The crimson candle flickered. They looked at each other, speechless.

Zhou Yuantong didn’t know where to begin, and to her, their relationship was rather awkward.

Zhu Ju, however, was on guard, choosing to react to changes as they came rather than making the first move.

In the candlelight.

Zhou Yuantong’s complexion was fair with a rosy undertone, so delicate it looked like it would bruise at a touch. Her sculpted features were profound and timeless.

Upon closer inspection, one could also perceive a kind of innate charm within her heroic features.

Outer Saint Inner Charm?

This seemed to be one of the facial types highly praised by the Joyful Sect. No wonder she held such a respected position within it.

After a long while, it was the host of this place who broke the silence.

"Um..." Zhou Yuantong gave a dry laugh.

"It’s been seven or eight years since we last met, hasn’t it?"

"Yes," Zhu Ju nodded.

"We haven’t seen each other in years. Both of us have entered an Immortal Sect and can be considered to have achieved some success in our studies. It’s a cause for celebration."

Although he had suppressed his Cultivation, he could still tell that Zhou Yuantong’s was not low. She must be a Middle-Stage Innate Qi Refiner.

To go from a mere Mortal to the Middle-Stage Innate Realm in just seven or eight years was a sign of extraordinary Talent.

Of course, it was certainly also thanks to the aid of various Spiritual Elixirs and Medicines.

"Hah..." Zhou Yuantong gave a bitter smile upon hearing his words.

"I joined the Joyful Demon Sect not of my own free will, and while Brother Zhu is a Righteous Cultivator, you were captured as well."

"Neither of us is in a good place."

"Demon Sect?" Zhu Ju looked thoughtful.

"Miss Zhou, you are part of the Joyful Sect, yet you call your own Sect a Demon Sect. Aren’t you afraid of retaliation?"

"Please, Brother Zhu, just call me Yuantong. It sounds better," Zhou Yuantong said.

"It is a Demon Sect, so what’s there to hide? Besides, I’m not gossiping about it to outsiders."

"Back then..."

She took a deep breath and said slowly,

"Thanks to your help, Brother Zhu, I managed to escape the Zhou Mansion, but then I was found and captured by people from the Joyful Sect."

"The one who captured me was Qii Yao."

"She treated me very well. Without her, I would have definitely suffered a lot over the years. But she was also the one who brought me into a Demon Sect, so I don’t know whether to hate her or be grateful."

Zhu Ju nodded.

"When I entered the Joyful Sect, I was made an Inner Sect Disciple right from the start because of my excellent bone structure. And because I possess a Celestial Harmony Contract, my Master took a liking to me and accepted me as a True Disciple."

"In the blink of an eye, seven or eight years have passed."

Zhou Yuantong’s eyes held a complex expression.

"What about you, Brother Zhu?"

"Me?" Zhu Ju rubbed his chin.

"After I left the city back then, I went to Ancient Northern Pass. Along the way, I heard that the Immortal Sects had relaxed their requirements for accepting disciples, so I went to try my luck."

"I was very lucky."

"I was accepted into the Bright Void Sect, and I’ve been there ever since."

"I see!" Zhou Yuantong nodded, her gaze filled with curiosity and a hint of probing.

"So, you mean to say that back when you were in the county town, you were already a master at Inner Qi Perfection?"

"No wonder you never really hung out with the rest of us."

Recalling those days, her expression turned complicated.

Back then, Zhu Ju was an anomaly among his peers in Leping County.

He was unsociable and didn’t practice martial arts. In the eyes of others, Zhu Ju had nothing going for him except his good looks.

Who would have thought.

Back then, Zhu Ju had already reached Acquired Perfection, while she and the others hadn’t even managed to cultivate Inner Qi.

She had even secretly made fun of him.

"Brother Zhu."

Thinking back on it now, Zhou Yuantong could only sigh softly.

"You really kept us in the dark!"

"The Acquired Realm is still the realm of Mortals," Zhu Ju shook his head.

"It’s nothing special."

"Being a Mortal is better than being a Cultivator trapped in this cage." Zhou Yuantong looked outside the Cave Mansion.

"Brother Zhu, you must have thought about how to escape the Joyful Sect, right?"

Zhu Ju’s eyes narrowed.

"I’ve thought about it. Many times," Zhou Yuantong sighed.

"It wasn’t until later that I found out Wind Moon Valley is actually located in a Secret Realm. Without the Sect’s permission, no one can leave."

A Secret Realm?

Zhu Ju’s expression changed.

’I’m in trouble!’

If they were somewhere in the Main World, he was confident he could escape as long as he found a chance to get away from the perception of a Dao Foundation Cultivator.

But a Secret Realm...

It was a kind of ’small space’ attached to the Main World. Once the entrance and exit passages were closed, anyone inside the Secret Realm was completely helpless.

No wonder that after years of fighting between the Righteous Dao and the Demon Sects, no one knew the exact location of the Joyful Sect’s Wind Moon Valley.

Barring any surprises, the Joyful Sect must have set up a Grand Array in the Secret Realm, a Tier Two one at the very least.

This meant that if Zhu Ju were to secretly travel to the Otherworld now, it was possible the Joyful Sect would discover it.

Suddenly hearing this news, his expression couldn’t help but turn extremely grim.

"In all these years, you’ve never been outside?"

"Never."

Zhou Yuantong shook her head.

"Ever since I arrived, my master has never allowed me to leave."

"What does your master mean by this?" Zhu Ju frowned in confusion.

"What’s the use of keeping you trapped here?"

"Master wants me to achieve the Dao Foundation, so I can help her then," Zhou Yuantong said without any concealment.

"Because of my special constitution, the bottlenecks that are difficult for others to overcome are not difficult for me."

"If I cultivate diligently, there’s a ninety percent chance I can reach the Dao Foundation."

"Dao Foundation?" Zhu Ju nodded slowly.

"If you want to achieve the Dao Foundation, blind, arduous cultivation alone won’t work. Yuantong, you still have a chance to leave."

To reach the Dao Foundation, one’s state of mind was equally important.

Going out into the world to temper oneself was a necessary step for all Cultivators.

’In other words...’

’There’s still a chance!’

"Really?" Zhou Yuantong was clearly unaware of this. Her beautiful eyes shimmered, and a flicker of excitement crossed her face.

"If there’s really a chance to get out, I’ll definitely take you with me, Brother Zhu."

"Thank you," Zhu Ju said, cupping his hands.

"I hope that chance comes soon."

"Hee..." With a glimmer of hope, the gloom on Zhou Yuantong’s face faded slightly, and her expression became a little shy.

"Brother Zhu, there’s one more thing I need to explain."

"Speak."

"The Cultivation Technique I practice is rather special. When I helped you undo the Charming Silk, the Passionate Spell was also planted on you," she said, biting her lip.

"The Passionate Spell needs to be nurtured. Every so often, I... I need to share a bed with you to survive."

?

Zhu Ju’s expression was strange.

*

*

*

The Passionate Spell,

also known as the Yin Yang Seed.

It uses a Secret Technique to plant a "Yin Seed" or a "Yang Seed" within a Dao companion’s Divine Soul, which is then retrieved after it blooms and bears fruit.

The Yin Yang Seed survives on the host’s emotions.

The deeper the love, the faster it matures.

Zhu Ju learned from Zhou Yuantong that the Methods practiced by the True Disciples, Inner Sect, and Outer Sect of the Joyful Sect were all different.

The Outer Sect is promiscuous, the Inner Sect is indulgent, and the True Disciples seek to Forget Love.

Unlike the Outer and Inner Sect Disciples, who have numerous Furnace Tripods and Meat Slaves, the Core True Disciples mostly only take one partner to preserve the purity of their state of mind.

Of course.

There were exceptions.

However, if one wanted to advance to the Dao Foundation Realm, or even make achievements within it, promiscuity in the Innate Realm was absolutely out of the question.

Core True Disciples use ’Furnace Tripods’ to immerse themselves in love and passion, and then awaken from it to reach the state of Forgetting Love, thereby cultivating a perfect state of mind for Cultivation.

This was a treacherous path.

A single misstep, and the Cultivator could be doomed beyond redemption.

Night fell.

The night sky was pitch black.

Zhu Ju stood before the Cave Mansion, his long hair dancing in the wind.

’Naive!’

’Zhou Yuantong actually thinks the Yin Yang Seed is a mutually beneficial arrangement that allows for complementary circulation of True Qi during Cultivation.’

’If I truly fall in love with her, once the Yin Yang Seed fully matures, she can just extract it directly.’

’By then, the Yin Yang Seed will have taken root in my Sea of Consciousness, bloomed, and borne fruit. Extracting it means I would die.’

’This woman...’

Zhu Ju’s eyes narrowed slightly, a cold glint appearing within them.

’No!’

’Zhou Yuantong probably doesn’t know about this. Otherwise, her acting skills have already reached a level of transcendent perfection.’

"The Passionate Spell, the Yin Yang Seed."

If it were any other Innate cultivator who had the Passionate Spell cast on them, they would be powerless to resist and could only resign themselves to their fate.

But Zhu Ju was different.

His Divine Soul Power far surpassed that of a Nine Acupoints Perfect Innate, and he had mastered numerous Divine Soul Secret Techniques.

"Hmph!"

’I doubt anyone in the Joyful Sect ever imagined that someone could split their soul while still in the Innate Realm.’

The Soul Splitting Technique!

One of the three kinds of Magic Zhu Ju learned when he first entered the Magic World.

It could transform one’s Divine Soul Power into the shape of a mouse or a hawk—a Method of little practical use.

But now.

Zhu Ju closed his eyes and sensed his Sea of Consciousness.

With a slight flicker of his thoughts, the Divine Soul Power where the Yin Yang Seed was located was split off and set aside.

This way,

even if Zhou Yuantong was deceiving him, extracting the Yin Yang Seed would only consume a bit of his Divine Soul Power and not harm his foundation.

’So...’

’The Yin Yang Seed isn’t important to me. What’s most important is how to get out of this Secret Realm.’

Opening his eyes, Zhu Ju stared at the valley before him and the mountains all around, falling silent for a moment.

...

"CRACKLE! POP!"

Firecrackers exploded in unison.

The Cave Mansion was adorned with red silks and colorful decorations, with crimson candles casting dancing shadows. A man and a woman, surrounded by a crowd, knelt on the ground.

"First bow to Heaven and Earth!"

"Second bow to the Immortal Sages!"

"Husband and wife, bow to each other!"

Amidst the clear shouts, the bride and groom bowed in sequence.

"Quickly!"

Qii Yao’s face was flushed with excitement as she directed the pair.

"Escort them to the bridal chamber!"

"Senior Sister," someone in the crowd shouted.

"They haven’t drunk the nuptial wine yet!"

"That’s right, they’re being sent to the bridal chamber without even drinking the nuptial wine. Senior Sister Qii, you’re more anxious than the bride herself."

"Hee hee..."

"You’re asking for a spanking!"

A group of Female Cultivators giggled endlessly, tossing colorful ribbons and escorting the pair to the bedroom.

"That’s enough."

Zhou Yuantong’s voice was a mix of embarrassment and anger.

"The teasing can stop here. All of you, go back now."

"Senior Sister Zhou, you don’t need our help with what comes next?" a Female Cultivator asked, giggling coquettishly as she approached Zhu Ju.

"Does the groom know what to do in the bridal chamber? Would you like your junior sister to help him get... acquainted?"

"Silence," Qii Yao’s expression darkened.

"Have you no respect for your elders? Did you really think you could lose all sense of propriety just because Senior Sister Zhou is good-natured? Now get out."

Compared to Zhou Yuantong, her authority among the Female Cultivators was clearly greater. The moment she spoke, the room fell silent.

"Yuantong."

Qii Yao turned around and curtsied to the pair.

"A spring night is precious. We won’t disturb you any longer."

"Go!"

"All of you, go!"

She waved the colorful ribbons, shooing the crowd of Female Cultivators out of the Cave Mansion before closing the stone door behind them.

Zhou Yuantong sat on the edge of the bed, so nervous she didn’t know where to put her hands. The veins on the back of her hands bulged as she watched the figure approaching step by step through her red bridal veil.

"Would you like a glass of water?"

"...Alright."

The veil was gently lifted. Zhou Yuantong’s face was flushed red.

"Brother Zhu, do you think I’m being too troublesome?"

She was already a Qi Refiner and in a Demon Sect, yet she insisted on holding a wedding like those among Mortals.

All for a so-called sense of ceremony.

"How could I?"

Zhu Ju chuckled softly.

"We live to please ourselves. Our situation is already so difficult, so why not find some joy amidst the sorrow?"

"As long as you don’t mind." Zhou Yuantong sighed in relief.

"My parents always wanted to see the day I got married. Whether for them or for myself..."

"I had to marry myself off properly."

After she spoke.

The two of them fell silent.

"Um..." Zhou Yuantong began.

"What happened to Yangg Guo afterward?"

"You still remember that story from back then?" Zhu Ju smiled.

"If you want to hear it, I can continue."

"Yes, please," Zhou Yuantong’s eyes lit up.

"All these years, whenever I was bored, I’d think back to the stories you told to pass the time. It’s a pity I never got to hear the end."

"Where did we leave off?"

"Yangg Guo had his arm cut off by Guo Fu."

"Oh!" Zhu Ju nodded and said,

"After learning that Yangg Guo’s arm had been cut off by Guo Fu, Guo Jing flew into a rage and drew his sword to strike at Guo Fu..."

"Hm?"

"What’s wrong?" Zhou Yuantong tilted her head to look at him.

"The wine is wrong," Zhu Ju’s face was flushed as he looked at the wine cup beside them.

"Someone drugged the nuptial wine."

"What?" Zhou Yuantong was startled at first, then her face filled with shame and anger, as she already understood what had been put in the wine.

"This..."

"Ah!"

"Slow down!"

"It hurts..."