The three mysterious treasures that inexplicably appeared in her inventory sent Jiang Ke’er’s emotions into a whirlwind.
For now, she set aside the question of how these items came to be.
At this moment, she finally saw a glimmer of hope for a turnaround!
It was time to take action!
Heaven have mercy—perhaps this little fox demon was not destined to die in obscurity.
Fate had finally granted her some leverage to work with.
She let out a long breath—Jiang Ke’er, calm your little potato down and think carefully.
In this grand convergence of events, where the mightiest figures of the entire Xiao Kingdom had gathered, how could she, with her frail body devoid of any cultivation, survive in the cracks, unleash her greatest potential, make all those sanctimonious scoundrels pay the price, live freely, and emerge as the ultimate victor?
Open your mind—there must be a right answer!
“Your Highness, the Saintess, it’s time to set out.”
Qiao Xiaoxian sat at the vanity, gathering her cascading water-blue hair and pinning it neatly behind her head.
Sunlight fell upon her delicate chin, her red lips curling slightly into a self-mocking smile… Yes, it was time to set out.
“I know, no need to remind me,” Qiao Xiaoxian said coldly.
Her voice was clear and resolute, carrying a hint of defiance, unmistakably that of a strong-willed woman.
Looking at herself in the mirror, her long lashes framed eyes that remained as calm and composed as ever, without the slightest trace of fear or panic.
This was her true self—the demeanor befitting a Dragon Clan Saintess.
What did it matter if she faced death?
Her only regret was that she had lived a lonely life, with unfulfilled wishes.
If only she could live for herself, even for just one day…
But so be it.
The path she walked today was one she had chosen.
Just as she had once abandoned the Dragon Clan’s traditional gentle techniques and resolutely embraced the fierce, battle-honed demonic techniques… those were her choices.
She knew the Dragon Clan had been too gentle for too long.
What they needed was a sharp sword, one who could fight on the battlefield and slaughter any invaders!
Yet, this choice had brought her to the brink of destruction.
Her growth had been too rapid, and the Demon Kingdom’s ruler feared her power, wary that one day she might ascend to the Ninth Tier and disrupt the kingdom’s balance of power.
Thus, she was appointed as an envoy to the Xiao Kingdom, bearing “precious gifts” to negotiate peace… Peace, they called it, but everyone knew that given the Xiao Kingdom’s circumstances, peace talks were impossible.
Moreover, she carried no gifts on this journey… because she herself was the gift.
The Demon Kingdom’s ruler intended to offer her as a tribute to the Xiao Kingdom, hoping to temporarily delay their aggression.
Qiao Xiaoxian could not refuse.
If she went, only she would die.
If she didn’t, the entire Dragon Clan would perish.
Her clansmen hadn’t forced her; they were even willing to fight to the death against the Demon Kingdom alongside her… But she couldn’t bear to see her people suffer.
She chose to go to the Xiao Kingdom herself.
If one Dragon Clan Saintess died, perhaps a new hope could rise.
The Dragon Clan must not perish here.
Besides, she still had a sliver of opportunity—
Through the collective efforts of the Dragon Clan, they had arranged for the meeting to take place in Wulei City.
Near Wulei City, deep underground, lay a Xun Metal Dragon Vein—a critical element for her to ascend to the Nine Palaces Realm.
She had to stand in the Dragon Vein’s lair at noon on the day of the Golden Crow Festival, attempting to absorb the power of the Dragon Vein to break through to the Nine Palaces Realm… If she succeeded, both the Dragon Clan and she herself could survive.
But things would not go so smoothly.
To begin with, she wasn’t fully prepared to attempt the breakthrough to the Nine Palaces Realm.
The powerhouses of the Xiao Kingdom would never allow her to ascend in peace, and even her own people from the Demon Kingdom would stand in her way.
The chances of success were slim, and even Qiao Xiaoxian herself held no hope.
She let out a soft sigh, stood up, and with a wave of her hand, a snow-white robe draped over her body.
The faint blue dragon patterns on the robe shimmered softly.
Qiao Xiaoxian took a step forward, lifting the hem of her robe to reveal her slender, fair legs.
She drew a satin ribbon and tied a dagger to her thigh.
This was for suicide.
She refused to endure the agony of being tortured alive.
If she were defeated and exhausted, she would draw this dagger and end her life immediately.
“Let’s go.”
Qiao Xiaoxian’s face bore light makeup—her first time ever applying it, and it was far from perfect.
She had only used a touch of rouge to make her lips slightly rosier, masking her usual pallor and fatigue.
Even so, her natural beauty was breathtaking.
Dark red patterns crept around the edges of her pupils, and faint demonic energy swirled within her, gradually growing turbulent and powerful.
Her aura sharpened, brimming with dangerous, aggressive intent.
If she could protect what she held dear by practicing demonic techniques and descending into the so-called demonic path, what did it matter?
This Saintess had never been saintly!
“I’m ready.”
For this, the final battle of her life, Qiao Xiaoxian was prepared.
Jiang Ke’er stole a dagger.
She wasn’t sure if that fat guy would notice, but she felt she desperately needed this dagger.
She placed it in the most prominent spot in her inventory, where she could grab it instantly.
This was her final precaution.
If her plan failed and her fox demon identity was accidentally exposed, she would end her life immediately to avoid falling into the hands of those hypocritical “gentlemen” and becoming their plaything.
This was a necessary measure, as the gathering would be filled with powerful figures.
If she were exposed to their scrutiny, her identity would be revealed in mere seconds.
When that happened, those bastards might not even bother fighting the boss—they’d come straight for her.
“Have you found it or not?” Kuang Yuanwei was clearly growing impatient.
Jiang Ke’er didn’t respond; she was still staring blankly at the ground.
Kuang Yuanwei couldn’t fathom what use there was in Jiang Ke’er’s strange method of pausing every few steps to zone out.
He felt his intelligence was being deeply insulted.
“What’s the rush? In a hurry to reincarnate?” Jiang Ke’er shot Kuang Yuanwei a glance, then walked a few dozen steps forward and continued staring blankly.
Kuang Yuanwei’s patience snapped.
With a whoosh, he pressed his sword against Jiang Ke’er’s neck.
“You’ve wasted so much of our time, dragging us back and forth, playing us like fools! If you don’t give me a clear explanation right now, I’ll chop your head off!”
“You sure you want me to explain?” Jiang Ke’er gave him a look as if he were an idiot.
“I’m worried your puny brains won’t even understand.”
“Cut the nonsense! Explain!”
“Fine,” Jiang Ke’er stood up, brushed the dust off her knees, and raised her head with a confident smile. “Brace yourselves and listen up!”
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