"Why can't I enter?" Bai Mulan looked toward the door and the seal in her hand. No matter how many times she tried, there was no special reaction from the seal.
"There are three possibilities," Hong Xuan said calmly, reassuring Bai Mulan. "The guardian doesn't allow it, the seal is destroyed, or the guardian is dead, and the dragon has taken over the seal."
Hearing this, Bai Mulan tightened her grip on the seal, anxiety clouding her mind as she considered the worst outcome. Time passed, yet no matter how many times she attempted to activate the seal, the door remained unchanged.
Soon, however, she noticed something different. Cracks began to spread across the door, and before long, it started to crumble. As the dust settled, a familiar figure emerged from within. The moment she saw him, Bai Mulan instinctively rushed forward, wrapping her arms around him in relief, trying to calm her racing heart.
"I can feel Ao Xue's presence inside him," Hong Xuan observed. Bai Mulan initially believed that Chen Fan had succeeded in obtaining the dragon's power—until she heard something dreadful.
"It's his whole soul," Hong Xuan continued. "Not like Hei Yun. Hmm. Even if his soul grew stronger after absorbing Hei Yun, it wouldn't be enough to fully absorb Ao Xue. I'm afraid... he is no longer here."
Her words mercilessly crushed Bai Mulan's heart.
She immediately distanced herself, her gaze locking onto Chen Fan—no, the one she now suspected had possessed his body. Despair washed over her, but it was quickly replaced by blazing fury.
"Who are you?" Her aura surged, and in an instant, the surrounding area was engulfed in an overwhelming chill.
Chen Fan looked at Bai Mulan, noting how she had unconsciously used ice-element energy. If he remembered correctly, the dragon should have been of the fire element. The fact that she instinctively wielded ice, combined with her immediate hostility, suggested that she could sense the dragon within him.
Under normal circumstances, there shouldn't have been such clear hostility between them. And considering how she had embraced him earlier before reacting this way, it was likely that the one standing before him was indeed Bai Mulan—not the dragon.
That meant... her condition was the same as his.
Bai Mulan had made a pact with a dragon as well.
"Hey, it's me—"
Before Chen Fan could clarify the misunderstanding, an ice spike shot toward him at high speed. He swiftly dodged, but the sharp edge still grazed his left cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.
Bai Mulan wasted no time, summoning a sword of ice and lunging at him with a piercing strike. Her mind was clouded with hatred—the mere thought that the man she liked had been possessed rendered her incapable of thinking straight.
Chen Fan sidestepped the attack and immediately grabbed Bai Mulan's wrist, his other hand pressing against her waist. Their positioning became slightly awkward, but he held firm.
"Hey. It's me. Listen to me first."
Bai Mulan struggled against his grip, refusing to believe his words.
"Perhaps their situation is similar to ours. The Ao Xue I knew wasn't like this," Hong Xuan's voice echoed in Bai Mulan's mind, cooling her rage just enough for her to pause. She stared at Chen Fan, waiting for an explanation.
"It seems we can finally talk now," Chen Fan said with a small smile, slowly releasing her wrist—but keeping his right arm around her, holding her close. "Our situation should be the same. There's a dragon inside your body too, isn't there?"
"Well, this is unexpected. To think you would side with a human," Ao Xue's voice resonated within Bai Mulan's and Hong Xuan's minds.
"Hmph. Look who's talking," Hong Xuan retorted curtly.
Realizing the truth, Bai Mulan's body immediately relaxed. The energy surrounding her dissipated as her emotions settled.
"And here I thought you were trying to take revenge on me after gaining new power," Chen Fan teased, his familiar voice whispering in Bai Mulan's ear.
She turned to glare at him, wanting to retort—to hide her embarrassment—but the moment she saw the blood trickling down his face, guilt flooded her heart. Without hesitation, she reached out to touch his cheek, only for Chen Fan to catch her hand in his own.
In an instant, the wound healed.
"And now you're trying to take advantage of me," Chen Fan said with a teasing smile, gently lowering Bai Mulan's hand.
Only then did Bai Mulan fully register the awkwardness of their position. Her chest was pressed against his body, his hand still resting at her waist, their proximity far too close. The realization struck her like a lightning bolt, and her face immediately flushed a deep red.
"L-Let me go!" she stammered, her voice flustered.
Chen Fan chuckled, his grip loosening ever so slightly. "Aren't you the one who started this?" he teased, referring to how she had thrown herself at him in a hug moments ago.
"T-That's not what I meant!" Bai Mulan stammered, her attempts to explain only making her flustered expression even more amusing to Chen Fan. The way she scrambled for words made him smile in amusement.
"Tch. I should have included something else in the contract," Ao Xue's disdainful voice rang in Chen Fan's mind, clearly annoyed by the interaction.
Suppressing a chuckle, Chen Fan shifted his gaze toward Bai Mulan. "Well, just like me, I'm sure you have plenty of questions to ask, don't you?" His words weren't directed at her alone but also at the dragon residing within her.
Bai Mulan took a deep breath, steadying her mind, and gave a firm nod. Without hesitation, she began recounting everything she had experienced within the seal. Chen Fan did the same, though he carefully concealed certain details about the contract he had made.
"Hoh… That girl, huh?" Ao Xue mused upon hearing Bai Mulan's story, his tone laced with nostalgia. He recalled Lan Yue with mild amusement. "Hahaha, so she really lives up to her reputation. To think she could actually melt—no, cool down this fiery woman."
"She's not my friend," Hong Xuan immediately retorted, her voice sharp. "I was only using her."
But her protest fell on deaf ears. Everyone present—both human and dragon—could see through her denial.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," Ao Xue responded in a deliberately dismissive tone, clearly enjoying himself.
"You—!" Hong Xuan's temper flared, her irritation evident. "Hmph. A weirdo like you wouldn't understand."
"Well, I obviously don't understand the ways of a loner," Ao Xue quipped, his tone dripping with mockery.
It was as if he had pressed the most sensitive nerve in Hong Xuan's heart. In an instant, murderous intent surged from her, filling the air with palpable hostility.
"Hey, let's switch," Hong Xuan suddenly demanded Bai Mulan, her voice seething. "Lend me your body. I need to beat the crap out of that annoying dragon."
"Uh…" Bai Mulan hesitated, glancing toward Chen Fan. After all, the body in question belonged to him. But before she could respond, Ao Xue seized the opportunity to land another jab.
"To think you'd use her body just to beat up her lover… Tsk, tsk. No wonder you're alone."
"YOU FUCKER—!" Hong Xuan's rage soared to an entirely new level. But before she could explode any further, her gaze flickered toward Chen Fan, and with great effort, she forced herself to calm down. She let out a sharp exhale. "Count yourself lucky," she spat bitterly.
Bai Mulan, meanwhile, felt a vein twitch at Ao Xue's words. "No, he is not my lover," she denied without hesitation before turning to glare at Chen Fan. Then, as if to make a point, she added, "And yes, you can use my body to beat him up."
The unspoken message behind her glare was clear: Don't let Ao Xue spout nonsense again.
Chen Fan merely smiled at the exchange, clearly enjoying himself as the amused third party. "Well, I think it's about time we head back."
Although neither he nor Bai Mulan had gained any significant increase in their base cultivation level, they now possessed the ability to borrow the power and techniques of the dragons residing within them. Even though the dragons existed only in soul form, the boost they provided was incomparable to Chen Fan's strength alone. For a brief period, it was even possible for them to temporarily reach the Nascent Soul stage—something neither of them could have achieved on their own.
Bai Mulan's thoughts briefly drifted back to the way they had struggled to ascend before, and she felt a mixture of embarrassment and anticipation. However, before she could dwell on it further, both she and Chen Fan heard the voices of Ao Xue and Hong Xuan resonate within their minds. At that moment, a pair of wings materialized on their backs—white for Chen Fan and red for Bai Mulan. She blinked, feeling slightly disappointed.
"Let's go." Without hesitation, Chen Fan leaped into the air, his wings unfurling as he soared upward at high speed. Bai Mulan quickly followed, her movements just as fluid. In mere moments, the two had already arrived at their previous location, where the remnants of battle were still visible all around them.
As they descended, their wings dissolved into thin air the moment their feet touched the ground. The energy expenditure was considerable, and it was wise to conserve their strength for what lay ahead.
Before long, a loud commotion reached their ears from the other side of the cave. However, unlike before, there was no longer any need for sneaky ambushes or elaborate traps. With their newfound abilities, Chen Fan and Bai Mulan opted for the fastest and most efficient approach—direct confrontation.