Chapter 43: The Reluctant Saintess and the Dragon’s Toothache

The Saintess contacted by the Azure Dragon King was the last one from ancient times.

Like her predecessors, she held the Ice Demon Dragon lineage in disdain.

“This…”

Xian Yuan found herself speechless, yet the fervent gazes of the Ice Demon Dragons below the altar left her utterly bewildered.

“Xian Yuan, you’ll agree, won’t you?”

Observing Xian Yuan’s flustered state, Murong Fier transmitted her voice.

“How could I? I have absolutely no interest.”

“Xian Yuan, have you forgotten that the ranking upon exiting the secret realm is determined by who finds the most treasures?”

“As a dragon clan, would the Ice Demon Dragons truly possess no treasures?”

“Surely you wouldn’t wish for your Heavenly Gate Island to be eliminated, would you?”

“That… doesn’t seem right.”

Listening to those words was like seeing the sun after the clouds parted, a sudden enlightenment.

Xian Yuan felt a flicker of temptation.

Still, it was only a flicker, for she genuinely wished not to become the Saintess.

As a young lady of an immortal family, the strict etiquette alone was enough to torment her to death.

“So, you choose for Heavenly Gate Island to rank among the lowest?”

“I’ve heard my grandfather mention that Heavenly Gate Island’s ranking seems precarious, hasn’t it?”

These words struck Xian Yuan’s chest like an arrow.

Her transmitted voice trembled slightly as she declared, ‘No matter what you say, I will not compromise.’

“If that’s the case, won’t those cultivators whose happiness you’ve ruined seek revenge upon you?”

“Surely you wouldn’t want to be hunted down, would you?”

“Even so, I won’t succumb!”

“If you don’t become the Saintess, the Ice Demon Dragons will be terribly disappointed.”

“What if they refuse to let you conduct your investigations?”

“After all, Azure Dragon King is a peak Immortal Emperor powerhouse; you wouldn’t want to be lectured by your family, would you?”

“Alright, then, no problem. I accept.”

‘This isn’t me, with my unyielding backbone, having succumbed; this is a devil tempting me into succumbing – it’s entirely different!’

Once the voice transmission ended, Xian Yuan announced, “Well then, I am willing to become the Saintess.”

“The Saintess is crowned! Congratulations!”

“Roar~”

Below the altar, the Ice Demon Dragons collectively prostrated themselves, their heads raised towards Xian Yuan, emitting waves of excited roars.

“Please, Saintess, accept the Saintess Jade Seal.”

The Azure Dragon King held the deep blue jade seal, its surface adorned with dragon patterns that shimmered with an ethereal blue light, exuding a mysterious power.

This was the Ice Dragon Seal, the paramount treasure of the Ice Demon Dragon clan.

“This is the Ice Dragon Seal, the most precious treasure of our Ice Demon Dragon clan, passed down through thousands of years,” the Azure Dragon King declared solemnly.

His gaze was fixed on Xian Yuan, his expression grave.

Xian Yuan’s eyes lit up.

The moment she saw the jade seal, those eight grand characters immediately flashed through her mind: ‘Received Mandate from Heaven, Longevity and Prosperity Eternal.’

“Oh no, no, this cannot be!”

“To be chosen as the Saintess is already an immense fortune; how could I possibly accept such a jade seal?”

“Furthermore, what virtue or ability do I, Xian Yuan, possess to merit such appreciation from Your Excellency, the Dragon King?”

Xian Yuan waved her hand, feigning a modest refusal, as if to say, ‘How could this be?’

Yet, the uncontainable curve of her lips, more challenging to suppress than an AK’s recoil, utterly betrayed her true feelings.

“Saintess, does your refusal to accept the jade seal imply disrespect towards my Ice Demon Dragon clan?” Qing asked, devoid of anger.

Instead, he brought up Xian Muyan.

“Your great-grandmother was once the savior of our clan,” he stated.

“Saintess, if you do not accept this jade seal, I, Qing, shall bash my head against this very altar today and perish!”

“Oh, you mustn’t, you mustn’t!”

“Since the Dragon King insists so, this Saintess can only reluctantly (and rightfully) accept it.”

Though her words feigned reluctance, her body honestly accepted the jade seal.

As she gazed at the Ice Demon Dragons below the altar, a single tear slowly trickled from the corner of her eye.

“Oh, you’re truly putting this Saintess through such hardship!” she lamented, then repeated, “You’re truly putting this Saintess through such hardship!”

Xian Yuan held the Ice Dragon Seal, its ethereal blue light emanating and reflecting in her clear, bright eyes.

Her beautiful gaze was hazy with moisture, as if she were lost in a dream.

A hint of sorrow permeated her expression, yet the undeniable 45-degree tilt of her lips, a mischievous curve she struggled to suppress, completely exposed her true emotions.

Beside her, Murong Fier’s lips twitched involuntarily.

‘Such a facade,’ she thought.

With Xian Yuan’s acceptance of the jade seal, the matter finally concluded.

However, after becoming the Saintess, the Ice Demon Dragon clan became even more fervent in their affections towards her.

Each day, numerous Ice Demon Dragons would await her awakening outside her cave, while others ventured out to hunt, bringing their catches directly to her.

Xian Yuan felt like an ancient princess.

Yet, Xian Yuan disliked this feeling of being constantly served.

She chose to instruct the Ice Demon Dragons to cease their excessive attention, but they paid her no heed.

For several days thereafter, their behavior remained unchanged.

It was only when Xian Yuan asserted her authority as Saintess, issuing a forceful command to stop, that the Ice Demon Dragons finally ceased their offerings.

Meanwhile, Xian Yuan constructed a small wooden hut near her cave, intending it as a clinic for her research.

However, just days after opening, Xian Yuan was utterly dumbfounded.

The reason for her astonishment was the sheer number of minor ailments, such as colds, and a significant amount of poisoning cases.

Nevertheless, this allowed Xian Yuan to collect valuable data and gain a general familiarity with the members of the Ice Demon Dragon clan.

****

A few mornings later, Murong Fier had already risen early to cultivate.

Xian Yuan, however, yawned as she opened the clinic door, looking as though she had barely woken.

“Another bright and sunny day,” she murmured.

Just as Xian Yuan was preparing to leisurely ease into her day, a figure abruptly shattered her distant fantasies.

An Ice Demon Dragon, about a meter long and entirely pink-blue, arrived at the clinic.

Its right cheek was noticeably swollen.

According to Xian Yuan’s observations, female Ice Demon Dragons were pink-blue, while males were blue.

Qing’s deep blue, however, was the distinctive mark of a king.

Juvenile Ice Demon Dragons never exceeded five meters in length, and only adults possessed the ability to speak human tongues.

“Saintess, my tooth hurts so much!”

The Ice Demon Dragon let out a pained wail, its blue eyes misting over with tears.

With one dragon claw, it gently clutched its swollen right cheek.

“Yue, do you have a wisdom tooth too?”

Xian Yuan put on her glasses, activating their x-ray vision.

She immediately discovered a wisdom tooth on the right side of Yue’s oral cavity, pressing against a nerve and causing the severe pain.

“I have a wisdom tooth?”

Hearing this, Yue stepped forward and hugged Xian Yuan’s arm, her adorable, maiden-like voice pleading, “Saintess, please help me!”

“Yue, would you mind if I examined your mouth?”

“I don’t mind.”

After spending these past few days together, the Ice Demon Dragons had come to realize that the Saintess was, in fact, quite easy to get along with.

“Then, Yue, please open your mouth.”

“Mm-hm.”

Yue obediently opened her mouth.

Xian Yuan observed carefully for a while, noting that Yue’s wisdom tooth differed little from a normal one, even its shape and position were essentially identical.

“Yue, would it be alright if I touched your other teeth?”

“No problem.”

Xian Yuan then ran her hand over all of Yue’s teeth and gums, the feedback from her spiritual energy perceptions filling her glasses with a wealth of new information.

“So that’s how it is.”

Xian Yuan gazed at the data displayed in her glasses, then wirelessly synced it to her phone.

“Saintess, what’s wrong with my tooth?”

Yue tilted her head, asking with a puzzled expression.

“Nothing at all,” Xian Yuan replied, “I simply marvel at how splendid your teeth are; you don’t have a single cavity.”

Xian Yuan truly envied such perfect teeth.

She herself had suffered from cavities as a child, and the pain had been excruciating.