Longyin Hall.
Zhu Siyao wore a brand-new, perfectly fitted red dress, accentuating her slender, graceful figure, making her look bright and captivating.
She followed closely behind her mother, Zhuxin, with her head slightly bowed, nervously twisting the corner of her robe with her fingers.
Zhuxin’s expression remained calm, betraying no sign of joy or anger, but Zhu Siyao felt her mother was in a poor mood.
The thick palace doors before them slowly opened layer by layer, emitting a deep, muffled rumble.
At last, they reached the deepest part of the grand hall.
Atop the high Dragon Throne, Qin Qingyue leaned lazily with her chin propped up by one hand.
A playful smile played on her stunningly beautiful face, and her scarlet dragon eyes studied the mother and daughter below with great interest.
“So, you’re here.” She parted her red lips, her voice carrying a hint of careless amusement.
Zhuxin maintained her usual expressionless look, only giving a slight nod.
In contrast, Su Yingman, standing to the side, covered her mouth with a soft laugh, her eyes filled with the anticipation of watching a good show.
Among those present, only two were clearly in a poor mood: Zhuxin and, standing a bit farther away, Tang Zhaoxue.
Unlike Zhuxin’s forced composure, Tang Zhaoxue’s eyes were full of grievance at this moment, staring straight and unashamedly at Jiang Huai, as if thousands of words were stuck in her throat.
Jiang Huai, under her burning and resentful gaze, felt uneasy and even more pressured.
In truth, as long as he was here at Qin Qingyue’s side, he would almost daily take time to treat Tang Zhaoxue’s parched condition.
But previously, his cultivation was only at Foundation Establishment, while Tang Zhaoxue was already at Nascent Soul Realm, making progress agonizingly slow.
Now that he had reached Golden Core, he felt he should be able to advance the treatment much faster, but this was clearly not enough to alleviate Tang Zhaoxue’s current resentment.
“All right, come here.” Qin Qingyue waved her hand, breaking the subtle atmosphere.
Zhu Siyao felt as if she had received a pardon.
She hurried with quick, small steps to the base of the Dragon Throne and bowed respectfully.
Qin Qingyue leaned down, examining her closely, and teased,
“Didn’t expect it—you little girl, hiding your feelings so well?”
“Why didn’t you speak up earlier? It would’ve saved us all this trouble later on.”
There was a trace of mockery in her tone, as if to say, had she known earlier, she’d have brought this mother and daughter “bundle” back together from the start.
Two spots of crimson bloomed on Zhu Siyao’s cheeks, so embarrassed she didn’t dare lift her head, only muttering softly, “Mistress…”
“Mm.” Qin Qingyue answered, reaching out to fondly pinch her smooth cheek.
“Cultivate well. In the future, if I go to the Immortal Realm, you must protect him for me.” There was a note of trust in her words.
“I will! I’ll do my utmost to keep him safe!” Zhu Siyao’s head snapped up in excitement.
Although Zhuxin was inwardly displeased, Qin Qingyue was clearly quite satisfied with Zhu Siyao.
Regardless of cultivation level, this girl had stuck by Jiang Huai’s side in the small world, never abandoning him.
In the secret realm, she had even been willing to burn her own soul for a slim chance to save Jiang Huai.
Such determination and devotion, regardless of her own life, was something Qin Qingyue seldom saw, and she couldn’t help but feel moved and appreciative.
Thus, however she looked at Zhu Siyao, she found her pleasing.
“If you’d spoken up earlier, the position of Saintess of Jiutian Palace might have been yours.” Qin Qingyue laughed unreservedly.
“How about Double Saintess? What do you think?”
“Cough, cough, cough…”
Jiang Huai, to the side, suddenly broke into a coughing fit, glancing awkwardly at Chilian, who stood not far away looking slightly ill at ease.
How could she say such things in front of the current Saintess?
Qin Qingyue glanced at Jiang Huai without a care, still insisting,
“Isn’t Double Saintess possible? Some sects have that—two prodigies standing side by side, what’s wrong with that?”
She even raised her brow at Jiang Huai. “You don’t support me?”
Seeing Chilian growing even more at a loss, Jiang Huai replied softly, “Don’t mess around.”
Double Saintess? What’s next, two leaders?
Qin Qingyue pouted, finally dropping the subject.
“All right, you continue as your Master Sister and cultivate well. Your future will come in due time.”
Then, Qin Qingyue’s expression grew serious.
“From today on, Zhu Siyao will enjoy the treatment of a Core Elder. You may come and go freely in the Sect’s Heavenly Vault Treasury, and practice any technique you wish.”
“In an emergency, you may act first and report to me after.”
“You may attend and observe any Sect meetings, great or small.”
This string of appointments granted her vast authority.
Though in name she wasn’t a “Double Saintess,” the trust and status given far exceeded ordinary disciples and elders, putting her on par with Su Yingman and Zhuxin.
Zhu Siyao’s heart surged with emotion, her chest unconsciously straightening, her eyes brimming with excitement and a sense of mission.
This was a sense of belonging she had never felt in the Blazing Sun Sect.
“You can choose any room you like within Longyin Hall.” Qin Qingyue smiled.
But Zhu Siyao shook her head.
“I’d like to stay with my mother in the same room. Hers is fine.”
Zhuxin immediately spoke up, “I prefer quiet. Choose your own.”
She clearly didn’t want her daughter sharing quarters with her any longer, finding it unbearably awkward.
Qin Qingyue smiled, reaching out to pinch Zhu Siyao’s cheek again.
“My Longyin Hall has plenty of rooms expanded with Space Treasure—aren’t they all spacious and bright? Surely there’s room for you.”
“Then I’ll take the one next to my mother’s.” Zhu Siyao said softly.
The rooms in Longyin Hall looked small on the outside but were vast and wondrous within, easily accommodating any cultivator’s needs for training and daily life.
Su Yingman giggled on the side, her eyes flashing mischievously,
“Well, with all the instructions done, what about the initiation ceremony?”
“Su Yingman!” Zhuxin called out, her voice clearly flustered and annoyed.
There wasn’t really any formal “initiation ceremony”—it was just Su Yingman’s running joke, which over time had become almost a standard procedure.
“What?” Su Yingman replied with feigned innocence, smiling sweetly at Zhuxin.
“I’m just bonding with our new little sister, showing some care.”
Only then did Qin Qingyue remember something.
She extended a finger, condensing dragon essence at the tip, and lightly pressed it to Zhu Siyao’s smooth belly, a look of surprise appearing on her face.
“Huh? You’re still untouched?”
She glanced in puzzlement at Zhu Siyao, then at Jiang Huai.
“From noon yesterday to now, all night, Jiang Huai didn’t come back.”
“You just sat there watching all night?”
At these words, Zhu Siyao recalled certain scenes from last night.
Her cheeks reddened, and she pouted aggrievedly, speaking in a low voice,
“Yes, all night, I just watched.” Not only watched, but even got kicked several times.
Qin Qingyue looked at Zhuxin with an odd expression, as if to say: So you used the whole night by yourself?
Zhuxin’s cheeks flushed almost imperceptibly.
She turned her head awkwardly, avoiding everyone’s curious gazes.
“Will you come tonight?” Qin Qingyue stopped probing further and instead caressed Zhu Siyao’s slim waist, her tone full of invitation.
“Tonight? I was going to work on improving my talent…” Zhu Siyao instinctively glanced at her mother.
Zhuxin kept her head turned, showing no reaction.
Jiang Huai coughed a few more times, using his eyes to signal Qin Qingyue to mind the setting.
Qin Qingyue’s beautiful eyes sparkled with mischief as she leaned in to whisper in Zhu Siyao’s ear, so only the two could hear,
“Come quietly tonight.”
Zhu Siyao’s heart pounded wildly.
She secretly stuck out her tongue, feeling both nervous and expectant.
Just as Qin Qingyue was about to tease Zhu Siyao further, her expression suddenly changed.
Not only her—even the always composed Zhuxin’s face turned extremely grave in an instant.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Huai keenly sensed the sudden change in atmosphere and quickly asked.
Qin Qingyue had no time to explain, her figure instantly turning into a fierce streak of black light as she shot out of Longyin Hall.
Zhuxin, almost simultaneously, transformed into a stream of red light and followed closely.
The sudden turn of events left Su Yingman completely bewildered.
“What happened?”
High above in the sky, Qin Qingyue and Zhuxin floated atop the clouds, their robes billowing.
Moments later, a streak of white sword light tore through the air, and Wu Zhaohua arrived, her expression equally grim.
The three women stood side by side, gazing up at the heavens.
The once clear blue sky now appeared terrifying and strange.
Dark clouds boiled like a sea of ink, swirling wildly.
Twisted, vein-like dark red patterns spread across the sky, resembling the snarling faces of giant beasts.
An indescribably vast power of laws was converging and warping, making every cultivator at the Grand Ascension stage feel a chill in their hearts.
“Palace Master.” Zhuxin’s voice trembled almost imperceptibly as she looked at Qin Qingyue.
“I feel as if the Heavenly Gate to the Immortal Realm is opening!”
“But I’m far from reaching the time to sense ascension myself…”
Qin Qingyue stared hard at the changing sky, muttering,
“I feel it too. The Heavenly Gate to the Immortal Realm is opening.”
Zhuxin was shaken to the core by these words.
Qin Qingyue had reached the Grand Ascension period long ago; Zhuxin herself was much later in reaching it.
How could they both sense the Immortal Realm’s summons so clearly at the same time?
Wu Zhaohua’s cold voice sounded beside them, equally grave: “So do I.”
She paused, her tone more severe than ever, adding,
“And I feel that the gate is opening faster and faster.”
At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before all cultivators at the Grand Ascension stage—willing or not—would be forcibly drawn into the Heavenly Gate to the Immortal Realm.
Zhuxin looked at Wu Zhaohua in disbelief, a terrifying thought rising in her mind:
“Could it be that all Grand Ascension cultivators are sensing it at the same time?”
If so, what did that mean?
It meant all the top powers of the Five Provinces Continent, ready or not, would be forced to ascend to the Immortal Realm.
Those who succeeded might attain immortal status; those who failed could die under the tribulation.
No matter the result, the Five Provinces Continent would instantly lose the protection of all its Grand Ascension cultivators.
If the Outworld Heavenly Demons invaded en masse at that moment…
Thinking of this, Zhuxin’s face went pale as she stared at Qin Qingyue, the pillar of strength for them all.
Clearly, Qin Qingyue’s expression had also turned extremely grim.
They both understood—this was the so-called “final move” of the Outworld Heavenly Demons.
By some unimaginable means, they were forcibly sending away all Grand Ascension cultivators, clearing the highest level of power from the Five Provinces Continent.
At that time, the Yin-Yang Body Jiang Huai would lose all his powerful protectors, completely exposed to unknown dangers and at the mercy of others.
“What do we do?” For once, Qin Qingyue lost her usual composure and dominance.
Her voice, even to herself, held a trace of panic as she looked to Wu Zhaohua beside her.
In this moment, the rival she had always regarded as an opponent seemed to be her only partner for discussion.
Wu Zhaohua, too, had no idea what to do.
She stood with hands at her side, staring at the ever-clearer phantom of the “Heavenly Gate to the Immortal Realm,” her cool eyes filled with confusion and struggle.
“I can’t leave.” Qin Qingyue’s voice grew hurried.
“I can’t go to the Immortal Realm! If I go, what will happen to him?”
Wu Zhaohua stood silent, her sword hand clenched white.
She, too, did not want to leave at such a time, in such a way.