I have a composite mirror

Azure-scaled Dragon Fish!

Bai Cailing had told me that there were three kinds of naturally occurring spiritual objects near Guangdong Province that could activate bloodlines:

The best one is the egg of a deep-sea turtle, which can activate the Xuanwu bloodline;

The middle one is the Azure Scaled Flood Dragon Fish in Yunmeng Marsh, which can activate the Flood Dragon bloodline;

The lower-class fish, a near-shore spirit fish, can activate the bloodline of merfolk.

Due to limited strength and financial resources, I could only choose the lowest grade of near-shore spirit fish.

But Bai Cailing herself wanted to go and find the medium-sized Azure Scaled Flood Dragon!

"Senior, you want to..."

"good."

Bai Cailing nodded in agreement:

"I want to use the blood of the dragon fish to activate the dragon bloodline hidden within my body."

She walked to the bookshelf and pulled out a piece of paper from a thick book called "Annotations on the Classic of Mountains and Seas".

There was a drawing on the paper:

The picture shows a fish, about three feet long, with a bright green body and scales that look like they were carved from jade.

Upon closer inspection, the fish's head already vaguely resembled a dragon, with fleshy horns on its forehead and flowing whiskers.

"The Azure Scaled Flood Dragon is a hybrid offspring of a Flood Dragon and a Spirit Fish."

Bai Cailing's finger lightly traced across the picture:

"It possesses both the spirituality of a fish and the power of a dragon, and contains a faint trace of dragon blood within it."

"Although it is only a slight one, it is an immense opportunity for us cultivators."

She raised her head and looked at Gu Shenyan:

"In my Bai family, there was an ancestor who helped a real dragon 'walk through the water' and was rewarded with a dragon scale."

"That dragon scale was refined and integrated into the bloodline, passed down from generation to generation."

"By the time it was passed down to my generation, the bloodline had become so diluted that it was almost undetectable."

"That's why I need the blood of the dragon fish to 'awaken' the dormant dragon bloodline."

Gu Shenyan remained silent.

He could understand Bai Cailing's predicament.

In the path of cultivation, bloodline is a kind of talent, and talent is the upper limit.

Without talent, no matter how hard you try, you can only linger at a certain level.

Only by activating one's bloodline and enhancing one's talents can one break free from constraints and glimpse a higher realm.

"But..." he hesitated before speaking.

"The Yunmeng Marsh is fraught with danger and unpredictability. Why did you ask me to accompany you, senior?"

"Given your senior's status and abilities, you should be able to find even stronger helpers, right?"

This was said euphemistically, but the meaning was very clear.

I'm just a newbie, and I'd probably have trouble even protecting myself in a place like Yunmengze. How could I possibly help?

Bai Cailing smiled.

"You're right. In terms of strength, I have no shortage of experts under my command."

"There are several martial arts masters at the peak of the Fiend realm enshrined in the family, and a Blood Fiend realm grandmaster is also on good terms with my father."

"But Yunmengze has its rules," she explained in detail.

"There are many monsters in the marsh, and they fight and have their own territories among themselves."

"Over the years, a delicate balance has been formed between humans and the swamp demons."

Humans can enter Yunmeng Marsh to hunt for treasures and demons, but there are three ironclad rules:

First, large-scale killing methods such as fire attacks and poisoning must not be used;

Second, the slaughter of young animals is prohibited;

Third, those who enter must not have a cultivation level exceeding the 'Blood Fiend Realm' or 'Secret Ritual Realm'.

Bai Cailing continued, her tone laced with warning:

"If these three ironclad rules are violated, the demons of the swamp will rise up and attack relentlessly until they are defeated."

"Back then, a Blood Fiend Realm Grandmaster refused to believe in evil and forced his way into the depths of Yunmeng Marsh."

"result……"

Her voice lowered:

"When his body was washed ashore, it had been gnawed down to the bones."

Gu Shenyan felt a chill run down his spine.

A Blood Fiend Realm Grandmaster is already the most powerful expert at the level I can currently access.

Yet, even in the Yunmeng Marsh, they still died without a complete corpse.

Bai Cailing continued, "The Azure-Scaled Flood Dragon lives in the depths of the swamp, where the water is several feet deep and the currents are turbulent."

"Martial artists focus on physical tempering, which is impossible to utilize underwater."

Gu Shenyan understood: "So, Senior Sister needs a practitioner of magic arts?"

"That's right." Bai Cailing nodded: "Practitioners of magic can use spiritual energy to protect their bodies and move freely underwater."

Moreover, their methods are more flexible and adaptable, enabling them to cope with unexpected situations.

"But the problem is..." she smiled wryly, "There are too few practitioners of magic and Taoist arts."

"Those renowned masters of magic and Taoism all hold high positions and are treated like treasures by various forces."

Even if my father were to personally intervene, they might not give him the time of day.

She looked at the person before her, her words carrying a hidden meaning: "Therefore, I have no choice but to settle for second best and find a fellow apprentice in the arts of magic."

"Besides you, I also invited Qiuyu."

"Actually, she's my cousin."

"What?!" Gu Shenyan was somewhat bewildered.

"You didn't expect that, did you?" Bai Cailing chuckled. "Qiu Yu's mother was originally from a collateral branch of the Bai family."

"Back then, she fell in love with a scholar from the previous dynasty and, despite her family's objections, insisted on eloping."

"In a fit of rage, the family expelled her from the family register and severed all ties with her."

Her tone carried a hint of emotion:

"I've known this aunt since I was a child, and I've been secretly taking care of her and her daughter."

"It's just that due to family rules, we can't have open dealings."

"Until last year, my aunt fell seriously ill and passed away..." She sighed, "Before she died, she entrusted me to take care of Qiuyu."

"I then arranged for Qiuyu to enter the Sacred Heart Academy and secretly sponsored her cultivation."

"Fortunately, this child is promising and has exceptional talent. He successfully mastered the basics in less than a year and even condensed a spirit core."

She looked at Gu Shenyan:

"Now that she has been chosen by Qingqiu Mountain, it can be said that her suffering has finally come to an end."

Gu Shenyan suddenly realized.

No wonder Qiu Yu was able to become a magic apprentice so quickly; it turns out that Bai Cailing had been secretly helping her all along.

"The world has changed now, and the distance between sects and secular royal power is growing further and further."

"Even a remnant of the previous dynasty like my Bai family is nothing more than an ant in the eyes of those sect disciples."

She looked out the window, her gaze becoming distant.

"I envy that Qiu Yu can enter Qingqiu Mountain."

"That's a true sacred place for cultivation, possessing the most complete lineage... With her by my side, the chances of success should be much greater."

"So she agreed?" Gu Shenyan asked in a low voice, judging from the other party's tone, the situation seemed not optimistic.

"That's the problem." Bai Cailing's face showed helplessness:

"Qiu Yu's attitude was ambiguous; she said she needed to think about it."

She stood up and paced around the room:

"I can understand her concerns. After all, she has a bright future ahead of her, and it's not worth risking her life for my personal matters."

"Besides, Qingqiu Mountain might not agree to her participating in such an adventure."

The sect maintains strict discipline over its disciples and will not easily allow them to take risks.

Bai Cailing turned around and looked at Gu Shenyan:

"So, when I heard that you had awakened the water element bloodline, I knew that you were the person I was looking for."

Why?

Princess Bai chuckled softly and held up two fingers:

"First, you have merman blood."

Although it is thin, it is still the source of water.

In the water, your abilities can be unleashed beyond what is expected.

Furthermore, the Azure Scaled Dragon Fish can sense killing intent and malice; if an ordinary hunter approaches it, it will have already fled.

But since you're also an aquatic creature, it won't be too wary of you.

"Secondly, you have a tendency to be unpredictable."

Going to Yunmeng Marsh is a perilous journey with a slim chance of survival, but your fate is not a dead end.

"Following you, perhaps I can turn bad luck into good."

Gu Shenyan remained silent.

Bai Cailing put it bluntly: she was gambling, gambling on the elusive "variable energy" within herself.

"Of course, I won't let you take the risk for nothing." The girl sat down again. "I can give you three things."

"First, for the next six months or so, I will do my best to provide you with cultivation resources."

"Secondly, I will help you gain a foothold in the Xuanji Association. With this connection, it will be easier for you to do anything in the future."

"Third..." she raised an eyebrow, "The spoils will be distributed according to each person's ability."

"Each relying on their own abilities?"

"That's good." Bai Cailing nodded.

"I only need one dragon fish to activate my bloodline; anything more is useless to me."

If you can hunt down more, it's all yours.

"A single Azure Scaled Dragon Fish is worth at least a thousand silver dollars, and it's even harder to find one. If you're lucky enough to catch two or three..."

She smiled and said, "Then you'll be rich."

Gu Shenyan's heart raced.

A thousand silver dollars for one! If we could catch a few, that would be several thousand silver dollars!

Most importantly, you can synthesize it yourself using the Tri-Element Mirror!

What will be born when three emerald-scaled dragon fish merge into one?

"There's one last thing," Bai Cailing added, "I will secretly arrange for people to protect your sister's safety."

These words completely shattered Gu Shenyan's psychological defenses.

His sister's safety is one of the things he cares about most right now.

"So, what are your plans for going to Yunmengze, senior?" he asked.

"I will ask two martial arts masters from my family who have reached the peak of their martial arts prowess to escort us on the shore."

Bai Cailing explained, "Those two are both seasoned veterans, more than capable of handling the dangers on the road."

"But once we're in the water, we'll have to rely on a few of us who are practitioners of magic and Taoist arts."

Martial arts masters are hampered underwater; they become a burden rather than a means to perform their skills.

She looked at Gu Shenyan: "If Qiuyu ultimately agrees to come, then it will be the three of us; if she doesn't come..."

"So it's just the two of us?" Gu Shenyan frowned.

"We might be able to invite others by then, since there are still more than half a year to go."

Regardless, your water-based bloodline is very important to me.

Bai Cailing frankly admitted, "With you here, the success rate can be increased by at least 20%."

"If the autumn rains come, our chances will be even greater."

Gu Shenyan fell into deep thought.

Bai Cailing didn't disturb him, but waited quietly.

After a while, Gu Shenyan finally looked up: "Senior, I have a question."

"Please speak."

"Would the Azure Scaled Flood Dragon be useful to me too?" he asked directly. "I've already awakened my Merman bloodline; if I were to consume the Flood Dragon..."

"Will there be a conflict?" Bai Cailing laughed: "No, quite the opposite, the dragon bloodline is the most domineering bloodline."

"Consuming the blood of the dragon fish will only make your bloodline purer and stronger."

"I understand." Gu Shenyan stood up and bowed solemnly: "I will go to Yunmengze this time."

"Great!" Bai Cailing's eyes flashed with joy: "I knew I hadn't misjudged you."