Chapter 1259: Jiang Jiang Qinge's Charm

After Li Luo enjoyed a delicious pot of fish-head soup at Li Li Jingzhe's place, he strolled away under the somewhat uneasy gaze of the Five-Tailed Heavenly Wolf.

For the next stretch of time, the Five-Tailed Heavenly Wolf would remain by Li Li Jingzhe's side to receive guidance. Although this counted as an extremely rare opportunity, the Five-Tailed Heavenly Wolf had no idea what kind of training Li Li Jingzhe would put it through, but it could imagine the training would not be too easy.

There might even be risks involved.

But at this point, even if it wanted to give up, Li Li Jingzhe would pay it no heed.

Li Luo left the Tianlong Pavilion and headed straight back to the area where the Dragon Fang Guard was stationed, where he happened to see Jiang Jiang Qinge returning at the head of her group.

On the martial-arts practice field, voices rose in a hubbub; many Dragon Fang Guard members had just finished a day's tasks, and this was their idle time.

Li Luo's arrival immediately drew much attention, and then bursts of laughter rang out one after another.

"Fourth Commander, you've finally come out."

For the better part of half a month, Li Luo had been in closed-door bitter cultivation, tempering his "Dragon Thunder Physique," so he had not participated in a single Dragon Fang Guard mission during that time.

Facing everyone's teasing, Li Luo responded with a smile, then made his way to the center of the practice field. There, amid a galaxy of attendants, Jiang Jiang Qinge's breathtaking figure became the focus of the entire field; many gazes, carrying both admiration and awe, drifted toward her, half-hidden and half-revealed.

Over this past half month, Jiang Jiang Qinge's fame within the Five Heavenly Dragon Guards had grown ever louder. After all, whether in talent or appearance, she possessed an overwhelming advantage; within the entire Five Guards, virtually no woman could compare with her.

In the past, Li Hongque, Li Li Hongli, and Lu Lu Qingmei and the other women could still be counted among the top golden flowers of the Five Guards, but ever since Jiang Jiang Qinge arrived, the crowd truly understood what it meant to be peerless and unmatched in this world.

Li Luo also paused to gaze at the dazzling girl in the crowd. Her skin was like congealed fat, her exquisitely beautiful cheeks resembled fine white porcelain, flowing with a crystalline sheen; her deep, mysterious golden eyes, her slender brows arched like distant mountains, her jade-like nose—every feature radiated a flawless quality.

She was a girl so stunning she could inspire a sense of awe.

Gathered around her were all elites of the Dragon Fang Guard, chatting and laughing with her continuously, while Jiang Jiang Qinge maintained a faint smile—a smile that seemed somewhat warm, yet carried an unfathomable sense of distance.

If this feeling appeared in anyone else, onlookers might think that person was putting on airs, but when it came from Jiang Jiang Qinge, it felt entirely as it should be.

Perhaps this was her unique temperament and charm.

At the very least, over this past half month, Jiang Jiang Qinge's prestige within the Dragon Fang Guard had already begun to overtake that of Luo Jiang, the veteran Dragon Fang Commander.

This could be seen from the fact that every time she went out on a mission, the various Thousand Guards would always scramble to volunteer.

Li Luo was not at all surprised by this. Jiang Jiang Qinge's personal charm was beyond doubt. Back then, when the Luo Lan Mansion was in such stormy upheaval, she was still only a freshman who had just entered the Sheng Zhu Xuan Star Academy, yet she had stubbornly held the Luo Lan Mansion together, even winning over many hearts, and fought against Manager Pei Hao.

If not for Jiang Jiang Qinge, Li Luo probably would not have held on until the Mansion Sacrifice; Manager Pei Hao would have already shown his fangs first.

As Li Luo was admiring the charm Jiang Jiang Qinge exuded, the latter clearly sensed it too. Her gaze swept lightly over, and then in the next instant, the people nearby distinctly noticed that the faint smile at the corner of her lips seemed to bloom open, like a lotus atop a sacred mountain.

Beneath her crimson lips, pearly white teeth peeked faintly.

That so-called sense of distance instantly vanished without a trace.

Like a startled swan.

The surrounding voices unconsciously quieted; some gazes followed Jiang Jiang Qinge's line of sight and saw Li Luo walking toward them.

"Fourth Commander." They suddenly understood, and hurriedly greeted him with smiles, while a great deal of manly envy flowed through their hearts.

"Your closed-door cultivation is over? Has your Physique evolved?" Jiang Jiang Qinge asked, her gaze fixed on Li Luo.

She clearly knew the purpose of Li Luo's closed-door cultivation during this period.

Li Luo smiled and shook his head: "It's not that easy, but it wasn't a waste of time either. I've already got some leads now."

Jiang Jiang Qinge's jade hand brushed past the spatial orb on her slender wrist, and immediately an exquisite wooden box appeared in her hand. She handed it to Li Luo and said: "Inside are some eighth-grade Spiritual Water Wonder Light I've exchanged for from completing recent missions. You still can't do without this for evolving your Physique."

Li Luo hurriedly said: "There's no need. The problem with my Dragon Thunder Physique's evolution isn't with the Spiritual Water Wonder Light right now. Keep it for yourself."

Jiang Jiang Qinge said: "But eighth-grade is too low for me; I can't use it."

Li Luo sucked in a breath of cold air. Big White Goose, that line of yours really stabs the heart, doesn't it?

But the words also seemed quite true, because Jiang Jiang Qinge now possessed all ninth-grade Physiques; an eighth-grade Spiritual Water Wonder Light was indeed very ineffective for her.

"Then I'll keep it and use it myself." Li Luo had no choice but to accept it.

He didn't stand on excessive ceremony either; after all, the relationship between the two of them no longer required those meaningless words.

The elites of the Dragon Fang Guard around them watched this scene with extremely complicated expressions. A peerless heavenly pride like Jiang Jiang Qinge—wherever she went, wouldn't she be pursued by ten thousand people, who would willingly offer her countless precious things? Yet now, she was working hard to complete missions herself, and using the Dragon Essence she earned to exchange for Spiritual Water Wonder Light for Li Luo, to aid his cultivation.

Can someone's life really be this good?!

At this moment, behind Li Luo, Li Li Fengyi's exasperated voice reached his ears: "I say, Third Brother, take it easy. Jealousy drives people to madness. If you keep going on like this, you'll cut yourself off from the Dragon Fang Guard."

Li Luo turned his head and saw Li Li Fengyi, Li Hongyou, Li Li Jingtao, and others looking at the two of them with smiles on their faces.

He shrugged helplessly, indicating his innocence. He and Jiang Jiang Qinge were a legally wedded couple with a marriage contract; caring for and loving each other was a perfectly normal thing.

Jiang Jiang Qinge also saw nothing wrong with it. A few bottles of eighth-grade Spiritual Water Wonder Light—Li Luo had, without the slightest hesitation, given her the "Nine-Stripe Sacred Heart Lotus," which even upper-grade Marquis-level strongmen would covet, just to heal her injuries. What were these few bottles of eighth-grade Spiritual Water Wonder Light in comparison?

The two of them had walked this road together over the years and long since ceased to be separate from each other.

"By the way, do you know about the 'Jin Shi Spiritual Clam Pearl'?" Li Luo suddenly asked.

Since Li Li Jingzhe had already given him guidance, the immediate priority now was to gather this last material, so that he could begin using the so-called "Pill-Boiling Blood-Transforming Physique Art" to evolve his Heavenly Dragon Physique.

Li Li Fengyi was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and after thinking, said: "Could you be referring to the 'Jin Shi Spiritual Clam Pearl' produced from the Jin Shi Water Abyss?"

"In the Jin Shi Water Abyss, there is a wondrous thing called the 'Jin Shi Spiritual Clam.' It resembles both metal and stone, hiding deep within the extremely solid Jin Shi Rock. Even ordinary Marquis-level strongmen find it hard to break open by brute force. Only when the Water Abyss erupts and the golden water merges into the Jin Shi Rock does the 'Jin Shi Spiritual Clam' burrow out, then swallow the golden water to nurture its own golden pearl. That is the only window to hunt it."

"This golden pearl is a Foundation Establishment material that can be used to refine upper-grade Foundation Establishment spiritual treasures, and is quite precious. But the Jin Shi Water Abyss is quite far from the Heavenly Dragon Ridge; that place is an unclaimed hunting ground, so it's a mixed bag of all sorts, with many powerful rogue cultivators entrenched there. Every time the Water Abyss erupts, it triggers fierce fighting."

Li Li Fengyi frowned and said: "That place isn't within the reach of our Heavenly Dragon Ridge, and it's also close to the territory of Zhao Li Tianwang's faction, so our Five Heavenly Dragon Guards generally rarely go there."

"Oh? It's also close to Zhao Li Tianwang's faction's territory?" Li Luo's brow furrowed slightly as well. Their Li Li Tianwang faction and Zhao Li Tianwang's faction truly had endless grievances between them. Back then in the Spiritual Physique Cave Heaven, Li Luo had even slain Zhao Yan.

"Third Brother, if it's not something urgent, I'd still suggest you don't go there," Li Li Jingtao also cautioned carefully.

Li Luo sighed helplessly. This matter really was extremely urgent.

"I seem to have seen missions from the 'Jin Shi Water Abyss' side before." At this moment, Jiang Jiang Qinge suddenly spoke up.

"There are some, but the Five Guards rarely take them, after all, that side is too dangerous," Li Li Fengyi said, then she widened her eyes at Jiang Jiang Qinge and said: "Jiang Qinge, you can't be thinking of taking one, can you?"

Jiang Jiang Qinge said calmly: "It happens that I've pretty much finished the missions at the nearby hunting grounds recently. This Jin Shi Water Abyss could use a look as well."

"Which of you is willing to lead your Guard and come with me?" Her gaze swept toward the surrounding Thousand Guard commanders. She was the Dragon Fang Commander and could command five Thousand Guards to carry out missions.

Li Hongyou was the first to raise her hand and volunteer. She was the one Li Luo had brought to the Dragon Fang Guard. Although Li Luo hadn't participated in missions during this period, she had been following Jiang Jiang Qinge the whole time, assisting her.

The other Thousand Guard commanders also vied with each other to express their willingness to follow. They were all smart people; with Li Luo's status and Jiang Jiang Qinge's talent, in the future this Dragon Fang Guard would surely be decided by the two of them, so getting familiar early would surely bring benefits.

Jiang Jiang Qinge selected four Thousand Guards she was more familiar with, then briskly and decisively issued her orders.

"Then we shall head to Jin Shi Water Abyss tomorrow. I ask that none of you delay."

"Yes, sir!"

The crowd answered in unison.

At this moment, Jiang Jiang Qinge's bright, clear, beautiful eyes turned toward Li Luo as she asked, "We're leaving tomorrow?"

Li Luo looked at Jiang Jiang Qinge, who in the span of a few short moments had already decisively set both the mission and the itinerary, and could only silently give her a thumbs-up.

"You're the boss!" "Brothers, tomorrow at ten a. m. I'll livestream writing, kicking off a little 'Ten Million Likes, Double Update' event. If you haven't thrown away your massage guns yet, you can put them to use tomorrow at ten a. m."