CLANG...

The iron cage opened.

On the bustling street, one person stood inside the cage, and one stood outside.

A long-unseen smile appeared on Zhou Yuantong’s cold face as she nodded toward Zhu Ju inside the cage.

"Brother Zhu, we meet again."

"Yes." Zhu Ju looked at her, his expression strange.

"I just never thought we would meet here, under these circumstances."

"Fate works in mysterious ways." Zhou Yuantong gestured with her hand.

"Please!"

"Thank you." Zhu Ju cupped his hands and stepped out of the iron cage. His steps were a bit unsteady, his Cultivation having been sealed.

"Wait!" Just then, the woman with the surname Muk spoke, her face cold.

"Senior Sister Zhou, there’s an order to things. First come, first served. I clearly had my eye on this man first."

"Hm?" Zhou Yuantong frowned.

Her gaze then swept past the woman with the surname Muk, landing on a tall Female Cultivator who had appeared behind her at some point.

"Senior Sister Foo?"

A moment ago, the woman with the surname Muk had looked resentful but had not said a word. Now she dared to speak up and stop her, clearly emboldened by the newcomer.

"Junior Sister Zhou." Foo Qiuyue approached slowly, her bearing as graceful as a goddess. She was barefoot, clad in thin gauze.

"You’re a rare visitor to the Flower Workshop. Have you finally found the man of your dreams?"

"Senior Sister," Zhou Yuantong said coldly.

"As a Core True Inheritance disciple, I have priority in choosing a Furnace Tripod. Surely you’re not unaware of that?"

"Of course!" Foo Qiuyue shrugged.

"However..."

"Are you really taking him back to be a Furnace Tripod, Junior Sister? I seem to recall you letting someone go once before."

Zhou Yuantong’s expression darkened.

When she first entered the Joyful Sect, she had been naive. Unable to bear it, she had intentionally let someone go.

However,

that person had died at the hands of another Demoness before even leaving the valley, and the incident had become a joke among her sect-mates.

"Heehee..." Foo Qiuyue took in her entire expression, her lips curling into a faint smile.

"It seems it’s the same this time. Since you don’t plan on using him as a Furnace Tripod, Junior Sister, there’s no point in you taking him."

She waved a hand toward the woman with the surname Muk.

"Junior Sister Muk, he’s yours."

"Thank you, Senior Sister."

Overjoyed, the woman with the surname Muk reached for the Charming Silk on Zhu Ju’s wrist, saying hurriedly,

"Beauty, you’re mine."

This woman was not unattractive. She was short but graceful, with skin so flawless it was utterly tempting.

But her beautiful eyes held a sinister light, and her gaze was that of someone looking at an interesting toy.

Not a person.

’Falling into her hands would definitely not end well.’

Zhu Ju subconsciously tried to pull away.

"SWISH!"

Just then, a slender arm shot out, five fingers grabbing the Charming Silk. With a gentle tug, it was pulled from his wrist.

"Senior Sister." Zhou Yuantong’s face was dark as she threw the Charming Silk to the ground.

"Is this enough for you now?"

"Of course!"

A smile appeared on Foo Qiuyue’s face.

"If Princess Consort Yuann knew you’ve finally found a suitable man, Junior Sister, she would be delighted."

"Junior Sister Muk, let’s go!"

The woman with the surname Muk looked resentful. She shot Zhu Ju a vicious glare, then stomped her foot and turned to leave.

Zhu Ju looked at the Charming Silk on the ground, lost in thought.

The moment Zhou Yuantong had removed the Charming Silk, he had felt an inconspicuous wisp of Divine Soul Power enter his Sea of Consciousness.

He wouldn’t have noticed it if not for his own powerful Divine Soul Power.

At the same time, he seemed to have formed some special connection with Zhou Yuantong. Memories of their past interactions flashed through his mind.

A strange affection began to quietly blossom.

"BONG!"

The Soul-Shocking Bell in his Sea of Consciousness trembled slightly. The Celestial Dragon Eight Sounds suppressed the distracting thoughts, and a grave expression appeared on Zhu Ju’s face.

’A Divine Soul Secret Technique?’

’To be able to influence a person’s consciousness and thoughts without them knowing... the Methods of the Joyful Sect are truly bizarre.’

’The Divine Soul Secret Techniques of the Magic World seem so crude in comparison, lacking this kind of subtlety and sophistication.’

However, ’what was the purpose of that wisp of Divine Thought that entered my Sea of Consciousness?’

"Brother Zhu."

Zhou Yuantong took a deep breath and turned to look at him, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Come with me."

"Wait." Zhu Ju turned his head to look at the stout woman who had sold him like a piece of merchandise.

"My saber."

"That’s my saber now." The stout woman’s eyes went wide as she tried to hide the Cross and Vertical Saber behind her. But when Zhou Yuantong looked over, her expression froze. She sheepishly took out the Cross and Vertical Saber.

"This is a fine saber. A treasured blade for a hero... a perfect match for you, Senior Sister."

*

*

*

No one knew the precise location of Wind Moon Valley, only that it was surrounded by mist-shrouded mountains.

Anyone who rashly entered the mist would surely lose their way. If they were lucky, a Mountain Patrol Disciple would find and escort them back.

If they were unlucky, they would simply die within it.

However, there were patterns to the mists. The Sect’s Dao Foundation and even Golden Core Cultivators remained hidden among the mountains, deep in their Cultivation.

Zhou Yuantong passed through the mist and arrived at a magnificent palace.

Within the palace, countless handsome men were either singing wildly in a drunken stupor or playing instruments, all doing their best to display their talents.

All of it was to win the favor of the palace’s master.

"Master!"

"Ah, Yuann Tong!" A beautiful woman lay on a soft couch, handsome men massaging her shoulders, kneading her legs, and offering her food. She spoke with narrowed eyes.

"It has been some time since you last came to see your master..."

"SWOOSH!"

Mid-sentence, the woman abruptly sat up. With a flick of her sleeve, she sent the handsome men beside her flying. Her eyes blazed as she stared.

"The Passionate Spell on you..."

"You’ve found a Furnace Tripod?"

"Yes." Zhou Yuantong’s face tensed as she knelt on one knee.

"I ask Master to bestow the Method!"

"Good! Good!" Princess Consort Yuann laughed and clapped her hands.

"Good disciple, you’ve finally seen the light! It’s been ages since someone with your Outer Saint Inner Charm and Celestial Harmony Contract body has appeared. Not cultivating the Formless Forget Love Technique would be a criminal waste of your natural gifts."

"As long as you can reach the Dao Foundation, Yuann Tong, your master will give you anything you desire."

With a flick of her long sleeve, a Jade Scroll landed in Zhou Yuantong’s hand.

"Remember this!"

"Although our Sect’s Method is called a Demon Skill by the world, it is a genuine True Dharma. You must not stray from your true self."

Sitting up straight, Princess Consort Yuann adopted a solemn expression as she warned,

"While Cultivating the Joyful Skill can cause your Cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds, you will surely fall into the Demon Dao if you cannot control your desires."

"Especially you..."

"Once the seed of the Passionate Spell is planted, you must nurture it constantly. If it cannot blossom and bear fruit, you will be the one to be destroyed."

"Yes," Zhou Yuantong said, lowering her head.

"Your disciple will remember."

"I believe you can do it." Princess Consort Yuann’s beautiful eyes glinted.

"I wonder which young master has captured your heart, my dear Yuann Tong. When I have time, your master must go take a look."

"Master." Zhou Yuantong’s expression shifted slightly.

"His... his Cultivation is too low. I’m afraid he won’t be able to maintain his composure in your presence. There’s no need for you to meet him."

"Heehee..." Princess Consort Yuann teased.

"What are you so worried about? You think your master would steal your man?"

"Fine, I won’t meet him. That man you cherish so much has probably already been used and abused by other women."

...

Qii Yao sat on a long bench, swinging one crossed leg as she watched the figure in the distance, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

"CLAP!"

She suddenly clapped her hands together and said,

"I remember now!"

"You’re that man from Leping County all those years ago! You even killed two of my subordinates. No wonder you seemed so familiar."

"It was me." Zhu Ju cupped his hands.

"Immortal Master Qii, we meet again."

"Heehee..." Qii Yao let out a charming laugh. Her figure blurred and she appeared beside Zhu Ju, looking him up and down.

"You were able to kill two of my subordinates back then, which means you weren’t far from the Innate realm. It’s only natural for someone of your age to have joined an Immortal Sect."

"So how did you get captured?"

"..." Zhu Ju opened his mouth, then sighed helplessly.

"Just a stroke of bad luck."

One could only say that life is unpredictable. He never imagined he would be captured by the Joyful Sect to serve as a Furnace Tripod.

The only silver lining was that he had run into an acquaintance here.

But times had changed.

After so many years, who could guarantee that the young girl he once knew hadn’t changed?

Fortunately, Zhu Ju was experienced. He had faced life-or-death situations more than a few times, so he wasn’t about to lose his composure.

"Don’t look so glum." Qii Yao stepped forward and patted his shoulder.

"You should be grateful that Yuann Tong rescued you. If you’d fallen into the hands of that Muk Zi, you wouldn’t have survived a month."

"Oh?" Zhu Ju’s expression remained unchanged.

"Will Yuann Tong let me go?"

"No." Qii Yao shook her head without hesitation.

"You bear her Passionate Spell. If she lets you go before her Cultivation Technique reaches Great Success, she will die."

"Besides..."

"Did you really think you could walk out of this Wind Moon Valley, even if she did let you go?"

Zhu Ju fell silent.

After a pause, he finally said,

"What will happen to me when Yuann Tong’s Cultivation Technique reaches Great Success?"

"I don’t know either." Qii Yao spread her hands.

"Yuann Tong’s constitution is special, and the Method she practices is different from everyone else’s. No one knows what the final fate of her Furnace Tripod will be."

"For Outer Sect Disciples, their Furnace Tripods are mostly single-use consumables, discarded after one use."

"For Inner Sect Disciples, it depends on the person." Her beautiful eyes held a smile.

"Some Inner Sect Disciples practice Guarding the Heart and Forgetting Desire, following the righteous path of Yin Yang Harmony. They usually don’t harm the life of their Furnace Tripod. Of course, many more are like Muk Zi, who harvest Yang Qi to benefit themselves. They need a new batch of men every few days. Even an Innate Qi Refiner couldn’t withstand her torment for long."

"As for Yuann Tong..."

"She probably wouldn’t."

"I hope so," Zhu Ju sighed softly.

Although they were old acquaintances from Leping County, they had been apart for many years. Who could guarantee that the other person’s character hadn’t changed?

’This is the Joyful Sect, after all!’

’One of the Demon Sects.’

’In a corrupting environment like this, a great melting pot for Demonic Cultivators, there’s no guarantee Zhou Yuantong hasn’t become a ruthless Witch.’

"The Joyful Sect!"

Zhu Ju sighed, at a loss for words.

"Where in the world have I ended up?"

Just a short while ago, he had been at the southern border of Dazhou. Now, he had been transported tens of thousands of miles to the northeast.

He didn’t even know his precise location.

It could only be said,

that life is truly unpredictable!

The two of them were in Zhou Yuantong’s Cave Mansion.

The Cave Mansion was not large, containing a bedroom, a study, a Quiet Chamber, a living area, and a place for bathing and changing.

The bookshelves in the study were filled with books, mostly travelogues of Loose Cultivators, with little content related to Cultivation.

Qii Yao rested her chin in her hand, scrutinizing Zhu Ju, her beautiful eyes glinting faintly.

She had seen many disciples from Righteous Immortal Sects captured by Sect elders. Upon arrival, they were usually furious, constantly shouting curses and insults. Later, their faces would fill with despair, and the vast majority would get on their knees and beg for mercy.

Of course, a rare few would rather die than submit.

But after a few doses of Mind Enchantment Powder, even those with the strongest wills would become infatuated with the Joyful Sect disciples, turning into Puppets addicted to carnal pleasures.

There were never any exceptions!

But she had never seen anyone as calm and unhurried as Zhu Ju. He didn’t seem to view this place as the terrifying demon’s den the rest of the world perceived it to be. He exuded an inexplicable aura of being in complete control.

"Heh..."

Qii Yao let out a short laugh.

’Once you fall into the hands of the Joyful Sect, your life and death are no longer your own, no matter how capable you are—let alone a mere Qi Refiner who has just entered the Innate realm.’

"TAP..."

The sound of footsteps approached.

"Yuann Tong!"

Qii Yao leaped to her feet, moving to greet the newcomer.

"I’ve been watching him like a hawk for you. Didn’t let him wander off."

"Senior Sister Qii." Zhou Yantong sighed.

"How is Brother Zhu doing? Is he worried or scared?"

"Nope." Qii Yao shook her head.

"His expression wouldn’t change even if the sky were falling. This man you’ve chosen has an excellent temperament. You’ve hit the jackpot this time."