Chapter 106: Dragon Soul

Who is she?

Jiang Xiaotian was filled with confusion, but judging by appearances, this little girl seemed to be on his side.

She darted in front of him and pulled him up. “Tsk tsk, you really have itchy hands! I told you not to touch it, but you just had to!”

“Who are you...?”

The little girl rolled her eyes. “My sister asked me to save you. She said you’re incredibly unlucky—always on the brink of death—and I didn’t believe it until now. Xuanying admires you!”

She mocked him with exaggerated respect, playfully waving her twin ponytails, looking utterly adorable.

This girl appeared to be barely in her teens, with skin as smooth and pale as a baby's. Yet, now she was sucking on a lollipop like a little delinquent.

For Jiang Xiaotian, this was an unexpected delight.

She was Ling’er’s younger sister—the very girl Ling’er had mentioned! Of course, Ling’er wouldn't just stand by while he was in danger!

She was also a dragon! No wonder she could kick that old man out of the air with such force!

But as soon as she appeared, she began grumbling incessantly, clearly disapproving of Jiang Xiaotian.

“Thank you, Xuanying!” Jiang Xiaotian said earnestly, but then a sharp pain struck his chest, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

“Tsk tsk tsk, too weak. If it weren’t for... never mind. Hurry up and pull the sword out, let’s get out of here. I don’t want to be seen by others,” Xuanying said, glancing around cautiously. As a dragon moving in the mortal world, she had to be careful—any commotion would cause trouble.

But Jiang Xiaotian was a bit apprehensive. “Isn’t this sword just ordinary? The dragon soul was just released; that should be the real treasure here, right?”

Xuanying kicked him angrily. “What’s wrong with you! You touched it already, why not pull it out? Did you come all this way for nothing? Don’t be fooled by appearances sometimes, okay? Pull it!”

Unexpectedly, this little girl had quite a temper. Jiang Xiaotian pursed his lips and decided to pull it.

During their conversation, the old man—also a dragon—had already made it ashore. His tattered cloth that once covered his head had drifted away, revealing a shriveled scalp covered with wrinkles and irregular black scales scattered across his face and neck.

“Heh, who’s this little girl? Not much skill, but a big temper. You dared to ambush me. Do you know who I am?”

“No idea. Get lost!” Xuanying showed him no respect at all, which also startled Jiang Xiaotian.

He quickly tugged on Xuanying’s ponytail. “He seems to be a dragon too…”

The bent old man stood on the water’s surface, smirking ambiguously at them. “Indeed, I am a true dragon. You caused me to lose the dragon’s greatest treasure—deserve to die!”

As he spoke, his aura surged fiercely, soon pressing down on Jiang Xiaotian like a weight of a thousand pounds, making it hard for him to breathe.

“Show some respect!” Xuanying turned and glared at him. The old man instantly deflated like a punctured balloon, losing all his imposing aura.

This was the bloodline’s innate talent—dragon-blooded oppression. Xuanying was nobility among dragons, the third princess of the dragon clan.

The pressure left the old man dumbfounded as he kept pointing at her.

But this fiery little girl was not one to be reasoned with. She snorted and shot out like a rocket, descending onto the black dragon’s head and crushing him beneath her foot!

“Dragon, my foot! A black-skinned snake calling itself a dragon? Are you looking for death?” Xuanying shouted, punching him in the forehead, leaving the old man dazed.

Jiang Xiaotian blinked. “Isn’t he a dragon?”

“Not a dragon! Just a black snake with legs. He wanted to seize the dragon soul here to become a true dragon, but you messed it up. Can you imagine how pissed he is?” Xuanying explained as she stamped on his forehead, dunking his head underwater. No screams could be heard—only bubbles rising.

Still, she didn’t kill him outright. After a few satisfying punches, the black snake was barely alive, his old bones practically falling apart. He must have been utterly helpless.

Who would have thought a fraud like him would pretend to be a dragon, especially in front of a dragon princess?

He finally managed to get up and knelt before Xuanying. “Princess, spare me! I was blind and didn’t recognize greatness! I won’t dare again! I’m not a dragon—I’m a snake! I’m a snake!”

Gone was his sinister demeanor; he was truly begging like a snake, showing just how much fear Xuanying inspired.

It made sense—Ling’er had said her sister was the pinnacle of power among dragon women.

Even with all his efforts, the black snake couldn’t harm her, but Xuanying fought as if it was a game.

“I don’t care what schemes you have—get far away from here. If you dare call yourself a dragon again, I’ll sew your mouth shut!” Xuanying growled, clearly still angry.

“Also!” She glanced at Jiang Xiaotian meaningfully. “Don’t talk too much. Don’t say things you shouldn’t. If I catch you yapping, I’ll cut out your tongue and feed it to the dogs! Got it?”

The black snake dared not disobey. After kowtowing several times, he slithered back into the lake and vanished.

Jiang Xiaotian panicked. “Xuanying! Why did you let him go? You should’ve finished him!”

Xuanying turned and smacked Jiang Xiaotian with her ponytail. “If you think you’re so capable, go ahead! This snake demon took hundreds or even thousands of years to take human form. Killing him would be too cruel.”

Jiang Xiaotian was stunned—didn’t expect her to be so merciful.

But then he remembered something. “Xuanying, what exactly is the dragon soul?”

“Huh? Why do you care? The dragon soul is the essence of a dragon’s life. As long as the dragon soul exists, the dragon cannot die. That black snake tried to steal the dragon soul to become a true dragon. You ruined his plan.” Xuanying pulled a lollipop from her pocket and popped it into her mouth.

“I saved your life. Take me out for a meal—I know you have money!” She stared at Jiang Xiaotian, leaving no room for refusal.

He nodded but his thoughts lingered on the dragon soul.

“A meal’s fine… but what happens to the dragon soul I just released?”

Xuanying was indifferent. “If you’re lucky, it can rebuild the dragon’s body.”

Jiang Xiaotian pondered for a moment. Well, it seemed he had done a good deed.

And since Xuanying was so casual about it, he likely hadn’t caused any trouble.

“Enough dilly-dallying. Hurry and pull out the sword. You humans always mess things up. After all that fuss, it’s just this thing?” Xuanying complained again.

But Jiang Xiaotian didn’t quite believe her.

Otherwise, why would she have told him not to touch it earlier?

And where had she been all this time? She only appeared after the dragon soul was released.

Jiang Xiaotian wasn’t a fool—especially when his life was at stake, he was sharp.

“There sure are many secrets in the dragon clan. I’m just a lowly mortal; better not to ask too much,” he muttered to himself.

Xuanying looked at him with a meaningful gaze.

Jiang Xiaotian dusted himself off and returned to the sword.

“All right, take it with you. Once you pull the sword, I’ll leave first. Too many people around; I don’t want to be seen. Take care of yourself.” Xuanying’s twin ponytails swayed as she walked away.

Then, as if remembering something, she turned back. “By the way, don’t back out on that meal! I’ll find you!”

She flashed a little set of tiger—or rather, dragon—fangs, a playful threat.

Jiang Xiaotian smiled wryly. Although he didn’t know how many years Xuanying had lived, her mind seemed as young as her appearance. Dragons truly were extraordinary creatures.

In the blink of an eye, Xuanying vanished without a trace, as if she had never been there.

The treasures here were indeed mysterious, but Jiang Xiaotian’s level was too low to access anything crucial.

He looked up at the sky. The dragon’s wrath that had sent the light orb away was no longer connected to him. The dragon soul had likely flown far away.

Who was she really? If she could truly rebuild the dragon’s body, Jiang Xiaotian had to meet her and find out why she called him “Master.”

Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself, then gripped the sword’s hilt firmly.

This time, nothing strange happened.

But as Jiang Xiaotian began to pull the sword, his spiritual energy vanished wildly as if being sucked away by a vacuum!