Category: I, The Man Who’ll Conquer Both the Immortal Venerable and the Demon Empress

Chapter 5: They Want to Murder Their Husband

Shi Hao sighed, “What is there to say? If I have to describe it, I can only use the word ‘dark.’ Lie Zunyi is still alive, still the Supreme Emperor of the barbarian court, while the martial artists of China are either dead or crippled.

“Over the past three hundred years, many sects in the Central Plains have been eradicated by him. Now, the ones helping the barbarian court suppress the Central Plains martial world are the Chongxian Sect…”

Su Mei crossed her right leg over her left, swinging her foot, “Chongxian Sect? What’s that?”

Shi Hao said, “I heard it used to be called Chongming Sect…”

Su Mei scoffed and laughed, “Chongming Sect? Isn’t that the small sect from the Daoist school? Back then, they couldn’t even rank among the eight major righteous sects.”

Shi Hao said, “With the help of the barbarian court, the Chongxian Sect unified the Daoist school and sought justification for the Jin clan’s rule over the Central Plains. They deceive the people, claiming the Jin clan is ordained by heaven. For these three hundred years, the Chongxian Sect has helped the barbarian court maintain stability and control the Central Plains martial world, while the barbarian court has empowered the Chongxian Sect, transforming it from a small sect into the current symbol of the Daoist school.

“Under the barbarian court’s rule, a large number of Central Plains people have become serfs, ten households to a li, collectively responsible for each other. Many people don’t even deserve names, only identified by numbers after birth.

“I’ve heard that the Chongxian Sect, with the help of the barbarian court, has been confiscating magical weapons and martial arts manuals, suppressing righteous martial artists. Over the past three hundred years, under the purges of Lie Zunyi and the Chongxian Sect, the Central Plains martial world has been slaughtered time and time again. Now, the land is filled with martial world scum who have surrendered to the barbarian court, while true heroes can only hide in the shadows.”

Su Mei said, “You say Lie Zunyi has lived for over three hundred years and is still alive? That’s not something achievable through martial arts alone. He must have either cultivated some evil technique or obtained some kind of special divine crystal.”

Shi Hao asked, puzzled, “Divine crystal?”

Su Mei laughed, “You don’t even know about divine crystals?”

Shi Hao said, “I’m not a martial artist. There are some martial artists in the mountain city who have traveled the martial world, but most of them have limited skills, probably not even ranked if we’re talking about martial arts levels. I’ve never heard them mention ‘divine crystals’ before.”

Su Mei opened her lips, about to explain, when a cold and clear voice came from the other side, “Divine crystals are, as far as we know, the source of all magical weapons and supernatural abilities. No one knows exactly how many there are. They are scattered throughout a place called the Divine Ruins, and over the past thousand years, they have gradually been discovered and unearthed.”

Shi Hao followed the sound and saw Ye Zi Yin, dressed in white, walking slowly from behind the ruins.

Her Daoist hairstyle was undone, her hair dripping wet, hanging down her back. She had clearly washed herself before coming over.

She held a wooden comb in her right hand and her hair in her left, slowly combing it.

Her demeanor was still as cold as ice, her voice calm and unhurried, “These divine crystals can be forged into magical weapons by crafting masters or absorbed by the human body. If a person absorbs a divine crystal, they become a supernatural ability user, wielding a specific power.

“Almost every divine crystal grants a different supernatural ability, and so far, there haven’t been any duplicates.”

Su Mei, sitting on the stone, kicked her skirt and laughed, “If a divine crystal is forged into a magical weapon, anyone can use it, but there’s a limit to the number of uses, only once or twice a day. And over time, it will gradually deplete and break down.

“If a person absorbs a divine crystal and becomes a supernatural ability user, they can use the granted ability without limitations. But there’s a catch: a person can only absorb one type of divine crystal, and once absorbed, it can’t be changed.

“More importantly, supernatural ability users can only use their own abilities and no other magical weapons. So, one must carefully consider whether or not to become a supernatural ability user.”

Shi Hao pondered, “So, supernatural ability users can use their powers without restrictions, which is their advantage. While non-supernatural ability users can use various magical weapons, but the weapons themselves have usage limitations?”

Su Mei spread her hands, “That’s right. Of course, it’s not easy for ordinary martial artists to even possess one or two magical weapons. So, if they manage to obtain a divine crystal, becoming a supernatural ability user and enhancing their own strength is a good choice.

“But supernatural abilities also have ranks, and the powers granted by different divine crystals vary greatly. Many of them offer quite limited enhancements to strength. True experts are unwilling to become supernatural ability users unless they encounter a supreme-grade divine crystal that truly appeals to them.

“Oh, and one more thing, all divine crystals are indestructible.”

Shi Hao said, “Indestructible?”

Ye Zi Yin, standing beside them, said indifferently, “When a supernatural ability user dies, or a magical weapon reaches its usage limit and breaks down, a pure energy will be released. The used divine crystal will reappear within a hundred-mile radius, in the same shape and color as before it was absorbed or forged. It will also grant the same supernatural ability when forged or absorbed again. The reason for this is unknown.”

Su Mei snorted, glaring at Ye Zi Yin, “Why do you always have to interrupt?”

Ye Zi Yin’s expression remained unchanged, “I’m speaking my mind. What does it have to do with you?”

Su Mei glanced sideways, then suddenly flickered, appearing before Shi Hao like a ghost.

Before Shi Hao could react, she struck his chest with her palm.

Immediately afterward, a series of explosions echoed.

Two beautiful figures flitted around him.

“What are you doing?” Ye Zi Yin’s cold voice rang out. She had been on his left just a moment ago and was now on his right.

“Don’t worry, no matter what, he is the man who took both our virginities,” Su Mei’s laughter echoed around him. “I won’t just kill him like that. I’m going to impart the Mysterious Charm Technique to him, have him join my Evil Lotus Sect, and once he leaves, revive the demonic sects.”

Ye Zi Yin snorted, “If he’s joining any sect, it will be my Daoist sect. Step aside. I will impart the Immortal Ice Technique to him, making him the only male disciple of my Taisu Immortal Pavilion, and he will shoulder the responsibility of upholding righteousness in the martial world.”

The Enchanting Fire Witch retorted, “Nonsense! My man, Su Mei’s man, would never become a hypocrite of your Daoist sect!”

The Holy Jade Immortal said, “Having been intimate with me, if he joins the demonic sects, I would rather kill him myself.”

The two figures circled Shi Hao like a spinning top, making him dizzy.

He stood there, relatively unaffected, but the surrounding bricks and tiles were constantly being sent flying. Unknowingly, air currents swirled around him, forming small tornadoes that swept outwards in all directions.

Shi Hao wanted to say, your strength has recovered quickly, and even more, could you please ask for my opinion?

He shouted, “Both of you, don’t…”

Suddenly, he felt a tightness in his chest and back. The Enchanting Fire Witch pressed her hand against his chest, “Channel your energy through your meridians. I’ll help you open your eight extraordinary meridians.”

The Holy Jade Immortal’s hand pressed against his back, “Focus your energy and hold it within. I’ll help you open your twelve primary meridians.”

Should he channel his energy or hold it within? The eight extraordinary meridians and the twelve primary meridians weren’t the same thing at all, were they?

Shi Hao felt a burst of flames surging into his chest, spreading to his limbs. Soon, most of his body was filled with a burning heat.

But from his back, a cold energy flowed directly into his dantian, circulating through specific, subtle meridians.

The two energy flows, one hot and one cold, clashed within him. The hot energy churned on the outside, while the cold energy condensed into a sphere, radiating outwards.

At first, they didn’t interfere with each other, but then they began to clash. His body alternated between hot and cold, the pain almost tearing him apart.

The Enchanting Fire Witch shouted, “Move aside! Aren’t you the noble and supreme immortal of the Daoist sect? Are you really fighting me over a man?”

The Holy Jade Immortal said coldly, “You should be the one to move aside. Your demonic sects harm the world and cultivate all sorts of evil. I won’t let you lead him astray.”

Both women intensified their efforts simultaneously. Shi Hao felt as if a volcano was erupting within him while a glacier was simultaneously freezing him. The volcano and glacier collided, and he felt as if his body was about to explode.

Under the impact of the two energy flows, his meridians continuously widened, and many acupoints opened with crackling sounds.

The two women, refusing to yield, clashed within him, each trying to suppress the other’s power and expel it from his body to pave the way for their own cultivation method.

But neither could defeat the other, and in their stalemate, Shi Hao felt despair.

It was as if a sea of fire and an iceberg were rushing towards him simultaneously, creating a vast chasm in the rumbling collision, and he was falling into the abyss, doomed forever.

“I get it, you just want to murder your husband!” Knowing he was about to die, Shi Hao, in his final moments, threw caution to the wind and shouted his accusations, “If you want revenge, just say it! Don’t torture me like this. Fine, if you want to kill me, then kill me. Just remember, we were husband and wife for a night, so don’t forget to burn some paper money for me next year.

“My family line has only one heir for three generations… I know, you’ve probably already forced out what I left inside you with your internal energy, so I don’t expect you to bear my…”

Su Mei interrupted, “Shut up!”

Pressing her hand against his chest, her smile vanished, her expression unusually serious, “Don’t worry, there might still be a way.”

The Holy Jade Immortal, behind him, also frowned, “Hold on a little longer. We’ll think of something.”

Shi Hao: “…” Am I really going to die?

The Holy Jade Immortal and the Enchanting Fire Witch weren’t actually trying to kill him; otherwise, he wouldn’t have survived this long.

They were merely using their supreme powers to establish the foundational cultivation methods of their respective sects within him, preventing him from cultivating the other’s techniques.

However, both of them simultaneously building his foundation, one with Daoist techniques and the other with demonic arts, was inherently incompatible. And neither was willing to back down.

Initially, one focused on the dantian, circulating energy through the twelve primary meridians, while the other occupied the rest of his body, channeling energy through the eight extraordinary meridians. And somehow, both systems were actually functioning.

But now, their powers had converged at Shi Hao’s middle dantian, spiraling out of control in their collision.

Shi Hao felt like he was being torn apart… and he wasn’t wrong.

His heart meridian had been “accidentally” severed by the two.

If they hadn’t realized the gravity of the situation and cooperated to stabilize his shattered heart meridian, forcibly guiding his life force, he would have died instantly.

Even so, his heart meridian was as fragile as the last layer of thin ice under the scorching sun, about to break at any moment.

If they withdrew their powers now, without doing anything else, he would collapse immediately.

More importantly, their Daoist and demonic energies were simultaneously circulating within him, locked in a stalemate.

At this moment, the two energies maintained a delicate balance. If either of them retreated even slightly, the other’s energy would surge like floodwaters finding a breach, rampaging through the meridians opened by the other.

In that case, Shi Hao would undoubtedly explode.

The first man in their lives would be blown to smithereens before their eyes… Although they didn’t particularly care about his death, being accused of “murdering their husband” before he died still made them feel uncomfortable.

Shi Hao fell silent. He had shouted “murdering their husband” earlier, hoping to make them restrain themselves.

Now, with their responses, he realized he was truly about to die!

He quickly shut up, afraid of offending them… He felt he still had a chance to survive.

Like a frozen image, everything stopped. The two stunning beauties, one in front and one behind him, remained motionless. He too was frozen, not daring to move a muscle.

The Holy Jade Immortal and the Enchanting Fire Witch quickly considered their options.

Just like the conflict they had instigated within the martial world years ago, leading to an irreversible catastrophe, their current dispute was about to destroy the man who had taken their virginity.

This made them both feel somewhat regretful.

Suddenly, the Holy Jade Immortal said, “At this point, there’s only one way. He must cultivate both Daoist and demonic arts simultaneously.”

The Enchanting Fire Witch frowned, “Easier said than done. How can we make his body circulate two opposing cultivation methods at the same time?”

She paused, then added, “Unless…”

The Holy Jade Immortal said, “We each use a portion of our foundational essence, instill it into his upper and lower dantians, directly break through to the ninth rank foundation for him, raising him to the eighth rank cultivation level. Then, we use that power to repair his severed heart meridian, simultaneously establishing the foundation for both the Immortal Ice Technique and the Mysterious Charm Technique.”

Shi Hao thought, what severed heart meridian?

What have you done to me?

Can I still be saved?

The Enchanting Fire Witch actually laughed, “Are you serious?”

The Holy Jade Immortal said calmly, “Do you have any other ideas? Or should we maintain the current situation, continuously expending our energy until we’re both exhausted, and then watch him explode into pieces?”

The Enchanting Fire Witch said, “Fine! But I’ve never heard of anyone cultivating both demonic and Daoist arts. I don’t know if it will actually work.”

She turned to Shi Hao, “Bear with it, honey. It’s going to hurt a lot!”

Shi Hao felt two streams of energy, one ice and one fire, intertwining at his Dantian (or chest/middle dantian)  acupoint. One surged upwards, the other downwards.

The next moment, a searing pain tore through him…

Chapter 4: I Became Their…

The Holy Jade Immortal was pinned beneath Shi Hao, the scorching heat transferring from his skin to hers.

This Pleasure-Inducing Powder was no ordinary mortal substance but a supreme-grade demonic essence. In her current weakened state, she could barely resist it.

She felt every inch of her skin burning, her mind becoming hazy.

Fortunately, she was a Daoist genius who had cultivated since childhood, possessing a firm will. Mustering her last bit of strength, she forcefully pushed the man off her and kicked him away with all her might.

Shi Hao rolled several times. His eyes were bloodshot, his body burning with desire. Though he still retained some self-awareness and knew he should control himself, his body involuntarily sought its target.

He staggered to his feet and scanned his surroundings. The first thing he saw was a captivating figure in crimson.

He stumbled towards the alluring figure in peach red.

The Enchanting Fire Witch instantly panicked. She had originally planned to watch the show from the sidelines while recovering her vital energy, but now she saw the man, kicked away by Ye Zi Yin, approaching her like a hungry wolf eyeing a lamb.

“Don’t… don’t come any closer… Stay away!” She scrambled away.

Shi Hao, a mere mortal, how could he control himself? Without a word, he pounced on her, pinning her beneath him.

At this moment, he was like a walking aphrodisiac, the heat immediately transferring to the Enchanting Fire Witch. Born into the demonic sects, cunning and treacherous, her Dao heart was not as firm as the Holy Jade Immortal’s. Moreover, those of the demonic path were more susceptible to demonic essences. In an instant, she too began to writhe beneath Shi Hao.

Seeing the Enchanting Fire Witch’s scheme backfiring, the Holy Jade Immortal couldn’t help but laugh.

She was pure and virtuous, her heart as cold as ice, but after years of fighting the Enchanting Fire Witch, they had grown to despise each other. Now, seeing the Enchanting Fire Witch falling victim to her own plot, she burst into laughter.

This laughter caused the Holy Jade Immortal to lose her own Dao heart, allowing the demonic drug to penetrate her core.

Hearing her laughter, Su Mei, overwhelmed with shame, pushed the man off her and rolled over. Before they knew it, the three of them were entangled together…

---

Shi Hao, with the Holy Jade Immortal in one arm and the Enchanting Fire Witch in the other, was completely dumbfounded.

At this moment, both the Holy Jade Immortal and the Enchanting Fire Witch were still unconscious.

Shi Hao lay on the ground with the two women in his arms, staring at the vast sky, at a loss for what to do.

He had actually done such a thing to them?

The demonic drug, with a man as the medium, acted as a potent tonic for the man himself. Thus, he was the first to regain his strength.

He hurriedly sat up and looked at the Holy Jade Immortal and the Enchanting Fire Witch on either side of him, both marveling at his good fortune and feeling his scalp tingle.

Thinking that they would definitely fight again upon waking up, he quickly separated them, placing them far apart. He then gathered their clothes and, unable to dress them himself, covered their bodies.

After quickly dressing himself, he looked up, wondering if they would kill him in anger when they woke up.

But it really wasn’t his fault, was it?

From a certain perspective… he was the innocent victim caught in the crossfire, wasn’t he?

Shi Hao forced himself to calm down. Amidst his panic, he thought that since things had already come to this, it was their own doing, not his fault.

Having calmed down, he finally had the chance to properly examine his surroundings.

The sky above was vast, with something vaguely covering them from above.

In the distance were broken eaves, collapsed white jade pillars, a half-ruined archway, and a plaque. Half of the plaque was missing, and the remaining half was fragmented. On the plaque were several characters written in a bold and vigorous style.

The characters were written with majestic grandeur, but he didn’t recognize a single one.

Although aesthetically pleasing, each stroke was curved like a tadpole. He thought to himself, so this is the so-called “tadpole script”?

The Enchanting Fire Witch lay on a broken piece of white jade. Her peach-red skirt barely covered her body, revealing her fragrant shoulders and jade-like legs. Her “flying celestial” hairstyle was askew from their earlier struggle.

At this moment, she looked nothing like the demonic witch who had caused chaos in the martial world, but more like a helpless and vulnerable woman who had been ravaged, making Shi Hao feel a twinge of guilt.

However, she had administered the drug herself, so upon further reflection, he couldn’t bring himself to feel much sympathy.

He turned to the other side and saw the Holy Jade Immortal Ye Zi Yin lying on a bronze mirror. He had noticed the smooth and flat mirror earlier and carried her over to it.

Because she was wearing a white wrap-around Daoist robe, it spread out and covered her body completely, revealing only her delicate, jade-like feet.

Suddenly, the white robe shifted, and the Holy Jade Immortal reached out from beneath it, sitting up gracefully.

The robe slipped down, revealing her beautiful body. She suddenly came to her senses and, with a gasp, hurriedly clutched it to her chest.

Shi Hao quickly stepped back, fearing she would summon an ice sword and cut him to pieces.

However, the Holy Jade Immortal simply stared at him, her fair face flushing crimson. She seemed to touch herself beneath the robe, and her blushing face turned livid.

Shi Hao involuntarily took another step back.

Naked beneath her open robe, the Holy Jade Immortal cursed her misfortune. She was a righteous figure, a revered immortal of the martial world. She would never harm the innocent. Although she had inexplicably lost her virginity, despite her anger, she couldn’t blame this man who had been unwittingly involved.

She wanted to get up and dress, but she found herself still weak and powerless.

The demonic drug, hidden by the Enchanting Fire Witch to frame her, was a potent tonic for men but a poison for women. Although it wouldn’t kill her, she hadn’t fully recovered yet.

Looking at the other side, she saw that the Enchanting Fire Witch was still unconscious. The Holy Jade Immortal whispered, “Quickly… go and kill her.”

Shi Hao hesitated, “But…”

The Holy Jade Immortal said, “She is a demonic witch carefully nurtured by the Evil Lotus Sect of the demonic path, an enemy of the righteous path who harms the world and slaughters innocent people. If she is allowed to leave, who knows how many more will die at her hands. You saw it yourself just now, she attacked you to harm me. This is the way of the demonic sects, selfish and unscrupulous.”

Shi Hao hesitated. The Enchanting Fire Witch had indeed attacked him, forcing the Holy Jade Immortal to protect him.

This alone showed the difference between the demonic sects and the righteous path. However, looking at the scantily clad demonic witch, he couldn’t bring himself to be so heartless as to kill the woman he had just been intimate with.

Shi Hao shook his head, “I won’t kill her…”

A giggle interrupted him. The Enchanting Fire Witch rolled over and sat up, laughing, “You’re not stupid after all! We’ve fought for so many years, neither of us able to defeat the other. If she’s awake, how could I still be asleep? She’s just putting on airs of righteousness, unable to kill you herself, so she’s asking you to do it for her, forcing me to kill the man who defiled her.”

She sat up gracefully, her robe barely clinging to her chest. She raised her arms and stretched languidly, her posture alluring and captivating.

The Holy Jade Immortal said coldly, “Do you think everyone is as shameless as you?”

The Enchanting Fire Witch covered her chest with one hand and laughed, “Aren’t you righteous people all about pretending to be virtuous? You asked him to kill me. If I die, you win. If he dies, you don’t lose. Luckily, this young man is smart enough. Otherwise, he would have been killed by you.”

However, Shi Hao hadn’t realized she was feigning sleep. He simply thought that the Enchanting Fire Witch’s Fire Lotus Blade could counter the Supreme Emperor Lie Zunyi’s Heavenly Plague Demonic Secret. For this reason alone, he couldn’t let her die here.

It was fortunate he had considered this; otherwise, he might have been killed by her.

The Holy Jade Immortal glared at the Enchanting Fire Witch, gnashing her teeth, “No one can compare to your despicable shamelessness, resorting to such disgraceful tactics.”

The thought of losing her virginity so inexplicably filled her with anger and rage, almost shattering her Dao heart once more.

The Enchanting Fire Witch also secretly regretted her actions, realizing she had brought this upon herself.

Although she was from the demonic sects, she practiced the supreme secret arts of the Night Enchanting Heaven and had always been chaste. She never expected to fall victim to her own drug today.

Feeling extremely annoyed, she said sharply, “So, all of you from the Taisu Immortal Pavilion are just pretending to be virtuous. On the surface, you act all noble and dignified, radiating immortal energy, but secretly, you’re probably all just waiting for men to crawl all over you.”

The Holy Jade Immortal retorted coldly, “I think you demonic people don’t take this seriously at all. You, Enchanting Fire Witch, have probably already offered your arms as pillows to thousands and your lips to tens of thousands. You’re utterly despicable.”

The Enchanting Fire Witch flew into a rage, grabbing nearby debris and throwing it at the Holy Jade Immortal.

The Holy Jade Immortal retaliated in kind, picking up whatever she could find and throwing it back.

Shi Hao dodged while staring at them in disbelief. These two, one a righteous immortal and the other a demonic witch, were now acting like children fighting in the mud, throwing whatever they could get their hands on, completely devoid of any semblance of their expert demeanor.

Of course, this also showed just how enraged they were.

Seeing that their fight was about to continue endlessly, Shi Hao gritted his teeth and roared, “Both of you, stop!”

The Holy Jade Immortal and the Enchanting Fire Witch, each holding broken bricks and stones, looked at him.

Shi Hao looked around, his face unusually serious, his eyes filled with anger.

These two, one a righteous immortal and the other a demonic genius, could easily kill him with a flick of their wrists.

But now, he looked at them with disdain. He lowered his voice as much as possible, trying to maintain his composure.

He said slowly, “Do you know how many of our fellow Chinese have died while you two have been scheming and fighting to the death here? Do you know how many cities were slaughtered, how many people were killed when the barbarian court invaded three hundred years ago?

“For these past three hundred years, Lie Zunyi has ruled the Central Plains, with the Jin clan as the royal family and the Chinese people as slaves, living precarious lives, as lowly as ants. And the cause of this disaster was the conflict you instigated within the martial world all those years ago.

“You caused countless martial artists to perish in your fight between good and evil. You allowed the northern barbarians to profit, killing countless innocent people. You have the power to resist Lie Zunyi, yet you waste your lives in this place, fighting meaninglessly for so many years, watching as China falls and its people suffer.”

He paused, his face as cold as ice, his eyes burning with furious flames.

His hands were clenched tightly, his nails digging into his palms, almost drawing blood. “Just before I entered this place, martial world scum loyal to the barbarian court were capturing two children, a girl and a boy. Their father, a scholar with no martial arts skills, died resisting the barbarian court.

“There were a group of martial artists, their strength far inferior to yours, who risked their lives to protect the children of the loyal and righteous, fleeing with them in the storm. They knew the barbarian court was powerful, that their journey was perilous, yet they went without hesitation. They were caught, and they are likely dead now.

“And you two, so powerful, commanding both the righteous and demonic paths, capable of stirring up storms in the martial world, capable of inciting conflict between Daoists and Demons. You possess extraordinary martial arts and supernatural abilities, geniuses of both paths, yet you live lives less meaningful than those two children.”

Under his accusations, Su Mei raised an eyebrow, her face filled with murderous intent, but then she snorted and turned away, refusing to speak.

The Holy Jade Immortal lowered her gaze, contemplating for a long time before sighing softly, “Alas…”

Shi Hao turned away, ignoring them, and walked among the ruins.

Behind him, Ye Zi Yin and Su Mei exchanged glances, clutched their clothes, and drifted away in opposite directions.

---

Shi Hao stood beneath a stone pillar. From afar, the pillar hadn’t seemed very tall, and he felt he had only walked half a mile. But now, standing here, looking up, he saw the pillar soaring into the clouds, like a pillar of heaven.

The seemingly world-connecting pillar made him feel incredibly small, and he realized that the space here was definitely unusual.

He stood there, gazing up at the towering pillar, marveling at its grandeur and magnificence.

A soft “Hey” came from behind him.

Shi Hao turned and saw Su Mei standing there, seemingly having appeared out of nowhere.

She had put on her peach-red skirt but not her trousers.

She sat on a round white jade stone, likely an ornament that had once adorned a roof or pillar.

She crossed her legs, her crimson skirt revealing her slender, white feet and delicate toes. She smiled, relaxed and exuding an indescribable charm.

She said, “Tell me, what’s it like out there now?”

Chapter 3: The Fifth Heaven’s Demonic Drug

Shi Hao stared intently at the two women.

For a moment, he wondered if they were joking with him.

He sighed and said, “Three hundred years ago, the current Supreme Emperor of the Jin Dynasty, who was then the Jin Hao King Lie Zunyi, led numerous barbarian kings and a massive barbarian army to invade China, leading to the fall of the Great Sheng Dynasty.”

Su Mei snorted and said, “Lie Zunyi? The ‘Plague King’ Lie Zunyi of the Jin clan? That fellow thought his Heavenly Plague Demonic Secret was invincible. He even came to the Central Plains, intending to unify the dark path, but I easily broke his Heavenly Plague Demonic Secret with my Fire Lotus Blade, scaring him back to where he came from.

“With his meager skills, he managed to conquer the Central Plains?”

Shi Hao said solemnly, “I don’t know much about the Great Sheng Dynasty. For these past three hundred years, the barbarian court has been destroying history, obliterating traces, slaughtering people, and suppressing the sense of belonging to ‘China’ among the Central Plains people. What I do know is that three hundred years ago, there was a civil war within the martial world of China.

“This vicious battle resulted in heavy casualties. Almost all the experts from both the righteous and demonic paths were killed. This left the Central Plains virtually defenseless when Lie Zunyi, along with the eight barbarian kings and hundreds of thousands of barbarian soldiers, invaded.

“Especially that Jin Hao King Lie Zunyi, he spread plagues across the Central Plains, slaughtering countless towns and cities, and no one could stop him.”

On the other side, the Holy Jade Immortal Ye Zi Yin said impassively, “Although Lie Zunyi’s Heavenly Plague Demonic Secret was countered by the Fire Lotus Blade, he was still a top-tier expert among the barbarians. Back then, there were rumors that he might have obtained a supreme-grade divine crystal called the ‘Plague Emperor.’

“Even so, if someone hadn’t used the Primordial Grotto Heaven to trigger the catastrophe within the Central Plains martial world, causing the deaths of numerous experts, how could China have been taken advantage of by foreigners, with tens of millions of Chinese people reduced to slaves?”

The Enchanting Fire Witch Su Mei said disdainfully, “Although the Primordial Grotto Heaven incident was a trap I set, your Taisu Immortal Pavilion wasn’t exactly innocent. You simply thought you had planted spies among the higher-ups of the demonic sects and wanted to use a counter-scheme to capture them all in one fell swoop.

“If you ask me, your Taisu Immortal Pavilion is the one truly responsible for the downfall of the Central Plains martial world. Especially you, Holy Jade Immortal, arrogant and conceited, thinking yourself a saint, wanting to eradicate the demonic sects in one go, uniting those so-called renowned righteous sects, and instigating conflict within the martial world. Now that conflict has arisen, you blame the demonic sects for fanning the flames?”

The Holy Jade Immortal glared, “Your demonic sects commit all sorts of evil and harm the world. Shouldn’t they be eradicated?”

The Enchanting Fire Witch laughed, “Are those so-called righteous people any better? Every single one of them is sanctimonious, secretly vying for power and profit, engaging in all sorts of debauchery. And the Great Sheng’s Li family, whom you support, back then, your Taisu Immortal Pavilion claimed to represent the Mandate of Heaven, choosing a ruler on behalf of heaven, and then you really started to think of yourselves as celestial beings?

“That Great Sheng Dynasty, it was alright in the beginning, but later became corrupt from top to bottom. The upper class indulged in extravagance and debauchery, while the common people were left with barely enough clothes to cover themselves and struggled to survive. In my opinion, such a dynasty deserved to be overthrown. You supported such a corrupt dynasty, completely ignoring the suffering of the people, and you have the audacity to accuse the demonic sects?”

The Holy Jade Immortal’s face darkened, her eyes burning with anger, “So, instigating the martial world catastrophe and luring the northern barbarians to invade, was that your idea?”

The Enchanting Fire Witch giggled, “Don’t put the blame on others. The Great Sheng Dynasty, which you supported, enjoyed the prosperity of nations paying tribute, speaking of universal harmony and peace among all races, while suppressing other sects besides the righteous path of the Central Plains. This is what it means to ‘favor foreigners over family.’ Turning ‘nations paying tribute’ into ‘nations invading,’ isn’t that exactly what you so-called benevolent and virtuous immortals wanted?”

The Holy Jade Immortal was furious. Her figure flickered and disappeared.

Shi Hao only heard a giggle from the other side, “Who’s afraid of who?”

Boom! A loud explosion echoed from above. He looked up but couldn’t see their figures, only white and black lights exploding above him.

Crackling explosions filled the air as streaks of light scattered like spiderwebs.

Immediately afterward, dazzling light flashed in all directions. Occasionally, he could glimpse their figures, but they would vanish in the next instant.

Broken bricks and tiles flew through the air, near and far. Lightning bolts struck from the sky, making his eyes ache. Flames streaked across the sky, exploding with blinding light.

This was a battle beyond his imagination.

In the past, the fights Shi Hao had witnessed in Small Han Mountain City were just people wielding swords, spears, and halberds, clashing against each other. Although Shi Hao was just a scholar who didn’t understand martial arts, he could clearly see their movements.

How one person struck, how another dodged, it was all easily discernible to him.

But the Holy Jade Immortal and the Enchanting Fire Witch were everywhere and nowhere at the same time, their movements too fast to follow. When he opened his eyes occasionally, the dazzling scenes and the sounds he heard created a bizarre sense of dislocation, making him feel like vomiting blood.

Waves of light continued to flash, one after another, making him sway dizzily, his eyes aching.

Amidst the constant rumbling, the Holy Jade Immortal’s cold voice rang out, “Close your eyes. Don’t look anymore.”

In the midst of the chaotic clamor, as if every raindrop falling in a violent storm would trigger an explosion, her voice reached his ears clearly.

Shi Hao quickly closed his eyes. Only then did he realize how much his eyes ached. If he continued watching, his eyeballs might explode.

They had clearly avoided him, yet just by watching, he could barely endure it.

Even with his eyes closed, he could still occasionally feel flashes of light before his eyelids, as if they could easily pierce through his eyelids, penetrate his eyeballs, and reach his pupils.

Listening intently, he realized that the crackling explosions were also like pearls and jade falling onto a plate, flickering and appearing from multiple directions and layers.

From this alone, he could tell that the martial arts they were using were diverse and ever-changing, constantly evolving in their confrontation.

“Stop!” The Holy Jade Immortal’s voice rang out again, still cold and clear.

“You say stop, and I should stop?” The Enchanting Fire Witch laughed. “You were the one who started it.”

“There’s no point in continuing this fight!” The Holy Jade Immortal said coldly. “We both know each other’s techniques and killing moves. Our magical weapons have also been exhausted in recent days. Even if we fight until we’re completely exhausted, neither of us can win.”

“Then you should have thought about that before you started!” The Enchanting Fire Witch said disdainfully. “This is typical of you so-called righteous sects. You’re always thinking about eradicating demons and upholding righteousness, instigating conflicts, and then when you can’t control the situation, you want stability, you want order. The world doesn’t revolve around you.”

The explosions became even more rapid. Even Shi Hao could tell that the Enchanting Fire Witch not only hadn’t stopped but was attacking even more fiercely.

Suddenly, clear, crisp sounds rang out from four directions simultaneously, converging towards a single point. The sound became increasingly sharp and piercing, densely packed, transforming into a strange melody.

Despite its sharpness, the rhythm of the melody was strangely captivating. Immediately afterward, a loud explosion resounded.

Shi Hao felt a surge of air, and the surrounding air became hot. The next moment, a chill descended from the sky, swirling as the Holy Jade Immortal’s cold voice rang out, “What are you trying to do?”

The Enchanting Fire Witch’s laughter echoed again, “I’ve had enough of this entanglement. Today, only one of us will walk away alive.”

Shi Hao stood still, not daring to move. The surrounding sounds became chaotic, sometimes as loud as thunder, sometimes as soft as rustling leaves. All sorts of sounds, crackling, clanging, as if all the sounds of the world were mixed together.

He didn’t know how long this lasted. Time seemed to stop, and yet it also felt like a long time had passed.

Suddenly, another explosion rocked the world, and Shi Hao felt the ground shake beneath him, causing him to lose his balance.

He subconsciously opened his eyes and saw the Holy Jade Immortal and the Enchanting Fire Witch. They were still fighting, but their movements had significantly slowed down.

The Holy Jade Immortal’s figure appeared even more slender. Her expression was unusually serious, her white clothes fluttering. At some point, a sword had appeared in her hand, as white as snow, radiating a cold light.

The Enchanting Fire Witch, despite her petite stature, exuded an innate charm. Flames flickered like a blade before her palm.

Their figures spun in the air, swords and flames clashing. The residual waves of ice and fire continuously exploded in the sky and on the ground.

Gradually, even Shi Hao could hear their increasingly labored breathing.

They had fought countless times and knew each other well. Despite fighting with all their might, neither could injure the other. They were simply exhausting each other pointlessly, until their killing moves were exhausted and their vital energy depleted.

Shi Hao saw the ice sword in the Holy Jade Immortal’s hand gradually dissipate, and the Enchanting Fire Witch’s fire blade weaken, flickering like a candle in the wind.

Unable to condense their energy any longer, the two women clashed with palms and fists, vital energy exploding with each impact.

Even in such a fierce battle, their movements were still captivatingly beautiful, making it impossible to look away.

The Holy Jade Immortal’s expression became increasingly serious. In all her years of fighting the Enchanting Fire Witch Su Mei, neither had ever gained a decisive victory.

If the Enchanting Fire Witch had a way to defeat her, she would have used it already. Why would she wait until now?

The Holy Jade Immortal didn’t understand why the Enchanting Fire Witch insisted on fighting her now, wasting their vital energy. Therefore, she was extremely cautious and on high alert.

As the battle dragged on, both women became breathless. Suddenly, the Enchanting Fire Witch slashed with her palm-blade, igniting another burst of flames. She leaped back, and the fire blade whistled as it streaked towards Shi Hao.

The Holy Jade Immortal snorted, thinking “Despicable!” Her delicate body flickered as she blocked the Enchanting Fire Witch’s path. Two fingers extended like a sword, emitting an ice blade that intercepted the fire blade.

Just moments ago, both of them had appeared to be exhausted of vital energy, but in reality, they had both concealed some of their strength.

However, they were both aware of each other’s hidden reserves.

Although they had conserved some strength, it was true that they had exhausted a significant amount of their vital energy.

The Enchanting Fire Witch could no longer leap and maneuver freely. She tapped her toes lightly on the ground and quickly approached, unleashing a series of palm strikes.

She targeted both the young man and the Holy Jade Immortal in her attacks.

Coming from the ruthless demonic sects, she naturally didn’t care about the lives of others.

The Holy Jade Immortal, who considered herself righteous, couldn’t stand by and watch a scholar with no martial arts skills get caught in the crossfire.

With a series of profound finger techniques, she intercepted all of the Enchanting Fire Witch’s attacks.

Both women were panting, especially the Enchanting Fire Witch.

Although she had forced the Holy Jade Immortal to protect the young man, she was on the offensive, attacking both of them simultaneously. The Holy Jade Immortal was on the defensive, which, despite needing to protect the man behind her, actually conserved more energy.

Suddenly, the Enchanting Fire Witch pushed out with both palms, sending a gust of wind towards the Holy Jade Immortal.

The Holy Jade Immortal also struck out with her palms. Crack, crack, crack… Their four palms clashed repeatedly, and a faint fragrance filled the air.

Poison? The Holy Jade Immortal instantly held her breath and launched a counterattack against the Enchanting Fire Witch. Having expended more energy, the Enchanting Fire Witch was now forced into a defensive position.

Having rarely gained the upper hand in all these years, the Holy Jade Immortal was elated and continued her assault. Just as the Enchanting Fire Witch seemed to be faltering, she suddenly felt a tightness around her waist.

It was the young man, embracing her from behind.

The Holy Jade Immortal was startled. The man’s skin was burning hot, and a wave of heat surged towards her. In that moment of distraction, the Enchanting Fire Witch suddenly counterattacked.

Mustering her last bit of strength, the Holy Jade Immortal struck out swiftly, sending the Enchanting Fire Witch flying. However, she herself also tumbled to the ground with the young man.

The Enchanting Fire Witch crashed to the ground, unable to stop her momentum, rolling twice before bursting into laughter, “You… you finally fell for it… Hee hee… What I used just now wasn’t poison at all. It was the… the Pleasure-Inducing Powder I obtained from the Fifth Heaven of the Demonic Realm, the Heaven of Delight.

“Before… before, there were no men here, so it wasn’t needed… That’s why… that’s why I was able to keep it until now. Now… now both you and him have been affected by this potent… potent aphrodisiac from the Demonic Realm. You… you pure and virtuous Immortal, just… just enjoy yourself… Hee hee.”

By now, she had completely exhausted her strength. She rolled twice, tried to stand up shakily, but then collapsed back onto the ground.

Although she had used all her strength and almost been killed by the Holy Jade Immortal for pushing them both to the brink, her carefully calculated scheme had finally succeeded. She felt extremely triumphant, and despite her exhaustion, her laughter rang out loud and clear.

The Holy Jade Immortal knew something was wrong, but she was pinned down by the young man. Despite struggling, she couldn’t push him away.

The Pleasure-Inducing Powder the Enchanting Fire Witch possessed came from the Fifth Heaven of the Demonic Realm and was no ordinary substance. However, it couldn’t directly affect women. Instead, it first took effect on men, who then acted as a medium, transmitting its effects to women through skin contact.

Under normal circumstances, Shi Hao wouldn’t have been able to get close to her. However, the Enchanting Fire Witch Su Mei had meticulously planned everything, deliberately exhausting both their vital energy and physical strength.

By attacking Shi Hao as well, she forced the Holy Jade Immortal to protect him, leading to the drugged Shi Hao’s sudden embrace.

Caught off guard, the Holy Jade Immortal, along with Shi Hao, fell victim to this strange drug from the Fifth Heaven of the Demonic Realm. It seemed her chastity was about to be lost…

Chapter 2: The Holy Jade Immortal and the Enchanting Fire Witch

Master Lu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Having spent some time in the martial world, he knew that during Six Gates investigations, harming innocent people, or even killing the innocent and taking credit for it, was not uncommon.

At this moment, perhaps because they didn’t appear to be ordinary commoners, and wanting to avoid further complications, the Six Gates let them go. Otherwise, they might have been killed directly and treated as accomplices.

“Let’s go!” Master Lu whispered, despite having only taken a few bites of the meat soup.

He looked to the side and saw the Young Master clenching his fists, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Master Lu grabbed his arm and urged, “Young Master, let’s get out of here!”

Shi Hao stood up silently. At this moment, he hated his own powerlessness.

The so-called Six Gates were all scoundrels serving the barbarian tribe that occupied the land of China. The people they were chasing and arresting were loyal and righteous individuals.

Yet, he could do nothing but leave submissively under the other party’s single word, “Get out!”

Shi Hao followed Master Lu, and together with the four attendants, they filed out. Although the rain had lessened considerably outside, it hadn’t stopped. In the distance, thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed, but the flashes couldn’t penetrate the darkness.

They retrieved their two horses in the darkness and rain, left the dilapidated temple, and continued their journey in the dark.

The rain quickly soaked them to the bone. The icy chill penetrated them from the outside in, as if they were immersed in a glacier that never melted, making their hearts cold and devoid of warmth.

After getting some distance from the temple, one of the hunters spat and muttered, “Barbarian lapdogs!”

He didn’t dare to curse too loudly, fearing that the shadowy figures surrounding the temple might hear.

An explosion echoed from inside the temple.

After those people left, Daoist Lan He, unwilling to involve bystanders, suddenly took out a tiger-shaped stone engraved with runes from his bosom.

With a loud shout, divine light emanated from the stone, and his body suddenly grew larger.

Zhao Haisong’s eyes narrowed. “An Earthly Fiend magic weapon?” He then chuckled, “I didn’t expect you to have such a hidden treasure.”

Daoist Lan He transformed into a towering figure, twice his original height, with a burly physique and bulging muscles. His Daoist robe was stretched and torn. He threw a punch backward, shattering the stone wall behind him. Stones flew, and screams came from behind the temple as figures were flung out with the debris.

“Protect them and go!” Daoist Lan He shouted.

The four martial artists protected the girl and boy as they rushed outside.

“Don’t even think about escaping!” Zhao Haisong swung his goose-feather saber, sending a surge of saber energy towards Daoist Lan He.

From the sides, the Rat and Bat duo burst through the windows, attacking Daoist Lan He.

Daoist Lan He was completely fearless. With astonishing divine power, bang, bang, boom, boom, he forced Zhao Haisong and the Rat and Bat duo to retreat simultaneously.

The sounds of clashing weapons, along with the screams of the girl and child, came from behind the temple.

Another boom resounded as the stone wall completely exploded. Daoist Lan He pulled the dilapidated Earth God statue from the ground with his bare hands and rushed out of the temple. In the raging wind and rain, he hurled the statue.

The statue whistled as it spun in the rain, sending water splashing in all directions. It crashed into several constables in dark uniforms, accompanied by the cracking of bones and their screams, followed by the resounding thud of the statue hitting the ground.

Daoist Lan He wreaked havoc, throwing punch after punch. His massive and burly figure was as imposing as a mountain.

“Don’t fight him head-on,” Zhao Haisong shouted as he dashed out of the collapsing temple. “Entangle him and wait for his divine power to wear off.”

Rumble, rumble, rumble… Lightning flashed and thunder roared, one bolt after another.

The rain, which had shown signs of weakening, quickly intensified.

Shi Hao walked through the mountainous terrain where the path was completely invisible. Occasionally, lightning illuminated the huge sinkhole beside them.

At the edge of the pit, barely outlined by the light, the inside was pitch black, as if a ferocious dragon could emerge at any moment and swallow them whole.

When the lightning faded, the world was plunged into darkness, and countless raindrops pelted them.

Shi Hao felt his wet clothes clinging tightly to his cold body. The ground was uneven, and he stumbled occasionally, relying on the people beside him to support him.

Suddenly, a long neigh pierced the air, and mud splashed. Shi Hao turned around and saw the horses rearing up in fright. Another bolt of lightning split the sky, illuminating the horses’ eyes, and they kicked wildly.

Shi Hao was forced to dodge, stumbled, and suddenly stepped into empty space. An unexpected feeling of weightlessness, like an invisible black hand, pulled him down. Sharp stones tore at his clothes, and his skin felt a cutting pain.

“Young Master? Young Master?” Master Lu’s shouts and the terrified neighs of the horses were quickly drowned out by the deafening thunder.

Rumble, rumble, rumble…

As he slid downwards, Shi Hao felt dizzy. In the boundless darkness, the lightning above appeared as a narrow streak, flashing twice before disappearing.

He felt stars bursting in his eyes, as if his own eyes were emitting waves of light with each impact between his body and the rocks and earth.

A bang resonated in his eardrums, and he felt a churning in his stomach, nauseated. A surging torrent came, pushing his gradually numb body, like a duckweed on the sea, tossing and turning, he knew not where.

I’m going to die! Shi Hao thought to himself.

As a transmigrator, in such a sorrowful era, as a weak scholar, he was dying in a huge pit formed three hundred years ago for unknown reasons.

Like a small pebble falling into a vast river during a violent storm, unable to create a single noticeable ripple, he would sink to the bottom, buried among countless grains of sand like stars, never to be noticed again.

Away from the rain, away from the chaotic world. He still worried about the helpless girl and the hungry child in the dilapidated temple, worried about the loyal and righteous individuals who risked their lives to protect them.

Then, he silently mocked himself. He couldn’t even protect himself, yet he still had the time to worry about others.

He felt himself collide with something, but his senses had become dull from the series of impacts.

It wasn’t until he started to feel something was wrong that he abruptly sat up and coughed violently for a while before regaining his senses.

He couldn’t hear the thunder or the rain, as if he had fallen into another world. He had clearly been swept away by the current, yet there was no water around him now, nor any light.

Shi Hao fumbled and climbed to his feet, swaying as he took a few steps in the darkness. The ground was flat, no longer bumpy, and the surroundings were silent, so quiet that he could hear his own heartbeat.

The thump-thump sound made him laugh at his own nervousness. He had died once in his previous life, yet he was still afraid of death again?

Or perhaps, what he feared wasn’t death itself, but a meaningless death.

Shi Hao felt the wind.

His feet were on flat stone ground, but he felt a cool breeze rising from below.

He saw a flickering light in the distance. In this absolute darkness, shielded from the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, at the bottom of this pit, in this inexplicable place, that faint light seemed both eerie and like a beacon of hope in the darkness, drawing him towards it subconsciously, staggering as he walked.

Shi Hao heard a crackling sound in his ears, as if countless unknown objects were colliding around him.

The airflow was chaotic. Although the wind wasn’t strong, he was blown about, and it took him a lot of effort to approach the light.

The light was white, with a strange black flicker within it.

Shi Hao realized that the crackling sound was coming from this flickering, black and white light.

Crack! Another explosion, like a fragile egg hitting a hard rock, the sound of the eggshell breaking.

Space shattered bizarrely, and Shi Hao fell once more.

During this fall, shimmering, mysterious halos danced around him.

He used the word “halo” because they were like snowflakes, colorful yet thin as cicada wings.

These halos flickered and vanished in waves, sometimes purple, sometimes blue, constantly changing. Darkness pressed down from above in waves.

Shi Hao thought he was definitely going to die. No matter where he landed, falling from such a height, with such acceleration, he would undoubtedly perish.

However, two gusts of wind surged towards him, one cold and one warm. They supported him from below, making him feel like he had fallen into a pile of cotton, and his descent gradually slowed.

At the same time, they seemed to be tearing and competing with each other. He felt like he was caught between ice and fire, as if he would be torn to shreds if he wasn’t careful.

Finally, he landed safely on the ground. Because of these two air currents, he didn’t feel any pain, but he felt exhausted.

White and red halos bloomed before his eyes, clashing with each other, swish, swish, swish. He felt as if the universe was exploding around him, and he was utterly powerless.

Suddenly, the two air currents separated, and two women’s grunts came from either side of Shi Hao.

There are people here? Shi Hao swayed as he tried to stand, but then plopped back down onto the ground with a thud. It took him a while to collect himself.

Shi Hao looked to his left first and was astonished to see an exceptionally beautiful woman.

The woman was dressed in white, with a slender figure and skin as white as snow. She was a breathtaking beauty. Her white clothes, made of an unknown material, were spotless and seemed to be faintly embroidered with lingzhi mushrooms and ruyi scepters, auspicious cloud patterns of good fortune and happiness.

The moment he saw her, Shi Hao felt he had never seen such a beautiful woman in his life. Idioms like “causing fish to sink and geese to fall” and “making the moon hide and flowers blush” felt inadequate to describe her beauty.

Her hair was tied up in a bun, secured with a Daoist hairpin, which, combined with her attire, indicated her identity as a member of the Daoist sect. Her face was as cold and clear as water, with an otherworldly aloofness, like a celestial being descending to earth, inspiring reverence.

For a moment, Shi Hao was stunned. Then, a “Hee hee” came from the other side, startling him and snapping him out of his daze. He instinctively turned his head to the right and was stunned once more.

On his right was another woman, possessing a different kind of beauty.

Her figure was more petite. She wore a peach blossom embroidered, narrow-sleeved, wrap-around deep robe with a wide belt around her slender waist. Her hair was styled in an extremely rare “flying celestial” bun, her face oval-shaped, and her features picturesque.

Her bright eyes were captivating, and her demeanor was delicate and charming. Unlike the woman in white on the left, she had a playful smile and a mischievous glint in her eyes. Coupled with her bright peach-red clothes, she was like a flame, clearly dangerous, yet irresistibly alluring.

The two women, with completely different styles, were both flawlessly beautiful, their appearances rarely seen in the world.

At this moment, Shi Hao wondered if he had died in that huge, deep pit formed three hundred years ago for unknown reasons, and was now hallucinating before his death.

Otherwise, why would he encounter these two exceptionally beautiful women in such a place, with such contrasting styles, one like ice and the other like fire?

The women in white and red were also scrutinizing him.

Ignoring them for the moment, Shi Hao looked around and realized that this place was in ruins…Everywhere he looked, there was a faint glow, and immortal energy lingered, but not a single stone was intact.

Shattered and collapsed immortal trees, broken red eaves and jade tiles, everything was in ruins.

Shi Hao could imagine that this place must have been a fairyland long ago. He could even piece it together in his mind, forming an otherworldly, profound fairyland that didn’t belong to the mortal realm, but it had been destroyed for some unknown reason.

The two women stood amidst these ruins, surrounded by flowing air currents, confronting each other.

Their gazes were fixed on him, creating an invisible pressure.

“Oh my, young man, may I know your name and which sect you belong to?” The woman in red spoke first.

Her voice was like an oriole’s, exceptionally pleasant to the ear. Just listening to it sent a thrilling tingling sensation through his body and mind, a lingering melody that could last for three days.

Shi Hao stood up, bowed to both of them, and said, “I am Shi Hao, just a scholar, and I belong to no sect. May I ask for the ladies’ names, and what is this place?”

The woman in red chuckled, “It’s fine if you don’t recognize me, but how can you not even recognize her? The renowned Holy Jade Immortal of the Central Plains’ righteous path, the Violet Matriarch who commands the eight major sects and the entire martial world, you don’t even know her? You’ll be laughed at if you go out like this.”

The woman in white said coldly, “Don’t flatter me. How can I compare to the Enchanting Fire Witch who stirs up the martial world, brings calamity to the world, commands the obedience of the nineteen demons, and is feared by all, able to stop a baby’s cries? Everyone says that you will likely be the next Demonic Emperor.”

The woman in red giggled and said, “Why so modest, Holy Jade Immortal? ‘Pearls fall from the platform, copper talismans unfurl, golden flowers rise in violet smoke. Violet smoke ascends to the Heavenly Palace, sun and moon cast their light upon the vast world’… Oh my, look at your poetic title, how heroic, how magnificent. Only you, Immortal, could pull it off. If it were anyone else, they wouldn’t dare to recite such a title in public.”

She sat on a piece of glazed tile, slapping the ground as she laughed continuously.

The Holy Jade Immortal snorted coldly and said indifferently, ” ‘Fire tests the heavenly punishment, mocks the celestial laws, dances amidst flowers, disrupting order and discipline; plays in the mortal world, captivating all beings, destroying laws and the Dao, the night-enchanting celestial’… Aren’t you also quite boastful?”

The Enchanting Fire Witch laughed, “I can’t compare to you, Holy Jade Immortal Ye Zi Yin, to whom even the Emperor of the Great Sheng Dynasty pays tribute every year, begging for peace and safety. They call you an Immortal, but you’re practically a Celestial Venerable.”

The Holy Jade Immortal snorted again, “You, Enchanting Fire Witch Su Mei, wherever you go, blood flows like rivers. You make the Emperor of the Great Sheng Dynasty tremble in fear, silence babies’ cries, command demons, and subdue evil spirits. You are truly a majestic Demonic Emperor of the dark path.”

The Enchanting Fire Witch said, “You, Ye Zi Yin…”

“Ladies, ladies!” Shi Hao sensed something was amiss and quickly interrupted, “The Great Sheng Dynasty you speak of, is it the one that was destroyed by the barbarians three hundred years ago?”

Both women were stunned. The Enchanting Fire Witch Su Mei asked in surprise, “Three hundred years ago?”

The Holy Jade Immortal Ye Zi Yin, whose face was usually cold and aloof, finally changed her expression. “The Great Sheng… has fallen?”

Chapter 1: Rainy Night at Disordered Chess Mountain

Dark clouds pressed down heavily, piling up in the sky. The earth was dim, and a torrential downpour, like a landslide and tsunami combined, was about to strike.

The mountains and rivers were fragmented, and all was silent. A group of people hurried towards a dilapidated temple ahead.

The surrounding mountains appeared chaotic and disorganized, as if the Creator, in a fit of inexplicable irritability while arranging this landscape, had pushed the mountains into crooked and slanted positions.

To the right of the dilapidated temple was a deep pit about half a mile in diameter, connected to a crisscrossing network of fissures. This prevented the pit from accumulating water and forming a lake.

A young man in a fur coat, riding one of the only two horses in the group, quickly rushed to the front of the temple and jumped down. Soon, the martial artist beside him also dismounted, followed by the rest of the group, panting as they caught up and quickly tied their horses.

Amidst the rumbling roar, the world turned into a vast expanse of white. By this time, the group had managed to take shelter in the dilapidated temple, avoiding the heavy rain.

“The weather around here is really unusual!” The young man patted the grass and dust off his fur coat and looked out through the cobweb-covered window pane. “Just a moment ago, it was fine, with a clear sky, and suddenly dark clouds rolled in, bringing this downpour.”

The martial artist, dressed in grey, had a broad face and a low forehead, with an iron saber tucked into his belt. He smiled and said, “Young Master, you may not know, but this place is called Disordered Chess Ridge. I heard that three hundred years ago, it was actually called Stone Chess Ridge.

“At that time, the mountain peaks here were arranged like chess pieces on a board, neat and orderly. Later, a battle between Daoists and Demons took place in this area, resulting in a bloodbath, with corpses strewn everywhere, and even the surrounding terrain changed.”

The young man said with a hint of envy, “I wonder if I’ll ever have the chance to learn such martial arts that can alter the landscape.”

The martial artist shook his head and smiled, “Such extraordinary encounters are purely by chance. Difficult! Difficult! Difficult!”

The young man sighed helplessly, wishing that at this moment, a system would suddenly appear before him, listing numerous divine powers, allowing him to select… and then level up.

Having transmigrated and taken over this body, it had been three years now without him realizing it. In these three years, although he had done many things for the people of Small Han Mountain City, in such a turbulent era, ultimately, only powerful martial artists and those with supernatural abilities could protect themselves.

Unlike now, the Marquis could simply send someone over with a demand, and for the safety of all the people in the mountain city, he, the young master of Small Han Mountain City, had to obey and travel to the Marquis’ city. They called it a marriage alliance, but in reality, he was marrying a “daughter” arbitrarily chosen by the Marquis’ younger brother from his own clan.

Beside him, six other attendants had spontaneously started to work, using the broken brooms by the door to sweep the dust-filled temple and light a fire to prepare dinner.

These so-called attendants were actually hunters from Small Han Mountain City.

In recent years, Small Han Mountain City had fallen on hard times, until three years ago, when their young master, Shi Hao, suffered a serious illness. After recovering, he seemed to have gained enlightenment and brought many new techniques to the mountain city, enabling the people to endure these difficult times of unpredictable weather.

Because of this, they held deep respect for their young master, who was only seventeen years old.

Shi Hao came to the temple entrance and looked up at the outside. The earth was vast, the rain roared, and the moisture seemed to find a breakthrough, pouring into the temple. It felt as if the earth itself would tilt, and the rain would surge in like a flood.

“Young Master!” the martial artist called from behind him. “We probably won’t be able to leave tonight. It’s damp by the entrance, so come and sit down.”

Shi Hao turned and walked towards the corner they had barely managed to clean.

Someone fetched a clean piece of cloth to cushion the ground for him. Shi Hao waved his hand and said, “No need.”

The man smiled. “Young Master, you’re a scholar, unlike us. We’re rough folk who hunt in the mountains and are used to sitting on dirty ground.” He still spread the cloth.

Shi Hao said self-deprecatingly, “What use are scholars in these times? If I had a choice, I would rather abandon literature and pursue martial arts. Perhaps then I could do more.”

Unable to refuse the man’s kindness, he sat down on the grey but clean square cloth and looked at the martial artist beside him, saying, “Master Lu, you’re also a martial artist…”

Master Lu said, “Young Master, martial artists are also of many different kinds. Someone like me is just a roughneck who brawls in the streets and alleys. I don’t have the light skills to leap over roofs and walls, nor the divine power to kill from a thousand miles away. In the eyes of true masters, people like me, to even say we practice martial arts, disgrace the very word ‘martial’.

“If Young Master truly wants to learn those skills of soaring through the heavens and burrowing into the earth, you’ll probably have to join the Chongxian Sect.”

When he mentioned the “Chongxian Sect,” his expression was not one of reverence but rather of disdain.

It was as if, in the heart of this rough man who only knew some fist and saber techniques and practiced a bit of body tempering, the Chongxian Sect, with its boundless Daoist arts and overwhelming divine powers, was the truly despicable “lowly thing.”

Even Shi Hao frowned and shook his head when he heard him mention the “Chongxian Sect.”

Master Lu whispered, “If Young Master doesn’t want to join the Chongxian Sect but still wants to learn real skills, you’re afraid you’ll have to join the ‘unorthodox sects,’ or even the Demonic Sects.”

Outside, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, shaking the heavens. The world outside the dilapidated temple momentarily brightened before being swallowed by even deeper darkness.

The hunters, dressed as attendants, took out an iron pot and started to cook meat soup over the bonfire. They were accustomed to life in the wilderness and were naturally adept at these tasks.

Soon, the water in the pot was boiling, and the aroma of meat filled the air. They added dried mushrooms, dried bamboo shoots, and other ingredients from their packs, making mouths water.

Suddenly, another flash of lightning illuminated the outside.

There were hurried footsteps outside, accompanied by the pitter-patter sound of rain and the rush of moist air into the temple, causing the firelight to flicker. A group of drenched people rushed in, and upon seeing them, they immediately became wary.

Shi Hao looked and saw that there were exactly seven people in the group.

The leader of the seven wore a tattered Daoist robe. The light blue, cloud-and-crane patterned robe had at least three rips that tore through to the white undergarment. It was conceivable that these rips were originally stained with blood, but the rain had washed them lighter.

His face was somewhat pale, not a healthy color, but rather the pallor caused by excessive blood loss and exhaustion.

He wore a sword at his waist, the scabbard on his right side, but his left hand loosely gripped it, maintaining a sense of urgency, ready to draw at any moment.

Four others were martial artists, all dressed in sturdy clothing. The remaining two were a girl of about fifteen or sixteen and a boy who might not even be ten years old.

At this moment, they were all soaked to the bone, like drowned rats. Running in such heavy rain was no different from being submerged in water.

The girl wore a peach-colored, narrow-sleeved jacket and skirt. Her wet clothes clung tightly to her curvaceous figure, and her messy hair stuck to her face.

She looked at the bonfire with a panicked expression, yet there was also a flicker of hope in her eyes.

Beside her, the boy huddled close, his small hand tightly gripping the corner of her clothes, equally filled with fear and anxiety.

The two groups stared at each other. The sword-wielding Daoist seemed puzzled. He composed himself and suddenly said, “It’s really dark in here.”

As they entered, the bonfire flickered wildly from the draft they created, causing their shadows to dance erratically on the walls.

Shi Hao exchanged a glance with Master Lu, thinking, is he talking to us?

Seeing that they didn’t speak, the sword-wielding Daoist sighed, looked back at the pouring rain outside, and said, “…It’s really dark!”

Shi Hao’s thoughts stirred. He smiled and said, “It is indeed dark outside. Are you all here to take shelter from the rain? We were also passing by before the rain started and rushed here for shelter.”

The Daoist nodded, not paying much attention to them. He turned to his companions and whispered, “Let’s wait here for a while.”

Shi Hao thought to himself, “They’re so nervous, it seems they’re being chased by someone. Seeing the firelight here, although unsure whether we are friend or foe, they still rushed in. What the Daoist said is probably some kind of code for rendezvous, but unfortunately, we’re not the ones they’re meeting.”

It was just a small earth god temple, and the earth god statue against the wall was also covered in dust. The group sat down on the other side of the statue, huddled together, wet and miserable. The girl and the boy were protected in a relatively safe corner.

After a while, the aroma of meat from the iron pot became overwhelming. Shi Hao heard a “grumble” from the other side; it was the boy, staring longingly at the iron pot.

Shi Hao smiled, asked for a bowl from someone beside him, filled it with meat soup with a ladle, and placed two wooden spoons in it. He stood up and walked towards the other side.

The Daoist, sitting on the ground, looked up, staring at him like a fierce tiger. Shi Hao said softly, “Let the child eat something.”

The Daoist hesitated for a moment, looked back at the pitiful boy, and remained silent for a while before standing up to take the meat soup. He whispered, “Thank you.”

Shi Hao returned to his place, where one of the attendants had already filled a bowl of meat soup for him.

On their side, everyone started to eat with gusto. On the other side, the Daoist let the bowl of meat soup cool down a bit. Seeing that they had all started eating without incident, he then handed it to the girl and the boy.

The girl and the boy hadn’t taken more than a few bites when a sound came from outside again.

By now, the rain had lessened somewhat, but a thump, thump, thump, thump sound could be heard.

The darkness outside, like a black-lacquered drum, was being struck by an unseen drumstick.

Immediately following, a man parted the curtain of rain and stepped inside. His eyes quickly scanned the temple, then landed on the Daoist’s group. He chuckled strangely and said, “Found you!”

Clang! The bowl in the girl’s hand fell to the ground, splashing meat soup everywhere. The martial artists all jumped up, shielding the girl and the boy behind them.

The Daoist had already jumped to his feet the moment the man entered, drawing his sword with his left hand. The blade flashed, radiating a cold light.

Shi Hao saw that the man who entered the temple was wearing a dark-colored uniform with an iron badge at his waist and a goose-feather saber tucked in. At the same time, rapid gusts of wind swirled around the dilapidated temple, loud enough to be heard even over the rain.

“You guys are really good at running,” the man said, drawing his goose-feather saber. The blade glinted with blood. He sneered, “Along the way, I’ve killed quite a few of you. Every single one of you is tight-lipped. It wasn’t easy tracking you here. If it weren’t for two friends coming to help, I might not have caught up, and you would have escaped.”

The Daoist gritted his teeth, “Zhao Haisong, you scum of the martial world!”

The man laughed, “Wu Zheng, a scholar, secretly colluded with rebels, writing rebellious poems and essays. He deserves to have his entire family executed. Lan He, you are a Daoist priest, yet instead of working with the Daoists of the Chongxian Sect to uphold righteousness, eliminate evil, maintain law and order, and serve the court, you collaborate with rebels, hijack prison carts, and protect traitors.

“A treacherous and wicked villain like you deserves to be punished!”

Daoist Lan He didn’t get angry, but laughed instead, “I’m treacherous and wicked? I’m treacherous and wicked? Zhao Haisong, all these years, you’ve murdered your master, betrayed your ancestors, and harmed innocent people. The Chen sisters whom you raped and murdered at Wangsong Terrace, the hundreds of villagers you slaughtered in Xinglan Village, and the many children from the orphanage you killed to cultivate your evil techniques…

“Your hands are stained with the blood of countless innocent people. Now that you’ve joined the Six Gates, become a lapdog of the Man Ting Dynasty, you dare to speak of justice?”

He roared, “If someone like you can represent justice, then what’s wrong with me being treacherous and wicked?”

Zhao Haisong said disdainfully, “I serve the court and uphold justice in the martial world. A villain like you deserves to be killed by anyone.”

Bang! Bang! Two sounds came from the sides as both window panes shattered. A head emerged from the left side, with a pointed face and rat-like teeth. It cackled, “Deserves to be killed by anyone, killed by anyone.”

A figure hung upside down from the right, its voice gloomy and sinister, “Why so much talk? Just kill them. Hehehehe.”

Daoist Lan He’s expression changed slightly, “The Rat and Bat duo?” Now he finally understood why Zhao Haisong had been able to catch up so quickly.

The man with the pointed face and rat-like teeth, who had squeezed half his small, thin body through the broken window pane, cackled, “Not the Rat and Bat duo, we are now Constable Rat and Constable Bat of the Six Gates, heroes who uphold justice and law and order. Hee hee hee hee.”

Zhao Haisong’s gaze shifted to Shi Hao and Master Lu. His eyes were filled with murderous intent, but then quickly landed on Shi Hao’s rather valuable fur coat. He finally snorted and shouted, “Six Gates official business! Bystanders, get out!”