3: Chapter 3 How about we do it again, then we'll be even?

Xu Ruyu's brain completely short-circuited after the five words "Sect Master of Hehuan Sect" crashed down upon him.

A giant of the Demonic Path, a Grandmaster of essence harvesting, a cold-blooded killer, fickle and temperamental...

Countless labels about demonic enchantresses he had read in novels flashed through his mind like a barrage of bullet comments, each pointing to the same end—he would be sucked dry of his essence by the beauty before him, refined into a corpse puppet, or worse, flayed and his soul extracted, never to be reincarnated!

And now, not only had he slept with this big shot, but he had also... seemingly reverse-harvested her?!

This wasn't just "disturbing the earth over the head of Taisui"; this was directly digging Taisui up by the roots and stewing him for a meal!

Xu Ruyu's legs went weak, and he nearly fell to his knees on the spot.

His face was deathly pale, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word. He could only stare with eyes full of terror at the woman on the bed who, despite being incredibly weak, still radiated a cold majesty.

Xiao Nianyin took in his fear, the feeling of utter absurdity in her heart growing even stronger.

How did such a seemingly cowardly Mortal man... cause her to suffer such a massive setback?

She endured the waves of emptiness coming from deep within her body—the most direct sensation after losing her cultivation, like a towering mountain suddenly having its Foundation hollowed out.

But she couldn't show it, not even a little bit.

"This Seat is asking you a question."

Xiao Nianyin forced herself to sit upright, though this simple movement nearly made her black out.

She had to make her voice sound as cold and majestic as usual, even though lifting a single finger now cost her immense effort.

"Who, exactly, are you? Who sent you to sneak into my bedchamber, 'Ningyin Hall'?"

Given the current situation, she had to figure out whether this was a pure accident or a shocking conspiracy aimed at her and the Hehuan Sect.

If it was the latter, who was the mastermind? And what was their purpose?

But more importantly—she could not let the Mortal before her perceive her weakness.

In the Cultivation World, especially in a Demonic Path Sect like the Hehuan Sect where the strong prey on the weak, once it was known she had lost her cultivation, what awaited her would be worse than death.

Xu Ruyu shivered from the cold tone. His survival instinct instantly overrode his fear, finally allowing his tongue to regain the ability to speak.

"I... I'm called Xu Ruyu. The 'Xu' from Xu Xian, and 'Ruyu' as in 'Like a Fish in Water'."

Xu Ruyu's voice trembled. Because he was nervous, he was tongue-tied and hurriedly began to explain incoherently.

"I... I don't know how I got here either. I was just... just jerking o—"

At this point, Xu Ruyu suddenly stopped, cursing in his heart: *Damn, I almost let it slip.*

He then changed his tune: "I... I just took a nap, and when I woke up, I... I was here."

"Really! I swear!"

"I swear by the lamp... oh no, there's no lamp here... anyway, regarding what just happened, I definitely didn't do it on purpose!"

"I thought it was a dream! I..."

He was sweating profusely with anxiety, wishing he could rip out his heart to prove his innocence.

Who would believe something like Transmigration? If he said it, she might just think he was insane and slap him to death.

"A dream?"

Xiao Nianyin's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, catching that keyword.

She recalled that before her cultivation was about to dissipate, to be safe, she had indeed used the Divine Soul secret technique "Dream Induction" to enter the dream of a Mortal man with no cultivation to guide his Physical Body here. She had thought it was foolproof...

Could it be that something went wrong with the "Dream Induction"?

Or perhaps there was something strange about this Mortal named Xu Ruyu's Divine Soul or Physique that led to this inconceivable situation?

She scrutinized Xu Ruyu, trying to find even a trace of a Spiritual Root talent or a special Physique, but the result disappointed her again—this was just an ordinary Mortal Foundation, the kind that wouldn't even stand out in a crowd in the Cultivation World.

But such a "Mortal" had actually caused her to...

An indescribable surge of complex emotions rose in Xiao Nianyin's heart.

As the Sect Master of the Hehuan Sect, she had been taken in as a Disciple by her Master at the age of three. For hundreds of years, she had devoted herself to the supreme secret methods of the Sect, finally managing to step into the Saint Realm.

Unfortunately, the Sect's secret method was a supreme way of cultivating by harvesting Yang Qi. This led to an imbalance of Yin and Yang within Xiao Nianyin's body, sowing the seeds for today's disaster.

Her Master had warned her back then that to Cultivate the Sect's supreme secret, she had to engage in Dual Cultivation secret methods to suppress the excess Yang Qi in her body through the art of harmonizing Yin and Yang.

For this reason, her Master had specially selected several prodigies for her.

Unfortunately, Xiao Nianyin was too proud and didn't think much of those so-called prodigies.

Over the years, she had never sought a Dao Companion, which led to the Yang Qi in her body rioting every ten years since she entered the Saint Realm.

At first, she could still suppress it with her powerful cultivation.

But during the last two times, Xiao Nianyin found the Yang Qi in her body becoming increasingly violent. If she didn't find a Pure Yang person for Dual Cultivation, she feared her cultivation would dissipate.

Yet looking across the entire Cultivation World, not a single man could catch Xiao Nianyin's eye.

Out of desperation, Xiao Nianyin made a decision—during the ten-year period when her cultivation was at risk of dissipating, she would use "Dream Induction" to bring a Mortal man from another world to engage in Dual Cultivation and mend the flaws in her cultivation.

Xiao Nianyin doing this was actually a last resort.

As the Sect Master of the Hehuan Sect, countless people were plotting against her.

The reason she decided to target another world and Mortal men was simply because she feared her enemies would take the opportunity to move against her.

Moreover, Mortal men had no cultivation and were easier to control.

If she found a male Cultivator for Dual Cultivation, she truly feared the other party would suck away her entire cultivation when she was at her weakest.

But in the end, man proposes, God disposes.

Xiao Nianyin had calculated everything, but she hadn't anticipated that the Mortal man she brought over with "Dream Induction" would be so capable in that regard.

To the point where, in front of the Sect Master of the Hehuan Sect, he actually had the strength to turn the tables and sing a song of victory.

Recalling the scene where she was pinned down by him just now, even Xiao Nianyin couldn't help but feel her face flush.

This... this was her first time being with a man, so how could she be so pathetic as to be overturned by him?

What alarmed her even more was that at that moment, she clearly felt the cultivation in her body surging uncontrollably toward him like a river breaching a dam.

It wasn't something she actively transferred, but rather a... strange backlash?

Was it because something went wrong with the technique she practiced? Or was there something peculiar about this Mortal?

Xiao Nianyin's mind raced with a thousand thoughts, but her face showed nothing.

She couldn't panic, and she certainly couldn't let this Mortal see any clues.

Right now, although her cultivation was experiencing abnormal fluctuations, she must not let anyone know the real situation—especially not the man before her who had just shared an intimacy with her.

She had to take control of the situation and make this Mortal fear and obey her.

Just then—

*Knock! Knock! Knock!*

Outside the bedchamber, three crisp and rhythmic knocks broke the stagnant and oppressive atmosphere of the room.

Following that, a respectful yet slightly probing female voice came in: "Sect Master, you seem to have risen a bit late today? The Third Elder has sent someone to ask if there is still a discussion regarding this month's Sect expenses and today's Outer Sect Disciple assessment?"

The voice belonged to Xiao Nianyin's personal maid and one of her confidantes, Qingzhu.

Xu Ruyu froze, his heart instantly leaping into his throat!

Someone's here! It's over!

The fact that he slept with their Sect Master is going to be discovered!

He instinctively looked at Xiao Nianyin, his eyes full of pleading, as if saying "don't let her in."

Xiao Nianyin's brow also furrowed almost imperceptibly.

She could not let anyone see her in her current state!

Especially those Elders in the Sect!

The Hehuan Sect was full of factions and intense internal struggles; who knew how many eyes were secretly watching her position as Sect Master.

Once anyone saw her current disheveled appearance and disordered aura, even a mere suspicion could lead to unpredictable consequences.

She took a deep breath and forced the remaining power in her body to circulate—that power was now extremely weak and almost impossible to perceive, but she had to hold on.

Her voice had to sound the same as always, carrying the unique pressure of a Saint Realm Expert.

"This Seat has had some insights today and need to meditate quietly for a while longer."

"Let the Third Elder decide for himself. It's just a few trifles; there's no need to disturb me."

Xiao Nianyin's voice drifted from the bedchamber, carrying a hint of laziness and displeasure, yet it remained clear and majestic.

Outside the door, Qingzhu seemed to pause, clearly a bit surprised.

The Sect Master was usually very diligent; such a situation rarely occurred.

But she didn't dare ask more, quickly replying: "Yes, this Disciple obeys. Then... does the Sect Master need this Disciple to prepare breakfast?"

"No need." Xiao Nianyin's voice interrupted with a tone that brooked no argument. "Without my orders, no one is to come within a hundred paces of Ningyin Hall. Violators will be dealt with according to Sect rules!"

"Yes!"

Qingzhu's voice became noticeably more serious, and then the sound of footsteps gradually faded away.

Hearing the footsteps vanish, Xu Ruyu finally dared to take a deep breath, his back already soaked with cold sweat.

At that moment, he felt like he had taken a walk to the gates of hell and back.

Xiao Nianyin also breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart felt even heavier.

But she could hide it for a moment, not forever.

Her current state was very wrong. Although she wasn't sure exactly what had happened, the abnormal fluctuations of power in her body made her feel uneasy.

She had to figure out the situation as quickly as possible and... she had to control the Mortal before her.

Her gaze fell once again on the still-shaken Xu Ruyu.

This culprit... perhaps he was also the only Breakthrough point at the moment?

A bold and crazy idea gradually took shape in Xiao Nianyin's mind.

She looked at Xu Ruyu, her eyes shifting with complex emotions.

She couldn't kill him—at least not now.

She needed to find out exactly what had happened just now and why the power in her body had undergone such an abnormal movement.

Moreover, if she killed him now, in case it triggered some unpredictable consequence...

No, she had to keep him, keep him by her side under control, and observe him slowly.

"Xu Ruyu, is it?" she spoke slowly, her tone no longer as cold as before, but still carrying the aloofness of a superior.

Clearly, that in-depth exchange just now had not brought the two strangers any closer.

In Xiao Nianyin's eyes, this was nothing more than an accidental mistake, a trouble that needed to be covered up and handled as soon as possible.

"Y-yes."

Hearing the beautiful Sect Master's inquiry, Xu Ruyu nodded repeatedly.

"Do you know what you just did to me?"

Xiao Nianyin asked, her voice extremely flat, yet it carried a weight of a thousand pounds.

Xu Ruyu's face instantly slumped, and he pleaded with a miserable expression: "I... I really didn't do it on purpose... Great Sect Master, you are a magnanimous person, just treat me like a fart and let me go... I promise to disappear immediately and never appear before you again!"

"Let you go?" A cold arc curled at the corner of Xiao Nianyin's lips, tinged with a bit of self-deprecation. "You destroyed the Pure Body I have painstakingly guarded for hundreds of years, and with just a 'didn't do it on purpose,' you want to just walk away?"

Although he had guessed as much from the bloodstains on the large bed, hearing it confirmed from the Sect Master's own mouth still made Xu Ruyu feel the world spinning.

A Pure Body guarded for hundreds of years?! My goodness... just how much of a sin had he committed?!

You should know, even if he went a single day without rubbing one out, he would feel terribly uncomfortable.

This woman, on the other hand, was clearly the Sect Master of the Hehuan Sect, yet she had actually remained as pure as jade for hundreds of years?

What the hell!

Xu Ruyu exclaimed inwardly.

"Then... then what should we do?" Xu Ruyu's voice was bitter. "How about we do it one more time? This time you take the initiative, and we'll call it even?

A-actually, I... I was a virgin too!"