Jiang Yan's words made Yae Miko roll her eyes inwardly, though outwardly her smile remained flawless and enchanting.
"Then… Sect Master, please help me get dressed properly."
With slender jade fingers, she lifted Jiang Yan's hand and placed it on her shoulder.
Jiang Yan couldn't help but sigh.
It was because Miko always came with such fearless determination, practically throwing herself into his arms, that he couldn't bring himself to punish her.
Though he wasn't obsessed with such matters, when benefits walked right up to him, he wasn't about to play the hypocrite and refuse.
He was no Liu Xiahui, and he had no interest in being a false gentleman.
Besides…
With Miko's Heavenly Enchantress Physique, coupled with her pink-haired fox heritage, anyone in the cultivation world who laid eyes on her would exclaim that Daji of old had been reborn.
Daji's name might not carry the best reputation, but as the first unrivaled beauty of all ages, none had dared dispute it.
Righteous cultivators could condemn her as a femme fatale, blame her allure for toppling a kingdom—
But never her beauty.
And now, before him, Miko was that legend reborn.
"Ever since you awakened your Heavenly Enchantress Physique, you've grown bolder," Jiang Yan teased softly.
Miko shivered, her eyes full of wounded grievance.
"Sect Master is such a bad man…"
Jiang Yan chuckled.
"In the cultivation world, there's no such thing as good or bad—only the righteous path and the demonic. Everyone has desires. To claim one must 'uphold heavenly principles by eradicating human desires' is foolish.
Mount Shu does not cultivate the emotionless path."
Miko didn't reply. Instead, she adjusted her position, hooking her arms around Jiang Yan's neck as she sat on his lap.
Pressing her forehead gently against his, her eyes reflected his face.
"Mount Shu may not cultivate the emotionless path… but Sect Master, you are an emotionless man."
She stared at him accusingly, then glanced downward and pouted.
"Every time I come, you allow only kisses and touches. But what truly matters—you never once cross that line.
"Sect Master… am I still not good enough compared to Ganyu?"
Jiang Yan laughed helplessly.
"A nine-tailed fox with the Heavenly Enchantress Physique is indeed a peerless beauty. And so is Ganyu. You are each unique—neither outshines the other.
"But… if you weren't so intent on seeking a shortcut, perhaps I wouldn't reject you."
Over the past days, Miko had come several times a day. At first, she'd made excuses about urgent matters concerning her physique.
Later, she stopped pretending, brazenly using her allure to seduce him.
Her goal was clear: Jiang Yan's peak Returning-to-Void cultivation, and his dual cultivation method.
Everyone knew Ganyu's sudden rise to the peak of Essence-Refining and readiness for tribulation was linked to him.
Ningguang and the others were tempted, but none dared be as bold as Miko.
She, at least, was trying in earnest.
If she succeeded, she would not only break through to Refining Void and Unity instantly, but also become the Sect Master's wife.
What a bargain!
And besides—Jiang Yan was handsome, powerful, and near-perfection itself.
To have him as her partner was the stuff of dreams.
Literally—she'd seen Ganyu wake smiling in her sleep more than once.
But Jiang Yan resisted.
He and Ganyu were bound by mutual affection. Dual cultivation was a natural consequence of love, not a tool for ambition.
If he indulged Miko, what example would that set?
This was Mount Shu, not the Joyous Union Sect.
If word spread, every female disciple seeking advancement might come throwing themselves at him.
Mount Shu would collapse in ruin.
Moreover, Jiang Yan himself avoided forming too many attachments.
He stood at the peak of Returning-to-Void, ready to step into Union of Void and Dao , then ascend to immortality.
But what awaited in the Immortal Realm? Safety or peril? No one knew.
Most importantly—if he ascended, those left behind would become his ties, his regrets.
And who knew how long it would take Ganyu and the others to follow.
Better not to plant seeds of sorrow if they could be avoided.
Countless thoughts flickered through Jiang Yan's mind. Just as Miko opened her mouth to speak again, he gently lifted her chin, silencing her.
Her eyes shimmered, full of grievance, but she didn't resist.
Under his teaching—and under the influence of her physique—she had become far more adept at this kind of intimacy.
Her gaze softened with growing affection.
Opening her eyes slightly, she studied Jiang Yan's flawless face, marked by the noble violet-gold sigil between his brows.
To her, he already was an immortal.
Even the famed Erlang Shen, heralded as Heaven's greatest beauty, could hardly rival him.
And now, she was the one holding this man.
Pride swelled within her, and she tightened her embrace.
Yet beneath her joy was sorrow.
At first, she'd sought him for Inazuma's sake, and to advance her cultivation swiftly. A calculated bargain.
But Jiang Yan's refusals had only spurred her.
Somewhere along the way, visiting him, teasing him, had become her daily ritual.
Now, she wanted what Ganyu had:
The right to simply be by his side, talk to him, share time with him.
She remembered the story he told of Daji.
And now, she wished to be his Daji—his alone.
Though bold with him, she remained untouchable before others—always courteous, but distant.
Unlike Shenhe's icy aloofness, hers was a polite refusal that all of Mount Shu recognized.
Except with Jiang Yan.
Only with him did Yae Miko burn with eager affection.
Yet he seemed blind to it.
Her Sect Master was wary of love itself, resisting it.
That thought emboldened her.
Her hands slid behind him. With a sharp tug, the violet-gold Dragon-Binding Sash securing his robe came loose.
She prepared to push further—
But gentle purple qi flared from Jiang Yan, softly pushing her away.
He looked at her, amused.
"Miko, again? I told you—let desire arise from affection, but let it end with propriety."
She met his gaze squarely, voice firm.
"I don't believe anyone in this world can truly stop at propriety once they feel desire."
The divine glow of her physique flared, dazzling, as if Daji herself had returned.
Jiang Yan frowned slightly. She had never been so direct before.
Fully awakened, her Heavenly Enchantress Physique overflowed with allure.
Even Jiang Yan, strong enough to resist, felt his heart stir.
After all, he had never cultivated the emotionless path.
"Sect Master… do you still think I came to you only for a shortcut?"
Her eyes burned with sincerity and obsession. Jiang Yan couldn't bring himself to nod.
After a pause, he sighed.
"I'm about to enter Union of Void and Dao , Miko."
"I know." She nodded fiercely, pressing closer, his arms naturally circling her waist.
"You'll ascend faster than I can reach Returning-to-Void.
When you rise to the Immortal Realm… we might not meet again for tens of thousands of years."
He didn't deny it. He simply held her, stroking her back gently.
"But you'll wait for Ganyu," she whispered.
"Why not me? Is it because I'm an Enchantress?
"I can swear a Dao Oath—this life, only you. Always you."
Jiang Yan shook his head.
"No need. I don't doubt who you are."
"Then…" She lifted her head, staring straight into his eyes.
"Take me. And then… please wait for me too.
"For you, I will become immortal."
For a cultivator, no words cut deeper than these.
Jiang Yan cupped her face, looking into her hopeful eyes.
This time, he didn't refuse.
He nodded softly.
"Alright."
Their lips met. Miko's hands slipped once more to his sash—
But the protective purple qi did not rise again.
Today, the once-in-millennia Heavenly Enchantress Physique would finally evolve.
Though such women had often enslaved men with their charm, Miko would rather be a Daji for love.
Amidst the fragrance of the Enlightenment Tea Tree and Bodhi of Inquiry, her stagnant cultivation stirred once more.
Yet just as she was about to embrace her breakthrough—
Jiang Yan's Sect Master Token lit up.
He halted, summoned it, and after scanning its message, understood.
Rising, his robe neatly reformed itself.
Miko blinked, bewildered.
Before she could ask, he explained patiently:
"First Seat Zhongli has something urgent. Rest here for now."
"Rest? But I haven't even started…" she murmured, eyes full of grievance.
Jiang Yan laughed, tweaking her nose.
"Wait in my cave for a while. I'll handle this quickly."
For him, Mount Shu's affairs still came first. He wasn't some Joyous Union Sect cultivator who thought only of dual cultivation.
Miko pouted, but turned her head and nodded faintly.
Her profile was so exquisite it stirred him anew.
She noticed—and giggled.
"If Sect Master truly wants to taste the Heavenly Enchantress Physique… do hurry."
Jiang Yan smiled, turned, and strode toward the main hall.
Only once his figure vanished did Miko collapse onto the bed, blushing furiously.
"This time… I was far too bold.
"But… it felt far better than I imagined…"
To read 220+ future chapters, head over to Patreon:
patreon.com/WhiteDevil7554