“What? You’re going to the Secret Realm again?!”
Qin Qingyue, who had been lazily reclining on the soft couch, instantly sat up straight. Her crimson dragon eyes glared wide, as if her scales would bristle in the very next moment.
Although Jiang Huai’s strength was now considered top-tier among his peers—back in the Foundation Establishment Period, he could fight Chihuang, the Red Dragon Heavenly Proud One at the Golden Core stage to a draw, and now that he had advanced to Golden Core, his battle prowess was even more unfathomable—
But a string of accidents in the Secret Realm, especially the last incident with the Outworld Heavenly Demon, had left her instinctively wary and resistant to even hearing the words “Secret Realm”.
“Why do you still insist on going to the Secret Realm?” She eyed Jiang Huai suspiciously.
After so many accidents, her mindset was becoming more and more like Wu Zhaohua’s, doting on Jiang Huai and wishing she could just keep him from ever setting foot in a Secret Realm again.
Jiang Huai remained calm, explaining, “It’s Siming who invited me to go together.”
“I know that improving cultivation is important, but actual combat experience is just as crucial.”
“Besides, the Secret Realm often conceals great opportunities.” “With your current strength…”
“I can’t have just the realm, without the corresponding tempering,” Jiang Huai interrupted her, his tone gentle.
“Moreover, now that I’ve formed my Golden Core, with the Two Energies of Yin and Yang flowing within me and the Three Dragon Origins protecting my body from without, it’s no longer so easy for an Outworld Heavenly Demon to drag me away like last time.”
To become truly powerful, one cannot live forever under protection.
That had always been Jiang Huai’s belief.
Qin Qingyue stared at him for a long moment, seeing the clarity in his eyes.
In the end, she grunted reluctantly, “Fine. Since it’s a Secret Realm limited to the Golden Core level, I won’t say anything more.”
She reached out with a slender finger, nearly touching the tip of Jiang Huai’s nose, warning him, “If anything goes wrong again this time, I will never allow you to take even half a step into any Secret Realm again! Do you hear me?”
She paused, then muttered to herself as if to find comfort, “Anyway, Secret Realms of this rank have limited danger. If you can’t win, you can always withdraw at any time. Fine, fine.”
She knew well that she herself had walked out of countless Secret Realm battles.
No matter how rich the resources of the Nine Heavens Palace, they could not compare to the unique opportunities and enlightenment that could come from the brink of life and death inside a Secret Realm.
In the end, her understanding of the Dao outweighed her urge to be overprotective, and she nodded reluctantly.
After a while, Qin Qingyue suddenly got up from the couch, turned, and asked, “You’re not going to spare even Zhu Siyao, are you?”
“Isn’t that bad? I really think that’s not good.”
With her interactions with Zhuxin, Qin Qingyue really felt this wasn’t right—mother and daughter, both being courted.
“What nonsense are you spouting? There’s nothing like that between us!” Jiang Huai hurried to correct her.
“Zhaoxue said you two claimed to be husband and wife in the Small World.” Qin Qingyue curled her red lips, clearly not believing him.
“I’m telling you, try not to do that.”
“I wouldn’t! You’re overthinking it!” Jiang Huai protested, pushing her back in annoyance.
How could he do something like that?
“Then what about Wu Zhaohua? You’re not going?”
“The Secret Realm won’t take many days. I’ll go see her when it’s over.”
“Better not go. It’ll worry her to death, and you can never shake her off,” Qin Qingyue muttered.
Having persuaded Qin Qingyue, Jiang Huai made a few preparations, and at dawn the next morning, set out to the area below Nine Heavens Palace to find Zhu Siyao.
Now, under the careful management of Su Yingman, who was graceful and adept at diplomacy, and Zhuxin, who was strict and orderly, the Nine Heavens Palace was no longer the cold and desolate place it had been when first established.
Between the floating immortal mountains, rainbow bridges arched gracefully, and spirit cranes soared in flocks. On the vast plaza, the ground was paved with white jade, with spiritual energy lingering as mist.
Disciples in all manner of attire bustled back and forth; some flew on swords, some sat quietly discussing the Dao, some practiced techniques—a flourishing scene of immortal elegance.
As soon as Jiang Huai appeared in the plaza, countless eyes were immediately drawn to him.
He wore dragon scale-black robes, stood tall and straight, his features handsome and clear.
Though his aura was restrained, his unique bearing—and his relationship with Palace Master Qin Qingyue—meant he was the center of attention wherever he went.
“Greetings, Saint Son!”
“Greetings, Senior Brother Jiang!”
“Is that the Palace Master’s Dao Companion? He truly has an extraordinary presence…”
Many newly initiated female disciples curiously and respectfully greeted him, their whispers filled with curiosity and admiration.
With a gentle smile, Jiang Huai nodded in reply to each, walking with composure and elegance. He was already an influential figure at the core of the sect.
He soon arrived at the appointed place and saw Zhu Siyao.
She still wore her striking red dress, her back to him, seemingly gazing into the distant sea of clouds.
“Siming,” Jiang Huai called.
At the sound of his voice, Zhu Siyao slowly turned, the corner of her lips curling in a smile quite unlike her usual coldness—there was a hint of something strange and excited.
“You’re right on time. Let’s go.”
But just as she turned and spoke, her body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Deep within her sea of consciousness, the real Zhu Siyao was frantically battering at an invisible barrier, letting out a silent scream:
“No! Don’t go! Jiang Huai! Run! She’s lying to you!”
She saw the Heavenly Demon controlling her body, using that deceitful smile to lure Jiang Huai into the trap.
Anxious and furious, she couldn’t break the seal.
“You’re deceiving me! That’s not true!” Zhu Siyao’s consciousness roared in the sea of mind.
“Let me go!”
The Outworld Heavenly Demon sensed the turmoil in the sea of consciousness and sneered inwardly, immediately channeling its demonic power to further suppress the struggling will, locking it down as if placing several new shackles on a raging cage.
‘Noisy.’ It transmitted its cold message through thought.
“Don’t you fret night and day, thinking you’re not good enough for him, unable to keep up with his steps? I’ll help you solve that problem once and for all. I’ll make sure he stays right here forever, so you need never worry again.”
“Afterwards, you’ll thank me.”
“When you become one of us Outworld Heavenly Demons, you’ll see that things like noble or humble status, high or low talent, are nothing but a joke.”
“We’ll make everything equal—let the world fall silent.”
“Let’s go.” The Heavenly Demon, having calmed itself, flashed that mixed smile—a blend of maidenly innocence and its own sinister aura—at Jiang Huai once more.
The two of them went together to the entrance of the newly discovered Secret Realm.
The entrance was in a remote mountain valley, surrounded by ancient towering trees and tangled vines.
The swirling portal of light spun slowly, radiating thick spiritual energy, but if one examined closely, there was a faint, hidden trace of viciousness and distortion beneath it all.
“Zhu Siyao” stepped into the portal first, Jiang Huai following close behind.
Inside the Secret Realm, the scene opened up suddenly—but it was not the fairyland they had expected.
The sky was an eerie shade of dark red, the ground cracked and parched, and in the distance, twisted dead trees stretched up like dying arms reaching for the sky.
The air was laced with a faint scent of sulfur and decay; though the spiritual energy was dense, it felt restless and uneasy.
“When I explored before, I found abnormal energy fluctuations deeper inside, as if something was hidden there. I didn’t dare go in alone,”
“Zhu Siyao” said proactively, leading Jiang Huai deeper into the Secret Realm.
She deliberately chose a rough and rugged path, and with a “slip” of her foot, naturally reached out to tightly grab Jiang Huai’s arm, her whole soft body almost pressed against him.
“Be careful,” Jiang Huai said reflexively, steadying her, feeling the warmth and slight tremble of her hand on his arm.
“You’re so worried about me, Daddy,”
“Zhu Siyao” whispered in his ear, her warm breath caressing his cheek.
Jiang Huai stiffened, not knowing how to respond.