The Dao Child, Daozi

Initially, they were dismissed as a group of spoiled individuals with no real resilience, but the young prince’s tolerance exceeded expectations. Even under such torment, his resolve was unshakeable, something even the toughest among them might fail to endure.

A flicker of sympathy passed through the eyes of a seemingly unremarkable youth from the True Path Sect, though he chose not to do anything.

“Since the young prince is reluctant to speak, perhaps we should intensify our methods,” suggested a saintly-looking man, rising to his feet. He was a Qilin warrior from one of the eight royal clans and a prodigy of the Qi clan.

“Damn you all!” Long Huixing finally couldn’t help but curse, consumed by anger. He knew well that these people would neither believe him nor show mercy.

With the decline of the Long family, they became easy targets. His dragon identity couldn’t shield him anymore, but rather, it seemed to invite hostility. The six royal clans bore no love for them, and the three sects harbored a deep-rooted suspicion towards different races.

The lingering enmity from demons and devils subjugating the human race for thousands of years didn’t help either. Even the common folk blamed them for the hardships of recent years. To say that everyone was eager to attack the Long family would be an understatement. He found himself a target for aggression at every turn.

“The decree of ‘humans and demons coexisting’ has dragged the Long family from one eternal damnation to another,” Long Huixing lamented through his sobs, glaring at the crowd. “But when that lord emerges, you all will meet your end!”

“Is that so?” The phoenix duo replied in unison. “You think that just because you refuse to disclose any information, we can’t find out on our own? Your Long family can only hide in a few places — the capital, a few prince residences. It’s impossible for anyone to attain such a level of cultivation without leaving traces. No matter where you hide, you can’t evade the scrutiny of the six royal clans.”

Suddenly, a golden light shot up from the apex of the Golden Spirit Temple. In a blink, a man radiating golden light appeared before them, his speed leaving everyone awestruck.

Even before their bodies could react, Qin Huai’s fist had already descended, causing a warrior to explode instantly.

“Stop him! Run!” the fairy ordered in a panic. “Split up and run!” Realizing that even their combined might wasn’t a match for this man, she proposed a tactical retreat.

However, in the next instant, her vision went dark. Qin Huai’s speed was simply too fast for them to comprehend. With nimble steps, he navigated through the forest, swiftly eliminating the warriors of the six royal clans. He showed no mercy to the martial artists of the Buddhist and Confucian Sects either. Soon, only the battered Long Huixing remained. Qin Huai reappeared before him, surveying the gruesome sight of his bloody body, a pang of pity arising within him. Despite concealing some information, Long Huixing had been generous with guidance about the spirit world and its rules.

“My lord… may I know your name?” a weakened Long Huixing inquired.

“I can’t disclose that,” Qin Huai answered calmly. The more information he revealed, the easier it would be for others to track him. Though his face was already exposed, he intended to retain as much secrecy as possible.

The Great You was immense and abundant in resources, yet their knowledge of it remained limited, making the task of finding Qin Huai difficult.

He toyed with the idea of using the enemy’s strength against them, instigating conflict between the six royal clans and the white-robed king, if Qingzhou’s situation became dire. However, this was merely a contingency plan.

“You know more than I presumed,” Long Huixing said, a hint of relief coloring his features. His voice waned as he continued, “It appears my end is near. I didn’t trust you fully before and kept something from you. I am not just a prince’s guard captain, but also Prince Bai Liu’s son, Long Huixing.”

Qin Huai’s expression remained neutral upon hearing this, having already learned of it from the six royal clans.

Despite Qin Huai’s indifference, Long Huixing was unperturbed, attributing it to his overwhelming combat power.

“If you wish to ascend to the spirit bone level or the spirit viscera level, head to the center. There, a spirit bridge will guide you across. But beware, these levels are treacherous. They are filled with powerful old-timers, relegating the young geniuses to the lower levels…because the inhabitants are those once deemed geniuses during their time in the Great You.”

Despite his deteriorating condition, Long Huixing coughed out invaluable information. For martial artists like Qin Huai, whose souls and qi and blood were still in the process of merging, they could traverse the various levels of the spirit world freely. However, those who had completed the fusion and cultivation of these elements were restricted to the second and third levels.

He ended with an important piece of advice, “The only way to exit the spirit world is to achieve a tranquil state for two seconds and visualize the space where you originally entered.”

“Thank you so much!” Qin Huai cupped his fists and thanked him solemnly. With that, the prince’s life force ebbed away.

Qin Huai contemplated the next time he’d encounter the young prince. Then, testing his newfound power, Qin Huai clenched his fists, marveling at the dramatic increase in his blood essence. “This invincible Vajra blood has boosted my blood essence by nearly fifty percent.” He wondered how much more potent it would be if applied to the top geniuses of the six clans and three sects, finally understanding why the Golden Spirit Temple was considered a supreme opportunity within the spirit blood level.

Boom!

Suddenly, Qin Huai pivoted and threw a punch, reducing three trees several meters away to splinters.

As the dust settled, his gaze fell on a figure emerging from the smoke. He realized he hadn’t accounted for the one from the True Path Sect earlier, having forgotten about his existence due to his subdued presence.

“Why aren’t you running?” Qin Huai asked, to which the young man responded, “Why should I? Aren’t we on the same side?”

Upon hearing this, Qin Huai’s eyebrows slightly rose.

“I’m not sure about the six royal clans or the other two sects, but I am Daozi, the Dao Child of the True Path Sect,” Daozi said, standing thirty meters away from Qin Huai.

“The Kun Peng qi on you implies you’re from Qingzhou, or at least from the neighboring states,” Daozi continued. “And there’s dragon energy on you, which is quite puzzling.

“However, observing your previous actions, despite the tendency to mimic the six royal clans, you couldn’t completely mask the influence of the sect, especially the traces of my True Path Sect.” A faint smile appeared at the corners of Daozi’s mouth.

On hearing this, Qin Huai let his body relax, quietly listening to the other party continue.

“Assuming you’re a member of my True Path Sect and you’re close to Qingzhou… I recall a long time ago there was a sub-sect called Nine Dragons Sect. The Nine Dragons Daoist had slain numerous true dragons and even mastered the true dragon technique to develop the nine dragons true qi technique.

“Legend has it that the Nine Dragon Adept left behind a true dragon’s skeleton… The place where the Nine Dragons Sect was established, if I’m not wrong, was in Qingzhou. If you were to use a true dragon’s corpse as a spirit treasure, it could explain the dragon energy in your body.”

“Daozi, you’re as expected.” Qin Huai sighed, seeing the significance of information come to life. “I am Qin Huai, the sect master of Nine Dragons Sect,” he openly admitted. Since the other party had already deduced this much, there was no point in hiding it any longer.

“I am Zhang Youji from the Dao Sect!” Zhang Youji greeted with a fist and palm salute. “And what’s the situation in Qingzhou now?” action

“It’s a catastrophe. The Sacred Heart Sect has created a blood sea array here to nurture a puppet for the king realm. Their plans are grand…”

Qin Huai briefly described what had transpired in Qingzhou.