CHAPTER 36: 036 LADY BAO XIANG

But let me tell you, Lady Bao Xiang was none other than the number one Heavenly Fox of the Shushan World. With thousands of years of cultivation, she took on human form early on, specializing in the art of enchantment.

She never drained men completely to death; instead, she usually looked for robust young men in the Mortal World who had just come of age, enchanted them to follow her to the mountains, nourished them for several months with elixirs and returned them to the mortal realm. Although she drew some Lifebound Essence from them, most lived out their days due to the compensating power of the elixirs.

Today, she was merely gathering herbs when she spotted Zhuge Jingwo from afar. She was smitten at first sight with the tall, handsome, and dashing young man. Noting he was a cultivator, abundant in Essence Energy and with a retracted Divine Sense, she found him superior to all the men she had harvested over the past millennium. So she approached him for a chat, careful not to hastily cast any sorcery to prevent mishaps.

Her plan was to first curry favor, dissolve any wariness in Zhuge Jingwo’s heart, and then cast her spells, aided by the Flowers Honey wine she had brewed—

On Yellow Mountain, she cultivated a species of bees, forcing them with spells to collect nectar from a hundred types of flowers she had chosen specifically, each being an extremely potent herb.

The most potent among these was called Drunken Immortal. The flower bloomed as large as a basin, with thousands of stamens clustered in the center, capable of changing color: red in the morning and purple at dusk. The most chaste woman, merely by sniffing, would turn into a wanton hussy, and the straightest man, by taking a breath of it, would turn into a supreme lecher.

After the Flowers Honey was made into wine, its potency increased even further, yet without a harsh impact. It began gently and finished strong. Mortals, from miles away, would be drawn to its aroma — initially thinking it to be the world’s finest wine, gradually feeling a burn as if on fire, sinking deep into desire, unable to stop. When cultivators had a small cup, their Divine Souls would be utterly captivated, at the mercy of this Heavenly Fox.

Lady Bao Xiang’s eyes shimmered with autumn waves, glancing sideways at Zhuge Jingwo, imagining the scenario of this handsome man holding her close, causing ripples in her heart that grew into rolling waves.

With such words from her, Zhuge Jingwo could no longer decline, and he had to return with her to the island where the Purple River Grass was found.

Shi Feiyang had calculated that Zhuge Jingwo would return with reinforcements, but he did not expect it so soon. This time, Zhuge Jingwo did not hide his Sword Qi; it was invisible, exhibiting no trace, as if leisurely passing through the void like a Fallen Immortal.

Another woman, stepping on a rainbow, followed by his side, appearing slow but moving swiftly, catching up with ease and nonchalance.

"Is that the Demon Dragon?" Lady Bao Xiang asked from high above, pointing in the distance. Upon receiving a nod from Zhuge Jingwo, she raised her hand and shot five red beams, as thick as fingers and about a yard long, flying side by side, aiming straight at the target.

Shi Feiyang spat out his inner core, forming a Tai Chi Pattern to block the needles and loudly questioned, "Who are you?"

Lady Bao Xiang was slightly taken aback by the Demon Dragon’s formidable mana and its ability to speak human language. On the way here, she was preoccupied with how to seduce the handsome man beside her, not taking the so-called Demon Dragon seriously. To her surprise, it was quite formidable: "My Dao name is Bao Xiang, and I have a great fondness for Dragon Liver. Today, I’ve come for the life of this Demon Dragon!"

As an otherworldly being, she was not ordinarily inclined to kill. Today, she wanted to show off in front of Zhuge Jingwo, first releasing five Red Cloud Needles, each of which she had nourished for a millennium. Even just one could outmatch others’ Flying Swords; together, they were invincible.

She aimed for a quick decision, knowing the Five Cloud Needles alone might not suffice; she reached with her left hand for the Rainbow Chain, the Treasure of the Cave, and with a gentle flick, it became a five-colored brilliance like a colorful silk ribbon or a rainbow descending from the sky to entwine the Black Dragon.

Shi Feiyang called back the inner core to circle around him, releasing a multitude of Fire Birds, Fire Rats, Fire Dogs, and more, along with a barrage of Hail, blasting in all directions to forcibly expand the Rainbow Chain.

Zhuge Jingwo did not join the attack; instead, he landed on the ground to inspect the Purple River Grass.

Shi Feiyang learned that the opponent was actually Lady Bao Xiang of the Heavenly Fox. Realizing how formidable this vixen was, and that she still had powerful Magical Treasures she hadn’t used, he conceded that he would struggle to fight her alone, and if Zhuge Jingwo were to join the fray, he would be undoubtedly defeated.

Acknowledging he couldn’t best the duo, he decided upon a temporary retreat. He brought together two inner cores, spinning them rapidly, unleashing a ferocity of water and fire, and blasting in one direction. With a sound sharp as tearing silk, he blasted a large hole through the Rainbow Chain’s Five-Colored Light Qi and flew out through it, claws bared, charging towards the distant Heaven and Sea.

Lady Bao Xiang was furious, her eyebrows shooting up in anger, "This vile creature has damaged my Treasure!" She threw out her most formidable Hundred Treasure Ruyi Pure Yang Heart Lock, a device that could trap one’s Primordial Spirit, incredibly powerful, and particularly effective at capturing various Demon Beasts at once.

However, she had set such high expectations for this treasure that its design was complicated and elaborate, making it extremely difficult to refine. It was far from completion, having perfected only about one-third of the process. It could easily trap other Demon Beasts, but using it to capture Shi Feiyang proved insufficient.

Seeing the silver Radiant Chain chasing more than ten miles only to find the Black Dragon’s trace had vanished, Lady Bao Xiang harshly retracted her Magical Treasure. She thought to herself that if her beloved had not been present today, she would have pursued and slaughtered that Demon Dragon!

The Rainbow Chain, her cherished possession for many years that served both offense and defense, had played an instrumental role for her. Now, despite being immediately repairable and not affecting its usability, the damage had compromised its core, reducing a significant amount of its power.

She came down to meet Zhuge Jingwo and inquired, "Fellow Daoist, do you wish to harvest the Elixir right now?"

Zhuge Jingwo shook his head, "The Elixir is not yet mature. Harvesting it now would diminish its potency, making it insufficient for Alchemy. We must wait." He looked up and added, "We must wait until midnight tonight."

Hearing this, Lady Bao Xiang was pleased; she was concerned Zhuge Jingwo would leave immediately after collecting the Elixir. Since they had to wait until tomorrow morning, it meant she had the entire night to spend with him, ample time to ensnare him!

She took the initiative to offer to wait with Zhuge Jingwo, carving out stone to fashion a table and chairs. From her Qiankun Bag, she brought out dishes and cups, setting out four plates of cakes, four of preserves, four of dried fruits, and four of fresh fruits. She then caught some sea fish and shrimp, which she personally grilled over fire, presenting the dishes. She had brought Flowers Honey wine with her, pouring it to share a drink with Zhuge Jingwo.

Zhuge Jingwo, however, firmly refused, "I adhere to the discipline of my Sect, practicing abstinence and, on rare occasions when I do eat, I do not consume meat or drink alcohol. Thank you for your kind offer, but I cannot accept it. Please go ahead without me."

Lady Bao Xiang repeatedly urged him, subtly casting spells in the process, releasing a faint enchanting scent from her chest and purposely revealing her pale arm from her sleeve.

Most people would have been set aflame by their passions, completely losing all restraint and plunging into the depths of pleasure.

But Zhuge Jingwo remained clear-minded, particularly aware of the woman’s ill intentions. His vigilance grew, and he not only avoided feasting with Lady Bao Xiang but also found an excuse to move to the other side under the trees, opposite the Purple River Grass, to meditate.

Seeing she couldn’t lure in this young man, Lady Bao Xiang was both angry and embarrassed, she secretly unleashed her most potent seductive spell while petulantly asking, "I’ve met many Cultivators in the world, but your Sect’s rules are incredibly strict. Tell me, which Sect’s Disciple are you? And who is your master? Tomorrow, I will personally seek him out and ask him why he forbids his disciples from drinking alcohol!"

"I am a Disciple of the Emei Sect, my mentor is Xuan Zhenzi. My talents and physical potential are mediocre, and I was not worthy of Immortal Cultivation. Fortunately, my mentor took me under his wing and passed on the Immortal Law to me. I must put in ten times more effort than others, to climb the Immortal Path and to not let down my master’s painstaking teachings. I always keep this in mind, and I dare not slack off."

Upon hearing that he was a Disciple of the Emei Sect and the student of Xuan Zhenzi, Lady Bao Xiang’s excitement swiftly turned cold...

Hundreds of miles away, hidden in the clouds, Shi Feiyang watched the interaction between the two, taking in every detail with an icy gaze.