Chapter 71 Golden Eyes 2: Transformation?
"What does this mean? I don't quite understand."
Yunxi crossed her arms and looked at the two people sitting and standing in front of her, her tone puzzled.
Inside the small house, Xu Xing sat at the table, while Shen Du stood quietly beside her, his presence felt strong despite not uttering a word.
Tired of the pretense, Xu Xing decided to cut to the chase: "Why have you been following me all this way?"
Yunlan glanced cautiously at His Highness and her own boss. The king only said that they didn't need to tell the princess her identity, but he didn't tell them to hide it when His Highness asked!
Yunxi calmly explained, "We are both from the snake clan, so we should help each other. Besides, we did come to Shuiyun Immortal Capital on business. It's for the cooperation between the snake clan and Shuiyun Immortal Capital, not because we were following you on purpose."
Xu Xing adjusted his posture, rested his chin on his hand, and said leisurely, "Then... what does 'Your Highness' mean? When you burst in that day, were you calling for me or Qianqian?"
"If it wasn't me, then it must be Qianqian? If you're unwilling to tell me, I'll have to ask Qianqian. I'm sure the Jiaolong clan is also well aware of the Snake clan's affairs."
Yunxi's eyes flickered. Seeing that Xu Xing seemed determined not to give up until she told the truth, she glanced at Chen Du several times. She knew that His Highness trusted this sword cultivator very much, and it was impossible for him to ask her to leave in this situation.
This matter couldn't be kept secret sooner or later, after all, His Highness had reached the stage of molting. Yunxi hesitated for a long time before finally making up her mind, since the King had not strictly forbidden them from revealing this matter.
She knelt on one knee and said respectfully, "Since Your Highness has already noticed, your subordinate dares not hide it any longer. We have been following you all this way to protect you. You are the only daughter of the Snake King, the only princess of the Snake Clan!"
"..."
Xu Xing was already doubting whether he was actually a member of the snake clan, but then Yunxi said she was a princess of the snake clan? How could that be?!
"Wait, we don't seem to have had much contact. How did you determine my identity? Just because I'm also a snake?" Xu Xing hadn't forgotten that she had been taking the Illusion Pill and had almost never revealed her true appearance in the demon realm.
Yunxi said with certainty, "You are a white snake. Among the snake clan, only the snake king Shengqing is a white snake. You have silver-white snake scales, and there is no doubt that you are of the snake king's bloodline."
"Your Highness, you have suffered so much these years. I will protect you from now on!"
Having held it in for so long, Yunxi was finally able to tell the truth. Her expression was slightly excited, while Yunlan was even more energized, declaring with high spirits, "We swear to protect Your Highness to the death!"
Xu Xing was momentarily at a loss. How could she be a princess? She subconsciously looked at Chen Du and saw that her senior brother was calm and did not seem surprised. She felt a little relieved. After thinking for a while, she took the antidote and removed the effects of the Illusion Pill.
A moment later, Xu Xing looked directly at Yunxi with his golden eyes, "What if I had eyes like these? Would a half-demon also be your princess?"
Shen Du silently looked at Xu Xing. For some reason, he felt that her eyes were brighter than when they first met. Could it be the effect of the so-called Scale-Changing Period?
Yunxi took a deep breath, her pupils contracting. She knew His Highness had always disguised himself, but she never expected that His Highness's eyes were actually golden! How could this be? Although half-demons would reveal some demonic features, the Snake King did not have golden eyes, or rather, not a single snake in the entire snake clan had golden eyes!
She had already secretly transmitted the aura of Xu Xing she had captured back to the Golden Serpent Palace and received a message from the Serpent King. Even if she might have made a mistake, surely the King wouldn't mistake his own daughter?! But what's wrong with these eyes?
Yunxi suddenly remembered that when Wang sent a message, he asked if there was anything unusual about Xu Xing. At the time, she didn't understand what he meant and didn't say anything. Could it be that Wang meant these strange golden eyes?
Yunxi's heart was filled with shock, but she remained calm on the surface. "No wonder Your Highness has almost no demonic aura. It turns out that your father was human. With a special half-demon physique, anything is possible. Rest assured, you are definitely the only bloodline of the King, and your position is unshakeable. After returning to the Snake Clan, you will be the Snake Clan Princess, second only to the King."
Xu Xing slowly processed this information. So she really was Doctor Xu and the Snake King's child? How could Doctor Xu, a mere mortal, be with such a powerful demon? Did the Snake King know that Doctor Xu had been dead for many years? And why hadn't he come back to find him?
Thinking this, Xu Xing tentatively asked, "Then does the Snake King... I mean, does Mother know about my father?"
“Your Highness, you can ask the Snake King about these things when you return to the Golden Snake Palace.” Yunxi’s eyes flickered when she thought of the hundreds of handsome male concubines around the Snake King. She guessed and guessed, but she could not guess that Xu Xing’s biological father was a human. She was afraid that the human had never been to the Golden Snake Palace. But the Snake King’s romantic affairs were not something that people of their status could talk about.
Yunxi wisely refrained from saying much, but offered a reminder: "Back then, you were taken away because of the betrayal of the Jiaolong Clan. However, the Jiaolong Clan colluded with the Demon Clan and ultimately paid the price, now being expelled from the Demon Realm. Although I don't know why that Jiaolong Clan member named Qianqian is here, it's best if you don't tell her your true identity."
Xu Xing frowned slightly. This was strange. She was clearly brought back from the mountains by Doctor Xu, but Yunxi said that the Jiao Clan took her out of the Golden Serpent Palace. This was absolutely unreasonable.
Since the Jiaolong clan dared to infiltrate the palace and steal the snake clan princess, why didn't they just kill her or take her to a secluded place to gain greater benefits? Instead, they just casually abandoned her in a mountain and let her be picked up by mortals.
No, there must be some hidden story. Xu Xing wanted to ask, but she guessed that Yunxi probably didn't know this secret either, so she decided that she would definitely visit the snake king, her "mother," when she went to the snake clan in the future.
Yunxi, worried that Xu Xing might harbor resentment, explained, "I didn't mean to hide it. It's just that you are involved with the Guixu Secret Realm, and we were worried that it would cause you trouble. That's why we planned to welcome you back to the palace after the Guixu Secret Realm matter was resolved."
Xu Xing's brow twitched, and he asked blankly, "The Ruins of Return? Do you have a way to get in?"
Yunxi said softly, "Your Highness need not hide it from me. I will never reveal that you have the key."
Xu Xing was speechless. How did Yunxi even know that she had the key to the Guixu Secret Realm?
It wasn't that she didn't believe Yunxi's words, but the Guixu Secret Realm involved too many things and was now attracting attention from many parties. She was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, and possessing such a treasure would be a crime. Besides, it was still unknown whether the snowflake crystal was actually the key.
Finally, Shen Du spoke up, "Does that Deer Clan Junior Priest know Xu Xing's identity?"
"I know. One of his purposes in exploring the Ruins was to help us find His Highness."
"So, it was Xu Xing who told you that he might have the key to the Guixu Secret Realm."
Shen Du's words were not a question, and Yunxi asked in surprise, "How did you know?!"
Shen Du remained expressionless, yet every word he uttered hit the nail on the head: "Why is the Deer Clan's High Priest so concerned about the Snake Clan's Princess?"
Yunxi blurted out the truth, "Back then, the King and the High Priest of the Deer Clan arranged a marriage between the Junior High Priest and the Princess. He was in the position of fiancé, so it was only right for him to do his part for the Snake Clan."
What? Arranged marriages still exist in the cultivation world?! Xu Xing exclaimed in shock, "Fiancé?!"
Shen Du frowned. Tian Li was Xu Xing's fiancé? He looked down at Xu Xing and saw her resistant expression. Although he was still displeased, his heart, which had been furrowed in an instant, relaxed a little.
She certainly didn't want to.
Yunxi hurriedly said, "Your Highness need not worry. If you do not like him, the King will certainly not force you!" She also secretly tried to sow discord between Tianli and others, "Besides, Tianli is said to be knowledgeable about Yin and Yang, and he is always a bit eccentric and extremely boring. Your Highness need not pay any attention to him."
Xu Xing sighed, relieved that Tian Li had already left, otherwise she really wouldn't know how to face him. What a mess this was! For a moment, even her doubts about her own identity faded a little.
"Let's not talk about that for now. Do you guys know how to transform? The other day I tried to imitate Yunlan's transformation back to her original form, but I failed. Is there some trick I don't know?"
Yunlan suddenly realized, his cheeks instantly turning bright red. So His Highness wanted to learn how to transform, which was why he kept making him transform. He had thought...
"This..." Yunxi thought for a moment and said with guilt, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, there are few half-demons among the snake clan, and I don't know how a half-demon transforms."
Yunlan looked up and glanced at Yunxi with a puzzled expression. A half-demon who could transform back into their original form was no different from them. Why didn't the boss say so?
Yunxi remained unfazed. “Why don’t you come back to the Snake Clan with us and have the clan’s shaman treat you? Besides, your eighteenth birthday is approaching, so it’s time to celebrate.”
Eighteenth birthday?
Shen Du's expression shifted. For cultivators with long lifespans, birthdays are not important, but eighteen, a day that represents adulthood, is still somewhat different.
Yunxi continued to persuade, "Young dragons have a molting period, and so do snakes. If you can spend this period in the snake territory where demon spirits are abundant, it will also be good for your health."
Xu Xing then understood why Yunxi had asked her when she was born that day. She had mentioned her birthday in her previous life, which Yunxi was not surprised by. Therefore, the Snake Clan princess must have been born on October 10th. Could it really be her?
Too many coincidences led Xu Xing to begin to believe that his body might truly be the child of the Snake King and Doctor Xu, but many mysteries remained to be solved...
"You all go back first, let me think about it some more..."
After leaving behind many magical artifacts containing demon spirits, Yunxi left Xu Xing's room with Yunlan. Seeing the prince's hesitant expression, Yunxi knew that she probably wouldn't return to the snake clan so soon.
As soon as the door closed, Yunxi's expression turned serious. She frowned in thought, her aura intimidating Yunlan, who darted around in surprise before finally asking, "Boss, we've finally reunited with Her Highness the Princess, why aren't you happy?"
"This stupid snake!" Yunxi said in a deep voice, "Have you ever seen a snake with golden eyes?"
"Of course I've never seen one!" Yunlan said matter-of-factly. "So what? Maybe half-demons are just different from us."
"Besides, the capital has confirmed her identity, so what does it matter whether His Highness's eyes are black or gold?"
"Of course I don't doubt His Highness's identity!" Yunxi kicked him angrily. "Forget it, I can't explain it to you. Just remember, don't mention His Highness's eyes to anyone. Also, don't talk to His Highness about turning back into his original form again."
All she knew was that there was a type of demon race whose eyes were a brilliant, sun-like gold, as if looking at them for too long would burn you. That demon race had long been devoured by the greed of other races and had become extinct many years ago.
Clearing her mind of all distracting thoughts, Yunxi took a deep breath. No, Xu Xing must be a princess of the snake clan; there's no way he could have any connection with that kind of being!
"I don't have that kind of free time..." Yunlan muttered softly, "But those golden eyes are really handsome, they look very dignified, which doesn't quite match His Highness's personality. I wish I had golden eyes too..."
Yunlan couldn't help but start daydreaming. If his black snake body were paired with golden pupils, he would surely look incredibly majestic and imposing! Little did he know that Yunxi was looking at him as if he were an idiot.
Speechless, Yunxi looked up at the sky and couldn't help but wonder if she had been blinded by greed when she decided to bring Yunlan, this stubborn guy, along...
After Yunxi and Yunlan left, Xu Xing's body instantly relaxed. She slumped onto the table and sighed, "Senior brother, what are we going to do?"
"The Snake King, the Princess, the Guixu Secret Realm... So many things have happened lately, it's really worrying... How about we sneak back to the Jade Cloud Sect? But we haven't been to the Guixu Secret Realm yet... So many people are watching the secret realm, what if they come to steal our things? Ugh, I really don't know what to do..."
She rambled on and on, and after looking at her for a while, Chen Du suddenly asked, "What do you think of Tian Li?"
"Tian Li? Why bring him up?" Xu Xing looked puzzled, then suddenly realized, "Hahaha, Senior Brother, you don't really think I'll become his Daoist partner, do you?"
"How could that be? We're not even acquainted. Whether I'm a princess of the snake clan or not, I have nothing to do with Tian Li!"
Shen Du said softly, "Yes, you are still young, there is no need to rush to find a Daoist partner."
Having received a satisfactory answer, he smoothly steered the conversation back to the matter that Xu Xing had been worried about earlier, "As for the matter of the Snake Clan Princess... if you want to go to the Snake Clan to verify it, I will naturally accompany you."
After hearing what Chen Du said, Xu Xing became even less willing to go. Was this a case of feeling apprehensive about returning home?
After hesitating for a long time, she finally decided, "Forget it, I should take care of Senior Fu Shuang's matter first! Tomorrow I will go find Fellow Daoist Mei and Qianqian and take them to find an opportunity to enter the secret realm."
"So fast?" Shen Du was taken aback. "But your birthday..."
“I’ve never cared about this, but Qianqian’s birthday is coming up soon. I’m sure the fellow Daoists on Lanze Island will want to celebrate for her. Let’s talk about it in a few days.”
Xu Xing made the decision on a whim, and now she remembered that the Xuan Yue Sword had not been repaired yet, so she really shouldn't be in a hurry.
Over the next few days, Xu Xing frequently saw the disciples of Lanze Island coming and going, busy with their tasks. Although they deliberately avoided him, Xu Xing guessed that they hadn't forgotten his share when preparing birthday gifts for Qianqian. Pretending to know nothing about it, after finishing refining all the poison-dissolving pills, she went straight into the weapon-refining room to begin repairing the Xuan Yue Sword.
Upon discovering that Xu Xing was indeed skilled in weapon crafting, and that his weapon crafting level was at the third rank, just like his alchemy level, Qing Ya Zi wisely advised the group of young weapon crafters not to go and watch Xu Xing craft weapons.
After all, a blow to one's confidence is a minor matter, but it's not good if it causes one's mindset to waver!
Xu Xing bought a lot of materials in Luocang City and Shuiyunxian. Worried that she wouldn't have enough spiritual energy, she specially refined several spirit-storing beads beforehand to store a large amount of spiritual energy in case of emergency.
Strangely enough, with her Foundation Establishment stage cultivation, it would be impossible for her to draw upon so much spiritual energy. However, ever since she took the pills given to her by Wei Shengyue in the Exploration Realm, she has become increasingly adept at drawing upon the surrounding spiritual energy for her own use.
Once again, Xu Xing thanked Wei Shengyue in his heart. He then used the blazing flames in the Fire Focusing Bottle to refine the spider silk of the Red Brocade Spider. After refining the silk and removing its toxicity, he attached it to the sword embryo along with the Xuanwu Essence Crystal and continued refining it.
The flames were extremely fierce, and Xu Xing had to mobilize more and more spiritual power to tame them. The intense heat caused her forehead to bead with sweat. As she repeatedly overdrawn and replenished her spiritual power, she did not notice that her pupils shone even brighter in the firelight, brighter than the flames themselves.
"It's finally fixed!"
Xu Xing picked up the still-warm Xuan Yue sword and examined it closely. The jet-black blade was very smooth, the edge was sharp, and the moonstone on the hilt shone brightly, with a faint red light visible in the flowing light.
Remembering how intelligent the Xuan Yue Sword seemed when he first saw it, Xu Xing gently flicked the blade and said nostalgically, "Long time no see."
The Xuan Yue Sword trembled slightly, emitting a low hum, as if in response.
Xu Xing sheathed her sword, but her body swayed slightly. She clutched her throbbing forehead, guessing that she had overused her spiritual energy, which had caused her exhaustion. She leaned against the forging table to recover, but the dizziness and blurred vision not only did not improve, but became even more severe. In the end, her trembling hands could barely hold the hilt of the sword.
"ah--"
It hurt so much! The burning pain in her pupils made Xu Xing sweat profusely. She could no longer bear it. She hurriedly took out the communication stone, wanting to ask her senior brother for help, but the next moment, when she saw her arm, she suddenly stopped.
With a clang, the Xuan Yue Sword and the sound transmission bead fell to the ground simultaneously...
"Tomorrow is Qianqian's birthday. If Fellow Daoist Shen is available, please attend with Fellow Daoist Xu. At that time..."
Qianqian and Xu Xing are so destined to be together, their birthdays are only one day apart. Upon learning this, Mei Ze instructed his disciples to prepare birthday gifts for both of them, planning to celebrate for two days on the island. Therefore, Mei Zihan sought out Shen Du, who was practicing swordsmanship on the west side of Lanze Island, and told him about it.
"Zheng—"
However, before Mei Zihan could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a sudden whooshing sound. A jet-black longsword sped from a distance and came to a steady stop in front of the two of them.
“Xuan Yue?” A smile appeared in Shen Du’s eyes. “She really did fix you.”
The Xuan Yue Sword dodged Chen Du's hand, its blade swaying twice in the air, vibrating continuously, as if it were in a hurry.
"Fellow Daoist Shen's sword is quite spiritual."
Mei Zihan gave a compliment, but then saw Shen Du's face instantly turn cold, and he asked urgently, "Where is she?!"
What's going on? Mei Zihan was surprised and puzzled. The next moment, he saw the Xuan Yue Sword fly in a certain direction, and Chen Du followed closely behind. In the blink of an eye, the two disappeared from the spot.
Oh no! Could it be that something has happened to Fellow Daoist Xu?
Mei Zihan reacted quickly, hurriedly said a few words with the sound transmission bead, and then flew on his sword to catch up with Shen Du. However, Shen Du's speed was too fast. Fortunately, Mei Zihan knew that Xu Xing had been in the weapon refining room for the past few days, so he flew straight to the weapon island.
On a deserted island near Qi Island, Xu Xing stumbled and ran into the dense forest.
As the changes in her body occurred, Xu Xing sensed something was wrong and used her last bit of strength to force herself out of the weapon-refining room. After hiding on the deserted island, the burning sensation in her eyes continued to torment her. Soon, the intense pain spread from her eyes to her forehead, as if something incredibly hard had burst out of her body.
Xu Xing was covered in sweat. She forced her eyes open and slowly brought the water mirror to her eyes...
The next moment, she clearly saw that her face in the mirror was covered with mottled scales, and the skin exposed through the gaps was a deep red color as if it had been burned. Moreover, a pair of particularly ferocious and terrifying long horns had grown on the top of her head!
"No! Monster! This isn't me!"
Xu Xing threw the water mirror far away, retreated in terror, and slammed her back against the tree trunk. Her golden eyes filled with tears, and she murmured repeatedly, "This is not me."
"Ouch!" Xu Xing groaned, clutching her eyes tightly. Her body rolled on the ground, and golden spiritual light leaked from between her fingers. Every inch of her exposed skin began to itch, and with the slightest movement, countless scales fell to the ground.
"ah--"
Suddenly, a piercing whistling sound rang out from the deserted island. Birds in the forest were startled and took flight, while beasts fled in panic. However, an invisible barrier formed a thick fog that enveloped the entire island, preventing any sound from escaping. Shui Yunxian and no one else noticed the deserted island that had suddenly vanished.
Legend has it that a dragon's roar can make all demons bow down and all beasts submit.
In her hazy state, Xu Xing fell into a cold embrace. Through her blurred vision, she saw a pair of eyes covered by a white veil. "Don't be afraid."
The next moment, she completely lost consciousness.
Fu Shuang held Xu Xing in her arms, gently stroking the horns that were clearly not of the snake race. A trace of icy spiritual energy seeped from her palm, causing the strange horns, which resembled a dragon but were not, to slowly retract.
She raised her head, her gaze piercing through the dense forest to the figure of a woman who had suddenly appeared in the distance. The shadows of the leaves fell on the woman's face, revealing a stunningly beautiful face in the intermittent light and shadow.
Upon closer inspection, one can see that this face bears a striking resemblance to Xu Xing's eyebrows and eyes.
Fu Shuang's cool voice rang out calmly, "Sheng Qing, having witnessed her suffer such pain, do you regret it?"
"No."
Sheng Qing slowly approached, leaned down, and gently touched Xu Xing's burning cheek. "Because... this is the meaning of her birth."
"you……"
"What does this mean?" Xu Xing opened his eyes groggily, the golden light in them seeming to flow out. "Senior Fu Shuang, what are you doing here? I think I just saw myself grow horns?"
"So it was just a dream!" Xu Xing lay back down, relieved, and closed his eyes. He figured a good night's sleep would make the pain go away.
"..." Sheng Qing's expression was complicated. "Is she asleep?"
"Hmm." Fu Shuang gently touched Xu Xing's forehead, smoothing out her furrowed brows. "Her growth has exceeded our expectations. Perhaps she can break all of this."
Sheng Qing raised his hand and sent a wisp of spiritual light into Xu Xing's body. Soon, the strange, mottled scales disappeared. "It was indeed unexpected. I always thought she would be an idiot, but I didn't expect that she would not only grow up safely, but also have a talent for alchemy and weapon crafting that is rare even in ten thousand years. Even Wei Sheng Yue..."
Mentioning Wei Shengyue, Fu Shuang's already indifferent expression turned even colder, and Sheng Qing wisely stopped talking.
"I heard you want to take her as your apprentice?" Sheng Qing raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Then you'd better act quickly. She's still too weak. If those things find out, I won't be able to protect her. She has to become strong on her own."
"No need for you to worry. Since you don't want her, she will be my apprentice from now on."
"Xu Xing! Junior Sister!"
"Fellow Daoist Xu!"
In the distance, a few calls could be faintly heard. Sheng Qing suddenly said, "The sword cultivator next to her has the aura of the Erosion Abyss. You shouldn't let them be together."
“You’re meddling too much,” Fu Shuang said coldly. “Now that she has her own consciousness, she can no longer be treated as a puppet… You should go back to the Golden Serpent Palace.”
...
Shen Du rushed into the weapon-refining room and saw only a sound transmission bead and a few pieces of weapon-refining materials lying on the ground. Xu Xing was nowhere to be found. He followed the familiar scent to search for her, but he couldn't find the direction no matter what. It seemed that her scent was everywhere, but there was no trace of her anywhere.
After searching for a long time, Chen Du suddenly stared at a small island shrouded in mist next to Qi Island and asked Mei Zihan, "Is that island always shrouded in mist?"
"It seems not?" Mei Zihan had no recollection of it, but then he saw Shen Du take off on his sword and rush straight into the deserted island, where he was instantly swallowed up by the thick fog.
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Author's Note: Hehehe, I successfully coaxed a lot of little cuties to give me nutrient solution! [Sprinkling flowers] I will continue to work hard to update more chapters!
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