“Qin Xuange” opened her eyes atop the Black Lotus. A sharp light flashed in her eyes as she began to warily scan her surroundings.
Qin Qingyue had always been alert to her environment — an instinct honed from years of struggling between life and death.
It was pitch black, and the surroundings were dim with almost no light. Two rows of Black Dragon statues stretched out before her, each inscribed with a name. And, of course, a Black Dragon was standing right in front of her, sitting upright and formal.
Qin Qingran’s face was tense as she bowed and carefully observed “Qin Xuange’s” expression. She asked tentatively, “Greetings, Senior. May I ask which senior from the Immortal Realm has taken over Xuange’s body?”
She stared at the face of her clan’s prodigy while praying fervently in her heart, hoping the one before her was an old ancestor of this lineage who had not yet passed away in the Immortal Realm.
‘Please don’t… Please don’t let it be…’
Qin Qingran continued to pray inwardly until the “Qin Xuange” in front of her stood up, brushed off her dress, and glanced at her. Her voice was neither cold nor warm, intentionally adopting an aged tone.
“Which junior are you? I have never seen you.”
“I have no impression of you.”
She spoke with total confidence. Qin Qingyue wasn’t afraid of raising suspicion. Originally, she had personally slain the leader of the Black Dragon Clan within the Red Dragon Palace, turning him to ash. However, that leader had already reached the Great Ascension Stage and had long since ascended.
The current Clan Leader at the Merging Stage was surely an inconspicuous Cultivator back then. If she were an old senior of the Black Dragon Clan, it would be normal not to recognize her.
Hearing this, Qin Qingran felt a surge of joy. She hurried forward and said, “Senior, I am Qin Qingran, the current Clan Leader of the Black Dragon Clan. I was forced to take up the position during a time of crisis. I have made a fool of myself before you.”
“May I ask for your honorable name, Senior?”
Qin Qingyue asked Qin Xuange in her mind, ‘Does your lineage have any names of old seniors? Anyone who ascended to the Immortal Realm will do.’
After Qin Xuange provided an answer, Qin Qingyue replied indifferently, “Qin Wanfeng. You should have heard of it.”
Qin Qingran became immensely respectful. “Of course I have heard of you! Senior, you ascended to the Immortal Realm as an Earth Immortal back then. I remember it very clearly.”
She gave a bitter smile, as if afraid of being blamed, and explained, “It is just that a Heavenly Immortal appeared in your lineage later on, causing the main branch to decline. You should be aware of the specific reasons, right?”
Qin Qingyue fell silent for a long moment. She knew the Heavenly Immortal the other spoke of was herself. It was her actions that had caused the main branch’s decline, to the point where no one in this line could meet the conditions to reach the heavens.
“I have seen her.” Qin Qingyue took light Lotus Steps toward the lotus platform. Her Lingli manifested a mirror, and as she looked at her reflection, her pupils suddenly constricted.
‘Is this not my own face? Then what am I pretending for? Have I already been exposed?’
She had seen the phantom looking like her earlier and thought it was due to the Gongfa. She hadn’t expected it to remain this way after the possession.
Qin Xuange quickly explained within the Spirit Platform, ‘Senior, do not blame me. I… my appearance originally resembled yours, and I applied makeup to mimic your likeness.’
Only then did Qin Qingyue feel relieved. Though she was still shocked inwardly, her expression remained unchanged as she instructed Qin Qingran, “Xuange has already explained the current state of the world to me.”
“I have some matters to attend to now. There is no need to follow me.”
She naturally couldn’t stay here to guide the Black Dragon Clan. This possession had a time limit, and the most important thing now was to find Jiang Huai.
Qin Qingyue walked away hurriedly, not even bothering to look at Qin Qingran’s expression. She transformed into a Black Dragon and flew out of the secret chamber, vanishing without a trace.
Qin Qingran reached out her hand, her mouth open, but the words to stop her remained unsaid. Ultimately, she let out a sigh as she watched the disappearing figure and murmured, “Forget it. Perhaps Senior has her own unfulfilled wishes. Maybe it is something regarding her lineage?”
“In any case, as long as it isn’t Qin Qingyue who has come.”
As long as it wasn’t Qin Qingyue, everything was fine.
Outside the secret chamber, the Black Dragon rode the clouds and mist, soaring through the sky. A series of dragon roars echoed, shaking the surroundings with imposing might.
Within the Spirit Platform, Qin Xuange watched as Qin Qingyue controlled her body with such flexibility and skill. A strange sensation couldn’t help but well up in her heart.
‘Senior can use my body so naturally. Sometimes, her circulation of Lingli is even more skilled than my own.’
“Senior, why didn’t you just tell the Clan Leader your real name earlier?” she asked curiously.
Qin Xuange felt that Senior Qin Wanfeng was only an Earth Immortal, which was worlds apart from a Heavenly Immortal. It didn’t sound nearly as impressive as Qin Qingyue, nor did it bring as much glory.
This was Senior Qin Qingyue, after all — the one who had dominated an era, roamed the Five Provinces, and defied fate itself.
Qin Qingyue coughed twice. She thought to herself that her grievances with the Black Dragon Clan weren’t a matter of a day or two. How could she simply give her real name?
She hadn’t grasped the full situation yet and didn’t know if the other party had any hidden cards. This was a great opportunity. Although it was only a possession and she couldn’t bring over her Heavenly Immortal strength, it was still a rare chance.
‘What if they have some secret method to send me back once they hear I am Qin Qingyue? It is better to be cautious.’
“Xuange, I will teach you a lesson today. No matter what you do, you must be cautious, understand?” Qin Qingyue said. “Do not expose yourself too early.”
Qin Qingyue changed the subject and checked her current cultivation again. It was Jade Liquid Qi Refining, Purple Mansion Foundation, and a Nine-turn Golden Core. Every step was of the highest quality. She asked in confusion, “Speaking of which, I have heard a bit about the younger generation of the Five Great Dragon Clans.”
“With your age and cultivation, I should have heard of you. Since when did the Black Dragon Clan have a prodigy like you?”
This time, it was Qin Xuange’s turn to be silent.
“Is Senior going to look for Jiang Huai?” Qin Xuange asked, changing the subject.
At that moment, Qin Qingyue was controlling Qin Xuange’s Black Dragon body, hovering in the sky.
“Yes. Do you know where he is?” Qin Qingyue asked excitedly.
“I know. He is with the Red Dragon Clan,” Qin Xuange replied with a dissatisfied tone.
“The Red Dragon Clan? Why isn’t he at the Nine Heavens Palace? Where is Su Yingman?” Qin Qingyue asked hurriedly.
Surely nothing had happened to him? Why would he be with the Red Dragon Clan? Because of Chi Lian?
“Hmph. Senior Qin should just go and see for herself. I believe Senior will definitely be able to set Jiang Huai straight!” Qin Xuange answered unhappily.
“Hmm?” Qin Qingyue looked puzzled. While following Qin Xuange’s directions toward the Red Dragon Clan, she asked curiously, “Now that you mention it, have you met Jiang Zhun yet?”
“Why did you put on makeup to look like me? What does that mean?”
“How did he react when he saw you?”
She craftily scanned Qin Xuange’s body with Lingli and found that she was still a virgin. It seemed she hadn’t had that kind of contact with Jiang Zhun.
“I…” Qin Xuange’s mind cleared in the Spirit Platform, and her face flushed slightly as she waved her hands.
“Oh, Senior Qin should just go see for herself. I didn’t do anything.”
The Black Dragon Saintess, who was normally overbearing in the outside world, acted like a little girl in front of Qin Qingyue, not knowing how to respond.
While the two dragons talked, Qin Qingyue flew to the Red Dragon Clan.