Lu Jiajing, standing behind Pei Yuhan, had a slight change in expression just like Lin Yi, but then her face relaxed again.

She withdrew her palm just as she was about to strike, feeling quite astonished. Lin Yi was seemingly only at the… Golden Core Stage, right?

As Lin Yi's sword wave swept past, the wispy, thread-like strands in the air were all severed, dissolving into rootless and source-less Qi that dissipated into the air.

At the same time… a pained cry erupted from the rooftop.

That Seventh Realm Sword Intent of Lin Yi was no joke. Under normal circumstances, an ordinary Genius would only be able to adapt to a Concept of this level upon reaching the Nascent Soul Stage.

This also gave Lin Yi the ability to kill enemies across Realms.

It was just that… why did the enemy he sensed seem strong one moment and weak the next?

Just as Lin Yi wanted to pursue, he discovered that Pei Yuhan had already vanished…

A few moments later, Pei Yuhan floated in from outside the window, her spiritual energy wrapping around a middle-aged man in black robes and black hair who was missing an arm.

"Yin Yang Pavilion…" Lin Yi silently identified the middle-aged man in black.

[Danger neutralized.] The System prompt had already turned from red to green after Lin Yi severed those threads.

"You…"

Before the man in black could speak, Lin Yi stepped forward. Lu Jiajing subconsciously reached out, wanting to stop Lin Yi's actions, but immediately after, she retreated.

Lin Yi beheaded him with a single sword strike.

A fat, greasy head rolled off the man's body. Pei Yuhan casually flicked a spark of spiritual fire, erasing all traces of his existence.

Li Tiaodeng only just realized what had happened; everything had occurred within a few seconds. From the moment Lin Yi dashed out of the inner room and pulled her out of her own room, it had taken less than two seconds.

Then, Lin Yi unleashed the sword wave, wounded the man in black, and wiped out those wispy, transparent threads—all within another second.

"Although he was at the Nascent Soul Stage, he was ultimately too weak. This is the fate of those who practice the Yin-Yang Path. Do you understand now, Xiao Tang?"

Pei Yuhan looked at Yu Xiaotang, who had also run out in a daze, and instructed her. However… although she was speaking to Yu Xiaotang, her eyes would glance towards Lin Yi from time to time.

It was clearly a tactic to warn the monkey by killing the chicken. Pei Yuhan had always been controlling the frequency of Lin Yi's intimate moments with them, not wanting Lin Yi to indulge in them too much.

Yu Xiaotang nodded blankly. Back then, that Elder Ji Xiu had been completely obliterated by Lin Yi's light cannon.

But this middle-aged man from the Yin Yang Pavilion was different; this was her first time seeing such a bloody scene.

She grabbed Lin Yi, who was beside her, and buried her head deeply into his chest, her body trembling slightly.

Lin Yi patted Yu Xiaotang's back, soothing her fear. Li Tiaodeng bit her lip; she had just recalled the danger she had been in moments ago.

She didn't feel particularly disgusted by the middle-aged man's death; she had seen scenes far more terrifying than this while fleeing. It was just… she was afraid that if her Master hadn't saved her…

Her fate certainly wouldn't have been good, let alone falling into the hands of the Yin Yang Pavilion…

"Master…" Li Tiaodeng's voice trembled. Her beautiful eyes drooped slightly, and her pretty, refined face occasionally betrayed a hint of fear.

The three thousand strands of dark hair reaching her hips were tied up slightly by a hairband, and now they trembled lightly along with her body.

Lin Yi hesitated for a moment, then opened his arms and hugged Li Tiaodeng, who had been a direct witness to the event. He gently patted the young girl's shoulder and pressed Li Tiaodeng's head into his chest.

Li Tiaodeng bit her lip. Although Lin Yi's build wasn't very tall, it was… very warm to her. Even though his chest wasn't broad enough, it could still accommodate her, this little bird.

Li Tiaodeng truly felt a sense of adoration and attachment towards her Master, Lin Yi.

Pei Yuhan used her spiritual energy to sweep the remaining ashes out the window. Her beautiful, refined eyes looked at the threads Lin Yi had just severed that had not yet dissipated.

Lu Jiajing had also recognized what these were.

"Threads of Desire."

Pei Yuhan nodded.

"This is indeed the Threads of Desire from the Yin Yang Pavilion."

Chapter 43 Li Tiaodeng: I Don't Understand!

"Threads of Desire?" Lin Yi looked at Pei Yuhan and Lu Jiajing.

"Yes, Three Thousand Threads of Desire." Lu Jiajing's calm eyes watched those faint threads dissolve into the air as she waved her hand to close the wide-open window in Li Tiaodeng's room.

"It is a supreme technique of the Yin Yang Pavilion, with the miraculous effect of inciting desire between men and women and weaving illusions. Moreover, the method is secretive; even if you are entangled by the threads, you may not notice it, and then you would be played with in the palm of their hands like a marionette."

Lu Jiajing explained slowly, shrouding the surroundings with her Divine Sense to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.

Lin Yi gently patted Yu Xiaotang and Li Tiaodeng's backs, soothing their turbulent emotions. "Even you and Jinger couldn't sense it?"

Pei Yuhan was silent. She had been sitting quietly in the room just now, thinking about Lin Yi and Lu Jiajing, wondering if they were already embracing on the bed, wondering if Lin Yi had already taken Lu Jiajing's virginity…

She truly had not sensed it.

"It is possible, but that guy from the Yin Yang Pavilion was already a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator. Plus, the Three Thousand Threads of Desire are sufficiently secretive, so there might have been a lapse for a moment," Lu Jiajing explained.

"Compared to righteous Cultivators, all their cultivation is focused on this. Sword Cultivators excel in offense… they excel in manipulating the human heart."

Lin Yi nodded. It was just a powered-up version of Blue Silver Grass—weak attack power, likes to use underhanded tricks, weak defense, poor speed, just likes to use filthy methods to control the body and mind of women.

Lin Yi recalled the fate of Xia Qianzhen in the original work: dragged into an illusion by Yin Yang, undoubtedly using this same method. She was like a gorgeous doll, controlled by the Three Thousand Threads of Desire, dancing slowly on the stage…

Disgusting! F***ing disgusting!

A rare hint of ferocity appeared in Lin Yi's eyes. This was the first time the System had alerted him that someone close to him had encountered such a thing.

If he hadn't rushed out in an instant, Li Tiaodeng would likely have already been dragged into the dreamscape woven by the Threads of Desire.

As expected of the Inner World; only in such a place could things like the Yin Yang Pavilion grow so large.

Lin Yi gently stroked Li Tiaodeng's long hair, letting her slight sobbing gradually subside. After a long while, Li Tiaodeng finally emerged from Lin Yi's embrace. She bit her lip and turned her head slightly to prevent Lin Yi from seeing the redness in the corners of her eyes.

Lin Yi lowered his head to look at Yu Xiaotang; she had actually fallen asleep by now.

Lin Yi was almost amused to the point of laughter.

He had thought that because Yu Xiaotang was so scared, she was still silently crying, but he didn't expect her to have fallen asleep while standing.

Lin Yi shook his head and reached out to pick up Yu Xiaotang. "Jinger, go to the room and wait for me."

He instructed while walking towards Yu Xiaotang's room.

Lu Jiajing's face turned flushed instantly. This sentence from Lin Yi undoubtedly meant that they would continue the unfinished business later. In the ambiguous atmosphere just now, she could have been half-reluctant and half-willing, but now…

She lowered her head slightly. "Okay."

Under Pei Yuhan's inexplicable gaze, Lu Jiajing walked back into the inner room with a somewhat stiff body, leaving behind only a green-clad figure.

Su Lingshu glanced at Li Tiaodeng, who was standing in the living room without moving. "Scared?"

Li Tiaodeng did not look up; she only nodded slightly.

"This world is like this, especially for female Cultivators…" Su Lingshu said indifferently.

Pei Yuhan didn't pay attention to the two chatting. She walked back into her own room, and with a soft sound of the door closing, the entire living room fell silent again.

"Mistress." Li Tiaodeng felt her heart pounding; it was not only filled with fear but also… a trace of nervousness and joy.

Her mind echoed with the scene of Lin Yi reaching out to pull her away. She could see the momentary ferocity that flashed in Lin Yi's eyes—it wasn't directed at her…

When she was held by the waist by her Master, she looked up and saw only her Master's handsome profile, but it was not just his profile.

That unique sense of security made her subconsciously empty her mind and entrust everything to her Master. At that time, she couldn't even lift her sword.

Li Tiaodeng took a deep breath of the cold air of the winter night. A trace of warmth seemed to linger on her waist, making her whole body tremble slightly.

"I already told you not to call me Mistress; only Lu Jiajing counts as that." Su Lingshu pursed her lips and interrupted Li Tiaodeng's words without hesitation.

Li Tiaodeng shook her head. She could hear the trace of jealousy in Su Lingshu's words. In the past, she would only have said the first half of the sentence.

Now she was starting to call names…

"Mistress, help me." Li Tiaodeng looked at Su Lingshu, who was leaning against the door not far away, her gaze becoming firm.

When Lu Jiajing and the others started explaining the Three Thousand Threads of Desire one by one, she, as a direct witness, was undoubtedly the most terrified one.

She could even imagine what kind of person she would eventually become if she were entangled by the Threads of Desire.

That kind of shamelessness, knowing only how to smile and please, caring nothing for height, weight, or appearance, only caring about that little bit of "thing"—that was not what she wanted.

She would rather die.

But before that, she wanted to fulfill her wish a little.

Li Tiaodeng had to admit that she hadn't been able to control herself since ten days ago. Every night, she had to use that handkerchief to reset her cooldown for practicing Dao and swordsmanship.

Only then could she persist through that arduous life.

This was undoubtedly wrong. She even thought that someone had already discovered her behavior, especially when facing the Grandmaster's strange gaze; she almost couldn't help but spill everything she had done.

But even so, she hadn't agreed to Su Lingshu's suggestion when they were strolling through the streets.

Until now… when facing the Threads of Desire that were coiling around, she truly felt a sense of fear—the fear of falling into the abyss.

She was a Young Miss from a respectable family, and she regarded her purity very highly; in this respect, she was very much like Lu Jiajing.

She couldn't imagine her purity being forcibly taken by someone else.

She would be in despair.

In this world that is not friendly to female Cultivators, there was only one thing she could do… entrust all of her purity to the one she loved.

"Mistress, help me." Li Tiaodeng said firmly and deeply again.

Even that Palace Master Lu Jiajing couldn't protect herself from the demands of the Yin Yang Pavilion; she felt pessimistic about her own future.

Then… from now on, there was no need to hide herself anymore. Whatever propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame are—she didn't understand them!

Chapter 44 Discussing Dao While Doing

Su Lingshu looked at Li Tiaodeng opposite her and couldn't help but chuckle. "I will help you, no need to rush."

Thinking of Lin Yi's behavior of deceiving his Master and destroying his ancestors, she couldn't help but hum lightly; she was very much looking forward to that scene.

Li Tiaodeng looked at Su Lingshu's expressive eyes and suddenly felt that her decision might have been a mistake.

Her tall figure took two steps forward, and just as she was about to speak, the door to Yu Xiaotang's room was opened.

Lin Yi gently closed the door. He blinked and looked at Li Tiaodeng and Su Lingshu in confusion. "What are you two doing?"

Li Tiaodeng subconsciously took a step back. She suddenly felt a sense of panic as if her loud conspiracy had been discovered. She suppressed the panic in her heart and shook her head. "Tiaodeng was just discussing the Yin Yang Pavilion with Mistress."

"She is a bit afraid of whether the people from the Yin Yang Pavilion will come again." Su Lingshu cooperated with Li Tiaodeng to move past what had just happened.

Lin Yi nodded. He suddenly wondered if, after experiencing what just happened, Li Tiaodeng might be a bit afraid to return to her own room?

Upon this thought, Lin Yi looked at Su Lingshu. "Lingshu, you and Tiaodeng should share a room tonight; she probably doesn't dare to return to her own room."

"And what about you?" Su Lingshu asked subconsciously, then quickly realized that this guy Lin Yi must be staying with that Qingmu Palace Master, Lu Jiajing, tonight!

Su Lingshu's eyes were gloomy as she looked at Lin Yi; she didn't speak again.

Lin Yi always felt the atmosphere was a bit strange. "Jinger and I need to discuss Dao all night."

Su Lingshu continued to look at Lin Yi gloomily. Discuss Dao? Discuss which Dao? Discuss what kind of Dao? Is it the Dao she is thinking of? Are there other Daos that can be discussed?

Lin Yi felt a bit uncomfortable under Su Lingshu's resentful gaze. "Lingshu, you are likely jealous."

Lin Yi was not some indecisive, kind-hearted male protagonist from a Japanese anime; he could naturally see Su Lingshu's abnormal behavior.

"No, I am not jealous." Su Lingshu turned her head away and looked at Li Tiaodeng. "Tiaodeng, make yourself at home; I am going to rest."

Su Lingshu didn't look at Lin Yi again. She turned and went into her room on her own. With a heavy sound of the door closing, Su Lingshu left Lin Yi only with a simple and elegant silhouette.

Lin Yi shook his head and laughed. "Tiaodeng, you should also rest early; today's events were just an accident."

Li Tiaodeng watched Lin Yi walk into the inner room, only nodding at her. She suddenly had the urge to rush in, but she shook her head and suppressed this bold thought.

It's just… Master, oh Master, do you not view Tiaodeng as a woman at all?

…

Lin Yi naturally viewed Li Tiaodeng as a woman, and specifically, as a refined and otherworldly Fairy.