Ice in Bloom
Panic rippled through Verdant Flame Sect like wildfire.
Elder Mei Rong stood in the sect's Grand Assembly Hall, fists clenched behind her back as three sect wardens knelt before her.
"You're telling me someone opened the inner vault," she said flatly.
"Yes, Elder. The talisman seal was dissolved. Not broken—dissolved. And the Crimson Cauldron Scripture… is gone."
Gone. Just like that.
That scripture had been sealed for over 5,000 years. No one even knew how it had survived the sect purges. It was supposed to be impossible to access without the Sect Master's soul imprint.
And yet the man from earlier—the one with silver eyes and a wicked grin—had walked through their barriers like he was born for it.
"This isn't just a trespasser," she muttered. "It's something older. Something wrong."
"Should we alert the Celestial Pill Alliance?"
"No," she said sharply. "Not yet."
She couldn't afford to. If the alliance found out Verdant Flame had lost control of a forbidden legacy, they'd shut the sect down within days.
They needed to handle this themselves.
And there was only one disciple who could face a threat like this.
Mei Rong turned to the side hall and gestured. "Bring me Yue Shilan."
She couldn't afford to. If the alliance found out Verdant Flame had lost control of a forbidden legacy, they'd shut the sect down within days.
They needed to handle this themselves.
And there was only one disciple who could face a threat like this.
Mei Rong turned to the side hall and gestured. "Bring me Yue Shilan."
Elsewhere — Haaron's POV
The flames in the hidden chamber had gone cold, but the power inside Haaron still burned.
He stood shirtless near one of the cooling cauldrons, the scroll's essence still unfurling inside his soul. His mind was a map of pill formulas and dual cultivation rituals that blurred the line between alchemy and lust.
Crimson Cauldron Scripture.
A legacy built on using pleasure as refinement and bonding as spiritual fuel.
He could now create pills using spiritual essence exchanged during dual cultivation—not just through touch, but through full synchronization of body and will. The stronger the woman, the more potent the pill. The more intimate the bond, the more explosive the result.
And now, he wanted to test it.
Lian Rou leaned against a pillar, arms crossed, her tails flicking lazily.
"You planning to bed every beauty in the sect before dinner?"
"No," Haaron said. "Only the ones who interest me."
She smirked. "So what are you now? Cultivator, alchemist, or just a spiritual predator?"
"I'm what the world made me," Haaron replied.
Suddenly, his spiritual sense twitched.
Movement.
Dozens of qi signatures approached—quick, panicked. The sect had discovered the breach.
Time to go.
He grabbed a pouch of refined jade vials from the shelf, then turned and vanished into the shadow corridor behind the chamber. Lian Rou followed without needing to be told.
"Where to now?" she asked.
"The inner court."
"Bold."
"I need to see what this sect hides at the top."
Meanwhile — Yue Shilan's POV
In the highest chamber of Verdant Flame's inner sanctum, Yue Shilan knelt before the elder. She wore pure white robes edged with icy blue, her long silver hair braided neatly down her back. Her eyes—calm, cold, flawless—did not blink as Elder Mei spoke.
"There is a man loose in the sect. He carries a power I don't understand. He bypassed our defenses. Broke into the forbidden vault. He may possess dual cultivation abilities."
Shilan raised an eyebrow, but her tone was composed.
"Is he dangerous?"
"He's unpredictable. Arrogant. Unapologetic."
"In other words," Shilan said, "male."
Mei Rong almost smiled. "He may attempt to seduce you."
"He may try."
"And if he succeeds?"
"He won't."
Elder Mei hesitated, then placed a tracking talisman into her hand. "Find him. Do not kill him. Retrieve the scripture if you can."
Shilan bowed. "It will be done."
As she turned, the elder called out, "One more thing."
"Yes?"
"He smiled at me. And I've been burning ever since."
Yue Shilan said nothing.
But her fingers curled tighter around the talisman.
Back to Haaron — Nightfall
Haaron stood atop the roof of a pagoda in the inner court, overlooking the mountain valley. The moon hung low, and the qi of the land shimmered in the air like mist made of spirit. Beneath him, disciples moved in tight patrols. Alarms hadn't been raised—yet—but the pressure was growing.
They were looking for him.
Let them.
He would reveal himself when it suited him.
"Someone's coming," Lian Rou said, eyes sharp. "She's strong."
He felt her too—an aura of ice. Refined, controlled, detached. A woman whose soul had never once bent to desire.
Perfect.
"She's heading straight for us."
Haaron smiled.
"Let her."
Moments later — Courtyard Below
Yue Shilan stepped into the open garden beneath the pagoda roof. Her white robes glowed faintly in the moonlight. She carried no weapon—but didn't need one. Her qi flowed like a glacier cutting through mountains.
"I know you're watching," she said calmly. "Come down."
Haaron stepped into view without hesitation, leaping from the roof and landing just meters away from her. His shirt was still gone. His body gleamed faintly with spirit light, and his silver eyes held no shame.
"You're beautiful," he said immediately. "That's not a compliment. It's an observation."
"You're the intruder," she said.
"I'm a guest. You just didn't open the door."
"You stole from my sect."
"I gave it new purpose.
She tilted her head. "You won't leave alive."
"Won't I?" Haaron took a step closer. "What's your name?"
"Yue Shilan."
He smiled. "Perfect. Saintess types are always the most satisfying to break."
Her eyes narrowed.
And the air exploded with cold.