Evenly Matched

When the Dragon Mother had first given those things to her, Su Qing hadn't actually taken them much to heart.

Though she had read through them in her spare time, she only found them a bit suggestive. She never imagined she would actually have a use for the contents. After all, she hadn't seriously considered that aspect of life back then.

However, it was clear that things which once seemed useless would eventually find their purpose... and they had proven to be of great use indeed.

Su Qing pulled her wandering thoughts back, stretched lazily, and then turned to leave the room.

Despite the long, exhausting night, she still had plenty to do during the day. Whether it was cultivation or tending to the Daoist temple, she was bound to be busy. Perhaps that was just what life was—tranquil yet bustling.

In the blink of an eye, the day passed.

It had been a productive day for everyone. Su Qing, Leng Xiang, and Bai Suzhen were all occupied. Leng Xiang’s little secret had been exposed, leading Bai Suzhen to tease her mercilessly. Leng Xiang didn't say much in response, but for lunch, she made sure to prepare tomatoes—the one food Bai Suzhen hated most. It seemed she was quite the grudge-holder, though that was hardly surprising.

What was strange, however, was that Ao Ying hadn't left Heaven Lake all day. It wasn't until the sun began to set that she suddenly appeared in the courtyard.

Su Qing didn't know why she hadn't come out during the day, but she could guess. A large part of it was likely because she was mentally preparing herself—or perhaps making other preparations. After all, Ao Ying was naturally thin-skinned.

Su Qing understood this. If Ao Ying wanted to refuse, Su Qing wouldn't force her. The right to choose always remained in their own hands.

Just like the previous night... when Leng Xiang had surrendered and could no longer continue, Su Qing had naturally stopped.

"Xiao Qing? What are you thinking about?" Ao Ying asked, tilting her head as she noticed Su Qing's contemplative expression.

Su Qing didn't hide anything and answered with a playful smile. "I was just wondering if you had developed cold feet."

"Cold feet?" Ao Ying was stunned for a moment, but soon broke into a smile. "Sister... have you forgotten? I am a white dragon! Surely you know what a dragon's nature is like? Why would I ever fear a challenge?"

Su Qing found those words incredibly familiar, as if she had heard them several times before. She said with a chuckle, "Someone else said something very similar to me recently!"

Ao Ying smiled faintly. "Sister, don't you dare compare me to them."

"Oh?"

"You'll understand in a moment," Ao Ying replied with a grin. "You'll soon see why I am so confident."

Seeing Ao Ying's bold attitude, a smile curled on Su Qing's lips. It seemed she was being provoked. Perhaps she really had underestimated Ao Ying... at the very least, the girl wasn't as shy as she had imagined. In fact, in this regard, she possessed unparalleled confidence.

"Then, I shall wait and see," Su Qing said, her eyes narrowing with amusement.

Su Qing didn't intend to argue further. There was no point. It was almost time for bed anyway, so it was better to let their actions speak for themselves. She would soon find out if Ao Ying was just talking tough like Leng Xiang or if she truly had some skill.

Time ticked away. The bright moon hung overhead, beautiful and luminous. Tonight, two people were destined to remain as awake as that moon.

In the darkness, a dragon and a snake were entwined.

That night, one put her practical experience to use, while the other transformed her theoretical knowledge into reality.

Time flew, and in an instant, dawn arrived.

This morning, a thick fog blanketed the Changbai Mountains. The mist brought a chilling atmosphere, yet it could not dampen the warmth inside the room.

After a tiring night, the green snake and the white dragon were fast asleep. They held each other, perhaps for warmth, or perhaps out of lingering affection.

At some point, Su Qing slowly woke up. She yawned, trying to clear her head. She turned to look at the pale, bare white dragon beside her and couldn't help but recall the events of the night.

She had to admit... Ao Ying hadn't been bragging. The girl was truly remarkable. Su Qing couldn't quite describe the details, but it was safe to say they had been quite thorough.

Su Qing rubbed her temples, feeling like she hadn't had enough sleep. Sometimes, these matters were indeed mentally taxing. However, it was already late outside, and she couldn't stay in bed forever. It was time to get up and attend to other business.

Just as Su Qing was about to climb out of bed, the white dragon rolled over and pulled her back. Apparently, someone was still half-asleep and didn't want her to leave.

Feeling a bit helpless, Su Qing pinched Ao Ying's cheek. "It's time... to get up."

Su Qing called her name softly a few times, but the little white dragon slept soundly, showing no intention of waking. Su Qing knew she wasn't actually asleep; she was just pretending.

"If you don't get up, I'm going to take action," Su Qing threatened calmly.

The little white dragon didn't respond, her silence seemingly saying, 'Go ahead and try.'

Su Qing sighed and immediately began to move her hands. She didn't do anything excessive; instead, she targeted the little white dragon's ticklishness. Sure enough, once her weakness was exploited, she couldn't keep up the act anymore and was forced awake.

Now fully conscious, the little white dragon clung to Su Qing with a giggle. "Xiao Qing, you knew I was faking?"

"One cannot wake someone who is pretending to be asleep," Su Qing replied flatly, her lips twitching slightly.

Ao Ying pouted and chuckled. "Sister, you're so mean! But tell me, how was it? I wasn't bragging yesterday, was I?"

"It was indeed surprising. I never imagined you'd be that capable," Su Qing admitted helplessly.

Hearing this, the little white dragon laughed. "If I didn't have confidence, how could I provoke you? I may be shy, but I don't lie."

Su Qing's mouth twitched. She felt like someone was being mocked again.

"Fine, fine, I know you're amazing." Su Qing reached out to pinch her before saying, "Now get up. The sun is already high in the sky."

Su Qing didn't bother asking how she had become so 'capable.' Even without asking, she could guess where the girl had learned it. After all, she had a mother like that!

Ao Ying pouted, took a playful nip at the green snake, and then obediently let go to get dressed.

Watching Ao Ying change, Su Qing was momentarily dazed. She felt that after just one night, the little white dragon seemed to have changed. Had she matured? Become bolder? Or something else? Regardless, it was a change for the better.

"Sister, I thought you were getting up? Why are you staring at me while I dress? Unless... if you want me to help you dress, I wouldn't mind," Ao Ying said with a graceful smile.

Su Qing rolled her eyes. "What are you thinking? I just feel like you've changed."

"I've changed?"

"Yes, you're a bit different than before."

"Is that so?"

"You're much bolder and much more shameless. I remember when we first met, you'd dive to the bottom of the lake just from a kiss," Su Qing recalled, rubbing her chin. "And now? Your skin has certainly thickened!"

Ao Ying paused for a moment. "If I didn't thicken my skin... how could I keep up with you?"

Su Qing rolled her eyes. "You certainly have an answer for everything."

"After all... when facing a shameless sister, the best way is to become even more shameless. I remember you said something once? If you can't beat them, join them!" Ao Ying smiled brightly. "Don't you like me this way?"

Su Qing replied calmly, "It's not that I don't... in fact, I think it's quite good."

"Then that's all that matters, isn't it?" Ao Ying said happily.

As they chatted, they both finished dressing and left the room.

In the courtyard, Leng Xiang was weeding the spirit herbs in the medicinal garden. These herbs grew quickly, but so did the weeds. If she wasn't careful, the weeds would smother the spirit herbs, so frequent weeding was necessary.

"Master, you're awake? Breakfast is in the pot; I made some lean meat congee," Leng Xiang said instinctively when she saw Su Qing. When she saw Ao Ying, she paused for a second, then smiled and went back to weeding.

Su Qing nodded and headed to the kitchen to get some food. No matter what happened, eating was the priority—especially after an exhausting night.

Today was destined to be another peaceful yet fulfilling day.

Time continued to flow slowly. In the blink of an eye, several more months passed.

Over those months, the once-timid Leng Xiang began to grow more like Bai Suzhen. Although she still couldn't win, at least she was no longer completely defenseless. Ao Ying remained as formidable as ever, always able to go toe-to-toe with Su Qing. Surprisingly, her cultivation had also improved significantly during this time. It seemed that after opening her mind, her training had become easier. Or perhaps... was dual cultivation truly beneficial for progress?

Su Qing didn't know and didn't care to overthink it.

Bai Suzhen had already left the Changbai Mountains to return to Li Shan. Although she expressed reluctance, she had made a promise to Li Shan Lao Mu. No matter how much she wanted to stay, she had to return when the time came. Moreover, staying here made it difficult for her to focus on her cultivation.

One day, the sun was high, but it offered no warmth. Snow was falling.

Su Qing stood by Heaven Lake, staring at the frozen surface in a daze. Over these days, they weren't the only ones changing. Su Qing felt something within her heart beginning to loosen. It felt as though she only needed a little more effort to kick open the door and enter the inner sanctum. However, she was still pondering how to deliver that final kick.

After a long time, Su Qing exhaled a puff of white mist and cleared her cluttered mind.

"In any case, I'll take it one step at a time. Cultivation cannot be rushed," she muttered to herself, shaking her head.

Another year passed.

During this year, she did many things. Her mood became more relaxed, and her once slightly restless heart gradually calmed down. Consequently, she drew closer and closer to that final step.

One day, in midsummer, the sun was scorching.

Su Qing was sitting in a rocking chair under the Bodhi tree, enjoying a comfortable life. At that very moment, while she was in a state of leisure, she felt something inside her body completely release. The door that had been closed to her was now swung wide open. It felt as though she could step through whenever she wished.

"Huh? What caused this?" Su Qing wondered aloud.

In the past year, had she done anything particularly special? Not really. She had simply continued her routine cultivation as always. Whether it was the path of Incense Power or Qi Refining, everything had been done effortlessly and casually. She hadn't been anxious about anything.

And yet, on this very day, she had suddenly reached the point where she could enter the inner sanctum.

"Is it... just because the time has come?" Su Qing muttered, looking up at the cloudless blue sky.

"Well, regardless of the reason, this isn't a bad thing for me," she thought. "After all, it means I can step into the Heavenly Immortal realm at any time."

Su Qing didn't hesitate for long. She had pursued the Heavenly Immortal realm for so long; now that the door was wide open, it would be a disservice to herself not to enter. She took a slow breath, sat cross-legged, and connected her heart with the world, preparing to take that final step.

Time flowed on. The sky soon darkened.

Su Qing remained sitting cross-legged, motionless. Since she had been sitting there all day, Leng Xiang and the others couldn't help but notice the anomaly. Though they were curious, they didn't disturb her. They could sense that Su Qing was undergoing a very important process. If they interrupted, it might cost Su Qing her life. So, they all remained quiet and waited nearby.

Time continued to slip away...

In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.