Beauty is like a poisonous flower – the more beautiful, the more ferocious.

Her face bore a gentle smile, and her words were casual, but her attacks were completely different – fierce and ruthless, every move aimed at putting Shaoyang Zhenren to death.

She was indeed a cruel and merciless demon.

Yet in this life-or-death struggle, she still had the mind to tease and toy with Shaoyang Zhenren. Her attitude was frivolous and wicked, making even Shaoyang Zhenren’s usually calm and indifferent heart involuntarily distracted.

The black demonic bracelet came like a massive gear, carrying violent killing intent as it rushed toward him. Shaoyang Zhenren’s heart jolted as he quickly dodged to the side, his long sword like a brilliant flash of light, sweeping past the giant wheel before him.

All the killing intent dissolved into a gentle, cool breeze, but the sword light instantly tore apart a lush black flower growing in the cave.

A sweet scent quickly spread through the air.

“Ah?” Bujiang’s movements stopped as she suddenly withdrew her hand. Standing a few steps away from Shaoyang Zhenren, her gaze was somewhat strange: “You…”

He immediately sensed something was wrong and quickly covered his nose and mouth, but his action was still a step too slow. Shaoyang Zhenren felt the sweet floral fragrance drill into his body, planting a seed within him. The seed quickly sprouted, and in just a moment, a flower bud grew in his heart chamber.

His breathing suddenly became somewhat heavy.

“You tore apart the Love Flower.” Bujiang looked at him with curiosity, as if watching a show. “Could it be intentional?”

“Love Flower?” He stared at the person before him as he spoke.

He was well-informed, but among all the myriad things born in nature, with Duzhou’s abundant spiritual herbs and flowers, even the most knowledgeable cultivator would find it difficult to understand every strange thing in the world.

“The Love Flower it’s a kind of poisonous flower.” Bujiang smiled as she looked at him, patiently explaining, “If the flower is torn apart, the strange fragrance emitted by the petals, when inhaled, will trigger love thoughts in one’s heart. You will… recognize the first person you see as your beloved for this lifetime, with love burning like fire, willing to live and die for her.”

Shaoyang Zhenren felt his vision becoming somewhat blurred. Bujiang’s excessively beautiful face suddenly became extremely attractive before him, and her playful expression seemed to soften as well. When her gaze fell upon him, Shaoyang Zhenren felt a joy from the bottom of his heart, as if the flower in his heart chamber was quietly blooming.

He struggled to maintain his composure, trying to use his Yuanli to dispel the floral fragrance from his body and immediately leave this place. However, his legs seemed to be under a paralysis spell, unable to move a single step.

Looking again, it wasn’t that he couldn’t leave – his heart simply didn’t want to leave.

Shaoyang Zhenren seemed to split into two people: one clear-headed self telling him to leave quickly, while the other was willing to stay in this place for a long time, because once he left, he wouldn’t be able to see the woman before him.

“Why… are you unaffected?” Sweat rolled down Shaoyang Zhenren’s forehead.

Bujiang stood there, her gaze containing schadenfreude, surprise, and pity, but not a trace of affection.

“Because I’m from the demon race.” The woman chuckled lightly. “The demon race is a group born from desire itself. These Love Flowers and Hatred Flowers that trigger love and hate are completely useless against us, demons. Not to mention smelling the flower’s fragrance – even if we ate this flower, it wouldn’t have the slightest effect on demons.”

“But you’re in trouble now,” she gazed at Shaoyang Zhenren with lazy amusement in her expression. “You love me now, love me to the point of life and death. What should we do about this?”

Shaoyang Zhenren suddenly closed his eyes.

He knew Bujiang wasn’t lying.

The more he looked at Bujiang’s face, the more the Love Flower in his heart chamber would bloom. His intuition told him that once this flower fully bloomed, it would be the moment his heart was completely captured by the woman before him.

He would become this demon’s slave.

In Shaoyang Zhenren’s palm, a mass of pure Yuanli gradually appeared. He struck hard at his chest.

The Love Flower hidden in his heart seemed to bloom even more intensely from this disturbance, while blood slowly trickled from the corner of his lips.

The next moment, a seductive voice sounded from before him.

Bujiang had somehow come to his side. He struggled to support himself and looked up at the woman before him. A rich fragrance came from her body, making him completely unable to control his intoxication.

“Immortal master, don’t you know? Once the Love Flower is planted in you, it’s impossible to remove. Now you have only two paths: either let the Love Flower bloom and submit to me, or…” Her red lips curved slightly as she looked at Shaoyang Zhenren without finishing her sentence.

“Or what?”

Bujiang said unhurriedly, “Actually, the Love Flower does have an antidote. This flower is born from emotion and withers from emotion. If you and I share intimate moments, once love is relieved, the Love Flower’s poison will naturally be cured.”

She wore an ambiguous smile and wickedly drew closer to him, saying, “I’m very curious – will you give me your heart, or will you give me your body?”

In the cave, exotic flowers were scattered about, their sweet fragrance lingering around Shaoyang Zhenren’s nose.

He knew the person before him wasn’t lying. He couldn’t control his body, as if his reason was gradually dissipating bit by bit, while his instincts were making him gradually lose all clear judgment, wanting to become the most loyal subordinate, charging into battle for the woman before him.

Shaoyang looked coldly at Bujiang, his long sword glowing with flowing light as he unhesitatingly drew it across his neck.

“Clang!” The long sword struck the hard bracelet and fell to the ground. Bujiang withdrew her hand, looking at Shaoyang with undisguised surprise: “You would rather die?”

He steadied himself and spoke indifferently, “I won’t be a puppet.”

“You do have some backbone.” She sighed admiringly, then moved a bit closer. “I’ve only heard that mortal women have it difficult, always burdened by chastity arches. I never knew that cultivators in sects had men like you who strictly observe male virtue.” She looked Shaoyang up and down. “Speaking of which, you’re quite handsome. Even in our Heishi City, you’d be the outstanding one.”

Her breath sprayed against his neck, seeming to contain deadly toxicity as well. Shaoyang Zhenren felt his skin crawl under her gaze and spoke hoarsely, “What do you want to do?”

“As you know, I’m from the demon race.” Bujiang snorted with laughter. “We demons are born rebellious. The more you forbid me from doing something, the more I want to do it. This immortal master, it seems you’re a very noble person, preferring death over sharing spring breezes with a peerless beauty like me. Since that’s the case, I’ll deliberately join you in visiting Wushan.”

Her fingertips slowly brushed across Shaoyang Zhenren’s robes, sliding down along his garments and settling on his belt. With a light flick, the belt fell with a sound.

“What are you doing?” Shaoyang Zhenren’s voice carried several notes of anger, yet he couldn’t move.