The residence White Dew arranged for the people of Nine Heavens Palace was a rather peculiar area.
The surroundings were still an endless world of ice, snow, and colored glaze with howling cold winds, but this single courtyard formed a small, warm world of its own.
Green grass was as lush as a carpet, dotted with unknown spiritual flowers and exotic plants.
Gurgling hot spring channels meandered through it, making it seem like a completely different world from the bitter cold outside.
Inside the room, it was warm and quiet, with elegant furnishings.
Jiang Huai sat cross-legged in the center of the Bed of Soft Jade, his eyes slightly closed, his Qi long and steady.
The small jade vial of Yin-Yang Body Essence Blood was placed close to his body.
With his breathing, a faint resonance seemed to emerge from it.
As he operated his Gongfa to repair the internal injuries left by the fierce battle with Qin Xuange, he kept his mind calm, repeatedly observing the Inheritance within the Essence Blood, attempting to break through his current bottleneck.
Chi Lian sat quietly kneeling on the Bed of Soft Jade.
Her posture was submissive, her slender hands neatly folded over her closed thighs, like a maidservant strictly observing Etiquette, patiently waiting for Jiang Huai to finish his Cultivation.
The room was filled with warmth.
For a Red Dragon who was naturally hot-bodied and unafraid of heat or cold, it was perhaps even a bit too warm.
Therefore, she wore only an extremely thin, light red silk undergarment.
The fabric was soft and form-fitting, faintly revealing the jade-white skin and the shapely, voluptuous curves beneath.
She kept her eyelashes lowered, casting small shadows under her eyes.
Her pretty face was shrouded in a thin, lingering layer of melancholy, her heart heavy with thoughts.
From time to time, she would quietly lift her eyelids to steal a quick glance at Jiang Huai on the bed.
Seeing him still immersed in Cultivation, she would silently lower her gaze again and continue her quiet companionship.
Only the crimson Dragon Tail behind her would occasionally flick gently and unconsciously.
As time passed, the sky outside the window gradually took on a dim yellow hue as the sun set in the west.
Jiang Zhun slowly exhaled a long breath of Spiritual Power: Turbid Qi and opened his eyes. A flash of black and white light flickered in his eyes before returning to a deep, calm state.
The blood and Qi in his body were stable, and he had already healed more than half of his injuries.
His brow was not completely relaxed, carrying a look of contemplation.
In this encounter with Qin Xuange, her fierce and matchless Black Dragon Spear Technique, which carried a pure intent of slaughter, had a significant impact on him.
It also gave him new, vague ideas about the application of the Great Dao of Yin-Yang.
He raised his right hand, palm up, and with a slight thought, two streaks of pure Yin and Yang Qi emerged from his palm.
Like two lively swimming fish following each other’s head and tail, they rotated slowly, condensing into a slowly Turning Taiji Yin-Yang Fish.
“The Metal of slaughter,” Jiang Huai stared at the Yin-Yang Fish in his palm, whispering to himself.
He tried to guide it with his will, wanting to let these pure Two Energies of Yin and Yang evolve and simulate that sharp, unstoppable, and destructive metal-attribute slaughter Qi from Qin Xuange’s spear technique.
But no matter how he changed the ratio of Yin and Yang, the Qi in his palm always maintained the Original Source characteristics of Yin and Yang.
At most, it produced changes in hardness and softness, movement and stillness, or cold and heat, but it could never truly manifest that pure sharpness of Metal.
“Yin and Yang give birth to all things; it should include the Metal of the Five Elements. Why is it so difficult to manifest? Is my understanding insufficient, or…”
He murmured to himself, the confusion between his brows deepening.
This seemed to touch upon a deeper level within the Great Dao of Yin-Yang.
“Husband Lord, are… are you better?” Chi Lian, who had been watching closely, finally couldn’t help but speak softly.
She moved her knees slightly, leaning closer to him, her pair of crimson Dragon Eyes filled with worry.
Jiang Huai finally snapped out of his contemplation and clenched his palm, causing the miniature Yin-Yang Fish to quietly dissipate.
He turned his head to meet Chi Lian’s concerned gaze.
A gentle smile naturally appeared on his face as he reached out and lightly patted the back of her hand resting on the edge of the bed.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine now. My injuries are mostly healed.”
“That’s good. As long as Husband Lord is fine.” Hearing this, Chi Lian clearly breathed a sigh of relief and revealed a bright, moving smile.
She rose smoothly, her hands naturally wrapping around Jiang Huai’s waist, pressing tightly against his back.
She rested her face gently on his shoulder, her voice filled with attachment. “I have been so worried.”
Feeling the softness and warmth coming from behind him, Jiang Huai relaxed and leaned back slightly, reclining into her soft and fragrant embrace.
He asked casually, “What about Su Yingman and Tang Zhaoxue? Didn’t they come to see me?”
To make Jiang Huai lean more comfortably, Chi Lian applied a little force with her hands, pulling him toward the head of the bed while adjusting her own posture.
Eventually, it turned into Jiang Huai half-lying and half-leaning in her arms, his head pillowed on her softness, while she leaned against the cushions at the head of the bed, creating an intimate and comfortable position.
In the exceptionally full and mature embrace unique to women of the Red Dragon Clan, Jiang Huai felt as if he had fallen into a cluster of warm, fragrant jade, so comfortable it made one drowsy.
“Well, Sister Su and Sister Tang were called away by Clan Leader White Dew to discuss some matters. It seems to be something very important. Siming also went with them.” Chi Lian’s slender hand first gently caressed Jiang Huai’s chest, as if confirming he was truly unharmed.
Then, her fingers began to move restlessly, drifting upward almost imperceptibly, finally quietly climbing onto his neck.
At the same time, her pair of white and exquisite jade feet hidden under her skirt also began to move secretly.
A small foot peeked out, its toes as round as pearls with a faint pink tint.
It tentatively rubbed against Jiang Huai’s calf. Seeing that he didn’t object, she became even bolder.
“It seems Husband Lord has indeed rested well; your spirit is so full…” Chi Lian brought her red lips to Jiang Huai’s ear and exhaled like an orchid.
Her warm breath brushed against his earlobe, her voice carrying a hint of charming hoarseness.
As she spoke, her slender hand tightened slightly.
Jiang Huai was caught somewhat off guard by this sudden all-encompassing offensive.
Especially the gradually increasing pressure on his neck made an alarm bell ring in his heart, thinking to himself that this boded ill.
Sure enough, the slender hand on his neck acted like a soft shackle, tightening bit by bit, becoming more and more forceful. Her breathing also became slightly rapid, mixed with a sort of suppressed emotion.
“Husband Lord is truly good to the Saintess,” she stayed close to his ear, her voice carrying an indescribable bitterness.
“You didn’t hesitate to use such a precious Palace as a bet and even used such a powerful Forbidden Technique just to help her vent her anger. The Saintess must be better than me, right? So beautiful, so proud, and she’s even the Red Dragon Clan’s… Did Husband Lord regret choosing me back then? Do you feel that if you had chosen the Saintess instead, it would have been better? If that were the case, I might still be in the Red Dragon Clan, obediently being my maidservant, never… never meeting Husband Lord, and certainly not pestering Husband Lord as I am now, not knowing my place.”
As she spoke in a whispering tone, she lowered her head and looked at Jiang Huai, who was half-confined in her arms.
At this moment, because of the tightening of her slender hand and the teasing of her foot, Jiang Huai’s breathing was slightly erratic.
An unusual flush appeared on his face, and his brows were slightly furrowed. He seemed to be in some discomfort, yet also appeared somewhat dazed.
Chi Lian naturally knew her limits.
Feeling the change in his Qi, the force in her hand relaxed slightly, allowing Jiang Huai to breathe in a gulp of fresh air.
Jiang Huai was like a drowning person who had just surfaced, panting heavily.
The intense stimulation from his neck and other parts of his body made him feel a bit dizzy and hot.
Even though his neck was being throttled with a punitive intent, the two extreme sensations intertwined, impacting his senses and making it impossible for him to speak a complete sentence for a moment.
Chi Lian did not give him much chance to catch his breath or clear his thoughts.
She looked at the blurriness and struggle in his eyes, and the bitterness that had risen in her heart because he had risked his life for Chihuang today began to burn.