Ah Nuo and the succubus fought, mostly evenly matched, though Ah Nuo was slightly at a disadvantage. Although she was a fourth-rank cultivator, Ah Nuo was only at the lower end of that rank. The succubus, however, had only recently been imprisoned on the second floor, so her third-rank power had not yet significantly diminished. She could still exert the strength of a mid-to-upper fourth-rank cultivator.

The succubus’s mental and desire-based interference had little effect on Ah Nuo. However, any mental interference was still a hindrance and certainly dragged down the combat.

Struggling hard, Ah Nuo glanced over and saw her master kick the Iron Fiend into a bubbling pool of lava. Delighted, Ah Nuo shouted, “My master won! You’re dead, you stinky woman!”

The succubus smiled faintly. “Is that so?”

The next moment, Lu Xingzhou and Sheng Yuanyao stumbled to the ground, their legs weak, leaning on each other for support.

Ah Nuo: “?”

“You’re not going to… start something right here in the lava, are you?”

“Mortal men and women are so vulgar,” the succubus said with a smile. “Little sister, with your ethereal beauty, how can you take such a mortal as your master? Why not join me? I promise to teach you to captivate all beings.”

Ah Nuo retorted, “I already captivate all beings! Everyone who sees Ah Nuo smiles, even you do!”

The succubus: “…”
She seems to be right… Never mind, there’s no reasoning with this little one.

The succubus said, “Then let’s talk about something practical. Little sister, the second floor of the Demon Subjugation Domain isn’t open for young cultivators to train. Usually, only strong cultivators from the top three ranks come here. You must have entered by mistake, right?”

Ah Nuo declared indignantly, “We snuck in!”

“…The Demon Suppressing Division will surely come to rescue you. How about you quietly take me with you when you leave?”

Ah Nuo was momentarily stunned. “How am I supposed to carry such a large, pale mass like you?”

“I only need to reside within your body…”

“Get lost.”

“Don’t be so quick, I wasn’t finished,” the succubus said. “I observe your cultivation; your techniques are very powerful, as if you have a strong inheritance, perhaps from a formidable former master? But your fundamental cultivation method is quite ordinary, which suggests your current master isn’t capable. You know my nature—it’s easy for me to charm strong cultivators and acquire powerful cultivation methods for you. How about we make a trade?”

*Techniques… Sister Yu taught them. Not just Ah Nuo’s, but Master’s too, which is why their combat prowess surpasses others of the same rank. However, the origin of Sister Yu’s cultivation methods is unknown, and such things shouldn’t be casually taught to others. It’s not that Sister Yu is being secretive; Ah Nuo and her master never intended to learn her methods anyway. It’s a pity Ah Nuo can’t learn her master’s Yin-Yang Extreme Intent cultivation method… She *can’t* learn it, not that her master won’t teach her.*

“I only want to learn my master’s!” Ah Nuo declared angrily. “I’ll meet the conditions for Master’s cultivation method eventually! What good are others’ methods?”

The succubus was speechless. “What’s so good about mortal cultivation methods? As spirits born of heaven and earth, we naturally know that many super-grade cultivation methods exist…”

“But I just don’t like them!”

Ah Nuo knew the succubus was skilled at charming minds, and not just through lust. But talking about other things was one thing; constantly urging Ah Nuo to betray her master only filled Ah Nuo with anger.

With a swing of her iron discus, she launched a furious, storm-like barrage of attacks. “Shut up, you’re so annoying!”

The succubus retreated while fighting, almost laughing in exasperation. “Then just wait for your master and that woman to *do it* in the lava. What burning passion!”

Before she finished speaking, a sudden terrifying warning signal came from behind her, sending shivers down her spine.

Lu Xingzhou and Sheng Yuanyao were clearly still supporting each other in the distance, so where did the sneak attack come from?

The succubus didn’t dare to look; she instantly dodged, flashing out of the way.

Ah Nuo flashed a grin, placing her iron discus horizontally in the succubus’s path, blocking her escape.

Her previous distress and annoyance had all been an act, precisely to prevent the opponent from noticing the impending sneak attack and pincer movement. *What did you think I learned from Master? Fighting? Alchemy? Wrong, it was tricking people!*

*Bang!* The succubus violently slammed into the iron discus, clearly a beat too late. A searing pain burned her back, while ten thousand ghosts simultaneously tore at her, their spectral wails piercing directly into her soul sea.

*The Ten Thousand Soul Banner, usually known for its loud wails of vengeful spirits, could actually be silent. After all, they were ghosts…*

The succubus let out a painful shriek. The seemingly love-struck pair, who had been leaning on each other, suddenly moved in unison. One launched a furious punch of combined ice and and fire at her chest, while the other, gripping a knife with both hands, performed a toad-like leap in mid-air and chopped down fiercely.

*Bang!* Multiple attacks simultaneously struck the succubus. With a shriek, she dissolved into countless flickering specks of light, vanishing into the air.

From the air, the succubus’s sharp condemnation echoed: “Humans are clearly more insidious and malicious than us! How dare you call *us* demons!”

“She’s not dead yet!” Lu Xingzhou gasped, clutching his chest and spitting out another mouthful of congealed blood. “Quickly, into the mountain’s belly! I’ll set up defenses and we’ll recuperate before fighting again.”

*As for who was the real demon, he couldn’t be bothered to argue.*

Sheng Yuanyao’s legs also went weak; Ah Nuo quickly supported her. Lu Xingzhou summoned his wheelchair, sat in it, and flew towards the volcano’s core. The family of three vanished in an instant.

The mountain’s interior was hollow, with a chaotic mix of lava, black rock, and ash below.

The three landed on a patch of accumulated volcanic ash. Lu Xingzhou swiftly summoned array flags, inserting them one by one into the volcanic opening above to seal it. He then collapsed weakly onto the ground.

Since he had taken a punch for Sheng Yuanyao, his injuries were the most severe.

Ah Nuo was largely unharmed, experiencing only some post-battle weakness. Sheng Yuanyao had blocked the Iron Fiend’s punch with her blade. She was only sent flying and spat blood because of her weaker strength; such injuries were barely considered injuries for alchemists.

Yet, their backbone, Master Lu, was sprawled on the ground, injured. And strangely, Ah Nuo couldn’t feel pity for him; his eyes were full of desire, fixed on Sheng Yuanyao’s body, refusing to look away.

During the fierce battle, Sheng Yuanyao had been splashed by lava countless times. Now, her clothes were tattered, revealing glimpses of skin. Her cheeks were flushed, the heat causing sweat to bead on her forehead, and her hair was disheveled and plastered to her brow. For a man already under the succubus’s spell, this scene was genuinely more enticing than the naked succubus herself.

Under his scanning gaze, Sheng Yuanyao didn’t know whether to feel touched or to kick him. Her expression was utterly strange. “Um, stop looking for a moment. Don’t think that just because there’s an excuse, you’re not a pervert… First, tell me how to treat this condition of yours…”

Ah Nuo quietly nudged Sheng Yuanyao aside, then quickly popped a pill into her own mouth and another into Sheng Yuanyao’s. After scratching her head in thought, she gave one to Lu Xingzhou.

*She was also an independent alchemist trial participant… But while the trio’s injuries were easy to treat, how could Lu Xingzhou’s lustful thoughts be cured? It wasn’t just Lu Xingzhou; Sister Yao actually had it too. Her eyes were so alluring they seemed to drip with charm, though she probably didn’t even realize it… Ah Nuo suspected that if she weren’t there, the two of them might start something right then and there, even on the wheelchair.*

“Ah Nuo,” Lu Xingzhou said, having taken his pill and briefly regulated his breath. He took out his alchemy cauldron and set it aside, speaking in a low voice. “What Yuanyao and I are experiencing isn’t a simple arousal of bodily desires; it’s a mental influence, a distortion of the mind. If left untreated, I’ll become a pervert and she’ll become wanton. Our current stock of pills isn’t suitable for this condition; we’ll have to concoct new ones on the spot.”

Ah Nuo pointed to her nose. “You want *me* to make them? I don’t know fire spells. And can you even make pills with this volcano’s unstable fire?”

Lu Xingzhou flipped his hand, and a cluster of bluish-green flames appeared in his palm. “This is the fire seed from the first floor. Its characteristic is stable and lasting, making it very suitable for alchemy. Absorb it and nurture it within your body, and you’ll be able to control fire in the future.”

Ah Nuo looked at the small flame with some hesitation. As a wood-aligned being, she didn’t possess a “fire spirit root” or affinity for fire, meaning she couldn’t practice fire-attribute spells. Nurturing a fire seed within her body could indeed solve this problem, but she still disliked fire intensely…

“If you want to be an alchemist, you’ll have to overcome your aversion to fire, no matter what,” Lu Xingzhou said. “This fire seed is relatively gentle, perfectly suited for you to adapt.” He flicked his finger, sending the flame towards Ah Nuo. “Absorb it into your spiritual platform, then conquer it, and it will obey you.”

Ah Nuo sniffled, but dutifully allowed the fire seed to enter her spiritual platform.

Lu Xingzhou watched her, somewhat nervously. Without an affinity for fire, cultivating a fire seed would be much more difficult than for someone with an affinity, and the potential wouldn’t be high. The upper limit wasn’t a concern; it would be enough for alchemy. The question was whether Ah Nuo, who naturally feared fire, could conquer the fire seed… This was something no one else could help with; she had to do it herself.

Seeing Ah Nuo’s eyes tightly shut, her chubby face slightly contorted, Lu Xingzhou nervously clenched his hands instinctively.

Sheng Yuanyao whispered, “Don’t… don’t squeeze so hard…”

Lu Xingzhou came to his senses, realizing his hand felt soft, and stiffly looked down. He hadn’t even noticed when he’d pulled Sheng Yuanyao into his embrace, and he was squeezing her soft flesh out of shape. Yet, despite clearly being in some pain, Sheng Yuanyao didn’t resist. Instead, she leaned softly into his arms, breathing against his neck, her hand unconsciously stroking his face.

She, too, was desperately suppressing the lustful thoughts in her heart. *Yes, it wasn’t bodily desire, but a lust of the mind. Lu Xingzhou looked so good… She really wanted to devour him… Her injuries were light; she shouldn’t have been unable to resist the faint, seductive aura the succubus emitted into the air. But mental techniques target the heart directly. If you like him, how can you resist? Was it lust, or was it love, amplified and completely unmasked? Who could tell the difference?*

Ah Nuo opened her eyes.

Lu Xingzhou hastily asked, “How is it?”

“This fire seed is so weak,” Ah Nuo said, seemingly oblivious to their intimate posture, speaking very seriously. “It was arrogant when it first entered my spiritual platform, but after I beat it up, it just lay there. I can make pills now. But we probably don’t have the right ingredients for your condition.”

Lu Xingzhou took out the moss he had previously obtained from a skeletal spine outside the desert on the first floor. “This item is dark, cold, and directly invades the soul. It’s perfectly suited to suppress our mental agitation and make it dark and peaceful. As for how to neutralize its toxicity and prevent the darkness from dominating our minds, that will require additional supplementary ingredients…”

As he spoke, he pulled out a pile of herbs he had just picked on the second floor. “These herbs grow near the volcano; they are hot and volatile, perfect for balancing the moss. You can refine a few extra pills, and the leftovers will serve as your trial assignment.”

*You’re still thinking about trial assignments?* Ah Nuo almost burst out laughing. She glanced at their posture and inwardly felt that these pills weren’t needed at all. *You two are clearly in love! Just become my stepmother, and all spells will be broken. Why bother making pills? Ah Nuo completely approved of Sister Yao becoming her second stepmother. Even if Sister Yao wasn’t pretending anymore, she was still better than the demonic Pei woman who beat Ah Nuo daily… So what these two really needed wasn’t pills, but an environment without Ah Nuo.*

Ah Nuo sighed, picked up the alchemy cauldron with one hand, and quickly went around a rock formation. “I need quiet to make pills; I’m going to a different spot.”

*Honestly, this family would fall apart without Ah Nuo. Two stubborn ones, they’re practically intertwined and still call each other “brother.” Would you sit in your “brother’s” lap and squeeze him like that?*