“Is it normal to feel tired?”
Jiang Huai sat cross-legged, a wave of indescribable exhaustion surging up from the depths of his marrow, sweeping through his entire body.
He frowned slightly, feeling uneasy in his heart, but couldn’t grasp the source of this strange feeling.
‘Just by having my divine sense receive the Inheritance, I’ve actually drained so much energy, spirit, and mind?’
White Dew stepped on the void, her snow-white embroidered shoes with pale lotus patterns leaving ripples wherever they passed, her steps appearing slower than usual.
There was a subtle tremor in her gait, a slight sluggishness almost imperceptible.
She found it a little hard to face Jiang Huai, feeling as though the corridors of the Palace were overflowing, the sense of fullness vivid and flawless, as if she were treasuring a precious gem that would spill over at the slightest touch.
How full had it become? It felt as if just a gentle nudge at the core would be enough to overflow.
She had indeed used a Secret Technique to draw a significant amount of Jiang Huai’s energy… spirit, and cleverly concealed the aura with the Dragon Secret Art.
“Hmm?” Jiang Huai, lacking energy, forced himself to raise his head, looking toward the cold and serene dragon maiden whose expression and aura were both somewhat off.
White Dew slowly extended her delicate hand, her fingertips as lustrous as jade, shimmering with a snowy radiance.
At this moment, she appeared holy, yet carried a trace of fragility.
Jiang Huai originally wished to meditate a while longer, but thinking of Qin Qingyue waiting outside the Secret Realm, he steadied himself and slowly stood up, his figure still a bit unsteady.
“Young Master Jiang’s future intentions remain unknown,” White Dew’s tone was still calm, but lower than usual.
“But for now, you still need to rely on the path of Yin-Yang balance to strengthen your cultivation, correct?”
“Mm.” Jiang Huai nodded, a tangle of unresolved emotions clouding his brow.
Two at the Foundation Establishment Period, four at the Golden Core Stage, six at the Nascent Soul Stage…
White Dew nodded slightly, as if seeing through his worries, and spoke softly:
“Palace Master Qin came with you this time, most likely hoping to use my White Dragon Clan’s Extreme Cold Origin Yin to help you balance yin and yang, am I right?”
“White Clan Leader, is there any cultivation method to advance in cultivation without Dual Cultivation?” Jiang Huai asked.
“Even if… it’s just an alternate way to advance, that would do as well.” White Dew was momentarily stunned.
A flicker of surprise crossed her icy face, as if even her dragon tail swayed in confusion as she asked:
“Young Master Jiang, what’s wrong with Dual Cultivation?”
“With Palace Master Qin arranging things for you, even if you took a concubine, it would be fine. It’s only for cultivation.”
“There are thousands of female cultivators in this world, but your next Hunyuan Dao Fruit as a Yin-Yang Body is a once-in-an-era opportunity.”
The Golden Core Stage for the Yin-Yang Body isn’t a regular golden core, but the Hunyuan Dao Fruit.
In her eyes, the Yin-Yang Body was favored by the Dao of Heaven; Dual Cultivation was merely a stepping stone to the summit.
Even without Qin Qingyue, if White Dew had known about Jiang Huai’s needs, she would have scoured the world to find him women.
“I understand the importance of power.”
“I yearn to be strong, to seek freedom, it’s just—” He hesitated, images of Wu Zhaohua’s cold face and Zhuru’s passionate eyes flashing through his mind.
A debt of love is still a debt.
How could it be treated lightly as mere fodder for cultivation? White Dew listened in silence. Feeling the subtle sensations lingering beneath her skirt, she pursed her lips lightly, then the corners of her mouth curled up in a nearly mocking arc.
“So naive.”
“What?”
“I said, you’re really naive.”
“Why do you say that? Is it wrong?”
White Dew abruptly stopped, standing at the entrance where the Secret Realm’s light swirled, turning her head to look at him, a few strands of blue hair falling by her cheek:
“Even Palace Master Qin herself doesn’t mind, and tirelessly seeks Dao partners for you. As the main wife, why must you bind your own hands and feet?”
“Since you’ve already been caught in this situation, entangled with worldly bonds, and bear the marks on your body, what absolute ‘purity’ is left?”
In this world’s terms, Jiang Huai was no longer ‘clean’—he had already been touched and used by several women, with three different ‘tattoos’ on his body.
“Why not cast aside useless worries? Whether for love or for power, resolutely move forward—that is the right path. Take the initiative to walk it.”
With that, she unexpectedly reached out and gave Jiang Huai’s rear a not-too-hard, not-too-light push, sending him toward the exit.
Her tone carried a trace of subtle exasperation:
“A dignified Yin-Yang Body, yet you think not of advancement, nor of the common good, instead trapped in youthful emotions.”
“Gather more Dao partners, enhance your cultivation—that is the greatest help to Palace Master Qin.”
“If she grows stronger, you’ll be at peace. If you grow stronger, she’ll have respect.”
Before she finished speaking, she gave him a swift, light kick, as fast as lightning, as if she wanted to kick her own secret longing and retreat along with him.
As if leaving herself a way out.
“Wait…”
Jiang Huai, already unsteady on his feet, was sent spinning by the push and the kick.
The scene before him spun, and he fell directly into a warm, soft embrace.
A familiar fragrance wafted over.
He looked up to meet Qin Qingyue’s gaze, full of concern and scrutiny.
“What’s wrong with you? Why do you look so pale?” Qin Qingyue cupped his face, peering closely, her fingertips warm.
Why does he look as if she herself had drained him dry?
As the main wife, she was unreserved as she reached out to touch the spot with the Ling Sword Mark, weighed it for a moment, and muttered:
“Strange, nothing seems missing here?”
Jiang Huai simply collapsed in Qin Qingyue’s arms, White Dew’s words still echoing in his mind, his voice feeble:
“Maybe it’s because I received the previous generation Yin-Yang Body’s Inheritance.”
In the next moment, White Dew’s figure emerged calmly from the Secret Realm.
“He is unharmed, Palace Master Qin can rest assured.” Her voice was steady and calm as her gaze swept over the pair embracing each other.
Qin Qingyue hesitated for a moment, but eventually voiced another purpose for their visit:
“White Clan Leader, I wish to arrange a concubine for Jiang Huai. The candidate… I hope to choose from within the White Dragon Clan.”
“You need not worry about her treatment or cultivation resources. What do you think?”
As she spoke, she carefully watched Jiang Huai’s reaction, only to find it surprisingly different.
He did not display his usual resistance or embarrassment; he simply stared quietly at White Dew with a complicated gaze.
White Dew showed no change in expression as she calmly refused, “There’s no need for such trouble.”
“I have a way.” “What way?”
White Dew stepped forward, a dragon claw phantom flashing, lightly patting Jiang Huai’s rear with a chilly burst of air.
At the same time, she pretended to gather a ball of ice crystal light in her hand, then swiftly withdrew.
“I’ve already used the White Dragon Clan’s Secret Technique to transfer a strand of Extreme Cold Origin Yin into his body.”
“This method is enough to replace the effects of Dual Cultivation with the White Dragon.”
Her tone was calm, as if stating the most ordinary thing.
“What Palace Master Qin should do now is seek a suitable Red Dragon for him to balance yin and yang.”
She had already drained him completely in the Secret Realm—this was all just for show.
Qin Qingyue was stunned, then, as if recalling something, abruptly reached out to unfasten Jiang Huai’s belt.
“Wait, Qingyue, wait!” Jiang Huai hurriedly tried to stop her, but Qin Qingyue was faster, pulling his trousers down a little.
There, on Jiang Huai’s rear, had appeared a vivid, icy blue White Dragon Mark, which matched the Black Dragon Mark and the Ling Sword Mark.
Qin Qingyue’s face darkened instantly. She looked up at White Dew, dragon eyes flickering with flames:
“White Clan Leader, what does this mean? How do you explain this mark?”
What’s going on? Is my husband some kind of stamp pad? You think you can just leave a mark?
White Dew’s face didn’t change.
Meeting her gaze, she replied calmly, “It was inevitable—the Secret Technique infused him, and the aura left a brand.”
“This mark is where the Extreme Cold Origin Yin is gathered. It’s also key to guiding the balance in the future.”
“If Palace Master Qin does not believe me, she may sense whether it contains pure dragon essence.”
She spoke without a flaw, attributing the appearance of the tattoo entirely to the nature of the cultivation technique.
Qin Qingyue was still somewhat unconvinced, but after carefully probing, she found the mark was actually on the same level as her own Black Dragon Mark, and her heart rejoiced.
Even so, she pulled Jiang Huai’s pants back up and muttered,
“Honestly, who stamps their husband’s butt like this?”