Chapter 9: Master and Disciple Reunite (Part 1)

  Hai Long hastily stretched out his hand, greedily staring at the other two treasures floating in mid-air. Dao Ming smiled slightly and with a flick of his right wrist, the small red Bagua floated down and landed on Hai Long's palm. Just as the Bagua reached Hai Long's palm, Dao Ming suddenly snapped his fingers, and a flash of blue light appeared, instantly leaving a wound on Hai Long's palm, from which fresh blood flowed out.

  The dragon was shocked and only felt a heat in his left hand, the red eight trigrams had already fallen on the wound. Suddenly, a blood light shot up to the sky, and in an instant, the red eight trigrams had melted into his palm.

  "This is the Blood Eight Trigrams, from now on it will become your main attacking treasure. It can only be fully combined with you when used with fresh blood as a medium. This treasure contains a vast amount of Daoist thought and is an effective tool for subduing evil spirits and demons. However, since it contains some ominous energy, you should try to use it as little as possible. Once you reach the state of enlightenment, it will be useless to you. You can use your magical powers to expel it from your body to avoid affecting your future cultivation. The method of using it is the same as the Star Blue Ring, and it will emit red light according to the amount of magical power you inject into it. Its power is based on your own magical power. If you can exert its maximum power, it should be able to penetrate energy equivalent to that of the Star Blue Armor."

  Hai Long waved his left hand, and a warm energy kept coming from his palm. He said with satisfaction: "Master, the treasure you gave me is quite useful, at least it's convenient to use. Let me try its power." As he spoke, his mind urged the magic power, and the red eight trigrams on his palm suddenly lit up, the deep and shallow Tai Chi patterns rotating violently. Hai Long shouted loudly: "Master, look at the treasure!" Suddenly, a blood light in a spiral shape burst out, and the blood-colored light column with a diameter of about five centimeters rushed towards Dao Ming Zhen Ren.

  Dao Ming was startled, he didn't expect Hailong to use himself as an experiment. In his haste, he didn't dare to be careless, and a plaque-like object floated out of his chest, shining with golden light to barely block Hailong's attack.

  The dragon's power was limited to the level of Fútǔ, and the blood-colored light column flashed by in an instant. He said somewhat discontentedly: "This isn't much either."

  "Daoming angrily said: 'You this rebellious little boy, how dare you use the magic treasure I just gave you to hit me?'"

  Hailong smiled and said, "Didn't you try on the Star Blue Armor earlier? With your profound cultivation, how could my little trick hurt you? It seems that the power of this Blood Eight Trigrams is also quite ordinary."

  Daming Zhenren snorted and said, "What's so ordinary. Just now I used my most powerful magic treasure, the Chengtian Pai. If it had reacted a bit slower, you might have succeeded. This is also for you, but don't try to test me with it again. Otherwise, I'll take back all your magic treasures." As he spoke, a white light flashed and the exquisitely carved small white dragon fell into Haicheng's palm.

  The white little dragon seemed to be made of jade, looking extremely delicate and lovely. The vivid dragon had five claws, with a faint gem light flowing on its body, and the dragon's eyes were golden, which seemed not to be ordinary gold, but a kind of mineral-like substance. The sea dragon clearly felt that the energy flowing through the white little dragon was full of vitality, and under the infusion of that energy, he felt exceptionally comfortable all over his body.

  "This treasure is called the Illusory Dragon. Giving it to you is a bit of a waste, but when you're in extreme danger, you can pour all your magic into it and it will transform into a dragon shape to help block your enemies. However, because your cultivation is too shallow, you can only maintain it for about ten minutes at most. After releasing the Illusory Dragon, you must immediately escape, and after its energy ends, it will automatically return to your side. Additionally, it has a special effect that can dispel ordinary toxins; if you encounter miasma or similar things, just holding it in your hand will prevent you from being invaded by the toxic air."

  The sea dragon played with the illusory dragon, laughing and saying: "This is my favorite, it's an illusory dragon, I'm a sea dragon, we're really a match made in heaven! Thanks, Master."

  Although the Sea Dragon's voice was very leisurely, Dao Ming Zhen Ren clearly felt that only this voice came from his true heart. He snorted and said: "You little brat also knows how to thank me? It's not like it's because of my own power, but rather the power of these magical treasures."

  Hailong held the Illusory Dragon in his arms, and the smile on his face completely disappeared. He said faintly, "Master, I have a question to ask you. If it weren't for Senior Guai looking so highly upon me, would you give me this treasure?"

  Daming's face changed, and he stared at the sea dragon in front of him, his expression carrying a hint of gloom. After a long while, he said, "No way. Of course not. Did you think I gave any of those masters any treasures? Their flying swords were just helped by me with some processing. You can think whatever you want. Anyway, the thing is already given to you."

  After asking that question, Hai Long couldn't help but feel a little regretful. He had just improved his relationship with Dao Ming Zhen Ren, but now he had ruined it himself. Sighing softly, he muttered: "No matter what your purpose is, I still want to thank you, Master. I, Hai Long, swear here that within the next hundred years, before our bet is settled, as long as we are in front of others, you will be my respected Master."

  Dào Míng's eyes swept across the fatty flesh on Zhēn Rén's face, and he said lightly: "This is enough. Oh, it's getting late, Líng Tōng Zǐ and the others will soon wake up from their cultivation. I told them you've been cultivating with me all along, so don't reveal your weird senior's secret later."

  Hailong looked deeply at Dao Ming Zhenren, nodded solemnly. Turning his head to look at the row of wooden houses, he thought to himself: Masters, we're finally going to meet again, Hailong really misses you all!

  The sun gradually wandered to the center of the sky, and under its scorching energy, the mist around Moyun Peak dissipated a bit. Lingtongzi re-released his six senses and woke up from his meditation. Since reaching the Taicheng realm three years ago, his progress had slowed down significantly. Three years had passed, and he was still some distance away from the mid-term of Taicheng. As soon as he moved his mind, he suddenly felt that there seemed to be someone on the outside Moyunping. Moreover, the breath did not belong to any of his fellow disciples. He was shocked in his heart, hurriedly flew out of bed, grabbed his flying sword and rushed out of the door.

  Just as he rushed out of the room, Ling Tongzi's footsteps came to an abrupt halt. His hand grasping the flying sword was trembling slightly. The cyan aura emanating from his entire body fluctuated violently with his emotions, because standing twenty steps in front of him was the person he had been thinking about day and night for a thousand days!

  "Seadragon."

  "Sixth Master."

  Two figures cast different shades of green light, rushing towards each other at high speed. Finally, the green lights merged together under the reflection of a string of crystal clear water droplets left in mid-air, and the two figures tightly hugged each other. After three years, this master-apprentice pair finally met again.

  Looking at the two embracing in front of him, Dao Ming Zhen suddenly felt a twinge of jealousy in his heart. He knew that although he had given Hai Long three precious artifacts, in Hai Long's heart, his status would never be able to surpass that of Ling Tong Zi.

  The remaining Lingzi generation's fourth-generation disciples also woke up from their cultivation one after another, and they too felt the changes on Moyunping. They rushed out of their rooms in a hurry. When they saw Hailong's long-awaited figure, which had grown much bigger, these cultivators who were detached from the world couldn't help but lose their calm composure. Without exception, their eyes all became moist. Strangely, not one person noticed that, not far away, their master Daoming Zhenren was standing there alone.

  After a long time, the sea dragon slowly lifted its head from Ling Tongzi's shoulder and looked at Ling Tongzi's simple face with tears, choking: "Sixth Master, I really miss you!" Although in feeling, the separation was only yesterday's matter, he understood that he had been away from these masters for a full thousand days and nights.

  Everyone gathered around and almost simultaneously said: "We miss you too!"

  Dao Ming Zhen Ren coughed and walked slowly to the side of the crowd, saying in a displeased tone: "It's not like it's a life or death farewell, do you need to be so excited? This will be detrimental to your cultivation." Only then did the crowd notice his presence, and under Ling Yunzi's lead, they nervously paid their respects to Dao Ming Zhen Ren.

  Dao Ming waved his hand and said, "Today I'll return this precious apprentice to you. From now on, don't bother me every day asking for him. Ling Tongzi, Han Yu has already entered the Fuhu realm, so from now on, you must guide him well. The main chapter of the Tianxin Decision's heart method can also be passed on to him."

  Ling Yu Zi muttered to himself, "So Master has been teaching the Sea Dragon Tao all along, I thought he had already..." He suddenly met Dao Ming Zhen Ren's piercing gaze and hastily swallowed back the second half of his sentence.

  "Practice well, I won't be in seclusion for a while. If you have any questions, come to Moyun Cave directly." After finishing speaking, he rode his flying sword and floated back to his cave.

  As soon as Dao Ming walked away, everyone let out a sigh of relief and surrounded Hai Long, asking him questions nonstop.

  "Little kid, you haven't come back to see us in three years. Are you trying to worry us to death?"

  "Hailong, how did your cultivation progress so quickly? You've reached the Fuhu Realm in just over four years."

  "Hailong, how have you been these days? Master, has master..."

  Under the questioning of eight people, Hailong felt dizzy and said, "Alright, masters, don't ask me questions all at once, my head is going to explode. As for how I spent the past three years, even I myself am not clear about it, let's just say I was in closed-door cultivation. My master gave me a lot of heavenly treasures and earthly riches, that's why my cultivation progressed so quickly."

  Ling Tongzi had already wiped away his tears and smiled: "Alright, Hai Long has just returned, so everyone doesn't need to keep asking. As long as he's back, it's good, it's good."

  Ling Yu's eyes were sharp, and he saw the blue light flashing on the sea dragon's neck, a star-blue ring. He couldn't help but curiously ask: "Little guy, what is this thing on your neck? Could it be a treasure?"

  "Haha, of course it's a treasure! This is the Star Blue Ring that my Master gave me. It's a defensive-type treasure and it's a spiritual artifact level one at that. Plus, there's an array inside so you don't need to use too much magic power to activate it. How about it, Eleventh Shifu? Are you envious?"

  "Wow." Ling Yu Zi's eyes widened, "A spiritual artifact-level defensive treasure, Master is being too biased."

  "Of course. Master ancestor is actually a very gentle person, it's just that you don't know."

  The Dao Ming True Person, who had already set foot on the summit of Moyun Peak, withdrew his own Tian Er Tong and muttered to himself: "Kid, you still have a bit of conscience, didn't take all those good things from me for nothing."

  Hai Long and his eight masters sat in a circle on Moyunping, their mood was exceptionally good, eating fruit while chatting. For three years, Ling Tongzi and others were as happy as they were today for the first time, Hai Long's return resolved the knot between them and Master Dao Ming Zhen.

  Ling Yu Zi smiled and said: "Hai Long! You have already entered the Fow Tiger Realm, this time Sixth Brother can also hand over to Second Brother."

  Hai Long frowned and asked: "What's going on?"

  Ling Yu Zi said: "To think about it, we were also too selfish at the beginning. When you first came, we just wanted to take in a fifth-generation disciple to help us with chores. It was Second Shixiong who taught us and dissolved our selfish hearts. Later, as the time you spent here grew longer, our interactions became more frequent. We all discovered that, unknowingly, we had grown fond of you, this little kid without any advantages. Do you know? In order to find you again, several shixiongs took us to plead with Shifu who-knows-how-many times."

  The dragon's body trembled slightly, and he glanced around at the crowd before barely suppressing his excited emotions. He shouted back, "Eleventh Master, do you have to comment on your own disciple like that? How come I don't have any good points anymore? Don't you think your own disciple is excellent? Where can you find a disciple as outstanding as me?"

  Ling Yu's face contorted in a vomiting expression as she gazed at Hailong with disdain, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

  After a while, the laughter stopped. Hailong said: "Fellow masters, don't you feel bored staying in Lianyun Mountain all the time? Although we cultivators can live to a great age, but we spend our whole lives in this one place. What's the fun in life? If only we could go out and play, encounter some bad people, and make some contributions with our abilities."

  After hearing Hailong's words, everyone was shocked. Hailong's eight masters all showed a thoughtful expression. Even the youngest, Ling Yuzi, had been on the mountain for over 40 years. In their daily lives, apart from cultivating, there was almost nothing else to do. Hailong's words stirred up their longing for the outside world.

  Today's update is a bit late, I'm really sorry. However, I want to tell everyone some good news: starting next month, my books will be published in simplified Chinese, with a total of six volumes. Next month should see the release of the first volume, and there will also be beautiful gifts given away. If you buy the full set, you'll receive a plush toy as well, available nationwide.