Chihuang stood alone at the entrance of the White Dragon Main Hall.
Outside the hall lay the eternal, vast ice field.
The cold wind was like a blade, swirling broken snow across the sky and staining the world in a desolation of white.
She tilted her head back, her eyes blurred with tears as she watched several sharp streaks of white light vanish at the edge of the horizon.
Clan Leader White Dew had personally led the elites of the Dragon Race to rescue Chi Hong.
Chihuang slowly turned her head.
Inside the empty, cold hall, the Dragon Throne sat vacant.
Saintess White Sandalwood and several girl-like Elders stood below the jade steps, discussing the subsequent arrangements and defense lines in hushed, solemn tones.
The Clan Leader had departed in such a hurry that there hadn’t even been time for detailed instructions.
Upon learning the dire news that Clan Leader Chi Hong was in danger and her Soul Lamp was about to be extinguished, White Dew had made a decision almost immediately.
She summoned the Saintess and Elders to stabilize the rear and then personally selected generals to provide reinforcements.
The heavy stone in Chihuang’s heart had not fallen; instead, it hung higher and higher, pressing down on her chest with a leaden weight.
She quietly retreated from the hall doors, shutting the suppressed sounds of the meeting behind her.
Where should she go next?
The Grand Elder was in the clan to oversee and coordinate everything. At this moment, she, the Saintess, had become the most idle person.
She had already finished her sword practice for the day, but her mind was currently a tangled mess.
Her Lingli surged restlessly within her Meridians, making it impossible to settle down for meditation.
Her Honored Master was gravely injured and on the brink of death. How could she cultivate in peace?
But what could she do?
Walking down the long ice steps in a daze, Chihuang stepped aimlessly into the wind and snow.
The cold wind immediately caught the hem of her magnificent Saintess dress, making it snap loudly.
She did not circulate her Lingli to resist, allowing the icy snowflakes to pelt her face, dampen her eyelashes, and slide down her neck into her collar.
Her footsteps followed instinct, moving toward a direction of warmth. Her thoughts, however, were as chaotic as the swirling snow.
‘Master, I want to save you.’
‘But… but I am too weak.’
‘If only I were at the Great Ascension Stage. If only I were as exceptionally talented as Jiang Huai. If only I had the power to turn the tides of heaven and earth.’
The proud Holy Maiden of the Crimson Dragon once again recognized her own powerlessness with such clarity.
All her previous talent, glory, and the praise of others were fragile and pathetic in the face of cruel reality.
‘If even someone as strong as Master can meet with danger, just how terrifying are the Outworld Heavenly Demons? Can Clan Leader White Dew really bring Master back safely? If even the Northern Plains Dragon Clan cannot hold them back, is there still hope for the Five Provinces?’
The topics that once seemed distant and grand—survival, destruction, the continuation of a race—now stabbed deeply into her heart. She was no longer the favored daughter of heaven who only needed to focus on cultivation. Now, she was forced to contemplate that vast, dark future from the perspective of an ordinary person.
“Saintess Chihuang?”
A clear, surprised female voice rang out by her ear.
Chihuang was jolted out of her chaotic thoughts and looked up in a panic. Before her was no longer the boundless ice field, but a quiet courtyard where it felt like spring all year round.
Inside the courtyard walls, several cold-resistant Spiritual Herbs stretched out their branches.
The fresh green buds formed a sharp contrast with the silver-wrapped world outside.
At the gate, a woman dressed in a black dress was holding a sword, looking at her with surprise.
It was Zhu Siyao.
Ever since she had seen Chi Lian wearing the Saintess robes of the Nine Heavens Palace, she had felt a twinge of jealousy and asked Su Yingman to make her a new set of clothes.
The black dress with red patterns was sleekly tailored, with a lifelike dragon pattern embroidered in red thread coiling upward.
It displayed her fire-based Original Source inherited from her mother while making her look heroic and striking.
There was less of her former pampered stubbornness between her brows and more of the composure and boldness that came from experiencing the world. Obviously, following Su Yingman and Tang Zhaoxue during this period to reorganize the remnants of the Nine Heavens Palace had caused her to grow up quickly.
“I…” Chihuang opened her mouth, only to find her voice was dry.
She looked around and suddenly realized that, in her unconscious longing for warmth, she had walked to Jiang Huai’s residence.
After walking in the wind and snow for who knows how long, her hair was disheveled, and her black tresses were covered in unthawed snow.
Her eyes were red and swollen.
The vivid, fire-like, and proud radiance of the past was replaced by a daze, making her look exceptionally wretched.
“Are you looking for Jiang Huai?” Zhu Siyao’s gaze swept over her, and a hint of understanding flashed in her eyes.
She didn’t ask further and instead gave a bright smile.
“Come in first. What a coincidence, I just got back not long ago as well.”
Having said that, she turned and walked into the courtyard without ceremony, calling out loudly, “Jiang Huai! I’m back!”
Chihuang hesitated at the door for a moment.
The wind and snow battered her back, but the warmth from the courtyard seeped out in strands, inviting her closer.
She pursed her lips, suppressing the embarrassment in her heart and the fleeting thought of fleeing. Ultimately, she stepped inside.
It wasn’t Jiang Huai who greeted Zhu Siyao.
With a soft *whoosh*, a small and agile white shadow suddenly lunged out from a nearby patch of Spiritual Herbs and blocked Zhu Siyao’s path.
It raised its tiny dragon head, its eyes full of curiosity.
“Hmm?” Zhu Siyao stopped and looked down at the little white dragon whose scales were as translucent as jade. She raised an eyebrow. “
Where did this little white dragon come from? It’s quite spirited.”
Just then, the door to the main house was pushed open.
Jiang Huai, dressed in black casual clothes with a sword at his waist, walked out slowly.
His Qi was restrained, but a harmonious Dao Rhyme faintly circulated around him. He first looked at Zhu Siyao, his eyes filled with smiles and concern.
“You’re finally back. Where are Yingman and Zhaoxue? Didn’t they come with you?”
Zhu Siyao’s attention was still captured by Xiao Jianjia.
She reached out to pat its head while answering casually, “They haven’t returned yet. Sister Su has already successfully broken through to the Great Ascension Stage.”
“We’ve been busy gathering the scattered disciples of the Nine Heavens Palace and recruited many newcomers on the way. They are currently leading the people to reorganize and settle in. There are a thousand things to do; they’re very busy.”
She finally touched Jianjia’s chin gently, and the little white dragon squinted its eyes comfortably.
Only then did she continue, “They sent me back because there are more people now, and resources are tight. Sister Su told me to find you and ask for money and resources. Give me the money!”
Fortunately, the Central State was not too far from the Northern Plains.
Once Su Yingman entered the Great Ascension, she used her strength to stabilize the situation and led her people to assist the Wenxuan Sect in moving toward the Northern Plains.
They were currently safe.
After finishing her report on the official business, Zhu Siyao looked up and carefully examined Jiang Huai. A flash of pleasant surprise crossed her beautiful eyes.
“You broke through?”
“Yes, I’ve reached the Nascent Soul Stage. It was a breakthrough from cultivation,” Jiang Huai stepped forward and said warmly.
The smile in Zhu Siyao’s eyes deepened. She hooked the corners of her mouth and suddenly lowered her voice, asking with a bit of playfulness and expectation, “During this time, did you miss me?”
Seeing that he was well and his cultivation was progressing smoothly, her heart was filled with joy.
The experience of running around outside had miraculously given her a solid sense of satisfaction, as if she were “fighting for the person at home.”
This fit the values she had grown up with. Women worked hard outside for the sake of their men.
“Of course I missed you,” Jiang Huai smiled. “Thank you for your hard work.”
His peripheral vision caught Chihuang, who was standing quietly in the courtyard behind Zhu Siyao.
He couldn’t help but be slightly surprised.
Her soul-shaken, snow-covered appearance was like a different person compared to her usual self.
“This is…” He looked at Chihuang. “Saintess Chihuang, why are you…?”
At this time, the door on the other side also opened.
Chi Lian, dressed in a red dress, walked out upon hearing the noise.
When she saw the scene in the courtyard, especially Chihuang, her beautiful eyes filled with astonishment.
“Miss? Why are you here?”
She stepped forward quickly. Noticing Chihuang’s strange expression and disheveled appearance, her heart tightened.
In an instant, Jiang Huai, Zhu Siyao, and Chi Lian, along with Xiao Jianjia who had crawled back onto Jiang Huai’s shoulder to watch curiously, all turned their gazes toward Chihuang.
Being watched like this, Chihuang felt her cheeks burn.
The sense of embarrassment intensified, and she almost wanted to turn and flee back into the snow.
But the thought only lasted a second before it was crushed by a heavier worry.
She took a deep breath before speaking in a low, suppressed voice, “Master is in critical danger. I don’t know what to do anymore.”
As she spoke, her hands trembled as she took out a Soul Lamp and quickly explained the situation as she knew it.
“How could the Clan Leader…?!” Chi Lian covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes full of disbelief.
After listening, Zhu Siyao’s expression also became extremely solemn.
She took a step forward and said urgently, “I know the place Clan Leader Chi Hong went. It was a relatively safe area in our planning. How could the Outworld Heavenly Demons suddenly appear there? Could there be an internal problem on our side? But that’s not right either…”
Jiang Huai had been listening in silence.
Now, he walked over to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down.
His fingers lightly tapped the cold tabletop, his brow furrowed.
After a moment, he slowly shook his head.
“The possibility of internal strife is very small. What kind of infighting could injure an experienced and highly cultivated Great Ascension Stage Dragon Clan Leader to the point where her Soul Lamp is about to go out?”
“The cost is too high; it doesn’t make sense.”
He extended his finger, dipped it into the cool tea in the cup on the stone table, and began to draw on the smooth surface.
“It is more likely that the Outworld Heavenly Demons have changed their strategy.” His fingertip traced through the water.
“Our forces from various provinces are shrinking toward the Northern Plains. The scale is large, and the range is wide. If the Outworld Heavenly Demons wanted to conduct a comprehensive interception, they would need to mobilize unimaginably massive power. Spreading it out might not be effective because the territory of the Five Provinces is simply too vast.”
“Especially for the people of the Central State, Western Desert, and Eastern Wasteland migrating north—there are many routes. Furthermore, their primary goal in invading the Five Provinces is to encroach on the territory and absorb the Original Source of this world to strengthen themselves.”
“A comprehensive interception has high consumption and may not yield high returns.”
His finger stopped heavily on the spot representing the Northern Plains on the table.
“So, they have likely changed their approach. They are concentrating their elite forces to strike unexpectedly at the vital points! That is, the foundation of our Northern Plains Dragon Clan.”
“If they successfully launch a surprise attack on the core of the Northern Plains, destroy the defensive Grand Array, or kill and heavily injure several of our Great Ascension Stage cultivators… the entire Northern Plain Defense Line could collapse. The remaining resistance forces of the Five Provinces will lose their last foothold and hope.”
“By then, they will be able to win this war at the smallest cost and with the fastest speed.”
Listening to this, Chihuang’s face grew paler and paler.
She couldn’t help but ask, “Then what should be done? Should we send more Great Ascension seniors to provide support?”
Zhu Siyao frowned and shook her head.
“If it’s truly as Jiang Huai expects and the enemy is conducting a concentrated elite raid, then if the forces we send to support aren’t strong enough, it’s no different from adding fuel to the fire and sending them to their deaths.”
“If we send everyone out, the defense of the Northern Plains headquarters will be immediately weakened. If the enemy is using a diversion or has another ambush, the consequences would be unimaginable. The power of the Human Race has not been fully integrated yet; we cannot afford such a risk.”
Hearing this, Chihuang felt as if all her strength had been drained. She stumbled, her expression grey with despair, and the hope that had just been ignited in her eyes quickly faded.
The courtyard fell into a brief silence.
Suddenly, Jiang Huai stood up.
“Get ready,” he said. “I’m going.”
All the women in the courtyard were stunned.
Zhu Siyao was the first to react.
She grabbed Jiang Huai’s arm, both anxious and angry.
“Are you crazy?! Jiang Huai! You’re only at the Nascent Soul Stage! What are you going there for? To die?!”
“The future of the Nine Heavens Palace, us… you are the most important! I won’t let you go!”
To her, nothing in the big picture was more important than Jiang Huai’s safety.
He was her chosen Dao Companion and the core that held their group together.
How could she let him set foot in a dangerous place where even Great Ascension Stage cultivators faced life and death while he only had a Nascent Soul cultivation?
Jiang Huai held her hand in return and patted it gently, his gaze warm.
“Siyao, don’t worry. Since I dare to go, I have my reasons and my confidence. I won’t recklessly go to my death.”
“What’s more, White Dew is also there.”
He could not remain at ease.