What? Enter the secret realm to meet the Saintess of the Red Dragon Clan?
Qin Qingyue’s heart instantly sounded alarm bells, and she looked at Chi Hong, seated high on the throne, with deep suspicion, hesitating.
“Is your secret realm reliable? Can’t you just have your Saintess come out and meet us? Why go through all this trouble?”
Chi Hong lazily shifted her sitting posture, leaning on the armrest. One voluptuous, elegant jade leg crossed gracefully over the other, as she looked down at Jiang Huai and smiled:
“Palace Master Qin is overthinking. Our ‘Red Flame Heart-Refining Secret Realm’ was specially established for the Saintess and core disciples of our clan to undergo trials. It’s existed for ten thousand years; we know every trial within like the back of our hands. There’s absolutely no uncontrollable risk.”
Her gaze turned to Jiang Huai, tinged with playful amusement:
“Since Young Master Jiang has come here with marriage in mind, naturally we cannot treat you as an ordinary man.”
“You must at least show some ability and prove you’re worthy to meet our Saintess, right?” she said with a smiling squint.
Tang Zhaoxue, who had been silently following behind, quietly nodded.
Though the words sounded a bit harsh, they were not entirely unreasonable.
By rights, it should have been the Saintess of the Red Dragon Clan who braved trials to meet Jiang Huai.
But now that Jiang Huai had come himself to ‘take a wife’, their status was instantly reversed, and it was only fitting for him to be the one tested.
“Very well. Since that’s the case, I’ll trouble Clan Leader Chi Hong to lead the way to the secret realm entrance,” Jiang Huai replied calmly with a cupped-fist salute.
No matter what, seeing the Saintess in person came first.
Since Jiang Huai had agreed himself, even if Qin Qingyue still had misgivings, she couldn’t forcibly object and could only nod in consent, instructing:
“Be careful in everything.”
“If anything goes wrong, leave immediately, understand? There are so many Red Dragons here.”
If worst comes to worst, you could always marry some other Red Dragon. If this one doesn’t want you, there are plenty more who do.
Deep within the secret realm.
This was a world of raging flames. Magma surged like rivers, and the air was filled with heatwaves fierce enough to scorch the lungs.
Only a single, gigantic, crimson Fire Lotus, formed from the purest fire laws, hovered serenely at the center of the magma, providing a relatively stable place for cultivation.
Atop the lotus, a graceful figure sat cross-legged in meditation.
She slowly opened her eyes, revealing pupils of pure crimson.
Though, by Dragon Race standards, she was still considered young, the Red Dragon Clan’s transformation form was always mature in appearance—her figure full and alluring, far more voluptuous than an ordinary woman, but never bloated, radiating a vibrant, fiery energy.
Her beauty was striking and dignified, with a natural air of nobility and pride between her brows.
She was the Saintess of the Red Dragon Clan, Chihuang.
“Saintess—”
A maidservant, a mixed-blood Red Dragon girl, cautiously approached and reported in a low voice, explaining the situation in detail.
“That’s how it is. That Young Master Jiang Huai from Nine Heavens Palace wishes to enter the secret realm to see you.”
Chihuang’s eyes instantly blazed with fury, the heat around her rising in waves.
“Absurd!” she rebuked angrily.
“What does he mean by this? He wants me—the future Swordmaster of the Red Dragon Clan, a continent-renowned genius of the Five Provinces Continent, a cultivator at the Nine-turn Golden Core realm—to become his concubine?!”
These words struck her like a resounding slap in the face, a blatant humiliation.
How could she ever hold her head up among her peers after this? How could she ever become the future Clan Leader of the Red Dragon Clan?
If word of this got out, it would be humiliating enough on its own.
“I refuse! Tell him to get lost!” Her chest heaved with rage as she shouted.
“If he dares appear before me, don’t blame me for showing no mercy—no matter how pretty he is, I’ll run my sword through this arrogant womanizer and leave him full of holes!”
The maidservant trembled in fright, quickly adding:
“Saintess, please calm your anger. The Clan Leader has already granted Young Master Jiang permission to enter the secret realm.”
“But the Clan Leader said she’ll secretly increase the difficulty, making it as hard as possible for him to pass.”
Upon hearing this, the fury in Chihuang’s chest eased a bit.
She snorted coldly:
“That’s more like it.”
At least the Clan Leader was still on her side.
Her mood improved somewhat, and she stretched her feet lazily.
Nearby, another maidservant—her figure equally full but her temperament far meeker and more submissive—immediately knelt and carefully helped her put on her gorgeous Red Crystal Shoes, movements gentle and eyes lowered.
This little maidservant was named Chi Lian. She had been alone and without support since childhood.
Within the Red Dragon Clan, there were strict divisions of rank and bloodline. Chi Lian belonged to the very lowest class.
Chihuang had taken pity on her and kept her by her side as a close maidservant.
Though called a maidservant, serving at the side of the Saintess meant she lacked for neither resources nor cultivation methods.
Within, she was a maid; without, she was the Saintess’s double.
Chihuang was very pleased with Chi Lian’s docility—raising her as a little sister seemed just right.
Chihuang looked down at the girl before her—mature in charm like herself, yet so different in temperament—and suddenly stroked her smooth chin, a thought flashing through her mind.
Her white, round, pearl-like toes curled slightly with mischievous delight.
“Chi Lian, you’ll wear my clothes for a bit,” Chihuang said, a sly smile tugging at her lips.
“Ah?” Chi Lian’s head jerked up, her face filled with shock and panic.
“How could I wear the Saintess’s clothes? I…”
Chihuang waved her hand impatiently, “Just do as I say. Don’t ask questions.”
“Come with me to meet someone. At that time, you’ll be me, and I’ll be you.”
Elsewhere, Jiang Huai had already reached the heart of the secret realm.
This ‘Red Flame Heart-Refining Secret Realm’ truly lived up to its reputation.
The Fiery Soul-Scorching Flame seared at his spiritual sense, enough to shatter the will of any with weak minds.
The solid Fire Spirit Guardians fought with fearless ferocity, each blow rivaling that of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.
There were even myriad illusions, attacking inner weaknesses and tempting one to fall into delusion.
Yet, Jiang Huai walked with steady steps, his gaze always clear, gripping his long sword tight.
Whenever the burning flames reached him, a subtle Yin-Yang Dao Rhyme silently dissipated some of their power.
He could clearly feel that the trials were set at the level of late-stage Golden Core, or even the threshold of Nascent Soul.
An ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator would not survive the first trial.
But for him, it was nothing excessive.
“How interesting…”
Outside the secret realm, Chi Hong, who had been watching closely with her spiritual sense, couldn’t help but exclaim softly.
“He actually made it through? This boy—how is he so formidable?”
She had expected that, after raising the difficulty, Jiang Huai would give up halfway at best, yet he had cleared every obstacle and was heading straight for the core.
It seemed their Saintess would have to meet him after all.
But… the aura on him seemed a bit odd?
Chi Hong narrowed her beautiful eyes, carefully observing Jiang Huai within the secret realm.
Just as Jiang Huai stepped through the final wall of flame and emerged into the open, his gaze fell upon the massive Fire Lotus.
“Stop right there!”
A crisp, forceful shout cut through the air, accompanied by searing sword qi.
A flame-clad figure rode her sword toward him, exuding overwhelming arrogance and pride.
It was none other than Chihuang herself, dressed in simple red attire, standing with sword in hand.
Her brows brimmed with haughty pride, and she leveled her sword at Jiang Huai, barking,
“The Saintess is cultivating here! How dare you trespass in a forbidden place? Are you courting death?”
Before she finished, her scarlet dragon-patterned sword was already drawn, turning into a streak of flowing fire that shot mercilessly at Jiang Huai’s face.
To her, this arrogant intruder who dared covet her as a concubine deserved a beating first and talk later!
“Please, wait! I am Jiang Huai of the Nine Heavens Palace, here with permission from Clan Leader Chi Hong to enter the secret realm and pay my respects to Saintess Chihuang.” Jiang Huai hastily explained, stepping back.
“Never heard of you! If you want to see my Saintess, you’ll have to get through me first!” Chihuang said angrily, sword tip pressing closer to Jiang Huai.
Behind Chihuang, the girl in the much more splendid Saintess’s ceremonial red dress—Chi Lian—opened her mouth anxiously, clutching her sleeves, but recalling the Saintess’s orders, she didn’t dare speak. She could only watch with trepidation as her lady charged in brimming with murderous intent.
How did things come to this? Why did she end up playing the Saintess now?