The next morning, Wu Meng Ting—now wearing Li An's plain skin—awoke with her body still trembling from the previous night's overwhelming sensations.
I need to understand this body, she thought desperately. I need to find a way to control it—to keep my consciousness from being out of control again.
Even now, just thinking back to the previous night made her thighs press together involuntarily. A warm trickle of arousal seeped from her entrance, dampening the fabric between her legs.
She pinched her arm hard, using the sharp pain to snap herself out of the haze.
Focus. I can't let this happen again.
Now that she and Zhang Hao were married, they had moved into a small mansion near the top of the Forging Peak. As a newly advanced Golden Core elder, Zhang Hao had been assigned a residence befitting his rank by the sect leader. He could take in disciples, hire servants, and maintain his own household.
But that meant they would be sleeping together every night.
If last night happens again—if I experience that regularly—my mind will break. I won't be able to endure it.
She needed to find a way to regulate herself. She couldn't deprive Zhang Hao of intimacy—the love, desire, restraint, and care he transmitted through the artifact ring were impossible to ignore.
Even now, she could feel his happiness radiating through the connection. He was overjoyed that they were finally living together.
I need to understand my body's sensations better.
She knew that pain could overwrite her body's desires. Even with her spiritual roots shattered, the pain could—at least temporarily—suppress the pleasure. But her primordial yin energy was relentless. Her usual weak, fragile body, suffering from the side effects of her shattered spiritual roots, could still become aroused and suddenly burst with strength when her desires exceeded a certain threshold.
I don't understand how this body works.
But she had discovered one reliable method: direct pain stimulation. Every time she applied it, she regained control.
If I can't stop the pleasure, I'll use pain to bring myself back.
She spent the next five days locked in one of the mansion's guest rooms, drawing attack talismans. Each one was designed to inflict immense, concentrated pain on its target—enough to jolt her consciousness back into control if she lost herself again.
By the end of the fifth day, she had completed twenty talismans.
If one isn't enough, I'll use two. If two aren't enough, I'll use three.
Satisfied, she left the guest room and went to find Zhang Hao.
But the mansion was empty.
She searched every room, but there was no trace of him.
He must be outside.
She left the residence and began asking around for his whereabouts. But her blurred vision made the search agonizing. She walked down wrong paths, mistook strangers for Zhang Hao, and even when someone offered to guide her, she lost track of their figure and followed the wrong person entirely.
By sunset, her weak body was trembling with exhaustion. Her pale face had turned a sickly, grayish white, and she could barely walk straight.
But her expression was bright.
She had found him.
Zhang Hao was standing in the training courtyard, guiding a group of junior disciples through spear forms. When he saw her approach, his face lit up—but before he could speak, Li An stepped forward and enthusiastically handed him the stack of talismans.
"Zhang Hao," she said brightly, her voice clear despite her exhaustion. "I made these for you. You can use them to inflict pain on me anytime."
The courtyard went silent.
The disciples stared.
Zhang Hao's face turned bright red.
One of the disciples whispered to another, "Did she just say—?"
"Their new Golden Core elder has... unconventional interests."
"His wife must be really devoted to accept something like that."
Zhang Hao's embarrassment was so intense that he didn't even notice Li An's condition. He quickly dismissed the disciples, scooped Li An into his arms, and fled back to the mansion.
Li An, exhausted and unfocused, didn't understand why he was embarrassed. Through the artifact ring, she sensed a faint thread of resentment mixed with his emotions.
Why is he upset? I worked so hard on these talismans for him.
Her chest tightened.
I spent five days agonizing over these—and now he's angry at me?
Her mind, clouded with fatigue and pain, couldn't process it. Tears welled up in her eyes, and before she could stop herself, she began to cry.
Zhang Hao froze.
"Li An—"
"I—I worked so hard—" she sobbed, her voice breaking. "I just wanted to help—why are you angry—?"
Zhang Hao's resentment vanished instantly, replaced by guilt and tenderness. He set her down gently on the bed and knelt beside her, taking her hands in his.
"I'm not angry," he said softly. "I'm sorry. I know how hard you've been working. I know you're trying to find a way to protect me—to protect us both."
He paused, his expression pained.
"It's my fault. I can't resist Wu Meng Ting's body. No man could. But I don't want you to suffer because of my weakness."
Li An's sobs gradually subsided.
Through the artifact ring, she felt his sincerity—his love, his guilt, his determination to protect her.
"For now," Zhang Hao said quietly, "let's seal Wu Meng Ting's body beneath Li An's skin. I can control myself when you're wearing this disguise. We'll only... go as far as we can safely manage."
Li An nodded slowly.
"And," he added, squeezing her hands, "we don't need to do anything every night. Just being close to you—holding your hand, sleeping beside you—that's enough."
Li An felt her chest warm.
He really means it.
She closed her eyes, exhaustion finally overtaking her. Within moments, she was asleep.
Zhang Hao looked down at her pale, fragile face and felt a deep pang of guilt.
She wouldn't be suffering like this if I hadn't married her.
He didn't know that Li An had never been happier than she was now—simply being by his side.
Thirty years passed.
Li An and Zhang Hao continued their quiet life together in the mansion. Zhang Hao's cultivation soared to the peak of the Golden Core stage, and he now stood on the threshold of the Nascent Soul realm. Li An, despite regularly shattering her spiritual roots to suppress her cultivation, still advanced to the peak of Foundation Establishment.
Thanks to the nourishment of Li An's monthly-produced divine liquid, Zhang Hao's physical body grew increasingly robust. His yang essence had increased fivefold, his peak-grade fire spiritual roots showed signs of mutation, and he could now last much longer in bed with Li An without endangering himself.
As a peak Golden Core cultivator, Zhang Hao was eligible to take over the title of Forging Peak Master—but he declined. The responsibilities of a peak master were too burdensome, and he wanted to spend more time with Li An.
In the past thirty years, Li An rarely left the mansion. Her weak body couldn't endure prolonged training or exertion, and she feared that others would discover her disabilities. She spent her days sitting in the courtyard, staring at the sky, waiting for Zhang Hao to come home.
It was enough.
The sect leader, however, found Zhang Hao's decision unacceptable. After several rounds of discussion and persuasion, they reached a compromise: Zhang Hao would establish a new mountain peak and become its master.
The Flame Peak.
As a newly established peak, it had no disciples and far fewer responsibilities than the older peaks. Zhang Hao found an uninhabited area within the sect's territory, raised a small mountain using earth-manipulation formations, and oversaw the construction of training halls, living quarters, and—at the very top—a cozy mid-sized house with a courtyard where Li An could bask in the sunlight.
When the construction was complete, he brought Li An to their new home and decorated it to his liking. Li An had no preferences of her own.
They spent the following years in quiet contentment. They held hands, strolled through their empty mountain, and developed a hobby of growing spiritual herbs in the courtyard. Li An smiled often. Her body still felt weak and painful, but over the years, she had learned to conceal every abnormality. Unless she had to fight, no one could detect a problem.
And if she ever did have to fight, Zhang Hao—a peak Golden Core cultivator—would protect her. She didn't need to lift a finger.
But their peaceful days didn't last.
It was time for the sect to recruit new disciples, and Zhang Hao, as the master of a newly established peak, was required to accept at least three personal disciples.
On the day the recruitment elder returned with the new recruits, Zhang Hao brought Li An to the selection grounds.
He looked around but couldn't find anyone particularly promising. Finally, he took the direct approach.
"Who among you wishes to become a disciple of the Flame Peak?" he called out.
The recruits glanced at each other and began whispering.
"Flame Peak? I've never heard of it."
"Is it even a real peak?"
"I don't want to limit my future by choosing the wrong master."
They couldn't be blamed for their hesitation. Zhang Hao had kept a low profile for over thirty years. Even at his wedding, only a selected few experts from outside the sect had been invited. The recruits, with their mortal vessels, couldn't sense his peak Golden Core cultivation at all.
In the end, only those with low-grade spiritual roots were willing to join the Flame Peak. They were at the bottom tier in terms of talent, and if they didn't seize this opportunity to find a decent backer, they would be relegated to the outer sect, performing menial tasks until the day they died.
Even so, ten recruits stepped forward.
Zhang Hao frowned. He had only wanted three disciples—not ten.
He glanced at Li An and winked, hoping she would help him narrow down the selection.
Li An, though she could barely see his wink through her blurred vision, understood his thoughts through the artifact ring.
He wants me to choose.
But with her poor eyesight, she couldn't judge them by appearance or bearing. She could only assess their character.
"Why do you wish to join the Flame Peak?" she asked.
The ten recruits gave similar answers. They all understood the limits of their talent and hoped that becoming personal disciples of a peak master would grant them access to better resources.
Li An nodded thoughtfully. Then she asked, "Would any of you be willing to become my disciple instead? I am not a peak master—just an ordinary cultivator."
The recruits hesitated.
From the earlier exchange, they understood that Li An had a close relationship with the peak master. But there was a vast difference between being the disciple of a peak master and the disciple of an ordinary cultivator. Even the outer sect provided more resources than a regular disciple could offer.
This might be a test, some of them thought. But what if it's not? What if we really end up as the disciple of someone unworthy?
In the end, six of them withdrew.
Only four remained.
Li An looked at their blurred faces and said, "Please introduce yourselves."
The first stepped forward. "My name is Ling Yuan. I have a low-grade wood spiritual root. I wish to join the Flame Peak because wood complements fire. With my wood spiritual root as fuel, the fire techniques I use will be more powerful."
The second spoke next. "My name is Zi Yi. I have a low-grade metal spiritual root. I'm interested in weapon forging, but I wasn't confident I could join the Forging Peak. I thought the Flame Peak might be a good alternative."
The third was a young woman. "My name is Gu Ling. I have a low-grade water spiritual root. I was... captivated by Senior Li An's elegance and grace."
The fourth and final recruit stepped forward. "My name is Long Yun. I have a low-grade fire spiritual root and was cast out of my family of cultivators. But my ancestor—a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator—attended Senior Zhang Hao's wedding thirty years ago. He warned our family never to offend Senior Zhang Hao. When I saw Senior Zhang Hao today, I realized how fortunate I was. If I become his disciple, even the ancestor who cast me out will have to treat me with respect."
Li An nodded slowly. Then she said, "Very well. I accept all four of you as disciples of the Flame Peak."
She paused, then added, "Zhang Hao's disciples are my disciples, and my disciples are also Zhang Hao's disciples. Since we are dao companions, there is no difference whose name you take. Even if you call Zhang Hao your master, I will still be responsible for guiding you."
The six recruits who had withdrawn earlier felt their hearts sink.
We made the wrong choice.
Zhang Hao and Li An led the four new disciples to the Flame Peak. They showed them to the living quarters and told them to choose their rooms.
"Report to the residence at the top of the mountain tomorrow morning," Zhang Hao instructed.
Then, holding Li An's hand, he proceeded to the administration hall to collect the four disciples' tokens.
As they walked back to the residence, Zhang Hao sighed.
"After today, I'll be busy guiding them. I'll have to deal with whatever messes they create in the future."
His head ached just thinking about it.
Li An gently embraced him. "I'll help you. There's no need to worry."
And there truly was no need to worry.
Li An possessed countless cultivation techniques for all elements. She could casually produce a supreme scripture that most sects would enshrine in their treasury as a core technique. As for combat skills, Li An—who had mastered everything in the sect library—could teach the disciples whatever they needed to learn.
Pills, formations, talismans, forging—Li An could teach them all.
She hadn't been joking when she asked if they wanted to become her disciples.
After all, even if they had chosen Zhang Hao as their master, what could he actually teach them? His knowledge was limited to forging and spear techniques.
But Li An?
Li An could teach them everything.