Chapter 155: Dragon Core

“What kind of Innate Qi?”

Yu Ci really hadn’t caught it the first time, but He Qing didn’t feel like repeating herself. She simply reached out and pulled over the wriggling Dragon Fish like it was a worm.

The little guy didn’t resist at all. Yu Ci frowned slightly but didn’t stop her. Given He Qing’s status, it was unlikely she’d make trouble for a mere outer disciple like him.

Sure enough, He Qing merely pinched the little creature lightly, then let it go. She was just confirming something. Her attention quickly returned to Yu Ci.

“How did you extract the Innate Qi of the Heavenly Dragon?”

“What do you mean by the Innate Qi of the Heavenly Dragon?” This time Yu Ci heard clearly, but he blinked and shot the question right back at her.

He Qing frowned too. She could see Yu Ci truly had no concept of what she was talking about. After a short pause, she explained:

“Every Dragon Fish carries the bloodline of the Heavenly Dragon. You know that, right?”

Yu Ci nodded. Old daoist Yu Zhou had explained that much already.

“The Heavenly Dragon bloodline is just an abstract concept. When it manifests in a Dragon Fish, it becomes the Innate Qi of the Heavenly Dragon. It’s accumulated and transformed over time through the stages of Shrimp Whisker Grass, Dragon Fish Grass, and finally Dragon Fish. It is the source of all vitality and spiritual energy in a Dragon Fish.”

He Qing gently pressed her own Dragon Fish’s head, tracing an invisible line between its two short horns and extending it backward.

“This Innate Qi of the Heavenly Dragon condenses without dispersing, forming a long string from head to tail, running through the Dragon Fish’s entire body. Around it, flesh and blood are distributed, spirit and soul are born. It is the central axis of the Dragon Fish—every fluctuation of innate Qi starts from here; all refined spiritual energy flows into it…”

Wasn’t that basically the Dragon Fish’s “Spinal Core”?

Yu Ci had experienced it firsthand. As He Qing described it, realization dawned—so that was the so-called Innate Qi of the Heavenly Dragon.

“The Innate Qi of the Heavenly Dragon is the closest essence to the real body of a Heavenly Dragon. Legend says that the Shrimp Whisker Grass in Sky Rift Valley originated from the ancient Heavenly Dragon’s essence blood. Though it has thinned over the ages, its bloodline still lingers faintly. The evolution from Shrimp Whisker Grass to Dragon Fish Grass to Dragon Fish is a process of mutual devouring and refinement, aiming to gather and distill the Heavenly Dragon bloodline in order to reconstruct its True Form and become a Heavenly Dragon.

The Innate Qi of the Heavenly Dragon is the embryonic form of the real Heavenly Dragon body. The three tiers: flesh binding the scales—Flesh-Scaled, marrow forming the horns—Marrow-Born Crown, and the dragon-awakening gaze—Dragon Transformation, correspond directly to the Innate Qi. The entire value of a Dragon Fish lies in that line of Innate Qi.”

He Qing locked eyes with Yu Ci and continued, “In comparison, the Dragon Fish’s flesh, blood, and soul aren’t that important. But they serve as the vessel for the Innate Qi. Without that outer shell, the Qi would be exposed to the air and burn away instantly, vanishing into nothing. Once the Innate Qi is lost, the Dragon Fish slowly decays into dust.

“But your Dragon Fish has lost its Innate Qi and is still alive. That means the Qi was successfully extracted and is still somehow connected to its life force from outside the body. That’s the only way it can remain alive. How did you do that?”

“Uh…”

If Yu Ci hadn’t misunderstood, what He Qing called the Innate Qi of the Heavenly Dragon was the very same central axis—the “spine”—of the Dragon Fish. After the string of bizarre events he’d experienced, it had been absorbed into the “Void Within the Mind,” transforming into a living Dragon Fish that now swam inside, breathing clouds and shaking the void.

But as for explaining the situation… that was beyond him.

Just as he scratched his head, He Qing suddenly stepped forward, closing the gap between them even more. Her Dragon Fish mimicked her, its head and neck leaning forward in sync. The harmony of their movements was uncanny.

A Void Stepping cultivator and a giant serpent-like creature approaching in unison—no small amount of pressure. Yu Ci only raised his eyebrows slightly but didn’t move. Now there were only three paces between him and He Qing. Her Dragon Fish’s long neck stretched even farther—just a bit more and it could touch Yu Ci with ease.

At this distance, Yu Ci felt something very familiar—that deep, instinctive sense of danger. It was the hunger of the Innate Qi of the Heavenly Dragon, that greedy, powerful core.

Was this Dragon Fish trying to devour him?

At that moment, He Qing placed her pale hand gently on the Dragon Fish’s head. Without applying any visible force, the giant beast shuddered violently, yanked its neck back, and immediately soared high into the sky, not daring to linger even above the maple forest.

After driving the Dragon Fish off, He Qing nodded to Yu Ci. “Apologies. A Dragon Fish’s instincts are hard to suppress.”

“Not at all.” Yu Ci bowed slightly. He Qing’s courtesy was rare, and besides, he understood the nature of a Dragon Fish’s instincts—he wasn’t offended.

But when he looked up, He Qing was staring intently at him. “The Dragon Fish sensed it. That Innate Qi of the Heavenly Dragon really is on you? How did you manage that?”

How many times had this female cultivator asked that already?

Yu Ci could be sure now—he had done something incredible.

But the problem was, he wanted to know how he’d done it too.

Thinking that the immortal before him might be the person within the sect most well-versed in the Dao of Dragon Fish, Yu Ci didn’t hold anything back. After briefly organizing his words, he recounted the events of that night on the shady hillside: how his Yin Spirit exited his body and was devoured by a Dragon Fish, how his connection with his physical body was successfully reestablished, allowing him to open the “Void Within the Mind” and return his Yin Spirit, how the Dragon Fish’s “spine”—the so-called “Innate Qi of the Heavenly Dragon”—charged in to wrest control over the Inner Void, and how he ultimately battled and defeated it.

Out of habit, he still concealed information about the Divine Illumination Bronze Mirror, and inevitably glossed over some parts. But what he described was already strange and bizarre enough, and a few vague points were completely understandable. At the very least, He Qing didn’t raise any questions.

When he finished speaking and looked up, he saw He Qing staring at him with an indescribable expression. The usual seriousness and rigidity that always sat on the female cultivator’s face were completely gone—replaced by surprise, awe, and even…

Before Yu Ci could figure out what she was feeling, a new emotion bloomed in He Qing’s eyes: a smile.

In terms of looks, He Qing might not rival stunning beauties like Murong Qingyan or Immortal Chi Yin, but she rarely smiled. Now, with her face suddenly brightened, it was like sunlight breaking through the clouds—it felt like the entire maple forest had lit up.

This was the first time Yu Ci had seen He Qing smile.

In her smile, He Qing shook her head. “To have connected the inner and outer voids… I wonder what expression Junior Brother Xie would have if he knew this?”

“Connected the inner and outer voids?” Yu Ci was completely lost.

He Qing’s smile gradually faded, but her tone remained gentle. “It’s just my guess. For the exact details, you’ll have to ask Junior Brother Xie. He’ll give you a much more thorough explanation than I can—I’d rather not mislead. But one thing is certain: you did absorb the Innate Qi of the Heavenly Dragon, and you absorbed it into your ‘Void Within the Mind,’ refining and transforming it there until it became usable by you.”

From He Qing’s tone, this seemed to be a good thing. Yu Ci quickly followed up, “What’s the benefit of absorbing it?”

“Benefit?”

He Qing gave him a glance. “You really have the style of our Practical Hall.”

Was that a compliment? Yu Ci felt slightly awkward.

But He Qing didn’t mind. “It’s hard to describe exactly what benefits it brings. After all, the Innate Qi comes from the Heavenly Dragon bloodline—full of boundless mysteries. Once it merges with the body’s flesh, spirit, and soul, it elevates the higher into the lower. At the very least, it will enhance the strength and quality of your body, soul, and spirit. That’s the most basic effect…

“From another perspective, when your cultivation and understanding deepen, you’ll be able to use the Innate Qi to backtrack and deduce the mysteries of the ancient Heavenly Dragon’s true body. Because it’s a direct, personal experience, it will greatly benefit your path to immortality. The Heavenly Dragon’s true form can even serve as a reference for shaping your own True Form and Yang Spirit.”

Yu Ci roughly understood the source of that “envy-like” expression on He Qing’s face earlier. But to him, all of that still felt impossibly far away…

As if reading his thoughts, He Qing paused briefly before continuing: “From what you’ve described, the Dragon Fish formed by the Innate Qi of the Heavenly Dragon has already established a resonance with your ‘Void Within the Mind,’ which touches on the most arcane links between physical imagery and mental imagery. I suspect that when you fully absorb the Innate Qi, blending it completely with your being, you’ll experience a significant breakthrough in the Primordial Origin Qi Method. As for how far you can go, you should ask Junior Brother Xie.”

Given He Qing’s rank and personality, she clearly wasn’t speaking lightly. Yu Ci felt a surge of joy in his heart and quickly bowed to express his thanks. But just as he was about to rise, He Qing said in a solemn voice:

“The Innate Qi of the Heavenly Dragon is ultimately different from human flesh, spirit, and soul. As it permeates and integrates, it will take a long time to settle. I have a technique called the Returning Void Harmonization Method. It doesn’t directly enhance your cultivation, but it was designed specifically to dissolve foreign Qi. You may find it helpful.”

Before Yu Ci could respond, she added, “You’re not a direct disciple of the sect, so I can’t pass this method to you in writing. Just listen carefully. I’ll only recite it three times.”

Even if Yu Ci had a thousand questions, he had to set them aside for now. He focused his attention. The incantation wasn’t long—just over a thousand words. Since reaching Yin Spirit level, his soul potential had been awakened. With his full concentration, remembering something after hearing it three times wasn’t difficult at all. After her third recitation, he had it committed to memory.

He Qing then asked him to recite it once to confirm, and pointed out a few key insights. Only then did the lesson come to an end.

Yu Ci studied diligently, but his confusion only grew. Today’s He Qing was almost a completely different person from the stern female cultivator he first met. What exactly had changed?

He Qing had no intention of explaining. She only said:

“In seeking the dao, opportunity comes first, temperament second, and natural talent last. You joined our sect and received guidance from Junior Brother Xie and the others, clearing your path ahead. In terms of opportunity, you’re already someone to be envied. From here on, in cultivation, you must be diligent and forge ahead bravely. Do not squander this opportunity… and do not let him down!”

Yu Ci froze slightly. Though she didn’t say it outright, the weight of that last sentence was clear—it carried an ominous undertone. That “him” was most likely the dying Daoist Yu Zhou.

Confusion was piling up like a mountain. Yu Ci looked up at He Qing, but the female cultivator had already resumed her usual stern expression. He could no longer glean any emotion from her face. 

Just then, a voice called out:

“Yu Ci.”

It was He Qing addressing him by name once again. Yu Ci’s heart tensed. He answered, “Yes.”

“In Cliff City, you were in charge of coordinating the sects in their joint defense against the demons. But during the battle, your planning was inadequate and your actions were reckless, resulting in heavy casualties among both cultivators and civilians. Are you aware of your fault?”

Yu Ci was stunned for a moment but quickly collected himself. Bowing deeply, he said, “This disciple acknowledges his fault.”

As he lowered his head, he nearly laughed.