(GL) The Supporting Female Character Strategy Manual - Chapter 44

Xu Jiao had originally been an unshaped jiao, cultivating quietly in the South Sea. Because his attribute conflicted with the surrounding waters, hundreds of years passed without him achieving transformation. Then one day, a beautiful woman appeared before him and promised to help him become a true dragon.

That woman was Ling Yan.

Under ordinary circumstances, Xu Jiao might have believed his luck had finally arrived. However, just half a month earlier, a small and delicate youth had told him the exact same thing. That youth had accompanied him through the most unforgettable days of his long life. They had watched the tides rise and fall together, hunted side by side, and played in the waves. When Xu Jiao finally gathered his courage to offer his heart, he learned that his beloved was, in fact, a man.

The little golden dragon had refused him with blunt honesty, saying that two males could not be together. With a flick of his sleeve, he disappeared without looking back.

Jian Tongyao, “…”
Dingding, “…”

Every time Xu Jiao thought about how he had fallen in love with another man, his handsome face crumpled in anguish. He did not know whether he mourned the loss of that fleeting affection or the heartbreak of falling for a scoundrel dragon.

Jian Tongyao could not help but laugh. Even as she stirred the magma, she found herself gossiping.

“Dingding, did you set some kind of strange restriction on the little golden dragon? Perhaps you forced him to wear women’s clothing to deceive others?”

When they had still been on Lingshen Mountain, that little dragon had been perfectly normal. He spent most of his time cultivating or bickering with Qian Jiujiu. Who would have thought that once he left the mountain, he would turn into such a scoundrel? The world had truly fallen into moral decline. Dragons had lost their innocence.

Even that once honest little golden dragon had learned how to lie.

Dingding murmured, “Hmm… he broke.”

Jian Tongyao thought for a moment. Something about that answer sounded oddly familiar, similar to the tone Dingding had used during previous incidents. “Did he?”

Dingding’s voice grew uncharacteristically cheerful.

“Yes! Xiao Jiu, he’s completely broken now.”

Xu Jiao’s pure heart had been shattered and trampled beneath the feet of the scoundrel dragon. It was right after this heartbreak that Ling Yan appeared, saying almost the exact same words the little golden dragon once had. Naturally, Xu Jiao no longer believed in sudden good fortune. Even though she was beautiful and gentle, even though she showed him warmth and care, he remained wary.

Carrying resentment toward the little golden dragon and a desire for revenge he could not name, Xu Jiao pretended to accept Ling Yan’s kindness. In public, he acted grateful and devoted, yet in private, he mocked her every advance. Even so, he still gained many resources from her, which helped him transform faster into a fire dragon.

“She thought I would worship her with gratitude. In truth, she only wanted to use my dragon body for dual cultivation to strengthen her own power.” Xu Jiao’s voice was filled with bitterness, his expression dark with anger.

Jian Tongyao said nothing.

Ling Yan had relied on memories from her previous life and had sought out Xu Jiao, her destined partner from that world. Yet this time, her plans had gone awry when the scoundrel golden dragon suddenly appeared and ruined everything.

Jian Tongyao asked calmly, “Ling Yan actually revealed such an important secret to you. She must have prepared a way to clean up afterward, didn’t she?”

Xu Jiao, having already seen through Ling Yan’s schemes, realized clearly who wanted him alive and who wished him dead. After all, the scoundrel golden dragon had even left him a golden coin that ended up saving his life. He now had no reason to conceal anything. So he began spilling every secret he knew to Jian Tongyao, one after another.

Guan Tian, having witnessed Ling Yan’s madness, stood in complete shock. His mind was blank, and he did not even hear a word of the conversation between the two.

Through relentless searching, Jian Tongyao finally located the center of the magma whirlpool. The swirling current expanded violently like a storm. Guan Tian, caught off guard, was swallowed whole by the churning magma. Xu Jiao was quicker. With one swift motion, he dove back into the magma’s depths and watched from below.

Standing tall above the molten chaos, Jian Tongyao remained unmoving. Her calm presence amidst the raging flames astonished Xu Jiao, though it also filled him with disdain toward Ling Yan.

She really dragged me into this deadly place…

Within the erupting magma, Jian Tongyao soon saw two phoenixes circling each other, soaring higher and higher as if to prove who was the strongest of their kind. The fire energy cloaking them hid their features completely, making it impossible to tell which one was her Xiao Jiu.

Their necks entwined and wings overlapped, resembling a pair of lovers locked in an embrace.

Had Jian Tongyao not known Ling Yan’s true intentions, she might have felt jealousy burn within her. She narrowed her eyes and reached out, attempting to tear through the raging flames.

A sharp, metallic sound echoed through the air.

More cries followed, echoing one after another as the phoenixes’ voices intertwined like a symphony.

Jian Tongyao’s eyes hardened. With a forceful motion, she tore open the fiery pillar and separated the two phoenixes.

“She wants to use Xiao Jiu’s bloodline to bear all the backlash. Wishful thinking.”

Two clusters of fire energy surrounded the phoenixes as they prepared for Nirvana. One to her left, one to her right. Ling Yan’s expression twisted in frustration as she realized her plan had failed once again. No matter how she tried to get closer to Qian Jiujiu, an unseen power restrained her at every turn.

That power was Jian Tongyao herself.

Ling Yan cried out toward Qian Jiujiu. To anyone else, it sounded like ordinary phoenix calls, but within Qian Jiujiu’s ears, the words became clear.

How can you so easily accept her affection? Everything she gives you comes at the cost of her own strength.

Qian Jiujiu responded with a fierce cry of her own.

The two streams of fire energy distorted and merged under Jian Tongyao’s control. They twisted together, then separated again until the magma raged so violently that it seemed ready to consume them all.

Dingding’s anxious voice rang out. “Xiao Jiu, this won’t work.”

Maintaining both phoenixes’ Nirvana at once strained Jian Tongyao’s strength. The situation was slipping beyond her control, yet she coaxed gently, “Xiao Jiu, focus.”

Phoenix Nirvana was no less dangerous than heavenly tribulation. Both could end in death. Yet unlike tribulation, Nirvana offered great rewards. The purer the bloodline, the stronger the inheritance.

Another sharp cry rang out as the two phoenixes competed for dominance. Then, suddenly, a distinct flame burst from Qian Jiujiu’s side, swirling in rhythm with her movements.

Jian Tongyao’s heart leapt. “Did she succeed?”

Qian Jiujiu spread her iridescent wings, her body stretching and growing as she transformed from a tiny bird into a graceful young woman. Light radiated from her feathers, so dazzling that it nearly blinded Jian Tongyao.

In contrast, Ling Yan’s fate was far worse. Perhaps because of the burdens she carried, her state of mind was weaker than in her past life. Watching Qian Jiujiu achieve Nirvana before her shattered what little sanity remained. Flames engulfed her completely, consuming her until only ashes remained.

Jian Tongyao sighed softly as she watched it all. Ling Yan had possessed both talent and potential. Had she chosen to cultivate honestly within Yunyan Sect, her future might have been limitless. Instead, she had chosen a path of no return.

“Master!”

“Xiao Jiu.”

Qian Jiujiu’s human form dove into Jian Tongyao’s embrace like a moth drawn to flame. After holding her for only a moment, Qian Jiujiu anxiously examined Jian Tongyao’s body, her eyes reddening with worry.

Jian Tongyao sighed helplessly. “Xiao Jiu, you’re a grown woman now. You shouldn’t touch people so casually.”

“Oh.” Despite the reminder, Qian Jiujiu continued to inspect her from head to toe. Still not reassured, she whispered, “Master, did you get hurt just now?”

Jian Tongyao kept her expression calm, though her mind was already wondering how to properly explain certain matters about affection.

“No. Are you worried about me?”

Qian Jiujiu glanced toward where Ling Yan’s ashes had fallen and pouted. “I’m glad you’re fine. She really was lying to me.”

“Hmm?” Jian Tongyao tilted her head.

Xu Jiao, standing nearby, hesitated to interrupt the harmonious scene, though the closeness between master and disciple left him oddly uneasy.

“Forgive my intrusion, but before I leave, may I trouble you for a favor? If he ever comes looking for you, could you let me know?”

Seeing Xu Jiao, the so-called male lead of the original world, triggered a thought in Jian Tongyao’s mind.

“Dingding, if the world’s destined heroine dies, won’t the world collapse?”

Dingding hesitated. “Hmm… Xiao Jiu, she isn’t dead yet.”

“What?!” Jian Tongyao’s expression darkened instantly.

Xu Jiao flinched at her sudden change in demeanor. His next words came out as a nervous murmur.

“If it troubles you, please forget what I said.”

“What did you just say?”

The overwhelming aura radiating from her reminded Xu Jiao of the moment she had nearly killed him before. He ducked his head instinctively, retreating toward the magma. To his surprise, she did not pursue.

I must be lucky today, he thought as he swam away leisurely.

Jian Tongyao realized she had missed something crucial. Closing her eyes, she released her spiritual awareness, searching for Ling Yan’s soul amid the vast magma field. Yet after an exhausting search, she found nothing. Worse, maintaining both phoenixes’ Nirvana earlier had drained much of her strength.

Her consciousness wavered, and her body swayed unsteadily.

“Xiao Jiu, you need to meditate,” Dingding urged.

A slender hand caught her just in time. When Jian Tongyao opened her eyes, she found herself gazing into a pair of crescent-shaped eyes that held a gentle warmth and a hint of playful teasing.

A strange feeling welled in her chest. She had practically raised Qian Jiujiu herself. Every gesture and expression of the girl’s was as familiar to her as her own. Yet the woman standing before her now was neither her Xiao Jiu nor the Seventh Sister she remembered.

“Who are you?”

“Master, don’t you recognize me?”

The woman frowned, wearing Qian Jiujiu’s face but a completely different expression.

“You were just searching for me.”