Chapter 343 Equal Exchange
Dear diary, I haven't been able to write to you for the past week since I was spending more time with my husband. He had been busy transferring his pure Dragon Bloodline to my sisters, but I still managed to steal some time during his rest. I can't wait for my turn, so I can finally connect with him and deepen our bond.
***
Yesterday, it was finally my turn. Standing before him, I could feel the power and warmth emanating from his body. I expected to be left alone to refine the Bloodline Essence, but he surprised me with his gentle touch, pulling me into his embrace instead. I completely forgot about our purpose as his lips touched mine and his hands stripped off my clothes. Our naked bodies tangled for what felt like hours before we connected, my mind exploding with a storm of emotions and sensations I never thought existed.
I don't know how many times we did it, but I could feel our connection growing deeper and stronger each time he filled my insides. I can't even describe the pleasure that consumed my thoughts after I absorbed more of his Dragon Bloodline. I finally understood everyone's crazed reaction when our Souls intertwined, sharing memories, emotions, and dreams. The feeling of being one with someone, to truly understand them at a core level, was overwhelming.
After my Bloodline was complete, he didn't let me go from his arms and we sat under the night sky, looking up at the stars. Words seemed trivial, as our Souls had already shared more than words ever could. But still, we spoke, reminisced, and planned our future together. It felt like time had stopped just for us.
I remember at one point, he whispered in my ear, "Yiren, now we're truly one." Those words, at that moment, held so much meaning. They signified our unbreakable bond, our shared destiny.
As dawn approached, we found ourselves wrapped in each other's embrace, not wanting to let go. The world around us seemed insignificant compared to the universe we had discovered within each other.
***
Xuefeng pursed his lips as Tianshi finished reading Yiren's diary. "That's quite a poetic description of what happened that night. You forgot certain details like—"
Yiren lunged at him and pressed a hand to his mouth, blushing a bright shade of crimson. "You don't need to mention it in front of everyone."
Everyone laughed at their reaction, each of Xuefeng's wives sitting by the large bonfire outside their camp. Since everyone had finally received their Dragon Bloodline, they decided to celebrate with a small feast.
"I believe this way is better. You can leave this scene to the reader's imagination," Tianshi commented as she took a bite of a juicy meat skewer. "You can also spare your child the trauma when you read them your diary in the future."
"I don't think that will happen any time soon. After all, we don't have any Bloodlines we can trade for Xuefeng's kids," Nuwa pointed out while extending her tongue.
Xuefeng only sighed in response, knowing he couldn't escape from being teased. He had to eventually reveal how he passed on his seeds to the Dragon Queen and his wives didn't take it well just as he expected. They only calmed down after he reminded them of his promise to give them a similar option if they ever chose to step down from active adventuring. Only Nuwa actually considered it, her mind still undecided on the matter.
"I already said I didn't have any other choice. It was either that or slaughter," Xuefeng said with a shrug. "Besides, I thought about it deeper and found it a good investment. If I decided to become a Constellation in the future, I could easily take control of the Dragon Realm which would be a good step forward. The Dragon Queen can also take good care of the Dragon Race while we are away which guarantees generations worth of warriors. I would say that was a good trade."
He glanced at Katherine who was the only other fully-born female Dragon and added, "Would you prefer if it was you instead? There isn't anyone else who can give birth to pure Dragons."
"Oh, I'm not complaining. I will gladly leave that role to her," Katherine replied with a genuine smile. "I already have one and I'm satisfied with her. It takes too much time to hatch a Dragon egg and it's quite boring. I would rather stay by your side at the frontlines."
Xuefeng nodded, suddenly getting reminded of how many eggs he carried inside Ling's world. He turned to Lisa who was responsible for the Earth Flame and asked, "Right, I will need to start hatching my own soon. Is the Earth Flame ready?"
"It has already broken through to the golden rank and should stabilize by tomorrow morning. I also can't wait to start my furnace," Lisa informed excitedly. "I'm fine if you leave me behind here. I'm not going to be of much use in a fight and someone has to wait for Wu's return. You can always pick me up before you decide to leave for the Ancient Realm."
They already discussed their plans for the future and decided to resume their journey right after they all refined the Dragon Bloodline. Although it was safer to reach the peak of Ancient Celestial before they fought with the ruler of Fate Kingdom, that would give him more time to recover his strength. Their best chance was quickly completing the Elemental Bracelet and striking with the element of surprise.
"I will stay with Lisa to protect her," Yiren suggested as if already sensing his worries. "I need to finish training my beasts anyway."
"Alright then, you can stay," Xuefeng agreed while caressing her back. "What about the rest? Does anyone else want to stay behind?"
No one else raised any complaints which made him smile. Even though they were a bigger target by traveling together, he preferred to have everyone by his side. He wanted his wives to be strong enough to defend themselves and having them stay behind would only slow their growth.
"I guess it's finally time for some real action then," Xuefeng muttered, eager for a real fight. He believed the King of Heaven was his toughest enemy, but he was quickly proven wrong.
"If it's the action that you want, I guess I came at the right time."
Everyone's head turned towards the sky as a familiar voice echoed. Descending like a deity, Emi appeared amidst a whirlwind of light and mist. Her black wings flapped gently, causing small gusts of wind that pushed away the smoke from the bonfire. Her brown hair draped around her shoulders, while her sharp, black eyes gleamed with amusement.
"I see you're enjoying some family time," she chuckled, glancing around at the group as she landed by his side. "My dear, I hate to be the bearer of news, but I fear this will be the last time you'll have time for leisure. You're going to be rather occupied from now on."
Xuefeng frowned, studying Emi's expression. "What do you mean? Did something happen to Wu?"
Emi leaned down to have a sweet taste of his lips and assured, "Don't worry, she is all fine, at least for now. She is in the middle of studying one of the most dangerous Soul Arts, but that's not that concerning. What I need to talk about is the deal she made on your behalf with my Master, the founder of Succubus Race."
Xuefeng tensed, absorbing the weight of her words. He wished that Wu met some important people Beyond the Heaven, but he didn't like where this was going. "What kind of deal?" he asked cautiously, unsure whether he wanted to hear the answer.
"Are you aware of Constellations? They are supreme beings who rule at least a hundred or more Realms," Emi explained, unaware of his previous knowledge. "There are thousands of them and your wife formed a partnership with Founder Miara who ranks one hundredth of them all. Basically, the deal includes the exchange of resources and mutual support. In return for your help in climbing the Celestial Ranking, she will help you become a Constellation."
"Isn't that good?" Yiren pointed out with raised eyebrows.
Emi smiled wryly. "It's extremely good until you realize how many enemies Founder Miara has. To put it simply, the other ninety-nine Constellation all hate her for breaking into the top hundred without their permission and now they all prepare to take her down. She will be forced to use all her resources at her disposal to survive and you happen to be that resource."
Everyone went silent as they tried to imagine the scale of the problem. Xuefeng was the first to break the silence, his expression still calm. "How much time do we have?"
"When signing the contract, Wu claimed that you will become a Constellation within a hundred years or the contract will be voided. That would be a perfect deal in time of peace, but Founder Miara will be challenged every year until all her Realms are gone. I'm sure she will request everyone to fight with her, and you have no choice but to join despite having no blessing," Emi explained with a sigh. "I don't know where Wu got that confidence, but I suggest you start aiming to become a Constellation as soon as possible. You only have six months to raise your strength in order to survive the next challenge."
"Didn't you say she would help me with that?" Xuefeng questioned speechlessly. "What kind of resources can she provide us?"
Although he didn't know many details, a hundred years seemed like a long time considering he wasn't even thirty. He was confident to reach Wu's expectations in the long term but that wasn't the issue at hand. Right now he just needed to be strong enough to protect his wives in the closest challenge which shouldn't be hard with the help of the Constellation.
"Well, about that…" Emi muttered, stretching her head as she took off one of her spatial rings. "Since the deal mentions equal exchange of resources, you won't receive anything until you pay for Wu's Soul Art. The pay established by both parties came out to a total of… ten million pills."
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