Transmigrating into the world of Jade Dynasty, I was targeted by the female lead in a reverse romanc

As soon as I stepped into the palace, the cold, lifeless depths of my chest suddenly contracted without warning.

thump.

He looked up.

Deep inside the main hall, in front of the high jade platform, three people were already standing.

Qi Hao, dressed in pure white, stood tall and straight, whispering something to Zeng Shushu beside him, his face bearing his usual gentle smile.

Zeng Shushu waved his ever-present folding fan, his eyes darting around, seemingly plotting something.

A few steps to their side, a figure in light blue stood quietly, with his back to the palace gate. His posture was as straight as a bamboo, with the Tianya sword hanging at his waist and the moon-white tassel of the sword motionless.

It's Lu Xueqi.

Seemingly hearing footsteps, she turned slightly to the side and turned her head.

Their eyes met.

Jiang Xiaochuan saw her clear, cold eyes light up for a moment, like a pebble suddenly thrown into a deep pool, creating extremely subtle ripples.

She looked at him, and the corners of her mouth curved upwards almost imperceptibly.

She nodded to him.

Jiang Xiaochuan's throat felt a little dry, and he subconsciously forced a smile in response.

The pounding in his heart quickened inexplicably because of her faint smile.

He looked away, not daring to look anymore, and obediently walked to stand next to Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu.

"Junior Brother Jiang," Qi Hao cupped his hands in greeting, his smile impeccable, "Is your injury fully healed?"

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Qi. I'm almost fully recovered." Jiang Xiaochuan also cupped his hands in greeting.

"Old Jiang!" Zeng Shushu came closer, covering half of his face with a fan, lowering his voice, and making faces.

"Yes, Senior Sister Lu smiled just now, I saw it. Ever since she entered this hall, she hasn't shown any other expression on her face."

Jiang Xiaochuan's face flushed, and he replied in a low voice, annoyed, "You talk too much."

Zeng Shushu chuckled, about to say something, when Dao Xuan Zhenren's gentle voice came from the jade platform: "Everyone is here."

The four immediately composed themselves and stood respectfully with their hands at their sides.

Dao Xuan Zhenren's gaze slowly swept over the four people below the stage, his face bearing his usual gentle smile, but beneath that smile, something else seemed to be pressing down.

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears: "I have summoned you here today because there is an important matter."

The hall grew even quieter, and even the faint crackling of burning incense could be clearly heard.

Dao Xuan recounted in detail the recent frequent appearances of demonic cult members near the "Ten Thousand Bats Cave" on Mount Kongsang, their mysterious behavior, and their apparent ulterior motives.

His tone was calm, but the solemnity in his words made the air in the hall seem to sink a little.

"...This matter is of great importance and involves many aspects." Dao Xuan said in a deep voice, his gaze sharp as he looked at the four people. "You four are the best among the disciples of our Qingyun Sect this generation. Your cultivation in Daoist arts and your character are all of the highest caliber. Therefore, after careful consideration, the sect has decided to send you down the mountain to investigate the Kongsang Mountain area."

He paused, then emphasized, "But remember, the demonic cult members are treacherous and ruthless, resorting to any means necessary. You must be extremely careful on your journey down the mountain, look after each other, and never be careless or underestimate them!"

"Disciples will respectfully obey the sect leader's teachings!" Qi Hao, Zeng Shushu, and Lu Xueqi all straightened up, bowed in unison, and spoke in firm voices.

Jiang Xiaochuan bowed as well, responding verbally, but his mind was racing.

Kongsang Mountain, Wanfu Ancient Cave, Dead Spirit Abyss, Dripping Blood Cave... what was bound to happen has finally arrived.

However, this team seems to be quite different from the original story. Zhang Xiaofan didn't come, but he stepped in instead, and he's still a burden at the "Jade Purity Level 3".

As he was pondering this, Dao Xuan continued, "Furthermore, this descent from the mountain is not solely a matter for the Qingyun Sect. Fenxiang Valley and Tianyin Temple also attach great importance to this and have dispatched outstanding disciples to investigate together. If you encounter fellow disciples from other sects, you must treat them with courtesy and not lose the dignity of the Qingyun Sect," he added, his tone shifting slightly, "but you must also not diminish the spirit of the Qingyun Sect!"

"Yes!" the four replied again.

"Furthermore," Dao Xuan added, his tone softening, "Your senior brother Xiao Yicai from the Changmen sect is highly skilled in Taoism and a composed person. He has already gone ahead to Kongsang Mountain to secretly investigate. If you can find him there, you can discuss things with him and listen to his opinions."

After Dao Xuan finished speaking, his gaze lingered on the four people's faces for a moment before finally settling on Lu Xueqi. His eyes revealed undisguised approval, and he smiled and beckoned, "Xueqi, come here."

Lu Xueqi was slightly taken aback, looked up at Dao Xuan, and then quickly glanced at Master Shuiyue beside her.

Shuiyue nodded. Lu Xueqi then slowly stepped forward, walked to Dao Xuan Zhenren's seat, and bowed respectfully: "Sect Master Uncle."

Dao Xuan Zhenren carefully examined her from head to toe. He saw that she had a tall and straight figure and a beautiful face. Although she had experienced a series of battles in the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament, her aura was still steady and calm, and her eyes were clear and firm, showing no signs of fatigue or arrogance.

He couldn't help but turn his head and smile at Master Shuiyue, who was sitting below him, saying, "Junior Sister Shuiyue, your Little Bamboo Peak has a promising future. Nephew Xueqi is exceptionally talented and resilient; her future is limitless."

A rare, faint smile appeared on Master Shuiyue's usually aloof face as she bowed slightly: "Senior Brother Sect Leader, you flatter me. Xueqi is still young and needs more training."

Dao Xuan nodded with a smile, said no more, and took out an object from his bosom. It was an object that exuded an ancient and weathered aura, neither gold nor jade.

He handed it to Lu Xueqi and said gently, "Xueqi, this journey down the mountain is fraught with danger. This item is called the 'Six Harmonies Mirror,' a magical treasure passed down by our Qingyun Sect's tenth-generation patriarch, Master Wufangzi. It has countless uses. Today, I bestow it upon you for self-defense. I hope you will use this treasure wisely, uphold righteousness and ward off evil, and not fail the reputation of this magical treasure, nor the high expectations of the sect."

Lu Xueqi took it with both hands and examined it intently. It was a small bronze mirror, no bigger than the palm of her hand. The edge of the mirror was engraved with a pattern of dragons and tigers fighting, simple and vigorous. The body of the mirror was engraved with eight ancient seal characters according to the eight trigrams: Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui. The mirror surface in the middle was not as clear as an ordinary bronze mirror, but presented a hazy, yellowish luster. The reflection was not clear, but it seemed that there was some kind of mysterious and unpredictable power hidden in that dim yellow.

As her fingertips touched the mirror, a faint, warm yet slightly awe-inspiring spiritual energy emanated from it.

A slight thought flickered in her mind, and she subconsciously thought: "This treasure... its protective power should be quite strong. Perhaps..." Her gaze involuntarily drifted to Jiang Xiaochuan, who stood quietly behind her. His cultivation had declined, and his journey was fraught with danger; if this mirror could protect him...

The thought flashed through her mind, but she immediately realized the occasion, quickly composed herself, suppressed the inappropriate thought, and bowed respectfully, her voice clear and melodious: "Thank you, Sect Leader, for bestowing this treasure! This disciple will certainly remember your teachings, make good use of this treasure, and live up to your expectations!"

Dao Xuan Zhenren nodded with a smile, clearly quite satisfied with her composed demeanor. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, the three of you can go outside and wait. Xueqi and I still have some things to discuss."

Qi Hao, Zeng Shushu, and Jiang Xiaochuan knew that this was likely a private instruction for Lu Xueqi on how to activate the "Six Harmonies Mirror".

Without further delay, they all bowed respectfully and quietly withdrew from the Yuqing Hall.

The heavy palace doors slowly closed behind us, cutting off the sound and light from inside. Outside, the sunlight was blinding, and the sky was high and the land vast.

Zeng Shushu let out a long sigh of relief, fanned himself vigorously with his fan, and leaned close to Jiang Xiaochuan, grinning mischievously, "Old Jiang, impressive! The Six Harmony Mirror! That's a famous defensive treasure of our Qingyun Sect. I heard that when activated, it can create six beams of mirror light to protect the body, making it impervious to ordinary magic weapons and techniques! The Sect Leader really values ​​Senior Sister Lu highly!"

Jiang Xiaochuan hummed in agreement, feeling a mix of emotions.

In the original story, the mirror was given to Qi Hao, but now it has fallen into Lu Xueqi's hands.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. In this year's Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament, Lu Xueqi was the most outstanding. Her strength and temperament were undeniable, so it was reasonable for Dao Xuan to bestow the treasure upon her.

But... he touched his nose. If he were to encounter real danger, he'd probably still have to rely on her to protect him. The thought made him feel rather uneasy.

"Junior Brother Jiang," Qi Hao approached, his face showing concern and his tone gentle, "I heard in the hall just now that your injuries are mostly healed, but your cultivation level... is it truly..."

He paused, seemingly unsure how to phrase it, his gaze lingering on Jiang Xiaochuan's face with obvious doubt and inquiry.

He withstood the divine sword's lightning control technique, fell into a coma for several days, and when he woke up, his cultivation level plummeted to the third level of Jade Purity. This whole thing sounded incredibly strange.

Judging from Jiang Xiaochuan's current appearance, apart from his pale face, his eyes were clear and his movements were unimpeded. He did not look like someone who had just recovered from serious injuries and whose cultivation had been completely destroyed.

Jiang Xiaochuan knew what he was wondering about, scratched his head, and gave a helpless wry smile: "Senior Brother Qi, to be honest, I was confused myself. That day, I took a bolt of heavenly lightning from Senior Sister Lu, and when I woke up, I found that my cultivation had dropped. Perhaps... my physique is special, and it damaged my very foundation?"

He made up stories and shifted the blame to "physical condition," since Su Ru's wife had already covered for him.

Upon hearing this, Qi Hao frowned slightly, clearly not entirely convinced by the explanation, but he didn't press the matter further. He could only nod and gently comfort him, "Junior Brother Jiang is a lucky man. Don't worry too much about your cultivation. With diligent practice, you will surely recover in time. We'll look after each other on this trip down the mountain."

"Exactly!"

Zeng Shushu interjected, patting Jiang Xiaochuan on the shoulder with a righteous expression, "Don't worry, Lao Jiang, with me, Senior Brother Qi, and Senior Sister Lu here, you'll be safe and sound! Besides, with your physique, you could withstand heavenly lightning without a scratch; I think you're even stronger than all of us!"

Jiang Xiaochuan was shaken by his pat, but felt a warmth in his heart.

In any case, these two "teammates" seem to be quite reliable so far.

He smiled but didn't speak. He knew perfectly well that with his body now altered by the Bloodthirsty Bead, the Soul-Stealing Pearl, and Hong Li's combined power, even if he stood still and let Daoist Cangsong strike him again with his Divine Sword Thunder Control Technique, he'd only suffer half-death pain. Want to die? Not so easy. His bones were tough enough.

But I can't say that.