As one of the top Demon Sects in the Dazhou Territory, the core teachings of the Joyful Demon Sect were nothing short of extraordinary.

At the instant Yin and Yang converged, a silent thunderclap seemed to resound in their Seas of Consciousness, and everything between heaven and earth returned to chaos.

Heaven and earth were split asunder, giving birth to Yin and Yang.

The vista of a thousand worlds being born unfolded before their very eyes.

The True Qi within their bodies merged, forming a self-sustaining cycle that flowed back and forth without end.

Vast Primordial Energy coiled around them, entering their bodies and surging into their Dantians with every breath they took.

With a long cry, Zhou Yuantong’s hair whipped about wildly as a divine light burst from her eyes. Her sixth Acupoint was now open.

Her rise in Cultivation brought Zhu Ju considerable benefits as well; his first Acupoint began to stir restlessly.

A long while later.

The storm subsided.

Zhou Yuantong lay limply on the bed, utterly spent. She curled up in Zhu Ju’s arms and drifted off to sleep.

「The next day.」

When Qii Yao came to visit, she found Zhou Yuantong resting her chin in her hands, completely captivated by the story she was being told.

A new bride, freshly washed, she was like a bamboo shoot after the rain, exuding a refreshing, blossoming vitality.

The blush on her cheeks made her skin look even more delicate, a sight one wouldn’t want to look away from.

"It seems you two had a good night."

As a disciple of the Joyful Sect, she was well-versed in teasing banter between men and women. Qii Yao immediately pursed her lips into a smile and said,

"An Innate expert who cultivates a Hard Skill is certainly convenient in this regard."

"What are you talking about?" Zhou Yuantong rolled her eyes, her face tinged with a bashful blush.

"Did you need something?"

"Master sent me to check on your Cultivation progress." Qii Yao moved closer, looking her up and down.

"Master said your constitution is special. Your first time is exceptionally precious, and you were certain to break through an Acupoint."

"And so it is!"

"Not bad." Zhou Yuantong stretched her limbs.

"You can go back and tell Master she can rest easy. I’ve already opened my sixth Acupoint."

"Breaking Six Acupoints." Qii Yao’s expression was complicated—a mix of envy, emotion, and a hint of dejection.

"I’ve been cultivating all this time, and I’ve only managed to open three Acupoints."

"Huh?"

"How is Zhu Ju’s Cultivation still at One Acupoint?"

The Evil Technique of Yang Supplementing Yin was only practiced by Outer Sect Disciples; the core teaching was the Yin Yang Complementary Method.

Zhou Yuantong, who had the higher Cultivation, had broken through to the sixth Acupoint.

In theory, Zhu Ju, who had only opened a single Acupoint, should have seen an even greater increase in his Cultivation.

"My husband has never practiced the Joyful Sect’s Method before. Isn’t it normal for the effects to be suboptimal on the first try?" said Zhou Yuantong.

"Later, go to the Pill Workshop and fetch an Acupoint Breaking Pill. After my husband takes it, he’ll be able to open his Acupoints faster."

"’My husband’?" Qii Yao was both envious and admiring.

"You say that so sweetly."

"Yuann Tong told me you only became an Inner Sect Disciple because you captured her," Zhu Ju said, turning his head to look at her.

"You should be grateful, not sarcastic."

"Oh-ho!" Qii Yao raised an eyebrow.

"You’ve barely walked through Yuann Tong’s door and you’re already trying to sow discord between us sisters."

"Compared to you, I’ve known Yuann Tong for longer," Zhu Ju said with a faint smile.

"We’ll be troubling you for that Acupoint Breaking Pill, then."

"Alright, you two, stop arguing." Zhou Yuantong held up her hands in a placating gesture.

"Qii Yao, you should sit down and listen to my husband’s story, too. He’s just gotten to the critical part where Yangg Guo and Little Dragon Girl meet again."

"Hmph!" Qii Yao stomped her foot.

"Who wants to listen?"

Despite her words, she didn’t leave. Instead, she pulled over a chair and stared at the two of them as if to stand guard.

As the story began, she found herself immersed before she even realized it.

......

「The Palace.」

Qii Yao knelt on the floor.

If she had a choice, she would never have come here. Every visit left her with the feeling of being pricked by thorns.

The difference between the Innate and Dao Foundation Realms was far greater than that between a Mortal and an Innate. They were two completely different levels of existence.

Or rather,

They were different beings!

Before a Dao Foundation Cultivator, an Innate Qi Refiner was like a mouse before a cat, their body trembling instinctively with fear.

If the other party were to strike, she wouldn’t even have the courage to resist.

"You’ve seen Zhu Ju several times now."

Princess Consort Yuann spoke slowly, gently stroking the long hair of the man beside her.

"What is your impression of him?"

"...Gentle and refined." Qii Yao thought for a moment before adding,

"He’s very good at telling stories."

"Hmm?" Princess Consort Yuann’s hand paused.

"What kind of assessment is that?"

"What about his character?"

That was her main concern. Only a good disposition could help Zhou Yuantong achieve a Perfection Mind.

Everything else was irrelevant.

Even his Cultivation didn’t matter.

"Zhu Ju hides his thoughts very deeply. He’s impossible to figure out." Qii Yao looked up, her voice laced with worry.

"Master, Yuann Tong’s disposition is too pure, even a bit naive. She’ll be at a great disadvantage with him."

"He hides his thoughts deeply?" Princess Consort Yuann stroked her smooth chin, a smile gracing her lips.

"That’s a good thing. A very good thing."

"Has she been cultivating diligently these past few days?"

Of course, she wasn’t asking about Qii Yao. Qii Yao was merely a pawn she used to control Zhou Yuantong.

"She has not."

"Newly a wife, tasting the pleasures between a man and a woman for the first time... it’s normal to neglect one’s Cultivation," Princess Consort Yuann murmured.

"Try to persuade her more over the next few days."

"..." Qii Yao’s expression turned strange.

"Yuann Tong isn’t neglecting her Cultivation for those reasons. It’s... it’s because she’s become obsessed with listening to Zhu Ju’s stories."

?

Princess Consort Yuann froze.

"No wonder you said he’s very good at telling stories."

"Hmm?"

Noticing Qii Yao’s odd expression, Princess Consort Yuann’s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly.

"Don’t tell me you’ve also been captivated by his stories?"

"Master, forgive me!" A chill ran down Qii Yao’s spine, and she kowtowed hastily.

"It’s all because that man Zhu’s stories are so cleverly told, you just can’t stop listening. This disciple will never go listen again."

"It’s just listening to stories, no need to be so dramatic." Princess Consort Yuann waved her hand dismissively.

"Still, for it to make you two abandon even your Cultivation, I admit I’m a little curious what kind of stories they are."

"You may leave!"

"Yes." Qii Yao acknowledged the command and shuffled out of the grand hall on her knees.

WHOOSH...

A light breeze swept through, and the figure in the grand hall had already vanished.

......

It was a time when newlyweds were inseparable.

Of course.

There was always someone who would use "supervising Cultivation" as an excuse to interrupt their sweet little world for two and listen to the new husband tell stories.

Zhou Yuantong knew she couldn’t refuse and could only let it happen.

"It is said that during a dynasty called Dasong..."

"Young Master Zhu!"

Qii Yao’s pretty eyes flashed. Recalling her Master’s instructions, she raised her hands high and said,

"For the past few days, all you’ve told are stories about the Martial World. Don’t you have any stories about Cultivators?"

"I’m getting tired of hearing the same kind of stories all the time."

’If he doesn’t have any, then he can stop telling them. We can use the time we spend telling and listening to stories on Cultivation instead.’

’Thinking this, she couldn’t help but feel secretly pleased with her own cleverness.’

"I think they’re great," Zhou Yuantong said.

"A story is a story. You listen for the plot. The Martial World and the Cultivation Realm aren’t that different. Besides, my husband hasn’t been in the Cultivation Realm for long, so it’s normal that he hasn’t heard these kinds of stories."

"Husband, keep going, keep going!"

"Well..." Zhu Ju, holding a folding fan, paced back and forth inside the Cave Mansion with his hands behind his back. He thought for a moment and said,

"Fellow Daoist Qii has a point. It can get tedious to only talk about the Martial World. Today, I’ll switch to a legend of Immortal Heroes."

He pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.

"It is said that in a land called Sichuan, there is a mountain named Emei Mountain, which is a renowned scenic spot in the region of Shu."

Tower Master Huanzhu’s *Swordsmen of Shu Mountain* was a truly wondrous book, filled with hundreds of diverse and colorful characters.

The key was,

the book had many female characters, and they were the protagonists. It was perfectly suited for the Female Cultivators of the Joyful Sect.

In his opinion, *Swordsmen of Shu Mountain* had so many characters and tangled subplots that it lacked a central storyline.

But that wasn’t a problem.

More people just meant more room for imagination.

Furthermore, the many Immortal Hero characters, Divine Skills and Secret Techniques, and Magical Treasures and Spiritual Artifacts in the book could also serve as inspiration for the Cultivation Realm.

Sure enough.

As the story unfolded, the treacherous clashes of Daoist Techniques and the sword duels between the righteous and evil paths completely captured the audience’s attention.

「The Palace.」

Princess Consort Yuann’s expression was grave.

’Three Heroes and Two Clouds, duels between good and evil... the story is indeed brilliant. Once he finishes this one, I’ll urge Yuann Tong to cultivate.’

’For the next few days...’

’I’ll let it slide.’

「Some time later.」

"Young Master Zhu."

At Princess Consort Yuann’s behest, Qii Yao suppressed her reluctance and spoke up.

"You’ve told quite a few Immortal Hero stories now. The plots are all pretty similar. This should be the end of them, right?"

"We should..."

"...focus on Cultivation."

"You’re right." Zhu Ju nodded.

"We Cultivators should make Cultivation our top priority. I won’t tell any Immortal Hero stories today."

"Let’s change things up. How about a mythological story!"

"Mythology?" Qii Yao was taken aback, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart. Zhou Yuantong, meanwhile, just looked on with a bewildered expression.

"What mythology?"

"Myths passed down among the common folk. These tales are far more bizarre and wondrous than the legends of the Immortal Family and Sword Heroes." Zhu Ju cleared his throat and, under Zhou Yuantong’s expectant gaze, began to speak slowly.

"The verse goes:

Before chaos was divided, heaven and earth were a mess; a vast, misty expanse unseen by any.

Since Pangu sundered the primordial void, creation began, and the clear and turbid were distinguished.

All living things look up to this great benevolence, for the creation of all things was a virtuous act.

To know the work of destiny and creation’s cycle, one must look to the *Journey to the West*."

"The story I’m telling today is called *Journey to the West*. Chapter One: The Divine Root is Conceived and Born, the Heart’s Nature Cultivated, the Great Dao Arises."

「The Palace.」

Listening to the story through the Sound Transmission Stone on Qii Yao, Princess Consort Yuann’s mind went blank. Countless Cultivation Methods flooded her thoughts, and for a moment, she completely forgot to stop the story through Qii Yao.

’Forget it!’

’A few more days at most. I’ll deal with it after this story is finished.’

Cultivation,

could wait for now.

A proper balance of work and rest was more conducive to Cultivation.

After *Journey to the West* came *The Investiture of the Gods*, interspersed with a few other peculiar myths.

For a time,

Zhou Yuantong’s Cave Mansion became a place Qii Yao visited daily. If she was delayed by other matters and missed a part, he even had to retell it for her.

「Some more time passed.」

"This can’t go on."

Princess Consort Yuann came to her senses again, her face dark.

"This cannot continue. If it does, I’m afraid Yuann Tong will be completely ruined by this man."

「The next day.」

Following her orders, Qii Yao announced that she didn’t want to hear any more mythological stories.

"That makes sense."

Zhu Ju expressed his understanding.

"Mythological stories sound grand and boundless, but they are ultimately ethereal and impractical for us."

"In that case..."

"How about I tell a story about a man and a woman?"

"Oh, yes!" Zhou Yuantong’s eyes lit up.

"Husband, hurry up and tell it! I love these kinds of stories. But... it’s a normal story, right?"

"Of course." Zhu Ju tapped her on the forehead and chuckled.

"Where did your mind go?"

"Ahem!"

Clearing his throat twice, Zhu Ju organized his thoughts and began slowly.

"Today’s story begins at an academy, a place called Wansong Academy. In this academy, there was a scholar named Liang Shanbo..."

"To laugh and ask what love is in this world, is to pledge life and death without regret. If this life denies a bond till old age, we’ll wait for the next to renew our vow. If we cannot be together in life, we shall follow in death, walking the road to the underworld side by side. As two butterflies we’ll dance in flight, our love and affection unending."

’Love stories? How could he not have any?’

’Not only did he have them...’

’...he had them in abundance, especially the tragic ones.’

When the story ended, the room fell deathly silent. Zhou Yuantong’s eyes were red as she leaned against Zhu Ju, sobbing uncontrollably.

Qii Yao’s eyes were vacant, her heart wavering between a complex mix of being moved, indignant, and helpless.

’It’s over!’

’Forget Yuann Tong—even *I’ve* forgotten how long it’s been since I last cultivated seriously.’

’This man is a devil, a tribulation sent specifically to ruin my path of Cultivation. He’s my nemesis.’

"Interesting!"

In the palace, Princess Consort Yuann propped her chin on her hand, a smile on her face.

"What an interesting little fellow. He’s actually managed to pique my interest. But Yuann Tong cannot be ruined by your hand."

"Since this way isn’t working..."

"...then it’s time to try a different approach."