Come and Hit Me!

Princess Mingman woke dizzily to find herself in a dark, unfamiliar place that looked like an ancient palace. She stood up. The palace appeared to have been buried deep underground beneath ash, hidden from the light of day. Yet faint, eerie glows radiated from vines growing in the gloomy subterranean soil, keeping the place from being entirely pitch-black. Princess Mingman looked around. The palace walls bore mottled murals, their colors flaked away until the depictions were unrecognizable. Suddenly, her foot stepped on something. She slipped, caught her balance, and looked down. To her astonishment, it was the skeletal remains of a Daoist with a dragon’s head and a human body, its robes long turned to ash. Alarmed, she hurried outward, only for even more dragon immortal skeletons to enter her sight. Princess Mingman’s heart pounded wildly. She knew of places like this. They were ruins from the previous age—the Primeval Era—buried beneath heavy Dao ash. According to the Dragon Court's historical records, an Emerald Rock had descended upon the Dragon Court during the Primeval Era, destroying the primeval Dragon Court and driving the entire dragon race to extinction. The power of that Emerald Rock was so overwhelming that the Great Daos of heaven and earth from the Dragon Court Era, along with the Daos of the surviving powerhouses, were all reduced to ash. A snowstorm of Dao ash drifted down endlessly for a full million years! From then on, the primeval Dragon Court Era was thoroughly buried beneath Dao ash, leaving not a trace behind. The Heavenly Immortal Realm's Dragon Court of today was established atop that Dao ash, growing and flourishing as it completely cast aside the past. However, the primeval ruins beneath the Dao ash were fraught with peril. Rumor had it that lingering resentful souls from the Primeval Era still wandered there, harboring boundless malice. They would possess members of the dragon race who ventured in to explore, turning them into horrific monsters that devoured any living creature daring to enter. Rumors frequently circulated of dragons dying within the primeval ruins, rendering them sinister and terrifying in people's minds. Princess Mingman cautiously stepped out of the ancient primeval immortal palace, only to discover that the subterranean expanse was boundless, like a miniature world hidden beneath the earth. She looked up and saw that the underground sky was actually dotted with stars, hanging across the vault like a celestial river. But on closer inspection, she realized they were plants and flowers hanging upside down from the stone dome. They grew astonishingly lush, as though they had absorbed ample nourishment from the Dao ash. Furthermore, along the stone walls surrounding this subterranean world, she could faintly make out colossal dragon skeletons encircling the entire underground domain, their length staggering. When the ancient cataclysm struck, dragon immortals must have revealed their true forms, turning their own Daos into a self-contained domain to protect the people within the immortal palace. Yet when their Daos turned to ash, extinction remained inevitable. *How did I end up here? I seem to remember chasing after that barbarian to take him as my master...* Just as the thought crossed her mind, she spotted the bare-chested barbarian youth beneath the "starry sky," standing before her as he regulated his breathing and healed his physical injuries. The barbarian youth had a dark face, but his torso was pale, lean, and well-muscled—something imperceptible when he was fully clothed. With each breath he took, the cave abyss behind him expanded and contracted in rhythm, continuously releasing immortal spiritual qi that flowed into his body. Suddenly, the youth’s immensely powerful spirit formed phantom after phantom around him, drilling martial arts and deducing how to unravel the other shore divine abilities of Cang Jue and the other two elders. He bore numerous severe Dao injuries. As he pushed the ultimate intent of martial arts forward in his deductions, the wounds healed one by one, the Dao methods of the three elders dismantled in succession. Princess Mingman had never seen anyone so extraordinarily perceptive. Still, the Five Candles Sky Burning Technique, Pagoda Heavenly Heart Mantra, and Creation Mysterious Technique of Elder Cang Jue and his peers were exceedingly profound and exquisite—truly supreme arts from the other shore. Their subtleties eluded even Xu Ying's ability to dismantle them completely, leaving behind a few stubborn Dao injuries. Among them, the Dao subtleties of the Creation Mysterious Technique surpassed even those of the Creation Supreme, though they clearly shared the same lineage, merely existing at a higher caliber. The surroundings were somewhat chilly. Princess Mingman folded her arms across her chest and wrapped her clothes tighter around herself. Seeing Xu Ying still cultivating assiduously, she called out loudly, "The Great Ultimate is the wonder of original nature, the vehicle of movement and stillness, the origin of yin and yang. The Great Ultimate is metaphysical, the Dao; yin and yang are physical, the vessel. Movement and stillness have no edge; yin and yang have no beginning; herein lies the foundation of creation..." She spoke in the Dao language of the other shore, which was laden with obscure phrasing and profound, elusive meanings. Without realizing it, Xu Ying became engrossed, absorbing and digesting the profound axioms of the scripture she recited. His heart stirred slightly. *This must be text from the Creation Mysterious Technique of the other shore!* Before long, Princess Mingman finished reciting the original scripture of the Creation Mysterious Technique. Noticing several Dao injuries vanish from Xu Ying’s body, she continued, "Patterned after the golden flower, concealing the secret word of light within; this is the true qi of primordial Taiyi, the singular lead of the water realm. The work of turning the light inward relies entirely on reverse cultivation, focusing intent upon the heavenly heart, which abides between the sun and moon..." Xu Ying was astonished. The dragon girl he had nearly crushed to death was actually reciting the profound axioms of yet another exquisite technique! And these axioms had to belong to the Pagoda Heavenly Heart Mantra practiced by Elder Qing Qiufeng! Once Princess Mingman recited the Pagoda Heavenly Heart Mantra in full, several more Dao injuries disappeared from Xu Ying’s body. She then recited the true scripture from the other shore for the Five Candles Sky Burning Technique cultivated by Elder Cang Jue. By the time she finished, the Dao injuries across Xu Ying’s body were completely gone. Evidently, while she recited, the barbarian had grasped the subtleties of all three techniques and cured his injuries. *This barbarian is so smart!* Princess Mingman’s eyes sparkled, but her expression quickly turned dejected. *I'm so stupid. I could never learn them, only memorizing a heap of useless scriptures...* Xu Ying turned around, put on his clothes, and walked toward her with refined courtesy. "Young lady, how should I address you?" Before, he had been fierce and domineering, suppressing countless dragon immortals in Longhua City; now, he carried the poised demeanor of a scholar. Princess Mingman replied hurriedly, "My surname is Ming, and my given name is Man, pronounced Wan. I'm dreadfully stupid and could never master the arts of the other shore no matter how hard I tried. I wanted to take you as my master and learn the barbarian techniques you practice. I don't know what happened, but I fainted the moment I met you..." She spoke in the Dao language of the other shore to convey the direct intent of her words. When Xu Ying heard it, he understood her meaning and wondered in surprise, *Mingwan? Doesn't that sound like 'obtuse'? Does her name mean her head is as dense as stone? Can someone like that even be taught? But just now, she recited scriptures so profound and obscure without missing a word. She's clearly quite clever...* Her recitation of the three techniques had aided him in healing his Dao injuries and refining the alien Daos inside his body, allowing his cultivation to advance another step. He could not ignore such a favor. Xu Ying’s thoughts stirred. *To break through stubborn obtuseness, one must realize emptiness! Her name sounds like 'obtuse,' which makes her a perfect fit for Daoist Wukong's technique!* "Miss Mingwan, let us enter the immortal palace to speak." Xu Ying walked into the palace and gently swept his sleeve, clearing away the ash and respectfully moving the dragon-boned Daoists aside. He sat down and gestured for Princess Mingman to sit before him, saying, "Cease all visualization and quiet every thought. I must first inspect your innate constitution." Princess Mingman sat before him and closed her eyes, quickly attaining a state free of stray thoughts. Xu Ying sent his divine consciousness into her body, immediately sensing a bloodline power as deep as an ocean and as vast as a starry sky—pure beyond measure! He was thoroughly astonished. This bloodline power carried the aura of the Far Ancestor, poised between slumber and awakening, yet perpetually suppressed by the other shore Dao methods she practiced, unable to awaken! Such latent talent was extraordinary not just for the dragon race, but even among demon races that relied on bloodline strength! It was outrageously good—enough to drive anyone mad with envy! *Yet the bloodline power of the Far Ancestor happens to conflict with the Dao methods of the other shore. No wonder her cultivation is so meager. Have the modern dragons stopped cultivating their bloodlines to awaken the power within?* Xu Ying found it perplexing. Logically, bloodline strength was the dragon race's proudest asset; they would never discard it under normal circumstances. For the dragons of today's Heavenly Immortal Realm to cast aside such power—and even forget how to cultivate it—baffled him. "Alright, open your eyes," Xu Ying said as he pondered. Princess Mingman opened her eyes to see the youth stand up and walk over to the dragon-boned Daoists, studying them one by one. She had no idea what he intended to do. Filled with curiosity, she followed him cautiously. After a moment, Xu Ying broke into a smile, clasped his hands, and bowed to one of the dragon-boned Daoists, intoning, "Dao Brother, take no offense. Today, I must borrow the remaining Dao bone of Dao Brother to enlighten the obtuse." Princess Mingman blinked, thinking, *Who is this 'obtuse' he's talking about?* With great reverence, Xu Ying cupped the dragon-boned Daoist's skull in both hands and lifted gently. With a soft snap, he removed the skull and brought it before Princess Mingman. "Mingwan, I shall stimulate the residual power in this Dao brother's bone to awaken your bloodline!" He activated the skull. In life, the Daoist had been an exceptional powerhouse among dragon immortals, likely the master of this domain, and his Dao bones still retained a fragment of extremely pure dragon Dao power. Now stimulated by Xu Ying, this faint Dao power turned into an imperceptible beam of light that shot into Princess Mingman's glabella! Princess Mingman froze, feeling nothing out of the ordinary as the light entered her body. Yet in the next instant, an involuntary, low dragon roar tore from her throat. Dense, shimmering dragon scales sprouted beneath her skin, and surges of extraordinary power erupted from her blood, flooding her physique and sweeping away all the other shore Dao methods she had previously cultivated! Countless memory fragments from ancient ancestors flooded Princess Mingman's mind—ancestral combat arts and powers imprinted in her bloodline awakening one after another! *Roar—!* A dragon roar resounded, shaking the underground world. Princess Mingman felt her dormant nature awaken. Her body spun, transforming into a silver dragon that soared through the air with a whistle, darting between the pillars of the ancient palace before lunging outward to swoop freely across the subterranean realm! Surges of tremendous strength flooded her physical body and cleansed her primordial spirit, transforming her physique into Dao bones and a Dao body! Xu Ying walked outside the palace, gazing up with deep envy. He had only managed to reach the level of Dao body and Dao bones after attaining immortality, yet this dragon girl naturally possessed such power dormant in her bloodline. Such innate gifts could not be envied into existence. Princess Mingman darted through the underground world with unrestrained joy, her aura growing stronger and her Dao body and Dao bones purer, drawing forth continuous dragon cries from her lips. She had never felt so exhilarated or happy. Before, she had suppressed her nature, toiling and straining through cultivation so as not to disappoint her father, Dragon Emperor Mingdao. Yet she had achieved nothing and was mocked for being of mediocre talent; the grievances she had endured could well be imagined. Only now did she realize she had walked the wrong path in the past, and had finally returned to the true course. Still, a thought inevitably surfaced: *We possess such tremendous power within us, so why did we forsake it to study the Dao methods of the other shore?* A moment later, the silver dragon girl swooped toward Xu Ying, gradually shifting form as she landed. This time, she did not take the form of an alien or a dragon-headed humanoid, but transformed into a human maiden. She wore woven silk shoes, her hair pinned with an ornament carved from tortoiseshell. The white silk around her waist shimmered like rippling water, accentuating a slender waist that could tug at anyone's heartstrings. Pearls dangled beside her ears, one on each side, refracting faint glimmers of light with every slight movement. Graceful and charming, with lips red as cinnabar, her transformation into a human maiden carried an exotic allure that made Xu Ying take a second glance. *If she cultivates the Leakless Golden Body, she will definitely possess tremendous explosive power!* Xu Ying nodded inwardly. Princess Mingman stepped forward to perform the rites of apprenticeship. Xu Ying sat broad and steady, accepting her bow with composure. "Before you, there is a senior brother named Xu Ergou and a senior sister named Xiyue. Oh, and down in the Mortal Realm, there are two more senior brothers—one named Jingming, the other Ming Wangsun." At this point, he remembered taking two bull demons as disciples back in the Yuanshou world, and added, "There might also be two bull senior... never mind them. Just follow me and cultivate diligently! I shall now teach you a cultivation method called the Leakless Golden Body, which will let you harness the power in your body to your heart's content!" Princess Mingman was overjoyed, hopping with excitement. "Is this Leakless Golden Body powerful?" "Naturally." Xu Ying taught her the Leakless Golden Body without reservation. The version Daoist Wukong had imparted to him was originally an old Dao technique, following the path of Dao trees, Dao flowers, and Dao fruits. As the Dao Ancestor of the new Dao, Xu Ying had naturally adapted it to fit the new framework. What he taught Princess Mingman was this modified Leakless Golden Body. The origin of this art lay in the Supreme Dao; it was a supreme method Daoist Wukong had devised upon comprehending the great rift in the Taishang Cave Abyss. Just as the Taishang Cave Abyss plundered the techniques of those cultivating the Supreme Dao to mend its great rift, this technique could dissolve alien powers within the body and convert them into physical strength, forging an indestructible fleshly body. Xu Ying had survived clash after clash with the three dragon elders precisely because of this art. Princess Mingman's progress with the technique was astonishingly rapid. In just two or three days, she attained a solid grasp of the Leakless Golden Body, leaving Xu Ying marveling in praise. Xu Ying said to her with earnest gravity, "Mingwan, today I shall impart the true essence of the Leakless Golden Body to you. If you apply it deftly, your cultivation will advance by leaps and bounds; if you apply it poorly, your soul will scatter. The Dao must not pass through six ears—lean in, and Master will tell you." Princess Mingman brought her ear close to him, the pearls beneath her earlobes swaying gently. Xu Ying whispered a few sentences. Princess Mingman looked bewildered at first, then astonished, before trembling with excitement as everything clicked into place. Xu Ying smiled. "Those looking for us outside have probably grown impatient by now. Let's head up." Princess Mingman assented. With a thought from Xu Ying, his bodhimanda inverted heaven and earth. Without disturbing a speck of the underground world, the two arrived on the surface. At that moment, numerous dragon immortals from Longhua City were traveling in groups, scouring the surroundings for Xu Ying's whereabouts. Knowing Xu Ying was gravely wounded and far from his peak, they had dared to pursue him. The instant Xu Ying and Princess Mingman appeared, over a dozen dragon immortals noticed them and rushed over. Yet seeing Xu Ying looking relaxed and composed, bearing no signs of injury, and accompanied by a bright-eyed, fair-toothed barbarian maiden, they hesitated. Princess Mingman also hesitated, stealing a glance at Xu Ying. Xu Ying smiled and gave her an encouraging nod. Summoning her courage, Princess Mingman circulated the true essence Xu Ying had taught her, charged toward the dragon immortals, and shouted at the top of her lungs, "I am Wanming, a barbarian, and I challenge you all! Come over here and hit me!"