Chapter 603: Your Life — I've Claimed It

"This humble official requests an audience with the Dragon Consort. I have urgent matters to report!"

Outside the deep boudoir atop Lady Yushan, a sharp cry suddenly rang out.

"Raising such a ruckus — what kind of decorum is that?"

The two dragon grandsons swept their gazes over coldly: "If you have something to say, say it straight. We will relay it to the Dragon Consort on your behalf."

"This—"

The Black-Backed Jiao General clenched its teeth, stared fixedly at that great door, and fell silent.

"Tch."

Seeing this, the two dragon grandsons exchanged a glance, their expressions turning cold: "Strange. In this stretch of land and water in West Hong, is there truly something my dragon sons and grandsons cannot hear? Have you forgotten whose subordinate you are?"

Setting everything else aside, this woman truly has her ways of winning people's hearts.

One of the dragon grandsons suddenly stepped forward and, with a backhanded swing, slapped the Black-Backed Jiao General across the face, sending its entire body crashing to the ground: "Speak!"

The Black-Backed Jiao General spat out a mouthful of blood, and raised its head in dread.

Just as it still wanted to hold out, the entire peak of Lady Yushan was suddenly plunged into a bone-chilling cold.

The hidden wounds the two dragon grandsons had only just managed to recover from were pressed down by this aura; their faces flushed red once more, and as their throats bobbed, a wisp of fishy sweetness had already crept up to the tip of their tongues.

"This consort acts with propriety in all things. There is nothing I cannot have spoken of — say what you will."

The woman's indifferent voice drifted out from the deep boudoir. The two dragon grandsons' expressions flickered between light and shadow; forcibly enduring their injuries, they cupped their fists toward the room in salute: "Many thanks to the Dragon Consort for her understanding."

Upon the bed in the deep boudoir.

Ji Jingxi placed her palm over the back of Senior Zi Xian's hand, signaling the other to keep calm.

"……"

Senior Zi Xian gave a slight nod of her chin. The reason the name of the Lady Yushan Dragon Consort had spread throughout all of West Hong was not only because of the support of the East Long Gong — her own temperament was also extremely admirable.

Yet the next moment, after clearly hearing the words spoken outside the door, the face she had only just calmed instantly changed color.

"Reporting to the Dragon Consort, the Third Prince and the Sixth Prince have led a number of generals to the Wanxiang Pavilion, ordering all of Lady Yushan's soldiers to withdraw, saying they intend to… conduct a thorough investigation."

The Black-Backed Jiao General glanced at the two dragon grandsons. Its words were somewhat tactful, but it still deliberately emphasized the final four characters.

Crack! Crack!

The corner of Senior Zi Xian's eye twitched, and her five fingers instantly clenched tight.

How could she fail to catch the hidden meaning in her subordinate's words? Clearly, this was the pledge of allegiance the Third and the Sixth were offering to Qi Zhaowen.

To make Qi Zhaowen trust them completely, they would use this matter to thoroughly offend her in one stroke.

If they harbored such an aim, the two would surely carry things to the extreme.

Now that the West Long Wang was in the great hall, Senior Zi Xian could not do anything for the moment. She did not mind these two turning their coats, but the problem lay in… she could not accept that, because of her own reasons, other living beings would be dragged in and bring down an unwarranted catastrophe of death upon themselves!

"……"

Ji Jingxi sighed softly, slowly moved her hand away, no longer pressing down on Senior Zi Xian.

She knew the temperament of the Purple-Mane White Dragon clan, and she trusted the other had the ability to handle this matter properly. Of course, she herself was also unwilling to see such a thing happen.

As a fellow cultivator of the Xian Sect, and moreover as the Shen Zongzhu, the embodiment of her sect's heaven and earth—

Even if it were not her own sect, she would still harbor some benevolence toward the innocent living beings within other treasured lands.

"I'll go with you."

"Thank you."

Senior Zi Xian drew a deep breath and cast her a grateful look.

As the biological daughter of the East Long Wang, she appeared to possess a noble status and outstanding strength, but in reality, having come alone to this West Hong, it had already been a long time since she had tasted the feeling of having someone by her side.

That single simple sentence from Ji Jingxi gave Senior Zi Xian a sense of returning to a hundred thousand years ago, when the East Long Gong and the Qi Sect had been as close as one family.

"This consort would very much like to see — just how much do my handling of affairs leave people uneasy, that it warrants such concern from these princes of his?"

Watching Ji Jingxi transform into moonlight and vanish from her side, Senior Zi Xian suddenly rose and strode out of the deep boudoir.

Before the two dragon grandsons could even attempt to dissuade her, they were blasted flying by the rampant aura, forced to reveal their true forms — jade-horned silver dragons over a hundred zhang in length — and slammed into Lady Yushan, shaking the entire mountain a few times.

The two silver dragons raised their heads in horror, staring fixedly as that graceful figure soared straight up and headed beyond the waters!

"Quickly report to Grandfather!"

"That woman has finally lost her patience!"

……

West Hong, Wanxiang Pavilion.

Many days earlier, this area had been placed under strict guard by Lady Yushan's soldiers, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving.

Although quite a number of cultivators had heard of the matter of the Wanxiang treasured land being unclaimed, under the intimidation of the Lady Yushan Dragon Consort's reputation, not a single person still dared covet this Dao-Unification treasured land.

At this moment, two tall figures stood at ease among the soldiers. The Qi family's Third Prince slightly raised his right arm, his five fingers in a loose grip. Before his palm, a large gap had abruptly opened in the dense mass of soldiers; thick blood dyed the stone bricks red, filling the cracks, and the stench of blood stung the nose.

"You say… ask this prince to wait a moment?"

"Have you forgotten — this is West Hong, and you are soldiers of my West Long Gong?"

The Qi family's Third Prince slowly lowered his hand. His cold gaze swept over the surroundings, finally landing on the Black-Backed Jiao General holding the conch. Only when the Jiao General did not dare to even draw a breath and lowered its head in terror did the corner of his mouth curl with derision: "A traitor — deserves death."

Accompanying his words—

Vast dragon qi suddenly spread out, swallowing up all of the surrounding Lady Yushan soldiers.

Cultivation comparable to the Heavenly Realm was unleashed without concealment, already extremely close to the mid-stage — second only to his two elder brothers.

Boom boom——

Just as the many Lady Yushan demon soldiers showed despair on their faces, a gust of wind suddenly swept in from nowhere, blowing that vast demonic power straight apart.

"A traitor? Are you trying to say that my Lady Yushan is a band of rebellious traitors? Is this the Long Wang's intent, or is it the intent of you, the Third Prince?"

The crisp voice laughed, carrying within it a trace of anger barely perceptible. Three consecutive questions plunged the entire surroundings of the Wanxiang treasured land into Tianyan Siji.

The next moment, that voluptuous figure draped in a long skirt suddenly stepped out from the void.

Zi Xian hung in midair, looking down upon them from above.

"…"

The Third Prince had clearly not expected Zi Xian to arrive so quickly—this woman, upon hearing the news, hadn't hesitated for even a moment, but rushed here at top speed.

Even though he had anticipated it, he still underestimated the madness of this group of Purple-Bearded White Dragons.

For a piece of unclaimed treasure land, for something of no value whatsoever, they'd fly into such a rage.

"Sister-in-law, I didn't mean it that way."

The Third Prince withdrew his gaze; since he had decided to abandon ship, he could no longer afford indecision.

Isn't this exactly the scene Second Brother wanted to see?

He refused to believe that, in Xi Hong, this woman would dare lay hands on him and his brother.

If Zi Xian so much as grazes his skin, let alone harms him, Father King will have the perfect excuse to send her back east.

Thinking of this, the Qi family's Third Prince stepped toward the treasure land's formation: "Take your Yushan troops with you, Sister-in-law. But the Wanxiang Pavilion is where my two brothers perished—I came here on orders to investigate. Morally and rationally, you have no grounds to stop me."

The Sixth Prince felt uneasy and dared not look at Zi Xian; he gritted his teeth and followed his elder brother forward.

"Huh."

Zi Xian exhaled slowly, the coldness in her gaze deepening further.

Just as her fingers emerged from her long sleeves, Ji Jingxi's voice sounded in her ear.

"Stay calm. Saving lives comes first. Don't let petty pride ruin the Eastern Long Wang's plan."

"…"

Zi Xian closed her eyes, suppressing her humiliation, and retracted her hand: "Yushan troops, listen: return to the palace at once."

The soldiers regarded the Dragon Consort with complex expressions—they knew today's humiliation was the Western Long Gong's reckoning for her actions over the years; they didn't want her life, only her dignity.

They sighed in unison and bowed together: "We obey!"

With that, the Yushan troops swiftly withdrew, vanishing entirely into the waters.

Only then did Zi Xian open her eyes and gaze at the two brothers: "You two—stop. Let's… discuss this again."

It was clear how hard those words were for her—a proud Eastern Hong Dragon Princess, bowing to two dragon princes who had just betrayed her; no one could accept such a thing.

"Sister-in-law, don't make this hard for us. It's Second Brother's wish."

The Qi family's Third Prince didn't turn back, nor did he pause his steps. The Sixth Prince felt a wave of relief—this woman would bow down over such a ridiculous matter? She wasn't nearly as terrifying as he'd imagined.

"We've searched endlessly for traces of Wan Yao Dian. After much thought, the only place left unexamined is this Wanxiang Nanyang Baodi—perhaps we'll find clues here, and drag out those vermin all at once, easing Father King's worries."

Now that he understood how to manipulate the Yushan Dragon Consort, the Qi family's Third Prince grew noticeably more composed, his words leaving not a single opening.

It left Zi Xian speechless.

To resist further would make her seem like an accomplice to Wan Yao Dian.

As she pondered her response, another voice sounded in her ear—this time, not Ji Jingxi's, and not telepathy.

The voice was hoarse, laced with laziness, like some ferocious beast opening its eyes.

"You just said… what vermin?"

"…"

The two Qi brothers froze mid-step, their faces instantly changing as they turned toward the distant formation.

In an instant, a thousand li around plunged into darkness; the once-turbulent waters grew still as glass, the wind ceased, and sun and moon vanished.

In this eerie silence,

Zi Xian, the two brothers, and even Ji Jingxi hidden among the clouds—all heard the heavy, slow footsteps.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Four pairs of eyes converged on the formation.

Slowly, a towering figure over ten zhang tall emerged, its black robe embroidered with golden patterns stirring without wind, and beneath its wide hood, a pair of brilliant golden eyes glowed terrifyingly bright.

It stood there with hands hanging loosely, showing no defense, calmly watching the two before it.

The next moment, the monstrous creature slightly bent forward and smiled: "You couldn't possibly have been referring to me… hmm?"

Its deep voice echoed like thunder.

The faces of the two Tian-jing dragon demons from the Qi family darkened further; the Third Prince swallowed hard and forced calm: "Who are you?"

Before he finished speaking,

his pupils shrank—his vision swallowed by shadow.

In an instant, a coarse, razor-sharp claw seized his entire body, and with no resistance, a vast torrent of demonic power surged forth, slamming the Third Prince hard into the ground.

As the demonic energy churned, the wide hood swayed slightly, revealing a glimpse of a grotesque face.

The beast's smile vanished; it regarded the frantic struggle in its grasp with indifference, as if observing a dead thing, and spoke softly: "Wan Yao Dian, East Lord."

Six simple words—yet all four present turned pale.

Though the name was no longer unfamiliar, for the two brothers and Zi Xian, this was their first time seeing a being from this faction—and the moment it appeared, it proved with action…

The rumors of Xi Hong were not rumors.

They acted with such brazen cruelty and terrifying power!

To Ji Jingxi, this monstrous demon before her was incomparably more terrifying than the petite figure she'd encountered last time.

"Y-you let go of my brother!"

The Qi family's Sixth Prince stared wide-eyed, his voice cracking: "We are princes of the Western Long Gong…"

"Can you switch to a different line?"

Ke Shisan gently dug his left index finger into his ear, glancing over with mild irritation: "This is the third time."

He slowly raised his head: "The first time, I let you witness my lord's magnanimity. The second, his benevolence. This third time… I'll let you witness my lord's inviolable majesty."

Hearing this utterly serious statement,

Even Zi Xian couldn't help glancing toward the direction where Ji Jingxi stood.

The master of this demon, in its generosity, ended up wiping out all of Ke Laoqi's subordinates; in its benevolence, it had Ke Si and Ke Laoqi brutally slain—no matter how you heard it, it had nothing to do with either word.

And now, Wan Yao Dian is getting serious—what will they do next?!

A terrifying thought surged in the hearts of all four present.

Upon thinking this, the two brothers' faces twisted violently.

Ke Laoqi slowly pulled back his hood, revealing a sharp, grotesque noble dragon head, its golden-cast scales and horns gleaming brilliantly beneath the dim blue sky.

He offered a wry smile: "Clever. You guessed right."

Before his words had even faded, the peerless demonic beast released Lao San, rose calmly to its feet, and its expression instantly turned cold: "You vermin of Xi Hong—you've lived long enough."

The Third Prince of the Qi family finally broke free of his restraint, too stunned to consider how terrifying that claw had been; driven by instinct, he instantly transformed into his true form—nearly a thousand zhang tall, his massive dragon body possessing the power to overturn seas and rivers, roaring as he shot toward the heavens!

"Roar!"

The long cry of the Tian-jing dragon demon carried an indescribable majesty, enough to shake the souls of all who heard it, even driving them into paralyzing terror.

Yet Ke Laoqi merely gazed quietly at the distant sky.

He seemed to be proving something.

Since he called the dragons of Xi Long Palace vermin, then before him, these dragon princes and princesses could only be as insignificant as vermin—let him release them, or crush them, as he pleased.

As Ke Laoqi slowly raised his hand, storm clouds churned in the dim sky, and a brilliant thousand-zhang giant claw emerged slowly from the center of the swirling vortex.

Yet in the next instant, that colossal dragon claw seized the jade-horned silver dragon soaring through the air in its palm.

"Let me go!"

The Third Prince of the Qi family let out a piercing shriek, then was swallowed by the closing giant claw.

Only when the brilliant dragon claw fully closed did silence fall over heaven and earth—only the blood seeping between its fingers stained the eyes of all who watched.

"I'll kill you!"

Perhaps spurred by his brother's death, or perhaps because, having seen his brother's fate, he knew escape was impossible.

Regardless, the Sixth Prince of the Qi family unleashed a killing intent unlike any before.

He leapt upward, transforming instantly into a powerful, massive jade-horned silver dragon, his scales clacking like cast iron.

Unlike the Third Prince, this dragon, the moment it rose into the air, spun around—its two jade horns elongated violently, merging into a single sword of piercing brilliance that shot toward the heavens!

Carrying surging demonic power, amplified by its mighty dragon body, it launched itself at the towering figure over ten zhang tall with the jade-horned sword!

Jade light flashed like a shadow, arriving in an instant.

If this sword were not blocked, it could have destroyed nearly half of Wan Xiang Nanyang Baodi!

"..."

Ke Laoqi glanced sideways, neither dodging nor retreating—only slowly raising his right arm, then bending two fingers to lightly tap the blade of the approaching "thousand-zhang jade sword."

Ting—

A clear sound rang out.

Such a mighty sword strike merely ruffled Ke Laoqi's sleeves, not even making him step back half a pace.

Yet the two elongated jade horns instantly cracked—cracks spread across the entire body of the jade-horned silver dragon at visible speed; under its stunned gaze, the ferocious demonic power cleanly obliterated its internal organs.

Ke Laoqi lowered his hand and looked toward Zi Xian, frozen in place: "You two—still have something to say?"

Hearing the peerless demonic beast mention that number, Zi Xian shuddered, glancing toward the clouds—where Ji Jingxi stood with arms hanging, her breathing quickened with tension.

Indeed! Tian-jing Perfect Realm!

Seeing the two women remain silent, Ke Laoqi pulled his hood back over his face and turned toward the Wan Xiang Ge treasure array, leaving behind only a flat, emotionless remark.

"Tell the Xi Long King—I want his worthless life."

"His Xi Hong now belongs to Wan Yao Dian."

Before his words had faded, the towering figure vanished into the array.

Only the two women stared at each other.

They could scarcely imagine such a being—Tian-jing Perfect Realm—was, across all Hong Ze, among the absolute apex, alongside only the Dragon Kings of the East and North, and the Shen Zongzhu of Liangdaohuang Sect, and a handful of others.

And yet it served another as master—and spoke of it with pride.

Just who was the master of Wan Yao Dian? What realm did he occupy? What terrifying background did he possess?!

Of course, most importantly... they truly meant to strike Xi Hong!

Unlike before.

This time, after killing two dragon princes, they showed no fear, no intention to flee—they simply returned, openly and calmly.

Even leaving the two of them alive to carry the message, as if afraid the Xi Long King wouldn't know exactly where they were.

"It's over. It's over."

Zi Xian felt dizzy, barely recovering—only to find Ji Jingxi still standing frozen in place: "What? Are you stunned? Don't be ridiculous. Your senior brother was once at this very realm, and you've even met my father."

"No... I just feel... it's like him." Ji Jingxi fell silent for a long while, then murmured, half-dazed.

"Like who?" Zi Xian looked at her, puzzled.

Ji Jingxi rubbed her temples, shook her head, and gave no reply.

That ferocious dragon demon—its speech, terse and precise; its actions, ruthless and decisive; even the subtle shifts in its expression—felt like deliberate imitation.

It almost made her think she was seeing Shen Yi.

(End of Chapter)