Chapter 244: My Fated Match

“I told you not to follow me!”

The piercing gale tore at his robes as Jiang Huai flew rapidly on his sword.

He looked back at the red dragon shadow pursuing him relentlessly, his brow furrowed in a helpless expression.

“I have a way to handle this. Do you?”

The red dragon that Chihuang had transformed into had shrunk her body to only a few dozen feet in length.

She bit tightly onto the wake of Jiang Huai’s sword light, remaining silent. Her dragon eyes were locked firmly on the black-clad figure ahead.

She didn’t know how to explain herself, and her mind was a mess of conflicting emotions, leaving her with only one thought: ‘I can’t let him go alone.’

Jiang Huai said he had a way, and she believed him.

But they were going to rescue her Honored Master, Chi Hong, and were charging into a treacherous and unpredictable forbidden land.

He was risking his life for her and for the Dragon Race; how could she stay safely in the Secret Realm and wait?

Even if she only followed from a distance, and even if she couldn’t help, at least she could watch. She wanted to be at the closest possible distance to share that anxiety.

“Go back! I will definitely bring Clan Leader Chi Hong back safely!” Jiang Huai shouted again, his voice piercing through the howling wind.

Chihuang remained silent, merely pulling closer.

She raised her dragon head slightly and looked at him with stubborn determination, her silent actions speaking louder than words.

“You…” Seeing her refusal to listen, Jiang Huai sighed.

Knowing the stubborn nature of this Holy Maiden of the Crimson Dragon, he could only turn around and focus on controlling his sword.

He concentrated on sensing the faint guidance from the White Dragon Mark, increasing his speed.

‘With her Great Ascension speed, Bai Lu and the others should have arrived at the scene by now, right? Have they found Clan Leader Chi Hong? Facing a situation that could leave Chi Hong on the verge of death, can Bai Lu handle it?’

Jiang Huai wasn’t certain, so he could only keep accelerating.

Suddenly, a fluctuation of spiritual energy from the horizon caused Jiang Huai’s expression to freeze.

The fluctuation was violent and chaotic, laced with a familiar, extreme chill and piercing Sword Intent.

Bai Lu was fighting, and the battle was intense.

What made his heart sink even further was that the direction of these fluctuations was within the Northern Plains.

‘As I thought.’

His most worrying suspicion was being confirmed.

The Outworld Heavenly Demons had indeed adopted this strategy: sending elites to slip in and strike at the heart of their enemy.

Without hesitation, his sword light surged as he headed straight for the source of the fluctuations.

Finally, the scene before them changed abruptly, and the two stopped almost simultaneously.

Even though he was mentally prepared, Jiang Huai’s pupils constricted at the sight, and Chihuang couldn’t help but let out a cry of alarm.

The world had lost its color for 1,000 miles around.

The originally clear blue sky was covered by thick, churning, eerie black clouds, within which flowed a demonic Qi as thick as ink.

The wind and clouds swirled frantically under the agitation of some force, yet frost was falling from the sky.

Bai Lu, dressed in white, was already stained with spots of startling blood. She held a long sword, her sword light like a stellar river flowing backward.

A White Dragon shadow roared around the blade as the majestic power of her Innate Primordial Qi and Chaos Dao Platform poured out to protect her.

Her opponents were dozens of flickering, demonic shadows radiating a heaven-shaking demonic Qi!

These shadows hid within the black clouds and demonic Qi, gathering and dispersing at will.

Their attack methods were treacherous and ruthless, transforming into sharp blades, poisonous stingers, or soul-shaking shrieks, attacking Bai Lu ceaselessly from all directions.

Although Bai Lu was strong, with her sword momentum spanning across and freezing 1,000 miles, she was showing signs of exhaustion under the siege of so many beings of the same rank.

Her cold and stunning face was as pale as paper, and her dragon eyes burned with an unyielding spirit.

What was even more distressing was that deep within the churning black clouds, the figure of a massive red dragon could be faintly seen.

She seemed to be imprisoned by some force.

Her fiery red scales were dull and covered with shocking cracks and scorched wounds.

Her dragon head hung low, her breath faint.

Only an occasional, weak, and pained dragon roar proved she was still alive.

“Honored Master! Honored Master!” Chihuang had transformed back into human form. She stumbled a step forward, her slender hands covering her mouth.

Looking at that familiar yet miserable giant figure in the black clouds, tears burst from her eyes, and her shoulders trembled violently.

She held a sword in her hand, but it felt too heavy to lift.

A sense of powerlessness flooded her heart.

What could she do? Charge in?

With her Divine Transformation cultivation, how was she any different from a moth to a flame in front of dozens of Outworld Heavenly Demons who were at least at the Great Ascension Stage?

Even if she broke through to the Integration Stage or even the Great Ascension Stage, what could she change in the face of such a siege?

Everything before her eyes confirmed Jiang Huai’s deduction. The Outworld Heavenly Demons wanted to take advantage of the fact that the Human Race’s power had not yet been fully integrated and the Northern Plains’ defenses were not yet impenetrable. They intended to heavily wound or even annihilate the high-end combat power of the Dragon Race and even the Human Race in one fell swoop.

“Bai Lu, it has been a long time. To think you could struggle this far in this life. Unfortunately, there is no Yin-Yang Body to protect you today!”

“Tsk tsk, why work so hard? Just trap her! Just like that red dragon, we can use her to fish for more big prizes!”

“Exactly! The more Great Ascension Stage cultivators we kill, the more helpless that brat with the Yin-Yang Body will be! We must strangle him in his cradle before his wings are fully grown.”

The demonic voices spoke all at once, weaving into a distracting noise that constantly battered Bai Lu’s will.

Bai Lu’s expression grew grimmer, and her heart tightened when she heard the words “Yin-Yang Body.”

‘What should I do? Should I break out? In my current state, even if I risk damaging my original source, I might not have a chance to escape. And what about Chi Hong? Can I just watch her perish here, with her soul annihilated? If I leave, who will protect my husband’s path? Who will protect the young Jianjia?’

The painful memories of the Primordial Era, where she watched her kin wither away while powerless to stop it, surged back like a nightmare.

Was she destined to repeat the tragedy and helplessness of the past despite crossing such a long period of time? If so, what was the meaning of all this struggling, recovery, meeting, and staying together?

“No, I still have my husband and my daughter. I cannot die here!” Bai Lu suddenly bit the tip of her tongue.

The taste of blood refreshed her spirit, and the cold light in her eyes surged.

Her sword technique changed once again as she tried to force back a wave of attacks.

Pfft.

A black arrow pierced through a gap in the ice crystal sword net and struck Bai Lu’s right shoulder, penetrating her protective spiritual light and drawing a spray of pathetic blood.

Bai Lu let out a muffled groan, her body shaking violently.

With one successful hit, the surrounding Outworld Heavenly Demons were like sharks smelling blood.

Their attacks became even more frenzied and dense.

Countless attacks containing the aura of destruction took advantage of her new injury and rained down from the sky.

Bai Lu struggled to swing her sword to parry, the sound of ice crystals shattering echoing continuously. Finally, she could no longer suppress the churning blood and the demonic Qi invading her body.

She opened her mouth and sprayed out a mouthful of fresh blood, staining the front of her robes.

Her figure swayed precariously in the air.

“Bai Lu!”

In the distance, Jiang Huai, who had been suppressing his impulses, saw this scene.

His face turned incredibly grim, and anger and heartache rushed to his head.

What he could least tolerate was watching the people he cared about get hurt while being powerless to stop it.

“Jiang Huai! Don’t…” Chihuang cried out in horror, reaching out to stop him.

Jiang Huai had already merged himself with his sword.

The two energies of Yin and Yang erupted around him, and black and white light intertwined like a dragon.

Illusory dragon horns appeared on his head as he charged recklessly toward the area where the Great Ascension experts were fighting.

“Stay here! Do not move!” Jiang Huai left only his profile to Chihuang as he spoke sharply. “This time, listen to me. I promise you, I will bring Clan Leader Chi Hong back!”

Before his voice faded, his figure slammed into that desperate land of churning black clouds and demonic shadows.

Chihuang’s outstretched hand froze in midair. Hot tears blurred her vision again as she sobbed, “Fine… I’ll listen to you. I’ll listen to everything you say. If you die, I won’t run away or live alone. I’ll be with you and my Honored Master.”

Hatred burned in her dragon eyes as she spoke with finality.

As her consciousness drifted in the boundless darkness, Chi Hong had a long, long dream.

Time flowed backward in her dream, and she returned to her teenage years.

She was the same age as Chihuang was now—the most dazzling and beloved Saintess of the Red Dragon Clan.

She had extraordinary talent and a respected status; she was never short of praise or admiring gazes.

However, her personality was different from Chihuang’s proud and fiery nature. Internally, she was more cunning, playful, and even a bit eccentric.

One day, in a quiet room.

She had transformed into a small, exquisite, and cute red dragon only a few inches long.

She flew onto the lap of her Honored Master, who was sitting cross-legged in meditation.

Her two tiny front claws kneaded her Master’s plump thighs as she looked up:

“Honored Master, Honored Master, our Red Dragon Clan is best at peeking into the secrets of heaven. You are so powerful, why don’t you help your disciple calculate my intended fate?”

At that time, although her cultivation was already impressive and she had met the geniuses of various races, she always felt something was missing. she had never met someone who could truly make her heart flutter.

She couldn’t see clearly when calculating her own marriage prospects, so she could only pester the Master who loved her the most and was most proficient in this field.

Her Honored Master, disturbed and unable to focus, helplessly opened her dragon eyes.

She gave her a look of annoyance and said dismissively, “Intended fate? With your qualities, if you really wanted to, wouldn’t you have plenty of marriage prospects? Who could stop you?”

This was true. Romantic fates in the world were as numerous as the sands of the Ganges; they were not fixed.

“Oh, it’s not just an ordinary marriage!” The little red dragon was relentless, her tail lightly brushing against her Master’s hem.

“I want the best one! The one most suitable for me, the one destined by fate! Honored Master, please, I really want to know.”

Her Master, unable to withstand the pestering, reached out a slender finger to tap the dragon’s head. “You’re so young, yet you think about these things all day! The Great Dao is before you. Focusing on cultivation is the right path! Wouldn’t it be more free to strive for a Heavenly Immortal Dao Fruit and ascend to the Immortal Realm? Wouldn’t it be better for me to calculate your immortal fate then?”

Her tone turned serious.

“Cultivation is your primary task. We, master and disciple, are to reunite in the Immortal Realm one day. If I only end up waiting for a Human Immortal disciple in the Immortal Realm, see how I’ll deal with you!”

Chi Hong’s mouth pouted when she heard this.

She simply slumped her entire dragon body onto her Master’s warm and soft thighs, her claws scratching idly as she hummed, “Just calculate it first. If my intended fate really is in the Immortal Realm, I’ll have more motivation to cultivate. Best Master, please calculate it for me.”

Faced with her beloved disciple’s relentless begging, the usually majestic Master finally gave in.

She sighed, picked her up gently, placed her on her shoulder, and said helplessly, “Fine, fine. Go practice immediately after I finish. No more laziness!”

“If I only manage to become a Human Immortal in the future, I’m afraid my own Master will hit my head in the Immortal Realm.”

Chi Hong immediately beamed with joy, coiled on her Master’s shoulder, and watched expectantly.

Her Master’s expression turned solemn.

She raised her jade hand, and complex and mysterious red dragon marks appeared in her palm, forming a continuously rotating and calculating formation.

She chanted in ancient Dragon language, her expression focused.

Chi Hong held her breath in anticipation, her heart fluttering. ‘What will my intended fate look like? Is he really far away in the Immortal Realm?’

However, after only a moment of calculation, her Master’s brow furrowed tighter and tighter. The mysterious formation in her palm flickered between light and shadow before finally shattering with a soft pop, dissipating into countless points of light.

Fine beads of cold sweat actually appeared on the Master’s forehead.

“Honored Master, what happened?” Chi Hong asked quickly, sensing something was wrong.

Her Master slowly withdrew her hand, worry coloring her eyes. After a moment of silence, she whispered, “Hong’er, your intended fate is very strange.”

“The secrets of heaven that I can peek into are very few—only a blurred point.”

“What is it?” Chi Hong pressed.

“Your intended fate will appear during your Great Tribulation.”

“As for how it will appear, what that Great Tribulation will be like, and what the final result will be…” Her Master slowly shook her head, her tone heavy.

“The heavenly secrets are chaotic and heavily shielded. I cannot see clearly and cannot point out a path for you to avoid it.”

She grabbed Chi Hong’s tiny claws and gave a solemn warning, “In short, you must remember that constant practice and improving your cultivation and Dao Heart are the foundation for dealing with all variables. As long as you are strong enough, even if there are tribulations, there will always be a chance to overcome them.”

Knowing that her beloved disciple had such a tribulation that even she couldn’t see through, the Master’s heart felt heavy and filled with worry.

What kind of tribulation could it be that even the Red Dragon Clan, who were skilled in heavenly secrets, would be helpless?

“A Great Tribulation.” Chi Hong didn’t quite understand. She leaned her dragon head gently against her Master’s cheek and murmured to herself.

‘What kind of Great Tribulation can I have? My talent is so good.’

‘A Great Tribulation?’

Deep in the black clouds, the massive, battered red dragon struggled to move her eyelids, coughing up another mouthful of clotted blood.

Her consciousness drifted, and her vision was blurred.

‘Honored Master, is this the Great Tribulation you couldn’t calculate back then?’

Her breath grew weaker, and her massive dragon body curled helplessly in its confinement as she endured the erosion of her meridians by the power of the Heavenly Demons.

At the edge of her blurred vision, a figure seemed to flash by, intertwined with black and white colors, charging toward her.

‘Where is my intended fate?’