Disrespecting one's teacher and committing treason

Tingxue Courtyard, the night was as dark as ink.

The cold wind swirled with snowflakes in the desolate courtyard, letting out a mournful wail.

This was originally a long-abandoned side courtyard of Purple Bamboo Peak. Though Su Ye had tidied it up during the day and used wood-element techniques to force the plum trees into bloom, giving it a touch of quiet elegance, it was still far inferior to the spring-like Lingyun Cave, which was equipped with a Spirit Gathering Array.

Lin Qianxue sat cross-legged on a bluestone.

Surrounded by cold mist, her heart—which should have been as still as water during cultivation—was currently as tangled as a ball of yarn played with by a cat.

She couldn't calm down.

She simply couldn't calm down.

Every time she closed her eyes, what appeared in her mind wasn't the obscure and profound Foundation Chapter of the Grand Yin True Scripture, but the tightly closed door of Lingyun Cave.

And that woman, Third Senior Sister Lin Waner... that bone-deep seductive gaze, and that shameless act of burrowing into Senior Brother's embrace in front of everyone!

"Shameless!"

Lin Qianxue snapped her eyes open, a hint of shame and annoyance flashing in her cold gaze, along with a bit of... jealousy that she was unwilling to admit.

*Snap.*

The half-broken withered branch in her hand was snapped in two.

During the day, that golden, crispy roasted chicken leg—radiating five-colored light—had ultimately ended up in Lin Waner's mouth.

While she herself only received a "next time for sure."

That would have been fine.

After all, she had just joined the sect, and there was an order of seniority.

But why could Lin Waner stay overnight in Senior Brother's Lingyun Cave while she could only blow in the cold wind of this chilly Tingxue Courtyard?

If it were for cultivation, it would be fine.

But just now... even from miles away, with her Supreme Grade Ice Spirit Root's keen perception of the world's Qi, she clearly sensed extremely violent Spiritual Qi fluctuations coming from the direction of Lingyun Cave.

It was the cheer of water spiritual energy, the surge of tides.

Even faintly, the wind seemed to carry some kind of blushing low moans.

"Eighth level of Foundation Establishment..."

Lin Qianxue bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, tasting a faint hint of blood.

She had felt the sudden explosion of Lin Waner's aura in that instant.

Breaking through two levels in a row!

What an astonishing method was this?

To help that "very wet" woman, Senior Brother actually expended so much effort!

"It's not fair..."

In the young girl's heart, a seed named "unwillingness," quietly catalyzed by the demonic seed, quickly took root and sprouted, growing into a towering tree.

She, Lin Qianxue, with an Innate Sword Heart and a Supreme Grade Ice Spirit Root—which part of her was inferior to that Water Spirit Root who only knew how to act spoiled and coquettish?

In terms of Aptitude, she was an Ice Phoenix, while the other was just Water.

In terms of looks, she was cold and ethereal, while the other was vulgarly beautiful.

Why was Senior Brother's eye always on that Third Senior Sister who only knew how to cry?

"Is it because I'm too cold?"

Lin Qianxue lowered her head, looking at her palms which were as white as jade yet exuded a chilling frost.

Senior Brother liked things as warm as jade and as gentle as water.

And she was like a piece of ten-thousand-year-old profound ice that could never be warmed.

"Proactive..."

These two words suddenly jumped into her mind.

Lin Qianxue recalled Lin Waner's appearance during the day, looking as if she wanted to hang onto Su Ye. Although it was repulsive to watch, the... effect was undeniably good.

She got the chicken leg.

She got guidance.

And she even got Senior Brother's... affection.

"I cannot lose."

Lin Qianxue slowly stood up. In her originally cold eyes, there was now an unprecedented determination, along with a hint of obsession tainted by Devilish Qi.

Since Senior Brother liked water.

Then when ice melts, isn't it also water?

And it would be ice water that is purer and crisper than ordinary water!

"I want to learn."

"I want to learn how to please Senior Brother, how to make his gaze stay on me."

Lin Qianxue turned around and looked at the winter plum standing proudly in the wind and snow.

Though the plum blossom was cold, it still needed to bloom in the wind to attract the flower-watcher's attention.

"Whatever Third Senior Sister knows, I must know."

"And whatever Third Senior Sister doesn't know, I must know too!"

She reached out, gently snapping off a plum branch and smelling it at the tip of her nose.

"Once my divine art reaches Major Achievement and I Cultivate the supreme Icy Skin and Jade Bones."

"I will surely let Senior Brother know that the most Soul-stirring taste in this world is not that lukewarm flowing water, but this ultimate bliss of ice and fire intertwined..."

On the System interface, the entry regarding Lin Qianxue flickered slightly.

[Ding! Stimulated by both the demonic seed and jealousy, Lin Qianxue's self-conquest process has advanced significantly.]

[New Attribute Awakened: Proto-Yandere (5%).]

...The night grew deeper.

At the peak of Purple Bamboo Peak, clouds and mist swirled.

A palace made entirely of ten-thousand-year-old cold jade floated quietly in the sea of clouds, like the Moon Goddess's palace, exuding an aloofness that kept people thousands of miles away.

This was the Cold Jade Palace.

The residence of the Peak Master of Purple Bamboo Peak, Yun Yuzhen.

And now, the greatest Forbidden Ground in the entire Taichu Holy Land.

Deep within the palace.

On a massive cold jade bed, Yun Yuzhen sat cross-legged.

She wore a plain white palace dress, the collar slightly open, revealing a large area of snowy, grease-like skin and her delicate, deep collarbones.

Her long black hair cascaded behind her like a waterfall, with a few strands sticking to her cheeks, looking somewhat disheveled.

And at her wrists and ankles.

Four chains, as thin as gossamer yet emitting a faint, eerie black light, were fastened.

The other ends of the chains vanished into the Void Realm, closely connected to the defense array of the entire Cold Jade Palace—the [Dragon Trapping Formation].

"Rebellious Disciple..."

Yun Yuzhen slowly opened her eyes. Those phoenix eyes, which should have been majestic and indifferent, were now filled with complex emotions.

Shame, anger, helplessness... and a strange ripple that she herself didn't dare to face directly.

She tried to circulate the Spiritual Qi in her body.

Within her Dantian, her cultivation at the Tribulation Transcendence Realm, which should have been as vast as the sea, was now like a pool of frozen, stagnant water.

Although most of that damn poison had been sucked away by Su Ye, the remaining toxins still stubbornly occupied the depths of her Meridians, constantly eroding her vitality.

And what made her even more desperate.

That Rebellious Disciple, while sucking away the poison, had actually taken the primal yin she had guarded for three hundred years!

For the Taiyin Sacred Body, once the primal yin was lost, her cultivation should have plummeted.

But strangely.

Because Su Ye's Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art and her Grand Yin True Scripture produced an extremely overbearing complementarity.

That night of absurdity... not only saved her life but even caused the Bottleneck of her Realm, which had been stagnant for many years, to show a hint of loosening.

"What a karmic sin!"

Yun Yuzhen gritted her silver teeth and hatefully struck the cold jade bed beneath her.

Thinking of that eldest Disciple who was usually as gentle as jade and respectful to her, who actually hid such wolfish ambitions!

His dominance and fervor after tearing off his mask that night, and those whispers of "Revered Master smells so good" in her ear... every time she recalled them, Yun Yuzhen felt her whole body heating up, wishing she could die of shame.

But... if she didn't rely on him, the residual poison in her body could not be cleared at all.

Even her entire cultivation might go to waste.

"Could it be that I, the dignified Peak Revered Master and a Great Power of Tribulation Crossing Realm, must be controlled by a Rebellious Disciple who betrayed his Revered Master like this?"

Yun Yuzhen was unwilling.

She tried to forcefully crash against the Restriction of the [Dragon Trapping Formation].

Hum—!

The chains instantly tightened, letting out a sharp, ear-piercing metallic ring.

A piercing pain instantly spread throughout her body, as if her Soul were being torn apart.

"Ugh..."

Yun Yuzhen let out a muffled groan, her beautiful face instantly turning pale, cold sweat trickling down.

With her cultivation sealed, trying to force the formation was no different from seeking suffering.

"Revered Master, why must you do this to yourself?"

Just then.

A voice as gentle as jade, sounding like a spring breeze, suddenly rang out in the empty palace.

Yun Yuzhen's delicate body trembled.

She suddenly looked up.

She saw that the door to the bedchamber had been pushed open at some point.

A tall and straight figure was walking slowly against the moonlight.

Dressed in white as snow, with green jade hanging from his waist, and that signature gentle smile on his face.

It was her "good" Disciple.

The Senior Brother whom countless female Cultivators in the Taichu Holy Land dreamed of.

Su Ye.

"Get out!"

Yun Yuzhen subconsciously clutched her collar and shouted with feigned strength:

"Who allowed you to come in! Without my permission, even the Sect Head Senior Sister cannot barge into the Cold Jade Palace!"

"Revered Master must be joking."

Su Ye didn't stop, strolling through the layers of Restrictions—which were enough to kill a Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator—as if he were walking in his own backyard.

He walked to the cold jade bed and looked down from above at this beautiful Revered Master who was usually high and mighty but was now like a bird in a cage.

In his eyes, there was not a hint of awe.

Only a naked, undisguised possessiveness.

"In this Cold Jade Palace today, besides your Disciple, who else can enter?"

"Besides..."

Su Ye leaned down slightly, extending a long finger to gently lift Yun Yuzhen's exquisite and perfect chin.

The touch from his fingertip was smooth and cool, like the finest mutton-fat jade.

"Your Disciple came to see how Revered Master's body is recovering."

"After all, a teacher for a day is a... father for life? Oh no, it should be said a wife for life."

"Bastard!"

Yun Yuzhen trembled all over with anger at this frivolous action, her originally pale cheeks instantly stained with a layer of rosy clouds.

It was from anger.

And also... from shame.

She turned her head, trying to break free from Su Ye's finger, but found that his finger was like an iron clamp, unmoving.

"Take your filthy hand away!"

"Rebellious Disciple! Once my cultivation is restored, I will surely tear you into ten thousand pieces and extract your Soul for refinement!"

Such a non-threatening threat sounded like a kitten showing its claws in Su Ye's ears; not only was it not scary, but it also held a different kind of charm.

"If Revered Master wants to kill your Disciple, you'll have to recover your body first."

Su Ye chuckled and sat down on the edge of the cold jade bed.

Without any visible movement, a crystal-clear jade bowl appeared in his hand.

What was inside the bowl was not some miraculous Spirit Pill.

But a bowl of steaming, richly fragrant... chicken soup?

It was exactly the leftovers of that Five-Colored Spirit Chicken from Tingxue Courtyard. Su Ye had specially taken the most essential heart blood and some spiritual meat to brew this highly nourishing soup.

"Come, Revered Master, drink it while it's hot."

Su Ye scooped up a spoonful, thoughtfully blew on it, and held it to Yun Yuzhen's lips.

"Your Disciple brewed this personally; it's very beneficial for restoring Qi and blood."

"I won't drink it!"

Yun Yuzhen kept her lips tightly sealed and turned her head away.

"Take it away! Even if I die, I won't eat a single bite from you, you Rebellious Disciple!"

"You really won't drink?"

Su Ye raised an eyebrow, his tone gaining a hint of playfulness.

"Revered Master, you are currently afflicted by a strange poison and your cultivation is sealed. If you don't have spiritual items to nourish you, this Taiyin Sacred Body might wither."

"By then, your proud appearance might become wrinkled and hideous."

"You..."

Yun Yuzhen cared most about her appearance. Hearing this, her heart instantly tightened.

But her dignity as a Peak Revered Master kept her from bowing her head.

"So what! I'd rather die clean than suffer your humiliation!"

"Tsk tsk, Revered Master is still so stubborn."

Su Ye shook his head helplessly and placed the jade bowl on a nearby side table.

Since the soft way didn't work.

Then he could only use the hard way.

"Since Revered Master is unwilling to drink the soup, your Disciple can only use another more direct method to help Revered Master 'heal'."

Before his voice fell.

The warmth in Su Ye's eyes instantly vanished, replaced by a flash of wicked purple light.

He suddenly lunged forward.

One hand directly pinned Yun Yuzhen's wrists, raising them high above her head and pressing them against the head of the cold jade bed.

The other hand expertly wrapped around her slender waist.

"You... what do you want to do?!"

Yun Yuzhen turned pale with fright, a hint of panic finally appearing in her beautiful eyes.

The two were extremely close.

So close that she could clearly feel the burning masculine aura from Su Ye's body and his strong heartbeat.

This posture was too shameful and too dangerous.

"What do I want to do?"

A wicked smile curved on Su Ye's lips as he leaned into Yun Yuzhen's ear and whispered softly:

"Of course... to help Revered Master detoxify."

"Since Revered Master is unwilling to use her mouth, your Disciple has no choice but to use his body."

Boom!

An overbearing Heaven Swallowing Demonic Qi followed Su Ye's palm and forced its way into Yun Yuzhen's body.

But this Demonic Qi did not cause destruction.

Instead, under Su Ye's precise control, it turned into countless tiny dragons, roaming wildly through Yun Yuzhen's Meridians, chasing and devouring the residual toxins.

"Ugh—!"

Yun Yuzhen's body suddenly arched, and an uncontrollable low moan escaped her mouth.

It was painful.

But there was also an indescribable pleasure.

Like a long-parched riverbed finally welcoming the nourishment of rain.

It caused her originally tense will to instantly falter.

"Don't... don't do this..."

Yun Yuzhen wanted to resist, but her body was terrifyingly honest.

The Taiyin Sacred Body instinctively craved the pure Yang aura of the Supreme Bone within Su Ye's body.

It was a lethal poison.

And also the only antidote.

"Revered Master, your body... seems much more honest than your mouth."

Looking at the beautiful face beneath him, flushed and with blurred eyes, a huge sense of conquest rose in Su Ye's heart.

This was the high and mighty Peak Master of Purple Bamboo Peak of the Taichu Holy Land.

A Great Power of the Tribulation Transcendence Realm.

Now, she could only find pleasure beneath him.

"You... Rebellious Disciple..."

Yun Yuzhen's voice trembled, with a hint of sobbing and a hint of pleading.

She felt like a small boat in the ocean, rising and falling in the stormy waves stirred up by Su Ye, completely losing control.

Reason told her she should push him away and kill him.

But the craving from deep within her body left her without a shred of strength.

Even... her hands, at some point, were no longer pushing him away but were weakly clutching Su Ye's collar.

Is this falling into depravity?

Yun Yuzhen closed her eyes in despair.

Since she couldn't resist... since her cultivation still depended on him for recovery... then... she would endure for now.

As long as the green mountains remain, one need not worry about firewood.

When the day comes that she restores her cultivation... "Yes, endure."

"I'm just biding my time!"

Yun Yuzhen found a perfect excuse for herself in her heart.

Her originally stiff and tense body also slowly softened at this moment.

Sensing the change in the beauty in his arms, the smile in Su Ye's eyes deepened.

He knew.

This proud Revered Master had finally taken the first step toward compromise.

Once there was the first compromise.

There would be a second, a third... until finally, she would become completely accustomed to it, or even sink into it.

"Revered Master is so good."

Su Ye leaned down and gently kissed away a tear from the corner of Yun Yuzhen's eye.

The movement was so gentle it didn't seem like violence, but rather like treating a most beloved lover.

"Don't worry, your Disciple will 'honor' you well."

"After all, you are my most respected... Revered Master."

Inside the Cold Jade Palace, the candlelight flickered.

In this cold and lonely Forbidden Ground, a battle concerning dignity and desire was taking place.

And behind those overlapping shadows.

The System notification in Su Ye's mind rang out quietly once again:

"Ding! Detected that the important story character Yun Yuzhen's mental defense has loosened, producing a self-conquest tendency."

"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for achieving the achievement [Offending the Revered Master (III)], villain points +5000."

"Ding! The Taiyin Sacred Body and the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art have resonated. The Host's cultivation Bottleneck has loosened, only one step away from the Ninth Level of the Golden Core Stage..."