“Why won’t you let me go?” Jiang Huai loosened his mouth and looked up at the massive dragon head before him.
If he hadn’t seen Qin Qingyue transform into a dragon, he wouldn’t have believed that this imposing black dragon was truly her.
When in human form, Qin Qingyue was tall and voluptuous, her hips full and round as the moon, her figure curvaceous yet athletic, exuding an air of competence and heroic spirit.
As a dragon, she was crowned with sharp horns, her scales imposing and cold, radiating overwhelming power and majesty.
“Why should I let you go? Didn’t you say you’ve repaid your debt? But I saved your life.”
Qin Qingyue’s dragon eyes stared intently at Jiang Huai, who was sprawled on her back.
It was a novel feeling for her. In truth, she had never saved anyone before—let alone a man.
This was the first time Qin Qingyue had spent so much time with a man. Others, upon seeing her, wouldn’t even want to get close, as if afraid of catching misfortune or bad luck.
So she had rarely approached men, and in her heart, she held both prejudice and curiosity toward them.
As for love, it was something even more distant—something she could only long for.
No matter how strong she became, she could never attain it, for no one could stay by her side for long.
The weak would die, and the strong would avoid her, unwilling to be tainted by her ill fortune.
“Haven’t I already repaid you? I helped you pull out the sword.”
Jiang Huai noticed that the dragon scales beneath him were growing softer, and he lazily sprawled atop them.
A cool, strangely fragrant dragon breath lingered at the tip of his nose.
This spot was surprisingly comfortable. He wondered, if Qin Qingyue returned to human form, what part of her body would this be?
Qin Qingyue let out a snort, her body gradually shrinking. Her dragon tail deftly bypassed Jiang Huai’s blocking arm, and the smooth, soft underside of her tail, with an intimacy that brooked no refusal, brushed playfully over the messy strands atop his head, just like teasing a kitten.
“That’s only because everything was under my control. Otherwise, do you really think you could have held that sword?”
“That sword was given by Wu Zhaohua. Even a Soul Formation Stage cultivator might not be able to lift it. How could you possibly manage?”
The sword was embedded in her body, so of course she was forcibly suppressing its power. Otherwise, Jiang Huai wouldn’t have been able to get close at all.
“I don’t know about all that. I just wanted to help you at the time.”
“I don’t like owing people favors.” Jiang Huai covered his head, trying to avoid Qin Qingyue’s tail, which tickled him.
He hadn’t thought much at the time, nor did he know Wu Zhaohua would show up. He’d simply wanted to help Qin Qingyue.
Qin Qingyue fell silent for a moment at his words. It was true—she hadn’t expected Jiang Huai would actually help her.
It was a feeling utterly foreign to her, and she wanted to hold on to it.
But Qin Qingyue had never had deep connections with others, nor any friends. Looking at Jiang Huai, she felt like a hunter facing prey she didn’t know how to handle.
“By the way, you’re a Great Ascension cultivator, right?” Jiang Huai sat up and asked.
Qin Qingyue nodded. “That’s right, I’m a Great Ascension cultivator.”
She knew Jiang Huai had never cultivated, so she explained:
“The path of cultivation is divided into Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Divine Transformation, Integration, and Great Ascension.”
“People like me, Wu Zhaohua, and those who besieged me are all Great Ascension cultivators. The Dai Zongzhu of Wenxuan Sect, Qi Yuyong, who Wu Zhaohua brought along, is only at Divine Transformation.”
Qin Qingyue sounded a bit disgruntled. “Thankfully, Wu Zhaohua brought that burden along, or I really would have had to fight her.”
If Wu Zhaohua had gone mad and started burning her own essence, things wouldn’t have ended so easily.
Luckily, Qi Yuyong’s predicament made Wu Zhaohua hesitate for a moment, and that gave Qin Qingyue’s dragon form the chance to escape.
“Were the people who attacked you also Great Ascension cultivators? They didn’t seem as strong as you or Wu Zhaohua.” Jiang Huai asked, puzzled.
“And you said, if not for any tricks, you could have killed them all.”
If they were all Great Ascension cultivators, why was there such a huge gap?
With so many opponents, it should have been hard for Qin Qingyue to escape.
At this, Qin Qingyue lifted her dragon head slightly, pride flickering in her eyes.
“There are differences even among Great Ascension cultivators. Those wastes thought they could gang up on me?”
“In cultivation, reaching Great Ascension isn’t that difficult—you just advance step by step.”
“But each advancement is different. For example, during Qi Refining, it depends on what kind of Qi you refine.”
“Are you practicing Turbid Qi Refining, Clear Spiritual Qi Refining, or Jade Liquid Qi Refining?”
“When you reach Foundation Establishment, is it Floating Sand Foundation, Rock Foundation, or Purple Mansion Foundation?”
“For Golden Core, is it Patterned Golden Core, Pure Golden Core, or Nine-turn Golden Core?”
“Every advancement requires talent and rare resources, shaping different Nascent Souls, Divine Transformations, Integrations, and eventually Great Ascension.”
As she spoke, Qin Qingyue’s form shifted back to human, and she explained leisurely to Jiang Huai:
“A single stage might not make much difference, but over time?”
“Some people go from Turbid Qi Refining, to Floating Sand Foundation, to Patterned Golden Core, ending up with a Defective Nascent Soul, transforming into a False God, merging into a Turbid Body.”
“Even if they reach Great Ascension, it’s a flawed Great Ascension. Such cultivators, I could destroy with a wave of my hand. How could they compare to me?”
Her dragon claw gestured in the air, conjuring miniatures out of pure spiritual power:
A swirling mass of turbid Qi, a crumbling sand tower, a cracked, mottled golden pellet…
“Looks easy? The gap starts from the very first step.”
With a flick of her finger, the inferior images shattered and vanished.
Jiang Huai digested her words, then asked curiously:
“What about you? What kind of Great Ascension are you?”
Qin Qingyue’s lips curled upward, pride shining in her dragon eyes, as if she’d been waiting for this question.
She leaned in, her cool fingertip lifting Jiang Huai’s chin with irresistible force, her thumb tracing his jawline gently.
It was as if she was appreciating the texture of a precious jade; her dragon eyes revealed undisguised interest.
“I am Jade Liquid Qi Refining, with a Purple Mansion Foundation, a Nine-turn Golden Core, a Dragon Aspect Nascent Soul, Primordial Spirit Transformation, Eight Winds Integration, and naturally, Supreme Sage Great Ascension!”
From Qi Refining to Great Ascension, she had always chosen the highest path, and her Great Ascension was the very pinnacle of the world.
That was why her cultivation now placed her among the strongest in existence—there were only a handful who could surpass her.
Most importantly, she had done it all on her own, without relying on any sect or power.
In this regard, Qin Qingyue considered herself superior to Wu Zhaohua, who had relied on her sect in the early days!
“Is Wu Zhaohua the same?” Jiang Huai continued.
If so, then Wu Zhaohua had always been her rival; perhaps their paths were similar.
At the mention of Wu Zhaohua’s advancement, Qin Qingyue’s expression shifted slightly. She pursed her lips, moved the Dragon Palace back to the riverbed, and changed the subject:
“It’s safe here. Let’s stay here for now.”
“There’s a room next to mine—you can stay there.”
With that, she strode toward the Dragon Palace without looking back.
Jiang Huai watched her almost hurried retreat and understood at once:
‘Seems Wu Zhaohua’s cultivation is one level above Qin Qingyue’s. This proud black dragon won’t even mention it.’
‘By the way, why is she a black dragon, but her skin isn’t dark?’
In human form, Qin Qingyue carried an intriguing contrast.
Her skin was white as jade, scattered with ink-black dragon scales. Her tail swayed gently behind her, and her full, rounded hips were covered in scales yet retained a certain softness.
In every gesture, she possessed both feminine allure and wild, untamed spirit—the two qualities intertwined, making her especially captivating.