I Have an Omen System

Chapter 348: Chapter 229: Golden Core Dao Skill

"And what is your name, miss?"

A genuine smile appeared on Zhong Ling’s face as she asked politely.

"This junior is Qin Xuan’Er, a Loose Cultivator from Daqian’s Prince Yaan’s Mansion," Qin Xuan said softly, bowing gracefully.

’So, her name is Miss Qin...’

Zhao Yan, standing to the side, was taken aback. He thought to himself, ’This Miss Qin’s identity is probably not as simple as it seems.’

Vice Palace Master Zhong was a dignified mid-stage Golden Core True Monarch with incredibly sharp judgment, yet she had greeted this woman first.

Based on that alone, Miss Xuan’Er was definitely no ordinary Loose Cultivator!

"Good. I will remember that."

Zhong Ling nodded solemnly and glanced around. Noticing her gaze, Zhao Yan immediately puffed out his chest and stood tall, trying his best to appear like a brilliant young talent.

But to his surprise, Zhong Ling walked right past him and turned to Lin Feng. "You must be Nephew Lin from the Wind and Thunder Sword Pavilion, correct?" she asked with a smile. "Truly a man of remarkable talent."

"Before the Palace Master entered seclusion, she mentioned that the Wind and Thunder Sword Pavilion and our Water Mirror Palace have always maintained friendly relations. Since you have come on your master’s orders to exchange insights on the Array Sword Dao, please feel at ease and stay in the guest courtyard. When the Palace Master emerges, she will naturally summon you."

Lin Feng cupped his hands, his bearing neither humble nor arrogant. "I am grateful for Vice Palace Master Zhong Ling’s arrangements."

Zhao Yan’s face immediately flushed beet red.

He was so embarrassed he wished he could find a hole to crawl into right then and there.

Zhong Ling looked at Qin Xuan’Er and Lin Feng, unable to make up her mind.

’Before she went into seclusion, the Palace Master told me to pay close attention to any Cultivators with high innate talent. The Daoist will be in disguise and could be either a man or a woman.’

’Among everyone here, these two have the highest Cultivation.’

’Unfortunately, to maintain secrecy, only the Golden Core Sect Masters of the three great sects know the details... Is the Daoist one of these two, or someone else entirely?’

Although the Daoist from the Upper Sect was Refining the Heart in the Red Dust and would choose one of three places—Water Mirror Palace, Hundred Refinement Mountain, or Cyan Wood Valley...

What if the Daoist really did come to Water Mirror Palace?

If she were to accidentally slight or offend them, the trouble would be immense!

’No rush. I’ll observe them for a while first.’

’Since they’re the Daoist of the Upper Sect, their innate talent must be the highest. I just need to test them a little, and the truth will surely come to light.’

Having come to this conclusion, Zhong Ling smiled faintly. Her expression as she looked at Qin Xuan’Er and Lin Feng grew even more gentle and benevolent.

"Esteemed young talents, you’ve all come here not just to pay respects to the Palace Master, but also for the upcoming [Water Mirror Conference], I presume?"

Zhong Ling continued, "My elder sister is most enthusiastic. She will also emerge from seclusion for the conference. If you young talents take the time to mingle, perhaps a few good matches can be made. It would be a celebrated tale in our Cultivation Realm."

At these words, the expressions of the several True Disciples present turned complicated.

Zhao Yan seized the opportunity. "Vice Palace Master Zhong jests. I have come only to ask Palace Master Zhong for guidance on the Dao of Water and Fire Complementing Each Other. As for other matters, I have no mind for them at the moment."

Hearing the four words "Vice Palace Master Zhong," Zhong Ling frowned slightly.

’This brat from the Fire Cloud Sect has no manners, and his Cultivation and talent are low. He definitely can’t be the Daoist.’

Acting as if she hadn’t heard him, Zhong Ling automatically filtered Zhao Yan out and turned to a stocky, rather plump young man in a gray robe with a simple, honest face.

"This must be the True Disciple of the Thick Earth Sect, Shi Jian, yes? Little Friend Shi?"

Zhong Ling said, "Your mother sent a Spirit Sword message some days ago, specifically entrusting me to find a good match for you. To all the young ladies present, if any of you take a liking to Little Friend Shi, you may let me know."

"Thank you, Palace Master Zhong." Overwhelmed by the favor, Shi Jian scratched his head with a simple smile.

Qin Xuan now understood.

’The Water Mirror Conference is basically a matchmaking event!’

It seemed the Palace Master of Water Mirror Palace, Zhong Cui, was a Golden Core True Monarch who enjoyed playing matchmaker.

These True Disciples from Golden Core Sects had come, on the surface, to pay respects and seek guidance. Secretly, they likely harbored thoughts of using Water Mirror Palace’s connections, finding a suitable Daoist partner, or gathering information.

Just then, a True Disciple from the Celestial Secret Tower named Muuu Yu, who wore a star-patterned Daoist Robe and had a cold demeanor, glanced indifferently at Shi Jian and spoke coolly.

"Thank you, Palace Master Zhong. Fate is predestined. Forcing it is useless."

Another female True Disciple from Profound Ice Cliff, named Leng Ningshuang, felt the same.

Leng Ningshuang had been the first to arrive at Water Mirror Palace. She stood quietly in a corner, a faint chill emanating from her, giving her a peerlessly aloof and unapproachable aura.

’These Purple Mansion girls from the Golden Core Sects are getting worse and worse,’ Zhong Ling thought. ’Every one of them has their nose in the air, refusing to marry anyone who isn’t a Daoist or an Immortal Seed.’

’But there’s only one Daoist in the world every thousand years. They’ll wait until their beauty fades and their lifespan runs dry, only then will they know regret. In that, they’re worse off than Loose Cultivators.’

Zhong Ling couldn’t help but shake her head inwardly, but her face held an amiable smile as she greeted everyone one by one.

She only ignored Zhao Yan.

Zhao Yan had no idea how he had offended Zhong Ling.

She just kept ignoring him.

Looking around and seeing no one with a higher status or greater talent than himself, Zhao Yan, blushing, mustered his courage one last time. "Vice Palace Master Zhong, I..."

But before he could finish, Zhong Ling cut him off, giving him no chance to speak.

"Little friends, I have other matters to attend to. Today is also the day our Water Mirror Palace recruits Tributors, so you may all settle into the guest courtyards for now."

With a formulaic, polite smile, Zhong Ling added, "Those interested in applying for a Steward position may follow me to the Tribute Garden."

Zhao Yan felt as if a fishbone was stuck in his throat. He had been brutally shut down.

Afterward, Zhong Ling began to handle matters concerning other visitors and Tributors.

Thanks to his Purple Mansion Sixth Level Cultivation, Qin Xuan stood out among the crowd of Loose Cultivators and cultivators from small sects, and was smoothly accepted as an Outer Sect Tributor.

Accepted along with him was a female Loose Cultivator named Liu Yiyi. She had a Purple Mansion Fifth Level Cultivation and was skilled in using exquisite Ice Techniques. Her personality seemed gentle, but her eyes revealed a hint of shrewdness.

After finishing these miscellaneous tasks, Zhong Ling’s gaze returned to Qin Xuan and the others. Her phoenix eyes swept over them as she said in a gentle, seemingly casual tone,

"Tributor Qin, Tributor Liu, you are new here, so I hope you will keep the palace rules in mind. The instruction of the disciples under you will be in your hands."

As she spoke, Zhong Ling gave Qin Xuan a pointed look.

Being stared at like that made Qin Xuan’s skin crawl.

If not for his strong confidence in the Ten Thousand Forms Blood Talisman, Qin Xuan would have truly suspected he had been exposed.

’Don’t tell me this mature beauty is a lesbian and has taken a fancy to me?’

Liu Yiyi bowed and said sweetly, "I will abide by the Palace Master’s teachings."

Qin Xuan also bowed hastily.

...

After becoming Outer Sect Tributors of Water Mirror Palace, Qin Xuan and Liu Yiyi were assigned specific duties.

Being a Tributor wasn’t a life of leisurely cultivation; it involved tasks such as instructing Low-Tier Disciples and patrolling designated marshlands.

In the early morning, before the thin mist had dispersed, twenty to thirty female disciples of Water Mirror Palace sat cross-legged on a white jade platform by the water. They were all in the Qi Refining Stage and in the prime of their youth.

Each one was fresh-faced and pretty, like unopened flower buds, all eagerly watching the newcomer, Junior Martial Uncle Qin, before them.

"Junior Martial Uncle Qin is so beautiful... and so big..."

"I heard Junior Martial Uncle Qin has only been cultivating for a hundred years, and as a Loose Cultivator at that, yet she has already opened her Purple Mansion Fate Star. So amazing!"

"Actually, I’d rather ask Junior Martial Uncle Qin about her Youthful Appearance Secret Technique. I heard her Primordial Yin is still intact and her Red Dragon hasn’t been severed..."

The female disciples chattered like songbirds, whispering amongst themselves, their voices full of curiosity.

Qin Xuan forcefully suppressed the True Sun Fire in his body, which was growing restless in the yin, water-heavy environment, all while maintaining a gentle smile.

He was explaining the key points of Water Mirror Palace’s basic Foundation Establishment technique, the "Water Mirror Technique Origin Formula."

Although he had deliberately softened his voice, an almost imperceptible rasp would occasionally creep in.

"When Introducing Qi into the Body, you must follow the water channels, like a trickling stream. You must avoid a rushing flood..."

As he spoke, he held his fingers together like a sword, tracing the path of Spiritual Power in the air.

As his fingertips passed, the water vapor in the air naturally gathered to reveal a clear network of channels, drawing gasps of admiration from the female disciples below, their eyes filled with worship.

"Junior Martial Uncle Qin’s explanation is so good, even clearer than Instructor Zhong’s!"

"Yeah, yeah, and Junior Martial Uncle Qin is so pretty..."

The soft chatter reached Qin Xuan, making his mouth go dry. He subconsciously swallowed.

His body was filled with a Supreme Yang Demon Skill and True Sun Fire, yet here he was, forced to simulate Yin Soft Water Element Spiritual Power and explain it in meticulous detail. It was like being roasted over a fire.

This was especially true when some female disciples leaned in close to ask questions, the faint scent of their bodies mingling with the dense Water Spirit Qi.

It made the True Flame in his Dantian stir restlessly, requiring all his effort to suppress it and not reveal any flaws.

He was a grand Demon Cultivator, for crying out loud!

In the Holy Sect, what kind of woman couldn’t he have? When had he ever been so utterly frustrated?

’Fuck, I’m such an idiot. Why the hell did I come to Water Mirror Palace disguised as a woman...?’

’Even pretending to be a Spirit Pet or a Jade Pestle Spiritual Artifact would be better than this.’

Qin Xuan swore an oath to himself.

After the Demon Child’s trial was over and he had killed that Daoist from the Cyan Cloud Sect, he would definitely return to Water Mirror Palace.

And when that time came, he absolutely wouldn’t disguise himself as a woman again...

If he was going to pretend to be something, he’d be a flower-picking thief!

...

「That afternoon.」

He patrolled a miasma-filled swamp in the southwest corner of the Cloud Dream Marsh with Liu Yiyi.

Liu Yiyi seemed to have a favorable impression of her fellow Tributor, "Qin Xuan’Er," and chattered incessantly along the way.

"Sister Xuan’Er, look, that Enchanting Miasma has gotten thicker. I’m afraid more Poisonous Insects are breeding."

Liu Yiyi pointed to a patch of multicolored mist ahead. With a light wave of her slender hand, a wall of ice instantly condensed, blocking the poisonous miasma that was trying to spread toward them. Ice shards flew everywhere; her technique was skillful.

"Mm, a fine technique, Junior Sister Liu."

Qin Xuan nodded, secretly assessing the woman’s strength.

’A Loose Cultivator’s body. Her aura is unstable. I should be able to kill her within three moves.’

At the same time, Qin Xuan put on a show by casting a crude Water Curtain Technique, but most of his focus was still on suppressing the discomfort in his body.

In the past, he wouldn’t have had the slightest interest in a pretty but unremarkable female cultivator like Liu Yiyi.

But now, he had almost lost control.

After about half a month of this, Qin Xuan felt as if every day was a year.

He felt that if he stayed any longer, all these chattering women would drive him to suffer a backlash from his True Flame.

Just as Qin Xuan was considering whether to find an excuse to temporarily leave Water Mirror Palace, find a place to blow off some steam, and catch his breath, an opportunity arose.

On this day, Vice Palace Master Zhong Ling summoned all the visiting True Disciples and newly appointed Tributors to the main hall of Water Mirror Palace.

Zhong Ling, still looking graceful in her palace attire, swept her phoenix eyes over the crowd below. Her gaze lingered for a moment on Lin Feng, Qin Xuan’Er, and the others, and she said with a smile,

"Little friends, you’ve all been at our Water Mirror Palace for some time now and are probably getting a bit bored. It just so happens that in the ’Black Water Pool’ in the northwest region of the Cloud Dream Marsh, a clan of Tier Three Peak Demon Beasts, the [Profound Water Poison Flood Dragons], has recently been causing trouble, disturbing the peace of the nearby waters."

As she spoke, Zhong Ling paused to observe everyone’s reaction.

"I intend to organize a small session of demon-slaying and magic duels. First, to eliminate a pest for the people, and second, to allow you talented individuals to get to know each other and test your skills against one another."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yan was overjoyed. "Demon-slaying? Excellent! That’s just what I wanted!"

Qin Xuan’s interest was also piqued.

Killing demons?

This was playing right into his hands.

Zhong Ling smiled faintly and threw out an even more tempting offer.

"This duel will be judged by the final count of Demon Pills. The best performer will be granted a Golden Core Dao Skill by me as a prize."

Everyone’s breath hitched.

Qi Cultivation Technique, Foundation Establishment Technique, Purple Mansion Star Technique, Golden Core Dao Skill!

It was rumored that Dao Skills were called such because they contained a trace of the Great Dao’s true meaning. If one could study them in advance during the Purple Mansion Realm, it would be of great benefit for condensing a Dao Golden Core.

Zhao Yan couldn’t help but ask, "If I may ask the Vice Palace Master, what Dao Skill is it?"

Zhong Ling frowned slightly, then quickly explained with a smile, "This Dao Skill is called the ’Thousand Overlapping Waves Technique.’ It is a secret of our Water Mirror Palace not passed to outsiders. When trained to Great Success, a wave of the hand can stir the waters of a hundred-mile marsh, turning them into a thousand overlapping waves, each stronger than the last. It has the dual effects of suppression and entrapment."

"When used in a place with rivers, lakes, or seas, its power is increased by another thirty percent."

A Golden Core Dao Skill...

And a highly practical, area-of-effect Water Attribute magic technique at that!

At this moment, it wasn’t just the True Disciples like Zhao Yan and Shi Jian; even the ever-aloof Leng Ningshuang and the mysterious Muuu Yu showed signs of being moved.

As a Loose Cultivator, Liu Yiyi’s eyes shone even brighter, her desire obvious.