Chapter 79: The First Step, the Great Dragon of the Spine

After returning to the Half-Demon Kingdom, Red Cloud met with Chai Xiaoyue and the Mountain-Flipping Demon King. After offering a few words of advice, he left the kingdom, taking Yue Sansi with him.

Though Chai Xiaoyue was reluctant to see him go, her attachment could not sway Red Cloud’s resolve. Still, she had called him “Uncle Cloud” for so long, it softened his heart. In the end, he made her a promise.

“If, by the time your Uncle Cloud leaves, you still cannot see this world, I will give you a pair of eyes.”

Chai Xiaoyue had been blind since birth. There was more than one way to restore her sight, but her longing for light spurred her onward, a motivation that kept her diligently cultivating. Red Cloud’s words were a reassurance, a promise she could trust, for he truly possessed the means to grant her vision.

To someone who had never lied to her, Chai Xiaoyue’s trust in Red Cloud was nearly absolute. She nodded obediently, no longer displaying her reluctance, though the yearning remained palpable in her hollow gaze.

...

Once man and demon had left the bounds of the Half-Demon Kingdom, they did not depart from the northern demon plains but lingered there. Yue Sansi, upon crossing the border, was exhilarated by the vast, snowy wilderness, caring little for decorum as he ran up a mountain peak and released a jubilant howl—a cry of freedom.

“Awoooo—”

After that long cry, he felt a surge of pride, as if the whole world belonged to him. It had been a long time since he felt so liberated.

The towering snow mountain, stirred by such rare enthusiasm, responded in kind—with an avalanche. Amid the thunderous snow, the thick layer swept Yue Sansi, whose weight was considerable with his weapon strapped to his back, deep into the icy depths.

Sensing the disturbance, Red Cloud spread his Cloud Wings and soared to a low altitude. Seeing no sign of Yue Sansi, he couldn’t help but twitch his lips. He began to doubt the wisdom of bringing this fellow along.

When the snow stopped shifting, the surface trembled, and Yue Sansi, still bearing his weapon, broke through the snow and shot skyward.

...

When he finally landed, his face was less than pleased. He had clearly activated the power of his flesh, but the cold was so intense that a thin mist steamed around him.

“If you want to laugh, just do it, Brother Cloud. No need to hold back and suffer.”

Yue Sansi looked at Red Cloud’s faintly upturned mouth, annoyed, and glanced at the snow mountain: he, a peak Nirvana demon, had been buried in the snow due to a moment’s carelessness. If word got out, he’d be mocked endlessly.

“I’m content to smile at you. Laughing aloud in this environment easily triggers avalanches.”

...

The two did not linger further. Yue Sansi found the snow increasingly irritating, wishing he could overturn and crush the mountain. Yet, though a Nirvana cultivator wielded considerable power, he remained insignificant before the vastness of nature. Perhaps only upon reaching the Transformation stage could one truly interfere with the order of heaven and earth, altering the weather with a mere gesture. Such feats, however, always came at a price.

After a brief silence, Yue Sansi produced his flying vessel, refined it, and set off with Red Cloud in the direction they needed to go.

Once aboard, Red Cloud said little, finding a quiet corner to sit and silently practice his cultivation method. Having discovered a way to break through to the Transformation stage, he could not afford to waste any time.

Soon, a faint lunar radiance enveloped him. The baleful energy within his body nourished him and surged toward his spine. Reaching the spine, the energy unfurled, linking to his scapulae and flowing into his Cloud Wings. The wings gradually relaxed under the influx of baleful energy, the lunar light connecting and channeling it within.

After an indeterminate time, sensing his baleful energy was depleted, Red Cloud carefully activated the baleful pearl in his dantian, moving it toward his spine.

The dragon of the spine was the root of essence and vitality. By integrating the baleful pearl, connecting inwardly to his tendons and bones and outwardly to his Cloud Wings, the circulation of baleful energy brought blood essence, amplifying his power greatly.

...

As he gradually fused the two, Red Cloud’s physique neared the strength of a demon king. The cold mask he wore relaxed into a smile of relief. The first step of his plan was complete; the rest, though difficult, would proceed in steady order.

As the baleful pearl entered the spine’s dragon, the spine emitted a faint glow, lunar light flowing within, tranquil and deep, yet radiant with incomparable beauty.

Sadly, none could witness it unless Red Cloud deliberately revealed it or extracted the dragon of his spine.

...

Yue Sansi had intended to show off his flying vessel to Red Cloud, but the latter merely nodded, indifferent, leaving Yue Sansi feeling as if he’d punched a pillow—his spirits unsettled.

Bored, he piloted the vessel, occasionally glancing at Red Cloud and suddenly realizing he could no longer sense his cultivation. He was startled.

Impossible—what kind of technique was this!

His eyes widened in disbelief: was Red Cloud’s cultivation disrupted, his baleful pearl shattered, his powers lost?

Holding his breath for fear of disturbing Red Cloud, Yue Sansi gathered his own baleful energy, ready to rescue him if needed.

But seeing Red Cloud’s smile, he was even more alarmed, thinking the man had truly given up. He unleashed a dazzling surge of baleful energy, enveloping Red Cloud, nearly tapping into his own core.

Red Cloud, sensing the approach of this energy, felt it tugging at his own, his expression shifting. Instantly, he unfurled his Cloud Wings, wrapped himself, and shot skyward.

This time, aided by the Cloud Blade and the dual reinforcement of his own baleful energy, he soared into the clouds in an instant, so swiftly Yue Sansi barely had time to react before Red Cloud vanished from sight.

He felt as though he’d witnessed the fall of a great talent, withdrew his energy, and sighed.

He wanted to catch up and lend a hand, but... he simply couldn’t keep up.