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Chapter 29 – Baihuan

A scream tore through the wind blasted, sandy lands. Howling winds died a little, as though acknowledging the agony of the one undertaking his desperate bid for survival and power. Only the elements, the heavens and one curious and scheming dragon were about to witness Yin Xue’s final battle as a cultivator. Succeed or fail, he would change.

Dark eyes the size of dinner plates danced with schemes as they stared into the center of Yin Xue’s form. The dragon watched, as the cultivator poured the wisps of immortal soul into his body, merging physical form and mortal soul together with immortal chi and soul. It was the wrong way of integrating the soul, since one should begin with either the body or soul first and then completing the other.

At least, for a human cultivator. For demons, the process happened all at once, much like beasts.

Energy pulsed, and Baihuan turned its attention to the struggling remnant soul. It weighed its action, thinking quickly, judging the flow of karma and future events as it extended just a sliver of its power. Could it have enforced greater understanding? Certainly.

Yet, Baihuan had learnt much wisdom over the ages and knew one of the most important factors in reading the future. That a light touch was necessary, if one wanted to bring about changes. There were too many diviners, too many meddlers in this world; immortals and demons and fearsome spirit beasts who all felt themselves justified in their actions and confident in their predictions.

All of which mattered little, when every other opponent put their oar in when they sensed interference in ‘their’ plans. A subtle change could ripple outwards, especially immortals viewed the world across millenia and those looking to meddle only sought the most significant of alterations.

No, care and sublety – the most minor of glimpses, a feeling rather than certainty over what one might do. All conducted in the blink of an eye, a pulse of power so narrow and concentrated that it was impossible for the other notice.

Further understanding flooded in, along with certainty. This was the last time Baihuan could interfere, not without drawing attention and disturbing his own rest. Bad enough that this one had been set forth on this pathway to meet him, by another.

Worst would be if he received other visitors, those who might cause more trouble than casual conversation.

Killing him might have ended the resulting problems, but murder was to be avoided when possible. It stained the soul, entwined one in karmic threads that was impossible to discern fully and rarely was as clean as one wanted.

Not even for a cultivator that had discarded so many of his ties to the past.

A finger rose, poked. The remnant soul, desperate to escape almost missed the action. Almost. The resulting flinch, the retreat away from the threads was quite satisfying to watch. That Baihuan had exerted no force, utilized no chi or even his spiritual energy was even more so.

A bluff, but one that the specter could not ignore. It returned, after a few moments, to the threads. Unable to escape its base desires, its need to devour its host. Mindless as he had informed this Yin Xue – no better than a sick beast.

Even so, it did so with less enthusiasm, with greater wariness. Buying the boy time to complete his merging. A flash of light, a compressing and sudden inhalation of energy as the newly reborn Nascent Soul cultivator tore apart the chi surrounding them to merge it with his own. Took everything – the omnipresent demonic chi of this realm, the traces of immortal chi required to balance the surroundings and, because of his own presence, the dragon chi that Baihuan exuded by being here.

He watched the boy merge them all, reinforcing his cultivation. The energy pulsed, his skin darkened and those horns glistened.

Then, eyes opened and black eyes, the color to match his own – a small smirking tingle of pride at that from the dragon – and the hybrid returned his attentions to the remnant soul. This time, empowered with the beginnings of his immortal being.

Now, the pair were on the same stage. Now, there could be a proper struggle.

Satisfied, Baihuan retreated and slumped deeper into the coils of his body to watch, his goal achieved. Entertainment was found, while he returned to his own cultivation.

After all, the journey to ancient dragon was long and boring.