Breaking the Precept

A vast, enigmatic nebula filled her sight.

Ever since Jian Xiaolou was sucked into the second gourd, she had been floating in an endless ocean of stars. Based on her earlier research, this was likely the small spiritual vortex inside the gourd's belly. From the outside, it appeared no bigger than a bottle cap; yet, from within, it seemed like an entire boundless universe.

Jian Xiaolou lay atop a floating mass of material, drifting aimlessly. There was no sunrise or sunset here, but she had a vague sense that a long time had passed. Surprisingly, she felt no discomfort, indicating the second gourd didn't refine people but merely confined their souls.

Was this ability to imprison souls the second gourd's true power? And how did it relate to halting Bai Lixi's Heavenly Decay? More pressingly, how could she escape? She was deeply worried about her long-legged companion but could only stew in frustration as she continued to drift.

As she floated, a glowing white form suddenly appeared in her line of sight.

Jian Xiaolou wasn't startled; odd things often popped up in this starry sea. But this glowing entity moved at an incredible speed, growing larger as it approached. Its contours became clearer, and she stared in shock—it wasn't a ball of light but a massive, hundred-foot-long white dragon!

It was the first time in her life she had seen a living dragon.

The dragon slithered through the nebulous clouds above her, its massive form blotting out the "sky" and weighing heavily on her senses. Just as the oppressive aura seemed unbearable, the dragon paused mid-flight, twisting its massive body. Its head descended, and golden eyes stared directly at her.

In the dragon's golden pupils, she saw her reflection.

Then a familiar, raspy voice echoed in her mind, "Xiaolou?"

Jian Xiaolou's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Senior Ye?!"

The dragon, Ye You, scrutinized her with a faintly puzzled expression. "Why are you here?"

She quickly explained, "A red-furred beast ambushed me, stole the second gourd, and used it to trap my soul."

"Second gourd?" Ye You mused. "You said it lacked any special abilities. I sealed the big and small gourds before stealing the second, only to be trapped by it on my way out."

"Even you were captured?"

Ye You nodded. "A dragon's soul is far harder to separate from its body than a human's."

Jian Xiaolou nodded thoughtfully. "So, the second gourd doesn't just trap souls..."

"But how did we meet here if we were taken by different second gourds?"

That was a question Jian Xiaolou couldn't answer. With a resigned shrug, she asked, "Senior, could you shrink a little? My neck is about to break from looking up at you."

Ye You chuckled softly and emitted a burst of white light. His enormous form shrank into a human figure that landed beside her. "Is this better?"

Relieved of the oppressive dragon's aura, Jian Xiaolou smiled... and then froze.

Silver hair, golden eyes, skin white as snow—Ye You's human form was breathtakingly beautiful.

Jian Xiaolou touched the lotus mark on her forehead. She had always thought herself quite pretty, especially since the lotus imprint replaced her old red blemish, but standing beside Ye You, she felt oddly self-conscious.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"You look... different than I imagined."

Ye You raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

She would never admit she had envisioned him as a gruff, unkempt old man. Changing the subject quickly, she asked, "Senior, have you found a way out? I can't stay here forever—I still have unfinished business."

Ye You pondered for a moment. "Originally, no. But now that you're here, I suspect this might be a static domain."

"What does that mean?"

"Hmm... to be honest, I'm not entirely sure," he admitted, waving his hand. "Give me a moment to check."

Ye You closed his eyes briefly, and a flash of light erupted from his forehead. Thousands of tiny booklets materialized, spinning around him in a circle. With a flick of his finger, he wrote the term "static domain" in the air. The books began flipping through their pages at lightning speed, a whirlwind of parchment and light.

Jian Xiaolou gawked at the display.

When they had communicated through the six-star bone shard, she often heard the sound of flipping pages. Foolishly, she had imagined him sitting at a desk, flipping through physical books. Now she realized how naïve she'd been—this collection of booklets was clearly an artifact of immense power.

Finally, Ye You pointed at the golden text that appeared. "Look."

She glanced at the lines of dense characters, only to shake her head. "I don't understand a word."

"I barely grasp it myself," Ye You admitted, wiping the text away and continuing his search. After a moment, he snapped his fingers. "Got it!"

Jian Xiaolou leaned over eagerly.

The solution seemed simple: the static domain had boundaries, and as long as they kept flying in one direction, they would eventually escape.

"Seems straightforward," Jian Xiaolou remarked, though doubt lingered. "But how big is this place?"

Ye You sighed. "Should've brought Suhe along... Let's try anyway." Transforming back into a smaller dragon, he motioned for her to climb on.

"What are you doing?"

"Flying," she replied.

"Hop on. Didn't you dream of riding a dragon to conquer the world? I can at least fulfill the dragon-riding part."

Jian Xiaolou's eyes sparkled with excitement. Without hesitation, she jumped onto his back.

"Hold on tight," Ye You advised. "If we encounter turbulence, grab my horns."

As they flew, she marveled at her surreal situation. "Senior, how did you recognize me?"

Ye You explained, "Your soul carries traces of both phoenix and dragon energy, but you're undoubtedly human. Who else could you be?"

Jian Xiaolou frowned, puzzled. The phoenix aura came from the Red Lotus Buddha Treasure, but where had the dragon energy come from?

"Maybe the six-star bone shard?"

"Likely the reverse scale."

She suddenly recalled the dragon scale she had found on the Mountain of Imprisoned Dragons. It contained the final memories of a dying white dragon.

Ye You murmured, "Odd... A dragon only has one reverse scale, which guards its heart. Removing it is fatal. Leaving behind such a message—was it truly necessary?"

"Hmm?"

"Never mind."

Before she could press further, an explosion erupted ahead of them, a blazing fireball tearing through the nebula.

A cold, commanding voice descended. "Who dares disturb my domain? A little white dragon? Shouldn't you be cultivating in Xisu? What gives you the audacity to steal my gourd?"

Jian Xiaolou's heart sank. The speaker was the twenty-tier phoenix, Jin Yu!