Quinn Shepherd's cultivation was nearly exhausted, so he had to stop using teleportation spells and let Dragon-Qilin and the water kirin carry everyone as they hurried onward at full speed.
Grandpa Blind gritted his teeth against the pain and said, "The Earthwyrm is still chasing us, and it's fast."
Inside his body, the roots were still writhing, though not as lively as before and much weaker—their strength fading as they got further from the Earthwyrm, gradually losing vitality.
But as the Earthwyrm drew closer, the power of those roots began to strengthen again, and their vitality grew fiercer.
Soon, Grandpa Blind was wrapped up into a wooden cocoon.
Jaden Jadehall quickly said, "These roots must be removed, or the Earthwyrm will keep tracking us through their connection!"
"How do we get them out?" Quinn asked.
"Azurecloud Heaven has dealt with the Earthwyrm before—there were several clashes long ago."
Jaden Jadehall pulled out a vial of powder and said, "Back when the Earthwyrm attacked Azurecloud Heaven, we suffered heavy losses. Its attacks were fierce, and weapons couldn't pierce its body—hurting its true form was nearly impossible. Many Azurecloud Daoists died horribly after it rooted inside them. Luckily, we managed to capture some of its body parts and used formation arrays to contain them, slowly researching how to fight it. This powder is the result—it can counter the Earthwyrm."
Quinn quickly took the vial and sniffed it. "This isn't a spirit medicine?"
Jaden Jadehall said, "Most medicines are made from herbs and plants. Using spirit medicine against it only feeds it more—the Earthwyrm is formed from Earth Mother Primordial Lady's roots and fears no plant-based poison. That's why we use a metal-stone poison. It can't kill the Earthwyrm, but it will force its roots out of the body. The powder is taken internally, and you need to scatter some in your Divine Treasuries too."
Quinn gave Grandpa Blind the medicine. Not long after he swallowed it, the roots inside him began to stretch and fall away, pulling free from his body.
Quinn used his vital qi to control the roots, keeping them from touching anyone, then flung them far away.
As soon as those roots hit the ground, each one turned into a six- or seven-foot root-dragon, croaking and darting around.
Dragon-Qilin turned and spat holy fire, but the root-dragons just bounced around in the flames, completely unafraid of his qilin fire.
Dragon-Qilin was startled and immediately bolted, fleeing the area.
"This powder does have some side effects for humans—it can cause mild allergies, but after urination or defecation, the powder will be expelled. So drink plenty of water."
Jaden Jadehall said, "The reason I dared bring Captain Qu He here, planning to let the Earthwyrm swallow him, was because I had this drug. If the Earthwyrm swallowed me, I'd just coat myself in powder. The Earthwyrm would find me unpalatable and spit me out. It's filthy, but at least I wouldn't die."
"Jaden, your brilliance is wasted in Azurecloud Heaven. I can see your scheme to clear Azurecloud Heaven of suspicion is a masterful chain of traps that lets Azurecloud shed all blame."
Quinn smeared Dragon Spittle Elixir onto Grandpa Blind's wounds, glanced at him, and praised, "Captain Qu He was a seventh-rank Heavenly Court god-officer. Dying here will surely draw powerful Heavenly Court figures to fight the Earthwyrm. The Earthwyrm will surely die. Captain Qu He was a true talent, and the Earthwyrm is almost at High Heaven Hall level, yet both will die thanks to your design. Your abilities are trapped in Azurecloud Heaven, and if your ambitions have nowhere to go, you'll regret it for life."
Jaden Jadehall smiled and said, "I'm a Daoist at heart. Daoists should devote themselves to Dao arts. Staying in Azurecloud Heaven isn't so bad."
Quinn took out several bottles of fresh Dragon Spittle Elixir, planning to have Grandpa Blind drink them.
Grandpa Blind shook his head and said, "I'm not drinking that—it's just your big dog's drool."
Quinn quickly replied, "It's not drool, it's Dragon Spittle Elixir. The Earthwyrm's roots have punctured your organs in so many places. If you don't drink it, your wounds will burst open and you'll bleed out in no time."
Dragon-Qilin snorted and said with a laugh, "Old Grandpa Blind, I'm not a big dog—I'm Dragon-Qilin, with both dragon and qilin blood. Go ahead and drink it, Cult Master just collected it a little while ago. It's fresh!"
Grandpa Blind clamped his mouth shut, but Quinn pressed hard, pried his jaw open, and forced the elixir down.
Grandpa Blind trembled with rage and shouted, "Brat, just wait till I'm healed—I'll see who can save you then!"
While Grandpa Blind was talking, Quinn poured a few more bottles down his throat, then turned to Jaden Jadehall and said, "Are you really content with that? They say Daoists descend the mountain in troubled times and ascend in peaceful times. Descending is to bring peace to the world, ascending is to keep worldly dust from disturbing the Dao heart. Right now is chaos—there's plenty of use for your talents."
Jaden Jadehall shook his head. "If chaos truly comes, Azurecloud Heaven still has its twenty-four Divine Kingdoms under its rule. I'll have a place to use my skills."
Quinn smirked, "Do you really not know the level of those twenty-four Divine Kingdoms? When we first met, you said Everpeace was small, weak, rude, and greedy. But for the twenty-four Divine Kingdoms to reach Everpeace's level, it would take centuries. Plus, you'd need an Emperor Evan, an Imperial Preceptor Jiang Baigui, a Quinn Shepherd, and countless academies, colleges, and schools, not to mention the wisdom of countless people."
Jaden Jadehall was silent for a moment, then said, "I'm a Daoist. I won't join your Cult of the Heavenly Saint."
Quinn burst out laughing, clapped him hard on the shoulder, and said sincerely, "Friend, I'm asking you to come to Everpeace! You're talented and capable—the Cult of the Heavenly Saint can't contain you, nor does it have a place for your skills. Only Everpeace has a platform like that. If you agree, I'll write you a recommendation letter. Go see the Imperial Preceptor; he'll surely value you! Think about all you've learned and understood, think about your ambitions! Are you content to just inherit Azurecloud Sect Master's position, or do you want to carve out your own career and world?"
At last, Jaden Jadehall made up his mind, bowed, and said, "I would be honored to receive Cult Master Quinn's letter!"
Quinn immediately took out paper and pen and wrote the letter.
Jaden Jadehall accepted the letter and smiled, "Then I'll go see the Everpeace Imperial Preceptor. If I can impress him with my own ability, I won't present your recommendation. If I can't, then I will."
Quinn was taken aback.
Jaden Jadehall laughed heartily, bid him farewell, and drifted away.
"This Jaden Jadehall may be young, but he's already an old hand at the game."
Grandpa Blind's injuries were mostly healed. He grabbed the Dragon Reaver God-Spear in his hand, grinning, "Shepherd, it's been ages since we've sparred. I don't even know how far your cultivation has come now. Since we're reunited, why not have a match?"
Quinn's expression changed slightly.
The explosive clash of divine arts echoed through the air. Dragon‑Qilin, the water kirin, and Heaven‑Guide Venerable looked up to see the two figures battling high above, then crashing to the ground, only to leap atop two distant mountain peaks and resume their fight, waging war across the mountains.
Heaven‑Guide Venerable asked anxiously, "Will my brother be alright?"
"He'll be fine. The Cult Master is used to getting beaten up."
Suddenly, Dragon‑Qilin rose onto his hind legs, transforming into a robust youth with a qilin head and dragon whiskers. He began cultivating, tempering his body and refining his Primordial Spirit. His qilin pearl and dragon pearl spun around him, radiating beams of light. The two treasures drew in heaven and earth vitality, purified it, then fed it back to nourish his flesh and spirit.
He had refined both treasures until they gleamed, each containing immense power.
Dragon‑Qilin's Primordial Spirit stood atop a roaring Celestial River, inhaling and exhaling clouds. As his spirit breathed, the pearls outside his body also expanded and contracted in rhythm, growing and shrinking with each breath.
The water kirin was startled. "Fatty, when did you learn to transform? You even opened the Celestial River Treasury! When did that happen?"
The qilin‑headed youth grinned with pride. "You only see me shamelessly tagging along after the Cult Master for a free meal, but you have no idea how hard I work. Back in Earth Mother’s underground palace, I flattered all her powerful retainers—every one of them at Jade Capital or High Heaven Hall Stage—and they helped me merge the Ancestral Dragon Supreme‑Mystic Art with the qilin clan’s techniques. That’s when I gained the power to transform."
The water kirin was stunned.
Dragon‑Qilin continued, "Once I learned to transform, I started opening one Divine Treasury after another. Like they say, ‘the pavilion closest to the water gets the moon first’—by sticking close to the Cult Master, I watched him pioneer twenty‑six variants of the Seventh Divine Treasury. Even if I were slow, I’d have learned something. So I trained in secret, and while you were busy begging your master for pills at the Celestial River, I used its power to open my own Celestial River Treasury."
The water kirin was left speechless, mouth agape.
"Do you know why the Cult Master values me more and more?"
Dragon‑Qilin kept cultivating as he spoke: "It’s because I’m strong enough! Spirit pills aren’t just tasty treats—they’re also useful for currying favor with other powerful beings. For example, when I met Demon Lord Luther, Ethan Cloud’s terrifying donkey demon, I offered him spirit pills, and he gave me pointers on divine arts. When I met Sam Oxley, Old Farmer’s ox‑spirit, I did the same—shared spirit pills, smoked waterpipe together, and got martial guidance in return. I’ve also courted Felix Fisher’s red kun‑fish and the Black Tiger God, and they’ve all taught me things."
The water kirin stared, utterly in awe.
"And there are even more experts around the Cult Master. Whenever he talks Dao with them, if you just pay attention and listen, you can secretly learn countless exquisite divine arts and techniques."
Dragon‑Qilin laughed, "For example, on the road, when Grandpa Blind taught your master and the Cult Master about formations, you could have picked up hundreds of powerful killing arrays! Did you learn any?"
The water kirin shook his head in confusion.
Dragon‑Qilin sighed, disappointed. He spat out a glittering scroll and said, "This is the scripture I created. Take it and study—don’t embarrass the qilin race."
The water kirin hastily took human form, growing to over ten zhang tall, letting Heaven‑Guide Venerable sit on his shoulder. He cradled the How to Raise Your Human manual and studied it intently, finding each word as precious as a pearl—utterly profound and mysterious.
Heaven‑Guide Venerable tried to sneak a peek, but the water kirin quickly covered the scroll and grinned, "Old master, this is a mount’s scripture. You can’t cultivate it."
Not long after, Grandpa Blind returned, brimming with satisfaction. Dragon‑Qilin looked up to see Quinn Shepherd dangling limply from the tip of the Dragon Reaver God‑Spear, head drooping as he swayed in the wind.
"Ha! Grandpa Blind’s skill is still superior!" The water kirin quickly hid the How to Raise Your Human manual and exclaimed in admiration.
Quinn glared at him weakly and said, "Tonight we’re having a full‑kirin banquet."
The water kirin shrank his head in terror, thinking, "This How to Raise Your Human manual is unfathomably deep. I haven’t mastered it yet, so I’d better not use it for now—otherwise, I might end up getting roasted instead of raising anyone."