The sky was faintly brightening as dawn broke after a long night.
Xiao Bai withdrew his fingers, rubbing his temples wearily. Guiding Xiao Yi Xian through the night had required meticulous care, all while staying vigilant for any sudden pull into that mysterious space. Even with his soul at the peak of the Mortal Realm, he felt a trace of exhaustion.
Suddenly, a pair of soft, delicate hands rested on his head, gently massaging his temples. Xiao Bai shifted back slightly, leaning against a warm, soft figure. A contented sigh escaped him as he half-closed his eyes, savoring the comfort.
After a while, he looked up, meeting a pair of bright eyes filled with gentle concern. Her lips parted slightly, and a sweet, clear voice whispered, "Xiao Bai gege, are you feeling better?"
"Much better!" Xiao Bai's eyes crinkled with a smile as he gazed at the lovely face before him. Rising, he caught Xun Er off guard, wrapping an arm around her slender waist and pulling her, seated at the bed's edge, into his embrace.
"Xiao Bai gege, stop! Xian Er's still here!" Xun Er's eyes shimmered with shy protest, her small hands pushing lightly against his chest as she squirmed in his arms.
"Don't move… just let me hold you for a bit. Just a moment," Xiao Bai murmured, stroking her hair and inhaling the faint, orchid-like fragrance that clung to her.
Hearing this, Xun Er's resistance softened. Her hands fell away, and her body relaxed, nestling against him. She rested quietly, enveloped in the familiar warmth that had comforted her since childhood. Her eyes, like autumn ripples, grew dreamy and distant.
As the two shared this tender moment, another pair of clear eyes slowly opened nearby. A spark of energy flashed within them, and Xiao Yi Xian, feeling her spirit more vibrant than ever, marveled inwardly, Such a wondrous…
Her words faltered as her gaze landed on the embracing pair. Rubbing her eyes, her small mouth fell open in stunned disbelief. "What a… scene!" she muttered.
At her voice, Xun Er's face flushed as vivid as a sunset cloud. She tried to rise, but Xiao Bai's hand tightened gently around her waist, pulling her back.
"Xiao Bai gege!" Xun Er's voice was a mix of exasperation and embarrassment, her eyes brimming with playful reproach.
Xiao Bai's lips curved into a mischievous grin. With a beckoning gesture, he reached out, and with a soft yelp, another figure tumbled into his arms. He wrapped his arm firmly around Xiao Yi Xian's delicate waist, holding her close.
In his embrace, the two pairs of beautiful eyes met, wide with shock. They stared at each other, disbelief etched on their faces. Moments later, a flush crept over their cheeks, and they averted their gazes, flustered.
Feeling the softness of the two figures in his arms, each with their distinct fragrance, Xiao Bai smiled with satisfaction. He sank back onto the bed, closing his eyes. "Don't move, either of you. Let me hold you for a while."
His voice grew faint, trailing off.
The two girls lifted their heads, noticing his steady breathing—he had fallen asleep. Exchanging a glance, their eyes flickered with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"This scoundrel, always dreaming of holding one in each arm. Today, he finally got his wish!" Xun Er nestled against his shoulder, adjusting to a comfortable position. She reached out, playfully pinching Xiao Bai's cheek, her voice laced with mock indignation.
"Xiao Bai's already so good to us! Even if he wants this, he's never forced us," Xiao Yi Xian said softly, her jade-like hand brushing a stray lock of hair from Xiao Bai's face.
"Hmph! Xian Er, you're the one spoiling him!" Xun Er huffed, pouting.
Xiao Yi Xian's hand paused, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "The one who spoils him most… isn't that you, Xun Er?"
Xun Er's gaze darted away, her hand waving dismissively. "Who's spoiling him? That flirt!"
"Hehe…" Xiao Yi Xian covered her mouth, chuckling at Xun Er's stubbornness.
The room fell silent as the two ceased their banter.
___
Time slipped by, and hours later, Xiao Bai stirred, his eyes opening slowly. The lingering fragrance in his arms was all that remained; the girls were gone. Sighing with a touch of regret, he sat up cross-legged and drew a golden figure from his sleeve.
"Who dares disturb this dragon's slumber?" The little golden dragon yawned, its small eyes bleary. "My lord, what do you need?"
"Forget calling you Thunder Dragon—you're more like Sleepy Dragon! You just woke up, and you're already dozing again?" Xiao Bai stared at the creature, exasperated. For some reason, the dragon was no longer bound to deep, unwakeable slumbers as before, but it was still excessively fond of sleep.
"Can't help it! I feel like I can never sleep enough!" The little golden dragon lazily stretched its claws, yawning repeatedly. "But it's probably a good thing. I can sense my soul growing stronger with each slumber!"
Xiao Bai studied the dragon, thoughtful. Is it recovering?
"Hey, hey, my lord, what are you doing? It's just a nap—does it warrant this?" The dragon, usually drowsy and half-awake, jolted upright as Xiao Bai brandished a dagger, waving it menacingly. "No need for that, right?" it yelped, instantly alert.
"Relax, keep sleeping. I just need a bit of your essence blood. It'll be quick," Xiao Bai said calmly, as if discussing something trivial.
"Essence blood? You think it's some common cabbage?" The dragon gaped at him, outraged. "Besides, I'm a spiritual body—where would I even have essence blood?"
"No essence blood?" Xiao Bai frowned, eyeing the dragon skeptically. "If you don't have it, why are you so worked up?"
"Uh… right!" The dragon blinked, then chuckled awkwardly, waving a claw. "Never mind, then!"
"Explain, then. What's a spiritual body? Your form feels so real, like flesh and blood. How can you not have essence blood?" Xiao Bai asked, curiosity piqued. Since hatching, the dragon had always seemed tangible, a living creature of flesh and blood. The term "spiritual body" was new to him.
"Spiritual body? I'm not entirely sure myself," the dragon admitted, scratching its head in frustration. Seeing Xiao Bai's doubtful look, it hurried to explain. "My memories are fragmented, but basically, a spiritual body is formed when a naturally born spirit gains sentience. If it gets the chance to take shape, that form is a spiritual body. Unlike flesh-and-blood creatures, we don't have essence blood—only an origin source."
"For flesh-and-blood beings, essence blood is a kind of origin, but it's less pure. Their origin includes more than just blood. For a spiritual body, the origin source is everything—it's our essence, even our sentience stems from it."
Xiao Bai pondered this, recalling the original story. The most notable example was the Pure Lotus Demon Fire, reduced to a mere wisp of its origin flame after being sealed by the Pure Lotus Saint's array. So, the dragon's words seem true.
This realization disappointed him. He'd hoped to use the dragon's essence blood to cultivate a Dou Technique, but it seemed that was impossible.
"Wait a minute!" Xiao Bai's eyes gleamed with a teasing glint as he looked at the dragon. "If essence blood is less pure than an origin source, wouldn't using your origin be even better?"
"Is that human speech? Listen to yourself!" The dragon shot back, darting away in a huff. "I'm just a few months old, and you want to steal my origin?"
"Xiao Bai gege, what's all the noise about?" Xun Er entered, pushing open the door, her expression puzzled as she took in the scene.
"Little mistress, save me! This heartless master wants to slaughter a dragon!" The little golden dragon zipped to her shoulder, pretending to wipe tears as it wailed.
After hearing its exaggerated complaints, Xun Er shot Xiao Bai an exasperated look. "Xiao Bai gege, are you trying to cultivate that Dou Technique from the library?"
"Dou Technique? What kind of monstrous technique is this?" The dragon perked up, no longer playacting. It stood, hands on hips, glaring.
Xiao Bai flicked his wrist, tossing a scroll to the dragon.
Catching it, the dragon unrolled the scroll and scanned its contents, its tail swishing. It let out occasional gasps. "This is insane! It needs essence blood for refinement? The more blood, the higher the grade and power? Whoever created this must have a grudge against dragon-type magical beasts!"
Xiao Bai rolled his eyes. What a drama queen. Despite its earlier theatrics—rage, sorrow, fake tears—it was all an act. If he'd truly tried to take its essence or origin, the dragon's golden lightning would've zapped the dagger to nothing in an instant.
"Xiao Bai gege, should I help you find some dragon-type magical beast essence blood?" Xun Er stepped closer, asking softly.
"No need. The so-called 'dragon aura' doesn't necessarily require essence blood. There should be other ways. I'll experiment first," Xiao Bai said, shaking his head.
"It's just a Thunder Dragon Spear, right? This dragon can transform into a spear too!" the little golden dragon scoffed, lifting its head from the scroll with a disdainful look.
"Oh?" Xiao Bai raised an eyebrow at the dragon's cocky attitude. "Let's see it, then."
"Heh, watch closely!" The dragon leaped from the scroll, circling in the air. A flash of golden lightning crackled, accompanied by a faint rumble like a dragon's roar. In an instant, a golden spear materialized.
Xiao Bai and Xun Er examined the spear closely. Its shaft was adorned with intricate dragon patterns, each line meticulously crafted as if drawn with the finest brush. The coiling dragon motifs seemed alive, shimmering with faint golden lightning, exuding a mystical aura.
The spearhead resembled a dragon's head, vivid and lifelike, its jaws open as if roaring to the heavens. The tip, sharp as a dragon's fang, gleamed with a chilling light, capable of piercing anything in its path.
Both Xiao Bai and Xun Er's eyes widened in surprise. They hadn't expected the dragon to possess such an ability.
"Not bad, huh?" The spear quivered, arcs of golden lightning dancing along its length. A smug soul fluctuation carried its voice.
"This spear form—is it one of your abilities?" Xiao Bai asked, hesitating. He began to wonder if he'd misjudged the dragon's origins. Could it be a weapon that gained sentience?
"Not impressed? Name any weapon—sword, spear, blade, halberd, axe, hook, whip, mace, hammer, staff, anything! I can transform into it!" The dragon, sensing Xiao Bai's lukewarm reaction, bristled. "What do you want? I'll make it!"
"You can transform into all of those?" Xiao Bai was momentarily stunned. The eighteen classic weapons, and you can do them all?
"Of course! Didn't I just say? I'm a spiritual body—I can change into anything. Even a breathtaking beauty, if you want!" The spear dissolved in a flash of gold, and the dragon reappeared, crossing its claws with a teasing grin.
A chill ran through Xiao Bai as Xun Er's icy gaze pierced him. He quickly snapped, "No way! Scram!"
"Little mistress, I was wrong!" The dragon wilted under Xun Er's frosty stare, its bravado gone. "I only transform into gold-colored things! My lord wouldn't like golden skin, right?"
Xiao Bai wanted to throttle the dragon. Shut up already! Golden or not, I'm not interested!
"Enough! Transform into the spear again!" Xiao Bai cut in, desperate to change the subject as Xun Er's expression darkened. If this went on, the dragon might find itself banished.
"Got it!" The dragon, sensing the danger, sighed in relief and transformed back into the golden spear with a flash of light.
Xiao Bai grasped the spear, its length about ten feet. Feeling the crackling lightning along its shaft, he infused a trace of thunder-attribute Dou Qi and gave it a light swing. His eyes widened in astonishment.
The spear's power was immense. A single swing unleashed a thunderous roar, laced with what sounded like a dragon's bellow, deafening and awe-inspiring.
Gripping the spear tightly, he thrust it forward with full force. The air rippled as if space itself trembled. Though no spatial tears appeared, the effect was staggering—few high-tier Dou Huangs could achieve such a feat.
"What's going on?" Xiao Bai asked the spear, staring at the fading spatial ripples.
"It's not about raw power breaking spatial limits—we're not strong enough for that. It's a fragment of spatial insight from my memories, applied to the spear's form, that creates this effect," the dragon explained.
"Don't get cocky, my lord! Don't think you can take on a Dou Zong with me. I'd have to bail if you tried!" The dragon sounded nervous, regretting its showboating.
"I'm not that reckless," Xiao Bai said, exasperated. What do you take me for? I'm not about to challenge a Dou Zong with a Dou Ling's strength, spear or no spear.
"Good, that's a relief!" The dragon relaxed. "As long as you're not picking a fight with a Dou Zong, we're fine."
"Excellent. With this ability of yours, I'm even more intrigued by that Dou Technique," Xiao Bai said, releasing the spear with a satisfied smile.
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