Wild Sword Qi, Piercing Cold Current, Scorching Dragon Flame.
Three devastating forces wove together into a vast net, sealing off every escape for the massive black Dragon struggling to break free.
“Go!”
Qin Qingyue shouted, her voice heavy with an unprecedented seriousness.
Clearly, Wu Zhaohua had brought reinforcements, which meant the battlefield situation was even worse than Qin Qingyue had seen.
‘That persistent wicked woman!’
‘Was using Jiang Huai to overcome her tribulation not enough? Why must she keep pestering us?’
A fierce light flashed in Qin Qingyue’s eyes, a murderous aura rippling out from her.
From the moment she sensed the Scorching Dragon Flame, she more or less understood how Wu Zhaohua had found her so quickly.
The Red Dragon from the South Sea Dragon Palace was not only a master of fire, but also skilled in divination, likely having paid a price to deduce Qin Qingyue’s location.
Compared to Qin Qingyue and Jiang Huai, the most nervous of all was Su Yingman. Her heart thumped chaotically, and she swallowed unconsciously.
Every aftershock of the clashing energies made her Soul tremble.
What level of battle was this? Both sides were at the Great Ascension Stage, and both possessed the Celestial Immortal Form.
Jiang Huai was the one being fought over, so naturally, he wouldn’t be harmed.
The one most at risk was herself, a mere Integration Stage cultivator.
Her Integration Stage cultivation was as fragile as a paper kite in a storm on this battlefield of Great Ascension Celestial Immortals.
How unlucky! She had just managed to cling to the Dragon’s thigh, and now she might die here?
“Don’t even think about escaping!”
Wu Zhaohua’s voice was icy cold, her eyes fierce, looking no more benevolent than Qin Qingyue.
She merged with her sword, turning into a streak of white light that tore through the sky, giving relentless chase.
White Dew and Chi Hong followed close behind—the former’s body radiating cold, forming chains of ice that sealed all directions, while the latter spat flames to block the way ahead.
Under the onslaught of Sword Qi, ice, and flame, Qin Qingyue’s Dragon Scales screeched in protest.
Her Dragon Tail wrapped even tighter around Jiang Huai and Su Yingman, as if protecting her most precious treasures.
No matter what, she had to get Jiang Huai out and find a place of absolute safety.
“Qin Qingyue! Leave him behind!”
Wu Zhaohua’s sword light clung to the black Dragon’s tough spine like a festering sore, slashing again and again without mercy.
From her perspective, Qin Qingyue was simply causing trouble for no reason—a villainous Dragon committing every conceivable evil.
She considered herself and Jiang Huai to be perfectly matched, living and depending on each other, as if they were fated Dao Companions.
Yet Qin Qingyue insisted on interfering, trying to steal him away, just like when they were both young girls, always tripping each other up.
If it were any other kind of trickery, a few missed opportunities would be nothing.
But this time, Qin Qingyue had forcibly taken her Jiang Huai, her only warmth, her only salvation.
This was no longer a simple rivalry—this was a pain that cut to the bone, a hatred that would not fade even if her enemy were ground to dust.
In the swirling chaos of spiritual power, Jiang Huai quietly reached out and tightly gripped Su Yingman’s cold, trembling hand.
He saw that the charm and liveliness in her eyes had vanished, replaced only by terror and helplessness about the future.
One misstep, and her Integration Stage cultivation would be snuffed out like a candle in the wind—her body destroyed, her Dao lost.
Jiang Huai’s hand gave Su Yingman a little comfort, and she turned to look at the handsome young man.
“Don’t worry. This isn’t your fault.”
“No matter what happens, you’ll be safe.” Jiang Huai leaned closer, speaking comfortingly.
The Qi Refining Stage youth she had once whipped until his body was covered in welts now gave her, an Integration Stage cultivator, an overwhelming sense of security.
But at this moment, perhaps only Jiang Huai could give her such assurance.
“Husband, I’m so scared. They’re all too powerful.”
Su Yingman’s taut nerves loosened a little, like a drowning person grabbing a floating plank.
Almost instinctively, she threw herself into Jiang Huai’s arms, her delicate body pressing tightly against him, her voice trembling with tears.
Any one of these people could turn all her years of hard cultivation to ashes.
“I’m here. It’ll be alright.” Jiang Huai held her, his voice soft and soothing.
No matter what, he would not let Wu Zhaohua or Qin Qingyue lay another finger on Su Yingman.
“Mmm…”
Qin Qingyue forced herself to rally, her Dragon eyes flaring with a dazzling light.
She summoned all her strength, tearing at the restraints with her Dragon claws!
Whoosh!
A blinding beam of sunlight suddenly broke through! Fresh air flooded her nostrils.
Below, the boundless Sea of Azure Waves stretched out—at last, they had broken through!
Those two Dragons and Wu Zhaohua were nothing after all; they hadn’t managed to stop her escape. Qin Qingyue felt a secret pride.
The enormous black Dragon burst out with unstoppable force, the wind it raised sending towering waves surging across the sea.
After fleeing some distance, Qin Qingyue quickly retracted her Dragon form, transforming into a human. She staggered before barely managing to stand above the sea.
Her face was pale as paper, the Xuanhei Dragon-patterned Armor battered and broken in many places. Her Dragon Tail hung limply, its tip scorched black.
Damn that Red Dragon—how could she burn her tail like this?
How was she supposed to curl up with Jiang Huai to sleep now?
She immediately looked down into her arms.
Jiang Huai and Su Yingman were still sheltered there, equally battered, but seemingly unharmed.
Su Yingman was still shaken, clutching tightly to Qin Qingyue’s arm.
But Jiang Huai…
Qin Qingyue’s gaze froze on Jiang Huai’s face.
His eyes were vacant, holding an abnormal blankness.
Though his body was in her arms, he felt strangely “light.”
“Jiang Huai?”
Her voice was hoarse, tinged with an almost imperceptible tremor.
The “Jiang Huai” in her arms slowly raised his head and looked at her.
The gaze was still Jiang Huai’s, with a hint of exhaustion and fright. He even tried to give her a weak smile, as if to say, “I’m fine.”
No! Something was wrong!
Deep in his eyes, something unique to Jiang Huai’s Soul was missing.
Instead, there was a hollow imitation.
“No!!!”
A heart-wrenching Dragon roar, filled with endless terror and fury, erupted from deep within Qin Qingyue’s throat!
The sea below exploded into a massive vortex.
She suddenly let go, and the “Jiang Huai” in her arms floated away like a weightless phantom, blown back by the sea wind, then gradually faded and vanished.
An illusion!
It was an illusion created by that White Dragon—a signature move of the Northern Plains Dragon Clan.
So lifelike, it had even fooled her Soul sense as a Heavenly Immortal in the heat of battle.
Qin Qingyue threw her head back and let out a heartrending, piercing wail. Her Dragon eyes instantly filled with endless savagery and crimson.
A terrifying Dragon might erupted out of control, turning the sky and sea upside down.
Their goal had never been to kill her, Qin Qingyue. From beginning to end, it was always Jiang Huai.
That illusion was only to make her think she had taken him away, to make her lower her guard, to make her lose her love without even knowing it.
“Madam, please calm down.” Su Yingman carefully slipped out of Qin Qingyue’s Dragon claw and spoke up.
“Calm down? How can I calm down when Jiang Huai’s been taken?” Qin Qingyue snapped her gaze to Su Yingman, her Dragon eyes crimson, making Su Yingman shudder.
“If you go back to look for them now, they’re surely long gone.”
“The sea is vast—where would we even search? If we want to find them, we must go to the source, go to Wenxuan Sect and demand him back.” Su Yingman’s words were urgent and concerned.
In this chaotic battle, neither Jiang Huai nor Qin Qingyue had ever abandoned her.
One kept comforting her, putting her at ease; the other risked everything to protect her and escape together—never leaving her behind.
Either one of them made Su Yingman, who had spent years scheming to survive, deeply moved.
Following them might really be a good choice, whether it was as Jiang Huai’s wife or as Qin Qingyue’s subordinate and sect leader.
Qin Qingyue calmed herself a little, patted Su Yingman’s shoulder, and took a deep breath:
“You’re right. You’re right.”
On the other side, Chi Hong transformed into the form of a mature woman, her red dress blazing, her figure voluptuous.
White Dew stood quietly beside her, ice-blue eyes utterly calm, as if the earth-shattering illusion trap from before had nothing to do with her.
Wu Zhaohua tightly held Jiang Huai in her arms, gently stroking his hair, wishing she could melt him into herself:
“I finally found you. I finally found you.”