Zhou Tong propped up the collapsing Murong Ya with one hand, supporting her into a shaky cross-legged seat.
“Master, I’m going to suppress your inner demon.
Can you cover that mirror?” Zhou Tong pointed at the Celestial Mirror — he disliked the feeling of being watched.
“That’s easy enough.
Weakened as I am, destroying a mirror is still within my power.”
Murong Ya’s eyes blazed as she stared at the horizon, where a powerful fluctuation was gathering.
“You wouldn’t dare!”
Mo Liusu grew frantic — the Celestial Mirror was a treasure of the sect, and if it were destroyed, she would bear grave responsibility.
Yet if she withdrew it now, she would lose her means of watching Zhou Tong — and that galled her.
After weighing the options, she made her choice.
“Don’t get cocky.
Before long the Hehuan Sect will vanish completely too — and then we’ll see who’s left to shelter a useless piece of trash like you!”
With that, she withdrew the Celestial Mirror.
Murong Ya spat out another mouthful of blood, her vitality flagging further.
At the same time, wisps of black smoke rose from her body, thick with vicious malice — the demonic haze of her inner demon made manifest.
“Little one, get back!
Don’t touch this stuff, or you’ll lose your life.” Murong Ya said urgently — no one knew the terror of an inner demon better than she.
That power preyed specifically on the spirit, and anyone with weak spiritual will would be slain in an instant.
Even she, with her formidable cultivation, was tormented beyond endurance.
A mere youth like Zhou Tong, if he dared to touch it, would surely be reduced to ash!
“Who do you take me for?
A mere inner demon — why would I fear it?”
Without another word, Zhou Tong reached out and touched Murong Ya directly.
“Don’t…
ah!”
Murong Ya’s face changed drastically; she tried to stop him, but felt two scorching palms press against her soft waist.
In that instant, electricity seemed to run through her whole body, and she trembled violently.
Perhaps because of the inner demon, her body had grown intensely sensitive — and in her soul-seizing eyes, a mist of tears gathered, making her look dewy and irresistibly lovely.
She was about to flare up in anger when an incomparably profound spiritual force rippled out from Zhou Tong, suppressing the inner demon in an instant and easing the pressure on her.
“This…
this is your spiritual force?” Astonishment like she had never known appeared on her stunning face.
This pure spiritual force was immensely powerful — the perfect bane of all inner demons.
What she didn’t know was that this spiritual force was only the tip of Zhou Tong’s iceberg.
In his past life, Zhou Tong had stood one step from the Emperor Realm, and his spiritual force had even crossed the threshold of that realm.
Now reborn, though his cultivation had not carried over, his spiritual force had been preserved in full.
In the world today, if he claimed the first place in spiritual power, almost no one would dare claim the second.
“Little one…” Murong Ya’s red lips parted slightly, but within her heart, stormy waves crashed.
Could this child be the stroke of fortune destined for her — that the Hehuan Sect was not fated to die after all?
At the thought, she couldn’t help but smile softly.
Her peerless elegance seemed to take form, becoming shimmering waves of light that swept over the withered grass, the rotting wood, the desolate plains, and the vast, endless sky.
To his astonishment, Zhou Tong sensed signs of life surging in the space around them — something that defied all logic.
A raise of her hand set the mortal world dancing; a smile could move the sages.
All things in creation were captivated by her every frown and laugh.
Could the Heavenly Union Art of the Hehuan Sect really be so heaven-defying?
But then Zhou Tong shook his head slightly, dismissing the thought.
If the art were truly that mighty, the Hehuan Sect would long ago have become a Great Emperor sect.
A being who could charm all creation with a wave of her hand — that was probably unique to Murong Ya alone.
Forcing his mind steady, Zhou Tong moved his palms slowly across Murong Ya’s body, channeling his spiritual force into each vital acupoint.
“Mm…
you…
little one, be gentler — I can’t bear it!”
Murong Ya suddenly reacted intensely — her shoulders quivered, her jade hands clenched, even her delicate toes curled together.
Her involuntary expression made Zhou Tong’s breathing grow heavy.
“Bear with it a little longer — it will be over soon!” As he spoke, he quickened his movements, his spiritual force condensing into threads that stimulated her from within.
“Ah…
aah…
huff, huff…
you brat, don’t go too far…
ahhh…”
Murong Ya’s reaction grew even stronger.
She glared at Zhou Tong with feigned anger, a thousand charms in her eyes, as if accusing him of being a lecher.
But Zhou Tong was even more annoyed and snapped back: “I know the inner demon makes you sensitive, but you’re the Sect Leader of the Hehuan Sect, for heaven’s sake — can’t you take a little stimulation?”
At that, she turned utterly aggrieved, tears nearly spilling like rain: “Why are you so mean?
So what if I’m the Sect Leader of the Hehuan Sect?
I’ve lived over a hundred years, and no member of the opposite sex has ever touched my body!”
Zhou Tong was left speechless, jaw hanging.
He had never imagined the Sect Leader of the Hehuan Sect was a maiden of over a hundred!
This was too surreal for words.
“Then I’ll be gentler.
Just hold on a bit longer.”
His movements grew softer, and he focused even more intently, refusing to be distracted by her allure.
Murong Ya was tense at first, but when she realized Zhou Tong was truly saving her with undivided concentration, she finally lowered her guard.
“This little one…
he’s different from those filthy men, and he’s so adorable too.”
Thinking this, she found herself reaching out, as if possessed, to touch Zhou Tong’s face.
“Can’t you sit still?
I’d say you’re asking for a spanking!” Zhou Tong said crossly.
This woman had no idea how powerful her allure was — that innocent yet seductive charm could turn any man into a beast.
Wasn’t she afraid he might take liberties?
“Ah!” Like a startled rabbit, Murong Ya flailed her hands to cover her burning red cheeks.
“How utterly mortifying!”
“I’m here!”
Just then, the little enchantress arrived in the nick of time — a rusty pill furnace in one hand, a bundle of spirit herbs in the other.
“Is this enough?”
Zhou Tong gave the herbs a quick once-over and nodded slightly, letting her breathe a sigh of relief.
“You’re really going to refine a seventh-grade pill?
You even know alchemy?”
“Need you ask?” Zhou Tong said without a trace of modesty.
“Why have I never heard of this?”
“There are plenty of things you don’t know!”
Hearing this, the little enchantress blinked and blinked, her long lashes fluttering, one cheek puffing out — she did not look pleased at all.
Murong Ya couldn’t help smiling — she knew her precious girl was bottling up her irritation.
“Ignite!”
Without wasting a moment, Zhou Tong unleashed his spiritual force and spiritual energy together, igniting the divine flame in an instant and beginning the refinement.
“Such formidable control…
girl, you’ve picked up a treasure!” Murong Ya looked at the little enchantress, her eyes full of affection.
As the firelight danced, time ticked by.
Fine sweat beaded on Zhou Tong’s brow, yet he remained steady as a mountain — a seventh-grade pill held no challenge for him at all.
After the better part of another hour, the furnace suddenly shuddered, and with a sharp bang, its lid blasted off.
In the next moment, a dazzling beam of light bearing a sacred aura soared out.
The little enchantress’s jaw dropped — even with no knowledge of pills, she could tell Zhou Tong had succeeded!
“BOOM!”
Dark clouds suddenly gathered thick in the sky, and the ground began to tremble — as if something momentous was about to happen.
“Be careful — the moment a seventh-grade pill is born, it summons Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire!” Zhou Tong warned with a grave face.
…
Meanwhile, in the great hall of the Yuqing Sect, Mo Liusu’s face was utterly overcast.
“That rebellious wretch — he dares to block the Celestial Mirror!
He truly doesn’t know what it means to die!”
“Master, please calm down!” Tang Qi said with barely concealed glee: “Without your protection, Senior Brother can do nothing at all!”
“That’s true enough.
Do you think he can actually refine a seventh-grade pill?”
Hearing this, Tang Qi put on a proud air: “You worry too much, Master.
Senior Sister once said my alchemy has long surpassed Senior Brother’s — I can be called the finest of the younger generation.
And yet even I can only refine fifth-grade pills.
Do you really think Senior Brother has any chance of succeeding?”