GD Ch. 41 Part 1

Chapter 41: Why Is There a Dragon Aura?

Xuanjing finally restrained himself a little, no longer blatantly sizing up Changying. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, he shot a bold and ruthless glare at Zhuyou.

It was as if he had truly polished himself to a shine, and his aura surged in an instant.

Zhuyou turned back thoughtfully, wondering what connection this sword had with Changying. Yet, judging by Changying’s calm expression, he showed no signs of recognizing the sword at all. If the sword hadn’t mistaken him for someone else, then it must have been because Changying’s sea of consciousness was obscured by the white mist.

After thinking for a moment, she spoke to Changying in a serious tone, “I may not be able to teach you much, but there’s one thing you must remember.”

Changying, walking beside her, lifted her cold eyes slightly, her voice misty as she asked, “Remember what?”

“The more beautiful something is, the better it is at deceiving,” Zhuyou said. “Look at these devils—every one of them is like that. Even this old sword is full of tricks. It looks like it wants to recognize you as its master, but in reality, it might just want to devour you.”

A sword spirit turning on its master wasn’t unheard of.

Changying made a sound of acknowledgment, her expression unchanged. However, she did glance at Xuanjing.

“So, don’t trust people too easily. Even a kind dragon can be deceived. Don’t let yourself be fooled so easily,” Zhuyou said lazily.

Changying gave a slight nod, though it was unclear if she truly understood. Her expression remained indifferent, as if she didn’t care at all.

***

This time, their visit to Heart-Questioning Rock was different from the last. Instead of the lotus demon leading the way, it was the Three Lords of the devil’s domain.

The Three Lords walked ahead, and Jing Kexin would frequently glance back, her gaze greedy, as if she wanted to tear Zhuyou apart and swallow her whole. She seemed genuinely afraid she would escape.

Xuanjing, on the other hand, didn’t look back at all. As a proud and arrogant sword, he wouldn’t tolerate being spoken about in such a way.

Outside Heart-Questioning Rock, the still water flowed gently. A silent bird tilted its head to look at the approaching group before suddenly flapping its wings and flying away.

The barrier-like restriction was like a wall of water, shimmering with dazzling light as ripples spread across its surface. It was beautiful to look at—but untouchable.

As Luo Qing cast a spell to break the restriction, Zhuyou pinched the mustard seed in her hand, paying extra attention to the spell he used, silently committing it to memory.

The mustard seed in her fingers grew hot. If she kept holding it, the hun soul inside might truly get cooked.

The incantation wasn’t difficult to memorize, nor was it troublesome to perform. Zhuyou quickly learned it by heart.

As they entered the cave, Luo Qing paused at the entrance, then stepped aside to make way. Flipping his hand over, he gestured to Zhuyou, saying, “Your Grace, please.”

Zhuyou nodded and led Changying inside. The cave remained unchanged—it looked exactly the same as when she had last been here.

Changying’s eyes flickered slightly as she entered, clearly surveying her surroundings.

Previously, the entire Heart-Questioning Rock had been filled with crystal-clear spirit stones, making the place glow brightly. But now, half of them were missing—clearly pried away by Zhuyou.

Changying’s gaze was restrained. She raised a hand and gently pinched the corner of Zhuyou’s robe, letting out a soft murmur as if she were feeling unwell.

“What’s wrong?” Zhuyou turned back and asked.

Changying’s eyes narrowed slightly, and her pupils suddenly turned golden. She remained silent, feeling a stabbing pain in her sea of consciousness, as if something inside was being torn apart.

What was it?

A vague memory surfaced—she still didn’t know who she was, but she knew…

She was here to subdue devils.

Yes, subdue devils.

Changying’s hazy eyes cleared in an instant. When she looked up again, her gaze was sharp and unyielding, like a god of slaughter who upheld justice without compromise.

Yet, her sea of consciousness remained empty. Even though the white mist had partially dispersed, revealing a thin thread of spiritual essence, she still couldn’t recall anything significant. That thread of spirit seemed entirely unremarkable.

Zhuyou was about to move forward when she felt a slight tug. Looking down, she saw Changying’s slender hand gripping her robe.

The little dragon’s gaze was slightly lowered, making her look particularly obedient. Slowly, the coldness in her eyes faded.

Zhuyou patted the back of her hand, gently curling her fingers into her palm. The dragon’s docile demeanor was unexpectedly endearing.

After changing her heart’s blood, the dragon’s claws were now warm—no longer icy cold to the touch. Holding them felt much more comfortable.

Changying followed closely behind as they walked deeper inside. Zhuyou flipped her hand, and beneath the still water, something seemed to be rising to the surface. A moment later, it slowly emerged.

The pitch-black water rippled as a wooden box floated up. When it opened, the dazzling Crystal of Law was revealed.

The cracks on the Crystal of Law had been completely repaired, and no new ones had formed. The wisp of hun soul sealed inside it shimmered brilliantly.

The Three Lords held their breath as they watched from behind. Zhuyou also kept her eyes fixed on the Crystal of Law, so focused that none of them noticed the sudden darkening of Changying’s gaze.

Changying raised a hand to her forehead, pain splitting through her skull as she sensed the devilish energy around her. If not for her still-clear mind, she might have already shaken off Zhuyou’s hand.

A sudden question rose in her heart—

She was supposed to subdue devils.

So why was she holding hands with one?

In just a moment, she regained her composure and pushed the inexplicable thought deep into her mind.

Zhuyou moved her fingers slightly, pulling the wisp of hun soul out of the mustard seed. The soul was a glowing white mass, dazzlingly bright, like a tiny flame flickering atop a candle wick.

The more a hun soul resisted death, the brighter it burned—struggling desperately to survive.

Perhaps that fool truly didn’t want to die.

But as a fragment of the Devil Lord’s hun soul, he had to die, whether he wanted to or not.

Zhuyou didn’t withdraw the phoenix’s spiritual power from the Crystal of Law. Instead, she slowly merged the wisp of hun soul into it.

The hun soul drifted sluggishly into the Crystal of Law, where it was gradually consumed by the existing soul light inside.

For a moment, a piercing, heart-wrenching scream echoed through the cave—it was the voice of that fool. His wisp of hun soul screamed in agony, as if suffering unbearable pain.

Zhuyou’s expression remained unchanged as she watched the fool’s frail hun soul being completely devoured. What remained of the other hun soul became even brighter, its piercing light forcing her to narrow her eyes slightly.

And with that, the fool was truly gone.

The Three Lords’ faces lit up with satisfaction. Now, with only one hun soul of the Devil Lord left to find, they were just a step away from finally standing against the Heavenly Realm.

To these devils, the Devil Lord was an indomitable force, someone who should never have perished. Even his fall was seen as nothing more than an accident.

Yes, to them, it was merely an accident. The Devil Lord was never meant to be so easily erased.

Changying silently watched the dazzling Crystal of Law. The golden hue in her eyes was momentarily overwhelmed by the brilliance, and in the next instant, her pupils contracted into cold, emotionless vertical slits.

She had already grown to Zhuyou’s height, yet there was still a youthful quality about her. Perhaps it was the way her eyes moved in the slightest, most subtle increments, making her appear somewhat slow-witted. If she concealed the sharpness in her gaze, she would look deceptively easy to bully.

Zhuyou turned, still holding Changying’s hand, and addressed the Three Lords: “I have done all I could.”

A devil speaking of “doing all they could” sounded almost like a joke.

Jing Kexin stared at her, her greedy gaze laid bare. Yet when she spoke, her words were of a different nature. “Your Grace, this phoenix’s spiritual power—can anyone else undo it?”

Zhuyou laughed. She found the question rather amusing, as if she were asking her how best to kill her. She cast Jing Kexin a sidelong glance, not even bothering to look at her directly. “Do you think I’d tell you?”

Jing Kexin’s eyes curved with amusement. Though she knew she had asked a foolish question, she felt no embarrassment—if anything, she was even more pleased. She had never bothered to hide her desires. She was utterly captivated by this phoenix’s beauty. Every time she saw her, she lost her senses. So what if she asked something foolish?

“If you go and beg one of the phoenixes in the heavens, perhaps they’d be willing to help you undo it,” Zhuyou said meaningfully.

After all, those phoenixes already looked at her with disdain. They had no tolerance for devils. If Jing Kexin were to present them with the Crystal of Law containing the Devil Lord’s soul, they would be eager to strip away the divine power sealing it. However, whether the Devil Lord’s remaining hun souls would survive the process was another question entirely.

Jing Kexin’s gaze darkened with resentment.

Zhuyou had no interest in dealing with her. Just as she was about to leave, she heard Luo Qing ask, “Earlier, Your Grace sent word through Hongqu, instructing us to avoid those of the Dragon Clan. Could it be that you took something from the Dragon Palace?”

Standing nearby, Changying raised her eyebrows slightly, though her expression remained unchanged.

Zhuyou had expected these devils to take some time before figuring things out. She hadn’t expected them to ask so soon. “Were you troubled by the Dragon Clan?”

Luo Qing replied, “On our way back, we encountered Dragon Clan scouts. They seemed to be searching for something.”

“Whatever they’re looking for has nothing to do with me,” Zhuyou said, blinking innocently.

“The day of the dragon-phoenix betrothal, Your Grace was in the Dragon Palace. I heard the palace was invaded by devilish energy. I wonder who could have been responsible?” Luo Qing’s expression was stern.

Zhuyou’s smirk faded slightly as she looked at him. “There are so many devils in this world, yet Second Lord insists on suspecting me?”

Luo Qing’s voice was cold. “Who else could have taken something from right under the Dragon Clan’s noses?”

Zhuyou merely smiled without answering. She stepped past him, heading outside. When she glanced back, she saw that Changying seemed somewhat confused, as if Luo Qing’s serious demeanor had intimidated her. Zhuyou reached out and gently squeezed her fingers before speaking, “In the future, don’t say I never taught you this—devils are masters of framing and deceit. If you back down an inch, they’ll press forward a mile. Never retreat too easily, and never lose your momentum.”

Changying nodded, indicating she understood.

Zhuyou was satisfied. After all, raising a dragon properly wasn’t easy. If she didn’t teach her well now, how could she rely on her in the future?

But Changying still had much to learn. Zhuyou had to find a way to educate her—perhaps by having Hanzhu gather books and objects from the human world to help her recognize words and concepts.

Changying followed behind her, as cold and composed as ever. She had no idea that, despite already reaching Zhuyou’s height, she was about to be made to study literacy.

Luo Qing refused to let the matter go. “Finding the Devil Lord’s last hun soul is of utmost urgency. But if the Dragon Clan suddenly declares war over their lost treasure, we may be forced to delay our search.”

“I destroyed the Devil-Suppressing Tower. I retrieved the hun soul from the mustard seed. And now Second Lord is treating me as if I’m nothing more than a source of trouble?” Zhuyou’s steps halted.

Luo Qing immediately fell silent.

Zhuyou narrowed her eyes slightly, her expression half-smiling yet cold. “Say one more word, and I’ll strip the phoenix’s divine power from the Crystal of Law. Let’s see what happens then.”

Not only did Luo Qing’s expression change, but even Jing Kexin looked shocked.

The Three Lords stopped in their tracks outside Heart-Questioning Rock, afraid that the devil would actually carry out her threat.

Feeling quite pleased with herself, Zhuyou led Changying back to the Grand Hall.