Golden Finger 9

On the first day after arriving in Tongchi, Chen Xing, who had always enjoyed good sleep, suffered from insomnia. She reverted to her human form, spent some time sitting by Qin Ji's side, and then began meditating as well. Even though the spiritual energy was less abundant here, it remained tolerable, though it did make Chen Xing feel somewhat uneasy.

Qin Ji obviously noticed Chen Xing's actions but didn't say anything, as it was a good thing to see her cultivating.

The next day, Chen Xing still appeared to be low in spirits. She didn't even push to go out and, instead, assumed her snake form, wrapping herself around Qin Ji's wrist. She accompanied him for the material exchange with the steward. Nevertheless, when Qin Ji went to meet with the Elders, she remained in the room, meditating.

Conversely, it was Xiao Bao who, having secured Chen Xing’s approval, went shopping with the friends he made on the Spiritual Ark. Given Xiao Bao's innate talents, they weren't afraid of being taken advantage of, and they might even find some valuable items.

The Teleportation Array from Tongchi to the Desolate Spirit Desert was only used during times of war due to its high energy consumption. Cultivators going for trials, like Qin Ji and his group, were transported there by the local Elders using Qian Kun in the sleeve¹. This year, Guiyuan Sect had its turn, and it was overseen by Elder Fei, who had reached the Transcendency stage. As the agreed time approached, disciples from various sects gathered outside Tongchi City.

As they left the city, Chen Xing began to feel uncomfortable. She rested her head on Qin Ji's wrist, feeling the pulse on his wrist, and weekly communicated,

"The environment outside is even harsher."

It was only at this moment that Chen Xing realized that Tongchi City was actually shielded by an array.

Qin Ji was just about to communicate with Chen Xing when Elder Fei arrived, so he lightly touched Chen Xing's head through his sleeve.

Elder Fei looked very serious. Even when facing Guiyuan Sect's disciples, his expression didn't soften in the slightest. As he noticed that everyone had arrived, he waved his hand, and all the disciples were drawn into his sleeves.

Chen Xing nudged Qin Ji's finger with her head, then remained still. What neither of them realized was that, for a brief moment, Chen Xing's disguise disappeared and she revealed her true dragon form.

The speed boosted by the spiritual energy in the Transcendency stage was naturally very fast. In the blink of an eye, they had arrived at Yuanzhao City.

Yuanzhao City served as a versatile treasure, encompassing both defensive and offensive capabilities. It was the only place in the Desolate Spirit Desert where cultivators could somewhat relax.

Even Elder Fei, upon arriving here, remained outside the city. He waved his sleeves to set down the people he had brought and promptly departed.

Qin Ji led the Guiyuan Sect disciples to queue at the city gate and explained,

"Cultivators entering the city, including spirit beasts, must undergo registration and inspection to prevent infiltration by the demonic race."

Disciples from various sects began to line up under the guidance of their respective Elders. The city's guards were cultivators in the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages. Following the rules, they confirmed the identities of newcomers under a type of treasure before registering them.

Qin Ji and Chen Xing only went through the inspection and registration process after the Guiyuan Sect's disciples had entered the city. Xiao Bao was registered as a guest demonic cultivator of Guiyuan Sect, while Chen Xing was registered as Qin Ji's spiritual pet.

Both cultivators and spiritual pets were issued tokens that required a blood bond to their masters. This would allow them to bypass the registration process for future visits, although their identities would still be verified.

As Chen Xing took on her human form and entered the city, her legs suddenly gave way. If Qin Ji hadn't steadied her with a supporting hand, she might have collapsed.

Xiao Bao looked at Chen Xing with concern.

"Xing Xing, your complexion seems off. Is the spiritual energy here making you uncomfortable?"

Chen Xing couldn't describe the sensation. She looked at the city gates, which were tall but dilapidated, and felt as if she could hear the mournful wails and cries of lost souls. Just then, a hand with a cooling sensation covered her eyes, and Qin Ji's deep voice sounded in her ears.

"Close your eyes."

Qin Ji only realized something was amiss when Chen Xing clutched his arm tightly. He warned,

"It was your fragile mental state that made you susceptible to the influence of those inscriptions."

Chen Xing blinked, took a moment to understand Qin Ji’s words,

"Oh."

Afterwards, she felt her response had been somewhat indifferent and hurriedly assured,

"I understand, I won't stare at them anymore.”

Qin Ji withdrew his hand and inquired, "Do you want to transform back to your other form?"

Feeling exhausted, Chen Xing, at this point, remembered to revert to her snake form and slither into Qin Ji's collar. Nestled against his body, she began to feel a little better.

Xiao Bao looked at Chen Xing with concern but refrained from asking. He simply stayed by Qin Ji's side.

In Yuanzhao City, people were no longer segregated by Sects but grouped based on their specialties. Alchemists, artifact craftsmen, and medical cultivators shared accommodations with the best conditions. Qin Ji, a sword cultivator, naturally had less favorable conditions. However, each cultivator had a private room, eliminating the need to share.

Each room featured a Spirit Gathering Array, activated using a token to ensure a better environment for rest and recovery.

Of course, rooms weren't fixed, and better treatment could be obtained by trading with battle achievements. However, Qin Ji brought the disciples for a trial, so there was no need to think about battle achievements.

After settling Guiyuan Sect's disciples, Qin Ji returned to his room, familiar after decades here. Upon entering, he activated the Spirit Gathering Array.

Due to Xiao Bao's persistence, the steward arranged his room next to Qin Ji's. Instead of going back to his own room, Xiao Bao followed Qin Ji and asked, "Young Master, how are you feeling?"

Feeling unwell, Chen Xing transformed into her human form and sat on the cushion, asking, "What are the runes inscribed on the city walls?"

Qin Ji wasn't entirely sure. "They affect the soul and mainly target the demon race. However, people with insufficient cultivation or weak willpower who look at them for an extended period might also experience illusions."

Chen Xing found Qin Ji's response somewhat uninformative. She said, dragging out her words, "This place feels very oppressive."

Xiao Bao nodded vigorously. "The cultivators here look so intimidating."

Although all human cultivators, Xiao Bao sensed a stark difference between those here and the cultivators who traveled with them. It wasn't just about their clothing but also their aura.

Qin Ji explained, "Those guarding here are warriors, not cultivators."

Xiao Bao didn't quite understand. He was about to speak again but suddenly exclaimed, "Young Master, your face!"

Chen Xing looked at Xiao Bao in bewilderment and subconsciously reached to touch her own face.

Qin Ji furrowed his brows slightly. Chen Xing had developed scales beneath her eyes. It wasn't scary, but it was peculiar. Even when she had initially hatched and taken human form, her disguise hadn't been so easily uncovered, not even by his Senior Brother.

Feeling it too, Chen Xing, with some curiosity, used a water mirror to take a look, "As expected of me! I look pretty even with scales."

Xiao Bao immediately forgot his worries. "Young Master, you're indeed the prettiest."

Chen Xing appreciated her look for a moment, then made the scales disappear. She put away the water mirror and asked, "Qin Ji, will other spiritual pets also experience this?"

Qin Ji shook his head. He had fought alongside many spiritual pets with the ability to transform, and they had never shown such changes.

Chen Xing glanced at Xiao Bao, then touched her face again. "It's probably because I didn't transform into a human in the usual way."

While demonic cultivators like Xiao Bao had to reach a certain cultivation level before he could transform, Chen Xing's ability was innate.

Qin Ji fell silent for a moment and said, "Don't leave my side in the near future."

Chen Xing agreed without hesitation, "Of course."

The disciples who came for this trial won't be leaving Yuanzhao City for the time being. Their tasks are quite simple. Medical cultivators take care of injured cultivators, artifact craftsmen specialize in crafting various consumable weapons, like arrows, alchemists focus on producing basic items like Hemostatic Pills, and the sword cultivators are assigned to do miscellaneous tasks.

Upon learning about the arrangements for these disciples, even Chen Xing was dumbfounded, not to mention the disciples from various major Sects. While not everyone was a prodigy, they were all exceptionally gifted. When they came here, they had expectations about what they would be doing, but they never anticipated being assigned such menial tasks.

However, upon entering the city, they were required to memorize the rules of Yuanzhao City and follow the arrangements within Yuanzhao City. Also, there were many elders from various Sects here, which made these new disciples not dare to disobey the orders even though they were filled with doubts.

Qin Ji didn't need to do these tasks, but after he took Chen Xing and Xiao Bao for a stroll, his expression became much more serious. He hesitated for a moment and went to find the Elders who were guarding in the city.

Chen Xing, as usual, remained hidden in Qin Ji's collar, while Xiao Bao was assigned to the artifact crafting room. Sensing a shift in Qin Ji's emotions, Chen Xing asked quietly, "Qin Ji, what's wrong?"

Noticing something but uncertain, Qin Ji delayed his response, saying, "I'll tell you later." Chen Xing acknowledged with an "OK" and refrained from more questions, though she couldn't help muttering, "I really don't like this place."

Qin Ji, lowering his gaze slightly, empathized, "No one likes this place." Chen Xing fell silent, finding Qin Ji's statement resonant.

Qin Ji sought out the Sect's Elder, greeting him respectfully before asking directly, "Elder Chen, has the Desolate Spirit Desert expanded again?" Elder Chen, a middle-aged man, sighed and confirmed, "Yes." Given Qin Ji's experience, it was natural for him to notice anomalies, especially with access to city maps.

Having not received this information in the Sect, Qin Ji inquired further, "Has the location of Yuanzhao City changed?" Elder Chen, responding with a bitter smile, admitted, "Yes, it has shifted backward."

Qin Ji pressed, "Is it because of issues with the protective barrier?" Elder Chen nodded, reassuring him, "The Grand Elder inspected it; while there are some issues, it can still hold for a thousand years. We hope the runic mages can find a solution soon."

Qin Ji, reflecting on his past life, wasn't aware of this. However, he was in seclusion then, and his Senior Brother wouldn't have allowed him to be distracted by such matters.

Elder Chen looked at Qin Ji and stated, "Even if you hadn't come, I would have sought you out." Qin Ji responded respectfully, "Elder, please go on." 

Elder Chen presented a map, saying, "I need you to lead a team to escort the runic mages to this location to inspect whether the formations here have been damaged.”