The next morning, Jiang Huai slowly woke up, feeling as if his whole body had been massaged. He stretched lazily, feeling completely comfortable and at ease.
Not only was his body comfortable, even the “bed sheet” was so soft and gentle to the skin.
As he became fully awake, Jiang Huai lifted his head, only to meet those dragon eyes with vertical pupils. Qin Qingyue had a pampering smile at the corner of her lips.
She had been lonely for so many years, and this was the first time she had seen such an adorable little thing waking up on her body.
This feeling was truly wonderful. There was no one to shun her for her misfortune, nor anyone to avoid her with disgust. There was someone who could rest peacefully on her body, sleeping soundly through the night.
A massive dragon tail lifted Jiang Huai into the air. He stretched again, feeling full of energy, as if his body brimmed with strength.
“This is…” He clenched his fist, sensing the Qi Stream in his Dantian had grown stronger, a warm current flowing through his meridians, brimming with a sense of power.
He had only slept for one night—so why had his cultivation improved?
Judging by the level of this Qi Stream, it was at least Qi Refining Third Layer, which was already considered the entry point of cultivation.
Seeing Jiang Huai’s surprised yet delighted expression, Qin Qingyue smiled knowingly, a sense of accomplishment rising within her.
No wonder there’s a saying in the mortal world that a beauty’s smile is worth a thousand gold. To win a smile from someone beside you is truly a joyful thing.
“I told you before, your cultivation is lacking.”
“Follow me, and you’ll gradually walk the Celestial Path.” Qin Qingyue coaxed Jiang Huai.
“Does doing that kind of thing count as walking the Celestial Path…” Jiang Huai asked, full of doubt.
Unconsciously, he touched his lower abdomen, feeling something strange there.
Could last night’s odd feeling be because of this? But Qin Qingyue had sworn so seriously, making it impossible to see through her.
“You don’t understand. For mortals, cultivating with our Dragon Race’s Jade Liquid is just like this. Don’t you feel the Qi vortex in your Dantian is as thick as liquid?”
“You’ll get used to it.” Qin Qingyue spoke nonsense with a perfectly straight face.
“As long as you stick with me, reaching Great Ascension is no problem. As for what kind of Great Ascension, that depends on the situation.”
Even if it was Defective Great Ascension, it was still Great Ascension. For cultivators like Wu Zhaohua and Qin Qingyue at the Great Ascension stage, such a level was as insignificant as an ant.
But it was still Great Ascension, not something easily attained. Opportunity, temperament, talent, and resources—all were indispensable.
Otherwise, even Wenxuan Sect didn’t have a single cultivator at the Combined Body stage, let alone Great Ascension.
With Qi Yuyong’s talent, even becoming a Defective Great Ascension in the future would depend on her luck.
No matter what, she would raise Jiang Huai to the level of Great Ascension, then find a way to leave this place together and enjoy immortality.
After listening, Jiang Huai didn’t agree to Qin Qingyue’s words. He simply stared blankly at his palm, feeling the Qi Stream within his body.
This was a symbol of strength, his future reliance for freedom.
But all of this came from Qin Qingyue, from her help.
Seeing Jiang Huai lost in thought, Qin Qingyue assumed he was dissatisfied. She frowned slightly and said:
“You’ve just started cultivating; you don’t know how hard this path is.”
“Great Ascension is not so easily achieved. Otherwise, Wenxuan Sect wouldn’t be without a single Great Ascension cultivator.”
“I promise I’ll get you to Great Ascension, all right?”
Ordinary people wouldn’t dare say such a thing—only the top cultivators in this world would.
At worst, for the sake of resources, she’d snatch them for Jiang Huai, showering him with resources, even if it meant forcefully pushing him to Great Ascension.
Jiang Huai came back to his senses, shook his head with a smile, and said:
“I’m not dissatisfied, nor do I intend to rely on you like this.”
“It’s just that…”
He stared at his palm, then looked up at Qin Qingyue:
“Whatever I receive, I have to give something in return.”
“I’ve accepted your kindness, accepted the resources you’ve given me, so I won’t stand by when it comes to you.”
“Enjoying rights means bearing responsibilities.”
Perhaps this world was the same as the previous one—many people enjoyed what their partner gave, but weren’t willing to shoulder their own share of responsibility.
But Jiang Huai wasn’t that kind of person. He had benefited from Qin Qingyue’s nurturing—those immortal materials were all extremely valuable, enough to cause a scramble outside.
Yet Qin Qingyue gave them to him without blinking, generous and open-handed.
Qin Qingyue was stunned, lost in thought for a moment. She pursed her red lips and turned away, saying:
“Why say all this? I… I don’t care about that stuff.”
“As for you and me… anyway…”
“Don’t say things like that anymore.”
Though she said that, Qin Qingyue could feel his words were sincere, not false. For some reason, her heart felt much more at ease.
It was a strange feeling, one she’d never had before—a man at Qi Refining Third Layer actually gave a Great Ascension cultivator a sense of reassurance.
Qin Qingyue took a deep breath, made up her mind, and declared:
“Once your cultivation stabilizes, in a few days, we’ll leave and seek opportunities.”
“Wu Zhaohua has overcome the Three Disasters, her strength has soared, and she’s gained a Celestial Immortal Form. I have to do something as well.”
“Otherwise, if I only become an Earth Immortal in the future, how…”
How could she keep holding on to Jiang Huai? Wouldn’t Wu Zhaohua snatch him away sooner or later?
Hearing this, Jiang Huai became interested and asked:
“What do you mean by Celestial Immortal Form? Is there really an Immortal Realm in this world?”
Qin Qingyue nodded slowly, her deep gaze filled with unconcealed ambition, and explained:
“After reaching Great Ascension, in a few hundred years you must endure the Heavenly Tribulation, ascend to the Immortal Realm, and gain an Immortal Position.”
“There are Human Immortal, Earth Immortal, Heavenly Immortal, and other Other Paths, but the true path is the Three Immortals.”
“Ordinary Great Ascension, especially Defective Great Ascension, have unstable foundations. Human Immortal is impossible for them. Without other side paths, they’ll surely die under the Heavenly Tribulation.”
“Human Immortal is a bit better, but after ascending to the Immortal Realm, their lifespan isn’t long. Many Great Ascension cultivators are just Human Immortals.”
“These Human Immortals only gain longevity, but even their combat strength can’t match mine.”
So even Human Immortal’s cultivation couldn’t compare to someone like Qin Qingyue at Great Ascension—it merely extended one’s lifespan.
“Earth Immortal is much stronger. In the Immortal Realm, they’re considered experts. Without great opportunity, even a perfect Great Ascension like me would only be Earth Immortal, though their lifespan is long.”
“As for Heavenly Immortal, they are the top powerhouses in the Immortal Realm. Very few can achieve this, and even there, people like Wu Zhaohua are rare… ” Qin Qingyue said with a bitter smile.
The greater the risk, the greater the reward. Wu Zhaohua was just too lucky. In her Human Disaster, she encountered Jiang Huai, overcame the tribulation, and gained a Celestial Immortal Form.
When the great tribulation came, she instantly ascended and became an immortal, soaring to the Immortal Realm with a Celestial Immortal Form, enjoying longevity and immense power.
The Immortal Realm and the Cultivation World are connected. Occasionally, someone is forced to cut their cultivation back to Great Ascension and return, and some Human Immortals can also come back. Thus, information flows between the two worlds.
In the Immortal Realm, Heavenly Immortals are extremely rare, just as in the Cultivation World, Great Ascension cultivators like Qin Qingyue are few and far between.
“So that’s how it is…” Jiang Huai stroked his chin, deep in thought.
“You want to take me to seek opportunities, right?”
Qin Qingyue got up and nodded, saying, “And to find you a few Guardians, and gather some resources.”
“Otherwise, when I cross the tribulation and leave in the future, what will you do here?”
She needed to search for opportunities for herself, keep an eye out for that woman Wu Zhaohua, and also find a few Guardians for Jiang Huai to pave the way for the future.
Guardians… Qin Qingyue was already thinking—should she snatch a few sect Saintesses and raise them from childhood?