The sun barely rose above the Cloudveil peaks when Jiang Yuefeng sat cross-legged, surrounded by a thin mist. Cold, silent, calculating—he let his Qi circulate as the system completed its nightly evaluations.
Cultivation: Qi Refining Stage 8 → Stage 9
Partner: Mu Shilan
Emotion Score: 68%
System Summary: Mild emotional dependency forming. Recommend managing expectations and emotional distancing.
Yuefeng didn't smile. He only adjusted his breathing. Stage 9 already… good.
It wasn't fast, it wasn't slow—it was deliberate. He made sure not to advance too quickly and arouse suspicion. Cultivation built on manipulation was fragile if not handled with precision.
Mu Shilan had become more than a tool. She was a pawn with her own will. An intelligent pawn, dangerous if underestimated. So, he played the part of a caring companion, always cautious, never revealing more than needed.
Inner Sect Politics Begin to Stir
Across the Cloudveil Sect's inner sanctum, whispers and political tension festered.
A low-ranked outer disciple, barely admitted weeks ago, now had a private training ground inside the Ice Petal Garden? What audacity. Even the inner disciples began to whisper in disdain.
Several elders began meetings behind closed doors.
Elder Han Ming, of the Frost Spirit Pavilion, stood before a jade scroll etched with Mu Shilan's training logs. "Increased talent. Accelerated advancement. Hmph. This reeks of dual cultivation."
His counterpart, Elder Yao—a schemer who ran a hidden information network—laughed. "And yet, the girl is blooming like never before. Perhaps we should thank the boy."
Han Ming sneered. "Or silence him."
But Elder Yao's eyes glittered. "Or use him."
A New Target: The Phoenix of the Inner Sect
Xian Lanyue.
Known as the Phoenix-Blooded Flame Heir, she was born with a Dual Flame Physique, a legendary body constitution that granted devastating fire powers and unrivaled alchemical affinity. Her beauty score was an enviable 95, her status nearly untouchable.
To Jiang Yuefeng, she was the perfect next step.
The system confirmed it.
New Target Registered: Xian Lanyue
Beauty Score: 95
Cultivation: Qi Refining Stage 12 (Half-Step Foundation)
Emotional Resistance: Extreme. Known to reject dozens of suitors.
Warning: Requires careful multi-phase manipulation.
He smirked slightly. Difficult targets reap better rewards.
But how does one begin to touch fire without being burned?
With patience.
The Hero Appears
He followed her movements subtly through system-tagged markers, never making contact. Until one day, in the Fire Spirit Training Grounds, she was ambushed by three jealous inner sect disciples.
They struck her as she exhausted her Qi refining a pill flame, her robe singed, her spiritual flame dim.
And then he stepped in.
Without fanfare, without words.
Three precise strikes—nothing flashy, but cruel and efficient. He didn't announce his name. He simply handed her a fire-resistant robe, tossed a Recovery Pellet at her feet, and turned to leave.
"Wait," she said.
He paused.
"You... you didn't ask for my name?"
He didn't turn back. "I don't need it."
"…You're different."
He walked away.
Target Interest: 7%
Relationship Status: "Curious"
Strategy Suggestion: Use mystery, provoke dominance triggers, avoid overt flattery.
Setting the Stage: The Flamecore Yin Root Auction
The system revealed the next key event: a high-tier underground auction run by the Blackflame Consortium, unaffiliated with any sect faction. Among the items was the legendary Flamecore Yin Root, a spiritual treasure that doubled dual cultivation gains with fire-body women.
Effect: When paired with a Yin Physique partner, cultivation and talent enhancement increases by 2.4x.
Starting Bid: 20,000 Spirit Stones
He couldn't afford it. But he didn't need to.
Instead, he baited Xian Lanyue into attending. He let her hear about the auction through loose lips planted in the Fire Pavilion.
When the day arrived, she came.
So did he—but in disguise.
A dark crimson robe. A black veil mask. The identity of a "rogue furnace cultivator" selling rare pills.
He sold two frost-infused pills crafted using Mu Shilan's Qi as bait to gain elite access. When the bidding on the Yin Root began, he purposely outbid Lanyue multiple times.
Her temper rose like a phoenix about to incinerate the sky.
"Who dares—?" she muttered, eyes locked on the masked bidder.
She won the root in the end—for 78,000 spirit stones—furious, confused, and intrigued.
He left silently, but lingered just outside.
When she finally approached, fists clenched, eyes furious, he let a small smirk escape.
"You again," she spat. "Why?"
"I wanted to know how high the phoenix would fly… when teased."
"You're courting death."
"Or something greater."
Her pupils narrowed.
Target Emotional Engagement: 14%
Potential Opening: Emotional provocation detected. Target is off balance.
He turned and vanished.
Two Women, Two Flames
Mu Shilan noticed.
His aura was different lately—darker, warmer, almost seductive. But he always returned to her chamber after training, brewed tea, helped her refine pills.
She asked softly one night, "You're hiding something."
"I'm always hiding something," he replied truthfully.
And she leaned against him, just enough to suggest need—but not vulnerability.
He kissed her, slowly, with purpose. But didn't go further.
The system hummed.
Partner: Mu Shilan
Emotional Trust: 70%
Stability Level: Solidified Bond (No Immediate Risk)
Cultivation Benefit: +1 Stage if intercourse occurs.
Still, he waited.
He wanted more depth—more fuel.
End of Chapter Summary
Cultivation: Qi Refining Stage 9
Dual Targets Active: Mu Shilan (Ice Physique), Xian Lanyue (Flame Physique)
Next Objective:
• Gain controlled access to Core Sect Trials
• Steal Flamecore Root
• Begin emotional baiting of Xian Lanyue
• Sleep with Mu Shilan to break into Foundation Realm
System Warning:
"Host has multiple emotional threads forming. Risk of unstable emotional backlash. Recommendation: Rotate targets, avoid true intimacy."
Yuefeng read the warning and smirked.
Trust is weakness. Love is poison.
Only power was real.
And he was just getting started.