The Dragon Gate was formed from the soul of a True Dragon. Ordinary demons or humans standing nearby would be crushed by the power emanating from it, unable to even catch their breath. But who could tell Demon Jiao why a bird in the Heart Viewing Period was perched on top of the Dragon Gate!
Whose Heart Viewing Period bird could come and go freely beside the Dragon Gate?!
No one could answer Demon Jiao’s question. That bird exuded strangeness from every pore, but now he was at the point of no return, with the Dragon Gate right before him. This was the opportunity the Wise Master had painstakingly secured for him. If he missed this chance, he might never see another Dragon Gate!
Once he became a dragon, he would qualify to step into the Divine Realm. All his current cultivation bottlenecks would resolve themselves. Thus, no matter what stood in his way, he had to pass through the Dragon Gate!
“Roar!” He let out a furious bellow, hoping to drive away the inexplicable bird with the pressure of his bloodline.
The little white bird dumpling perched on the Dragon Gate covered its beak and nostrils with its wings, its tiny expression full of disdain.
Compared to that Demon Jiao, the palm-sized little bird dumpling was even smaller than one of his teeth. It seemed she was about to be torn apart by his sharp fangs, but in the next instant, the bird dumpling on the Dragon Gate vanished.
After discovering her disappearance, Demon Jiao charged toward the Dragon Gate even faster. Though he knew that bird was problematic, the Dragon Gate mattered more right now! Once the inheritance began, the remnant souls of the True Dragons would not allow anyone to interfere with the ritual. No matter how heaven-defying that bird’s abilities were, it could not disrupt him!
He was not worried about the bird competing for the inheritance either. The Feather Race was special, part of the Phoenix Clan’s lineage, and thus unable to receive the Dragon Clan’s inheritance. So the bird could only watch from afar. Otherwise, at such close range… the True Dragon’s inheritance would have long been snatched by that bird.
He just didn’t know if the other’s goal was to watch the fun or something else.
Demon Jiao converted all his remaining power into a defensive barrier to prevent any humans or demons from ambushing him.
The majestic Dragon Gate was within reach. Demon Jiao could already see the dragon souls on it turning their gazes toward him, as if scrutinizing the successor about to transform into a dragon.
Perhaps due to the oppressive pressure from his bloodline, or the lingering terror of the True Dragon remnant souls, a trace of timidity unexpectedly arose in Demon Jiao’s heart. A low dragon chant emanated from the Dragon Gate. He looked up and locked eyes with one of the dragon souls atop it. Crimson-golden eyes pierced into his consciousness, and this jiao’s reaction was like a cat facing a tiger—he shuddered violently.
Once his resolve wavered, his movements hesitated for an instant. Then, a white dumpling descended from the sky and stomped directly onto Demon Jiao’s head.
There was a crisp “thud” that echoed across the sea surface, loud and accompanied by the sound of cracking bones.
His defensive barrier was like paper in front of the bird dumpling, offering no resistance at all.
“Boom!” The massive black flood dragon’s body was smashed into the sea.
After kicking the giant into the ocean, Qing Tuan, hovering in the air, let out two mocking “cheep cheeps” before returning to the Dragon Gate.
She hadn’t killed this Demon Jiao either—just kicked him back like a ball. Whenever he charged up again, she kicked him back down. Qing Tuan seemed to have gotten a toy that automatically returned, and she never tired of playing with it.
No matter how one looked at it, Yun Heng could not allow a demon from the Demon Domain to obtain the True Dragon’s inheritance. However, she hadn’t expected that one to have arrived early and stationed herself atop the Dragon Gate.
When she saw that scene on the distant sea surface, she silently sheathed her sword. Only then did she realize how gentle her Little Mom had already been to her. Once, she had locked that one in a cage. Qing Tuan had merely pecked her twice… probably out of consideration for her little niece?
The sounds of cracking bones continually echoed from the sea surface. After hearing the commotion from Demon Jiao, Yun Heng felt a bit relieved.
“Can you still hear the sounds?” Yun Heng gently massaged Wen Qiwu’s temples.
“I can hear a little, but it’s clearer now.” Wen Qiwu lay directly on her senior sister’s lap. The voices in her mind had become much clearer, no longer like thousands of flies buzzing their wings.
Yun Heng warmed her immortal power a bit before channeling it into Wen Qiwu’s forehead. Even so, the power still felt cool to Wen Qiwu, but it was just right to soothe her dazed, heavy head.
“Are the sounds you’re hearing related to the Dragon Gate?” Yun Heng asked only after seeing her junior sister’s furrowed brows gradually relax.
Her junior sister was only truly improving now; she must have been forcing herself earlier.
“Mm, it seems like I heard the voices of True Dragons. There were so many dragons speaking in my mind all at once, chattering away together. That’s what made my head start hurting.” Wen Qiwu snuggled closer to her senior sister. Her head no longer hurt, but it still felt a bit swollen—probably because her divine soul power wasn’t strong enough yet?
“They were talking about covenants, inheritances, and such. I need to dig into the Phoenix Clan’s inherited memories to see if there’s anything related.” The Phoenix’s inherited memories were vast, but considering the Little Phoenix’s limited capacity, they awakened bit by bit. Wen Qiwu hadn’t yet received memories related to the Dragon Clan, so now she had to delve deeper actively.
“If your body feels unwell, rest first. You can search later,” Yun Heng said, worried about the impact on Wen Qiwu’s divine soul.
Wen Qiwu nodded. Anyway, with Little Mom here, she should know more about the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan matters. She probably didn’t need to intervene for now.
After stopping her deep dive into the memories, Wen Qiwu rested a bit. The commotion on the Vast Sea outside was huge. Finally, she spotted the demon on the sea being kicked around like a ball—it was her Little Mom.
“Little Mom is…” treating it like a new toy?
Yun Heng stroked her junior sister’s head, hesitating to speak. “She’s having fun, so let’s not disturb her for now.”
With her Earth Immortal Realm strength, Wen Qiwu could take in the entire scene on the sea surface at a glance. She sensed that Little Mom wasn’t using her full power at all—otherwise, Demon Jiao wouldn’t have a chance to climb back up. She was just toying with the demon.
“Fine. If we ruin Little Mom’s toy, I’m afraid she’ll come peck at us two.” Wen Qiwu sighed softly. Little Mom’s temper was explosive, a far cry from her main body’s demeanor. She genuinely believed Little Mom could beat them both.
Yun Heng nodded silently in agreement, a hint of helplessness in her expression. If that one really wanted to peck them, they could only obediently take it.
Suddenly, Wen Qiwu reached up and pinched her senior sister’s cheek, then used her fingertip to lift the corner of her senior sister’s mouth into a smile-like curve.
“Don’t be nervous. If we really make Little Mom unhappy, I’ll protect you then! Anyway, she won’t really peck me hard.” Wen Qiwu was utterly favored by Little Mom, so she feared nothing.
This time, Yun Heng didn’t need her junior sister to lift her lips; a gentle smile appeared in her eyes. Her fingertip brushed intentionally or not over her junior sister’s rosy lips.
“Thank you, A Que. But I have nothing to offer in return…”
Wen Qiwu was momentarily stunned. Nothing to offer? Why would she need repayment from her senior sister? But after over a century, her senior sister had learned some mischief—the meaning certainly wasn’t literal.
Yun Heng’s serious demeanor was highly deceptive, especially in front of Wen Qiwu. It always made her think her senior sister was an honest person who wouldn’t play mind games.
Yet time proved her senior sister had plenty of little schemes!
Sure enough, her senior sister’s next words were…
“After thinking it over, I can only promise myself to you in return.”
Upon hearing “promise myself in return,” Wen Qiwu’s heart inexplicably skipped a couple of beats. Even now, she couldn’t remain calm in front of her senior sister. Long ago, during the Heart Questioning Tribulation, she could fantasize about trapping her senior sister in the room, pressing her to the bed, and reciting every scene in her mind. But after her senior sister took the initiative to get close, she found herself blushing more easily.
Wen Qiwu’s shy appearance oddly resembled a fluffy little bird trying to bury its head under its wings. Yun Heng felt her heart heat up. She lowered her head to kiss her dear little bird personally, but at that moment, a massive hole suddenly cracked open in the central ground of Merfolk Moon City. The intense shaking jolted Yun Heng, who immediately pulled Wen Qiwu tightly into her embrace.
What was that?
A massive demon beast resembling a crocodile crawled out from underground. Ignoring the attacks from the City Lord Mansion guards, it charged straight toward the sea.
The situation in Merfolk Moon City, which had only just stabilized, descended into chaos again. The Leap Dragon Gate Ceremony hadn’t even begun, and the sea’s Demon Kings hadn’t held the ritual—why had the Dragon Gate opened early?
Even with that golden, radiant thing spanning the sea, no one dared believe it was the real Dragon Gate at first. Most humans and demons thought it was part of the celebration. After all, no Dragon Gate had appeared for so many years—perhaps the Demon Kings had made a fake one for fun?
But as the power in the air turned eerie and the bloodline’s call stirred the demons, their expressions changed. They gradually realized the Dragon Gate was real!
The demons went mad. They rushed toward the Dragon Gate, even striking down nearby rivals to reduce competition.
Because of the Tianyan Sect’s divination that only one demon could leap through the Dragon Gate, this appearance drove the demons crazier than any historical precedent.
The streets, which the City Lord Mansion’s shadows had just cleaned, became piles of blood and corpse chunks again. But the real issue wasn’t that—it was the destroyed city.
They hadn’t known those demons were hiding underground! The Dragon Gate’s emergence had forced these reclusive fellows out.
Everywhere they passed, the ground lay shattered and in ruins, leaving those shadows clutching their foreheads in headache. If the City Lord saw this, that one would probably mince these Demon Kings into meatballs—one counted, none spared!
The Demon Kings in the sea reacted similarly, scrambling out to charge the Dragon Gate. The rumors from the land hadn’t reached the sea yet, so the Demon Kings didn’t know the Tianyan Sect’s divination. Thus, they remained relatively peaceful, without backstabbing each other.
This time, not only the overt Demon Kings appeared, but also some old monsters who hadn’t shown themselves in ages, whom outsiders thought long dead.
“There are too many demons from the past. I’ll go help her. You stay here and don’t go anywhere—I’ll be back soon.” Yun Heng was worried. Qing Tuan was just a manifestation of the Phoenix Lord’s remnant soul. With most demons now red-eyed and berserk, she wasn’t sure if she could handle them.
Wen Qiwu nodded, promising to stay put.
Parting already made Yun Heng anxious, so Wen Qiwu naturally wouldn’t wander.
She stood and planted the kiss on her senior sister’s lips that hadn’t been completed earlier. “You be careful too.”
The anxiety in Yun Heng’s eyes eased somewhat. She layered thick defensive barriers around the room—hundreds upon close inspection. Even a Divine Realm expert couldn’t break them all instantly.
Wen Qiwu stood by the window, staring at the Vast Sea without blinking. Compared to Little Mom, she worried more about her senior sister. If her senior sister dared to act recklessly, she’d drag her back immediately.
While she focused intently on the Dragon Gate, a black-robed elder appeared at the half-destroyed stall next door. He brought his own jug of wine, sat in front of the shop, poured a cup, and scattered it toward the direction Yun Heng had left—as if paying respects to the departed.
