Translator: CinderTL
Song Wen suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of divine sense power descend upon him.
"You vile demon, release Qing Lian immediately!"
A thunderous roar echoed through the cave, shaking the stone walls until they trembled violently.
In the next instant, a gale-force wind erupted, lifting the river water outside the cave in a massive column. Like a celestial river unleashed, the water surged skyward, hurtling toward the horizon.
Within moments, the river, several miles wide, had been completely drained.
The swirling vortex also swept away the riverbed silt and chunks of the cave's rocky walls.
Song Wen and Qing Lian were instantly exposed to the daylight.
"Big Brother is here!" Qing Lian exclaimed, tilting her head to gaze at the sky.
With that, she soared into the air.
Without hesitation, Song Wen followed closely behind.
Qing Lian was his protective talisman; he couldn't afford to let her out of his sight.
After flying only a few hundred feet, Song Wen noticed a figure approaching rapidly from the distant horizon.
The newcomer had a human torso and a serpentine tail, a face carved from ice and jade, skin as smooth as snow, eyes as cold as distant stars, and long, jet-black hair that billowed in the wind.
Her features bore a striking resemblance to Qing Lian's, yet her beauty was even more aloof and striking.
Her attire mirrored Qing Lian's, except for two palm-sized scales—likely from some demon beast—that barely concealed her ample chest, utterly failing to hide her majestic snow-capped peaks.
The most striking difference between her and Qing Lian lay on the underside of her serpentine tail. A crimson stripe ran the entire length of her tail scales, perhaps the origin of her name.
"Miss Qinglian, is this your big brother?" Song Wen asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"Of course. Would I mistake my own big brother?" Qing Lian replied with a smile.
"But she's clearly a female... a woman," Song Wen insisted.
"Shortly after I was born, our mother passed away. Our father, who had many wives, paid us no attention. At that time, Big Brother was only at the fourth-tier of cultivation, making her a weakling among the demon beasts that roamed the Western Rong Continent. Though the clan provided shelter and basic cultivation resources, it wasn't enough to become truly strong. We had to fight for more ourselves."
"Moreover, many young Willow Serpents our age were bullies, often tormenting my sister and me. To secure more resources and protect me from their abuse, Big Brother began cultivating day and night, venturing into dangerous territories. It was then that she forbade me from calling her 'sister' and insisted I call her 'Big Brother' instead."
Qing Lian spoke calmly and deliberately.
By the time she finished, King Jianglin had closed the distance to within a few miles.
Song Wen glanced at King Jianglin's chest.
Immediately, he nodded in deep agreement.
Indeed... Big Brother!
Qing Lian's chest was already exceptionally impressive, but King Jianglin's physique surpassed even hers in grandeur.
King Jianglin halted ten yards away, his gaze like lightning bolts that pierced Song Wen with painful intensity.
"Greetings, King Jianglin," Song Wen said, clasping his hands in a respectful bow.
"Why did Kuxue and the others die? And who is this?" King Jianglin's question was directed at Qing Lian, but her eyes remained fixed on Song Wen, cold as drawn swords.
Sensing King Jianglin's potential to strike down Song Wen without warning, Qing Lian stepped forward, shielding half of Song Wen's body.
"While patrolling the Cloudfall Plains, we encountered a ferocious demon beast. Elder Kuxue and the others fought valiantly to protect my escape, but tragically perished in battle. Just as the beast was about to attack me, Ji Yin suddenly appeared. Though no match for the demon beast, Ji Yin devised a plan to lure it away. He later returned and helped me flee to this place," Qing Lian explained.
"Ji Yin?" King Jianglin stared at Song Wen, her voice cold and interrogative. "You're human?"
King Jianglin's cultivation far surpassed Song Wen's. She could immediately discern the difference between Song Wen's spiritual power and the demon essence within the Willow Serpent Clan. Qing Lian, however, only realized this when Song Wen transferred his spiritual power into her body.
"I am indeed human," Song Wen replied.
"If you're human, why risk your life to save my younger sister?"
Hearing Song Wen's admission, King Jianglin didn't react with the same fervor as Qing Lian. Her sharp eyes remained fixed on Song Wen, filled with deep suspicion and scrutiny.
Song Wen explained, "I was being hunted and stumbled upon an Ancient Teleportation Array, which forced me to teleport to this continent. Your younger sister was the first sentient being I encountered here who could speak human language and communicate. I couldn't simply stand by and watch her die needlessly. To be honest, I had ulterior motives for saving her. I hoped to learn from her if there was a way to return to the Eastern Profound Continent."
"You're from the Eastern Profound Continent?" A flicker of surprise crossed King Jianglin's eyes.
"Your Majesty knows of the Eastern Profound Continent?" Song Wen asked, his voice trembling with excitement, like a traveler far from home hearing news of their homeland. "Then does Your Majesty know where I can find a teleportation array to return there?"
King Jianglin didn't answer Song Wen's question directly. Instead, she countered with a question of her own:
"Since you arrived here via a teleportation array, why not simply use that same array to return?"
A bitter smile immediately spread across Song Wen's face.
"As soon as I teleported here, I was ambushed by a swarm of Ghost-Faced Spiders, a type of social demon beast. Though I managed to escape with my life, the teleportation array was destroyed during the battle. Moreover, even if the array were intact, I wouldn't dare use it to return. My enemies have undoubtedly laid a trap on the other side. Returning the way I came would be like walking straight into their net."
King Jianglin pondered for a moment, then nodded, seemingly accepting Song Wen's explanation.
The icy aura that had surrounded her softened considerably.
"Since you saved my younger sister, you have earned my gratitude. If you ever face any difficulties in the future, you may seek me out at the Willow Serpent Clan."
With that, she produced a scale from seemingly nowhere and tossed it to Song Wen.
"This king is not well-versed in the spiritual objects required for human cultivation and cannot offer you any heavenly materials or earthly treasures. However, I cannot let your life-saving kindness go unacknowledged. Within this scale are a million spirit stones—high-grade spirit stones, as your human race calls them. I trust they will be of use to you."
Song Wen accepted the scale and discovered it contained its own self-contained space, functioning similarly to a storage ring.
The Willow Serpent Clan possessed storage artifacts after all—they were not to be underestimated.
"Your Majesty King Jianglin, I saved your younger sister without seeking any reward. Please take this back," Song Wen said.
"This king never owes anyone a debt of gratitude," King Jianglin firmly refused.
At that moment, Qing Lian suddenly interjected.
"Big brother, I wish to become Ji Yin's dao companion," Qing Lian declared, her voice clear and resolute.
Song Wen's heart jolted. His gaze immediately shifted to Qing Lian.
This demon acts with such directness, showing no pretense whatsoever.
What surprised Song Wen even more was that he had expected King Jianglin to vehemently oppose the proposal. Yet the king showed no hesitation. His vertical pupils flickered slightly as he asked, "Ji Yin, since my younger sister has taken an interest in you, would you be willing to become her dao companion?"
"This..."
The corner of Song Wen's mouth twitched slightly. As expected of the demon race, he thought, they never play by the rules.
"King Jianglin," Song Wen replied, "among humans, lifelong unions require mutual affection. Qing Lian and I have only just met. To rashly agree would be to betray her sincere feelings. I'm sure you wouldn't want your younger sister entrusted to the wrong person. Allow us some time to get to know each other better. Once our feelings are clear, we can revisit this matter. What do you say?"
"You humans are so troublesome, always talking about 'mutual affection,'" King Jianglin said dismissively. "Our Willow Serpent Clan has always been straightforward. If we fancy someone, we become dao companions. If we lose interest, we part ways."
"Big brother, Ji Yin has a point," Qing Lian interjected. "Humans only have one dao companion in their lifetime. Why not let him come to our clan and stay for a while? Firstly, he has nowhere else to go, and our clan can at least ensure his safety. Secondly, as the saying goes, 'time breeds affection.' Given enough time, he'll surely agree to become my dao companion."
"Only one dao companion in a lifetime?" King Jianglin shot Song Wen a deep, scrutinizing look.
"Very well. Ji Yin, would you be willing to visit the Willow Serpent Clan as our guest?"
(End of the Chapter)
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