Chapter 58: Love’s Tribulation and Dragon Secrets

Xian Yuan, you are truly a philanderer.

Upon hearing her master name the person, Jun Jinghong instinctively felt a surge of anger, but following Xi Chaoyuan’s admonitions, she swiftly quelled her irritation.

“Even if Xian Yuan has so many confidantes, this disciple will not give up.”

“Oh, you foolish child, you foolish child!”

Gazing at her disciple, Yin Zishu felt an overwhelming sense of exasperation, akin to seeing iron that refused to be forged into steel.

Seated on her jade throne, Xi Chaoyuan fixed her gaze upon Jun Jinghong and declared, “I do not oppose your involvement with Xian Yuan, but have you considered that your current strength is too meager to contend with those others?”

“Do you recall your battle against Zhou Ci? Without sufficient power, how can you hope to reclaim Xian Yuan?”

“Master, you…”

Gu Miaoqing and Yin Zishu stared at their master in disbelief, their beautiful peach blossom eyes wide with utter shock.

‘What is this? Doesn’t Master detest men above all else? Why?’

“Both of you, refrain from speaking for now.”

Xi Chaoyuan’s beautiful eyes remained fixed on Jun Jinghong. “Do you comprehend?” she asked.

“This disciple understands. I request permission to enter the Sword Abyss.”

After a moment of contemplation, Jun Jinghong realized the ancestor’s words held undeniable truth; if she truly wished to claim Xian Yuan, her current strength was indeed insufficient.

‘A teachable child, indeed.’

Xi Chaoyuan retrieved a jade token from her spatial ring and tossed it to Jun Jinghong.

“Go.”

“This disciple obeys.”

Leaving the grand hall, Jun Jinghong immediately set off towards the Sword Abyss.

****

Once Jun Jinghong had departed, Yin Zishu and Gu Miaoqing voiced the questions lingering in their hearts.

“Master, why would you endorse this matter?”

“Oh, you two…”

Xi Chaoyuan let out a soft sigh, her beautiful eyes reflecting a profound solemnity, indicating her own initial disapproval of the situation.

“Neither of you has ever interacted with men, so you likely lack any understanding of such matters.”

“Among all inner demons, the ‘character for love’ proves the most arduous to overcome. Sister Yun Yi was ensnared by love; had it not been for Shenyu Junlin seizing her heart, there would be no later Green Lotus Sword God who, for her daughter, annihilated the Eastern Sea Pavilion.”

Xi Chaoyuan seemed to recall the past, a time when she was merely a rogue Celestial Immortal, while Yun Yi had already established her renown as the Chief Disciple of the Zhengyi Sect during the Grand Sect Competition.

At that time, she, too, admired Sister Yun Yi. Yet, no one could have foreseen that after the competition, the Zhengyi Sect would personally extract Sister Yun Yi’s heart and present it to Shenyu Junlin, nor did anyone realize that Sister Yun Yi’s fame was merely a trap set by Shenyu Junlin.

Sister Yun Yi survived solely because she was carrying Shenyu Junlin’s daughter at the time.

According to Sister Yun Yi herself, had it not been for Shenyu Xingluo’s innate God-Slaying Law, she would have perished completely.

‘Love is difficult, oh, how difficult love is.’

Adjusting her demeanor, Xi Chaoyuan looked at her two disciples. “I do not wish for Jun Jinghong’s cultivation to stagnate throughout her life due to a tribulation of love,” she explained.

“Though I am reluctant for her to associate with Xian Yuan, I act in this manner for her sake, and for the Grand Void Sword Pavilion.”

“Heartlessness is not the key to achieving the Grand Dao; rather, having emotions is far more crucial. ‘Supreme Forgetting of Emotion,’ ‘Supreme Forgetting of Emotion’—if she were to forget her feelings, would Jinghong truly remain herself?”

“Master, this disciple understands.”

Yin Zishu and Gu Miaoqing exchanged glances, realizing their master’s foresight ran far deeper than their own.

“You may withdraw.”

“Yes, Master.”

****

Within the Secret Realm

Xian Yuan had finished her meal and gained a full understanding of all that had transpired.

Wang Zhe had approached her because Xian Yuan possessed the dragon qi of the Eastern Dragon race. As for any lingering animosity? Tens of thousands of years had passed; such sentiments had long since faded.

Wang Zhe further explained the distinctions between the Western and Eastern Dragon races: while Eastern Dragons were long-lived, had low fertility, and were prone to lust, Western Dragons, conversely, had shorter lifespans, high fertility, and a deep love for wealth.

The Royal Dragon race inherently possessed a divine ability: the [Three Kings’ Hegemony].

The Three Kings’ Hegemony allowed for the creation of two clones, akin to ‘One Qi Manifesting Three Pure Ones,’ but both the main body and its clones possessed revival capabilities. As the Dragon Venerable of the Royal Dragon race, Wang Zhe could resurrect a total of nine times.

After dinner, Wang Zhe arranged for everyone to stay in guest rooms.

There was a small interlude: Leng Xi desired a double room, but Zhi Jiu absolutely refused.

Knowing Leng Xi’s mischievous nature, Xian Yuan and Murong Fier righteously rejected her request as well.

‘Otherwise, she feared Leng Xi might well ‘corrupt’ her during the night.’

For Xian Yuan, she estimated she would be staying here for the next few days, for this was the Royal Dragon race! This was an SSR-tier subject for observation.

At the stroke of midnight, moonlight streamed through the window, bathing Xian Yuan’s quietly sleeping face in its soft glow.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze wafted through, carrying a faint floral fragrance. Xian Yuan’s brow furrowed slightly, a hint of unease stirring in her dreams.

Just then, the room door softly creaked open, and a figure glided slowly into the chamber. Wang Zhe, clad in a sheer veil, appeared like a sylph of the night, elegant and enigmatic. Her eyes gleamed with a profound light, as if capable of discerning all secrets.

The ‘little Xian Yuan’ within Xian Yuan sensed a familiar aura, and immediately, a sharp pang shot through Xian Yuan’s mind, abruptly shattering her pleasant dream.

Xian Yuan groggily opened her eyes, gazing at Wang Zhe in surprise, a question blossoming in her heart.

‘Why would she come at this hour?’

“Awake?”

Wang Zhe’s voice was clear and mature, like a cup of rich, sweet wine.

“Mmm, you…” Xian Yuan’s gaze fell upon the face so close to hers, and she couldn’t help but freeze.

At that moment, Wang Zhe was clad in a flimsy, sheer nightgown, its collar open, revealing a generous expanse of her fair, lustrous skin. Coupled with her alluring and captivating demeanor, she was an irresistible temptation.

A subtle curve graced Wang Zhe’s lips as she extended a slender, soft finger to trace Xian Yuan’s fair cheek. Her voice, deep and magnetic, murmured, “Some matters are best not discussed in front of others. I wish to speak with you alone.”

Hearing this, Xian Yuan abruptly looked up at Wang Zhe, never having expected her to seek her out at such an hour.

‘Could it be…!’

Imagining a host of unsavory possibilities, Xian Yuan clutched her blanket tightly.

‘She certainly didn’t want to lose her innocence before she was even married.’

“You…” Before Xian Yuan could utter another word, Wang Zhe spoke first. “You bear the aura of the Ice Demon Dragon clan. Can you tell me why they would choose you?”

Wang Zhe, too, struggled to comprehend the Ice Demon Dragon clan’s reasoning, for humans and dragons were mortal enemies, yet the Ice Demon Dragons had chosen Xian Yuan, a human, as their Saintess.

…

‘Xian Yuan felt utterly vexed at this moment. Must we discuss such things in the middle of the night? This old lady needs her sleep! Lack of sleep affects the skin!’

Nonetheless, her lips honestly recounted the sequence of events.

“First this happened, then that, and finally…”

However, she omitted any mention of the core matters, such as the Laws of Miracle.

“So that’s how it is.”

Wang Zhe’s beautiful eyes brightened, and the more she observed Xian Yuan, the fonder she grew.

“Then you must protect yourself well. This ability to increase fertility—should most races learn of it, they would be driven to madness.”

“Surely not to that extent?”

“Consider this: why does the Heavenly Dao restrict the Dragon race? Our Western Dragon race is born with cultivation no lower than the Soul Transformation stage, possesses innate divine abilities, boasts long lifespans, and has a fertility rate comparable to humans. If that were the case, would other races even need to exist?”