Chapter 296 - The List Will Never End...
Name：Glamorous Journey Of The Female Protagonist Author：Nightsummer20
"Xingan...!"
Ruoshan's voice was barely a whispered tone as his eyes landed on the figure of his mate. She looked nothing like her usual self and just one look at her current state made him feel like his heart was shattering into thousands of pieces all over again.
His eyes had been dying to see at least one glimpse of his soul mate for weeks and due to some miracle, she finally had come out of her seclusion.
The rest of his brothers, who were also present there along with him, immediately started turning to look at the girl who had just stepped inside the garden of the Moon Manor.
He felt Hei Long's presence just behind him and on his left was the Supreme Immortal. He could feel that they all were slightly anxious and on the edge, as they had no idea what to do at the moment.
None of them wanted to do anything that would end up with their mate completely distancing herself from all of them. It was the last thing any of them wanted to happen.
Li Ming looked at her mates standing in front of her. She felt her soul awakening as the bonds between her and her mates started experiencing their proximity.
She felt something inside her relaxing, calming down as her bonds returned to life and her soul came out of the depth of the ocean of suffering and pain.
"I...I think I-I can't move...right now....Can you guys come closer?" She asked in a small voice as her eyes looked at them with hope.
It barely took a second before she was securely wrapped in Moon Immortals' arms. Her head landed against his chest and she found her arms immediately circling his waist.
She felt hands on her shoulders and back, making her realize that the rest of her mates had also surrounded her in a protective circle.
She stood there in silence for a long time ss she let their presence and closeness file her soul mark with the sense of security and warmth.
None of them spoke as they were content just in each other's presence.
"I'm sorry. I should not have left you all like this, shutting myself inside the library and refusing to let you all inside. I won't do anything like this again." She finally spoke as she pulled herself a little away from Moon Immortal to look at all her mates one by one.
"As long as you are safely back with us, nothing else matters." The Heaven Emperor said as he placed a soft kiss on her cheek, making a soft smile appear on her face.
Her eyes finally landed on the Second Demon Prince who had been silently standing beside his brother, observing her from a distance.
Li Ming smiled softly at him as she raised one of her hands towards his direction, asking him to come closer without even speaking the words.
It looked like he was hesitating as he kept staring at her outstretched hand but she waited patiently.
"Go! Or you will regret it later." Ruoshan told his brother as he patted him on the shoulder, giving him a slight nod of encouragement when Hei Long looked up at him.
And just like that, she found herself wrapped safely in his arms the very next moment. His familiar scent filled her system and made her realize that their bond was still half unlike the others.
She felt a soft kiss against the left side of her nape and it made her shudder slightly.
"I'm sorry..."
She heard him whispering against her ear and it made her pull away from him slightly so that she could look into his eyes.
The red rings of fire were back in his eyes as his physical health had returned to its peak in the past month.
She cupped his face with her hands as she looked directly into his deep eyes before speaking.
"Please don't! If we start apologizing for all the things that we are currently feeling sorry or guilty for, the list will never end. That's why, don't indulge yourself in self-guilt, it's only going to destroy you and the people around you."
She felt a hand on the small of her back and realized that it was Wen Guiying. He was standing behind her, telling her in silence that he was there for her and the others.
Li Ming took in a deep breath as she spoke again, "He promised to return and I'm going to trust him. Let's fulfill all his wishes and wait for his return. Alright?"
This time her eyes looked around her towards all her mates and in their eyes, she found exactly what she was looking for.
"It's the last promise of a dragon lord. Trust me, he will fulfill it at every cost. You just have to be patient enough." The Heaven Emperor told her as he too came closer to stand next to Hei Long. His eyes told her that he was telling the truth.
"Fine! Let's then focus on completing his wishes so that when he returns, he will be happy to find a happy and beautiful world waiting for him. You all will support me, right?" She asked as she looked at each of her mates.
Without wasting any time, they all started showing their support for her idea as they nodded their heads one by one.
In the end, her gaze returned to the Second Demon Prince who was stayed silent. She watched him taking in a deep breath before he looked up straight at her.
"Alright! I will do exactly what you want."
-
And just like that, Li Ming and her mates started preparing for the upcoming battle. Their enemy was strong and so was the army that their opponent possessed but that did not stop our girl from giving her all into the upcoming war.
It was the time when she should finally take care of all the issues related to her previous and current life.
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Chapter 297 - The Next Dragon Lord (Part One)
Name：Glamorous Journey Of The Female Protagonist Author：Nightsummer20
"Wow!"
To say that Li Ming was left in awe of the Obsidian Peaks that were standing in front of her eyes would be an understatement.
Her eyes hurriedly roamed all over the scenery to take in all the beauty of the area. The black peaks were covered in white snow and the morning sunlight shone on the beautiful mountain, making it glow in natural light.
The grass that was covering the ground and the purple, red, and lime yellow-colored bushes and trees that were standing around the area made her admire the beauty of nature that was present in front of her.
"Wonder why he never brought us here?" She muttered to herself as she walked closer towards the entrance of the huge cave where a group of people in white and black clothes were standing as they waited for her arrival.
All five of her mates were present with her, along with Snowy and Mallow. These people had refused to leave her and at all, not only because they were afraid that she would once again let the grief take over her but also because most of them were worried that the Valkyrie would use this chance to attack her (Li Ming) since she was not really in a great mental and physical state.
But the weird thing was that their said enemy had gone completely silent after the incident a month ago. Probably because she got badly injured that day when she fought against Wen Guiying and Ruoshan, or maybe she was busy planning her next move.
But Li Ming really did not care anymore. She was well aware of what she had to do in order to deal with the evil Valkyrie. It was finally the time to end her evil empire and save the demon realm from her clutches. But before that, there was another important matter that she needed to take care of.
She finally approached the group of people waiting for her. Her eyes landed on the five elders who were standing in the center, two women and three men.
Mallow helped her as she kneeled on the ground and kotowed to the elders. From the loud gasps that ranged through the group of people in front of her, she knew that no one expected this to happen.
"Immortal Ming, please don't embarrass us in this way. There's no need for you to this." One of the elders hurriedly spoke as he looked at the girl who was still kneeling on the ground and the five Immortal Lords behind her who were also bowing their heads.
"Elder Song, we failed in protecting one of our own. We failed in protecting your leader. I hope that you..."
"Immortal Ming, our Lord was not only our Lord, but he was also your mate and a close friend. None of us ever blamed you or the Immortal Lords for what happened that day. If someone has to be blamed for all these bad happenings, then it's that evil woman who resides in the dark corners of the demon realm."
The elder's voice turned full of anger by the end of her sentence as she mentioned the Valkyrie.
Mallow helped Li Ming to stand up and then stepped back to stand next to Snowy.
"Before Zhang left, he asked me to help with an important task. Today I'm here not only to ask for your forgiveness but also to fulfill my promise. The five of you are the elders of the Dragon Clan, I want to ask for your permission to choose the next leader of your clan." She said as she bowed her head with her hands clasped together in front of her.
What she did not expect was to see the joy and sparkle in the eyes of the elders and the same happiness was resonating in the eyes of the rest of the people of the Dragon clan.
Li Ming turned to look at her mates with a slightly confused expression covering her face.
"I know that you are surprised by our reactions. But it's because we all thought that there won't be a next leader in our clan. But we forgot that our Master would never leave us without a leader. Immortal Ming, please.....you can do whatever you want in order to find the next leader of our clan. The future of our clan is in your hands now. Since Master put his faith in you, we will support you." One of the elders spoke as he moved aside to let her see the younger generation standing behind him.
So in enough, four different groups were standing in front of them. One was of all the elders and their second-in-commands. Then there were those who were over forty years of age.
The next group was of the young generation, mostly teenagers and those who were in their twenties. The talented ones, those with higher cultivation levels, stood in the front of the group.
And lastly, the group with the youngest generation. The ones who were younger than thirteen years.
Her eyes keenly observed every single person of the Dragon Clan, from the elders to the toddlers, but she could not find anyone who stood out for her.
She moved one of her hands behind her back and took out Zhang Yong's spirit crystal. But she found it just as silent as it had been ever since that man left them.
Her brows furrowed as she tried to once again assess all the people present in front of her. It was not about who was powerful or at a higher cultivation level. Nope! A leader was not all about power even though power was one of the important aspects.
But she knew that power was not what she was seeking, and she knew that Zhang's spirit was also not interested in power. She knew hundreds of ways to turn a complete trash into the most powerful person in his group. That's why she did not worry about finding a powerful candidate.
"Immortal Ming, is something wrong?" One of the elders asked as she noticed Li Ming's unimpressed expressions.
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Chapter 298 - Miracles
Name：Glamorous Journey Of The Female Protagonist Author：Nightsummer20
"Are you sure that everyone from your clan is present here?" Li Ming asked after the silence of the next few seconds.
Her eyes were still busy roaming over her surroundings as if they were searching for someone.
The elders were quiet for a few moments as they hurriedly looked around the groups as if to make sure that indeed everyone from their clan was present.
"All those with potential and good cultivation bases are present here, Immortal Ming." One of the Elders replied after they completed their survey.
A sigh left Li Ming's lips as she tried to stop herself from shaking her head.
"Elder Chen, can you call everyone from your clan here. No matter whether they can cultivate or not. Their status in the clan also doesn't matter." The Heaven Emperor spoke as he put forward his request in front of the Elder who looked a little bit confused and taken aback.
But no one dared to question the mighty Heaven Emperor, they did not dare to.
It took around five minutes before around thirty people walked out from the cave and stood separately in a group of their own.
The contrast between this new batch of people and the rest of the clan was clearly visible, whether it was regarding their appearance, clothes, physical state, or cultivation levels.
Li Ming's eyes landed on a particular girl who was hiding behind a tall boy as she peeked from behind him to see what was happening.
She looked to be around thirteen or fourteen years old. Her long black hair was scattered around her face but it gave her already cute appearance another boost.
Li Ming felt the crystal ball turning a little warmer in her hand as she started walking closer to the group where that girl was hiding.
Everyone watched in confusion as she stopped a few feet away in front of the group of the servants of the Dragon Clan.
"That girl in the dark green dress, can you please step forward?" Li Ming softly called the girl and her eyes noticed how the boy, who was around fifteen probably, immediately moved his body to shield the girl as he stared back at her (Li Ming) with suspicious eyes.
A small smile appeared on her lips as she watched the defensive body language of the boy.
Li Ming pulled her hand in front of her and opened her palm to let everyone see the spirit ball that was shining brightly at the moment.
The gasps of surprise that she heard from the Elders and others who knew exactly what she was holding in her hand, made her smile broaden as she kept her eyes on the young girl who was still peeking from behind the boy.
"Is it her?"
Ruoshan asked in a small voice as he came forward to stand next to her.
"That's what I want to confirm. If it is really meant for her then it will pull her towards it." Li Ming answered in a similarly low voice as she spared a quick look at her mate who gave her a quick nod.
It felt like hours kept passing by as all of them stood there in silence, waiting for some kind of miracle to happen.
And finally...that little girl stepped out from her hiding place and started walking towards Li Ming. Her eyes were fixed on the spirit ball that was glowing like a beautiful firefly.
"Do you want to touch it?" Li Ming asked softly as the girl finally approached her. She was standing right in front of her, looking down at the glowing spirit ball.
The girl looked up at Li Ming with her eyes full of curiosity, amazement, and a little bit of confusion - probably because she was unable to understand exactly what was happening.
Li Ming smiled softly at the girl as she brushed a few of the loose strands of her hair away from her face.
"It's a precious gift that your late Lord left with me. He wanted me to gift it to someone who's just as pure and kind as the spirit inside this ball. Do you want it?" She asked the girl in a soft tone as she looked at her with warm eyes.
"C-can.....I-I have....it?"
The girl asked in a small voice as she looked at the spirit ball with sparkles in her obsidian eyes.
"Of....."
"Immortal Ming, it's not like we don't want someone from the lower class to end up with the sacred spirit in their possession. If that person will have the capability of ruling this clan, none of us will oppose it. But this little girl here, she can't even change her form. Her dragon spirit is no longer connected with her. You can't expect us to let a little girl become the heir of our dragon clan when she can't even change into her dragon form. We will become a laughing stock for this entire mainland."
One of the Elders immediately spoke, stopping linking from answering the girl's question.
This time, Li Ming didn't control the sigh of disappointment that escaped her lips. She stepped back a little from the girl and turned towards the group of Elders who were keenly looking at her.
"Elder Quan, I can understand your worries and I know that you wish for the happiness and prosperity of your clan. But trust me....., I know exactly what I'm doing. Sometimes, it's necessary to step away from the rules and laws to see a miracle taking place in front of your very eyes. Because miracles start to happen when you give as much energy to your faiths as you do to your fears."
Her tone was soft but it was loud enough to be heard by every single person present there.
"Do you believe that this girl is the right choice?" Elder Shen finally asked after a few long moments of silence.
Another small smile appeared on Li Ming's face as she answered, "I do.....because I can feel the acceptance of the spirit that I'm currently holding in my hands."
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Chapter 299 - A Little Bit Longer
Name：Glamorous Journey Of The Female Protagonist Author：Nightsummer20
"I know that you can do this. I'm supporting you. Fighting!" Li Ming cheered the little girl, Xiao Wu, who was about to step into the world of cultivation and power.
The little girl turned her face towards the boy standing beside her, as her curious and anxious eyes searched for something in the expressions of the person whom she trusted the most.
The boy smiled softly at the girl and nodded his head to answer her unvoiced question, encouraging her to move forward and accept her destiny.
As if that was all she needed to make up her mind because the next second she took a deep breath before returning her attention to Li Ming as she spoke, "Your Grace, I'll give my best to become the next Dragon Lord. I won't disappoint you and the late Shadow Lord. I promise."
A small smile appeared on Li Ming's lips as she nodded her head and lightly patted the girl's shoulder.
"I know. I can already feel it. You are going to be one of the greatest Dragon Lords of this world. Both of you have my blessings with you. May you conquer all the difficulties and become a winner."
Her words sounded like a true blessing, one which was unconsciously filled with power and a promise.
She took out the dragon spirit ball and showed it to the girl as she spoke, "Remember, you have five years to prove that you are the rightful owner of this divine spirit. On your eighteenth birthday, not only yours but the fate of this divine spirit and the dragon clan's would change too."
The girl nodded her head as her eyes glanced at the glowing spirit ball for a mere second.
"It's time."
This time, it was one of the mermaids who had spoken to remind them that their discussion time was over.
All the supernaturals of the Magikal Enchanted Forests were now working as either teachers or guardians of the Ming Academy.
Li Ming watched as the girl and her companion stepped into the teleportation array and then disappeared from her view after a few seconds.
A soft sigh left her lips as she turned towards the arcade where the Supreme Immortal had been waiting for her.
"Immortal Ming, our clan would always be grateful towards you for all your help and protection. All you need to do is to voice it out and our clan would work day and night to..."
"Elder Shen....., there's no need for you and your clan to do anything to return this favor. I'm only doing my job. Don't think too much about this topic. Your clan is waiting for your return. There's too much that you and the other Masters need to do." Li Ming immediately stopped the old man politely as she reminded him of his duties.
"Right, right! There's too much work left pending. Then I'll be taking my leave now." Elder Shen said with a nod of his head and left the place, leaving Li Ming alone with her mate.
"Finally!"
The Supreme Immortal said with a sigh as he wrapped his arms around his mate and pulled her in his embrace, immediately feeling his soul calming down as their bond filled with positive energy.
"Are you alright?" Li Ming asked as she looked at him with worried eyes. Her hands started rubbing his back to soothe him down a little bit. She could clearly feel the tension in his body but it was leaving with every passing second.
"En! Just let me hold you for a little bit longer." The Immortal replied as he closed his eyes and rested his face in the crook of her shoulder, inhaling her familiar scent which immediately helped him to relax.
They just stood there in silence for the next few minutes as they let their bodies and soul relax.
"Why are you so tensed today?" She finally asked after a few minutes of silence.
The Supreme Immortal did not reply immediately as he just tightened his hold around her and pulled her closer in his arms before eventually whispering the reply, "We all wanted to keep you away from any kind of troubles.....but we failed. The war is inevitable now."
They both were silent as they got lost in their thoughts. After a few minutes, Li Ming finally pulled away a little as she looked at her mate who was also staring back at her with warmth and sorrow filling his eyes.
"If given a choice, I would also choose to never confront a situation like this. But unfortunately, we don't have a choice. It's not only about taking revenge for Zhang. The Demon Realm can't hold on any longer and I don't want to lose anyone else. I won't be able to stand another loss. Also, we all know that she will not stop there. If she succeeded in destroying the demon realm then she will attack the rest of the two realms. That's why....we can't avoid this war anymore."
The Supreme Immortal observed the emotions that were hidden deep in her eyes. He knew that she was speaking the truth. No matter how much they all wanted to avoid the upcoming war, but none of them could avoid it anymore.
He moved his face closer to hers and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead before consuming her plump lips in a slow but sweet kiss.
A sigh left Li Ming's lips as soon as their bond escalated with pleasurable tingles, filling both of them with the positivity that they needed the most at that moment.
The kiss lasted barely for a minute before Wen Guiying pulled away but not before pressing another soft kiss on her lips.
"If getting rid of that evil woman means I'll get to hold you and love you with all my heart for the rest of Immortal life, then I'm more than happy to face this upcoming war. Let's prepare our best for the worst."
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Chapter 300 - The Risky Plan
Name：Glamorous Journey Of The Female Protagonist Author：Nightsummer20
"Are you sure that you want to do this? I mean...what about your mates? If they found out then..."
Kara did not need to finish her sentence as both she and Li Ming were clearly aware of what would happen if the Immortals found out about the stupid plan that the latter had come up with.
But the current situation demanded Li Ming take this risky bait. She was hundred percent sure that her plan would work as long as Kara could successfully do her part of the job.
"They are currently busy in the Heaven Realm. Both of us know that they will never allow me to take this risk since there are many casualties, but I need to do this. Since they are not here, this is the best time to start our plan. Now stop questioning and help me complete this hologram." Li Ming explained as she kept her focus on the hologram that she had been trying to draw on the floor of her living room in the magical mansion.
"Li, can you please not do this?" Snowy could not hold anymore as he begged his Master to stop before it was too late.
"Did not I tell you to accompany Mallow for Academy's inspection?" Li Ming asked as she kept her attention on her work.
There was silence for the next few moments but her familiar eventually answered her question, though it was not an actual answer.
"You just want to keep both of us away so that you can continue with this stupid plan of yours!"
The accusation and complaint were clear in his voice while his face was covered in a sad expression.
"Since you know then why are you wasting my time? Please return to your work. I'll call you back after I'm done here. You will only worry if you stayed here." Li Ming said as she finished drawing the last circle of the hologram.
"I'll still worry if I won't stay here. Why are you not listening to..."
Snowy did not get the opportunity to finish his question because with a single flick of Li Ming's sleeve, his silhouette disappeared from the living room.
"Why being so mean? He's just worried about you." Kara could not stop herself from pointing out as she looked at the girl who was busy setting up the magical charms around the living room.
"Because if he would have stayed here, I won't be even able to finish all his in time. That's why it's better for him to not be here during the next few hours while we are busy." Li Ming replied as she settled the last piece of charm on the small coffee table.
When Kara did not speak at all even after a while, Li Ming decided to explain as she let out a sigh before speaking, "I'm well aware of his worry for me. You don't have to remind me of how much Snowy loves and cares about me. After all, he's been by my side for the longest time. No one knows me better than him, no one understands me better than him. He's the first one who got bonded with me."
She was silent for a few seconds as she appeared to be thinking about something. A sad but determined expression was visible on her face as she continued, "Even though I understand his worry and protectiveness towards me, I don't have the privilege of backing down now. We don't have time to waste."
The living room was filled with silence for the next couple of moments as neither of the two women spoke for a while. They both were lost in their thoughts at the moment but then after a while, the banshee eventually sighed as she nodded her head in acceptance.
"Alright! Let's get started!"
***
As Li Ming's eyes slowly fluttered open, she found herself looking at a dark emptiness that was stretched to miles. She immediately recognized the ceilingless room with grey walls and hard cold floor where she had met her ancestors a few years ago.
Her eyes flew around the room to see or hear any sort of movements but unfortunately, she found nothing.
At least, the first part of her plan was successful. She had safely landed in the world of the dead and would probably complete her second part too. The problem was the third and the final part of the plan - bringing her soul back to the Immortal World and in her body. And all that depended on how well the Banshee would perform.
"Look who's here!"
Li Ming finally heard the familiar voice of the old woman who kept reprimanding her the last time she was here.
Though she could see no one in the room, she knew that her so-called ancestors had finally appeared. She bowed her head and greeted them as politely as possible even though she kept hearing the giggles of a child and murmurs of the others who were complaining about exactly how impulsive she was.
"I know that you all are not really happy to see me here. After all, I'm wasting your efforts of saving my life again and again. But I really need to ask some very important questions from you," Li Ming said as she kept her eyes trained on a spot on the grey wall in front of her while she kept her expressions neutral.
There was suddenly a deep ire silence before the old woman decided to speak, "You have a seer halfling as your companion. There's barely anything that she doesn't know. Then why you have to take such a big risk to come here?"
A small, almost unnoticeable twitch appeared on Li Ming's lips as she heard the question.
"Just like you said, she's a seer. There are things that she can't tell me even if she wants. That's why I'm here. I can't step into this war with half the information. It will not only end me but the rest of the Immortal World too."
Again there was silence for a few seconds before the old woman once again spoke, "Alright child, tell me what you wants to know."