Chapter 289 - 288: Planning Ahead

In the courtyard.

The Golden Dragon Illusion was majestic and grand.

Clouds and mist swirled as Qin Yang’s figure shifted, appearing both draconic and human. As his Dharma Aspect manifested externally, golden scales rippled and overlapped on his neck.

A vast Dragon Mighty surged.

The Dharma Aspect he envisioned in his mind was being completed, bit by bit, down to the finest detail.

Flesh, blood, scales, and horns—the more meticulously and vividly the Dharma Aspect was visualized, the better the final result would be.

What was visualized in the mind and manifested in physical form—that was a Celestial Venerable Dharma Aspect.

And there were three thousand such Celestial Venerable Dharma Aspects.

The Law of Heaven and Earth, like the one Meng Tianxuan possessed,

was ultimately just one among them.

After circulating his energy for several Grand Circulations, Qin Yang finally retracted his aura, opened his eyes in satisfaction, and withdrew from the Enlightenment Space.

"Not bad, not bad at all."

As the True Dragon Dharma Aspect subsided, the frenzied aura within the courtyard settled down.

’I’ve more than hit my quota for today’s enlightenment!’

’That’s enough for now.’

Qin Yang stroked his chin in thought.

’Now that I have a Dharma Aspect, I’m not worried about Meng Tianxuan making a move on me.’

’I’m more concerned about the safety of the people around me.’

’After all.’

’A guy like Meng Tianxuan is a classic, sanctimonious hypocrite. If I really had to face him, I wouldn’t be too worried. I could run, fight, or even self-destruct—handling him wouldn’t be a problem.’

’I’m not scared of him at all!’

’The problem is Li Zixuan and Xia He... they’re a different story.’

’Their cultivation hasn’t progressed that far. They’re still a long way from the Grandmaster Realm and lack proper methods of self-protection. If Meng Tianxuan really decided to act, I can’t be there to save the day every single time, can I?’

’Tsk, I have to prepare for the worst... Looks like I need to make some arrangements.’

Thinking of this, Qin Yang took out his phone and opened his contacts.

...

...

The first light of dawn broke, a purple qi rising in the east. Not long after Qin Yang sent the message, Li Zixuan and Li Qinghe showed up at his door. Xia He was with them, still in his police uniform and straddling a large police motorcycle.

When the three of them arrived, they found Qin Yang waiting outside the courtyard gate.

He was holding a steaming hot soup dumpling. As the morning breeze blew gently, he stood there with soy milk in his left hand and a soup dumpling in his right, looking as comfortable as could be.

"Old Qin, why’d you call us bros over so early in the morning?"

Xia He rubbed his drowsy eyes and let out a tired yawn, his dark circles heavy. "I messaged you yesterday, but you never replied. And now you’re calling us over this early..."

"It’s nothing major."

Qin Yang mumbled around a soup dumpling, "Things have been a little tense in Jianghai City lately. I’m planning to arrange some special training for you guys to boost your strength a bit..."

As he finished speaking,

"Special training?"

Hearing this, the three of them were stunned.

Special training, of all things?

This was a rare event indeed!

"Master, what’s going on?"

Li Qinghe brushed her short bangs aside and pouted. "I’m usually the one begging you for special training, but you’d rather die than agree."

As she spoke,

she turned her head to look east. "The sun didn’t rise in the west today, did it?"

"Did something happen, Senior Brother?"

Li Zixuan frowned at the scene and stepped forward worriedly. "You’ve never organized a big training session like this before. At most, you’d give us some private lessons..."

While she was speaking,

the three of them had already gathered around him.

Their faces were etched with worry.

"Ahem. Things have been a bit... unsettled recently."

Unfazed, Qin Yang coughed twice, put on a profound expression, and switched into his well-practiced bullshit mode:

"Last night, after meeting with Meng Tianxuan, I was on my way back to the complex when the Gang Leader sent me a message. He said that while observing the stars, he noticed an ominous planet hanging high in the sky.

He fears it’s a sign of turmoil and change, and that a great crisis is coming to Jianghai City... So I thought about it all night, and I just couldn’t stop worrying about you all. That’s why I decided to boost your strength by a *billion* points."

As his words fell,

a sudden silence descended.

Li Zixuan and Xia He looked at each other.

A great crisis!?

Jianghai City is going to be thrown into chaos again?

"Wait, bro..."

Xia He was the first to panic. Of the three of them, his cultivation was the lowest; he’d been at it for over half a month and still hadn’t even crossed the Innate Threshold.

’If a real fight breaks out...’

’I’m a dead man!’

"Old Qin, I... I... I’ll be the first to sign up!"

Xia He scratched his head. "But after I start, don’t I need to report it to the Police Chief? Otherwise, what if the Commander asks about me later? What about my pay and performance review...?"

"That’s a minor issue, don’t worry about it."

Qin Yang shook his head and said calmly, "Just stay here for the next few days. I’ll personally handle things on the outside. You don’t need to worry about anything but your cultivation."

With that,

he walked to the courtyard gate and unlatched it.

The next moment,

a dazzling array of objects came into view.

There were training dummies, weapon racks, and various talismans posted everywhere. The corners of the courtyard were filled with Star Stones, their Array Patterns humming as they gathered the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi into this very spot.

The air was clear and refreshing, warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It was practically a grotto-heaven.

All custom-made by hand.

"Holy crap, Old Qin is serious?"

Xia He stepped into the courtyard, his jaw dropping at the sight. A quick glance was all it took for the scene to leave him completely stunned.

"This is amazing!"

Li Qinghe, with her hands behind her back, excitedly took small steps into the courtyard, looking around at the setup. "Master, your Artifact Refining skills are really something else."

She lifted the arm of a training dummy and remarked in awe, "It looks like there’s even an Array engraved inside, right?"

"As expected of you, Senior Brother!"

Li Zixuan was in a daze. Looking at the scene in the courtyard, she couldn’t help but feel a wave of nostalgia, remembering the times when Senior Brother used to give them private lessons right here.

Those were peaceful times.

"Alright, that’s enough praise."

Feeling their envious gazes on him, Qin Yang smiled and walked out the gate, waving over his shoulder without looking back. "I have some other things to take care of. You guys can start practicing on your own."

After leaving the courtyard,

he glanced back and released his Spiritual Power to confirm the three hadn’t followed him. Then, he closed his eyes, bent his knees into a half-squat, recalled the key points of the Dharma Gate, and flicked out a drop of Essence Blood.

He began to activate the Blood Clone!

The next moment,

SPLAT!

A flower of blood bloomed on the ground, mixing with the dust.

A small clay figure, the size of an index finger, grew from the ground. The Essence Blood flowed into the space between its brows, instantly transforming into a blood-red line that took root.

’Continue refining.’

Qin Yang held his breath, focusing all his attention on the Essence Blood.

Soon,

the small figure began to expand.

Its clumsy limbs became nimble.

Its blurry facial features gradually sharpened.

After a few breaths, the clay figure on the ground took its final shape. Bound together by the Essence Blood, it had transformed completely into Xia He’s likeness, down to his expression, body language, and even his clothes. There was no difference at all.

If the real Xia He inside the house were to see this, he’d probably think he’d run into his own doppelgänger and pass out from fright on the spot!

"Not bad. I’d call that a success."

Qin Yang circled Xia He’s Blood Clone twice, scrutinizing the details and occasionally making minor adjustments, striving to perfect the creation.

This was the result of his improved Clone Technique.

By using blood or earth as a medium, he could now create several clones and temporarily transform them into other people’s appearances. Combined with his cultivation, which was nearing the Celestial Venerable Realm, fooling a few Venerables would be no problem at all!

It was a textbook bait-and-switch.

"Go on."

Qin Yang clapped the Xia He clone on the shoulder. "You’ll have to fill in for him for the next few days. Behave yourself, and don’t let anyone see through the act."

"Don’t you worry, Old Qin! When this bro handles things, it’s always rock solid!"

...