Disciplining

The morning sun scorched the earth. Patches of moss, yellowed from lack of water, lay scattered across the terrain. A tumbleweed inhabited by a colony of sand-traveler beetles was swept up from the parched yellow earth by a gust that stirred the sand, only to plunge into the enormous abyss-like gorge ahead that seemed like the very end of the world. Sand-traveler beetles were thumbnail-sized insects. Once fertilized, the females would burrow into tumbleweeds, allowing the blistering winds to scatter their brood to every corner of the Great Desert. Falling. Endlessly falling. Colliding repeatedly against the dry cliff walls flung several of the beetles out. The moment the tumbleweed finally settled onto the edge of a protruding terrace halfway down the precipice, numerous sand-traveler beetles began crawling out along the dense, fibrous stems. But then, a thunderous boom abruptly echoed from the depths of the gorge that had previously been dead silent! The massive roar shook the tumbleweed right off the terrace ledge like an earth dragon turning over, sending it plummeting once more toward the chasm floor. This descent, however, did not last long. A ferocious gale swept upward from the depths of the abyss, defying gravity and blowing the tumbleweed straight back up the cliff face. In an instant, the foot-wide clump was tossed about like a skiff in a stormy sea. The tremendous tremors generated wave after wave of shockwaves, and rising crescendos of booming reverberated through the bottom of the gorge. Amidst these terrifying swells, the sand-traveler beetles clutched the fibrous interior of the tumbleweed tightly with their tiny limbs, struggling not to be thrown off. Yet their efforts ultimately proved futile. A blur of an afterimage rocketed backward, brushing past the tumbleweed midair. Gale-force winds sharp as blades instantly shredded it to pieces! The last sight the beetles caught was an enormous cloud of dust billowing up where that afterimage slammed into the earth, followed by a colossal shadow rapidly closing in through the haze. Shattered by the impact, the loose, arid yellow-dirt cliff face began collapsing over a wide expanse. Within the boundless dust, massive boulders slid down the steep mountain wall, crashing into the bottom of the canyon with earth-shattering booms. The entire collapse lasted for about seven or eight minutes. Finally, amidst the billowing dust, a gentle sigh brought the depths back to their original silence. Emerging from a cliff cave at the bottom of the valley, Xu Yuan raised his eyes to gaze at the sky shrouded in sand and dust. His vision pierced through the layers of dust to reveal an ice-crystal cavern propped up at the center of the impact. The glistening cavern kept the falling earth at bay. Three slender figures stood inside. Two standing, one sprawled horizontally. A righteous two-on-one beatdown within the family. Seeing this, Xu Yuan pushed off the ground with force. Stirring up clouds of dust with several rapid leaps, he darted swiftly toward the ice cavern. Before long, Xu Yuan dropped into the cavern. Walking forward, he asked in a soft voice, "How is it?" Ran Qingmo looked back. Without a word, she simply pointed in Su Jinxuan's direction. Hearing nothing, Xu Yuan immediately locked his eyes on the pathetic succubus, who had already been subdued. She sat slumped against the cavern wall. After that fierce battle just now, the plain garments on her were somewhat torn. Her soft, full chest heaved gently with her labored panting, and broad swaths of snow-white skin were exposed along her arms, legs, shoulders, and slender waist where the fabric had ripped—though right now, that fair skin was crisscrossed with bloody scratches. At a glance, it looked heartbreakingly beautiful and soul-stirringly alluring. After his gaze lingered uncontrollably on these peripheral sights for a moment, Xu Yuan shifted his attention to Su Jinxuan's left shoulder. An ink sword was lodged there. Wisps of chill mist radiated outward from it, freezing the blood that welled up and causing a thin layer of white frost to form between the naturally seductive woman's brows. It seemed Ran Qingmo had used Dao charm to capture Su Jinxuan alive. After a moment's contemplation, Xu Yuan offered the two women a faint smile. "It's been a while. I never expected Su Jinxuan's strength to improve to such a terrifying extent. Neither of you got hurt, did you?" Ran Qingmo shook her head to indicate she was fine, but her serene gaze drifted toward Bai Muxi. Beside them, Xiao Bai was clutching a wound haloed in blood at her waist, keeping her lips pressed together in silence. Judging by the chaotic qi dynamic radiating from her, the injury seemed quite severe. Sensing this, Xu Yuan unconsciously furrowed his brows. It had been half a month since they took Su Jinxuan out of Madame Wan's nameless mountain villa. During these two weeks, aside from fleeing for their lives, Xu Yuan and the two girls had been scheming how to subdue this brainwashed, pathetic succubus. Launching an ambush today with the advantage of a righteous two-on-one family beatdown, Bai Muxi had actually still ended up wounded. Su Jinxuan's cultivation had skyrocketed from a mere mortal to the Grandmaster Realm in a short period. Reasonably speaking, there should have been some lingering foundation instability; she shouldn't have been this strong. The thought flitted through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. His own cultivation had also surged in a short span of time without any sign of unstable foundations. Su Jinxuan surely had opportunities of her own. Under the premise of needing to take her alive, it wasn't unreasonable that Bai Muxi was injured; after all, this succubus possessed quite a few cheats of her own. With these thoughts in mind, Xu Yuan swept his spiritual vision across Bai Muxi's wound, intending to examine it closely so he could prepare the appropriate spirit medicine. But then, the corner of his eye twitched. Damn it, this green tea bitch was acting again. The wound was real, but that chaotic qi dynamic was something she had deliberately let leak out. He glared at her. The green tea yogurt blinked with a pitiful, delicate expression, looking utterly helpless and endearing. Xu Yuan poked his finger directly into her wound. "Ngh..." With a soft whimper, Bai Muxi's body trembled slightly, and she fell backward as though on the verge of fainting. Xu Yuan grabbed her hand to keep her from actually falling, rolling his eyes. "If you want to act, once we get back to the capital I'll arrange a whole theater troupe just for you to act your heart out." Hearing this, Bai Muxi pouted slightly, then broke into a radiant smile. Using the leverage of Xu Yuan's pull, she slid directly into his embrace. "As expected, nothing escapes Young Master's eyes. Muxi knows her mistake..." Warm, soft, jade-like flesh suddenly filled his arms. Xu Yuan froze for an instant before pushing her away under the Big Ice Block's brooding gaze. Boiling a frog in warm water; the Great Wall wasn't built in a day. He had to gently condition the Big Ice Block over time. After the little fuss, Xu Yuan finally settled his gaze onto the Su succubus. Although Su Jinxuan had been frozen by Ran Qingmo's Dao charm, she was clearly still conscious. Those eyes, which seemed to carry falling cherry blossoms, were glaring fixedly at him. Her glare was fierce, yet beneath her innate seductiveness, it only looked like a petulant pout. After locking eyes for a moment, Xu Yuan slowly walked over and crouched down before her. Looking at this familiar, delicate face up close, he smiled and said, "Jinxuan, you don't seem to remember who I am." "..." Su Jinxuan glared at him without speaking. Seeing this, Xu Yuan hesitated slightly. Circulating his cultivation method, a ripple of subtle energy welled at his fingertips as he reached toward his ear. After a rustling sound, Xu Yuan's handsome, true visage was revealed. Holding the lifelike human-skin mask, he said with a faint laugh, "You should have some impression now, right?" "..." Su Jinxuan still did not speak. Seeing this, Xu Yuan sighed softly, his narrow eyes narrowing slightly. "Madame Wan's mind-control technique is truly exquisite, capable of such thorough brainwashing that you won't even utter a word like this..." "Miss Su can't speak," Ran Qingmo suddenly chimed in. "Huh?" "She was sealed by my Dao charm." "..." Xu Yuan. Once Ran Qingmo released a portion of the Dao charm, Su Jinxuan's chilly voice echoed through the ice cavern: "Madame truly misjudged you. Young Master is neither a Saint nor a Saint Tier yin ghost. At most, you only have Body Integration cultivation..." *Smack!* Xu Yuan slapped Su Jinxuan across her fair cheek. Infused with Source Qi, a faint red handprint instantly appeared on her tender skin. He looked at her, his voice calm. "The Bewitching Soul Fiend Physique is indeed terrifying. Even with your meridians and intent-soul completely sealed, you can still deploy Meishen Dao Charm." Saying so, he smiled lightly. "However, don't even think about using Meishen Dao Charm to affect me, because I have this thing too." Su Jinxuan's lovely brows furrowed slightly. Seeing this, Xu Yuan slowly extended his hand and opened his palm before her. A black cherry blossom instantly coalesced within his palm, and he asked with a smile, "Does this look familiar?" Su Jinxuan's gaze lingered between the black cherry blossom and Xu Yuan's face. Slowly, a trace of bewilderment emerged in her blossom-pink eyes, and she murmured almost unconsciously, "You... are you Madame?" "?" Stunned for a moment, Xu Yuan seemed to grasp a clue and instinctively turned his head to look at Ran Qingmo. The Big Ice Block blinked, her eyes flickering with incomprehension, but after meeting his gaze for a second, she still gave Xu Yuan a tentative nod. Amused inwardly, Xu Yuan shook his head and murmured softly, "That Wolf Raid Guard commander was like this, and Su Jinxuan is like this too. It turns out Madame Wan's soul-controlling method works by replacing a specific figure in the victim's heart with herself." Saying this, Xu Yuan paused, then added, "She probably deepens that impression subtly over time as well; otherwise, they wouldn't be this devoted." As someone with self-awareness, Xu Yuan didn't believe for a second that this Su succubus could have fallen completely in love with him solely from that period of disciplining in Jingjiang Prefecture. At the time of their parting, the succubus had likely felt nothing more than a favorable impression toward him. Xu Yuan had always viewed this succubus as a cooperative partner. Yet that kiss in Beifeng City had suddenly made Xu Yuan realize that this favorable impression hadn't faded from the little succubus's heart over time; instead, it had gradually fermented into love. Then again, it was only natural. After all, he, Xu Yuan, was powerful and handsome, possessing not only high status but also boundless charisma... Wait, why did that feel like he was describing Xu Changge, that pretentious poser? Tsk. Pulling his thoughts together, Xu Yuan took advantage of Su Jinxuan falling into brief confusion to ask quickly, "Su Jinxuan, do you know Tianyan's whereabouts?" "Tian... Tianyan?" Su Jinxuan murmured as though in a dream, but immediately her voice sharpened: "No, you're not Madame! How dare you bewitch me!" "..." Staring at the expression on the succubus's delicate face for several breaths, Xu Yuan sighed, pressed his hands against his knees, and stood up. His Meishen Dao Charm could work on that Wolf Raid Guard commander to extract a vast amount of intelligence, but against Su Jinxuan, this genuine succubus, it could only induce a fleeting trance. With the slightest stimulation, she would snap right back to her senses. In the end, it all circled back to what he had worried about in the beginning. His Heavenly Yan divine soul was incomplete; he couldn't achieve flawless protection against intent-soul control like Tianyan could. He didn't dare go inside. He didn't dare send his Source Qi deep into Su Jinxuan's body to purge those impurities. Although he possessed plenty of buffs, Su Jinxuan had no shortage of them either—and hers specialized exclusively in one area. Meishen Dao Charm, the Bewitching Soul Fiend Physique, and the Great Joyous Union Yin-Yang Art—three top-tier charm arts of the world stacked together. Who the hell would dare go inside? "Xu Yuan..." Amidst his hesitation, Xu Yuan suddenly heard Ran Qingmo's placid voice: "...How about we try knocking her out?" Turning around at the words, the corner of Xu Yuan's eye twitched. He saw that the Big Ice Block behind him had somehow produced a metal rod, holding it in hand while staring at him with clear, innocent eyes. "..." Xu Yuan. The back of his head was already beginning to throb. Ran Qingmo offered her suggestion with utter seriousness. "Miss Su's Bewitching Soul Fiend Physique is indeed dangerous, but after losing consciousness, a cultivator's body has its self-defense mechanisms drastically weakened..." Xu Yuan chuckled softly at her words. "Of course I know that, but Su Jinxuan's cultivation technique is a bit peculiar. I'm afraid it won't work on her." Ran Qingmo silently put away the iron rod, then brought out a packet of medicine wrapped in a Changqing lotus leaf, asking in a low voice, "Then what about this?" Xu Yuan stepped slowly toward the girl, staring at the leaf pouch. "What is this?" Ran Qingmo replied honestly, "Sister Lou Ji gave me this medicine before we parted. She said if we run into danger, we can smear a bit on our swords." "Huh?" A flash of surprise crossed Xu Yuan's eyes. "What kind of effect does it have?" Ran Qingmo recalled for a moment, then murmured, "Sister Lou Ji said that if this is smeared on a sword, even a minor scratch can affect the consciousness of someone in the Transcendent Realm, and it will disrupt their qi dynamic." "Transcendent Realm?" "Mm." Ran Qingmo nodded, making a slashing gesture with her hand. "Slashing them a few more times to up the dose can even cause them to lose their combat strength entirely." Hearing this, Xu Yuan gave an unconscious snort, inwardly cursing that old woman several times, before reaching out to take it. Yet seeing his motion, Ran Qingmo took a step back, clutching the leaf pouch to her chest and eyeing Xu Yuan warily. "Xu Yuan... Sister Lou Ji said you can't touch this, or I'll be in danger." "..." Xu Yuan hardened—his fists hardened. Danger? What danger, my foot! You wretched woman, swindling so much from me, giving all the good stuff to the Big Ice Block, but keeping me empty-handed, huh? However, seeing the Big Ice Block's expression, Xu Yuan smiled helplessly and stepped aside. "Fine, fine, fine. I won't touch it." Seeing this, Ran Qingmo seemed to want to offer some comforting words, but she remained silent, walking over to Su Jinxuan and crouching down. Looking at the black-clad maiden whose brows resembled celestial ice, Su Jinxuan gave a cold humph. "Hmph, planning to use medicine? Ordinary drugs against me are—ngh... ah... umph... *cough, cough, cough!*" The Big Ice Block reached out, pinched Su Jinxuan's fragrant cheeks, wedged her red lips open to keep her from closing her mouth, and forcefully poured nearly half the pouch of powder down her throat. The sheer roughness of the motion caused Bai Muxi beside them to shiver involuntarily. Having done all this, Ran Qingmo carefully wrapped the pouch back up, put it away, and said to Xu Yuan, "Xu Yuan... it's done. Sister Lou Ji said it would take effect in about half a cup of tea's time." "Uh, alright." Looking at the little succubus coughing over there as if she were about to hack up her lungs, Xu Yuan suddenly wasn't sure if the Big Ice Block was using jealousy as an excuse to settle a personal score. Then again, it shouldn't be possible. The Big Ice Block was so adorable; she wouldn't settle personal grudges like that. Yeah, absolutely impossible. The wait wasn't long. Through his spiritual vision, Xu Yuan soon perceived the qi dynamic radiating from Su Jinxuan beginning to turn chaotic. As expected, whatever came from Lou Ji was guaranteed to be top quality. After waiting a bit longer, watching Su Jinxuan panting, her complexion growing frail and pale, Xu Yuan prepared to step forward and purge the impurities from her body. Yet just as he took a step, Bai Muxi's panting voice, tinged with a faint, elusive thread of seductive allure, suddenly drifted over: "Young Master, Mr. Ran, do... do you two feel... like this cavern is getting a bit hot?"