Golden Finger 14

Injured, Qin Ji faced an unexpected assault from a comrade who, having recently shared a life-threatening situation, was now unconscious. Reacting swiftly to the sudden pain, Qin Ji instinctively repelled the assailant.

However, the person, seemingly unfazed by the pain, skillfully evaded and, with nails now longer and darker, launched another attack on Qin Ji.

Surprised by the sudden turn of events, Xiao Bao accidentally knocked over the nearly finished soup. Instantly agile, he positioned himself protectively in front of Chen Xing. Despite holding Chen Xing in high regard, instinct compelled Xiao Bao to shield her.

For those raised in the Mustard Seed Space, Chen Xing held a significance surpassing their own existence.

Chen Xing shifted her gaze towards Qin Ji's dantian. The pitch-black dagger had transformed into a swirl of black smoke, infiltrating Qin Ji's body. Amidst the thick demonic energy, Chen Xing sensed a familiar aura, but it vanished so quickly that she questioned if it was a mere figment of her imagination.

Qin Ji defended against the attacks with his sword. Fighting within the tent wasn’t ideal for sword cultivators. Qin Ji decisively sliced through the tent, and the assailant followed suit.

Xiao Bao spoke, “Young Master, we…”

Chen Xing chased after them, determined not to let Qin Ji die, as his demise would mean her accompanying him in death. Transforming into a snake, she struck out from behind at the person, who surprisingly seemed oblivious to her presence. Chen Xing's tail hit him heavily, sending the person flying.

Seizing the opportunity, Qin Ji beheaded him. The severed head flew, and the body persisted in its attack toward Qin Ji. Tumbling through the air, it eventually crashed on the ground. Qin Ji, now on one knee, supported himself with his sword, his blood turning black.

Chen Xing resumed her human form to assist him.

Propping himself up, Qin Ji took out two fire talismans and threw them onto the deceased—one on the body and one on the head. He waited until the person turned to ashes before saying, “Let's go.”

Chen Xing immediately agreed. However, before transforming into a silver snake to transport Qin Ji, Xiao Bao produced a leaf-shaped treasure, helping Qin Ji sit on it.

Looking at Chen Xing, Xiao Bao said, “Young Master, I'll do it.”

After all that had happened, Chen Xing was genuinely tired and felt some pain in her tail, possibly due to dispelling the formation and the prolonged flight. Seated on Xiao Bao's treasure, she inquired, “Qin Ji, how are you feeling?”

Covering the wound on his abdomen, Qin Ji had grown somewhat numb to the pain. Nevertheless, he felt an overflow of spiritual energy, explaining, “Chen Xing, those affected by demonic energy exhibit distinct symptoms. Their eyes go completely black, and over time, they lose their sanity. To truly kill someone corrupted, you must sever their head.”

Glancing at Qin Ji's face and then his wound, Chen Xing swiftly retrieved some spiritual herbs, stuffing them into his mouth.

"You have to hold on," she urged.

Qin Ji's Nascent Soul was enveloped in black mist. Clutching a broken sword, he struggled to support himself. After swallowing the herbs, he hastily explained, "If I'm controlled by demonic energy and don't regain consciousness within three days, you must sever my head."

Chen Xing's face turned pale with shock. Kneeling beside Qin Ji, she said, "You can't die."

A short while ago, Chen Xing wasn't aware of the severity of the issue, but now, she was genuinely in a state of panic. Swiftly retrieving some medicinal pills, she said, "Let's stop the bleeding first."

After Qin Ji ingested various pills, he lapsed into silence. Seating himself with crossed legs, he began regulating his breath. He then said, "I obviously don't want to die either. If we encounter danger, don't worry about me."

Given an option, Qin Ji would never choose seclusion at this time, especially in the Desolate Spirit Desert where spiritual energy is scarce. However, he is even more unwilling to turn into a demonic being. Endangering Chen Xing, currently by his side, due to a loss of control is a scenario he actively seeks to avoid. Moreover, he is committed to protecting the Guiyuan Sect.

Qin Ji took out a map he had obtained in advance in Yuanzhao City and handed it to Chen Xing, saying, "If you don't want to return to Yuanzhao City, then leave the Desolate Spirit Desert."

Chen Xing replied, "Xiao Bao and I will protect you, so don't worry."

Not wasting any time, Qin Ji retrieved spiritual stones to arrange a compact Spirit Gathering Array. Adopting the posture of Five Hearts Facing Heaven, he nodded to Chen Xing before closing his eyes, endeavoring to expel the spiritual energy from his meridians and dantian.

In a hushed tone, Xiao Bao asked, "Young Master, what should we do?"

As the sky darkened, Chen Xing cast a brief glance at it and indicated a direction, suggesting, "Let's fly in that direction for the time being."

Xiao Bao agreed. Operating magical treasures in the Desolate Spirit Desert demanded a substantial amount of spiritual energy, yet as a Nascent Soul monster cultivator, Xiao Bao persevered through it.

Chen Xing affixed the jade scroll to her forehead, scrutinizing the map. After a while, she fell silent, took off the jade scroll, and glanced around. Hesitantly, she inquired, "Xiao Bao, can you read maps?"

Xiao Bao responded with an “ah” and turned to look at Chen Xing.

Chen Xing handed him the jade scroll, saying, "I can't comprehend it."

Accepting it, Xiao Bao examined the map. Subsequently, he and Chen Xing exchanged glances. As a monster cultivator emerging from the Mustard Seed Space and a recently hatched dragon, they only just realized—they were unable to comprehend the map, particularly the one depicting the Desolate Spirit Desert.

Chen Xing suddenly had a thought on how to determine the direction and remarked, 

"The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so… which way did the sun set?"

Towards the end, Chen Xing found herself puzzled again. The desert, in every direction, appeared identical to her, and during their escape, they hardly bothered with directions, relying solely on Chen Xing's intuition for their route.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Xiao Bao suggested, 

"Why don't we continue in the direction you mentioned? Once the sun rises, we can figure out the correct direction."

Chen Xing found this approach reasonable and agreed.

However, neither Chen Xing nor Xiao Bao entertained the idea of sending a message to Yuanzhao City and waiting for rescue. Xiao Bao was unaware of such a notion, and Chen Xing outright dismissed any connection with Yuanzhao City.

Unaware of Qin Ji's condition and reluctant to disturb him, Chen Xing sat nearby, quietly observing as the spiritual stones on the Spirit Gathering Array dwindled. Whenever they ran out, she discreetly replaced them. Despite these spiritual stones being a gift from Qin Ji, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of heartache each time she retrieved one. These were items that once found their way into her pocket, and now, they needed to be expended.

Xiao Bao asked in a low tone, "Young Master, what should we do if Qin Ji is truly corrupted by demonic energy and turns into a demonic being?"

Does this mean they have to kill Qin Ji? Xiao Bao actually quite liked Qin Ji; he had never detected any ill intentions from him. However, Young Master’s safety was certainly more important.

Chen Xing responded without hesitation, "I never promised him."

Should Qin Ji undergo a transformation into a demonic being, she could easily render him unconscious and use the opportunity to seek refuge with the demonic beings. To Chen Xing, whether in the cultivation realm or the demonic realm on another continent, it was all the same. Moreover, as the sole dragon in this world, her uniqueness remained regardless of her whereabouts. In a way, it signaled that she didn't align herself with either faction.

Unaware of Chen Xing's plan, Xiao Bao responded, "If he is going to hurt you, I… I will behead him."

Chen Xing swiftly replied, 

"He has treated us well, so we shouldn't let him die. Let's trap him first and figure out a solution. We could also gather more spiritual herbs for him to ingest. By increasing the spiritual energy in his body, there's a chance he might expel the demonic energy.”

Xiao Bao responded, "Alright then."

As Qin Ji focused on regulating his breath, he maintained a degree of awareness of the surroundings. The conversation between Chen Xing and Little Bao reached him, stirring mixed emotions within. He hadn't anticipated that, even if he succumbed to demonic influence, Chen Xing wouldn't abandon him. It brought forth an indescribable sensation, as if the entire world had forsaken him, yet there was an innocent little dragon sincerely wanting to accompany and save him. Despite the fact that Chen Xing's approach might lead to the ultimate consequence of a clash between demonic energy and spiritual energy resulting in his death.

Over time, Qin Ji could no longer pay attention to the external situation. He discovered that the demonic energy was not only eroding his meridians but also damaging his Nascent Soul.

Despite the dagger's origin in condensed demonic energy, Qin Ji's injuries were undeniably real. His dantian sustained damage, and the wounds displayed no signs of healing, leaving him unable to retain spiritual energy. It wasn't solely his dantian; Qin Ji now realized that none of his injuries were on the path to recovery. While he initially attributed it to demonic energy, doubts lingered.

Unaware of when the poisoning occurred, Qin Ji couldn't identify the toxin, but he was certain the poison's creator was well-versed in demonic energy. Yuanzhao City, it seemed, wasn't the secure haven they envisioned. Master Zheng's allegiance to demonic beings might not be an isolated case.

Attempting to maintain composure, Qin Ji knew that staying alive was crucial to relaying this vital information to the Guiyuan Sect.

Chen Xing and Xiao Bao soared aimlessly for a considerable time. Finally, with the sunrise, Chen Xing remarked, "The sun rises in the east.”

After pinpointing the east, Chen Xing positioned herself on the magical treasure and silently recited, "Up is north, down is south, left is west, and right is east." She even adjusted her position to confirm the correct direction. After much effort, she successfully determined the orientation, and, together with Xiao Bao, found a spot to rest.

As Xiao Bao prepared to resume their journey, Chen Xing became aware of another issue: she had no clue about their current location on the map. Faced with a sense of disorientation, she gazed at the seemingly indistinguishable desert, took a deep breath, and suggested, "Xiao Bao, since we've determined the direction, why don't we just keep going in one direction? Eventually, we should find our way out, right?"

Xiao Bao asked, "But what if we're in the far west, and by continuing east, we're heading back to where we came from?"

Chen Xing fell into silence, acknowledging the possibility.

Xiao Bao scratched his head and proposed, "Young Master, how about we follow your intuition?"

Chen Xing thought it was a viable idea, "Well, if we encounter danger, I can always take you both and run. I'm quite fast."

Xiao Bao vigorously nodded, "Young Master is the most amazing!"