Chapter 274: The Calamity Arrives

Jiang Qing'e's single line of self-inflicted humiliation instantly made Duze Duze Honglian's willow brows shoot up; clearly this sentence carried no small amount of damage against her.

But in the end she merely gave a cold snort and did not say more on this topic, because this had only ever been her pretext to provoke Jiang Jiang Qinge and reclaim some of the earlier embarrassing moments.

The so-called plan to seduce Li Luo and make him utterly infatuated was fundamentally impossible.

Such a thing, she disdained to do; moreover, a Li Luo—even if he possessed dual phases, so what? Jiang Jiang Qinge treated him like a treasure, but Duze Duze Honglian looked down on him.

Compared to someone as outstanding and excellent as Gong Gong Shenjun, Li Luo was still a notch below.

Duze Duze Honglian rose, took a garment and draped it over herself to conceal those proud curves; her complexion was still faintly pale, but compared to her previous state of weakness where she couldn't even walk, she was clearly much better.

"You'd better hurry and recover. Perhaps before long, that Great Calamity aberration will arrive at our stronghold."

"I hope you can be of some use by then, otherwise it really would have wasted all the effort Li Luo and I put in."

Jiang Jiang Qinge had no interest in exchanging more words with Duze Duze Honglian. After saying one line, she headed toward the door.

Duze Duze Honglian's face was full of displeasure. Talking with Jiang Jiang Qinge was always a case of needle point against wheat awn. She gazed at Jiang Jiang Qinge's retreating figure, hesitated slightly, and finally said: "Jiang Jiang Qinge, this time I'll consider it me owing you two a favor."

"But don't think that from now on I'll change my attitude toward you. You and I stand on different sides. Duze Mansion and House Luolan Mansion are enemies. As a member of Duze Mansion, I will still find ways to deal with your House Luolan Mansion, and I won't show any mercy."

Jiang Jiang Qinge's footsteps paused. She turned her head to glance at Duze Duze Honglian and said lightly: "Don't overthink it. Saving you wasn't because of your identity—it's simply that I didn't want you being controlled by the Smiling Face Demon and causing more trouble. As for how you deal with my House Luolan Mansion, I don't care. After all, over these years I haven't taken those little moves of yours seriously."

"So don't overestimate yourself, and don't underestimate my House Luolan Mansion."

When her voice fell, she pushed the door open and went straight out.

Duze Duze Honglian stared at her departing figure and gave a cold snort. What did Jiang Jiang Qinge mean—that all her little moves were just child's play?

So stubborn. Did she really think no one saw House Luolan Mansion's dire straits in recent years?

If not for Li Luo building up Xiyang House over the past half year, the current House Luolan Mansion might not have caught a single breath of relief.

But thinking of Li Luo, Duze Duze Honglian's expression flickered uncertainly, her gaze tinged with annoyance. Although she had been lying on the bed earlier, she had practically been seen bare by this kid.

That Jiang Jiang Qinge is truly hateful—she absolutely did it on purpose!

"Damnable, I really lost out big time this time."

Duze Duze Honglian's expression shifted for a while before gradually settling. She cursed irritably in a low voice, then sat cross-legged on the stone bed and began cultivating to restore her depleted state.

When Jiang Jiang Qinge walked down from Shi Ta, she saw Li Luo waiting below.

"She should be fine now, right?" Li Luo asked.

Jiang Jiang Qinge gave a slight nod of her pretty head.

"Didn't expect we'd end up helping her in the end..." Li Luo sighed with feeling. This Duze Duze Honglian had given House Luolan Mansion no small amount of trouble in the past; the two sides were utterly incompatible. Yet this time, they had saved her life.

"Even without Duze Duze Honglian, Duze Mansion would still have others step forward to deal with House Luolan Mansion. That's a matter of stance."

Jiang Jiang Qinge shook her head and said: "Besides, the current situation is special. Saving her is also saving ourselves."

Li Luo nodded. The Great Calamity aberration was about to strike. If they didn't deal cleanly with the trouble that was Duze Duze Honglian, it would only bring them greater crisis later.

"Did she show any gratitude and self-reflection?" Li Luo asked with a smile.

Jiang Jiang Qinge's red lips curved slightly. "She said she plans to seduce you, make you utterly infatuated, and then have you break off the engagement with me."

Li Luo's smile instantly froze, then he angrily retorted: "What a venomous woman! We saved her, and she still dares be so malicious!"

"Why react so strongly?"

Jiang Jiang Qinge swept a glance at him and said: "Duze Duze Honglian's figure should still be quite nice, right?"

Li Luo hurriedly shook his head: "Didn't notice any of that. Earlier I was completely drawn by that ghost face."

"Really?" Jiang Jiang Qinge said with a smile.

Li Luo cried out in grievance: "You're being far too unreasonable. You were the one who told me to go in, and now you're the one settling the score?"

Jiang Jiang Qinge actually looked thoughtful: "If Duze Duze Honglian really wanted to do this, you could actually turn the tables with a honey trap scheme, develop her into our mole within Duze Mansion, and have her provide intelligence for us."

Li Luo was practically too drained to complain. A honey trap? Just how much charm would it take to make someone betray her own father? Though he knew Jiang Qing'e was just teasing to relieve the pressure that had been building these past days.

"Duze Duze Honglian's contamination won't relapse, will it?" Li Luo pulled the topic back and asked seriously.

"Duze Duze Honglian is actually fine now. Honestly, I'm not too worried about her side, because although her contamination was fairly deep, it was after all exposed. Once this thing is exposed, its threat level drops considerably."

Jiang Jiang Qinge pondered slightly and said: "On the contrary, for Ye Ye Qiuding and those others, I'm not quite sure."

Li Luo also frowned and nodded. The most troublesome aspect of these Evil Thought Seeds was that they were impossible to guard against. With someone like Duze Duze Honglian where it was exposed, they could still find ways to purge the contamination. But others looked perfectly normal, showing not the slightest sign of contamination—they truly didn't even know where to start.

After all, they couldn't just toss them outside the stronghold without a care; that would essentially be aiding the enemy. So they could only spend more effort monitoring them.

Jiang Jiang Qinge took out a map and studied it carefully for a while. Her pretty face grew much more solemn as she said: "The nearest Purification Tower in this direction from the stronghold has also been contaminated."

Li Luo's gaze sharpened. The nearest Purification Tower was only about half a day's journey from the stronghold, which meant that Great Calamity-grade aberration would likely arrive outside the stronghold within half a day.

The two sides were about to meet face to face.

"A Great Calamity-grade... can we hold it back?" Li Luo sighed and asked.

That was the strength of a Heavenly Gang General rank, and at its top tier at that. Presumably even if it were Gong Gong Shenjun or the Eldest Princess here, facing it alone would bring tremendous pressure.

"Who knows."

Jiang Jiang Qinge was silent for a moment, then said with some regret: "If only we'd encountered it half a year later. By then I should be able to test just how powerful a Great Calamity-grade aberration really is."

Li Luo's brows rose slightly. The implication of Jiang Jiang Qinge's words was clearly that in half a year she would undergo an enormous breakthrough—even qualified to clash with a Great Calamity-grade aberration?

A Ninth Grade Bright Phase—just that overbearing?

"Alright, spread the news. The entire stronghold is entering the strictest combat readiness state. Everyone prepare for a great battle." While Li Luo's thoughts churned, Jiang Jiang Qinge's voice came.

Li Luo Heavily exhaled a breath, then nodded in acknowledgment.

In the following half day, as the news of the Great Calamity aberration's imminent arrival spread, the atmosphere throughout the entire stronghold seemed to freeze, oppressive enough to be terrifying.

Everyone's expression carried some unconcealable panic and fear.

Gaze after gaze looked toward the northwest. The heavens and earth there, which had originally grown much clearer with their purification, now once again had rolling black fog howling across it.

Strange whispers drifted over, faint and indistinct, unsettling the mind.

Half a day's time quietly slipped past.

At a certain moment, from the distant heavens and earth, it seemed as if a piercing shriek rang out. The many gazes within the stronghold looked over, and then saw rolling black fog, like a black tide, roaring in from the northwest direction.

The many trainees inside the stronghold stared at this apocalyptic scene, their scalps involuntarily going numb.

That great Calamity-class aberrant had finally arrived.