years of his life to unleash a world-shattering Dharma Aspect. That scene would surely be magnificent.
Li Yuan Zhen chanted incantations to lift the restriction on the Listening Sword Tomb. Seeing only Qin Gou emerge, she asked in confusion, “Still couldn’t find the Perfume Stealing Demoness?”
Qin Gou shook his head and waved the jade belt tied to his left arm. “She’s asleep.”
“That’s good. It seems I’ve finally fulfilled my Spirit Oath.” Li Yuan Zhen smiled charmingly and pointed at the unconscious Hai Buxing. “What about this guy?”
“Do you remember those bastards Bai Deng Feng and Bai Tan Hai that you locked up in your cave?” Qin Gou asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Of course. Not only do we have to secretly get rid of Hai Buxing, but we also have to properly handle those two. All the trouble is piling up. Just thinking about it gives me a headache,” Li Yuan Zhen said with a troubled expression.
Qin Gou spread his hands and said as a matter of course, “What trouble? I don’t understand at all. Bai Deng Feng and Bai Tan Hai jointly killed Hai Buxing, the Holy Son of Enemy Subduing Peak. This has already escalated into a feud between the Sword Questioning Sect and the Bai Family. What does it have to do with us insignificant individuals?”
Li Yuan Zhen’s beautiful eyes widened instantly, and she pointed at Qin Gou’s nose. “Are you speaking human words? You truly are… a wolf in sheep’s clothing!”
“In your current state, your brain isn’t working well. I won’t argue with you,” Qin Gou shot back, slapping away Li Yuan Zhen’s small hand.
Near the Sword Questioning Sect.
After first inquiring with Li Yuan Zhen about any Spirit Arts imprints left by high-level members of the sect on Holy Disciples like her and Hai Buxing, and their detailed trigger conditions,
Qin Gou ordered Li Yuan Zhen to quickly return to the Sword Questioning Sect and expel Bai Deng Feng and Bai Tan Hai from their cave dwellings, leaving the two who had turned into idiots to wander within the Sword Questioning Sect.
He himself waited for a moment before using the Faceless Hermit’s talent to transform into the appearance of Bai Deng Feng, which he had stored beforehand. Then, using the Myriad Seed’s clone ability, he transformed into Bai Tan Hai and stood beside himself.
Immediately, without any mercy, he used the Myriad Seed to pierce through Hai Buxing’s forehead.
Since Qin Gou was prepared, he keenly captured a trace of extremely well-hidden spiritual power fluctuation sweeping over his body at the instant of Hai Buxing’s death.
Qin Gou, disguised as Bai Deng Feng, roared at the ‘Bai Tan Hai’ beside him, “Coward, what are you afraid of? We did it, we did it! When has my Bai Family ever feared the Sword Questioning Sect? Besides, doesn’t Li Yuan Zhen, under Bai Yun Xi, possess a Spirit Tool called ‘Invisible Slash’? Let’s go provoke that Righteous Valor Fairy, enrage her into unleashing several swords at us. This will thoroughly erase this memory. By then, even we ourselves won’t remember this matter. Even soul-searching techniques will be useless. We’ll be as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, and the Great Elder will naturally back us up!”
With that, Qin Gou easily used spiritual fire to burn Hai Buxing’s corpse, whose cultivation had been completely dissipated, to ashes.
Half an hour later, on the Enemy Subduing Peak of the Sword Questioning Sect.
“The Bai Family?! Where is Li Yuan Zhen!”
A furious roar filled with killing intent echoed throughout the Sword Questioning Sect.
When Qin Gou arrived at the scene, the dazed Bai Deng Feng and Bai Tan Hai were already immobilized on the ground by Spirit Arts.
The old Daoist priest, with white hair and closed eyes, questioned Li Yuan Zhen with a somber tone, “Saintess of Evil Slaying Peak, tell this old man the truth, did you or did you not use Invisible Slash on these two beasts?”
Li Yuan Zhen’s pretty face turned pale as if she had been seen through. She stammered nervously, “No, truly not. Peak Master Tang, no matter how insensible Yuan Zhen is, how could she possibly harm guests from the Bai Family?”
The Peak Master of Enemy Subduing Peak, Tang Jian Hao, was enraged to the extreme. His tightly closed eyes opened a minuscule slit, and in an instant, invisible sharp sword energy carved a ferocious gully on the ground. “Guests? These two beasts killed Hai’er! Although this old man did not witness it with his own eyes, the scene before Hai’er’s death was clearly transmitted to this old man’s mind through Spirit Arts imprints.”
“How is this possible? This isn’t true! With Senior Brother Hai’s strength, how could he have been defeated by them in a direct fight?” Li Yuan Zhen exclaimed in disbelief and indignation.
“I have already performed soul-searching techniques on these two beasts, but as you can see, this is their current state. Saintess of Evil Slaying Peak, are you still unwilling to tell the truth?” Tang Jian Hao’s expression was as dark as water.
Li Yuan Zhen said with great grief, “Yuan Zhen also did not expect such a thing to happen. Not long ago, these two envoys from the Bai Family inexplicably insulted my esteemed master in front of Yuan Zhen. In a fit of anger, Yuan Zhen lost control and directly turned them into this state… I will take responsibility for my actions. Yuan Zhen is willing to accept punishment.”
“No, Saintess of Evil Slaying Peak has done nothing wrong. If Hai’er’s spirit is in heaven, he will surely thank you for avenging him.” Tang Jian Hao let out a bitter chuckle, pointed at Bai Deng Feng and Bai Tan Hai, and a wisp of invisible sword energy instantly killed them.
“Even if the sect punishes Saintess of Evil Slaying Peak for this matter in the future, this old man will, for Hai’er’s sake, fully protect you!”
“Yuan Zhen thanks Peak Master Tang for your noble righteousness.” Li Yuan Zhen’s eyes welled up with tears as she clasped her fists in gratitude.
Qin Gou, however, stared intently at the old Daoist priest Tang Jian Hao, not uttering a word, afraid that Tang Jian Hao would recognize his voice.
This was an old acquaintance.
When Qin Gou first witnessed Gu Feiyan’s ‘Piercing Eye’ Spirit Tool, it was mentioned that there was once a guest at Arc-Moon Mountain, an old Daoist priest who kept his eyes closed all day. The reason was that the moment he opened them, sword energy would spread, and living beings would suffer.
This person was Tang Jian Hao.
Qin Gou never expected that the current Tang Jian Hao would be the Peak Master of Enemy Subduing Peak in the Sword Questioning Sect. And it made the Celestial Master sigh with a sense of shared misfortune, seeing how someone as upright as Tang Jian Hao could have such a vile disciple as Hai Buxing. A virtuous master producing an evil disciple—how could they be so similar?
