Qing Emperor Divine Palace.
The sky was clear as a polished jade, not a single wisp of cloud in sight, pure and serene.
Blood Princess hummed a little tune as she strolled about idly. Unlike the cold and desolate feeling of the second cycle, due to the slight shifts in minor forces, all nine Great Generals survived this time around, with even a few new faces appearing.
[Divine Emperor Soldiers] patrolled everywhere. Occasionally, cultivators returning from their missions would come to report, chatting and laughing with ease—every one of them a figure of power; no mere ordinary folk wandered these halls.
Moreover, because the [Heaven Emperor Spirit-Locking Array] was not yet widely implemented, and with resistance organizations still rampant, in this lifetime Zhou Xuan had not chosen to discard the donkey once the millstone was ground, nor to hide the bow once the birds were gone, turning the Five Domains and Two Heavens into his private breeding ground. Instead, he promoted vigorous development, and the myriad arts flourished in Central State, making it the most prosperous among the Five Domains!
Even the extraction rate of cultivation from the [Heaven Emperor Spirit-Locking Array] was reduced to five percent, with contribution points set up as compensation—a gesture that could even be called benevolent rule.
Mentioning Zhou Xuan, one could not help but speak of Su Bai.
In this lifetime, Su Bai still sat securely upon the throne as Master of the Qing Emperor Divine Palace, but as he spent most of his years in seclusion and meditation, the real power of the Palace was entrusted to the person he trusted most—his disciple and adopted son, Zhou Xuan.
Of course, that was only the official story.
Blood Princess knew all too well that her true self was under house arrest in the bedchamber, spending each estrus season wailing in miserable feline cries.
Humming her tune, she leisurely turned the corner, thinking about how to squeeze some tasty treats from A’Xuan this time. She was so lost in thought that she failed to notice someone approaching and bumped straight into them.
Looking up, she saw a white-haired female cultivator with an icy and aloof temperament.
Upon seeing Blood Princess, the woman gave a slight bow, saluting with a voice as clear as ice beads falling onto a jade plate, crisp and melodious: “Greetings, Vice Palace Master.”
Vice Palace Master—the identity Zhou Xuan had arranged for Blood Princess—not only was she the Vice Palace Master, but she was also said to be the Qing Emperor’s sister, long secluded from worldly affairs. Although the two shared little beyond similar appearances, even belonging to different species.
Yet, when something was declared by a Nascent Soul Heavenly Venerable, no matter how absurd, people could only silently comply, not daring to question it.
“It’s fine, go about your business.” Blood Princess waved her hand casually, unconcerned, but information about the woman flashed through her mind.
Gong Qianxue, Heartless True Lord, ranked fourth among the Great Generals of the Qing Emperor Divine Palace, Nascent Soul late stage cultivation.
Perhaps it was the favor of fate, or perhaps some other reason, but in this lifetime, many who were obscure in the previous two cycles soared to prominence, rising effortlessly to the top.
Blood Princess’s thoughts lingered only briefly on Gong Qianxue before she resumed humming an even more cheerful tune, unconsciously quickening her steps.
She did not notice that, after she turned away, Gong Qianxue slowly turned as well, her previously tranquil gaze quietly landing on a hidden streak of gray-white in Blood Princess’s red hair. A flicker of contemplation flashed through her eyes, but it quickly faded, restoring her usual coldness.
Hurrying through corridor after corridor, Blood Princess went straight toward a familiar palace. Her fiery red hair streamed behind her in the wind, like a blazing flame.
Entering the hall, she immediately saw a man in white robes with gold patterns, handsome beyond compare, meditating in cultivation. Blood Princess moved with delicate steps, rushing into Zhou Xuan’s arms, nuzzling her little head against him like a spoiled kitten. Then she tilted her head up, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at him.
“A’Xuan, I want a kiss.”
Zhou Xuan lowered his eyes to look at the girl in his arms. Hearing her words, he froze for a moment. Then a gentle warmth flickered in his gaze. He bent down and lightly kissed her on the forehead.
“Like this?”
“Yes, just like that, that’s the feeling of being loved.”
Blood Princess’s eyes immediately curved into crescents, joy overflowing in her heart like a spring. She hugged him even tighter, as if trying to melt herself into his body.
“I love happiness so much. Can you turn me into a cream puff, and it’d be even better if you could eat me up with my true body too.”
“Double happiness plus sensation sharing—I’ll definitely be broken by you.”
“Hehehe That kind of happiness would be absolutely wonderful”
Zhou Xuan’s lips twitched helplessly. He rubbed the girl’s hair. “You really are… not afraid of death.”
“To die beneath a peony blossom, even as a ghost, I’ll remain romantic. Anyway, I’m just a fragment of a divine soul, and I’ve ended up as a fallen female. My true body probably wishes she could split me in two with her sword.”
“Since that’s the case, if I can enjoy myself before dying, it’s not a life wasted.” Blood Princess wore an utterly unconcerned look, even appearing eager, as if she was full of anticipation for that unknown “happiness.”
Zhou Xuan’s hand paused for a moment, then he rubbed his brow. “Master, you facing your inner feelings so directly is a bit beyond my expectations. Also, you’re my master, not just some insignificant divine soul.”
“Don’t call me Master. Call me Blood Princess, your Blood Princess. So many died because of me, and you became a rebel disciple for my sake. I stopped deserving that title long ago.” Blood Princess’s smile was radiant, but it could not hide the lingering sorrow deep within her eyes.
“All right, let’s change the subject.” Seeing Zhou Xuan about to speak, she suddenly drew out a book from her sleeve and handed it to Zhou Xuan.
“Let’s try this.”
Zhou Xuan’s gaze landed on the book, and he couldn’t help but frown. “The Six Desires Demon Mark.”
“Yes.” Blood Princess nodded enthusiastically, her eyes brimming with expectation. “I heard the old devils say that once you brand this onto someone, it’ll make them very, very happy.”
Zhou Xuan fell silent.
The Six Desires Demon Mark, an exceedingly evil technique. The practitioner condenses a demon seed; once the seed is branded onto the target, it takes root and sprouts like a seed of darkness, slowly spreading along the meridians and bones. At first, it forms only faint demonic lines, but over time these lines intertwine, forming a web that envelops the entire body.
The demon mark doesn’t change a person’s mind, only amplifies their innermost desires, making those urges impossible to suppress. And those desires can only be soothed or released with the consent of the one who branded the mark.
From the physical body, to spirit and will, even the soul itself—all would, through repeated bouts of pleasure, gradually fall under the control of the mark’s practitioner.
The old devil who created this art and mastered the Furnace Technique once said: as long as the demon seed is planted, even the most aloof and pure celestial maiden would fall and become **’s **, degraded to the lowest female beast beneath a man’s feet.
Now, gazing at the girl’s eager and slightly longing eyes, Zhou Xuan’s brows knit ever tighter.
Facing her desires so directly, the master who had fallen into femininity now seemed obsessed with “happiness” to a deranged degree.
[You successfully escaped from the hands of the Celestial True Lord, but at the cost of your second brother losing his novice protection before it even ended.]
[Having survived a great calamity, you encountered two cultivators and, by chance, learned from them of the existence of Mieyang. These two are both members of Mieyang.]
[You don’t know if it’s the workings of fate, or if it’s that luck treasure, [Surely Blessed], left by the Sirius Immortal Lord, but whatever the cause, you have taken your first step toward success.]
[While conducting the necessary investigation and testing on you, the two cultivators brought you along to Mieyang’s ever-elusive headquarters.]
“Buzz…”
A booming noise echoed endlessly in his ears, and the scene before his eyes spun relentlessly, growing impossible to discern.