Chapter 130: Lin Qi’an Takes Lu Miaoyin to the Dragon Cave, the Saintess is Poisoned?
Qinglian Immortal Island.
“The Jiao Dragon Clan’s leader has personally come!”
“Even after the Right Envoy from the Xiling Spirit Temple was killed, they still dare to come? Are they asking for death?”
“Aren’t they afraid the Crown Prince will just slaughter them?”
As the Jiao Dragon Clan approached over the waves, the disciples of Qinglian Immortal Island whispered among themselves.
On any other day, they would have rushed to strengthen the island’s defenses, but now that the Beiyang Crown Prince was their guest, there was no need to panic.
When the Jiao Dragon Clan reached the shore, their usual ferocity had transformed into a humble demeanor.
“Please deliver a message—we wish to meet with the Saintess and the Crown Prince to offer our sincerest apologies for our previous transgressions.”
Apologize? The sun must be rising in the west! Just a few days ago, they had threatened to destroy Qinglian Immortal Island, and now the clan leader was here, bowing and scraping.
The difference in attitude was astounding. It was a testament to the Crown Prince’s power—they had their dragon tendons extracted and used as jump ropes, yet they still had to come and apologize. It was laughable.
The message quickly reached Lin Qi’an, who, feeling bored, decided to check out the scene with his entourage. Qinglian Saintess Lu Miaoyin and the island lord were already present, along with many others who wanted to see whether the Jiao Dragon Clan dared to pull any more tricks.
As the white-robed figure of Lin Qi’an approached with a casual stride, the Jiao Dragon Clan leader’s pupils involuntarily contracted. His gaze fell upon the white jade belt around Lin Qi’an’s waist, where a thin golden thread was visible—the dragon tendon of Yan Qing!
He extracted the dragon tendon from our clan’s young prodigy just to use it as a belt? This man is a monster. The clan leader’s heart swelled with both fear and rage, but he dared not show it. Instead, he greeted Lin Qi’an respectfully.
“Greetings, Crown Prince. We were unaware of your presence here in the past and offended you greatly. We beg your forgiveness.”
Lin Qi’an smiled faintly. “I’m always generous. Just offer a few more dragon tendons as gifts, and we’ll call it even. They make for great belts, very stylish.”
The clan leader’s mouth twitched uncontrollably. It seems that killing this brat is the only solution—if left unchecked, the Jiao Dragon Clan would inevitably be wiped out under his tyranny.
The clan leader then turned to Lu Miaoyin. “In fact, the real reason we came today is to inform you of something important.”
“The girls we took from your island are still alive.”
“What?!” Lu Miaoyin’s voice trembled. The last time the Jiao Dragon Clan had come, they had implied the girls had already been eaten.”
“We intended to prepare them as part of a feast, but before we could start, the Crown Prince arrived, so we didn’t have the chance.”
“The girls are still in our care, unharmed, though they are frightened and won’t allow us to approach. We kindly ask the Saintess to personally come and retrieve them.”
Nonsense. Everyone present thought the same. No one believed their story. However, the Jiao Dragon Clan was preying on Lu Miaoyin’s kindness. While the majority believed the Jiao Dragons were lying, what if there were survivors?
Lu Miaoyin couldn’t ignore that possibility. If there was even a slight chance to save the girls, she wanted to try.
“Saintess, you must not go!”
“It’s clearly a trap to lure you in. Who knows what they’re planning?”
“Please reconsider, Saintess!”
The crowd tried to dissuade Lu Miaoyin, knowing full well it was a ruse. Meanwhile, the Jiao Dragon Clan had already set the next stage of their plan in motion by extending an invitation to Lin Qi’an.
“To further express our apologies, we are willing to present our clan’s Dragon Pearl to the Crown Prince. We’ve heard that the Crown Prince practices dragon-related techniques, and this treasure would undoubtedly be of great benefit.”
The Jiao Dragons were now playing a dangerous game of persuasion, hoping to entice Lin Qi’an into accompanying them to their lair.
“Why not just bring the Dragon Pearl here instead of making His Highness travel?” Zi Lianyou couldn’t hold back her anger, seeing through their deceit.
“The Dragon Pearl has never been removed before. To do so, it must first be subdued and refined.”
“Like hell! Don’t believe their lies, Your Highness!” Zi Lianyou shouted.
—
At that moment, a system notification rang in Lin Qi’an’s mind:
Ding! Detected security threat to the host. New villain mission: Exterminate the Jiao Dragon Clan.
Mission Objective: Eliminate all targets associated with the ‘Jiao Dragon Clan’.
Mission Description: As a villain, leaving any loose ends is unacceptable. Finish them off completely.
Reward: +50,000 Villain Points.
—
“Exterminate the Jiao Dragon Clan?” Lin Qi’an pondered. With his strength and Aunt You by his side, it should be manageable.
With a calm smile, Lin Qi’an responded, “Fine. I’ll accompany the Saintess to your dragon cave. We leave in half an hour.”
“Excellent! We shall await the Crown Prince’s arrival!” The Jiao Dragons were elated. They hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly. Lin Qi’an was too arrogant, believing that even if it were a trap, he would remain unscathed. Fool.
They smirked inwardly—if he’s seeking death, we’ll be happy to oblige.
“Your Highness, this trip will be dangerous,” Aunt You appeared and cautioned. “Underwater, I won’t be able to use my full power. The Jiao Dragon Clan will have the advantage.”
“Don’t worry, Aunt You. I know what I’m doing. Stay in the Lotus Realm for now. I’ll call on you if needed.”
“Understood.” Aunt You had followed Lin Qi’an for a long time and was familiar with the Lotus Realm, a treasure that contained its own pocket dimension—perfect for escape if necessary.
—
Half an hour later.
“Let’s go.” The Jiao Dragon Clan was pleasantly surprised to find that the terrifying aura that had always surrounded Lin Qi’an seemed to have vanished.
His powerful protector was gone?
Hahaha! This brat really is walking into his death. They laughed inwardly, confident that Lin Qi’an had made a fatal mistake. He had no idea the Jiao Dragon Clan would actually dare to kill him.
“Please, after you, Your Highness.”
Lin Qi’an, accompanied by Lu Miaoyin, followed the Jiao Dragon Clan members as they departed.
As they watched their figures disappear into the distance, Ran Yuwei looked worried. “Do you think the Crown Prince is in danger?”
Su Xueni smiled knowingly. “I believe it’s the Jiao Dragon Clan that should be worried.”
—
Lu Miaoyin was also well aware that the Jiao Dragons were likely lying and that the girls might have already been killed…
Though even if there was only a slim chance, it was still worth taking.
“Thank you, Your Highness, for accompanying me. If there’s any danger, you don’t need to worry about me,” said Lu Miaoyin, her gratitude sincere, knowing that Lin Qi’an was doing this to ease her mind.
“It wouldn’t be any fun if there’s no danger,” Lin Qi’an stretched lazily.
“Huh?” Lu Miaoyin was taken aback.
Soon, the group finally arrived at the underwater palace of the Jiao Dragon clan.
“Please, follow us,” the Jiao Dragon clan members led them into the palace, continuing deeper inside until they reached a vast cavern.
The cavern was dark and deep, with uneven, damp walls, and the air was thick with a pungent smell that made Lu Miaoyin feel a chill run down her spine.
“Don’t worry, this is the Dragon Cavern of our Jiao Dragon clan, usually used to entertain distinguished guests and store valuable treasures,” the Jiao Dragon clan leader explained.
“Those young girls are all inside, and so is the Dragon Pearl we’ve prepared for His Highness,” he added, then instructed several clan women to lead the way, as he himself did not follow further, knowing that soon the “Soul-Craving Dragon Venom” would be released, a poison even he could not withstand.
Lu Miaoyin glanced at Lin Qi’an, who showed no sign of fear and even appeared rather leisurely, as if he were out for a casual stroll after waking from a nap.
If the prince wasn’t afraid, why should she be?
“Let’s go,” Lin Qi’an said.
Led by the graceful figures of the Jiao Dragon women, they ventured further, passing by ancient stone pillars, murals, and statues eroded by time. When they reached the deepest part, the Jiao Dragon women suddenly stopped, their eyes flashing with cold intent.
“Attack!” one of them shouted.
In unison, they erupted into action, their killing intent like a volcanic explosion. They had been prepared to die, knowing full well they wouldn’t leave this place alive.
Lin Qi’an sighed softly and casually pointed a finger. An invisible sword intent swept through them, and in an instant, their life force was completely destroyed. Their bodies shot out like cannonballs, crashing into the cavern walls.
Dead.
But before they could catch their breath, a loud rumble echoed from above. A colossal, steel-like tail came crashing down, blocking out the sky. Lin Qi’an and Lu Miaoyin barely dodged it, only to hear a thunderous voice from the shadows ahead.
“So, you’re the one who likes to extract dragon tendons?” Finally, the massive figure of a true dragon appeared. Its form resembled an ox, with a single leg and no horns.
It was a Kui Dragon!
“So, you’re the esteemed guest from the Tianhai Dao Domain?” Lin Qi’an asked calmly.
“Indeed! You show no fear in the face of death. You’ve got guts for a young one, but unfortunately, you’ve made a grave mistake,” Kui Zong, the dragon, sneered.
“Where are the young girls?” Lu Miaoyin gritted her teeth and asked.
Kui Zong glanced at a corner of the cavern and chuckled.
Following his gaze, Lu Miaoyin’s eyes widened in horror at the sight of a pile of broken bones.
“You… ate them?”
“The taste was quite satisfactory,” Kui Zong replied, his grin wide and wicked.
“…”
Rage flooded Lu Miaoyin’s heart. She couldn’t comprehend why the Jiao Dragon clan had gone to such lengths to lure her here, and even brought Lin Qi’an along. Not even the Xiling Shrine dared to openly make a move against him, so how could they
Unless… they intended to use the hands of the foreign Kui Dragon clan to kill him?
This was madness!
In the Canglan Dao Domain, no one, not even the Tianlang Immortal Dynasty or the Tai’an Imperial Family, would dare to lay a hand on the Crown Prince of Beiyang. Only outsiders, beyond the reach of retribution, would be so bold.
Her mind raced with possibilities, but soon, Lu Miaoyin began to feel dizzy, her body heating up uncontrollably.
“What’s happening to me…” she murmured, her voice weak.
Unbeknownst to her, the air had been filled with a faint pink mist.
Lin Qi’an remained calm, looking around as he spoke, “So this is your plan? A Dao Transformation cultivator needs poison to kill a Celestial Realm opponent? How shameful.”
“Hahaha! I never expected you to be so calm,” Kui Zong laughed, his voice booming.
“This is Dragon Venom, designed to turn one’s spiritual power into uncontrollable desire, burning the body from within. I originally prepared it for your guardian, but it seems she didn’t come?”
“No matter, I’ll take your head back to Tianhai Dao Domain as a gift.”
Lin Qi’an was immune to the poison, thanks to his “Ten Thousand Poison Immunity,” but Lu Miaoyin wasn’t so fortunate. Having inhaled a large amount of the venom, she was starting to lose control, her soft arms wrapping around his neck.
“Your Highness…”
Lu Miaoyin had already lost all rational thought, her face flushed as she breathed heavily, and she was already beginning to kiss Lin Qi’an impulsively.
However, this wasn’t too much trouble for Lin Qi’an. The Pill Emperor had given him plenty of detoxification pills for such situations, but he needed to deal with this old dragon first before he could attend to her. He opened the Lotus Realm and placed Lu Miaoyin inside.
“Yue Yi, help her suppress the poison for now,” Lin Qi’an instructed.
Inside the Lotus Realm, Yue Yi quickly caught Lu Miaoyin and began pouring her vast spiritual energy into her to suppress the poison’s spread. However, Yue Yi was more concerned about Lin Qi’an.
The poison was potent enough that even she, as a quasi-Saint, couldn’t fully resist it. How could the young lord possibly manage, especially with a Dao Transformation realm powerhouse still outside? Why hadn’t Lin Qi’an sought refuge within the Lotus Realm?