Lady Bai, a vision of ethereal grace, gifted Wang Lin with a smile that danced upon her lips, her phoenix eyes sparkling with mischief, before she turned and vanished like a wisp of smoke.

Wang Lin sighed, a weary smile gracing his own lips. Bai Wei was proving to be… complicated. At that very moment, a chaotic tremor rippled from his storage pouch, accompanied by the unwelcome resonance of Xu Liguo’s voice echoing within his mind.

“Magnificent! Sublime, Master! Truly, a paragon! In all my uncounted years, Xu Liguo has never beheld such captivating allure! And that parting glance, Master… It melted the very marrow of my bones! These village lasses are mere fireflies beside the sun! Release me, Master! If she holds no appeal for you, I shall gladly offer my affections! She reminds me so much of the enchantress, Mei Ji!”

Wang Lin, unmoved by the demon’s outburst, simply quelled the clamor with a flick of his spiritual will, silencing Xu Liguo’s raucous desires.

A soft chuckle then filled the air as Zhao Xinmeng materialized beside him, her gaze holding a newfound depth.

Wang Lin furrowed his brow and rose, settling heavily upon a chair. “Fourth Sister,” he began, his voice resonant with gravity, “Your request… I shall consider it.”

Zhao Xinmeng met his gaze, her silence stretching between them before she whispered, “Though my cultivation may be meager, I have remained untouched throughout these thousand years of Daoist practice. Should you agree to fortify my seal, I… I would offer you my thousand-year-old primordial yin.” A blush bloomed across her cheeks as she dared to draw back her sleeve, revealing a crimson birthmark, the Zhuhong Palace Sand, upon her forearm.

She bit her lip, quickly veiling her flesh once more, and, with a fleeting glance at Wang Lin, turned and fled.

“This is my final hope. He who can contend with Ling Tianhou must possess a cultivation far beyond the mere realms of Peering Nirvana. He may even have attained the coveted state of Pure Nirvana. If he would but aid me, he could surely quell this infernal seal…” Zhao Xinmeng lamented softly, her form dissolving into the horizon’s embrace. “Were I to seek aid elsewhere, with Master ever watchful, none would dare to offer it…”

Back in his chambers, Wang Lin sat in contemplation, his eyes reflecting the flickering candlelight. Helping Zhao Xinmeng was a trifle, yet such an act would surely displease Tian Yunzi.

“If Zhao Xinmeng speaks true, and Master remains aloof from this sealing, it must be for some hidden purpose… Perhaps… Perhaps he, too, is conflicted.”

His musings were disrupted by a renewed frenzy emanating from the immortal sword within his storage pouch, housing the volatile Xu Liguo. A frown etched itself upon Wang Lin’s face. With a wave of his hand, he released Xu Liguo from his confinement, a swirling vortex of dark mist coalescing before him, taking the form of the mischievous demon.

Xu Liguo’s eyes glittered with wicked glee. He inhaled deeply, savoring the lingering essence of Bai Wei, a look of pure bliss spreading across his face. “Exquisite! Peerless! Even the little succubus from the Realm of the Demon Spirit pales in comparison! If only I could…” His grin twisted into something lewd and unsettling.

Wang Lin cast a frigid glance at the demon, and Xu Liguo visibly shuddered. An icy dread pierced him, a chilling premonition that clawed at his very soul. He awoke instantly, cursing inwardly.

“Damnation! The brat’s cultivation has grown again? Injustice reigns supreme! Before, I felt only apprehension in his presence, but now, a single look from the star of evil causes my very soul to tremble! One thought from this fiendish devil could shatter Xu, your Grandfather, into a thousand pieces!”

Terror contorted Xu Liguo’s face, but it quickly morphed into a sycophantic smile. He bowed low, dripping with false deference. “Master is mighty! Your cultivation has ascended to even greater heights! Clearly, you possess a talent unmatched in all the heavens!”

Before Xu Liguo could fully launch into his litany of praise, Wang Lin interrupted, his voice devoid of emotion. “Why were you so eager to be released?” His gaze remained icily fixed upon the demon.

Xu Liguo, Wang Lin knew, required constant vigilance. Without it, he would undoubtedly become a force of unbridled chaos. He, Wang Lin, had crafted this demon, and he alone understood the depths of his depravity.

Even before Xu Liguo’s transformation into a demon, resentment festered within him. After his dark metamorphosis, that resentment became a seething, rebellious force. Only overwhelming strength could keep him firmly in check.

During their time within the belly of the Underworld Beast, the Elder of the Immortal Chosen Clan had deemed Xu Liguo a paragon of loyalty. In truth, he possessed not a shred of it. If any semblance of loyalty existed, it was merely a shallow veneer, worn thin after centuries of forced submission to Wang Lin’s will.

A flicker of insubordination always simmered beneath the surface, a truth of which Wang Lin was keenly aware.

“Blast it all! The star of evil plans to make an example of me!” Xu Liguo licked his lips nervously, and quickly launched into a new stream of flattery. “Master! Little Xu simply wished to congratulate you on your soaring cultivation! Ever since the moment of my wise decision to follow in your wake, almost every time I appear, your cultivation undergoes another wondrous leap! My simple mind concluded that, if I were to appear more often, your cultivation might reach untold heights! Heh heh…” Xu Liguo continued, his eyes darting nervously, ready to amend his words at the slightest provocation.

Wang Lin frowned, yet a hint of amusement touched the corners of his lips. He fixed Xu Liguo with a gaze that was both piercing and flat. “Since you harbor such noble intentions, refrain from returning to the immortal sword for now. Remain by my side, and meditate upon the sword intent you inherited.”

Xu Liguo thumped his chest enthusiastically. “Rest assured, Master! Little Xu will never bring shame upon you! I shall master the sword intent!” He spoke the words with conviction, but inwardly scoffed.

“Xu, your Grandfather, remains as sharp as ever! A few carefully crafted platitudes, and even the star of evil bends to my will! No matter how high your cultivation may climb, it can never hope to equal Xu, your Grandfather’s, boundless genius!”

Wang Lin dismissed the demon with a wave and resumed his meditative pose, focusing his energies inward.

Xu Liguo drifted about the room like a restless spirit, bored out of his mind. His thoughts drifted back to the unparalleled beauty of Bai Wei. He glanced warily at Wang Lin before taking another subtle sniff of the air, a look of rapturous longing stealing across his face.

“A beauty! A true beauty! If only she were a woman… I have known many women, but she is truly something special… But alas, she is a man…” Xu Liguo’s mind reeled, an unbearable itch growing within him. He longed to seek out Bai Wei and share his innermost thoughts, but with Wang Lin nearby, he could only sigh in despair.
In days of yore, when old Xu was in the service of the Great Troll Ancestor, ah, those were times! The Ancestor, he favored me greatly, gifting me the succubus, Mei Ji. Verily, life was a tapestry of vibrant hues. But alas, fate has chained me to this fiend, a veritable star of ill omen. I am now confined within his cursed storage sack, and my glorious destiny fades into the twilight.

Thus mused Xu Liguo, his heart brewing with resentment. “Once I ascend to heights of power, I shall make this baleful star rue the day he crossed paths with Xu! I’ll stake everything, I’ll…”

His thoughts were interrupted as he spied Wang Lin’s eyelids flicker. Instantly, his face contorted into a servile grin, bowing low in obsequious deference.

Yet, Wang Lin’s eyes remained shut. Xu Liguo cursed inwardly, “He possesses no taste for the finer things! Had such a beauty offered herself to yours truly, I’d have pounced without hesitation, savoring her tender affections…”

With a sigh, Xu Liguo acknowledged his own shortcomings. After much contemplation, he resigned himself to meditation, seeking enlightenment from the legacy of ancient sword intent.

“Old Xu must strive onward, lest the gap between myself and this demonic star widen, imprisoning me in his clutches for all eternity,” he muttered.

As Xu Liguo entered his meditative trance, Wang Lin opened his eyes, a flash of potent energy illuminating his gaze before fading into the depths. Ignoring Xu Liguo, Wang Lin resolved to subject the troublesome spirit to further refinement.

Time flowed onward, and the sun climbed to its zenith. Outside the pavilion, the sunlight blazed, purging the world of shadows, bathing the sky in a serene, azure hue, a sight to bring peace to the soul.

Wang Lin rose, and as the door swung open of its own accord, he strode forth. Xu Liguo scrambled to his feet, tailing close behind, his eyes darting about, barely suppressing his eagerness.

“To the maiden, at last!” he thought.

Wang Lin ascended into the air, descending toward the foot of Violet Peak. In the distance, figures flitted across the seven peaks of the Heavenly Cloud Sect, a testament to the grandeur of a great order.

The chanting of incantations echoed through the air, the voices of junior disciples diligently honing their skills.

The air within the Heavenly Cloud Sect was thick with spiritual energy, though at midday, the presence of the True Yang Fire rendered it less suitable for cultivation, lacking the tumultuous surge observed during the dawn and dusk.

The Violet lineage held the lowest status among the seven sects of the Heavenly Cloud Sect, even lacking its full complement of seven direct disciples of Heavenly Cloud. Including Wang Lin, only five remained.

Consequently, the number of ordinary disciples joining Violet Peak was meager. In the midday sun, the peak seemed desolate, sparsely populated.

As they descended, Wang Lin encountered not a soul. Xu Liguo, trailing behind, reveled in the sunlight, finding it invigorating. The thought of soon meeting the beauty filled him with a burning anticipation, cursing Wang Lin’s slow pace.

Gazing at Wang Lin’s back, Xu Liguo muttered to himself, “The Fiend Star has cultivated for eons, forsaking all life’s pleasures, yet his strength is undeniable. Even I, old Xu, must grudgingly admire his dedication. From a mere Core Formation cultivator, he has risen to become a grand and powerful being…”

Realizing the direction of his thoughts, Xu Liguo banished them. “I must not emulate him! Such a life holds no joy. Furthermore, the Fiend Star’s strength is built on bloodshed and peril. I, Xu Liguo, am not suited for such a path. I prefer the embrace of beauty.”

“Were I to walk his path, I would surely meet an untimely end. I wonder if the Fiend Star will one day be slain… Nay, were he to perish, my fate would likely be no better. I would probably have my consciousness erased and be bound as a common sword spirit.”

As Xu Liguo’s mind wandered, Wang Lin reached the base of Violet Peak.

There, nestled in a pavilion, stood a figure clad in violet, radiating an ethereal grace, yet tinged with a delicate vulnerability.

A gentle breeze stirred the figure’s raven tresses. A slender hand rose to brush back the strands, and as the figure turned, a winsome smile graced her lips.

Were one unaware of her true nature, the sight would surely captivate the hearts of countless mortals.

“Senior Brother Wang is as good as his word,” Bai Wei said with a playful glint in her eyes.

Wang Lin’s expression remained composed, but Xu Liguo’s eyes widened, fixated on Bai Wei. Had Wang Lin not been present, he would have pounced without hesitation.

“And this creature?” Bai Wei’s gaze fell upon Xu Liguo, whose being was shrouded in swirling dark mist. Instantly, the mist receded, coalescing within his form, revealing his former self. His eyes gleamed with lascivious desire, yet his expression was unusually solemn. He was about to speak when a cold snort resounded, causing him to instinctively cringe and flash a servile grin.

His rapid change startled Bai Wei.

“This is my weapon spirit, Brother Bai. Tell me, where is the marketplace you spoke of? Pray, lead the way,” Wang Lin said, offering few details.

With Wang Lin in attendance, Xu Liguo dared not reveal too much, despite his burning desires. He could only gaze longingly at Bai Wei, cursing inwardly, “That damnable, demonic Wang Lin! Not only does he deny himself, but he also forbids old Xu from tasting the sweet nectar! This is an outrage, a travesty!”

“Senior Brother Wang,” Bai Wei chided, knitting her brows in mock vexation.

Wang Lin felt a pang of awkwardness, a sensation he rarely experienced, and one that had only been induced by Bai Wei.

As he struggled for a response, Xu Liguo, mesmerized by Bai Wei, cried out inwardly, “The heavens have answered my prayers! I, Xu Liguo, have found my eternal flame! I can’t endure this any longer!” The dark mist within Xu Liguo churned violently, threatening to erupt, forming a maw intent on devouring Bai Wei.

In that moment, Wang Lin, the baleful star, vanished from his mind. His vision was consumed by Bai Wei’s captivating allure. But as he lunged forward, Wang Lin’s eyes flashed with cold light. His right hand shot forth, piercing the dark mist, seizing the core of Xu Liguo’s spirit.

Xu Liguo turned, his features contorted in a snarl, but Wang Lin’s grip tightened, stifling his defiance. With a whimper, he instantly reverted to his obsequious demeanor, pleading, “Master, master, I was wrong, I swear!”

“Bai… Senior Sister Bai, please lead the way,” Wang Lin said, his voice low and tense.

Bai Wei, clearly amused, cast a curious glance at Xu Liguo, sending him into a further fit of excitement.
A delicate giggle escaped her lips, hidden briefly behind a slender hand. With a flick of her wrist, Bai Wei tapped her enchanted pouch. Instantly, a flurry of gleaming swords sprang forth, one settling beneath her feet, its polished surface reflecting the azure sky. In a flash of blinding light, she ascended, a sword-borne star hurtling toward the heavens.

Wang Lin, ever serene, watched her depart. With a measured stride, imbued with subtle power, he matched her speed, keeping pace with the luminous streak.

“Though Bai Wei possessed a certain feminine charm in days past,” Wang Lin mused as they journeyed, “it never approached this affected manner. A chill permeates her very being, a suffocating阴气 that has twisted even her spirit.”

As they soared through the firmament, Wang Lin’s brow furrowed. A presence, veiled in shadow, trailed them from behind. He did not need to turn, for he recognized the subtle hum of her magic, the whisper of her aura. It was Zhao Xinmeng, ever watchful.

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