Hearing the mysterious female voice, Qin Qingyue’s brow furrowed. She gripped her Spear tightly, not daring to relax her guard in the slightest. She gestured with her eyes for Wu Zhaohua to pay attention to their surroundings.
She had been cautious her whole life, especially in a Forbidden Land like this. She wouldn’t let her guard down even for a moment. Who knew if this was a trick by some Heavenly Demon or an illusion created by the Forbidden Zone?
Once Qin Qingyue was certain she hadn’t fallen into some sort of hallucination, she addressed the phantom before her: “Who are you? State your name.”
Wu Zhaohua glanced around. The Archaic Long Sword in her hand left her grip, circling around her and Qin Qingyue. She slowly moved to stand beside Qin Qingyue; if something bad happened, they could at least rely on each other.
Though she still felt awkward about cooperating with Qin Qingyue, she had no other choice for now.
“I mean no harm, Senior Qin Qingyue.”
Seeing the senior she had admired for so long, Qin Xuange’s voice was filled with an indescribable excitement. She even began to explain herself to Qin Qingyue somewhat incoherently.
At first, she was just a faint, shimmering reflection like water rippling in the wind, but now the contours of her features were barely visible. The excitement in her voice was like an uncontrollable tide.
After hearing the explanation, Qin Qingyue still didn’t lower her guard. She asked suspiciously, “Are you saying this is a talent inherent to our bloodline?”
“One that can reach the Immortal Realm from the Five Provinces?”
She wasn’t familiar with the family tree of the Black Dragon Clan, nor did she want to be. Back when she was being hunted, her fellow clansmen either stood by and watched or kicked her while she was down. The few who wanted to help were forced into silence.
Qin Xuange nodded repeatedly, her face filled with joy. “Yes! I used the Black Lotus within the clan to communicate upward with the Immortal Realm. I didn’t expect to connect with you, Senior.”
“I consider myself a member of the same Black Dragon Clan branch as you.”
Qin Qingyue felt a resonance stirring naturally within her bloodline, pulling her toward Qin Xuange. A complete Gongfa, one she had never practiced but felt intimately familiar with, slowly surfaced in her consciousness like the moon emerging from a sea of clouds.
Every mantra and every path for the circulation of Lingli fit perfectly with her Dragon Essence. It was as if this Gongfa had been dormant in her bloodline specifically for her, waiting for the right moment to awaken.
Qin Qingyue fell silent.
“Is something wrong?” Wu Zhaohua asked from the side.
Qin Qingyue shook her head as she carefully sensed the Gongfa in her mind. Her expression became subtle. The harsh words she had been about to say were swallowed back down, stuck in her throat.
Wu Zhaohua watched silently from the side. Seeing the change in Qin Qingyue’s expression, she knew the woman had surely changed her mind. She wondered what kind of scheme was brewing in that head of hers.
As rivals who had clashed for many years, she was all too familiar with this Black Dragon’s ability to adapt. As long as something benefited her, Qin Qingyue could be hostile one moment and shamelessly play nice the next.
Sure enough, once she had fully comprehended the Gongfa in her mind, Qin Qingyue took a deep breath. When she looked up again, the sharp edge on her face had receded like a tide, replaced by a sincere, gentle, and even slightly “apologetic” expression.
“I think I understand what you mean now.”
“Back then, I was driven out of the Black Dragon Clan and hunted by them. I only fought back out of necessity. I hope you can understand.”
“After all, I am a member of the Black Dragon Clan. If I can reconcile with the clan and turn hostility into friendship, I am actually willing to do so,” she said sincerely to Qin Xuange, her voice thick with emotion.
Qin Xuange looked delighted and nodded repeatedly. She stepped forward two steps and said excitedly, “Senior was originally the most excellent Cultivator of our branch! You possess a Celestial Immortal Form!”
“Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, it’s for the best. I am also willing to act as the medium for you to communicate with the Five Provinces, helping our Black Dragon Clan return to its peak!”
The corner of Wu Zhaohua’s mouth twitched.
She turned her head away and raised a hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, using the motion to hide the disdain she could barely suppress. Listening to Qin Qingyue’s nonsense, she wondered what kind of benefit the woman was after this time.
‘What misunderstanding? She probably wants nothing more than to cripple the Black Dragon Clan. She even stole their Space Treasure.’
But Qin Xuange couldn’t hear Wu Zhaohua’s thoughts.
The corner of Qin Qingyue’s mouth tightened imperceptibly. Her tone softened, and a look of gratified relief appeared in her eyes. “Good. I’m relieved to hear you say that.”
“Wait for me a moment.”
Having gained the other’s agreement, she walked over to Wu Zhaohua with a light step, her face glowing with joy. “I’m going to step away for a bit. Protect me while I’m gone!”
A tiny Soul Transmission reached Wu Zhaohua’s ear:
‘I can’t fully trust her yet. If you notice anything wrong with me, or if I’m gone for too long, wake me up.’ She patted her rival’s shoulder solemnly.
This was the first time she had completely entrusted her back to her nemesis, Wu Zhaohua, because the temptation before her was simply too great.
Wu Zhaohua brushed off the spot where she had been patted. Her face was as cold as a layer of frost, and her voice was so flat it lacked emotion. “Explain yourself clearly.”
Qin Qingyue wasn’t annoyed. She was in an excellent mood—good enough to tolerate her rival’s cold face. She leaned in closer, almost touching Wu Zhaohua’s ear, and explained in a low voice:
“The Heavenly Gate to the Immortal Realm is closed, but I can use our bloodline connection to borrow her body and go back to the Five Provinces to take a look.”
“This was originally a method used by the Black Dragon Clan to exchange information between the Five Provinces and the Immortal Realm through their bloodline. I didn’t expect it to be useful at a time like this!”
Wu Zhaohua’s eyes narrowed. She had heard in the past that some ancient, long-established families had various means of breaking through the Barrier between the Immortal Realm and the Five Provinces to communicate, but most relied on the Heavenly Gate to the Immortal Realm.
She hadn’t expected the Black Dragon Clan’s communication to bypass the gate entirely, using a Gongfa innate to their bloodline instead. Since this Gongfa had awakened in Qin Qingyue’s bloodline, it was likely genuine.
“Hmph,” Wu Zhaohua snorted softly.
“Oh, come on, help me out. When I get there, I’ll pass on a message for you and check on the Wenxuan Sect for you while I’m at it.” Qin Qingyue put away her Spear and shook the other woman’s shoulder.
This place was fraught with danger. Although it was safe for the moment, she didn’t dare lower her guard. She could only ask Wu Zhaohua to protect her; having a backup plan was the safest bet.
Wu Zhaohua held her Archaic Long Sword, her face cold. Her blood-stained white dress fluttered in the wind, giving her an ethereal appearance, though a flash of jealousy flickered in her eyes.
After a long silence, she finally said flatly, “When you go… say hello for me. Tell him I’m fine and not to worry about me.”
Qin Qingyue choked.
She opened her mouth, but the words ‘Don’t flatter yourself, he definitely isn’t worrying about you’ almost escaped. They hovered on the tip of her tongue before she swallowed them. She nodded silently and patted the other’s shoulder again.
Wu Zhaohua seemed to see through her thoughts and gave a cold laugh, saying nothing more.
Qin Qingyue withdrew her hand awkwardly.
The Forbidden Zone was currently deathly silent. The Extraterrestrial Demons in this area had been wiped out by the two of them working together, so it seemed there wouldn’t be any trouble in the short term.
“Hehe.” Qin Qingyue smiled knowingly. Knowing that Wu Zhaohua had agreed, she happily walked over to Qin Xuange and sat down cross-legged.
“Let’s hurry. I have some things to do on my end as well.”
Qin Xuange hurried to sit cross-legged beside Qin Qingyue, nodding obediently. “Okay.”
An indescribable, wonderful feeling welled up in her heart. She couldn’t help but look forward to it, her heart racing.
On one hand, she could be intimately close with the senior she admired most, existing within the same body, seeing her elegance, and receiving her guidance.
On the other hand, Qin Xuange was also looking forward to seeing how Jiang Huai would react when Qin Qingyue stood before him while controlling her body.