Ye Ling asked, “Xiao Si, how did you get that green snake form from before?”
“Is this transformation reliable? Will powerful experts be able to see through it?”
Cang Si thought seriously for a moment before explaining in her babyish voice,
“It’s extremely reliable, Sister!”
“My transformation technique comes from the Dragon Clan's innate divine ability, the Nine Transformations of the Divine Dragon. It's one of the top transformation techniques in the world.”
“Even though my innate foundation is damaged and my cultivation is only at the early-stage Xiantian Realm, the Dragon Clan foundation is still there.”
“Even if a Wangzuo Realm expert looks closely, they will never see through to my true form.”
“After all, we of the true dragon clan are born at the Wangzuo Realm. Although my cultivation is low, my heritage has never been weak.”
Hearing this, Ye Ling felt completely relieved. She instructed, “That's good. In the future, just keep using the green snake form when we are outside.”
“Your true dragon form is too eye-catching. It could easily attract unwanted attention and greed from others.”
Cang Si nodded obediently. “Okay, I'll listen to you, Sister.”
As she spoke, she tilted her dragon head, her tone filled with a trace of innocent confusion and bluntness.
“But Sister, your sect is so weak.”
“Yesterday, when I followed you out of the secret realm, I quietly swept my demonic sense over your entire sect.”
“The strongest person in your sect is only at the early-stage Ningfu Realm. What's more, their lifespan is nearly exhausted, and they don't have much time left.”
“Early-stage Ningfu Realm...”
Ye Ling recalled the cultivation landscape the sect master had explained to her when she first entered the sect.
The Qingyun Kingdom was small and barren of martial arts, making the peak Tongxuan Realm the highest level of combat power one could encounter in the secular world.
Any cultivator who could break through their shackles and step into the Ningfu Realm would leave the kingdom and travel to the vast Eastern Territory for further cultivation.
Only those whose lifespans were nearing their end and whose time was almost up would choose to return to their homeland to guard their sects.
If so, the Ningfu Realm expert Cang Si had sensed must be the Qinglan Sword Sect's reclusive Supreme Elder who had returned from the Eastern Territory.
On second thought, Cang Si could easily probe the other party's realm and lifespan with her demonic sense, yet that veteran Ningfu Realm expert had not noticed anything amiss at all.
Ye Ling looked at Cang Si beside her. “Xiao Si, has your demonic sense already reached the Wangzuo Realm level?”
Hearing this, Cang Si immediately straightened her tiny dragon body and raised her head proudly. “Of course! My soul and demonic sense were born at the Wangzuo Realm grade.”
Then, her dragon whiskers drooped again, her tone instantly plummeting with a hint of grievance.
“Unfortunately, my physical body and cultivation are still stuck at the early-stage Xiantian Realm. I can only cultivate slowly and make up for it bit by bit.”
Seeing the little one suddenly look so downcast, Ye Ling reached out to gently stroke her dragon head and spoke softly.
“That is already very good. I will always be with you from now on. We will slowly grow stronger and grow up together.”
“Besides, I am only at the Xiantian Realm Great Perfection myself. We will walk this path side by side.”
Cang Si's dim dragon eyes instantly lit up with color again. She nodded vigorously, her soft soul transmission filled with determination.
“Mhm! Sister, we will grow together!”
One day later.
Atop the Spirit Vein Jade Bed, Ye Ling slowly opened her eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air.
For a whole day, utilizing the dense spiritual energy of the high-grade secret realm, the spirit-gathering amplification of the Spirit Vein Jade Bed, and the continuous energy supply from mid-grade spirit stones, she had cultivated diligently, making remarkable progress.
Ye Ling calculated in her mind that in such an excellent environment, she would only need three months of cultivation to be absolutely certain of breaking through to the peak Xiantian Realm.
But looking down at her side, dozens of mid-grade spirit stones had already been drained of their spiritual energy, turning into a pile of fine ash.
Checking her storage bag, she found she had fewer than a hundred mid-grade spirit stones left.
Although her cultivation speed was advancing by leaps and bounds, her resource consumption was equally terrifying. At this rate of consumption, all her mid-grade spirit stones would be completely exhausted in two or three days at most.
Beside her thigh, Cang Si was still curled up into a round ball, sleeping soundly and sweetly.
Ye Ling raised her hand to gently stroke her cute dragon head. The sleeping little one instinctively nudged against her palm, lazy and clingy.
“I'll let Xiao Si sleep a bit longer then.”
With a thought, Ye Ling activated the secret realm orb. Her figure instantly stepped out of the Earth-grade secret realm and returned to her bamboo courtyard in the Qinglan Sword Sect.
Today was the day for the selected disciples of the sect to assemble and set off for the Qingyun royal capital to participate in the Qingyun Grand Tournament.
At noon, all participating disciples were required to gather at the main sect hall.
Looking up at the sky, the morning light was just right, and there was still some time before noon.
Ye Ling decided to put her cultivation aside for now, planning to use this free time to visit Qinghan and Qinghe.
Cang Si was a partner bound to her by a Lifebound Contract, destined to accompany her for life.
She needed to find a time to introduce the little one to her family and friends.
Just as she was about to use a soul transmission to wake Cang Si up in the secret realm, a flash of green light suddenly appeared.
Cang Si emerged from the secret realm space on her own.
She shared the deepest bond of a Lifebound Contract with Ye Ling. Furthermore, the Earth-grade secret realm orb was originally her birth treasure that had accompanied her since childhood, so her control over the secret realm space was already masterful.
Without needing Ye Ling's guidance, she could enter and exit at will.
Having just appeared, Cang Si was still groggy with sleep, her dragon eyes misty as her soft soul transmission sounded:
“Sister, why did you come out? Are you not cultivating anymore?”
Looking at the lazy and adorable little dragon, a gentle smile graced the corners of Ye Ling's lips.
“Xiao Si, it's perfect. I'll take you to meet two of my good friends.”
“But remember to keep a low profile outside. Quickly transform into your green snake form.”
“Sister's friends? I want to meet them!”
Cang Si agreed crisply. With a shake of her body, she cast the Nine Transformations of the Divine Dragon and transformed into the green snake form Ye Ling had first seen.
To avoid drawing attention, she deliberately shrunk her body to only an inch long, lightly wrapping around Ye Ling's right wrist while her tiny snake head gently pressed against her palm.
“Sister, I'll just stay here obediently then.”
After speaking, she playfully flicked her tiny red tongue, gently rubbing against Ye Ling's palm, docile and well-behaved.
Ye Ling nodded with a smile and did not refuse. With a movement, she soared out of the bamboo courtyard on the wind, heading straight for the outer peak of the Qinglan Sword Sect.
She swept her Divine Sense across the outer peak's martial arts arena. Knowing that Qinghan and Qinghe were not at their usual practice spot, she landed directly at the small courtyard they rented.
Inside the stone hall, two familiar figures were sitting quietly and chatting.
Suddenly seeing Ye Ling appear, both Qinghan and Qinghe's eyes lit up, and joy instantly bloomed on their faces.
“Ye Ling! What are you doing here?” Qinghe was the first to speak, her voice soft. “Aren't you supposed to assemble and set off at noon today to participate in the Qingyun Grand Tournament? How do you still have time to come see us?”
Qinghan chimed in, nodding. “Yeah, I was just talking about you with Sister Qinghe, and then you appeared the next moment.”
Ye Ling smiled gently, walking slowly into the courtyard. “We only assemble and set off at noon. There are still plenty of hours left before then.”
“Since it's been a while since we last met, I came over to see you.”
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