"Thud—"
Nangong Qingfeng collapsed to the ground in terror.
Jiang Xuan didn't annul the engagement.
Which meant Nangong Mingyue was still the official fiancée of the Eternal Jiang Clan's heir.
Then… didn't everything he just did amount to courting death?
Pale-faced, Qingfeng scrambled forward on all fours and carefully offered the scroll and storage ring back to Nangong Mingyue.
She gave him a faint, indifferent glance before taking them.
Her eyes dropped slightly. Her heart rippled.
He… actually chose not to leave her.
And even promised to help her rebuild her body.
Inside, the Moonlight Fairy was also silent. In a world full of scheming cultivators, was someone really still this loyal to a mere verbal promise?
She sighed softly, a trace of old sorrow surfacing.
"Check what's inside the storage ring," she urged. "If there are one or two true-grade medicines, I'm confident I can get you back to Soul Entry Realm within three months."
Mingyue nodded and scanned the contents with her divine sense—
And instantly froze.
White Lotus of Purity – Calms the soul and aids focus.
Profound Ginseng – Enhances breakthroughs to the Earth Profound Realm by 10%.
Flamegrass of Heavenly Fire – A rare fire-path king medicine filled with law fragments.
Nine-Dragon Vines, Icy Dew of Sixth Month, Dragonblood Fruit...
Dozens of king-grade spiritual medicines, and more rare herbs than she could count.
To put it into perspective:
Even standard spiritual herbs were valuable.
But true-grade divine medicines were once-in-a-century treasures.
In the entire Hengyue City, there were probably only a few such herbs—total.
Even elite powers like Jade Mountain Palace and Qingyang Gate treated them like priceless artifacts, never to be wasted.
And yet… Jiang Xuan had sent dozens?
Warmth surged in Nangong Mingyue's heart.
Over the past year, she'd endured mockery and contempt from all sides.
No one believed in her.
No one but him.
She'd never even seen his face, and yet—he had given her more than anyone else ever had.
Even with his status as Young Lord, these weren't easy resources to gather. He had clearly gone all-in.
The Moonlight Fairy sensed the aura within the ring and nearly lost her mind.
"These are king-grade?! How generous can you get?!"
Compared to the basic recovery plan she had previously outlined, these were several levels higher.
Now she was absolutely confident—she could restore Mingyue's strength completely.
At the same moment, the Jiang Clan envoy's expression turned serious. Realizing how determined Jiang Xuan truly was, he released his full Earth Profound pressure, sweeping across the Nangong estate.
"Nangong Mingyue is the fiancée of our Young Lord Jiang Xuan. Any disrespect shown to her… is a direct insult to him."
"Disrespect… shall be punished by death!"
His voice thundered like divine lightning.
Killing intent exploded in all directions, surging across the skies above Hengyue City like a tsunami.
The entire city trembled.
Those in the training ground dropped to their knees, unable to withstand the pressure.
Shock filled their hearts.
So it's true… the Jiang heir truly wishes to marry Nangong Mingyue?!
The younger disciples of the Nangong Clan looked at Mingyue in a completely different light.
Gone were the mocking eyes.
Now there was only awe.
Even if she never recovered, her status alone placed her far above them.
The Grand Elder's expression shifted repeatedly before finally settling into a look of deep relief.
"To have such a husband… Mingyue, you need never worry again."
—
Meanwhile, in a residence across the city…
Wang, an elder stationed in Hengyue City by Jade Mountain Palace, heard the divine proclamation and instantly snapped out of cultivation.
He looked toward the Nangong estate, face pale.
"The Jiang Clan… didn't annul?!"
This… was a disaster!
One month ago, they had revoked Nangong Mingyue's disciple status.
If the Jiang Clan found out…
They would be doomed.
Jade Mountain might be a powerful local sect, but compared to the Eternal Jiang Clan?
They were nothing.
If Jiang Xuan grew angry, Jade Mountain could be wiped out in an instant.
Wang frantically pulled out a sealed talisman and reported the news to the main sect.
—
Three thousand miles away, deep in the Jade Mountains…
Amidst clouds of spiritual mist and towering jade towers, stood the sacred grounds of Jade Mountain Palace.
Inside the main hall, the palace lord received the report—and his expression twisted with dread.
Cold sweat slid down his cheeks.
Fear.
The kind only Eternal Clans could inspire.
"Summon the elders," he ordered grimly. "We have an emergency meeting."
Moments later, divine light filled the hall as dozens of robed elders arrived, their expressions puzzled.
"Palace Lord, why the urgency?" the Grand Elder asked.
The palace lord took a breath and said solemnly:
"The Jiang Clan didn't annul the engagement."
"What?!"
Chaos erupted.
"That's impossible!" the Grand Elder's face darkened. "I personally checked her condition—her core shattered, meridians broken. She's a cripple!"
"Why wouldn't Jiang Xuan break off the engagement?!"
The elders murmured in confusion.
Wasn't Jiang Xuan the most dazzling genius of his generation?
A likely successor to the Jiang Clan?
Why would he stick with a cripple?
The palace lord didn't understand either.
But now wasn't the time to ask questions.
"It doesn't matter. We must act. If Jiang Xuan learns we revoked her disciple status… and gets angry…"
"We're finished."
The elders went silent.
They all knew what was at stake.
"I'll go personally," the Grand Elder said. "We'll restore her Inner Disciple status."
A few elders hesitated.
"Is… that enough?"
"After all, we were the ones who expelled her."
The Grand Elder chuckled.
"We're not doing this for her. We're doing this for the Jiang Clan. As long as it looks good to them, it's enough."
"She's still a cripple. There's no chance she'll ever recover."
"Giving her Inner Disciple status is more than enough. It's already a heavenly gift."
The palace lord paused, then nodded slowly.
"Very well. Do as you must."
The Grand Elder bowed.
"Consider it done."
He stepped out, summoned his flying beast—a Jade Mountain Roc—and soared toward Hengyue City.