“Not good!”
Qin Qingyue’s face changed drastically. How did Wu Zhaohua arrive so quickly?
Even if their whereabouts had just been exposed at the market, how much time had really passed? Wasn’t it just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea?
Su Yingman was still kneeling in humiliation, unable to rise under the oppressive might of a Great Ascension cultivator.
What was going on? Why would Wu Zhaohua attack like this?
She was clearly the Sect Master of her own sect, yet at this moment, she had no say in anything—not even her own body.
There was no time to consider how Wu Zhaohua had tracked them down. Qin Qingyue made a snap decision, grabbing Jiang Huai’s arm with one hand while her other hand reached into the void.
An invisible force instantly swept up Su Yingman, who was still stunned and humiliated.
“Hold on tight!”
Qin Qingyue gave a low shout. A blinding black light erupted around her, and a massive, imposing Black Dragon phantom appeared behind her.
The Dragon Tail coiled around Jiang Huai’s waist suddenly went taut, letting out a piercing shriek as it lashed upward with unstoppable force.
Boom!
The Black Dragon Tail collided fiercely with Wu Zhaohua’s Sword Qi.
A deafening roar followed. Violent spiritual power surged outward in a tsunami-like wave, sweeping madly in all directions.
Su Yingman’s exquisitely decorated pavilion took the brunt of it, collapsing as if it were made of paper.
She looked on in heartache as her painstakingly designed pavilion shattered under the aftershocks of a battle between two Great Ascension cultivators with Celestial Immortal Form, her body now covered by a Dragon Scale Robe from Qin Qingyue, shielding her fair jade skin.
The previous posture was hard enough for Su Yingman to accept. Though her clothes were intact, the hem of her skirt had been blasted apart, all for Jiang Huai’s inspection.
Jiang Huai was speechless inside, and as expected, was kept under strict guard by Qin Qingyue.
The mountain beneath their feet shook violently, countless massive cracks spreading, rocks crumbling and flying.
Qin Qingyue’s figure swayed slightly. The tremendous force transmitted through the Dragon Tail made her feel a trace of pressure, but the fighting spirit in her dragon eyes only burned fiercer.
“Qin Qingyue, I’m giving you one last chance. Return him to me.”
“Otherwise, between you and me, only one will enter the Immortal Realm. This ends with one of us dead.”
Wu Zhaohua hovered in midair, white robes fluttering, spirit sword in hand.
Vast spiritual power surged around her like a sea, as if a sword immortal had descended to the mortal world, unstoppable in her sharpness.
In her eyes, there was only Jiang Huai, protected behind Qin Qingyue. Her fierce aura locked onto her target, and her second sword was already gathering power—far more terrifying than the first.
Qin Qingyue’s thoughts raced.
This was the Huanhuan Sect. Although she’d forcibly taken Su Yingman, the sect disciples were innocent.
It wasn’t that she was particularly kind. It was simply that Su Yingman would have to stay by Jiang Huai’s side in the future, so she had to take her into consideration as well.
Moreover, Jiang Huai and Su Yingman couldn’t possibly withstand the shockwaves from their fight.
“Hold on tight!”
Qin Qingyue gave Jiang Huai a low command, and at the same time, her Dragon Tail flicked, tightly wrapping Su Yingman as well.
In the next instant, an incredibly blinding black light erupted from her body.
Roar!
A majestic dragon’s roar echoed through heaven and earth.
Within the light, Qin Qingyue’s figure vanished in an instant, replaced by a gigantic, awe-inspiring Black Dragon.
The dragon’s body coiled and twisted, jet-black scales gleaming. Two imposing Dragon Horns jutted from its massive head.
The dragon’s eyes burned like crimson suns, gazing down upon the tiny Wu Zhaohua below.
Without the slightest hesitation, the Black Dragon’s enormous claw swept toward Wu Zhaohua’s second, impending sword strike.
Five enormous, pitch-black claw marks tore through the sky, meeting Wu Zhaohua’s Sword Qi head-on.
Another world-shaking collision erupted, turning the sky black and white. The surrounding cultivators fled as far as they could, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.
At the moment of impact, Qin Qingyue used the force of the rebound, twisting her massive dragon body with a sudden motion.
Her gigantic Dragon Tail swept out violently, the air exploding with a deafening sonic boom.
In an instant, the enormous dragon form turned into a streak of black lightning, tearing through the sky at unimaginable speed, racing toward the distant horizon.
Within the dragon’s claws, Jiang Huai—unable to speak—and the still-terrified Su Yingman were held tightly and protected.
“Qin Qingyue! Stop right there!”
Wu Zhaohua shouted angrily, breaking through the claw marks. White light surged around her as she prepared to transform into a stream of light to give chase.
Qin Qingyue, now in dragon form and focusing most of her mind on boosting her speed to evade Wu Zhaohua’s pursuit, didn’t notice a nearly invisible, space-blending streak of crimson light silently shooting out from the chaotic smoke below the Huanhuan Sect.
Its target wasn’t the massive body of the Black Dragon, but the very tip of her Dragon Tail.
“Wu Zhaohua! Next time, I’ll kill you!” Qin Qingyue shouted as she fled at top speed.
As always, she wouldn’t face her enemy head-on when it wasn’t her home ground.
Even now, with Celestial Immortal Form, she still believed in caution—better safe than sorry.
Qin Qingyue let out another dragon roar, her speed surging to the limit as she vanished into the distant sky.
Wu Zhaohua didn’t pursue. She slowly descended to the mountaintop, sheathed her sword, and a satisfied smile curled at her lips.
Only when Qin Qingyue’s black dragon silhouette had completely disappeared beyond the horizon did the suffocating dragon aura in the mountains gradually recede like the ebbing tide.
Two figures slowly flew up from the foot of the mountain, coming to Wu Zhaohua’s side.
On the left was a voluptuous and alluring Red Dragon matron. Her swaying steps exuded grace, and her fiery red palace attire accentuated her breathtaking curves. Her red lips still carried an enchanting, soul-stealing smile.
Her figure was fuller than most women, her hips especially round and prominent, her body like a slender yet ripe fruit.
Every sway brimmed with seductive charm.
It seemed that a mere touch would elicit strange sounds like “oh~”, the classic image of a celestial mother… Mother Dragon.
She walked to Wu Zhaohua’s side, keeping a single step of distance—close, yet maintaining the proud dignity of the Dragon Clan.
“Sect Master Wu, the mark is in place.” Chi Hong’s voice was soft and bewitching, naturally seductive, but her tone was much more serious.
The Red Dragon Clan’s secret technique had not only divined Qin Qingyue’s position, but also secretly marked it.
Next time, they’d find Qin Qingyue even faster.
On the right was Bailu, a cold, ice-like White Dragon maiden.
She still wore no expression, her ice-blue eyes pure as the clearest crystal, utterly unruffled.
She silently walked to Wu Zhaohua’s other side, standing even farther from Chi Hong, as if instinctively repelled by the scorching aura.
Bailu said nothing, only nodded slightly.
A thin layer of frost silently formed at her fingertips, then instantly vanished.
Wu Zhaohua finally withdrew her gaze from the horizon, sweeping her eyes over the two dragons at her side, each so different in temperament.
She finally realized that when it came to running away, she simply couldn’t compete with that cunning Black Dragon—far too experienced.
But that Black Dragon was plagued by misfortune and had no friends at all. That was her own advantage.
So she had simply gone to find help, sending her disciples temporarily to the Central Continent Dragon Palace, while she herself visited the South Sea and North Sea Dragon Palaces to invite their Palace Masters.
Using the Red Dragon Clan’s Divine Machine Divination, they had found Qin Qingyue’s position and locked onto her.
“Well done.” Wu Zhaohua’s voice carried absolute affirmation.
Chi Hong returned her smile, unfolding her folding fan to cover her delicate face, her laughter sweet and melodious:
“We only hope Sect Master Wu will keep her word.”
“Our South Sea Dragon Palace is also willing to form an everlasting alliance with Sect Master Wu.”
Bailu nodded slightly, speaking sparingly:
“And the Three Tribulations Return-to-Truth Record.”
Wu Zhaohua shot Bailu a strange look and nodded silently.
The Three Tribulations Return-to-Truth Record was not something just anyone could master.
If she hadn’t been lucky enough to encounter Jiang Huai, she couldn’t have cultivated it herself.
But since her opponent was courting death, she couldn’t be bothered to explain.
“Qin Qingyue, next time, you won’t be able to escape,” Wu Zhaohua murmured.