NOVEL NEXT 12. Divine Lord Zhiming
The spirit boat halted before the sect’s gates, and everyone disembarked one by one.
The disciples on gate duty glanced up, noticed it was a group of Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment disciples returning, and lost interest. That is, until the spirit boat was put away and another cyan figure gracefully descended.
“Senior Sister Yun,” the gate guards clearly recognized Yun Qingyu. Seeing her return, they hurriedly bowed and greeted her respectfully.
Yun Qingyu merely nodded slightly in response, not saying much, as cold and aloof as ever. Then, with a flash of sword light, she stepped onto her flying sword and entered the sect, quickly disappearing from everyone’s view.
She left so swiftly that the gate guards couldn’t clearly see her appearance, though some vaguely noticed she seemed to be holding something. But what could make their ice-cold senior sister cradle something so carefully?
Someone hesitantly spoke up: “I think I saw Senior Sister Yun holding something in her arms?”
The gate guards had all caught a glimpse but couldn’t say for certain what it was. However, the junior disciples who had just returned, still excited from seeing the white tiger, immediately chimed in when they heard the gate guard’s question: “It’s a white tiger, a white tiger Senior Sister found in the Cloud Ridge Secret Realm!”
The gate guards were surprised and somewhat skeptical: “How is that possible? The Cloud Ridge Secret Realm opens every year, and all its rare treasures have long been taken. The spirit energy there isn’t even dense enough, how could it nurture a divine beast?!”
What he said was entirely true, but what everyone had seen was even truer. Thus, the two groups began to argue at the sect’s entrance.
Of course, Yun Qingyu, who had already left, knew nothing of this. She held the little white tiger and flew on her sword, heading straight for the main peak, Tianyang Peak. Though she was the senior disciple of Mingxia Peak, matters concerning divine beasts affected the entire sect, so naturally, she had to see the sect leader first for a decision. On the way, she had sent a message to her own master, but unfortunately, the Mingxia Peak Lord was engrossed in closed-door cultivation and hadn’t responded.
The sword flew swiftly. Jiang Mo, cradled in Yun Qingyu’s arms, wanted to see the sights of this cultivation sect, but the fleeting images were too blurry to make out clearly. She gave up, deciding to wait for future opportunities.
However, before Yun Qingyu could reach Tianyang Peak, someone intercepted her midway.
A figure in dark robes suddenly appeared before Yun Qingyu. She stopped just in time, first surprised to see the newcomer, then bowing in greeting: “Disciple pays respects to Divine Lord Zhiming.”
Zhiming gathered his robes and turned around, casually acknowledging with an “Mm,” but his gaze fixed directly on the little white tiger in Yun Qingyu’s arms. He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Jiang Mo up and down, his eyes full of curiosity, until the little tiger’s fur stood on end. Only then did he shift his gaze to ask Yun Qingyu, “This little one, where did it come from?”
Yun Qingyu replied respectfully, “In response to the Divine Lord, I encountered this white tiger by chance in the Cloud Ridge Secret Realm.”
Zhiming frowned upon hearing this and asked after a moment’s thought, “What place is this Cloud Ridge Secret Realm?”
Yun Qingyu felt embarrassed and had to explain: “It’s a training ground for Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment disciples. I went as a guardian.”
Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment were clearly too distant for this Divine Lord, as he knew nothing about them. Hearing Yun Qingyu’s explanation, he was even more surprised. The next moment, he extended a finger, pointing directly at the little white tiger’s forehead.
Yun Qingyu saw this but didn’t block or dodge. Jiang Mo wanted to dodge but couldn’t—though to the naked eye the finger seemed to move slowly, giving the illusion that it could be easily avoided, she simply couldn’t escape it. Moreover, even after being poked, and until Zhiming withdrew his hand, she had no idea what had happened.
But Yun Qingyu clearly knew, so she carefully asked, “May I ask if the Divine Lord has discerned anything?”
Since finding Jiang Mo, Yun Qingyu had harbored doubts, as this little white tiger was far too weak. Not only was it weaker than a divine beast or cultivator, it couldn’t even match a strong mortal. If not for its special fur revealing its identity, Yun Qingyu would have been more inclined to believe it was an ordinary beast rather than the legendary, majestic white tiger divine beast.
After all, the white tiger was originally a war god, presiding over killing and destruction. Who would believe one could be this weak?
Zhiming withdrew his hand, his brows furrowed as if puzzled by something. After a moment’s thought, he reached out to touch the little white tiger’s paw. This time, Jiang Mo unceremoniously swatted at him.
Of course, Zhiming felt no pain and even caught the little white tiger’s paw, giving it a squeeze. After squeezing the paw, he squeezed its leg, until the little white tiger became annoyed, its fur standing on end as it let out a milky roar at him…
Zhiming wasn’t frightened or threatened; instead, he smiled.
He probably didn’t smile often, as even Yun Qingyu couldn’t help but take a second look. Zhiming then said, “It seems the place of birth lacked spirit energy, causing this little one to be congenitally weak. I’m curious, given how deficient it is, how did it manage to survive?” He looked back at Yun Qingyu, “Perhaps it’s your destined opportunity, or you might be its destined opportunity?”
Divine beasts certainly weren’t cabbages that could sprout from the ground at will. In fact, nurturing one of the Four Symbols divine beasts might require thousands or tens of thousands of years, and any slight error during that time could prevent the divine beast from being born. Or, like the original little white tiger, perhaps due to insufficient spirit energy in the Cloud Ridge Secret Realm, even if born, it couldn’t survive.
A divine beast that could be born and survive, yet be so weak, was a rarity even to Divine Lord Zhiming, let alone Yun Qingyu. He wasn’t entirely sure about Jiang Mo’s condition, but at least she was still alive.
Hearing this, Yun Qingyu’s expression paused slightly, but Jiang Mo thought the man was just stating the obvious. After all, Yun Qingyu had examined her body days ago and reached the same conclusion of congenital weakness. Why did this man need to show off again?
Thinking this, and still annoyed at having her paws squeezed, the little white tiger unceremoniously rolled her eyes at Divine Lord Zhiming.
Zhiming naturally saw this and chuckled, raising his hand to lightly tap the little tiger’s forehead: “You little one, so bold. You should show more respect to your elders, understand?”
The little white tiger raised her paw to cover her head. Though it didn’t hurt, she still let out several “aow” “aow” sounds.
Though Yun Qingyu couldn’t understand what she was saying, Zhiming seemed to comprehend. His eyes narrowed: “Cursing at me?” With a wave of his hand, the jade gourd hanging from the little white tiger’s neck suddenly flew towards him.
Zhiming caught it, not knowing what was inside the jade gourd. But seeing how the little white tiger had been carefully guarding it with her paws since they met, he thought she valued it and purposely took it to tease her.
The little tiger, however, hadn’t expected her “milk bottle” to be snatched away. She was stunned for a moment, then became furious: “You shameless scoundrel, and you call yourself a Divine Lord? Stealing milk from a cub!”