Chapter 0: 16. Not Yet Awakened
On the day of the Dragon Saint’s grand banquet, esteemed guests from all directions gathered.
The Central Palace of Dragon God Island was officially opened to guests for the first time today, a fact that filled everyone present with pride.
The seating arrangement for Qin Gou and his companions, orchestrated by Zi Dian, was within the most solemn main hall. Any cultivator fortunate enough to be seated there was no ordinary individual.
Lin Youqing quietly observed Zi Dian, who was busily attending to their group with utmost care. She couldn’t help but whisper to Qin Gou, “Is this friend the one Brother Qin has on Dragon God Island among the Sea Race?”
“She is indeed my friend,” Qin Gou replied with a smile.
Lin Youqing nodded lightly. It seemed that Brother Qin’s friend, named ‘Zi Dian,’ had considerable influence. Not only did she invite them to Dragon God Island, but she also secured them a place in the main hall! This made Lin Youqing, who had always idolized Dragon God Island and the Dragon Saint for generations, overjoyed.
After all, even her own father, the Human Emperor of the Daojun Dynasty, might not have secured such a good seat if he were to visit. They had no prior connection, and the current Dragon Saint did not need to show deference to any faction.
Inside the main hall, cultivators from various races were mingling. However, Qin Gou found very few familiar faces. Many among them might have heard of Qin Gou’s name, but they could never have imagined that the mysterious Master of Arc-Moon Mountain was currently sharing the same room with them.
Qin Gou also noticed, at another seating area not far away, Abyss Holy Queen Lu Zhili. She appeared particularly dispirited today, seemingly unable to ascertain Yin Yu’s whereabouts even within the Central Palace.
Just then, Zi Dian, who had briefly left and returned, anxiously transmitted a message to Qin Gou, “It’s bad, please follow me quickly…”
Qin Gou immediately alerted Li Yuanzhen and the others, then followed Zi Dian out of the hall. He asked, “What happened?”
“Dragon Saint Ancestor has not awakened from her time-sleep state on schedule,” Zi Dian’s eyes flickered with a hint of panic. “If this continues, the Dragon Saint’s grand banquet might…”
“Why is this happening?”
“Zi Dian doesn’t know either. This situation is very unusual. According to the schedule set by the Ancestor before, she should have woken up half an hour ago.”
“Today is the day Qing Yu entrusts the responsibility of guarding the Sea Soul to you. If she is not present, this Dragon Saint’s grand banquet cannot proceed,” Qin Gou said with a frown. “Is there no other way besides letting Qing Yu wake up naturally?”
“The secret technique to forcibly interrupt the Ancestor’s time-sleep state is of utmost importance. Only Manager Qishou, who is the most trusted by the Ancestor, possesses it.”
Zi Dian said helplessly, “But she clearly stated in the spirit power transmission that she would return as soon as possible, yet she still hasn’t appeared.”
“Qishou hasn’t arrived at Dragon God Island yet?!” Qin Gou’s expression startled. This was completely out of character for Qishou, who was always so diligent. So many days had passed; even if Qishou transformed into her true body and carried Debt Girl to swim here, she should have arrived by now.
“Yes, otherwise, I wouldn’t be so helpless,” Zi Dian said, pinning her hopes on Qin Gou having a solution.
As they spoke, the two of them arrived beside Qing Yu.
She was still leaning against the large throne, sleeping soundly, with no sign of waking up anytime soon.
“Alright, I’ll think of something,” Qin Gou nodded, summoned his soul spirit tool from the dream, sat cross-legged, and instantly entered the dreamscape.
“Qiu Qianyue!”
Qin Gou attempted to call out to Debt Girl’s consciousness, but he didn’t hold out much hope. It wasn’t her usual sleeping time, and that mischievous girl rarely meditated or cultivated.
“Master!”
To his surprise, as soon as he finished speaking, Qiu Qianyue, with her short hair and dressed in white, appeared before him.
“How did Master know that this wench just happened to be meditating and cultivating at this time?”
“You? Cultivating?” Qin Gou looked skeptical.
“It’s true,” Qiu Qianyue’s little face reddened slightly, looking somewhat embarrassed. “After a major battle with a villain earlier, this wench also needs to find a way to recover her spiritual power, doesn’t she?”
“Oh?” A hint of understanding flickered in Qin Gou’s eyes. “Based on what you’re saying, it seems you and Qishou encountered some unexpected circumstances on your journey? Is that why you didn’t arrive at Dragon God Island on time?”
Qiu Qianyue nodded and explained, “It was a strange beast. Originally, this wench and Qishou were in a hurry and didn’t want to get entangled with it, so they fled directly. But gradually, we realized that the beast was relentlessly pursuing us and was extremely skilled in soul illusionary arts. If we could capture it, perhaps it would be beneficial for the Dragon Saint’s damaged soul. That’s why we struggled with it for so long.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Gou’s expression softened slightly. Fortunately, it was for this reason and not because Debt Girl was being mischievous again. Otherwise, Qin Gou would have been unable to resist tying her up and then finding a group of beautiful girls to dance gracefully before her, subjecting her to the extreme punishment of ‘looking but not touching.’
“Your Master understands your good intentions, but an accident has occurred. Qing Yu entered time-sleep and cannot wake up promptly. Qishou is urgently needed to forcefully awaken her. How much longer will it take for you to arrive?” Qin Gou pressed.
“About two hours.”
“That’s too late,” Qin Gou frowned. “Go immediately and ask Qishou if she can impart that secret technique to me.”
“Yes.”
A short while later, Qiu Qianyue’s figure reappeared before Qin Gou. She knitted her cute little brows and said with difficulty, “It’s no good, Master. The essence of that secret technique cannot be conveyed through mere verbal explanation alone, and Qishou cannot meet you in the dreamscape. Moreover, she herself spent a full year to completely master that secret technique back then.”
“We can only rush back to Dragon God Island as quickly as possible. But Qishou also said that it’s not necessarily required to use that secret technique to awaken the Dragon Saint. Before that, she hopes you can try more to awaken the Dragon Saint through external stimuli, such as letting her feel an undeniable sense of crisis, or fierce killing intent.”
…
Leaving the dreamscape, Qin Gou slowly opened his eyes.
Zi Dian asked with concern, “How did it go?”
Qin Gou nodded hesitantly, “We can only try our best and give it a shot.”
Honestly speaking, Qin Gou found it impossible to show overtly strong malevolence towards Little Fish. He couldn’t do it psychologically. However, Debt Girl’s words, ‘external stimuli,’ sparked an idea.
Qing Yu had not only reached the Realm Lord Realm but also possessed the True Dragon Body. In terms of physical toughness, she far surpassed human cultivators of the same realm, comparable to top-tier Emperor Weapons. Therefore, among those he could currently trust, it was difficult for anyone to directly awaken Qing Yu with an attack or spirit art.
But Qin Gou had a rather unconventional method, perhaps the only one in this world who could use such a method. It would not only cause Qing Yu no harm but also make her feel a discomfort that could absolutely not be ignored!
With this thought, Qin Gou approached Qing Yu. He slightly pulled aside her top, his eyes narrowing as he instantly discerned a small red spot on her fair waist. He began to incubate the power of ‘Dao Heart Marvelous Hands’ on his fingertip.
