The sparring match with Long Zhaojun concluded in an atmosphere of immense satisfaction. The consequences of Sheya’s impulsiveness were severe: not only had he been humiliated and disarmed, but upon returning to the Serpent Spirit Clan, he would undoubtedly have to answer for the failed transaction when questioned by Shewang, a loss that truly put him out in the cold.
As Nie Kong reflected on Long Tiangong’s decisiveness, he couldn't help but spare a sympathetic tear for the Crown Prince of the Serpent Spirit Clan, who had lost his reason due to jealousy and ultimately met a tragic end.
At the same time, Nie Kong couldn't help but secretly wonder if Long Tiangong had long intended to deal with Sheya; his own appearance had merely accelerated the process. Of course, Nie Kong held no burning interest in digging into whether Long Tiangong truly harbored such intentions.
After returning from the Dragon Pearl Palace, Long Xuechan openly moved back to her own Dragon Valley, bringing along Long Ping, Long Ting, and even the Ghost Eagle King.
With the help of the two young women, Long Xuechan completely redecorated her chambers, making them as bright and vibrant as a bridal suite, even dressing herself like a bride.
“Sister Chan, dressing up so beautifully, are you trying to reward me for my performance today?”
Late that night, Nie Kong couldn't resist intercepting Long Xuechan as she was tidying up, lifting her into his arms with a smile, admiring her delicate jade neck and soft, snowy bosom.
“Go away.”
Long Xuechan’s face bloomed like a flower, overwhelmingly seductive. She playfully flicked Nie Kong’s forehead with her finger, then laughed coquettishly, “Younger brother Nie Kong, not tonight. You enter the Dragon Temple passage tomorrow, you need to conserve your strength. Once you emerge from the passage, your older sister will properly satisfy you.”
“I am vigorous every day, what strength do I need to conserve?” Nie Kong laughed heartily, tossing Long Xuechan’s voluptuous body onto the bed before pouncing. In just a few moves, he had pinned the enchanting, captivating beauty down like a tender, snow-white lamb. His hands seemed imbued with magical energy as they caressed her silken, smooth skin. Soon, Long Xuechan’s face flushed crimson, and she panted softly.
“No!” Just as Nie Kong’s hand swept over her flat abdomen and began to move lower, Long Xuechan suddenly sobered, grabbing his hand and tightly closing her legs. Nie Kong assumed she was playing hard-to-get and didn't rush, kissing her creamy, delicate skin wantonly.
However, when he tried again while Long Xuechan was lost in passion, he met the same resistance. He attempted this several more times, but the result was the same. Noticing she wasn't on her cycle, Nie Kong was utterly dumbfounded, looking into her hazy, beautiful eyes and asking, “Really no?”
“Mmm.”
Long Xuechan let out a soft, lingering note from her nose.
Nie Kong could only withdraw his hand, rolling off Long Xuechan’s body, feeling a mixture of amusement and frustration. Before last night, Long Xuechan had spent three consecutive days disguising herself as her sister, Long Meixian, for some kind of ‘seed borrowing,’ and every encounter had been intensely passionate. But now that everything was out in the open, she was suddenly playing coy.
Long Xuechan wrapped her soft, yielding body around Nie Kong like an octopus, her seductive eyes glistening. “Younger brother Nie Kong, don’t be anxious. The day you return from the passage, your older sister will absolutely reward you well, I guarantee you will be very, very satisfied.”
“It seems I have no choice but to wait for that day.”
Nie Kong resigned himself. Since Long Xuechan was unwilling, he wasn't going to force things using the ‘Dragon Companion Seal.’ Regardless, this peerless beauty belonged to him eventually; a few days early or late didn't matter much. Moreover, they had been fiercely intimate the day before, so Nie Kong wasn't overly agitated.
“Younger brother Nie Kong, if you can’t hold back, your sister can… ‘help you’ like this.”
“Stop, you’re making it worse!”
“…”
The next morning, as the rising sun cast its first rays, the Dragon Head section of the island lay silent. Nestled among the dense mountain forests, an ancient, classical hall emerged faintly into view.
This was the Dragon Temple!
As Long Tiangong, Long Yi, and the sixteen elders—including Long Meixian and Long Xuechan—entered the Dragon Temple, Nie Kong instantly sensed a chilling aura. The interior of the Dragon Temple was not vast, perhaps only ten meters square, with almost no furnishings, save for a single statue standing directly opposite the entrance.
The statue was nearly three meters tall, gleaming brilliantly with golden light, its face extraordinarily imposing.
Nie Kong knew this statue depicted the progenitor of the Dragon Spirit Clan. The entire temple, illuminated by the statue’s golden radiance, should have felt bright, yet to Nie Kong, it felt eerie and somber, and the statue’s spirituality seemed faint, as if shrouded in shadow.
Entering the Dragon Temple, everyone became solemn and suddenly silent; even Long Xuechan’s pretty face was grave.
Nie Kong also narrowed his eyes, sensing quietly, but the strange aura he had detected the night before did not appear. After a moment of surprise, Nie Kong felt relieved. The night before, when he achieved ‘Melting Heaven and Earth’ and entered the profound state of Heavenly Spirit Intent, his perception of vital energy had increased exponentially, far beyond what he could manage now. Now, Nie Kong was merely making ordinary investigations, so it was natural that he found nothing. The red sun rose higher, yet there was no movement within the Dragon Temple.
Long Tiangong and the sixteen elders showed no signs of impatience, so Nie Kong could only wait patiently.
“Chirp!”
Suddenly, a faint buzzing sound emanated from the statue.
Long Tiangong and the others secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Originally, the Dragon Temple passage should open when the sun reached a height of one person, but today it was delayed by several hours.
Nie Kong’s spirit lifted, and he stared intently. He saw the statue suddenly blaze with golden light. Gradually, the intense radiance completely submerged the statue, obscuring the Dragon Ancestor’s form. Simultaneously, the buzzing grew more intense, like millions of bees beating their wings inside.
“Boom!”
About two minutes later, a sharp resonance erupted. The golden light split apart on both sides, revealing a golden entrance about three meters high and one meter wide. However, it wasn’t long before the golden light of the entrance gradually faded, replaced by an overwhelming surge of green.
The green was bursting with vitality!
Nie Kong suddenly understood; this must be the Wood Spirit energy they spoke of… more accurately, it should be vital energy. But to those who were not Wood Spirit Masters, vital energy and Wood Spirit energy were essentially indistinguishable. At its extreme, Wood Spirit energy became vital energy, so viewing vital energy as Wood Spirit energy was not wrong.
Nie Kong’s heart skipped a beat; that strange feeling seeped out from the vital energy at the passage entrance again.
Long Tiangong sighed lightly, “That is it! The higher the cultivation, the stronger the resistance encountered when approaching it. However, one can easily enter by extracting Wood Spirit elements and merging them with plants. Hence, we determined that Wood Spirit Masters can enter the passage. Nie Kong, it’s up to you now.”
Saying this, he handed Nie Kong the emerald-green wooden staff covered in esoteric runes. “Take this weapon too; it might be useful.”
“Be careful!” Long Xuechan cautioned, “Don't forget what I told you last night.” As she finished speaking, Long Xuechan seemed to recall something, a faint blush rising on her cheeks, brimming with allure.
“I won’t forget!”
Nie Kong smiled slightly, holding the wooden staff, and slowly stepped forward, cautiously approaching the passage.
Under the close, expectant gaze of Long Tiangong, Long Zhaojun, Long Xuechan, Long Meixian, and dozens of others, the distance between Nie Kong and the patch of green at the passage entrance grew shorter and shorter. When they saw Nie Kong merge into it without any obstruction, a collective sigh of relief swept through the Dragon Temple…………