Chapter 312: Bai Shen Finds He Cannot See Through Lin Meng

"Sister, I……"

Ye Xiu felt ashamed and uneasy, nervously looking at Lin Meng.

Lin Meng nodded at him, then turned her gaze to Bai Shen.

"I'm very sorry, Senior Bai; Ye Xiu didn't mean anything else—please be magnanimous, junior pays respect to you."

Bai Shen raised his hand, waved it, and said with a smile:

"You little girl, you sure know how to speak; a youngster ought to show his talent, or else he'll get bullied."

Lin Meng stared at Bai Shen's youthful, handsome face; hearing him call her 'little girl' three times, she felt somewhat uneasy.

But soon, Bai Shen suddenly exhaled a mouthful of turbid qi.

Immediately, his appearance aged at a visible speed, until he became an old man with a face full of weathered wrinkles and cloudy eyes.

Lin Meng and Ye Xiu were both shocked; Ye Xiu even gulped several times, his guilt deepening.

Bai Shen, however, didn't care at all; returning to his original appearance actually made him feel relaxed and at ease.

"Hahaha, did I scare you two little rascals? Sorry, sorry—maintaining a youthful appearance consumes my spirit; I can no longer afford this body."

"If it weren't for this nationwide tour to cheer up the college students, I'd probably just be sitting idly in the fields, waiting for my lifespan to run out."

After Bai Shen finished speaking, Lin Meng, who had already been prepared, moreover not being a Dragon Country native nor even of this world, felt a weaker sense of belonging, so there wasn't much disturbance.

But Ye Xiu was different; although he had already heard some guesses from Lin Meng, when Bai Shen spoke those words himself, he couldn't help but redden his eyes, his expression sorrowful.

"Senior, you are the Dragon Country's stabilizing divine needle; you will surely be fine!"

He really deserves to die—clearly he's such an old man, yet he harbors jealousy toward him due to his own immaturity; he truly deserves to die!

Ye Xiu kept blaming himself, yet he heard Bai Shen laugh calmly.

"Fellow student, the future of Dragon Country rests on you youngsters; I've lived to 120, I should have lived a few more years, but in my youth I overexerted myself, neglected my body, accumulated many chronic ailments, draining much of my vitality."

Bai Shen looked at Lin Meng and Ye Xiu, thought for a moment, and said:

"So I called you two alone; first, because you, this lad, are indeed bold, winning my heart; second, I also wish to impart some modest experience in countering the eerie—be sure not to cause too many exposed wounds."

"Eerie qi seeps into the body through exposed wounds; although supernatural power can suppress it, it cannot truly eradicate the eerie qi."

"I relied on my strong talent and high cultivation, paying no heed to the eerie qi within me; over time, my body developed serious problems."

"Now I must mobilize much supernatural power to suppress the eerie qi inside me so it doesn't devour me; perhaps dying sooner would be a good thing……"

After speaking, Bai Shen sighed again, as if reminiscing yet feeling helpless.

"Everyone says Night Watch is an extremely dangerous profession; they think most Night Watch members die in battles against the eerie, unaware that many Night Watch members are actually consumed by eerie qi……"

Recalling the past, he had personally slain one after another compatriot consumed by eerie qi; Bai Shen's eyes welled up, his old eyes full of sorrow.

Bai Shen's words completely overturned Ye Xiu's understanding.

He clenched his fists tightly; he felt no fear, only endless hatred toward the eerie.

"Bai Shen, is there really no way to suppress the devouring of eerie qi?"

Bai Shen shook his head and let out a long sigh.

"A century of research has only scratched the surface; humanity can never master eerie qi, and this supernatural power, too, is a gift from heaven with no prior experience to draw upon."

"The only way now to avoid being consumed by eerie qi is to, in battle, minimize large-scale wounds as much as possible, thereby fundamentally preventing eerie qi from entering the body."

"Furthermore, constantly bolster one's vital energy; the stronger the vital energy, the stronger the supernatural power, which can then suppress the eerie qi."

After Bai Shen finished speaking, he looked at Lin Meng with some surprise.

From beginning to end, he felt this little girl was too composed.

Even when he revealed the eerie qi secret that most people don't know, she remained unusually composed.

Bai Shen discovered that, despite his experience and cultivation, he could not quite see through the girl before him.

He couldn't help but ask:

"Little girl, you seem not surprised by any of this?"

Lin Meng came to her senses and faced Bai Shen's scrutiny.

"Senior, to be frank, I just noticed your body is ailing; you don't have much time left."

"Moreover, that eerie qi is inherently an ominous qi; humans cannot absorb it to boost their strength, so they can only be controlled and harmed by it."

"Night Watch members constantly battle the eerie, exposed to danger; being eroded by eerie qi is no secret—one can easily guess that."

Of course, there is one thing she didn't say and couldn't say.

That is, she fundamentally fears no erosion by eerie qi, because her grandfather gave her the Nine-Eyed Heavenly Pearl, which innately counters eerie qi.

Moreover, her spiritual power seems to be a tier above supernatural power, so eerie qi cannot affect her.

Upon hearing Lin Meng's explanation, Bai Shen couldn't help but regard her directly.

One who possesses a personal supernatural artifact and is so composed—just which family cultivated such a junior?

If Dragon Country had more talents like these, why would he worry about falling early and being unable to protect Dragon Country?

The three fell silent, each lost in thought.

After a few minutes, Bai Shen slowly spoke, his eyes full of weariness.

"Alright, let's stop here for today; I'll stay here for three days, and if you have any cultivation questions, you can come ask me during these three days."

"I cannot guarantee that the path I walk will suit you, and some secrets I cannot divulge, but I have plenty of early-stage cultivation insights that might help you……"

After leaving Bai Shen's residence, Ye Xiu remained silent all the way back to the teaching area, where he then guiltily said to Lin Meng:

"Sister, my performance today disappointed you."

Lin Meng blinked at his words, seeing Ye Xiu's ashamed, uneasy appearance; she thought this fellow was indeed sensitive and fragile.

She couldn't help but reach out and stroke his hair, saying:

"It's fine, it's fine, don't take it to heart; sister knows you're kind, those words might have been hurtful, but Senior Bai Shen didn't hold it against you, did he?"

"You just need to remember that no one may speak of today's conversation with Bai Shen; after returning, cultivate well, so as not to disappoint Bai Shen's high hopes for you."

Ye Xiu heard the words, solemnly nodded and promised.

He knew that once the news of the White God's imminent fall spread widely, Dragon Country would surely face a great catastrophe.

Not to mention those S-rank anomalies with minds like demons, after hearing the news, how they will launch a full-scale invasion of Dragon Country.

Even if other countries get the news, they will surely secretly scheme, seize resources, and even carve up Dragon Country.

His older sister was reminding him to prioritize the bigger picture.