Awwoooo!!!
The dragon's roar was so faint and sharp that it almost sounded like the cry of a kitten.
A soft, flowing light shimmered from the bronze cauldron as the scarlet dragon's head suddenly lunged out, letting out a crisp "awwoo" before biting down on Li Guanyi's finger. But rather than an attack, it felt more like playful mischief. Li Guanyi could distinctly sense that peculiar connection between them—almost as if it were linked to his very bloodline.
Opening his robe, he could see the bronze cauldron glowing faintly at his chest. The dragon's head alone had emerged from the cauldron.
The rest of its body remained blurry, and indistinct, its imprint incomplete, still embedded within the cauldron's surface.
While idly playing with the young dragon's little claw, Li Guanyi began to ponder—How exactly did this dragon come out?
"Was it because of the influence of the Xue family ancestor's manifestation that it appeared prematurely?"
"That would explain why only the head has managed to separate from the cauldron."
Looking closely, he noticed that vast portions of the cauldron's surface remained blank and dim.
It was as if—aside from this scarlet dragon—the cauldron still had room for other divine beasts. Could it be… that by continually encountering powerful cultivators like Yue Qianfeng and the Xue family's old master, he could somehow absorb remnants of their manifestations?
Would that imprint their divine forms onto the cauldron?
Hmm…
But even if these manifestations looked formidable… what good were they, so small and incomplete? Then he recalled how earlier, when the dragon touched him, it seemed ethereal yet capable of merging with his inner energy. He decided to try again.
At first, the scarlet dragon was uncooperative, twisting its head, whiskers curling in defiance.
After several attempts, he finally made some progress.
The scarlet dragon let out a soft, drawn-out cry…
Then lowered its head and rammed into the center of Li Guanyi's palm. There was no physical sensation—neither pain nor itch—but instantly, he noticed a change.
A faint warmth spread from his palm, and the Po Zhen Qu inner energy within him suddenly surged. This time, Li Guanyi didn't interrupt the connection. His inner energy roared like a flood, merging with the warmth like a pot of cold water poured into boiling oil, exploding with violent force.
A rumbling echoed in his ears.
Li Guanyi's vision darkened for a moment as his Po Zhen Qu energy fused with the scarlet dragon's aura.
The two combined, seamlessly intertwining, transforming into a new, far more aggressive, far more scorching current of inner force.
As it flowed through his body, Li Guanyi could distinctly feel his flesh strengthening—far beyond anything Po Zhen Qu alone could offer. Unfortunately, just as the scarlet dragon's energy was beginning to spread, it suddenly separated from his inner flow.
The dragon's aura dissipated, reforming into the dragon's beastly shape upon the cauldron's surface.
The little creature, with only one claw extending outward, looked exhausted, its claw gripping the cauldron as it panted heavily.
In Li Guanyi's eyes, that tender little dragon wore an expression of smug pride.
Yet at the same time, frustration simmered within it, angered by its inability to fully break free of the cauldron's shackles.
Turning around, it began to scratch at the cauldron's surface with its tiny claws.
Eventually, it gnawed on the cauldron edge in frustration.
Awwoooo!!!
Li Guanyi flicked its head gently with his finger.
No biting, he thought, amused. After all, the bronze cauldron was embedded in his chest.
The scarlet dragon manifestation dissolved into a stream of energy, retreating once more into the cauldron's surface, merging into the carved patterns.
Meanwhile, the Po Zhen Qu inner force within Li Guanyi surged like a blazing torrent. In an instant, it reached his chest, where the poisonous chill lurked. As before, that poison tried to suppress and corrupt his internal circulation—but this time, it failed.
The blazing inner force swept through the toxic cold like a crashing tide, fiercely slamming against it.
Heat and cold battled in his chest, and though the icy venom was only slightly reduced, his internal circulation finally remained steady, maintaining its normal flow. Everywhere it passed—his meridians, his muscles, his flesh—it brought faint, steady strengthening.
Despite the alternating sensations of hot and cold bringing beads of cold sweat to his forehead, Li Guanyi's lips curled upward in a faint smile. Joy gleamed in his eyes.
"As expected… I can use this power to suppress the poison in my heart."
"And this is only from the residual effect—this scarlet dragon hasn't even fully merged with my inner energy yet."
"If I'm right, once this dragon can fully emerge from the cauldron, it should be able to directly fuse with my inner strength. By then, whether I'm cultivating or fighting others, the poison will no longer affect me."
"This new form of inner strength, mixed with the dragon's essence, is already several times stronger than the normal Po Zhen Qu."
"It's just a pity… for now, only the dragon's head can emerge."
Excitement filled Li Guanyi's heart, mixed with a trace of frustration.
After ten years of struggling with this stubborn poison, he was finally seeing hope of resolving it.
And it was almost certain—once the scarlet dragon could fully break free, his strength would soar tremendously. By then, his journey out of Chen Kingdom and across the distant Eighteenth Province of Jiangnan would finally be secure.
A glimmer of light flashed in the boy's eyes.
He gently touched the cauldron at his chest, his lips curled in a joyful smile.
It was just unfortunate that Yue Qianfeng wasn't here. After all, Yue was the one who knew this scarlet dragon manifestation best.
Li Guanyi still had many things he wanted to experiment with. His curiosity about this manifestation hadn't yet been satisfied, but the scarlet dragon seemed utterly exhausted, curling up inside the cauldron and refusing to move again. With a sigh, he decided to leave it for now and began tidying up the house.
He carefully folded the new clothes he'd bought for his aunt.
He placed the roast goose he'd brought back under an overturned bowl, lest the local ants come for a share.
He steamed rice, then pulled out a good kitchen knife and used premium pork belly to cook a rich braised pork dish.
As he tallied his purchases, he found he'd bought food, secured a fine jar of wine, and spent fifteen taels of silver renting a safer, better house. Normally that kind of place would cost thirty taels for six months, but thanks to the Xue family's internal connections, he'd gotten it at a bargain.
He'd also bought several odds and ends, leaving him with about two taels of silver remaining.
Looking at the silver, Li Guanyi couldn't help but sigh—money came fast, but went just as fast.
His gaze drifted to the nearby cabinet, where ants had formed a living chain, clambering toward the bowl covering the roast goose. These ants had been sharing meals with Li Guanyi and his aunt for years, living tough little lives. The rich aroma of roast meat was simply too tempting for them.
Li Guanyi raised an eyebrow, stepped forward, and flicked his wrist to swat them away.
Luckily, they were in Jiangnan. If he went further south, across the mountains, he'd encounter creatures like giant cockroach-like insects—bigger, faster, and often used by poison masters in the wild for medicinal purposes.
No way would he touch those with his bare hands. But now… this was nothing.
As his hand moved, the scarlet dragon inside the cauldron poked its head out again.
Its aura swirled out, partially flowing through Li Guanyi's chest and down his arm—but no further than his elbow before it had to retreat again. It couldn't yet reach his fist.
Even so, the Po Zhen Qu's inner energy carried another layer of explosive force.
That fierce inner strength traveled down his arm. As his hand swept across the ants, they were sent flying upward. The next moment, the ants crackled and sparked faintly, their tiny bodies flickering with embers, thin wisps of smoke rising from them.
Li Guanyi's hand froze. He stared at his palm.
"This is…"
Fireforce?!
The scarlet dragon manifestation flopped down again…
Lying on the cauldron, blowing bubbles, dragon whiskers curled lazily.
Li Guanyi murmured to himself, "It's not even fully active yet, and already I can imbue fireforce into my strikes. Sure, it's only enough to roast ants right now… but when that dragon fully emerges from the cauldron…"
What will that look like?
Naturally, Li Guanyi thought of Yue Qianfeng's final blow during their last encounter.
A single punch—scarlet dragon roaring, flames blazing across the sky.
Subconsciously, he clenched his fist.
The Po Zhen Qu inner force churned within him, as though he held a ball of fire in his grasp.
A faint heat rose in his heart as well.
The cultivation system of this world… was far more powerful and mysterious than he had imagined.
It was a shame that Yue Qianfeng hadn't taught him more, but surely the Xue family would have books on similar techniques—not secret manuals, but introductory texts and general knowledge. He could probably borrow some of those.
Suddenly, Li Guanyi found himself eager for tomorrow's lessons with the Xue family.
Footsteps echoed from outside—the sound of his aunt, Murong Qiushui, returning home.
Li Guanyi quickly tucked the white jade Guanyin pendant into his clothes.
Thinking of how his aunt would react, he couldn't help but smile faintly.
Murong Qiushui came in carrying a bundle of vegetables. Smelling the fragrance of meat, she asked in confusion, "Li'er?"
"Did you cook meat today?"
Pushing open the door, she was momentarily stunned by the sight of the young man standing there, dressed in his crisp indigo robe, leather belt at his waist, appearing upright and dashing. In that confident figure, she seemed to see fleeting glimpses of people long past.
It was rare for Li Guanyi to see his aunt so distracted—and he felt a tinge of delight at catching her off guard.
Playfully, he stepped forward, raised his right hand to his chest, and gave a graceful bow with a bright smile:
"What's the matter, Aunt? Don't recognize me anymore?"
A young man showing off.
For once, I've surpassed Aunt's expectations.
Murong Qiushui blinked, withdrawing her gaze.
That fleeting sorrow—like seeing an old friend—vanished from her expression.
Then, she reached out and pinched his cheek, smiling teasingly:
"Well, well. Looks like my dear Li'er has finally learned how to charm his way into a cushy life, hm?"
"Spring is warm, bracelets clink melodiously…"
"My dear Li'er…"
"What's your going price these days?"
Li Guanyi: "…"
What?!
No, Aunt… that's not the reaction I expected at all…
(End of Chapter)