Golden Finger 8

Under Qin Ji's watch at the Guiyuan Sect, Chen Xing honed her ability to manipulate the spiritual energy within water—a rare skill for a young dragon.

Qin Ji, recognizing Chen Xing's cultivation talent, initiated daily sessions of swordsmanship and meditation. Even Xiao Bao wasn't exempt from this routine, though Qin Ji's expectations for him were modest—simply the ability to escape if a confrontation turned unfavorable.

In an attempt to convey her challenges, Chen Xing compiled the growth records of young dragons from her heritage into a jade scroll for Qin Ji to peruse. These records portrayed well-behaved young dragons as those steering clear of trouble, let alone delving into focused cultivation. Chen Xing discreetly included some dragon preferences, such as elegant attire, gourmet delights, and lavish indulgences. However, Qin Ji, a stoic swordsman, responded unyieldingly after reading it,

"Consider these preferences when you can return to your clan. For now, focus on refining your swordsmanship.”

In that moment, Chen Xing felt her heart shatter, even in her dreams, accompanied by a profound sense of exhaustion.

The Spiritual Arc provided by the Guiyuan Sect for its disciples was expansive, offering each disciple their own room and dedicated spaces for alchemy, crafting, and martial training. While convenient for others, this setup posed a challenge for Chen Xing, who was no longer the cheerful little dragon she used to be.

Post Spiritual Peak departure, Chen Xing maintained her snake form, except during swordsmanship practice. Guiyuan Sect disciples observed Qin Ji's exceptional treatment of his spiritual companion; he not only administered a Shape-Transformation Pill enabling early transformation but also personally instructed her in swordsmanship.

The reason behind Qin Ji forming a contract with what seemed like a low-level spiritual snake was a topic of private discussion among disciples. Their consensus, grounded in admiration for Qin Ji, was that Chen Xing was no ordinary spiritual snake, likely possessing the bloodline of an ancient divine beast.

Though Qin Ji overheard these discussions, he maintained silence and changed his direction. On the other hand, Chen Xing grew more animated upon hearing the disciples' conjectures. Poking her head out from under Qin Ji's collar, she exclaimed,

"Wow, they almost guessed my true identity!"

Qin Ji remained silent.

Yet, Chen Xing continued chatting away, displaying none of the lethargy from her earlier exit of the training room.

"Maybe I've been too outstanding, and that's why they're suspicious. Qin Ji, do you think I should act more ordinary? For example, should we shorten our daily training to just one hour?"

Following their agreement, Qin Ji led Chen Xing to the highest point of the Spiritual Ark. Upon hearing her words, he replied,

"Since you still have the energy to negotiate, how about adding another thousand sword strikes tomorrow?"

Chen Xing's head immediately drooped, looking like a lifeless snake hanging from Qin Ji's shoulder. She let out a soft "whimper."

Qin Ji ascended to the highest point, standing at the edge of the Spiritual Arc, gazing at the sea of clouds.

Despite her frequent complaints and cries of exhaustion during regular activities, Chen Xing showed remarkable diligence during her cultivation sessions. Even when injured, she wouldn't make a sound until completing her training tasks.

After the session, however, she'd whine and complain while tending to her injuries. Some wounds were about to heal, yet she applied another layer of medicine. Before sleep, she coated herself with a thick layer of spiritual medicine, diligently inspecting herself the next morning to ensure no scars remained.

During these moments, Qin Ji couldn't help but recall the scarred and battered dragon soul he first encountered. Comparing that to the delicate, beauty-loving, and pain-averse little dragon beside him made him stricter with Chen Xing. He hoped that if she encountered those who harmed her in her past life, she could seek vengeance.

Though Qin Ji didn't understand why the Dragon Clan left Chen Xing in this world before hatching, he wanted to prevent her from meeting the tragic end of her past life. After all, dragons were meant to soar proudly through the skies.

"Wu! Quick, quick, go back."

The trembling voice with a hint of sob brought back Qin Ji's thoughts.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Chen Xing tucked her head back into Qin Ji's collar, instinctively coiling around his neck. If not for her familiar scent, he might have removed her. Still, he frowned, suppressing the urge to throw her aside.

"What happened?"

On the verge of tears, Chen Xing, feeling Qin Ji's warmth, felt somewhat reassured.

"It's… too high, and I'm scared. I feel so dizzy…"

Qin Ji's expression stiffened. He silently stepped back, hesitated, and decided to go down. Only in his room did he say, "You're fine now."

Chen Xing opened one eye, then the other, resting her head against Qin Ji's neck and whining again.

Qin Ji took a deep breath, forcing calmness. "Come down."

Chen Xing appeared more aggrieved, saying, "Mm, I don't have the strength."

Qin Ji felt exhaustion, placing his hand on his shoulder. Chen Xing skillfully rolled onto it, hanging limply on Qin Ji's palm. Placing her back on the cushion, Qin Ji looked at her, somewhat unenergetic. His tone tinged with disbelief, he said, "You're afraid of heights?"

Coiled, Chen Xing admitted, "I… I looked down earlier and felt dizzy. I almost fell. It was so scary. Whenever I think that if I fell, I would definitely turn into a meat paste, I couldn’t move and became completely weak."

A dragon afraid of heights?

Qin Ji gazed at Chen Xing. "A few days ago…"

Qin Ji stopped, realizing that since the Spiritual Ark ascended, Chen Xing had either been cultivating or eating and sleeping. Though there were windows, they couldn't see beneath the ark. Today, she completed her training tasks early, prompting Qin Ji to take her to the highest point as agreed.

Recovered, lying on the cushion, Chen Xing idly played with spirit pearls using her tail. She spoke weakly, "I still prefer the feeling of having my feet on the ground. Oh, wait, I don't have feet now."

Qin Ji: "…”

What dragon proudly soars in the sky? Forget it; this dragon is afraid of heights, likely considered an anomaly even within the dragon clan.

Qin Ji settled into a chair, deviating from his usual meditation routine at this hour.

"Is there anything you're not afraid of?" he asked.

Chen Xing pondered seriously before responding, "Going up to the sky is a no, and going underwater? No, that's not good either." The thought of the deep, silent seabed made her feel suffocated.

Underground?

No, that was even worse—more oppressive and suffocating.

Chen Xing looked at Qin Ji and quickly suggested a solution, "In the future, we just won't fly too high or dive too deep. That should work."

Qin Ji doubted its effectiveness, but when he met Chen Xing's hopeful eyes, he found himself at a loss. After all, he shouldn't have expectations from a dragon with an incomplete understanding.

Tongchi, a location with a resident base for the Guiyuan Sect, became the group's disembarkation point. Qin Ji stored away the Spiritual Ark.

The base's administrator had made preparations and led Qin Ji and the others inside, stating, "You can rest here for two days. Afterward, you will join disciples from other sects to head to the Desolate Spirit Desert. During these two days, you can explore around. Some independent cultivators may have valuable items to trade, but you must be discerning. Even if you get cheated during a trade, no one will support you."

Curious, Chen Xing peeked from Qin Ji's collar, assessing the surroundings. Hearing the administrator's words, she grew excited and even swayed her tail. 

Was Tongchi this thrilling?

The administrator cautioned, "Try not to leave the city, and when you do, travel with others. Avoid going out alone. Don't assume that only the Desolate Spirit Desert is dangerous. There are cultivators dying under mysterious circumstances every day here."

Chen Xing shivered and transmitted a message to Qin Ji, "Is Tongchi this chaotic? Doesn't Guiyuan Sect oversee it? Do they dare to harm even Guiyuan Sect's disciples?"

Qin Ji noticed that when it came to their safety, Chen Xing became very intelligent and perceptive.

"The disciples who come here all carry life-saving talismans or elixirs. As long as there's enough temptation, in the eyes of some people, all living beings are equal."

He conveyed this not only to Chen Xing but to the others present as well.

The disciples respectfully said, "Yes."

Chen Xing had a sense that something was amiss, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Qin Ji's resting place was an independent courtyard. After ensuring there were no outsiders, Chen Xing transformed back into her human form and released Xiao Bao from the spiritual beast bag.

Xiao Bao shook his fur and sniffed around. "This place is barren. I don't like it."

Chen Xing wasn't wearing her favorite red silk dress this time. She had put on the attire of a Guiyuan Sect disciple and didn't even have any conspicuous treasures.

Qin Ji had already guessed Chen Xing's thoughts. It was indeed a deep understanding of the way to ensure one's survival. If he hadn't witnessed Chen Xing's hatching, one might think she had been through numerous hardships during her growth to develop such caution.

Chen Xing nodded in agreement; she didn’t like this place either.

Chen Xing and Xiao Bao exchanged a glance and both sighed deeply.

Qin Ji entered the room, and Chen Xing and Xiao Bao followed.

The room was well-furnished, but the environment was not ideal. It was low in spiritual energy and quite hot. After entering, Chen Xing took out her circular cushion and laid on it. She affectionately made the cushion larger and asked, "Qin Ji, do you want to cool down a bit?"

Qin Ji declined Chen Xing's offer and started to meditate on the side, saying, "They brought the disciples here earlier to adapt to the environment."

While spiritual veins are precious, the Guiyuan Sect's strength is entirely capable of relocating them and establishing a large spiritual gathering array to ensure the disciples live comfortably. Initially, various sects had done this. However, when the disciples left Tongchi and arrived in the Desolate Spirit Desert, they were unable to adapt. Many suffered injuries and casualties during battles with the demonic clan.

Chen Xing understood Qin Ji's intention. She rubbed against her comfortable, seasonally-regulated, and spiritually enriched cushion and then gave a soft whine in response.

Even though she was reluctant, she obediently put away the round cushion and replaced it with an ordinary mat.

Xiao Bao laid on the mat and weakly said, "The days of you human cultivators are truly tough.”