The Xianzhou glided smoothly through the skies above the Jade Ai Realm, slowly heading in the direction of the Mystic Polaris Immortal Sect.
Jiang Huai and White Dew stood side by side at the front of the Xianzhou’s deck, letting the chill wind brush through their long hair, intertwining the strands.
A heavy, unspoken silence lingered between them.
White Dew drew a deep breath of the frigid air, trying to calm her tangled thoughts.
She kept her gaze fixed ahead, her cool voice as clear as shattered jade, speaking softly: “If you hate me, then at least wait until we’ve overcome this Five Provinces Crisis before you say so.”
“If we can make it through this calamity safely, after that, I’ll let you and Qin Qingyue handle things as you wish.”
In her view—especially considering the deeply ingrained female-dominant ideals of her ancient era—what she had done was particularly disgraceful, a vile crime beneath even dragons’ contempt.
To violate and take another’s Dao companion was utterly intolerable.
At her words, Jiang Huai turned his head, his eyes falling on White Dew’s delicate profile, always coated in icy frost, gazing into those ice-blue eyes that seemed to hold the vastness of a frozen plain.
“Truly, you’ll let me decide?” His voice was soft.
White Dew hesitated ever so slightly, then nodded, her tone sinking with resignation: “At your disposal.”
After speaking, she seemed to recall something and turned her head to ask: “Are you truly not her child? The Yin-Yang Body has always been passed down in a single line.”
She was, of course, referring to the previous generation’s Yin-Yang Body, who had once fought at her side.
Jiang Huai shook his head and answered calmly: “No. I have no blood relation to the previous Yin-Yang Body.”
White Dew fell silent.
She was naturally cool and not adept with words; even though she wanted to ease the atmosphere and speak more with Jiang Huai, she had no idea how to begin.
Moreover, she was harboring another request—one just as difficult to put into words.
Innate Primordial Qi is truly profound, greatly benefiting my cultivation.
If I could borrow his Chaos Dao Platform once more for comprehension, perhaps…
But how could she say that now?
But just then, Jiang Huai suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.
“Speaking of which. You possess Innate Primordial Qi. In ancient times, were there ever any male cultivators who possessed it as well?”
From the fragmented memories of the Yin-Yang Body inheritance he’d received, he’d never seen any male figure, which struck him as odd.
Hearing Jiang Huai take the initiative to mention “Innate Primordial Qi,”
White Dew’s heart skipped a beat, as if her thoughts had been laid bare.
Yet her expression remained unchanged; she shook her head regretfully: “Never. It seems female Yin-Yang Bodies cannot pass Innate Primordial Qi to male cultivators. Perhaps it’s due to something fundamental in their constitution.”
She paused deftly, deliberately steering the topic toward herself: “However, it seems male Yin-Yang Bodies can benefit female cultivators, just as you have for me.”
She raised her eyes to Jiang Huai, her tone gently guiding: “Now it seems, this Innate Primordial Qi is extremely effective in resisting the Outworld Heavenly Demons.”
“You should use it more…”
Jiang Huai’s expression shifted; a sudden possibility flashed through his mind.
If his Yin-Yang Body really had such effects, then once he returned to the Five Provinces Continent, wouldn’t he become some sort of ‘special resource’ for others to boost their cultivation against the Heavenly Demons?
White Dew seemed to see through his thoughts and quickly added: “Of course, all things in this world are limited by the Rules of Heaven and Earth.”
“Even the Yin-Yang Body can’t unconditionally and infinitely benefit others.”
“For example, under the laws of this world, only one Yin-Yang Body is typically born in each generation.”
“As for the specific limits, once your realm rises high enough, you’ll understand naturally.”
Hearing this, Jiang Huai finally let out a quiet breath and nodded.
Just then, the view ahead grew clearer; the outline of a vast mountain range came into sight, with towers and pavilions faintly visible.
It was the site of the Xuanxian Immortal Sect.
Suddenly, with a rumbling sound, the Xianzhou seemed to trigger some kind of warning array.
A few streaks of light sped from the mountains, reaching them in an instant.
They were several female cultivators dressed in dark sect robes, their style now unified with that of the Nine Heavens Palace, appearing crisp and disciplined.
When the leading cultivators saw Tang Zhaoxue standing at the bow, surprise and delight flashed across their faces.
They hurried forward and greeted her with reverent bows: “Da Zongzhu! You’ve returned!”
Hearing that familiar title and seeing the once-reverent faces, Tang Zhaoxue was briefly transported back to those years when she stood above all others and her word was law.
Unconsciously, she straightened her back, lifting her chin slightly; that aura of grace and authority belonging to a ruler surfaced naturally.
“Mm, it’s been a while.” Her voice was calm, but carried its own weight.
An elder-like female cultivator stepped forward and asked cautiously: “Da Zongzhu, what important business brings you back this time?”
They all knew their Da Zongzhu had gone to cultivate at the higher realm’s Nine Heavens Palace and rarely returned.
“There’s been trouble in the Five Provinces Continent. We’ll need to stay here for a while,” Tang Zhaoxue said evenly, then deftly issued orders.
“Send word at once to the leaders of the other sects in the Jade Ai Realm—summon them here to the Xuanxian Immortal Sect for a meeting. There must be no mistakes.”
Her tone was effortless, fully displaying the authority of a sect leader.
From the side, Zhu Siyao glanced over, thinking to herself: That’s right, when she and Jiang Huai had first arrived in this realm, this was exactly the kind of imposing, decisive Tang Zhaoxue they’d encountered.
“Yes! At Da Zongzhu’s command!”
None dared show the slightest slack; they answered in unison, turning into streaks of light and scattering to carry out her orders.
Inside the sect leader’s Master Bedroom at the Mystic Polaris Immortal Sect.
Night had fallen; the Bright Pearls inside glowed gently, their light warm and soft.
Tang Zhaoxue sat at the edge of the bed draped in soft brocade, now clad in a silken Moon-White Sleepwear.
The sleepwear hugged her graceful figure, accentuating elegant curves.
With the sternness of daylight gone, her black hair now flowed like a waterfall, and under the pearly glow, she appeared all the more striking.
But in her eyes, a faint trace of anticipation could be seen.
“You are the Young Lord of the Nine Heavens Palace, and since the Mystic Polaris Immortal Sect is a subordinate sect, it’s only natural for you to stay in the Master Bedroom,” she said to Jiang Huai, who stood nearby.
But this was obviously a flimsy excuse—anyone could see she simply wanted to be alone with him.
She had already made sure everyone else was settled—Su Yingman was sent to the Healing Quiet Room, Zhu Siyao and Chi Lian each had their own quarters.
“Is this really alright?” Jiang Huai said softly, glancing around the room.
“In the Mystic Polaris Immortal Sect, you just be the Da Zongzhu and maintain your dignity.”
“We won’t do anything to diminish your prestige.”
At his words, Tang Zhaoxue’s lips curled faintly. Just as she was about to reassure him further, a faint noise sounded outside the door, and a graceful figure silently appeared within the room.
Tang Zhaoxue tensed.
To evade her senses so effortlessly—the visitor’s cultivation was surely higher than hers.
Could it be White Dew Predecessor? Or perhaps Chiyun Predecessor?
But as the newcomer’s alluring features came into view, with a pair of eyes like blossoming peaches, always holding a misty charm, it was unmistakably Su Yingman.
Though her complexion was still a bit pale from blood loss, it only heightened her delicate vulnerability.
“Are your injuries healed? Why have you come here?”
Jiang Huai hurried to meet her, reaching out to support her.
Su Yingman smiled languidly, waving him off: “Not completely, but with your vital blood sustaining me, I can move freely enough.”
As she spoke, her gaze wandered around the room, those drowsy yet bright eyes finally drifting playfully to Tang Zhaoxue.
“Are you planning to stay here tonight?” Su Yingman’s lips parted slightly, her tone unreadable.
“As it happens, I need your healing as well, so I’ll be staying here too.”
With that, she strode to the bedside, gracefully sitting down, slender hands smoothing over the soft brocade.
Then, she looked up, her smile teasing as she gazed at Tang Zhaoxue’s slightly stiff expression:
“May I borrow Tang Sect Leader’s bed for a while? The Da Zongzhu wouldn’t mind, would she?”
Tang Zhaoxue’s breath caught; her face displayed a complex expression as she lightly bit her red lip, her feelings impossible to read.
What did this mean? Did they intend to do something in her Master Bedroom?