Chapter 259: Let Me See Yours

“Why have you come out of seclusion? Did you fail again?”

Dressed in mysterious black robes, the tall and upright Qin Qingran stood alone under the corridor, silently watching the thousand-year-old snow scene.

She knit her brows slightly and turned around to look at the approaching Qin Xuange, her voice tinged with concern.

The breakthrough from the Nascent Soul Stage to the Deity Transformation Realm was different from previous rank advancements.

Besides having to endure the corresponding Heavenly Tribulation, one had to overcome their Heart Demon and achieve enlightenment regarding their own Dao.

With Qin Xuange’s talent and accumulation, the Five Thunders Heavenly Tribulation was nothing to fear.

Her cultivation had already reached the peak of the Nascent Soul Stage; the only thing blocking her path was the Heart Demon Tribulation.

Qin Xuange had changed into a pair of proper black robes.

The hem was embroidered with dark gold Dragon Marks that swayed gently as she walked.

On her feet were high-heeled boots of the same color, producing crisp *clack-clack* sounds against the floor.

She walked out with her head lowered, her face still somewhat pale and her Qi slightly disordered.

“Clan Leader, I have some matters to attend to. I want to go out for a while,” she said in a low voice.

Qin Qingran’s brows furrowed even tighter.

She took a step forward, her tone becoming heavier. “Xuange, what exactly is wrong? Where did this Heart Demon come from? Speak clearly!”

She held extremely high expectations for Qin Xuange, treating her like her own daughter.

Although she was usually strict with her cultivation, her protective instincts were equally strong.

She had always kept her carefully sheltered under her wing.

In fact, before Qin Qingyue ascended, she hadn’t dared to let Qin Xuange go out and make a name for herself, fearing it would attract unnecessary attention or trouble.

Sometimes, when Qin Qingran caught a glimpse of Qin Xuange’s profile or expression, her heart would skip a beat because the girl looked so much like Qin Qingyue.

Qin Xuange lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath them.

She remained silent for a long time as if struggling with something. Finally, she spoke softly. “The match with Jiang Huai last time… I actually lost.”

She paused. “It wasn’t a situation where both sides were injured or a draw. I was defeated by him—completely losing my ability to resist.”

“Only he and I knew about this, everyone else…”

After hearing this, Qin Qingran’s frown did not relax.

Instead, she grew more confused. “So? This is your Heart Demon? Because of the win or loss of a single match?”

In her view, this was merely a common hurdle that almost every genius was bound to encounter on their path to growth.

One had to admit they weren’t invincible and recognize that there was always someone better.

Only by passing this trial and letting go of obsession could one truly see their true nature and advance to a higher realm.

She stepped forward and patted Qin Xuange’s shoulder, her tone softening with persuasion.

“If it were anyone else, I might encourage you to work hard and win it back next time. But Jiang Huai… he is different. You don’t need to treat him as an ordinary opponent, and you certainly don’t need to take victory or defeat so seriously.”

Qin Qingran’s tone was complicated.

That man was not only Qin Qingyue’s husband but also possessed the Yin-Yang Body.

Not long ago, he had performed a shocking feat.

Using unknown means, he had managed to rescue White Dew and Chi Hong from the encirclement of several Mahayana Stage Foreign Geniuses.

Even she felt she couldn’t have achieved such a result.

Jiang Huai had already exceeded the category of his peers.

There was simply no need to view him as a goal or a Heart Demon.

“No, that isn’t the point.” Qin Xuange shook her head and looked up at Qin Qingran.

“I can accept being inferior to him. I can frankly admit he is stronger than I am. But the point is, nobody knows the truth! Everyone thinks we tied, and some might even think I had the upper hand!”

“This falsehood and ‘face’ make me feel like I haven’t kept my promise. It makes me feel like a…”

More confused than ever, Qin Qingran interrupted, “Isn’t it better that nobody knows? The fewer people who know, the less impact it has on your reputation. I assume that on that day, no one besides you and Jiang Huai knew the exact result, right?”

Qin Xuange asked softly, “So, Clan Leader, you actually knew? You knew I lost to Jiang Huai?”

Qin Qingran nodded frankly.

“Indeed. Not just me, but the leaders of the Five Great Dragon Clans were all watching the battle in secret that day. We knew the result clearly in our hearts.”

She didn’t think it was a big deal.

Losing to the Yin-Yang Body wasn’t shameful.

By not speaking out, they preserved the Saintess’s dignity and maintained the superficial harmony of the Five Great Dragon Clans.

Was she really supposed to let her clan’s Saintess fulfill that ridiculous promise of “becoming a slave or maidservant”? It was a joke.

However, hearing this answer only intensified the struggle in Qin Xuange’s eyes.

Instead of feeling relieved, she felt as if she had been stung. She took half a step back and bowed to Qin Qingran.

“I’m sorry, Clan Leader, but I have my own thoughts. I must go find him to settle this. Otherwise, my heart will never be at peace, and my path will be forever stalled.”

With that, she ignored Qin Qingran’s expression.

Her slender legs kicked off beneath her black skirt, and she transformed into a swift streak of Black Light, piercing through the falling snow and disappearing into the horizon.

“You!”

Qin Qingran’s hand froze in midair. Watching the departing Black Light, she could only stare helplessly. After a long moment, she flicked her sleeve in frustration.

“This child is getting more and more disobedient!” she muttered to herself, her cold and elegant face full of distress. “Is everyone from Qin Qingyue’s line born with this kind of temperament?”

Jiang Huai sat cross-legged on the Bed of Soft Jade and slowly opened his eyes, a deep sense of confusion gathered between his brows.

Before his injury, although his cultivation method was unique and required the Power of the Five Dragons, he could at least clearly sense the Qi, draw it into his body, refine Lingli, and steadily increase his cultivation.

But now, though his injuries had clearly improved and his bodily functions were mostly restored, he encountered a frustrating problem when he tried to cultivate again.

His body seemed to have returned to its original “insulated” state.

He simply couldn’t autonomously draw the worldly Qi into his body, let alone refine it for cultivation.

“How can this be?” Jiang Huai murmured, unable to find an answer.

He closed his eyes again, sinking his entire consciousness into his Dantian to carefully examine his nascent Small World.

The black and white fish formed by the Two Energies of Yin and Yang were still slowly rotating, maintaining the stability of the basic framework.

However, the Five Elements Qi that should have been complementing and flowing endlessly was in a bizarre state.

Three of the rays were exceptionally dim, causing the cycle of the Five Elements to become extremely sluggish and intermittent. The entire Small World was covered in a layer of gray.

The tiny green blades of grass that had sprouted because of his recovery were now withered and yellow.

The newly formed earth began to show fine cracks, and the stream that had just gathered grew thinner, as if it would dry up at any moment.

It was a bleak scene of fading vitality returning to desolation.

‘Is it because my serious injuries haven’t fully healed, affecting the foundation of the Small World? Or does this special cultivation method require a constant borrowing of the Power of the Five Dragons to be maintained?’

‘But if that’s the case, why are only three of the Five Elements Qi dim? The other two, though weak, are still barely functioning. This doesn’t make sense.’

As Jiang Huai was immersed in his thoughts, light footsteps sounded at the door.

“Huh? What’s wrong? Why are you sitting there in a daze looking so unhappy?”

Zhu Siyao appeared at the door.

She had just finished bathing and had changed into thin, moon-white sleepwear.

Her wet, pitch-black hair hung loosely over her shoulders, with crystal water droplets still dripping from the ends.

Perhaps due to the steam of the hot spring, her fair cheeks were flushed with a healthy red.

Her eyes still held a trace of post-bath laziness and charm.

She looked like a lotus freshly risen from the water, refreshing yet unknowingly seductive.

As she dried her hair with a cloth, she walked in, talking to herself.

“Chi Lian was right; that really is a nice hot spring. The Qi is abundant, and soaking in it feels wonderful—even better than the one at my old home.”

She walked over to Jiang Huai and naturally rested a hand on his thigh, tilting her head to look at him. “I’m talking to you. Why aren’t you answering?”

Seeing that Jiang Huai was still deep in thought, Zhu Siyao curled her lip and said with a hint of a pout, “It’s just because I didn’t use my mouth to help you just now, right? I’ll do it next time, okay? Why are you so petty? Don’t be mad at me! I haven’t even gotten mad at you yet!”

She rolled her eyes at him and began trying to gather her wet hair into a neat high ponytail.

After messing with her hair for a few moments, she finally realized that Jiang Huai seemed to have encountered a real problem.

She stopped her movements, leaned closer, and gently shook his arm, her tone turning worried.

“What exactly happened? Don’t scare me.”

Jiang Huai finally snapped out of his chaotic thoughts and looked at Zhu Siyao’s concerned face with a bitter smile.

“I can’t cultivate again. It’s really strange. My body is getting better every day, and I was thinking of reaching the Deity Transformation Realm as soon as possible so I could advance to the Great Ascension Stage.”

“But when I tried to circulate my energy just now, I found that I was stuck again.”

Could this method of cultivation using the Power of the Five Dragons have a time limit? Did it only last for a while before he had to borrow the strength of the Five Great Dragon Clans again? But if that were true, White Dew should have told him in advance.

She was someone who had personally experienced the entire cultivation process of the previous Yin-Yang Body; how could she be unaware of such a critical limitation?

Or was there another hidden reason that even White Dew didn’t fully know? Jiang Huai’s thoughts drifted back to Chi Hong’s meaningful words.

The relationship between the Yin-Yang Body and the Five Great Dragon Clans was much deeper and more complex than it appeared on the surface.

After the previous Yin-Yang Body fell and the Foreign Geniuses retreated, the originally united Five Great Dragon Clans quickly fell apart and went their separate ways. Was this related?

Seeing Jiang Huai’s knitted brows and deep contemplation, Zhu Siyao rubbed her slightly cool hands together, shifted her hips closer, and tried to offer some comfort in her own way.

“Well, I can’t help you much with this kind of thing,” she said softly.

“Should I go ask Clan Leader Chi Hong and the others? They are Dragons, after all. Maybe they can see what’s wrong? Or maybe you should try fighting the five of them again? If you really don’t want to see Chihuang, I can call Chi Lian back…”

She paused and sighed softly, her tone filled with regret.

“If only the previous Yin-Yang Body senior were still here. Not only would you not have to work so hard, but you’d certainly get an answer to your questions about the Gongfa.”

At the mention of the previous Yin-Yang Body, Jiang Huai was momentarily stunned, and then a thought occurred to him.

A white light suddenly glowed in his palm, followed by the appearance of a crystal-clear Crystal Coffin out of thin air.

The coffin exuded a majestic aura and occupied a significant amount of space. Zhu Siyao instinctively shrank back.

Inside the coffin, the tall, beautiful Woman in Green lay peacefully in eternal sleep.

It was as if the thrilling, world-saving bloody battle from before had never happened.

She was just sleeping, immersed in what might be an eternal tranquility.

“What are you doing?” Zhu Siyao asked after steadying herself and looking at Jiang Huai.

“Help me… find something on her body,” Jiang Huai answered softly.