“Clan Leader, may I ask what matter you wish to entrust to me?” Qin Xuange asked, her voice filled with confusion.
She followed the leader into a dark, secret chamber where the surroundings were pitch black. In the faint slivers of light filtering through the window, she could see numerous lifelike statues of Black Dragons.
Row upon row of Black Dragons stretched into the darkness. As Qin Xuange followed the Clan Leader’s footsteps, her gaze swept over the statues, and she noticed names inscribed beside them.
These names naturally began with the surname Qin, representing the ancestors of the Black Dragon Clan. However, the more Qin Xuange looked, the more familiar they became. As she walked further, the names grew so recognizable that they were almost haunting.
They were all from her specific lineage. Most had held important positions, serving as either Elders or Clan Leaders, and many had even ascended to the Immortal Realm, generation after generation.
Qin Qingran stopped, looking back with a small smile. “These should look familiar to you. They are all dragons from your lineage.”
“Your line is very special; it has a connection to the Yin-Yang Body.”
“Among the past generations of Yin-Yang Bodies, one of them conceived a half-dragon descendant with your lineage. It was much like Jianjia of the White Dragon Clan.”
Qin Xuange remained silent, listening quietly to these ancient secrets of the Black Dragon Clan while feeling inwardly surprised. ‘No one has ever told me about this. I suspect the other Black Dragons in my line have never heard of it either.’
Qin Qingran walked to the end of the dark chamber, slowly turning her head to look at a certain spot. A look of regret appeared in her eyes, and she let out a soft sigh.
Qin Xuange followed her gaze and saw an empty space. There was no statue there, only a hollow void.
“Is that… where Senior Qin Qingyue’s statue should be?” she guessed immediately.
In the previous generation, the strongest member of their lineage had been Qin Qingyue.
“Yes. Though, in truth, it didn’t necessarily have to be her.” Qin Qingran shook her head regretfully. “You are not part of the main branch of this lineage, so you cannot sense it.”
“Back when Qin Qingyue was driven out of the Dragon Race, the Clan Leader of that generation actually intended to spare her. It was the main branch of your own lineage that insisted on eliminating her.”
The rest of the story was self-evident. Qin Qingyue had defied the odds, eventually becoming a Heavenly Immortal. The main branch subsequently declined, and within the younger generation of the side branches, Qin Xuange had emerged to take up the mantle. However, Qin Qingran had kept her hidden until now.
It was only after Qin Qingyue’s Ascension to the Immortal Realm that Qin Qingran finally dared to let her out.
“Is there something significant about our lineage?” Qin Xuange asked. “What do you need me to do, Clan Leader? If it is for the sake of the Black Dragon Clan and the future of the Five Provinces, I will not hesitate to give my all.”
Qin Xuange understood what the Clan Leader was implying. It was likely that the bloodline of her lineage was useful to the Black Dragon Clan.
“Yes. This is actually the secret behind why our Black Dragon Clan has always remained powerful. If Qin Qingyue had belonged to any other lineage, she probably wouldn’t have lived to see this day.” Qin Qingran’s voice carried a hint of bitterness. Clearly, she still harbored some resentment toward Qin Qingyue for the blow she had dealt the clan, which had led to their decline.
“Forget it, there is no use mentioning such things.” She waved her hand, pulling Qin Xuange closer as she led her toward a high seat. “Sit there.”
Qin Qingran pointed to the Black Lotus in front of them.
Qin Xuange looked at it. It was a lotus-shaped seat carved from black stone. Its color was an incomparable, deep black that seemed to absorb all surrounding light, like a lotus-shaped black hole.
In such a dark environment, she even wondered if it truly was a bottomless abyss. She feared that the moment she sat down, she would fall through.
However, the Clan Leader had been like both a teacher and a mother to her; she would never harm her. Without further hesitation, Qin Xuange stepped forward, carefully tested the seat with her foot, and sat down cross-legged.
Qin Qingran offered no further explanation. She simply stood to the side, watching her quietly.
Qin Xuange suddenly felt a surge of warmth and familiarity rising from the lotus seat. The stone beneath her began to vibrate, and ink-black Dragon Essence erupted from the seat, wrapping tightly around her.
She felt a deep sense of recognition from within her bloodline. This Dragon Essence carried the strength left behind by countless ancestors, making her consciousness grow hazy. It felt as though she were entering a profound and mysterious realm.
Only then did Qin Qingran speak. She pointed a finger toward the sky and said softly, “Xuange, when you see the ancestors, you must be respectful. Do not be impudent.”
She paused, appearing worried about a certain possibility, and quickly added, “You must protect yourself. If things don’t seem right, come back immediately. The initiative is in your hands!”
Although Qin Xuange didn’t understand what the Clan Leader meant, she nodded instinctively. A flood of information poured into her mind, causing a swelling pain that made her rub her temples.
Finally, her vision went completely black, and everything vanished.
***
“Watch out!”
A Spear flashed through the air, piercing the head of a slender black shadow. The creature let out a shrill wail, collapsed slowly, and went still after a few twitches.
Wu Zhaohua spun around abruptly, looking at the corpse of the black shadow only several feet behind her. she took a breath, her heart still pounding with lingering fear.
Even with her level of cultivation, it was difficult to advance through this place alone.
She looked up at Qin Qingyue, who was covered in blood. She opened her mouth to speak but said nothing, simply nodding.
Qin Qingyue, wearing her combat boots, wiped her face and walked over. She yanked the Spear out with a single pull, coughed twice to clear the blood from her mouth, and muttered, “Are these black shadows all Extraterrestrial Demons? Why would there be Extraterrestrial Demons in a Forbidden Zone of the Immortal Realm?”
Along the way, she had followed Wu Zhaohua, their spear and sword cutting a path to this desolate place where only black shadows and giant ruins appeared.
They could see no end ahead and no path back. Both of them had sustained significant injuries and looked somewhat disheveled.
“I don’t know, but if these shadows ever reached the Five Provinces, it would be a catastrophe. No one could stop them.” Wu Zhaohua shook her head. She pulled a pill from her robes and handed it to Qin Qingyue, though she kept her eyes averted, looking elsewhere.
Qin Qingyue didn’t stand on ceremony. She took the pill and swallowed it, sitting cross-legged to begin recovering her Lingli. “How is things on Jiang Huai’s end?” she asked.
Although she could sense Jiang Huai’s life force, certain areas were dominated by Wu Zhaohua’s Spirit Sword Pattern, so she had to ask her.
Wu Zhaohua stiffened and curled her lip, sitting down cross-legged as well. “Hmph, I’d say he’s doing quite well.”
“He hasn’t forgotten to enjoy himself with women. I see him…”
Before she could finish, her expression changed drastically. The sword at her waist unsheathed instantly, its light billowing like a silver river from the Nine Heavens as it swept across the wasteland. She shouted, “Who is it?! Come out!”
Qin Qingyue reacted just as quickly. She stood up immediately, gripping her Spear tightly while scanning the surroundings. Suddenly, she locked onto a direction, her golden Dragon Eyes narrowing dangerously. “I see you.”
There was nothing there but swaying wild grass.
Wu Zhaohua was stunned. She only sensed that someone was present, but she couldn’t locate them. How could Qin Qingyue sense exactly where they were?
“Is that… Senior Qin Qingyue?”
“I mean no harm,” Qin Xuange’s voice rang out near Qin Qingyue’s ear, carrying an irrepressible excitement and reverence.