“Everyone, thank you!”
The clear voice came from mid-air.
Jiang Huai’s toes touched the ground, and his figure came to a steady halt in the center of the training field.
The burst of energy from his recent breakthrough had already shattered his jade hairpin.
Now, his black hair fell over his shoulders like spilled ink or flowing clouds, swaying slightly with the receding spiritual currents.
With a casual wave of his hand, the long sword that had fallen in the distance let out a clear chime.
It turned into a streak of light, returning to his palm, where he gripped it firmly.
A small white shadow scurried over at high speed.
Jianjia climbed onto his shoulder with practiced ease, her dragon claws gripping his clothes tightly as she let out a series of cheerful, low chirps.
Jiang Huai smiled, his gaze sweeping over the five Dragon Ladies before him.
Qin Xuange squeezed the spear in her hand.
She focused her mind to sense the profound and unfathomable aura emanating from Jiang Huai.
A sense of despair crept into her heart.
Though they were both at the Nascent Soul stage, Jiang Huai currently felt as if he were standing on a mountain peak above the clouds, making it difficult for her to even see his full form while looking up.
That aura was rounded and heavy, with the Yin-Yang Rotation cycling endlessly.
He had long since surpassed what she could compare herself to, and she could not even fathom how far he had truly progressed.
It wasn’t just her; shock and gloom of varying degrees flashed through the eyes of the other four women — Chihuang, Cang Ling, White Sandalwood, and Ao Yao.
They were all geniuses of the Dragon Race, proud and arrogant.
Today, they had combined their efforts to help someone break through, only to witness him leap up from a desperate situation and leave them far behind.
The feeling in their hearts was complicated and difficult to describe.
“Congratulations, Young Lord Jiang!” Cang Ling was the first to compose herself.
She gave a bright smile and stepped forward generously, patting Jiang Huai on the shoulder without any sign of hesitation.
Her eyes were full of wonder and admiration.
“How impressive! So, when a man cultivates, he can actually be this terrifying?” Her personality was relatively simple, and her sense of frustration was quickly replaced by respect.
Just as Jiang Huai was about to respond with a smile, a streak of pure white light suddenly pierced the sky and landed in the field in an instant.
The light dissipated, revealing the cold and otherworldly figure of White Dew.
She had sensed Jiang Huai’s breakthrough through the White Dragon Mark and had rushed over immediately.
“Clan Leader,” White Sandalwood stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
White Dew nodded slightly, her eyes locked onto Jiang Huai.
Her eyes were clear and bright.
On her usually ice-like face, a very shallow smile bloomed as she asked softly, “You broke through?”
“Yes, I succeeded by luck,” Jiang Huai replied, sheathing his sword and looking at her with a gentle smile.
“I didn’t misjudge you.” There was an imperceptible tremor in White Dew’s voice, an irrepressible joy.
Once a Yin-Yang Body broke through that critical bottleneck, their future progress in cultivation would be like a Kunpeng spreading its wings, soaring straight up into the sky, making it difficult to measure their limits.
“And what if you had misjudged me?” Jiang Huai took a few steps closer to her and asked in a low voice on purpose.
A blush crept over White Dew’s fair ears.
In front of the five Saintesses of the Dragon Race, the affection she kept hidden beneath her cold exterior was exposed, making her feel terribly embarrassed.
Having been raised as the Clan Leader since childhood, restraint, dignity, and reserve had long been etched into her bones.
She was truly not good at, nor did she dare to, reveal her feelings in front of everyone.
White Sandalwood, who was standing to the side, watched in a daze.
When had she ever seen her Honored Master and Clan Leader show such a nearly helpless expression?
She found it incredibly novel and quietly shifted her gaze back and forth between the two of them.
Flustered by Jiang Huai’s smiling gaze, White Dew looked away and forced herself to remain calm.
“No matter what, I will always help you.”
After speaking very quickly, she immediately resumed her solemn expression as the Clan Leader and turned to White Sandalwood.
Her voice returned to its usual indifference.
“The matter here is finished. Follow me back to the clan; there are still affairs that need urgent attention.”
She absolutely could not let White Sandalwood stay here any longer.
White Sandalwood was startled.
Although she didn’t understand why, she couldn’t disobey her master’s orders, so she could only bow.
“As you command.”
However, she grumbled a bit in her heart.
Her master’s ‘use it and discard it’ attitude was a bit too obvious.
Her body flickered, and she transformed into a long, elegant white dragon, soaring into the sky.
“You should also take a good rest to adjust and consolidate your realm,” White Dew whispered to Jiang Huai.
Her Dragon Tail flickered slightly and instinctively, and her gaze brushed over her daughter, who was pretending to sleep on his shoulder, before she turned to leave.
‘Pretending to sleep — she always pretends to sleep,’ she thought, but she was too lazy to call Jianjia out.
Jiang Huai’s eyes fell on her Dragon Tail, and his eyebrows arched.
As she turned around, he suddenly reached out and grabbed the middle of the tail in his palm, giving it a gentle squeeze.
It felt cool and smooth to the touch, with delicate and tough scales.
It was completely different from the Dragon Tail she had given him.
Jiang Huai did not let go.
He looked up at her back, which had frozen instantly, waiting for an explanation.
What did this mean?
The other four dragons present all widened their eyes.
White Dew felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She suddenly stood straight, her beautiful body stiffening.
She could clearly feel the sensation coming from her tail.
From the corner of her eye, she caught the shocked and curious gazes of Chihuang and the others.
After a long moment, she turned around extremely slowly, a very stiff smile forced onto her face.
Chihuang’s eyes were wide and round, and the expression on her face shifted unpredictably.
She had always thought that the White Dragon Clan was naturally expressionless.
It turned out Clan Leader White Dew could also make such an indescribable face?
Jiang Huai remained silent, simply looking at her with leisure, the strength in his hand not loosening.
White Dew’s throat bobbed slightly.
She lowered her voice, her tone complex and difficult to discern.
Amidst the embarrassment, there actually seemed to be a hidden, shy expectation.
“When we get back… I will explain it to you when we get back, okay?”
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, especially with his daughter present, Jiang Huai naturally wouldn’t make things too difficult for her.
Hearing this, he let go, his smile widening.
“Fine, I’ll wait for you to come find me. I hope it’s you who takes the initiative to come.”
“Mhm.” White Dew let out a low response as if she had been granted a great pardon.
She turned into a streak of white light and disappeared into the clouds in a hurry.
The realm reached after the breakthrough was in urgent need of organizing, and the surging power within his body also required time to stabilize.
After a brief farewell to Chihuang and the others, Jiang Huai returned to the quiet courtyard that enjoyed eternal spring with Jianjia.
As soon as he stepped through the moon gate of the inner courtyard, he saw a slender figure leaning against a corridor pillar.
Chi Lian was wearing only a loose bathrobe.
The material of the bathrobe was soft, clinging to her plump and proud curves.
The neckline was slightly open, revealing a patch of skin as delicate as fat and a deep, seductive cleavage.
In her hand, she held a snow-white soft towel. A lazy and charming aura wafted towards him.
Upon seeing Jiang Huai, her beautiful eyes immediately lit up.
An undisguised, joyful smile blossomed on her face as she stepped forward to meet him.
“Husband Lord, you’re back?” Her voice was soft and sweet.
“Why are you back so early today? Is the sparring over?”
Jiang Huai’s heart skipped a beat.
The ambiguous handwriting and palm prints she had left on his body earlier had all vanished without a trace.
How was he supposed to explain this?
Maintaining a calm expression, he smiled and said, “Yes. I gained some insights today and broke through my realm, so I came back early to rest and consolidate.”
“You broke through? Congratulations, Husband Lord!” Chi Lian was even more delighted.
She casually draped the soft towel over the corridor railing and naturally drew closer, her warm breath surrounding him.
“Husband Lord has worked hard. It just so happens that I discovered a spiritual spring on the back mountain. It’s very beneficial for relaxing the muscles and consolidating Lingli.”
Her eyes twinkled with a playful smile. “Why don’t you come with me for a soak? It’ll help you unwind.”
Jiang Huai’s face stiffened for a moment.
Countless excuses flashed through his mind, and he gave two dry laughs.
“No, no. I just broke through and need to calm my mind and meditate. There’s no hurry for bathing, no hurry at all.”
When things were urgent, he preferred to take them slowly and explain gradually.
Chi Lian’s movements paused slightly upon hearing this.
She raised her beautiful eyes and looked at Jiang Huai suspiciously.
With lotus steps, she moved even closer.
The gentle smile remained on her face, but her gaze carefully scanned his face, neck, and clothes.
Something was wrong.
Jiang Huai almost never refused such intimate invitations between family members.
He might be busy or focused on cultivation, but for those close to him whom he acknowledged, he was always willing to give his time and patience, even for trivial things like bathing together or chatting.
Such a straightforward refusal, almost like an evasion, was truly abnormal.
There must be a hidden story.
“Husband Lord.” Her voice became even softer, carrying just the right amount of concern.
“Did today’s sparring take too much out of you? Are you tired?”
As she spoke, she had already reached out her arms, naturally and affectionately wrapping them around Jiang Huai’s waist, pressing her tall and curvaceous body against him.
The bathrobe was thin, and the warm, soft sensation was clearly transmitted through the clothes.
The fragrance of a beautiful woman instantly filled his senses.
Jiang Huai’s body stiffened slightly before he relaxed. He raised his hand and gently patted her back.
“I am a bit tired.”
“Then you should rest well.” Chi Lian looked up, her breath like orchids, her eyes full of tenderness. “Your Concubine will serve you while you rest, okay?”
“Alright, then let’s rest for a bit,” Jiang Huai replied fluently.
“Mhm, rest well, Husband Lord,” Chi Lian responded softly, but the arms wrapped around his waist loosened.
Instead, she raised her hand as if to tidy his slightly disheveled collar, her movements gentle and considerate.
Her long, fair fingers rested on his neckline and seemingly unintentionally brushed it downward.
Her gaze followed, quietly falling below his neck and beside his collarbone.
There, a mark of love she had personally left behind should have been.
Now, the skin was smooth. Where was there even a trace of it?
Chi Lian did not stop. Her fingers continued to smooth the collar as if she were truly just tidying his appearance.
However, those charming and beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, and a flicker of realization passed through the depths of her gaze.
‘So that’s how it is.’
She withdrew her hand, and the smile as gentle as water returned to the corners of her lips, as if she had discovered nothing.
She said softly, “Husband Lord, I’ll help you inside.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Huai followed Chi Lian into the room, and she closed the door behind them.
Chi Lian led Jiang Huai to the bed of soft jade and helped him sit down.
Then, she began to kneel and remove his boots.
“No need, no need. I can do it myself.” Jiang Huai pulled his foot back.
“How can that be? I already said I should serve my Husband Lord.”
“Where is the logic in being willing to serve the Miss, but not the Husband Lord?” Chi Lian replied softly, her hands never stopping.
“You are so kind,” Jiang Huai praised.
‘If only your Yuq Period could be swapped with White Dew’s… Ah, no need to swap, just being like White Dew would be enough,’ he added in his heart.
“I will always be kind to my Husband Lord,” Chi Lian replied quietly.
Jiang Huai felt a wave of emotion. He reached out and stroked Chi Lian’s head, gently rubbing it.
“By the way, Husband Lord, there is something I want to ask.”
“Hmm?” Jiang Huai looked down, puzzled.
“The handwriting I left behind… do you have any idea where it went?” Chi Lian asked, looking up.