Chapter 1
There are five major demonic sects in the Canglan Continent. Among them, the Hehuan Sect focuses on dual cultivation techniques, relying on this practice and absorbing others’ admiration as a means of advancement. Most of its disciples cultivate charm arts. Consequently, the Hehuan Sect is filled with Hehuan trees, known for their aphrodisiac properties. It was currently the blooming season for the Hehuan flowers, and the mountains were ablaze with their passionate, fiery blossoms. However, near the sword practice arena, a single Wu Tong tree was planted. Towering high, each of its branches was thick and sturdy. A young woman lay fast asleep on one of these branches.
A few meters away from the Wu Tong tree, two disciples were locked in a passionate kiss, on the verge of taking the final step. Heng Yu, finding them noisy, slowly opened her eyes. She reached out, plucked a Wu Tong leaf, and held the stem in her mouth as she sat up on the branch. Plucking another leaf, she channeled her spiritual energy and flew over to the two disciples, interrupting their amorous activities. Perched on the branch, she said with a smile, “You’re disturbing my sleep. Find somewhere else.”
After watching the two disheveled disciples leave, Heng Yu leisurely lay back down. A month ago, she had transmigrated. Yes, transmigrated. This transmigration was even part of her plan. The only thing she hadn’t planned was the world she’d arrive in and the identity she’d assume.
She was originally the head of the Research and Development Department of the Time and Space Administration, in charge of system development and time-space travel. Having supported the Time and Space Administration’s reforms, her plans were exposed, and she was nearly purged. However, before the purge could happen, she was one step ahead, using her own preparations to successfully implement the reforms. Afterward, weary of power struggles, she requested to retire to another time and space.
When selecting a world, Heng Yu had initially wanted to retire to a modern world. However, due to the intensity of the previous conflicts, the Time and Space Administration’s main system malfunctioned, throwing her into a cultivation world. She was placed into the body of a female cultivator who had died from Qi deviation during cultivation.
This cultivator was named Luo Heng Yu, a direct disciple of the Hehuan Sect’s Grand Elder. She was exceptionally talented and considered outstanding among the younger generation, being one of the ten young masters of the Hehuan Sect. Thus, the disciples often addressed her as “Lord Luo.”
Accepting her fate, Heng Yu remained calm. She spent a month adapting to using spiritual energy and cultivating. However, she abandoned the charm arts that the original body specialized in. It wasn’t that she disliked charm arts; she simply preferred to be a sword cultivator.
As Heng Yu was lost in thought, another pair of disciples approached the woods, kissing passionately. Just as Heng Yu was about to use her spiritual energy to prevent them from disturbing her sleep, a resounding bell echoed throughout the sect. Once, twice, thrice… Nine times in total. This number of rings only occurred when the Hehuan Sect initiated inner sect missions. However, the inner sect missions were typically held every fifty years, and the next one wasn’t due for another ten years!
Due to this unexpected event, all the disciples at the sword practice arena looked up towards the main peak of the sect. Figures appeared in the sky above the Hehuan Sect, high-ranking cultivators flying out from their caves to investigate.
“What’s going on?”
“Why has the inner sect mission been activated early?”
“This is quite rare. I remember reading about it in the ancient texts. It seems that when the Sect Protecting Stone issues a warning, the Sword Spirit is startled and awakens prematurely.”
The disciples’ discussions reached Heng Yu’s ears. From their conversations, she gradually understood the situation. The Sect Protecting Stone was a sacred artifact of the Hehuan Sect. Whenever a major disaster or important event occurred, the stone would issue a warning. The Sword Spirit they spoke of was the spirit residing within the spiritual sword used by the founder of the Hehuan Sect. After the founder’s death, the Sword Spirit merged with the sect’s grand formation and only awakened once every fifty years to preside over the inner sect missions.
“It seems the Sect Protecting Stone has issued a warning, hence the ringing,” Heng Yu murmured. “But what kind of warning would it issue?”
Just as she finished speaking, a blinding golden light erupted from the main peak. After the golden light faded, a line of words appeared in the sky:
[The Undying Sect’s Buddha-son Liaowu has broken through to the Buddha Realm and seeks to overcome his tribulation of love.]
These words lingered in the sky, refusing to dissipate. Everyone was stunned at first, then a clamor erupted from the sword practice arena, spreading throughout the entire sect.
“What does this warning mean?”
“Buddha-son Liaowu, tribulation of love… Could it be what I think it is?”
“I think so, hahahaha. It seems this inner sect mission will be interesting. I wonder who will be assigned this task?”
“Among the ten young masters, Lord Mu has the highest cultivation level. I think she’s the most likely candidate.”
“I think Lord Mei is more likely. Her charm arts are astonishing.”
“Why hasn’t anyone mentioned Lord Luo?”
“Lord Luo doesn’t specialize in charm arts and hasn’t pursued anyone. I think she’s the least likely.”
Hearing these discussions, Heng Yu raised an eyebrow. She looked at the golden words, her eyes narrowing slightly. The Hehuan Sect truly lived up to its reputation as a demonic sect. They were planning to interfere with the Buddha-son’s tribulation of love, causing him to fail. Fortunately, such a wicked task wouldn’t fall on her. She came to this world to retire peacefully.
With that in mind, Heng Yu lay back down on the branch and yawned languidly. Just as she finished yawning, a whooshing sound rang out beside her ear. Heng Yu reached out and caught the thrown Wu Huan fruit. The Wu Huan fruit was pink, half the size of a fist, and had a crisp, sweet, and sour taste. Heng Yu wiped it briefly with a handkerchief and took a bite. Resting one hand behind her head, she lazily looked at the voluptuous woman beneath the tree. “Is something the matter?”
The woman in red below was Wu Mei, a direct disciple of the Enforcement Elder and one of the ten young masters, known as “Lord Mei.”
“Seeing you lying here, I wanted to ask your opinion on the task of pursuing the Buddha-son,” Wu Mei said with a charming smile. As someone who specialized in charm arts, her every smile and gesture exuded captivating allure. Her attire was revealing, with light gauze draped over her body, covering only key areas, leaving much of her fair skin exposed.
Heng Yu took another bite of the Wu Huan fruit and said decisively, “I’m not interested in this task.”
“Truly not interested?” Wu Mei curled her lips, her voice soft and slow, as if whispering in Heng Yu’s ear. “Wouldn’t Lord Luo want to see that self-disciplined, Buddha-devoted Buddha-son fall in love, consumed by desire, and understand the worldly desires of greed, anger, and ignorance? Wouldn’t you want to be kind and help him become a real man, experiencing the blissful pleasures between a man and a woman?”
Heng Yu plucked a Wu Tong leaf and imbued it with spiritual energy, transforming the soft leaf into a hardened blade. She then used the leaf as a sword, striking towards Wu Mei. Wu Mei reacted swiftly, dodging the attack, her expression turning cold. In the next moment, Heng Yu closed the distance between them and grabbed Wu Mei’s collar. Leaning close, she lifted a strand of Wu Mei’s hair and smiled slightly. “I don’t particularly like it when people use charm arts on me.”
After speaking, Heng Yu released Wu Mei’s collar. She took two steps back, stretched, and said sarcastically, “I’ve heard that every thousand years, the Undying Sect selects four Buddha-sons. These four Buddha-sons travel the world, spreading the teachings of Buddhism. Buddha-son Liaowu is the most outstanding among them, possessing innate Buddha bones. He is known as the Light of Buddhism and is the most likely candidate to become the next sect leader of the Undying Sect.”
“His willpower is stronger than mine. Lord Mei, you can’t even beguile me, and you want to beguile the Buddha-son?”
“You—” Wu Mei’s expression shifted.
Heng Yu tilted her head and looked at Wu Mei with a smile. “Is there anything else?”
Wu Mei flicked her sleeves and left, a luxurious, sweet fragrance lingering in the air. Her voice drifted back to Heng Yu. “In ten days, the Artifact Spirit will open the Scripture Pavilion, allowing disciples to enter and be assigned inner sect missions. I was looking forward to personally pursuing that elegant Buddha-son, but now, I’m even more looking forward to Lord Luo receiving the task and taking down that lofty flower.”
“Because Lord Luo’s charm arts are even worse, and your admiration value is even lower than many outer disciples — with your abilities, you’re destined to fail the mission and suffer the consequences!”
Heng Yu smiled faintly.
Hearing the term “admiration value,” she took out an exquisitely crafted jade pendant from her storage ring. The front of the pendant was engraved with intricate patterns, and the back featured a carved Hehuan flower. Heng Yu infused spiritual energy into the pendant, and in the blink of an eye, numbers appeared on the previously blank surface.
1012.
This was Heng Yu’s current admiration value. This admiration value was a unique aspect of the Hehuan Sect. The formation on the jade pendant could connect to people’s hearts, allowing Hehuan Sect disciples to absorb admiration value when others admired them. Disciples could exchange this admiration value for various cultivation techniques, pills, and even… use it to break through realms! The higher the cultivation level of the person who felt admiration, the more admiration value they contributed. At the same level of cultivation, righteous disciples generated more admiration value than demonic disciples when they fell in love.
It could be said that the Hehuan Sect was undeniably demonic, living up to its name.
“This jade pendant is quite interesting,” Heng Yu murmured, then hung it on her waist. Without the infusion of spiritual energy, the numbers on the pendant gradually dimmed. She stretched, looking at the affectionate disciples on the sword practice arena, and decided to find a quieter place to sleep. She didn’t want to open her eyes and see two disciples entangled together.
Too passionate, she couldn’t handle it.