NOVEL WEB Chapter 7: Bai Xianyu
"Stop crying, brat. This is just the beginning," Ao Shen remarked, his eyes cold but his grin wider than ever. "I will show you just how fun cultivation can be!!!"
Ao Shen watched with a mischievous grin as Xiao Jun's face contorted with pain and determination. His body was shaking endlessly; it was like watching a ship hung in the air by little strings and the strings snapping with each passing moment.
"Alright, that's enough," Ao Shen chuckled, his golden eyes glowing brighter. He snapped his fingers, and the glowing array beneath Xiao Jun pulsed with a rhythmic hum. The energy flow instantly stabilised, shifting from an overwhelming torrent to a steady, controlled current.
"Fuuu..." Xiao Jun gasped in relief; his tensed muscles started to loosen, and his breaths slowly turned more stable. Ao Shen smiled and observed as the particles of Qi from the surroundings slowly started to get absorbed inside Xiao Jun.
"Can you feel the flow of Qi inside you?" Ao Shen questioned, and Xiao Jun just nodded in response.
"Very well..." Ao Shen remarked, his amused look over the eyes was instantly replaced by the ancient wisdom, the gaze so deep it felt like a void in itself.
"You mentioned you couldn't cultivate because cultivation techniques are expensive, right?" Ao Shen smiled in amusement, "The technique that I'm giving you now is something one can't obtain even if they are the God of Wealth themselves."
Ao Shen smelt and crouched down; he placed his arm over Xiao Jun's head. His consciousness instantly penetrated inside Xiao Jun; passing through several spiritual dimensions, he reached a place that seemed to be hidden under a thick mist; even Ao Shen couldn't see through it.
He could if he really wanted to, but, "There should be some mysteries in life," he giggled and took out a wooden scroll and released it in the air inside the mysterious place hidden in the mist.
The scripture floated and slowly vanished into the mist. Ao Shen also jumped out of that place and opened his eyes. With a gaze over Xiao Jun, he stated
"It's Dragon King's Infinite Rebirth Art. Every drop of blood, every broken bone, every setback—they all become your fuel for rebirth. No technique is more fitting for a brat like you with ambition but no strength."
As Ao Shen said, Xiao Jun's mind was filled with endless unfamiliar information inside his head, the profound knowledge of Qi and cultivation, mysteries and enlightenment that would have taken a normal person a thousand years to explore; all of it was revealed to Xiao Jun right in an instant.
Xiao Jun's eyes suddenly wide open with his dragon pupils shining in the bright light of sapphire,
The runes on Xiao Jun's body flared with light as if they were etched into his very bones. His mind was filled with visions of dragons soaring through endless skies, scales of jade and gold, their roars shaking the heavens. Memories that were not his own flooded him. He saw images of ancient dragons meditating within volcanoes, submerged in oceans of Qi as they refined themselves for millennia.
"AAAAAAHHHH!!!"
Xiao Jun's scream shook the chamber as a surge of Qi erupted from his dantian, flooding every vein and bone of his body. The stagnant meridians within him, which looked small and brittle, expanded with an audible crack, like stone pathways shattering to make way for mighty rivers. Every channel was opened, wider and purer than before. It was as if the spiritual energy now had a grand highway to rush through his body.
His body stopped convulsing, and he hovered in midair, arms spread wide, eyes aglow with sapphire sky brilliance. His muscles twitched, his bones cracked, and his skin glowed with vitality. A surge of energy erupted from his chest like armour, his body exuding an invisible, kingly aura.
The chamber grew silent, the only sound being his steady, powerful heartbeat—now loud as a war drum.
Ba-dump… Ba-dump… Ba-dump…
Ao Shen clasped his hands together, grinning like a proud parent. "Congrats, hatchling."
Xiao Jun slowly descended, his feet touching the ground softly. His breathing was steady, his eyes filled with clarity, confidence, and a hint of wildness. He clenched his fist, feeling the raw power surging within him. "I feel... free," he said, his voice carrying an edge of dominance. "All feels so unfamiliar as if I have been reborn."
"Of course it does," Ao Shen chuckled, folding his arms behind his back. "You're no longer just some brat with dreams bigger than his wallet. You're a dragon cub now, and dragons do not crawl on the ground like worms."
He stepped forward, placing a hand on Xiao Jun's shoulder. "The power is a flame that flickers fiercely, but it starves without ambition."
"I have learnt, Ancestor," Xiao Jun responded with deep respect in his eyes. Ao Shen nodded, and suddenly the deep look of ancient wisdom in his eyes vanished, replaced by a playful grin.
"But still to reach the '1st Stage of Core Formation Realm' by just awakening your medians, as expected, my blood doesn't thin down even if placed inside the whole ocean!" Ao Shen chuckled.
"Now that we are done with setting the foundation for your cultivation, let's move on to---"
*Knock! Knock!*
Ao Shen was suddenly paid midway by a sudden knock on the door of the chamber.
"Come in." Ao Shen commanded with a sigh, and Yuan Mei quietly opened the doors from the other side, and stepping inside, she reported, "Someone from the 'Great Bai Family' is here to meet you, sir."
"Great Bai Family?" Ao Shen muttered, tilting his head in confusion, while Xiao Jun, on the other hand, seemed to recognise the big name and immediately stepped in, "It's one of the 3 big families in our Blue Jade City; the three big families hold a lot of authority in the city.
They own several companies and industries, unfathomable wealth, connections, resources, and strength; everyone in the city is aware of them."
"Is that so?" Ao Shen muttered; quite amused, he remarked, "Then I guess I can expect some fun from this person."
"Lead the way, Butler," Ao Shen commanded as he removed the show-off fur coat he was wearing, and in a plain white shirt, he stepped out, followed by Xiao Jun in a similar manner.
Walking through the big hallway, they arrived over the stairs from where they could see a man sitting over their hall with some snacks and tea, waiting for them.
"Forgive me for appearing without any prior notice or appointment; it was quite rude of me." He apologised while standing up as he watched Ao Shen and Xiao Jun walking down the stairs.
"At least you are aware," Ao Shen chuckled, hearing his apology, but then his gaze fell over an envelope that man was carrying. "But I will forgive you since you seem to have brought something amusing."
Ao Shen quietly paused as he arrived in front of him, with his glowing pupils staring right through that man with an amusing grin; the man in front of him can clearly feel the emotions of unsettling nervousness, fear, and shock overtaking his mind.
Sweats started to form over his neat face, the heartbeat growing stronger, even his arms shaking out of his control.
"What business does 'Great Bai Family' possibly have with us?" Xiao Jun's sudden remark snapped that unknown man out of his daze; he blinked profusely, trying to find words and take out the nervousness.
"I don't remember ever crossing ways with the 'Great Bai Family.'" Xiao Jun questioned; his demeanour seemed suddenly much more aggressive and dominant after awakening his medians and blood.
"Oh… that?" The man was a bit flustered for a moment, but the experience of decades became useful. He smiled, holding on to his composure.
"Haha, as expected, it seems I have offended you; my apologies. I am 'Bai Xianyu.' I'm the second son of the Patriarch of the Great Bai Family, 'Bai Junfeng'."
He extended his greetings first, "We can't exactly just wait for opportunities to meet tycoons like you, sir; our family believes in snatching opportunities rather than waiting for them; that's why we are what we are."
Bai Xianyu's amateurish behaviour that was felt while being in front of Ao Shen faded away, replaced by an experienced gentleman.
"As an apology, I have brought you some gifts in return," he stated while extending an envelope and a car key towards Xiao Jun.
"This is 'Bentley Continental GT Mulliner.' Please accept it as a gift on the occasion of our first meeting." Xiao Jun was a bit taken aback; he knew wealth, but he wasn't used to it yet.
'That's... That's a car worth about 350k Spirit Coins?! To give that much just as a gift?!' Xiao Jun's expressions slipped out for a second; Bai Xianyu noticed it with a grin.
'As expected, this is the right way to establish the position in our relationship! A casual gift worth 350k Spirit Coins will surprise anyone, no matter how rich you are, even if it's you. Bai Xianyu's gaze suddenly paused.
A look of surprise flashed across his face as he saw Ao Shen's unamused expression. "So there are traditions like that in this city, huh? Gift on first meetings?" Ao Shen muttered.
"Ah? Yeah? Gifts signify goodwill, so it's something like custom to bring gifts when trying to make friends..." Bai Xianyu explained
"Is that so?" A playful grin suddenly emerged over Ao Shen's face, and he suddenly took out some documents and a key from his pocket and handed them over to Bai Xianyu.
"I wasn't aware, so I didn't get any thoughtful gifts..." he stated with a cunning smirk.
"But a villa seems appropriate no matter what occasion, right?"