(Part 1)

After Hou Chi came out from the enchantment, she saw Jing Jian and Feng Ran guarding outside with solemn expressions. She didn't have time to say hello and flew towards the Heavenly Palace.

The two guarding outside only felt a stream of light fly by, and then she was already far away. After carefully looking at the figure on the ground, Feng Ran couldn't help but stare, a bit of surprise flashing across her eyes. In a mere three days, Hou Chi's spiritual power had increased to that of a high deity, which was simply incredible when she thought about it. It seemed that Hou Chi must have changed in Chaosheng Palace, but she also understood that now wasn't a good time to inquire about it. Therefore, she hurriedly pulled Jing Jian to drive the cloud and they followed Hou Chi towards the Heavenly Palace.

Three days had already passed. Qing Mu probably...

A white light emerged from the enchantment, surpassing the two in an instant, racing straight towards Jing Jian's palace. This white light was fierce but held a bit of anxiousness and coercion. Jing Jian's expression slightly moved, and he thought to himself. How could his father be so gaffe...

With Hou Chi's spiritual power, flying to Zisong Courtyard was only a matter of seconds, but when she really stopped in front of the courtyard, she felt a sense of fear that was close to homesickness. Even the Heavenly Emperor couldn't save him. If she went in, Qing Mu would already be...

With a "bang" and without thinking, Hou Chi straightened her eyebrows, pushed open the courtyard door, and went straight to the room. Even if she changed her fate against the heavens, she wouldn't allow anything to happen to Qing Mu!

In the quiet room, the pale face of the young man when she left was still in her mind, but this time, only the piece of profound ice was on the empty bed, and Qing Mu was nowhere to be seen.

Turned into flying ash...Remembering what the Heavenly Emperor said, Hou Chi stood by the bed in a panic, looking at the scene in disbelief. Her palms trembled, and suddenly, she knelt at the side of the bed, as if she had lost all of her strength. Her heart shrank suddenly, almost unable to accept reality.

Ever since she stepped into Liaowang Mountain, Qing Mu had always been by her side. No matter what time it was, when she turned around, he would definitely be by her side...she was used to his existence and felt horrified when he suddenly left.

"Hou Chi, what's wrong with you?"

A clear voice sounded behind her, sounding sweetly in Hou Chi's ears. She suddenly turned her head, her eyes moistening.

The young man leaned against the pine tree in the courtyard, wearing a red robe with a golden embroidered ribbon tied around his waist. His long, black hair was lazily draped over his shoulders, and his face was a little thin. There was a slight smile at the corners of his mouth, the coldness having disappeared. The pair of eyes were particularly clear as they looked at her softly and gently.

Hou Chi looked at Qing Mu in the yard in shock. Her nose suddenly felt sore, and there was a bit of choking in her voice. Her eyes widened, filled with joy and surprise, "Qing Mu, you're fine now?"

Before the young man could answer, she rushed to the yard and hugged him tightly, "The Heavenly Emperor said that you would turn into scattered smoke....He doesn't say good things. My God Father was right, he's just an unstoppable liar. I shouldn't have believed him!"

The grievance-filled complaint rang out in the yard with a slight tremor. If one listened carefully, there was even a bit of uncertainty and fear.

He had never seen Hou Chi look so worried before. Qing Mu was slightly startled, his eyes suddenly deepening. Feeling the almost-invisible tremor of the hands that were hugging him, a touch of distress crossed his eyes, and he raised his hand to touch Hou Chi's head, crossing her blue silk, "Slow down, slow down, talk slowly, I'm here."

His body felt warm. Hou Chi raised her head, got out of his arms, and squeezed Qing Mu's face, then confirmed, "Has the dragon breath of the Three-Headed Fire Dragon been eliminated?"

Qing Mu nodded his head, and put his face in front of her, "Look, I'm okay now."

His usual cold face was more intriguing for some reason. Hou Chi blinked, and the back of her ears suddenly turned red. She hurriedly moved away from him, coughed, and said, "No, no, I can see clearly."

Seeing Hou Chi's reaction, Qing Mu slightly froze, and a hint of cunningness crossed his eyes. He raised his eyebrows and said with a serious expression, "Really? Can you really see clearly?"

Hou Chi glared at him, straightened her expression, and held Qing Mu's hand, "Don't move, let me take a look." Then, she was taken aback. The foundation of Qing Mu's spiritual veins was more stable than before, and even his spiritual power had increased a lot. She looked at Qing Mu, and said suspiciously, "What's going on here, your spiritual power...could it be...?"

"Yes, I'm guessing that I absorbed the Three-Headed Fire Dragon's dragon breath into my spiritual veins. Although I haven't fully refined it yet, I estimate that it won't take long, and my spiritual power will improve to the next level. It's just a pity that when I woke up, the bedside was empty and not a single person was here." Qing Mu casually looked at Hou Chi, froze, then said, "Hou Chi, your spiritual power has been promoted to a high lord now?"

Seeing that Qing Mu was completely fine and had the energy to joke around, Hou Chi was finally relieved and she nodded her head, "I went to Chaosheng Palace to find the Heavenly Emperor, but I somehow inherited the spiritual power left by True God Shang Gu. By chance, my spiritual power soared, and even..." Recalling the scene of True God Shang Gu's disappearance, Hou Chi paused, her expression sad and her voice stopped.

"Chaosheng Palace?" Qing Mu quietly recited it, an inexplicable meaning in his eyes that even he didn't notice, "I didn't expect you to go there. Only gods can indeed enter that place."

"You know Chaosheng Palace?" Hou Chi blinked and looked at Qing Mu.

"I was born in the Three Realms, so I naturally have heard of it. That place is mysterious and unpredictable. According to ancient legend, apart from the Heavenly Emperor and Empress, no high lord can enter..."

Before Qing Mu could finish his words, both of them slightly frowned at the same time and looked into the air. A huge spiritual power suddenly appeared in the sky above Zizhu Courtyard, with a hint of mighty thunder and unpredictable momentum.

The black figure hung in the air, staring at Qing Mu with scorching eyes that were filled with invisible surprise and anger. Before the two of them could start speaking, the Heavenly Emperor had descended to Zisong Courtyard from the air.

"Qing Mu greets the Heavenly Emperor."

His eyes definitely did not hold good meaning, but it didn't seem like he had done anything to offend the Heavenly Palace. Qing My looked towards Hou Chi in wonder. Could it be that this girl had done something...

Hou Chi hurriedly shook her head. She looked towards the Heavenly Emperor, and seeing that it seemed like he was about to eat Qing Mu, she said suspiciously, "Heavenly Emperor, what's wrong?"

Hearing Hou Chi's words, the Heavenly Emperor's complexion finally eased, but he still stared at Qing Mu. His eyes narrowed, "Lord Qing Mu, has the dragon breath in your body been cleared?"

Qing Mu nodded. Seeing the Heavenly Emperor's unkind expression, he dragged Hou Chi behind him, blocking his gaze, and said, "Thank you for your care. The dragon breath has already been absorbed into my body, and it will be refined in a few days...As for the reason, I am not very clear."

Seeing Qing Mu's movements, the Heavenly Emperor's frown tightened, and an inexplicable meaning flashed across his eyes.

Qing Mu raised his eyebrows and didn't say anything else. He didn't tell any lies. He didn't know what was going on when he was in a coma. When he woke up, the dragon breath inside of him had been sucked into his spiritual veins. As for the reason, he could only say that he was lucky.

Accompanied by the Heavenly Emperor's silence, Zizhu Courtyard's atmosphere plunged into a deep depression. Suddenly, the Heavenly Emperor looked towards Qing Mu, and vigorous god power came out from the palm of his hand, falling straight onto Qing Mu. Although he only had the intention of probing, it still made Qing Mu frown intuitively. The Heavenly Emperor's expression was a bit strange, but he didn't know what he had done to offend him.

After a while, the Heavenly Emperor withdrew his god power, his expression faintly complicated. He patted his sleeves and walked outside Zizhu Courtyard without saying a word. Jing Jian and Feng Ran ran in from outside, only to see his solemn face.

Feng Ran squinted. Without even greeting him, she walked straight past the Heavenly Emperor. However, Jing Jian paused thoughtfully and after bowing to the back figure of the Heavenly Emperor, he walked towards Zisong Courtyard.

Before entering the door, he saw two figures standing under the green pine, one red and one purple. The young man's expression was young and gentle, and his eyes were focused on the woman next to him. The young woman's brows softened, her dark eyes filled with a smile.

He couldn't help but be stunned. In this sky full of immortal lords, if you talk about the pride in the bones, no one could beat Hou Chi, but he didn't expect her to be so open about her care towards Qing Mu.

(Part 2)

With the same simple and elegant robes, the way the two stood together caused him to think of the saying, "an immortal couple, just like them". Jing Jian sighed, thinking of Jing Zhao's admiration towards Qing Mu, and walked in.

Feng Ran was sighing at Qing Mu like he was a treasure. If not for Hou Chi staring at her to the side like a tiger, she would probably be bullied upfront.

"Qing Mu, the dragon breath in your body..." Jing Jian stepped forward, arched his hands, and asked.

Seeing Jing Jian's worried face, Qing Mu nodded and said, "It has been absorbed into my spiritual veins."

"I would like to thank you for saving me in Yuanling Swamp. I will remember this. If you have a request, I will definitely follow it." Jing Jian solemnly bowed to Qing Mu.

"Second Highness is being too serious. Since we bumped into each other, it is fate." Qing Mu casually waved his hand. Seeing Feng Ran looking at Jing Jian meaningfully, he was slightly surprised, but he didn't inquire about it, and said, "Since the dragon breath in my body has been resolved, then we will set off for the North Sea tomorrow. It's been some time, so the dragon kings should have some news."

The Heavenly Palace was not a place to stay in for a long time, and he also didn't want Hou Chi to stay here to face the Heavenly Emperor and Empress.

Hou Chi nodded her head and said to Jing Jian, "We will not bid goodbye to the Heavenly Emperor. Second Highness can just say that for us tomorrow."

"You're leaving tomorrow...?" Jing Jian was taken aback, looked at Feng Ran, and said hurriedly, "A few of the dragons and I know each other. I might as well come along. If you guys need anything, I can also help."

Hou Chi waved her wave, "No need. We're looking for someone, it's not anything big."

"We don't dare. If you provoke some more ancient fierce beasts, I'm afraid we won't even have our bones left." Feng Ran glanced at him from the corner of her eyes and snorted, "You even said that only the Heavenly Emperor's origin of power can save Qing Mu, who are you lying to? You made us worry for quite a few days. Now, Qing Mu has not only absorbed the dragon breath, but his spiritual power is even stronger. If I had known sooner, I wouldn't have listened to you. It's fortunate that Hou Chi entered Chaosheng Palace and encountered the inheritance. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother hearing your polite remarks here and there."

Jing Jian was stunned at first. Suddenly, he looked at Feng Ran, "Lord Feng Ran, did you say that Qing Mu did not only absorb the dragon breath, but his spiritual power also increased?"

Feng Ran was slightly startled by his unmoving gaze. She pointed towards Qing Mu, and said in a bad mood, "I'm not lying to you. That's right, if you don't believe me, you can ask him."

Qing Mu nodded his head, saying, "It is true. Why is Second Highness so shocked?"

If the dragon breath entered one's body, their spiritual veins would definitely be destroyed. Even if it was forcibly absorbed, it would be impossible to increase spiritual power.

Jing Jian looked at Qing Mu suspiciously, his expression becoming hesitant. Thinking of the Heavenly Emperor's ugly face just now, his expression suddenly changed. He anxiously arched his hands towards Qing Mu and said, "Nothing, Qing Mu, I suddenly remembered that there is a matter I need to deal with. I will see you guys off tomorrow."

As soon as he finished speaking, he ran outside anxiously. He completely lost his usual composure and didn't even mention the matter of going to the North Sea with them tomorrow.

The three of them looked at Jing Jian, who was running away and had a strange feeling about the father and son's strange behavior.

"Hou Chi, go inside to rest. We will set off tomorrow morning." Qing Mu patted Hou Chi's shoulder and said with a warm voice.

Hou Chi nodded and walked towards the room. She took two steps, then turned her head to look in the direction where Jing Jian had disappeared, and sudden anxiety surfaced in her heart.

When Jing Jian rushed to the back hall of Xuantian Palace, he saw the Heavenly Emperor standing next to the warm spring in the back garden. Even though he wasn't close, he could feel the anger and coercion from the Heavenly Emperor's entire body.

"Heavenly Father." Jing Jian walked in slowly, saying nervously. For thousands of years, even though the three siblings had been injured by True God Bai Jue's remnant soul last time, he had never seen his Heavenly Father this angry. If his guess was correct, Jing Zhao really was too ignorant of the rules and boundaries!

"Jing Jian, go to Juxian Pond and get your older brother out. As for Jing Zhao...confine her in Suoxian Pagoda[1]. No one can let her out without my instructions." There was undisguised disappointment in his angry voice. The Heavenly Emperor waved his hand with his back towards Jing Jian.

"Heavenly Father, Jing Zhao just made an ignorant mistake. I ask Heavenly Father to think twice. And...Suoxian Pagoda is detrimental to the spiritual roots. Her current body isn't suitable to be confined in Suoxian Pagoda."

Jing Jian hurriedly knelt to the ground, his expression anxious, his face worried.

"Detrimental to the spiritual roots? Her mother and I have spent so much effort on her these years. Now, she has shot herself in the foot with no complaints. It would be alright if Qing Mu is interested in her. Now that things have turned out like this, am I still supposed to save her?"

The Heavenly Emperor turned around abruptly, his face pale. Violent spiritual power caused the surroundings to become disorganized. Not bothering to listen to Jing Jian's pleas, the Heavenly Emperor flicked his sleeves and disappeared into the warm spring.

It seems like the only way to intercede for Jing Zhao is to wait for Heavenly Mother to come back...

Jing Jian sighed, stood up, and raised his head to look at the spiritual power-filled Juxian Pond east of Heavenly Palace with a complex expression.

Qing Mu was just a high lord to his Heavenly Father. His Heavenly Father was willing to use his origin of power to save Qing Mu on behalf of Hou Chi, but he would never agree for his third sister to use her dragon pellet to save him. And her body would be nothing different from a demon or monster now...

The Three Realms knew that the Heavenly Emperor had two sons and one daughter, but they didn't know that all twp sons had phoenix original forms, and only the daughter inherited the five-clawed golden dragon blood, the only ancient golden dragon bloodline besides the Heavenly Emperor in the world. This was also the real reason why the Heavenly Emperor doted on Jing Zhao like she was a precious jewel for tens of thousands of years.

The only difference between ancient magical beasts and ancient fierce beasts was the inner pellet inside the body. The spiritual pellet inside a magical beast could absorb the spiritual energy of the heaven and earth, therefore the journey of cultivation was tantamount to an invitation to heaven, so the time necessary was much less than ordinary immortals. And fierce beasts could only slowly accumulate their demon power with their own bodies, but it was precisely because of this that if a fierce beast was successful, they will be more powerful than a magical beast.

Jing Zhao was part of the ancient golden dragon bloodline. If she lost her dragon pellet, there wouldn't be much damage to her body, but she could only rely on her own body for cultivation just like fierce beasts. A little carelessness could mean there was no way back and she would fall into the path of demons and monsters.

The Three-Headed Fire Dragon had the body of a demigod. How could its dragon breath be easily resisted? Jing Jian also just realized that besides his Heavenly Father, Jing Zhao's dragon pellet could also help with refining, but...the dragon pellet was covered by the scorching dragon breath of the Three-Headed Fire Dragon, and even Qing Mu didn't detect it. But it couldn't escape the father-daughter connection. Just now, his Heavenly Father should've felt it when he was inside Chaosheng Palace's barrier, which was why he would lose his usual composure...

Now...the dragon pellet had been sucked into the spiritual veins by Qing Mu along with the Three-Headed Fire Dragon. Although it wasn't completely refined, if taken out forcibly, the dragon pellet would definitely be destroyed and Qing Mu would die. This was also the reason why his Heavenly Father was so angry but didn't forcibly remove the dragon pellet from Qing Mu's body.

Jing Zhao used her dragon pellet to save Qing Mu on her own will. Now that she has saved Qing Mu's life, even if the person was the Heavenly Emperor, he couldn't do anything about it. What was more absurd was that Jing Zhao acted so rashly. The receiver obviously didn't know anything about it...

Jing Jian gave a wry smile. He was afraid that she understood that if that person knew, he wouldn't be able to accept it!

But, Jing Zhao was cultivating in Juxian Pond and was isolated from the outside world. How could she know that Qing Mu was suffering from the dragon breath, and could even keep it from their older brother and emerge from Juxian Pond...and she didn't alert anyone?

Jing Jian turned his head and looked in the direction of Zisong Courtyard. Jing Zhao lost her dragon pellet and their Heavenly Mother will learn about it. With her love and care towards Jing Zhao, she will definitely get back the dragon pellet inside Qing Mu's body. But if their Heavenly Mother faces Hou Chi, what will she be like?

And once Qing Mu and Hou Chi know the truth...

In a game of chess, one wrong move will cause complete chaos...No matter what you choose, it will always be wrong.