A strange ring pattern composed of five colors, joined end-to-end, lay quietly on the plain white paper before Jiang Huai.
“Did you figure anything out?” Zhu Siyao leaned toward him, tilting her head slightly as she gazed at the pattern she had personally traced.
Narrow, five-colored leaves were connected end-to-end to form a circle.
The veins on each leaf were different, though they had clearly been simplified by Zhu Siyao.
“These five colors correspond to the Five Dragon Tribes. Does the Yin-Yang Body’s Gongfa and advancement really relate to the Five Great Dragon Clans?” Jiang Huai murmured to himself, staring at the circle thoughtfully.
‘But White Dew never explained this to me in detail, and Chi Hong only mentioned it was of great importance without giving specifics. Has the relevant Inheritance been lost?’
He suddenly remembered that he also bore three marks, given to him by Qin Qingyue, Bai Qian, and Chi Hong, respectively.
Furthermore, he used these three marks so effectively that he could almost reach the realm of Dragon Transformation.
Qin Qingyue had expressed surprise at this but had not probed further.
White Dew, on the other hand, seemed to take it for granted and never said much.
This suggested that White Dew had likely seen the previous generation’s Yin-Yang Body use similar marks for Dragon Transformation.
‘So, is it only the Yin-Yang Body that can utilize a Dragon’s life-mark to such an extent?’ Jiang Huai pondered.
He closed his eyes again, sinking his consciousness into his newborn Small World to carefully inspect the circulation of the Five Elements Spiritual Qi.
Within the five-element cycle in his body, only two colors were relatively bright, corresponding to gold and water.
Despite possessing a mark for it, the fire element remained dim. He opened his eyes, furrowing his brows in confusion.
‘Could it be unrelated to the marks? I clearly have the Red Dragon Clan’s mark, yet it’s useless? What exactly is the difference?’
“You… maybe you should put that coffin away first?” Zhu Siyao, who had been observing him for a long time, finally whispered a suggestion.
Her gaze flickered toward the crystal coffin in the room, which emitted a faint chill and an invisible pressure.
“Having a senior just lying in the room feels a bit inappropriate, and it’s honestly a little creepy.” While checking the remains earlier, Zhu Siyao had been trembling with a mix of reverence and fear.
Even though the sleeping woman possessed no life force, an invisible field seemed to shroud the area.
Zhu Siyao had not dared to look at her face for long.
Every time she caught a glimpse of that peaceful yet peerlessly beautiful sleeping face, a chill would crawl up her spine, forcing her to look down and focus on her task.
It wasn’t that she was a coward; it was simply that the remains emitted a pressure that made her feel restless.
“Mhm, let me take another look,” Jiang Huai said, stepping back into the silent room to stand before the crystal coffin once more.
Inside, the tall and beautiful woman in green remained in her deep slumber, her expression peaceful and quiet, no different than before.
However, her clothes looked somewhat wrinkled, a result of Zhu Siyao’s previous hurried examination.
Jiang Huai watched her for a moment before taking a deep breath. He turned to Zhu Siyao and said, “Protect me from outside.”
With a flick of his wrist, the small white porcelain bottle that had once held the previous Yin-Yang Body Essence Blood appeared in his palm.
Perhaps she still remembered things about the Five Dragon Tribes? Last time, it was only through the Essence Blood; this time, with the remains added to the mix, he didn’t know what would happen.
Zhu Siyao’s eyes widened. She rushed over and grabbed his wrist.
“No! What are you doing now?” she demanded. “Your injuries only just healed! Don’t hurt yourself!”
Jiang Huai tried to push her hand away, but he found her gripping him tightly.
She refused to let go, her bright eyes glaring at him to express her disapproval.
“It’s fine, I’m just testing something. Besides, I don’t have time to keep delaying,” Jiang Huai said, softening his tone in an attempt to explain.
“I need to cultivate and reach the Great Ascension Stage as soon as possible. I don’t know how Qin Qingyue is doing in the Immortal Realm or if anyone is bullying her. She did offend a lot of people before. I have to speed up my cultivation.”
Zhu Siyao hesitated. “But what if… No, last time you were hurt so badly. Wait for Sister Su to come back. If she agrees, then fine.”
Jiang Huai shook his head.
“Whether she agrees or not, I will continue. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything foolish. It will only take a moment and won’t consume much blood energy.”
Zhu Siyao finally let go, putting her hands behind her back.
She lowered her eyes and whispered, “Fine, I can’t win against you anyway. But you have to promise me you’ll take care of yourself. You scared me to death last time. If you’re gone, then I…”
She didn’t finish her sentence. Instead, she turned to leave, as if avoiding the sight would ease her mind.
“Forget it. I’ll go protect the door. You continue.”
Jiang Huai shook his head helplessly.
She was acting as if he were going to his certain death. He slowly opened the small porcelain bottle, the Essence Blood inside rippling as if welcoming him.
Outside, Zhu Siyao leaned against the door, her mind in turmoil.
Her brows were furrowed, and her face was clouded with worry.
She looked up at the sky thoughtfully before suddenly turning back.
Jiang Huai was about to extract the Essence Blood when he saw her return. He asked in confusion, “Why are you back?”
Zhu Siyao walked quickly to him and stopped abruptly.
She reached up, cupping Jiang Huai’s cheeks with both hands, and pressed her red lips gently against his.
The kiss was clumsy yet passionate, as if she were pouring all her unspoken emotions, worries, and lingering affections into him.
She wanted to tell him how much she cherished him in this moment and how much she hoped he would be safe.
She poured every ounce of her feelings into the kiss, leaving no regret unexpressed.
After a long while, they separated.
She wiped the corner of her mouth.
Zhu Siyao’s face was flushed red, and though her eyes were darting away, her expression was a mix of awkwardness and relief.
Jiang Huai stared blankly at her, his lips still carrying her scent. “You… what was that for?”
Why had she suddenly rushed back to do such a thing? He was completely bewildered.
“Don’t you have any regrets that you’ve never spoken aloud?” Zhu Siyao asked, slowly turning her back to him to avoid his eyes.
“I suddenly thought of my mother just now. I don’t know if I’ll ever have the chance to see her again in this life. She left so suddenly that I never got to say goodbye properly. I never got to talk to her, and then… she was just gone.”
She looked out the window.
The sun was at its peak, casting golden sunlight across the quiet little courtyard.
The spiritual flowers and exotic plants were gilded with a warm glow, and everything looked vibrant and bright.
Zhu Siyao’s gaze landed on a cluster of brightly blooming spiritual flowers.
A faint, forced smile touched her lips, but her tone grew more melancholy.
“Later, while following Sister Su and working to reorganize the Nine Heavens Palace, even though we didn’t face any total disasters, the attacks from the Extraterrestrial Demons never stopped. I’ve seen a Junior Sister who was laughing with me yesterday, saying ‘See you next time, Master Sister,’ only to lie there forever today. I finally understand that the world is fickle. People you were talking to normally one day might leave without a word the next—perhaps by choice, or perhaps by force.”
She slowly turned sideways.
The sunlight hit her from behind, outlining her face with a clear, beautiful golden silhouette.
Even her delicate features seemed softened by the light, making her look exceptionally moving.
Only the deep blush on her cheeks remained, and it was hard to tell if it was caused by the blazing sun.
“I know this time might not be as dangerous as the last, but I still wanted to tell you what’s in my heart in the only way I can, before any accidents happen. Don’t let anything happen to you. Cherish yourself. You still have promises to me that you haven’t kept.”
She shook a small fist at Jiang Huai before turning to leave.
Jiang Huai was finally certain that the color on her face wasn’t from the sun, because even the back of her neck had turned bright red.