“If you want to, can you turn into a human?”
“Don’t you realize how weird this is?!”
Jiang Huai’s breathing suddenly grew rapid, his fingers digging tightly into Qin Qingyue’s icy scales, using all his strength to pull her away.
But the slender dragon body didn’t move at all—instead, it felt like a living vine.
This is really too weird.
But when he looked down at the petite dragon horns and the little black dragon, Jiang Huai felt an inexplicable sense of shame.
This clearly isn’t a person, so what does that make him? A Dragon Knight? Or a super-charged Xu Xian?!
A satisfied sigh slipped from her throat, the small dragon’s body stretching and tensing in delight.
“Qin Qingyue…”
The little black dragon was completely content, lazily sliding down and trying to nuzzle Jiang Huai’s cheek.
Jiang Huai, however, wore a face full of disgust. He reached out with his index finger and thumb, precisely pinching Qin Qingyue’s dragon snout:
“Don’t try to kiss me, and don’t talk to me either.”
The little black dragon blinked, then turned back into her tall, mature human form, a faint flush on her cheeks.
“I was just about to ask you—do you want to go out like this?”
“A Heavenly Immortal cultivator as your belt, and you’re still not satisfied?” Qin Qingyue said with a laugh.
“No, I don’t want to go out like this.” Jiang Huai shook his head at once.
What kind of thing was this? Walking around with a dragon wrapped around his waist, with the switch at the bottom—this was just too shameful.
As if she had already expected Jiang Huai’s answer, Qin Qingyue just smiled, turned around, and said:
“We’ll be going to Huanhuan Sect in a bit, so take a rest.”
With that, she walked out of the room in high spirits, humming a little tune.
Ever since she met Jiang Huai, her mood had no longer been as gloomy as before. It was like a gemstone buried deep underground, suddenly unearthed by him and exposed to long-lost sunlight.
A flower starved for love had finally received a little sunshine.
Qin Qingyue wandered through the Dragon Palace, thinking about how to decorate these halls and make them feel like home.
As for the other places, maybe she’d invite some people to live there.
The Dragon Palace was huge—truly enormous. This was once the place where the Eastern Wasteland Dragon Clan’s upper echelon lived and cultivated. Now, she had seized it for herself.
Ever since Jiang Huai lifted her Misfortune, she had been saved, and began to consider things she’d never thought of before.
She wanted to gather some people, establish a new sect, and protect Jiang Huai on his path until he attained his Immortal Position.
And for even longer-term plans, she should establish a sect in the Cultivation World.
She hummed her off-key melody, fingertips trailing over the cold black crystal pillars, bare feet stepping on glazed tiles.
The empty Dragon Palace echoed with the faint sound of her footsteps.
Once, this place had been filled only with decay and loneliness.
Now, she actually felt a touch of “home.”
And that thought—all of it—was tied to the man cultivating in the room.
Should she just summon back those from the Eastern Wilderness Dragon Clan who had bullied her? Qin Qingyue’s lips curled in a scornful smile.
Forget it. Wu Zhaohua had bullied her before, true, but that was just mutual rivalry; Qin Qingyue could always return the favor.
But those people from the Eastern Wilderness Dragon Clan really wanted her dead, and had never gone easy. Qin Qingyue bore a deep grudge.
She stopped in front of the grand Xuanlong Hall, gazing up at the towering doors that reached the dome. A thought surged up, brimming with wild ambition and unspeakable excitement.
Establish a new Dragon Palace!
Not just occupying the old nest of the Eastern Wasteland, but starting anew—pulling people from the Five Great Dragon Clans.
Just the idea made her heart beat a little faster.
The Five Great Dragon Clans, each ruling a region, all with noble bloodlines and lofty pride.
And Qin Qingyue, now the only true Dragon in the world walking with Celestial Immortal Form.
This strength was her greatest bargaining chip.
“Looks like it might really work. After a while, I’ll head to Southern Ridge and have a chat with the Red Dragon there,” Qin Qingyue muttered to herself.
The Red Dragons were known for their passion, all with plump, mature figures and an air of seasoned charm.
The White Dragon of the Northern Plains would be the hardest to deal with. Their nature was innately cold, and they were very closed off—even Qin Qingyue didn’t know much about them.
The bustling Market was filled with cultivators coming and going, trading and bartering.
Jiang Huai looked around curiously. This place was just like a human gathering, with many cultivators setting up stalls to sell their goods.
Seals, Immortal Swords, Protective Armor—every kind of Spiritual Treasure was laid out for sale.
Qin Qingyue had turned into a little black dragon, lazily draped around Jiang Huai’s shoulders, keeping her company as they wandered the boring Market.
To her, every single item here was trash.
Jiang Huai didn’t need any of it, either. Once his cultivation reached a certain level, she’d give him the best thing available for that stage.
No need to pick and choose here.
But she’d heard that going shopping with one’s partner was a crucial part of deepening a relationship.
Her human form was too intimidating and would scare people, which might ruin Jiang Huai’s mood. As a little dragon, she could hang on him without a problem.
It was just a pity that Jiang Huai wouldn’t let her wrap around his waist.
“If you see something you like, just buy it,” Qin Qingyue said lazily, not even bothering to open her eyes.
“Do you think I might stumble across a priceless treasure?” Jiang Huai asked with great interest.
Surely there were always hidden gems at these Markets, right?
“I used to have dreams like that, but after getting tricked a few times, I learned my lesson.”
“Instead of relying on luck, it’s better to just take what you want from others,” Qin Qingyue replied.
There were countless tales in the Cultivation World of people stumbling upon secret treasures and soaring to success, even attaining Celestial Immortal Form.
Qin Qingyue used to yearn for that too, always hoping for a lucky find.
But reality taught her that snatching things was far more effective than hoping for luck.
She didn’t have a Honored Master, nor had she developed a discerning eye—how could she possibly rely on luck to find any good treasure?
Jiang Huai’s mouth twitched, but he decided to keep looking around.
“What do you mean? I saw this first!”
“I already paid, how can you just take it?!”
A girl’s angry shout rang out nearby, catching Jiang Huai’s attention.
A young girl in green was standing with her hands on her hips, arguing with a group of heavily made-up women, her face full of indignation.
The heavily made-up woman’s face was caked with powder, masking her real complexion. She looked like a carefully painted doll—beautiful, yes, but with a stiff, artificial air.
The young girl, on the other hand, was fresh and pretty, wearing no makeup at all, with the air of the girl next door.
People always loved a bit of drama, so Jiang Huai stopped not far away to watch.
“Isn’t there anyone in charge here?” he asked Qin Qingyue.
Qin Qingyue said helplessly, “Normally, someone would step in.”
“But unfortunately, the other party is from Huanhuan Sect, and this is their territory.”
“The people here just turn a blind eye to these little disputes—there’s nothing to be done.”
In a world where the strong prey on the weak, the fact that this Market wasn’t a bloodbath was already a blessing. Unwritten rules were only to be expected.
The voluptuous woman with heavy makeup smiled sweetly at the young girl across from her, twirling a green bead in her hand:
“Little sister, you were just too impatient.”
“I can pay for it too. I even gave you an extra Spirit Stone.”
As a Core Disciple of Huanhuan Sect, she had their backing and plenty of confidence.
The bead looked ordinary, but there was a faint, mysterious aura inside—subtle yin and yang. It made her heart race, and she was determined to buy it.
“You…” The young girl stomped her foot in anger, but there was nothing she could do.
Unless it was absolutely necessary, she didn’t want to trouble her mother. This matter wasn’t that big, but it wasn’t small either.
“Just you wait!”
Qin Qingyue glanced at the bead, her dragon eyes suddenly lighting up, dragon tail excitedly thumping Jiang Huai’s waist:
“Quick, quick, quick, Jiang Huai, go snatch that bead!”