“What do you mean? I don’t understand.” Qin Qingyue stood tall, her tone calm.
“If the Immortal Realm itself is not a paradise and is full of hidden dangers, and you have been here for a long time, why have you never told the truth to the original inhabitants?”
“The Immortal Realm should have Heavenly Immortals, right?”
She felt a faint irritation in her heart.
How many years had passed? Why did she and Wu Zhaohua still have to solve such matters?
Beside her, Wu Zhaohua looked over, her eyes also filled with doubt.
They were both Heavenly Immortals who had struggled to the top through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
Their Dao Hearts were resilient and their wisdom was clear; they would not be easily used as pawns by others.
Hearing this, a bitter expression appeared on the White Dragon Clan Leader’s face.
She slowly shook her head, her voice low:
“Two Immortal Fairies, I’m afraid your knowledge of the current true situation of the Immortal Realm is limited.”
“Heavenly Immortals?” She repeated the term with a complex tone.
“It is difficult to say exactly how many Heavenly Immortals still exist in the Immortal Realm.”
“Furthermore, it is even harder to persuade them to risk their lives to investigate those eerie areas that even we of the Dragon Race feel deeply uneasy about.” She paused for a moment and continued to explain:
“The key lies in the fact that creatures born natively in the Immortal Realm are affected by the Dao Rules of this world and cannot break through to the Heavenly Immortal realm.”
“No matter how high the Innate Talent of the original inhabitants here is, even if they exhaust their efforts, they can at most stop at the peak of the Earth Immortal realm.”
“Since ancient times, all Heavenly Immortals have been Ascenders from the lower worlds.”
“However, after that World-Ending War with the Outworld Heavenly Demons in the Primordial Era, many prosperous lower worlds were shattered and turned into those Secret Realms on the Five Provinces Continent.”
“The Small Worlds that luckily survived were also severely damaged, making it difficult for them to flourish, and Ascenders are few and far between.”
“Therefore, the number of Heavenly Immortals in the Immortal Realm only decreases and never increases; it is almost severed.”
“Nowadays, the only supplements almost entirely depend on Ascension from the Five Provinces Continent. But how many Heavenly Immortals can the Five Provinces Continent produce?” Her final words were full of helplessness and sorrow.
Thinking back to the Primordial Era, when ten thousand worlds competed and Ascenders were as numerous as crucian carp crossing a river, how glorious the Immortal Realm was then.
Now, there is a gap between generations, and it is gradually withering away.
“Because of this, when facing those strange Forbidden Lands in the Immortal Realm suspected to be related to the Outworld Heavenly Demons, existences at the Heavenly Immortal level are rarely willing to risk investigating.”
“Over the years, it has been our Five Great Dragon Clans Union with the informed great clans of the Human Race, struggling to explore and trying to piece together the truth.”
The White Dragon Clan Leader’s expression became solemn, her gaze burning as she looked at Qin Qingyue and Wu Zhaohua, saying gravely:
“Now, the Outworld Heavenly Demons are invading the lower worlds on a large scale again, and these long-dormant eerie areas in the Immortal Realm are also showing abnormal movements simultaneously.”
“If we want to fundamentally rescue the Five Provinces and sever future troubles, I’m afraid we must start from here.”
“Otherwise, if the Five Provinces completely fall, the Immortal Realm will no longer have fresh blood from Ascension to replenish it.”
“At that time, the Immortal Realm will be isolated and without help, its own hidden dangers will explode, and the consequences will be unimaginable.” Qin Qingyue and Wu Zhaohua looked at each other, both seeing undeniable horror in each other’s eyes.
A spine-chilling guess uncontrollably welled up in their hearts: surround the enemy but leave a way out!
When the living forces of the Immortal Realm gradually perish in the passage of time and internal friction, and the external Root Foundation is completely occupied and eroded by the Heavenly Demons…
Then there truly will be no way to heaven and no door to the earth.
Without needing verbal communication, with just a clash of gazes, they understood the answer in each other’s hearts.
They had to go, they must go!
Qin Qingyue raised her hand to rub her brow, a flash of annoyance and weariness crossing her beautiful face.
By nature, she was not someone with great love for the world.
Her heart still held remnants of hatred and Resentment toward this world that had once given her countless pains and trials.
“Why does every piece of trash always end up piled on my head?” she complained in a low voice, her tone revealing helpless Resentment.
“And I have to be with you.”
Why did she still have to be with Wu Zhaohua?
Mystic Polaris Immortal Sect, the night was deep.
The bright moon hung high in the ink-blue sky, shedding watery clear light and enveloping the continuous mountains and Hehuan Sect Pavilions in a layer of hazy silver gauze.
The winding bluestone paths were washed bright by the moonlight, and the spiritual flowers and exotic grasses by the roadside swayed gently in the night wind, emitting bursts of
refreshing fragrance. Mixed with the faint Qi in the air, it was heart-refreshing.
Jiang Huai and Tang Zhaoxue were strolling side by side on this quiet moonlit path.
Occasionally, patrolling or late-returning Sect Disciples passed by. Seeing the two, they all immediately stopped their steps and bowed respectfully.
Tang Zhaoxue, as the Da Zongzhu, only nodded slightly without saying much, the indifferent majesty belonging to a superior flowing out inadvertently.
“In a few days, we will set off to return to the Five Provinces.” Jiang Huai broke the silence.
“Has everything here been properly arranged?” This was the decision he had made after discussing with White Dew.
White Dew was determined to lead everyone back to the Five Provinces to integrate their strength and face the invasion of the Outworld Heavenly Demons head-on.
“Yes, everything has been properly arranged.”
Under the moonlight, Tang Zhaoxue’s figure appeared even more tall and slender.
Her face was as white as jade in the moonlight, her features like a painting.
She possessed both the dignity of a Da Zongzhu and a quiet beauty as the night softened her edges.
Tonight, she wore a Black Sect Master Gown. The design of this gown was extremely magnificent.
The cut of the gown was well-fitted, outlining her exquisite curves, especially at the waist, which was tied very tightly, further showing its slenderness.
What was most eye-catching was the hem, which was strikingly long, almost completely trailing on the ground, yet it did not touch a speck of dust as she walked.
“I have personally met with the leaders of those subordinate Sects and explained everything clearly.”
“Even if we leave, the Mystic Polaris Immortal Sect and its affiliated forces will be in order and will not fall into chaos.”
“That’s good.” Jiang Huai nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then said:
“Your.…. well, that place seems to be recovering very quickly, and it looks like it will be completely healed soon.”
With his daily improving Two Energies of Yin and Yang and Su Yingman’s “help,” Tang Zhaoxue was recovering very fast, almost to the point of being no different from a normal person.
Mentioning this matter, the cold aura of a Da Zongzhu around Tang Zhaoxue seemed to be blown away a bit.
The corners of her mouth unconsciously curled into a very shallow arc, showing her inner joy.
The hidden ailment that had troubled her for many years was relieved, which was not only a physical liberation but also a mental relaxation.
“Wait until you have completely recovered.” Arriving under a towering ancient tree that required several people to encircle, Jiang Huai stopped his steps and turned to look at her.
The moonlight was cut into fine light spots by the dense branches and leaves, falling on the two of them.
“Will you not need to use that method anymore?” he asked somewhat implicitly.
Jiang Huai had always been somewhat confused whether that was a preference driven by her nature or a vent caused by long-term suppression and physical defects.
“Regardless of everything.” His tone became serious.
“Just be yourself. There is no need to force or disguise yourself for anyone, including me.”
Tang Zhaoxue also stopped.
She first looked up at the bright moonlight leaking through the gaps in the leaves, then tilted her head, her gaze quietly falling on Jiang Huai’s face.
She did not answer immediately but took a step forward, and then another. Her gait was still elegant.
Amid Jiang Huai’s slightly startled gaze, she reached out her hand and gently pressed it against the rough tree trunk behind him, trapping him between herself and the ancient tree.
The distance between the two instantly closed.
Jiang Huai could clearly see the shadows cast by the moonlight on her long eyelashes and smell the cold fragrance coming from her body.
“I like you.”
She suddenly spoke, her voice not high, like jade lightly tapping.
Having said that, without waiting for Jiang Huai’s reaction, her soft red lips pressed directly against his.
It was a gentle kiss. She closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling like butterfly wings.
Jiang Huai was stunned for a moment, then slowly responded.
The moonlight flowed, and the tree shadows flickered. Time seemed to become thick and slow at this moment.
A moment later, their lips parted.
Tang Zhaoxue did not pull away; instead, she leaned closer.
Her warm breath intertwined with Jiang Huai’s, making it hard to distinguish one from the other.
“What do you want to say?” Jiang Huai asked in a low voice, his voice slightly hoarse.
“I just wanted to say I like you, that’s all.” Tang Zhaoxue smiled.
“Why say this suddenly? You didn’t dare to say it before?” Jiang Huai raised his hand, gently brushing away a strand of hair that had been ruffled by the night wind near her cheek.
“Before?” There was a bit more bitterness in Tang Zhaoxue’s smile.
“In that situation before, besides getting saliva all over your face, what else could I do?”
“Even though I knew you didn’t truly dislike it, I could not cross that hurdle in my own heart no matter what.” She paused, the gloom in her eyes replaced by bright expectation.
“Now it’s different. Touch it and see…”
“All of this only happens when I kiss you…”
She alertly scanned the surroundings with her divine sense, confirming that there were only the two of them by the ancient tree under the moon.
Then, she took Jiang Zhun’s hand and guided it, following her long, trailing Black Sect Master Gown to grope inside.
What he felt was the cool and smooth velvet fabric of the gown, but soon, Jiang Huai’s fingers touched an unexpected emptiness and directness. Beneath the heavy gown, there was no other fabric barrier.
His fingertips brushed over her smooth and delicate thigh skin, a moist and downy sensation…
Jiang Huai snapped his hand back as if burned and lowered his voice:
“Why aren’t you wearing anything inside?! What if someone sees everything?!”
Tang Zhaoxue was not ashamed; instead, she slightly opened her red lips and stuck out her small, soft clove tongue, kissing his fingertip.
She pressed her delicate body closer to Jiang Huai, almost seamlessly fitting against him. That majesty of a Da Zongzhu had completely vanished at this moment.
“Who can see?” she breathed into his ear like an orchid.
“In this Mystic Polaris Immortal Sect, the one with the highest cultivation now is me. The others are those around you, like White Dew and Su Yingman. They don’t care.”
“My divine sense is covering the surroundings at all times. No one can spy on us.” She laughed lightly.
“Moreover, isn’t this gown tight enough?”
“That’s still not okay! You are not allowed to wear it like this anymore!” Jiang Huai tried to keep a straight face, attempting to regain control, and even pulled her heavy and magnificent hem.
It felt heavy in his hand.
“Is Su Yingman who let me wear it like this.” Tang Zhaoxue blinked and confessed truthfully.
“Then do you listen to her, or do you listen to me?”
“Naturally, I listen to you.” She answered quickly, but her eyes held a hint of cunning.
“Then be good. You’re not allowed to do this in the future.” Jiang Huai frowned.
“But.…” she drawled, her fingers restlessly drawing circles on his chest.
“I’ve already worn it out….”
“What do you want to do?” Jiang Huai’s alertness immediately rose to the highest level.
The answer he received was an extremely bold action.
Tang Zhaoxue suddenly lifted her heavy black gown, which was long enough to trail on the ground, with one hand, as if lifting a magnificent curtain.
With the other hand, she quickly pulled Jiang Huai, who had not yet reacted, toward her.
She “hid” his entire person inside that wide gown.
A cool breeze blew at the right time, swirling up the rustling fallen leaves.
The bright moon still hung high, its clear light shed selflessly.
Tang Zhaoxue’s face flushed even more.
Back against the rough tree trunk, she gently pressed the back of Jiang Huai’s head, who was hidden within the gown.
“Squat down.…..”