Golden Finger 4

Even divine laws couldn't dictate that dragons shouldn't fear ghosts, just as they couldn't compel dragons to consume Spiritual Food Pills.

It wasn't clear whether it was Chen Xing's words or her earlier persuasion that made Xiao Bao refrain from stopping her; instead, he chose to stand guard vigilantly outside.

Although Qin Ji's sword heart was shattered, he remained a swordsman, and his spiritual energy became even sharper and more aggressive. After a brief hesitation, he allowed his Nascent Soul to enter Chen Xing's sea of consciousness.

The Nascent Soul resembled Qin Ji but was palm-sized and wore the Sect's robe. Its short limbs made it look a bit chubby, and it cradled a broken sword in its arms. With a stern expression, it advanced toward Chen Xing's sea of consciousness.

Qin Ji half-expected obstacles, but to his surprise, everything went smoothly. Chen Xing had her guard down completely, leaving Qin Ji with complex emotions. It's rare for cultivators to trust others so unwaveringly. Qin Ji himself trusted his Master and Senior Brothers, but he knew that if they wanted to enter his consciousness, it wouldn't be so easy, even if he permitted it.

In that moment, Qin Ji wasn't sure if Chen Xing was naive or simply unaware of the potential dangers outside. Perhaps, experiencing more of the harsh realities beyond might challenge her ability to maintain this level of pure trust.

Qin Ji felt a momentary pause in his Nascent Soul's movements but decided not to dwell on it. Soon, he discovered Chen Xing's dragon soul hidden deep within her consciousness, and it took him aback.

Chen Xing's dragon soul didn't resemble her physical form; it was more like the silver dragon Qin Ji had encountered in his past life. Her eyes were tightly closed, her body covered in wounds, some still oozing blood. Even her horn bore signs of past damage. Though she appeared whole now, she seemed like a reassembled puzzle, with her hind legs still bound by chains of unknown origin.

Qin Ji stood still and concealed the broken sword behind him, afraid to approach. It was the first time he had ever felt this fearful. He believed even a gentle breath could cause Chen Xing's dragon soul to disintegrate.

At that very moment, Chen Xing's dragon soul opened its eyes. Unlike her battered body, her eyes were clear and unmistakably hers. She looked at Qin Ji, her voice trembling as she spoke, 

"Qin Ji, it hurts so much."

Qin Ji's hand holding the sword trembled, and his Nascent Soul immediately left Chen Xing's consciousness, returning to his own body. He opened his eyes and saw Chen Xing, who sat cross-legged opposite him, her eyes tightly closed and unaware of what had just happened. Qin Ji turned his head and spat out some blood.

Startled awake, Chen Xing rushed to help Qin Ji, asking, 

"What's wrong? Did I harm you in my sea of consciousness?" 

Overwhelmed with guilt at the mere thought.

Qin Ji shook his head, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, and sat up straight. He took out a flask from his storage ring and took a few sips while still tasting the blood in his mouth. He gestured for Chen Xing to sit a bit farther away before speaking, 

"It has nothing to do with you. I already had some injuries."

Seeing Chen Xing's dragon soul had stirred up his suppressed hatred and inner demons. Combined with his broken sword heart and the backlash he had suffered in the Pure Yin Realm, it made it hard for him to hold back from spitting blood in front of Chen Xing.

Chen Xing remembered the scent of blood she had noticed when she came over, knowing that it was still because of her.

Qin Ji didn't want to discuss his injuries further. He looked at Chen Xing, who appeared oblivious to her dragon soul's grievances.

"Do you know about the anomaly in your spiritual soul?"

Chen Xing casually replied, 

"Of course, I know."

Just as Qin Ji was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he heard Chen Xing gesture with her hand and say, 

"It just shrinks into a tiny ball and sleeps all day without any energy."

Seemingly dissatisfied with her own spiritual soul, Chen Xing wrinkled her nose and continued, 

"I think it's because I hatched from my egg early, and it hasn't fully developed yet."

Qin Ji's confusion deepened. He asked, 

"Does your spiritual soul have dragon horns?"

Chen Xing looked puzzled as she replied, 

"No, just two small bumps. I don't dare touch them."

Qin Ji furrowed his brow slightly.

 

Could it be that what he had seen was an illusion? Impossible.

Qin Ji tried to share what he had seen with Chen Xing, but the words wouldn't come. Something seemed to hold him back from sharing the image of the dragon soul he had witnessed.

Noticing Qin Ji lost in thought, Chen Xing decided not to disturb him. She settled back on her cushion, resting her chin on her hand. Her consciousness entered her Mustard Seed Space. Given her current abilities, she could only create a small opening in her Mustard Seed Space and occasionally insert a few seeds. Even her ability to retrieve Xiao Bao from there showcased her enhanced abilities, born out of necessity to avoid starvation.

Qin Ji broke the silence, saying, 

"I'll take another look at your spiritual soul."

Without hesitation, Chen Xing agreed, 

"Alright."

Qin Ji raised a point, cautioning her, 

"Do you know that if I had evil intentions, I could directly establish a Master-Servant contract on your spiritual soul, and your life and death would no longer be within your control."

He mentioned this to remind Chen Xing, considering her tragic fate as someone else's spiritual pet in her previous life.

Chen Xing, clutching what she had retrieved from her Mustard Seed Space, explained, thinking that Qin Ji might not understand the characteristics of dragons, 

"In my spiritual realm, any evil intentions would result in the expulsion of the intruder by a backlash."

Qin Ji's thoughts shifted as he remembered the Chen Xing from his past life. At that time, she was far from as lively as she was now, and her eyes had been lifeless. He asked, 

"Under what circumstances do dragons become someone else's spiritual pet?"

Chen Xing didn't know why Qin Ji was so curious about this, but she explained, 

"There are two types of Master-Servant contracts for a dragon as a spiritual pet. One is when a dragon willingly accepts it. However, they will be expelled from the dragon race, losing some of their innate abilities. The exiled dragons make this choice willingly, and the dragon race doesn't interfere."

This rule was deeply ingrained in the lives of dragons, even before they hatched.

Chen Xing continued, 

"The other type is when a dragon is forcefully bound before hatching. The dragon embryo's spiritual soul disappears, and upon hatching, it becomes a beast without sentience, not even considered a spiritual creature."

Chen Xing added with a chuckle, 

"But in this little world, there's no way such an unlucky dragon could exist. After all, apart from me, there are no other dragons here, and I've already hatched. As for other little worlds, I don't know. Regarding dragon eggs within the dragon race, it's impossible for them to be stolen and bound by someone else unless the thief can wipe out the entire dragon race. That would surely bring divine retribution upon them."

Qin Ji looked at Chen Xing's cheerful face and wanted to tell her that in their past life, there was indeed such an unlucky dragon in this little world. They never had a chance to hatch and suffered a grim fate, but divine laws constrained him from sharing this.

Although Qin Ji had unraveled some mysteries, he had even more questions piling up in his mind.

Seeing Qin Ji remained silent for a while, Chen Xing assured him, 

"I could never be someone's spiritual pet, not even yours, Qin Ji."

Surprised, Qin Ji replied, 

"I have no intention of that, and we already have a contract between us."

Relieved, Chen Xing explained, 

"It's not about you. I…I want to go back home and ask my parents why they left me here by myself. If they can't give me a satisfactory answer, then I'll stay with you."

Without hesitation, Qin Ji, who had no intention of raising a dragon like her, said, 

"They must have had no other choice. Dragon descendants are precious, and they care most about their own kind."

Chen Xing smiled and agreed, 

"I feel the same way."

Qin Ji couldn't help but feel that once her parents knew about Chen Xing's fate in her previous life and her current situation, they would regret their decisions.

Unaware of Qin Ji's thoughts, Chen Xing, with a hint of exhaustion, asked, 

"Do you still need to examine my soul? I've maintained my human form for too long, and I'm quite tired."

Qin Ji nodded in silence and said, 

"Yes."

Chen Xing adjusted her posture and extended her hands towards Qin Ji voluntarily.

 

With their palms touching, they both closed their eyes. Qin Ji's Nascent Soul once again entered Chen Xing's sea of consciousness. However, unlike the first time when he held the broken sword, this time, the sword was strapped behind him. It effortlessly entered Chen Xing's sea of consciousness.

Inside, he saw a dragon identical to the one described by Chen Xing. A small dragon, still without horns, with thin and delicate scales. It seemed to sense Qin Ji's presence, and it slowly opened its eyes. It leisurely flew around Qin Ji's Nascent Soul and even showed him its tail.

This time, Qin Ji could clearly see the wounds that had been inflicted on Chen Xing's dragon soul by the ghosts. He gently stroked the injuries on Chen Xing's tail, and the purest spiritual energy nourished her dragon soul, causing the wounds to quickly disappear. However, Qin Ji's infant form noticeably shrank by a small margin.

Chen Xing widened her eyes, shook her tail, and then looked at Qin Ji with a hint of anxiety. She circled around him and finally gently wrapped herself around his Nascent Soul. Using her head, she lightly touched his face, and a small object, about the size of a fingernail and as white as jade, flew towards Qin Ji.

Qin Ji was momentarily puzzled. He didn't know what this object was, but he instinctively felt that it would benefit his soul. However, once the object touched his brow, it remained still.

Chen Xing flew up from Qin Ji's body, and her dragon soul transformed into the appearance of a young girl.

Qin Ji knew clearly that it was Chen Xing, but not her Nascent Soul. Dragons were favored by the heavens; they were inherently different from other creatures. They didn't need cultivation to take on human form, and their methods of cultivation were completely distinct.

The Chen Xing transformed by her dragon soul was slightly shorter than Qin Ji's Nascent Soul. She placed her hands on Qin Ji's Nascent Soul’s shoulders, stood on tiptoes, and touched her forehead to his. Qin Ji felt the small object, as white as jade, gradually merge into his Nascent Soul. It not only repaired the hidden injuries on his soul but also made his soul more solid and powerful.

After completing these actions, the young girl transformed back into her dragon soul form. She appeared exhausted and flew back to her original position, coiling her body. She gave Qin Ji a final glance before closing her eyes.