Chapter 219 Dragon Mother Otherwise, you will all be my meal. ...

The boy fell into deep thought.

“This is not something I can decide. What we are preserving are relics that belonged to the Moon Goddess ten thousand years ago, and it is up to the Dragon Mother to decide.” She shook her head, slightly apologetic, “I’m afraid you’ve worked in vain.”

As she spoke, she began to slide up the tree. Before Shen Lixia could speak, she glanced at Zhao Qiguang, who helplessly shrugged, seemingly used to their young master's temperament.

There was a word that was very accurate, Shen Lixia remembered—

This person has social anxiety.

Right now, I'm probably screaming inside, hoping they'll all disappear quickly.

She has a way of dealing with social anxiety.

Brushing the dust off the stones under the tree, Shen Lixia sat down firmly, arms crossed, guarding the tree. Xi Mengsi, understanding her meaning, also sat cross-legged under the tree.

The two stood like two gatekeepers, one on the left and one on the right, ready for battle. Beads of sweat, large as beans, trickled down the forehead of the boy in the tree, rolling down in their sight.

“Miss, Miss—” Su Jiang called out, “I am not the current Holy Maiden of the Garan lineage, you don’t need to be afraid of me…” She thought the boy was afraid of her, which was why he was so hastily avoiding her.

The boy in the tree did not answer. She plucked a leaf, rolled it up, and shot it towards Zhao Qiguang. Zhao Qiguang caught the emerald green streak and held it in his palm.

Suddenly, Ye Zi stood up, like a little person, undulating and twisting back and forth, finally making a soft sound, and with a mournful face, she whispered, "You should take them away quickly! The Dragon Mother is resting now, I can't make a decision."

Zhao Qiguang shook his head: "Young Master, the Abbot has always hoped that you could make the decision yourself." The leaf wilted and returned to its inanimate state. She casually tossed the leaf to the ground, winked at the person in the tree, and then turned and left.

Hearing Su Jiang call her "Miss" repeatedly, Shen Lixia began to recall her name. What was it again...? She remembered, this was one of the top contenders she had listed as one of her primary enemies during the competition, and she absolutely could not be fooled by this person's current cowering appearance.

It's related to dragons, like that monster from before—Jiuyin. Yes, her surname is Jiu.

Nine Netherworlds!

When she called out the name, the boy shuddered.

"Is the Abbot resting? When will she finish resting? Will she eat with the disciples?" Shen Lixia raised her head with a smile, as cunning as a red fox. "We'll wait for her. We've come from afar, we should have gained something. Returning empty-handed... would be a disgrace to the sect."

How can you talk like that? Simmons broke out in a cold sweat, but Jiuyou was actually in a dilemma.

She didn't seem to want to spend more than an hour with a group of strangers—or rather, people who weren't her mother. After a moment of silent tension, a gust of wind rustled through the trees.

Shen Lixia curled her lips into a smile. She had guessed right; as long as she wasn't embarrassed, it was the young master who would be.

Jiuyou flipped down from the tree and sighed, "I'll take you to see the Dragon Mother; this is the only thing I can do."

Shen Lixia asked, "Can't you make the decision yourself? We just want to know and see, not take it away."

“Ancient books cannot be exposed to the light, and relics are extremely fragile. This is an ancient artifact that has survived for tens of thousands of years. Logically speaking, every time it comes into contact with the outside world, it will cause some minor damage.” Jiuyou’s expression became noticeably more serious.

Shen Lixia felt a headache coming on whenever she heard her say these things—just like her senior sister. Her senior sister must know all this; if she were by her side, she might be able to get more information out of her...

Senior sister. Senior sister. They had only been apart for a short while, and she was already thinking about her again. It was Qiao Yanshen who was annoying, and she was even angrier than before, but the image of the young man kept surfacing in her mind because of the smallest details.

She had become a fish caught in a net. The slightest struggle only made the net tighten, leaving her helpless.

To be honest, she still knew nothing about Qiao Yanshen's past. Shen Lixia realized that she seemed to only know the present and the future version of her, but didn't know what she had been doing in those unheard-of corners of her past, in places where rumors couldn't cover. Qiao Yanshen was gentle, meticulous, and always prepared for the future, and without exception, she acted as the senior sister wherever she went. Besides that, what kind of person was she?

The things a person can glean from details are ultimately limited. There are some things that Qiao Yanshen didn't say, and she truly had no idea or guess at all.

But he himself had already poured out his heart to her without reservation.

The atmosphere around her noticeably lowered. Jiuyou thought she was unhappy because of what he had said, so he quickly said, "The Dragon Mother should be almost fully recovered now, let's go quickly. I'll try my best to help you."

Simmons, standing nearby, felt a pang of pity for the foolish boy. Outsiders came wanting to see the treasures passed down through generations of their Taiyin Temple, and without asking their purpose or how they got there, she immediately promised to help. If it weren't for their kind hearts and their supposedly respectable background, this young master wouldn't even know who kicked him into the ditch.

They ventured deeper into the courtyard. The dense forest rustled, the sunlight casting a greenish hue, like layers of golden waves dyeing emerald on water. The moment they stepped into this dark and secluded place, the chilling air of winter enveloped them, as if a pair of eyes were fixed intently on them from the depths.

The damp chill transformed into tiny snakes, hissing and burrowing into people's collars, trouser legs, and cuffs.

That's how it is in the South; it's like a ghost living in your house, cold and unclean.

Shen Lixia felt a strong sense of familiarity, but as a fire elemental cultivator, she could still resist. Xi Mengsi, however, shuddered and reached for Su Jiang's fur collar.

She reached out her hand as if by instinct, and Su Jiang stopped in her tracks, looking up in confusion. Seeing that the woman's lips had lost their color, she didn't hesitate and took off her collar and handed it to her.

Simmons's hand paused. Her expression was more complex and indescribable than the discomfort of being frozen. In an instant, it turned into a forced smile, and she pushed the scarf back.

"You're quite resistant to the cold." She shrugged gently. "People on the snowfields are all like that, aren't they?"

Upon hearing her words, Jiuyou belatedly realized what was happening and quickly cast a spell. Her spiritual energy, a golden-blue hue, flowed through them, showering them with a warm rain. This rain formed a thin film, completely blocking out the chilling aura.

Her voice was apologetic: "I'm sorry, the Dragon Mother is injured and has been extremely wary lately. The cold air here can corrode the bodies of outsiders, but I have already set up protective spiritual energy for you."

"Injured?" Shen Lixia frowned.

Completely unsuspecting, Jiuyou smiled and rolled up his sleeve. Beneath the deep green fabric, several deep, bone-revealing sword wounds crisscrossed, along with signs of corrosion. Some had healed, with tender new flesh growing over them, making the sight even more horrifying.

She touched her wounds.

“I also helped defend against enemies at the Taihui Sect before, and the Dragon Mother was by my side. Her cultivation level was not high, and she used all her strength to protect me and was seriously injured. I can still come out to bask in the sun, but she now... needs to rest for a long time.”

Shen Lixia was stunned for a moment, then said softly, "I'm sorry."

Jiuyou lowered his sleeves, his eyes widening in surprise, and waved his hands repeatedly: "What are you apologizing for? This is not your fault, nor should it be blamed on the entire Taihui Sect. In the end, it's all the fault of the Demon Clan's invasion!"

Shen Lixia knew that they all hated the demons to the core, but right now, she had to watch Qiao Yanshen go to the demon realm where the enemy lived.

She remained silent, and Jiu You, thinking she had talked too much, blushed slightly and turned away, walking forward in a sullen voice. After a while, Shen Lixia softly said, "Thank you, Miss Jiu," which eased the tension in her tightly furrowed brow.

The group remained eerily silent until Jiuyou entered the deep courtyard and stood before the house's door.

She gestured to Shen Lixia and the others, then picked up a stone and lightly touched its surface with two fingers. The spiritual energy suddenly transformed into a brilliant golden light, and the stone trembled for a moment. Jiuyou then picked up twigs and pebbles and pieced them together around the stone.

The stone was thus propped up and even wobbled a couple of times.

It was as if hands and feet had grown out.

A few flexible folds appeared at its top, and when it faced the Netherworld, it curved slightly, as if revealing an expression similar to a "smile".

Jiuyou returned its shy and gentle smile, whispering, "Little Stone, check if the Dragon Mother has woken up yet."

After the stone man went inside, she turned to him and said, "I'll check on the Dragon Queen's condition first. You all wait here for now. If she really doesn't want to see outsiders, she won't get away with it even if she goes in."

Shen Lixia, who had been staring at the little stone figure's eyes the whole time, finally blinked. How strange, how can an inanimate object be brought to life? This must be a secret technique of the Taiyin Temple.

Seeing her curiosity, Jiuyou smiled and said, "This is a technique that can give life to creations, but it won't last long."

A moment later, the stone man seemed to be blasted out by a strong gust of air, and the door opened slightly.

Its life, whether due to the wind or simply because it was destined to be short, suddenly fell apart, turning into scattered stones and twigs.

A deep voice suddenly came from inside the door:

"Nine Netherworlds".

"You are here." Jiuyou knelt on one knee and replied respectfully, "How is the Dragon Mother's health recovering?"

After a moment of silence, the other person said, "I told you I needed to rest, so why did you come looking for me?" There was no discernible emotion in their voice.

Jiuyou bit her lower lip and took a deep breath: "You...you is worried about the Dragon Mother."

A long silence.

The oppressive force, carrying fear, rolled in, accompanied by a fierce storm and chilling waves, instantly soaking one's back in sweat.

Shen Lixia's heart pounded like a drum. She never imagined that the abbot of Taiyin Temple and this young master were so different. Every second ticked by, and if she were standing in front of that door, she would be incredibly nervous too.

But Jiuyou seemed used to it, even more composed in front of the Dragon Mother than in front of others. After sweating slightly, she quickly mustered her courage and said, "I have brought several guests from Emperor Taihui to ask you about important matters in your temple. They came here specifically for this purpose, and I do not wish to disappoint their enthusiasm..."

"Hmm." The other party interrupted Jiu You's explanation, "Outsider, state your name. What brings you here? How did you get to Tianchi? Are you here on someone's behalf, or for some other purpose?"

"Dragon Mother!" Jiuyou, unable to fathom the injured great dragon's thoughts, hurriedly spoke up, "Please wait a moment, these people only want to know about the Taiyin Lord, they have come to pay homage to her, please do not take your anger out on them..."

...it was impossible to get any information out of them.

She didn't say a word, yet Jiu You took the initiative to confess everything.

"It's nothing," Shen Lixia said. "I have long admired the Abbot's reputation, and it is an honor to finally meet you today. Abbot, we have come to pay our respects with sincere intentions."

She stepped forward, took a few steps, and ascended the stairs. The door creaked open slowly.

A strong smell of blood.

It was hard to breathe; the pungent, sweet smell assaulted her senses, almost bringing tears to her eyes. The oppressive aura of a powerful demon was overwhelming; Shen Lixia could almost feel the soft creaking sounds of her will fighting against her body's instincts.

This is not a suppression based on bloodline, because she is the reincarnation of Hua Ying, while the other two are both part of the dragon lineage, making them not much inferior to the Jiaolong.

It is pure power.

The black dragon coiled on the soft, thick blanket, its scales gleaming coldly. Several places were cleaved open, the scales bursting like weeds, becoming the source of the stench of blood.

The heavy sound of breathing echoed in the empty space.

She was very weak.

But those cold, golden eyes stared intently at them, unyielding. Her weakness was completely overwhelmed by the surging ferocity within them. Unlike any friendly elder, she displayed her strength without restraint, leaving Shen Lixia and the others stunned and unable to move.

Golden light flickered in the dim light, but the great dragon seemed to dislike light, and the door slammed shut.

My gaze was instantly drawn into the deep, chilling darkness of the night.

Shen Lixia said softly, "We have heard that Tianchi is in trouble and wish to offer assistance. At this time, the people are suffering, and as cultivators, we cannot stand idly by. Please tell us about the recent situation and allow us to help Tianchi and Taiyin Temple."

The oppressive aura suddenly intensified, and a rustling sound arose from the side. Shen Lixia saw several figures approaching in the darkness, restraining the three of them from the left and right.

A harsh and uncomfortable feel.

It is not a living thing.

The black dragon sneered, "What a joke! You colluded with the 'reputable sects' of the demon race, and now you've come to atone for your sins? Just because someone has already atoned for your sins doesn't mean that every place welcomes your disciples. Go back now, and I will forgive and forget; otherwise, you will all be my meal today."

Jiuyou cried out urgently, "Dragon Mother... Mother!"

Shen Lixia's gaze was intense as she said firmly:

“You need me. Because only you and I can sense that the ‘Dragon God’ is not an evil spirit, but a real dragon without a doubt!”