Chapter 70: Forging the Azure Dragon and White Tiger Meridians

As several people stepped out of the car, Mu Yiren gazed at the surrounding landscape, a puzzled look crossing her face.

“Ling Xiao, this place looks just like any ordinary spot. How did you determine that this is a land of exceptional geomancy?”

Ling Xiao smiled calmly and pointed into the distance. “From your perspective, standing here, of course you wouldn’t notice anything unusual. But once you’re above, it’s a different story.”

“Above?” Mu Yiren’s delicate brows knitted together in confusion.

Ling Xiao slipped an arm around her waist and, with a mere tap of his toe, launched himself into the air, carrying her with him.

“Ah! We’re flying! So high!” Mu Yiren shrieked, clinging tightly to Ling Xiao’s neck, her face pale with anxiety.

Ling Xiao sent a stream of true energy into her, and soon enough, her frantic heartbeat subsided.

“Look down,” he said.

Mu Yiren cautiously glanced below, and a cry of astonishment escaped her lips. “Heavens, how beautiful!”

Beneath them, the mountain ranges wound and intertwined like a meandering dragon. Verdant forests blanketed the peaks, so lush and vibrant that the entire formation resembled a green dragon coiling across the land. Amidst the encircling mountains, a singular, massive peak rose, its form resembling a tiger crouched upon a ridge—imposing and majestic.

“Look closely,” Ling Xiao said. “The White Tiger presides over the land, the Azure Dragon coils around it. Two veins of geomantic energy converge here, forming the perfect Azure Dragon and White Tiger burial site. To lay the four of them to rest here will dispel their lingering resentments and increase their fortune, granting them better fates in their next lives.”

“That’s wonderful! Ling Xiao, let’s bury Mom, Dad, Uncle Mu, and Aunt Mu here, shall we?”

Ling Xiao’s smile was warm. “Not so fast. The Azure Dragon and White Tiger lines here have not yet been unsealed—this is a place of natural sealing. Unless it’s opened, the spiritual energy cannot flow and the geomancy will not be activated. If we were to bury them here now, it would only feed their grievances and turn them into vengeful spirits.”

“Then how do we open it?” she asked.

Ling Xiao gazed proudly at the sky. “We must borrow the shifting of the heavenly stars, use the power of the constellations to break open the forces of the earth.”

As he finished speaking, he flicked his fingers, and a fierce beam shot skyward.

In an instant, dark clouds gathered and thunder rumbled through the heavens. Suspended in midair, so close to the destructive might of the storm, Mu Yiren couldn’t help but tremble.

Such a celestial phenomenon—and Ling Xiao had summoned it with a flick of his fingers! How powerful was he truly?

Frightened, she looked at the man holding her. Ling Xiao’s face was utterly calm, free of fear or pride, as if this feat were nothing worth boasting of, nor anything to be afraid of.

The clouds above grew denser, and the gathering of such tremendous energy sent the wind howling and swirling, tearing at everything in its path. Ling Xiao’s eyes shone with a fierce light, piercing the clouds as if they could see through to the starlit sky beyond.

Thunder rolled, and bolts of lightning circled above Ling Xiao’s head, roaring as if questioning him.

He snorted softly. “What I, Ling Xiao, desire—none shall stand in my way! Not even the heavens!”

With that, he reached into the void, and the countless billions of volts seemed to be snatched by an invisible hand, condensing into a colossal sword of lightning—nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine meters long and ninety-nine meters wide.

The blade shimmered with blue light, electricity coiling around it like dancing dragons and phoenixes, crackling with a relentless roar.

As this giant sword appeared, the Azure Dragon and White Tiger upon the earth seemed to let out a faint, echoing roar, as if in anticipation of what was to come.

The thunderclouds above churned more violently still, countless bolts lashing out in an effort to destroy the lightning sword, as if unwilling to let Ling Xiao borrow their power.

Ling Xiao gave another cold snort. “Courting death!”

With that, he raised his fist and struck out at the sky. Golden light burst forth, the roar of a dragon resounding without cease, and his wild power blasted a gaping hole in the clouds, revealing the pure blue sky beyond.

The veins of the Azure Dragon and White Tiger on the ground grew ever more agitated, their roars and calls echoing through the mountains.

The clouds above, unwilling to yield, attempted to gather once more, but Ling Xiao paid them no heed. He pressed a drop of blood from his fingertip, which shot into the lightning sword.

Instantly, the sword crashed to the earth, a beam of golden light shooting forth as the clear sound of a tiger’s roar and a dragon’s cry echoed through the heavens.

The clouds, resentful, sent down a few deafening bolts of thunder, making Mu Yiren shudder and pale, burying herself in Ling Xiao’s arms, unable to look up.

Ling Xiao glared fiercely at the sky.

“You’re of no more use—linger any longer, and I’ll destroy you!”

At his words, the clouds scattered swiftly, not daring to linger.

A rainbow arched across the sky. Ling Xiao patted Mu Yiren’s soft back. “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

Just those simple words, and Mu Yiren felt her heart settle, the tension draining away.

She glanced down, her eyes lighting up in wonder. “It’s so beautiful! It looks even more stunning than before—it’s as if the whole place has been cleansed! The entire mountain gleams like emerald. My goodness, Ling Xiao, how did you do that?”

Ling Xiao smiled. “This mountain was already full of spiritual energy, but the Azure Dragon and White Tiger veins weren’t fully opened. A place like this requires a heavenly tribulation to become a true legendary spiritual land. If we waited for it to undergo tribulation naturally, you and I would have grown old and had a houseful of descendants! So, I simply helped it through the tribulation ahead of time, and awakened its spiritual energy.”

Mu Yiren blushed, burying her head in Ling Xiao’s chest. Much of what he said made only partial sense to her, but one line rang clear in her ears.

“Who wants a houseful of descendants with you?” she muttered, her voice barely audible.

Yet Ling Xiao’s keen cultivation easily caught her words. He only smiled, saying nothing.

“All right, let’s be on our way. Tomorrow, we’ll move the remains of Mom, Dad, Uncle Mu, and Aunt Mu here, so they may rest in peace. May they find good families in their next lives.”

With that, he led Mu Yiren back to the ground, and soon they departed by car.

But not long after they’d left, several figures streaked through the sky and landed swiftly.

Each appeared of considerable age—the eldest with white hair and beard, the youngest with streaks of gray in their hair—yet all bore healthy, youthful complexions, and their eyes were sharp and piercing.

“Such powerful thunder just now—could it be a great master of China undergoing tribulation here?”

“Unlikely! That tribulation cloud was far too small. Anyone with the strength to undergo tribulation would be at the pinnacle of martial mastery—the process wouldn’t have ended so quickly.”

“Strange then, for I distinctly sensed a formidable aura beneath those clouds. It must have been a person…”