“Of course, it’s not just us. Once we move, the other sects will act as well.”
Linglong’s words sounded a bit abstract, but the meaning was easy enough to grasp: Yaochi had sent out its elite forces to the outside, and naturally, the other sects would grow suspicious and follow suit.
This way, Yaochi wouldn’t have to explain to the others why they were heading out, and could smoothly lead people to where they needed to go—killing two birds with one stone.
It was hard to imagine such a plan came from someone like Linglong, who often appeared somewhat absent-minded.
“But are you really going to fight the Ling Wang Qianhu to the end and let that Demonic Cultivator reap the benefits? She must have her reasons for entering this Secret Realm. Isn’t what you’re doing actually helping that Demonic Cultivator?”
Even Miss Hua Jian, coming from another world, felt uneasy about letting a Demonic Cultivator achieve her goals. Shouldn’t Linglong, who understood Demonic Cultivators even more, feel the same?
Hua Jian didn’t bear any deep hatred towards Demonic Cultivators—she just knew they were a bad bunch in the world.
But Yaochi had truly clashed with Demonic Cultivators, their conflict stretching back through the ages, a blood feud without any chance of reconciliation.
“…Master didn’t say why we have to do this. She just told me to use their own tactics against them,” Linglong shook her head. This decision wasn’t hers, but one Master made for her after being contacted yesterday.
She couldn’t understand why Master chose this path, but she was willing to trust Master’s judgment.
“I see. Then it must be that the big shots upstairs have their reasons.” Upon hearing that it was Linglong’s Master’s decision, Hua Jian had no objections.
They were both pieces on the chessboard, unable to see the full game. Linglong’s Master, who could see the whole picture, had to be trusted to make the best choice—no matter how it looked to them.
Sometimes, it was best to listen to the elders.
“But Master also told me that this time we can use more powerful Spirit Tools. We can’t let the Demonic Cultivator look down on us.”
As she spoke, Linglong pulled out a set of small, exquisitely crafted throwing knives from her Storage Pouch. The willow-leaf-sized blades came alive the moment they were drawn, spinning around her like they had a will of their own.
“Silver Flower Blades. Master gave these to me for self-defense. These Spirit King-level Spirit Tools have enough power to seriously injure a Ling Wang cultivator with a single strike.”
Then Linglong produced a silver hand crossbow, already strung and ready to fire. “The She Ri Nu—also a Spirit King-level Spirit Tool…”
Hua Jian was momentarily speechless watching Linglong pull out four or five Spirit King-grade Spirit Tools in a row.
So this was the depth behind the Saintess of the Saint Sect. The reason she was held back by Spirit King-level enemies wasn’t because she couldn’t beat them—it was because she pitied them and didn’t want to use these ‘cheat’ tools to overwhelm them.
Now that the Demonic Cultivator who came in with her own ‘cheats’ had appeared, Linglong’s secret weapons were naturally unlocked.
“The other sects have similar measures too, to ensure they have a fighting chance in these situations.”
Though the gap between a Ling Shi and a Ling Wang was huge, it wasn’t so vast that a Ling Shi couldn’t deal some damage.
After some maneuvering, pulling out Ling Wang-level Spirit Tools could still hurt a Ling Wang.
Against a heavily-equipped warrior like Linglong, a Ling Wang could easily be taken down with a smooth combo of Spirit Tools.
“Since you’re already prepared, I won’t say more. I wish you success in battle!”
“You’re coming with me.”
“Huh?”
Hua Jian blinked, then pointed at herself. “Me?”
What good would she be following? She had no combat ability, and the smoke bombs were indiscriminate. Going would only make her a burden.
Better to stay at Yaochi’s base, use the cultivation chambers while the main forces were out, and gather resources from the Core Zone.
That was the best way to maximize gains!
“You’re the only channel we have to get intel on that Demonic Cultivator. Only with you can we avoid being completely in the dark.”
“Even if you say so, I still…”
“If you come along, after it’s done, I’ll accompany you here to gather Spirit Items. You want as much as you like—I’ll help you get it.”
“Well, you put it that way, how can I refuse? It’s everyone’s duty to eliminate evil. As Hua Jian, I naturally must contribute!”
Hua Jian immediately puffed out her chest, showing off her righteous spirit. “Saintess, you really know people. How did you know I’m such a selfless person?”
Demonic Cultivators must be exterminated—of course, she had to do her part.
As for Linglong’s offer of rewards afterward? Pfft, those were just small matters!
Linglong admired Hua Jian’s smooth switch in attitude. She gently pinched Hua Jian’s cheek and said sincerely, “Girls should have some dignity.”
“Then just treat me like a boy! I’ve always been a hot-blooded young man at heart!” Hua Jian patted her chest.
Could she say something so ridiculous to refute herself? Linglong looked at Hua Jian’s earnest expression and didn’t believe a word.
Just the way Hua Jian patted her chest proved she was a genuine girl.
Which real ‘good boy’ had such chest movements? Which real ‘good boy’ could wear a skirt and act cute without flinching?
Hua Jian as a ‘good boy’? No one would ever believe it!
“What’s that look? I’m serious, you know. I’m a huge pervert!” Hua Jian felt a sudden humiliation under Linglong’s gaze.
What was that look? How was Hua Jian not like a boy? Sure, she wore skirts, acted cute, and sometimes accidentally flirted, but she really was a good boy once!
If life hadn’t forced her otherwise, she wouldn’t have become like this.
“Oh.”
“What does that ‘oh’ mean? Looking down on me?”
“No, I just think that kind of you is kinda cute.”
Annoying little brat.
But a brat caught off-guard was a whole different flavor. Hua Jian was in that state now.
Usually, Linglong was the one exasperated by Hua Jian. This time, the tables turned—Hua Jian was the one breaking down emotionally, which Linglong found amusing.
She had a feeling she might start enjoying teasing Hua Jian until she showed these vulnerable expressions.
Behind Linglong’s calm face hid a surprisingly mischievous thought. She felt she had found a little tail to pull on with Hua Jian.
Exactly—the topic of gender. Hua Jian seemed to have a strange fixation on insisting she was male at heart.
But no matter how you looked at it, Hua Jian was a genuine girl.
Maybe this was Hua Jian’s unique way of coping with her feelings?
……
“I didn’t expect you to really pull it off, even fooling the Saintess of Yaochi completely.”
“Tch, such a small thing—no big deal. But I warn you, don’t come out too suddenly later or I’ll get suspected.”
In the midnight forest, two girls spoke in hushed tones.
Youye was very satisfied with Hua Jian’s efficiency; in just two days, the Yaochi main force had been drawn here, indirectly triggering other Saint Sects’ powers.
Now, the elites of the Five Great Sacred Sects had gathered, all eager to crush the isolated Ling Wang Qianhu and seize the treasures he guarded.
And Youye planned to appear as the opportunistic ‘angler’ after the Right Path forces defeated Qianhu—claiming both the treasure and the victors for herself!
“By the way, you haven’t told me your exact plan yet. Don’t tell me after you get the treasure, you’ll have something else you want me to help with,” Hua Jian probed.
She needed to understand how big Youye’s ambitions were—was it just this one treasure or something greater?
Youye was silent a moment, then clicked her tongue in displeasure. “There’s a key buried here that opens the Imperial City’s Cangbaoge.”
“Once you get the key, you can enter the heart of the Imperial City’s treasure pavilion and claim precious treasures.”
“There’s a True Dragon Scale of the Sacred Beast Qinglong inside—I must get it!”
“Shh…” Hua Jian sucked in a breath. So your goal was this huge after all.
The Sacred Beast was legendary among legends. Could such a treasure truly exist in a mere Secret Realm used for Ling Shi-level cultivators to train?
Hua Jian didn’t believe it for a second.
“This is a Secret Realm discovered by the Saint Sect, explored once by their revered Saints and Shengzhe. How could you think they’d leave such a prize for you?” Hua Jian was genuinely baffled.
“Hmph. The Right Path has no idea about the connection between this Secret Realm and the Sacred Beast, nor about the deeply hidden Cangbaoge in the Imperial City.”
So only you Demonic Cultivators knew the truth? Hua Jian looked at confident Youye, thinking she’d been tricked—set up by the Saint Sect.
So Hua Jian shut up, no longer discussing the matter.
After all, Youye was the enemy. Why warn her as she walked further into the trap?
Hua Jian was no saint.
“Fine. After you get the key, what happens is none of my business. See you on the battlefield. I won’t hold back.”
“I won’t interfere with your stealth mission.”
“No, you already have.”
……
Returning from the woods after hanging out with Youye, Hua Jian immediately spotted the light still shining in Yaochi’s temporary camp center tent.
She tiptoed over, peeked inside, and before she could get a clear view, Linglong’s voice came out.
“Sneaking around like a thief, careful not to get caught.”
“Hehe, how could a girl as charming and beloved as Hua Jian ever be mistaken for a villain?” Hua Jian laughed twice and stepped into Linglong’s tent.
Still sitting cross-legged, Linglong tossed out a Yinfu Fuzhou—a silencing charm—at the tent’s entrance, then asked about Hua Jian’s meeting with Youye.
After hearing Youye’s intel, Linglong rarely showed confusion, but now her expression was clearly puzzled.
If the Qinglong Dragon Scale really existed, how did she not sense it?
Could the Cangbaoge be so powerful that it completely blocked her Dragon Scale detection?
“If the Dragon Scale truly exists in the Secret Realm, I wouldn’t fail to sense it.”
After pondering, Linglong decided to be cautious and fully open her senses for a thorough search.
“Wait a moment, I’ll try to sense again…”
With that, Linglong closed her eyes and slowly floated into the air. A pale platinum glow flowed gently from her body, bringing forth an indescribable aura.
Under Hua Jian’s watchful gaze, Linglong’s form changed dramatically—delicate jade-colored dragon horns sprouted from her forehead, a slender snowy white dragon tail unfurled behind her, and pale jade scales appeared on her skin and face.
This version of Linglong perfectly matched Hua Jian’s mental image of a Little Dragon Girl.
“Didn’t I see her like this before?” Hua Jian rubbed her eyes, feeling the dragon girl form wasn’t unfamiliar.
After absorbing energy, she thought she’d caught a brief glimpse of this side of Linglong before.
After about half an hour, Linglong reopened her eyes and shook her head at Hua Jian. “I still can’t detect the Dragon Scale’s aura. Maybe it’s hidden too deeply.”
Hua Jian wasn’t bothered by whether the Dragon Scale was deeply hidden—she suspected it probably didn’t exist.
She was far more interested in Linglong’s horns and tail.
Cough, as a girl from another world who had never seen a Dragon before, it was only natural she was curious about dragons and Little Dragon Girls.
Wanting to touch the horns and tail was perfectly normal too.
“Is all this real?” Hua Jian’s eyes brimmed with curiosity as she stared at the gently wagging tail.
“It’s all real. I usually find them troublesome, so I hide them with magic,” Linglong nodded.
The tail and horns caused many inconveniences in daily life and attracted unwanted attention from other girls.
The human form Linglong and the Little Dragon Girl form had completely different levels of charm.
For the former, Hua Jian felt nothing; for the latter, she practically wanted to pounce and rub all over.
Human form—not acceptable. Dragon girl—absolutely!
“Cough, can I touch them? I promise I won’t mess them up!” Hua Jian took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to ask.
Linglong tilted her head slightly.
She didn’t mind being touched, but letting it happen for free felt a little unfair.
“The dragon horns and tail are very important. Mother and Master warned me not to let outsiders touch them casually.”
“Then I can be an insider!” Hua Jian quickly replied. “Easy! I’ve wanted to be your dog for a long time, Miss Linglong!”
“Insider… that’s not really necessary. Just don’t go provoking strange people anymore.” Linglong’s heartbeat quickened briefly but she knew none of Hua Jian’s words could be trusted.
Anyone could say nice things—the real test was in their actions.
As she spoke, Linglong walked over and poked Hua Jian’s cheek with the tip of her tail.
“I haven’t provoked any strange people! They came looking for me first, okay?” Hua Jian argued indignantly.
She was such a passive and earnest person; there was no way she’d seduce other girls!