Chapter 69: Cultivating the Dragon Beard Needle
Zhu Zhuqing sat quietly for a long time, unsure how to start a conversation with her sister.
Zhu Zhuyun, however, was already used to her younger sister's cold and distant personality. She rose gracefully and gestured toward the door.
"It's getting late. I still have classes at Star Luo Royal Academy. You can come visit me again next time."
Zhu Zhuqing secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she didn't have to face her sister any longer.
"Does this count as making up with her?"
"I wonder what kind of cultivation method 'Elder Yao' will teach me next?"
Setting down her teacup, Zhu Zhuqing hurriedly got to her feet and walked toward the door.
The sight made Zhu Zhuyun's eyelids twitch. Was she really that terrifying as an elder sister?
"Wait a moment," Zhu Zhuyun called out.
Zhu Zhuqing stopped and turned around, her expression as calm as ever.
Zhu Zhuyun stepped forward with a small package in her hands and placed it in Zhu Zhuqing's palms.
"I noticed you seem to like this flower tea, so take some home with you. And… come visit me more often. Talk with your sister a bit — maybe it'll help you melt that icy personality of yours."
Zhu Zhuyun still remembered how her sister used to be — bright, lively, and full of passion. Back then, Zhu Zhuqing had been a cheerful girl with fire in her heart.
But after Dai Mubai's disappearance over a year ago, everything changed. The warmth in her eyes had faded, replaced by an unyielding chill.
Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath, nodded lightly, and left the courtyard — almost as if she were escaping.
'She gave me a gift… I should give her something in return,' she thought.
Since she had promised Qi Tian that she would reconcile with her sister, she intended to do it sincerely — not just on the surface.
'But what should I give her? Oh, that's right — whale rubber!'
Although the formula for whale rubber was Qi Tian's secret recipe, and she wasn't supposed to share it, well… if she didn't say anything, it wouldn't really count as revealing it, right?
She decided to buy some and trick Zhu Zhuyun into eating it. It was good for her health anyway.
"Yes, I'll give her that!"
Zhu Zhuqing's mind was made up — and she smirked slightly, thinking her sister should experience that pungent, nearly unpalatable taste for herself.
---
Meanwhile, Qi Tian had finally absorbed his third soul ring.
His soul power broke through to Rank 32, and his Blue Silver King Martial Soul now bore one yellow ring and two deep purple rings — an extremely rare configuration.
Thanks to his powerful physique, both of the purple rings were of very high age — deeper and richer in hue than normal.
"My martial soul's vitality has grown even stronger," Qi Tian murmured to himself.
His third soul skill, Wood Dragon, allowed his Blue Silver King to take the form of a living wooden dragon — both offensive and defensive in nature.
This skill was quite powerful, significantly enhancing his combat versatility. His Martial Soul's vines had thickened and twisted into dragon-like shapes, and its essence had evolved once again.
"Time to head back."
After bidding farewell to the Blue Silver King, Qi Tian returned to his forest dwelling and resumed his cultivation.
Two days later, Qi Tian once again possessed Zhu Zhuqing's body.
By now, he was completely accustomed to the state of one soul, two bodies — able to split his focus with ease.
When Zhu Zhuqing awakened from meditation, she immediately felt that familiar connection reappear and couldn't help but smile slightly.
"Elder Yao, you're here again?"
Zhu Zhuqing was pleasantly surprised, and she didn't even care that Qi Tian had taken advantage of her again.
She was still afraid that Qi Tian was lying to her and that she would be disappointed.
Returning to that familiar feeling of her body being out of control, just like a few days ago, her heart finally calmed down.
Qi Tian's eyelids twitched slightly — he was starting to regret introducing himself to Zhu Zhuqing under the fake name "Elder Yao."
"Hmm, how did things go?" he asked.
Zhu Zhuqing quickly replied,
"I went to see my sister yesterday. She even gave me a bag of Clear Heart Flower Tea! Do you think this means we've made up? Did I complete the task you gave me?"
Qi Tian nodded with a faint smile.
"Not bad. Taking that first step was already a big move. Keep talking with your sister — the bond between siblings should always be stronger than any engagement with someone you've never even met."
"Mm," Zhu Zhuqing responded softly. "I… actually feel the same way."
She had suddenly realized that her sister wasn't truly as bad as she had always believed. Though Zhu Zhuyun often mocked her, she had never used her cultivation advantage to suppress or sabotage her.
In fact, many of her sarcastic remarks had been subtle reminders — hints meant to push her forward.
"Elder Yao, I want to give my sister a piece of whale rubber as a return gift. Would that be okay?" she asked carefully.
Qi Tian nearly choked.
"Whale rubber? And where exactly are you going to get the money for that?"
He couldn't help but remind her,
"Don't forget — the one you ate was mistaken for fish glue by the seller. Do you really think whale rubber is cheap?"
After inspecting the contents of Zhu Zhuqing's soul tool, Qi Tian discovered she had only a few hundred gold soul coins — barely enough for her daily expenses. It wasn't nearly enough to buy even a small piece of whale rubber.
"Alright, here's what you'll do," he said after a moment of thought.
"Stop attending your family's academy for now. Go to the Great Soul Arena instead. You'll gain real combat experience and earn money at the same time — two birds with one stone."
"Once you advance from an Iron Soul Fighter to a Silver Soul Fighter, you will have enough money to buy some whale rubber."
That was exactly how Qi Tian had earned his own money back in the day — by fighting in the arena and making bets on his matches. His recent breakthrough to Soul Elder made it even easier to find worthy opponents and earn more.
"Alright," Zhu Zhuqing nodded firmly, ready to follow his advice.
Seeing how obedient she was, Qi Tian's expression softened, and his tone became gentler.
"Good. Then I'll teach you a cultivation technique. But remember — you must never share this method with anyone. If you do, it could bring danger."
He wasn't exaggerating. If Tang San ever found out that the Mysterious Heaven Skill was being passed around outside the Tang Sect, Zhu Zhuqing might end up paying with her life.
"I understand," Zhu Zhuqing replied, a trace of anticipation flickering in her eyes.
Qi Tian sat cross-legged on the bed and began circulating his soul power, slowly demonstrating the Mysterious Heaven Skill circulation path.
"Watch closely. Memorize the flow of soul power through each meridian."
Zhu Zhuqing focused intensely, following every movement of energy he guided. Once she had memorized the entire process, Qi Tian carefully explained the key points of Mysterious Heaven Skill cultivation — the breathing rhythm, the way to open the eight extraordinary meridians, and several subtle techniques for balancing inner strength.
When the lesson was over, Qi Tian sent several Dragon Beard Needles from his real body into Zhu Zhuqing's hands.
"What are these?" she asked curiously, looking at the tiny golden beads resting on her palm.
"These are Dragon Beard Needles," Qi Tian explained. "A type of hidden weapon. I'll teach you how to use them later."
The Dragon Beard Needles were crafted from fragments of refined crystal that Qi Tian had once obtained from Flender. Though ranked among the top ten hidden weapons in the Tang Sect's arsenal, their method of use was surprisingly simple.
Qi Tian didn't possess the Mysterious Jade Hand technique nor had he mastered the Hundred Solutions to Hidden Weapons, but after three years of study, he had developed his own unique firing method.
Thanks to the precise control he had over his body through his martial soul, his mastery of force had reached a level of microscopic precision — allowing him to fully exploit the weapon's potential.
By teaching Zhu Zhuqing the Dragon Beard Needle technique, he was giving her a hidden trump card — one that could let her defeat Zhu Zhuyun even as a Soul Grandmaster, and thus complete the system's mission.
Qi Tian smiled faintly and lifted one of the golden beads.
"Watch closely."
He infused his soul power into it, and in the next instant, a hair-thin golden needle silently shot out, gleaming under the light.
—
End of Chapter.