The last thing Shen Mo remembered was the searing heat of righteous flames swallowing his flesh.
The so-called "Heavenly Purge" had been the combined might of eight sects, unleashed at the peak of his ascension. His body had burned, but his soul refused to scatter. He had defied fate, stolen virgin dual saints, shattered bloodline vows, and even made gods moan. The heavens hated him. The mortals feared him.
So why… did he awaken in a place that smelled of spirit herbs and weak incense?
A low groan escaped his lips. His muscles were sore. His body—smaller. Frail.
This isn't my vessel...
He tried to move, only to flinch as memories crashed into his mind like waves of molten steel.
> "Outer disciple, Shen Mo... trash without talent..."
"Rejected by all peak elders... discarded..."
"Slapped by Su Lanyue... again..."
"Peaked at Qi Condensation Stage 1... for three years..."
A bitter laugh threatened to rise in his throat.
He had reincarnated—into a weakling who bore his name. A mortal chew toy in a so-called righteous sect.
The Jade Lotus Sect.
Of all places.
"Fucking irony," Shen Mo muttered, pushing himself upright from the bamboo mat in the run-down disciple quarters. The room smelled faintly of mold, and the walls were thin enough to hear moans from the nearby brothel building—used secretly by corrupt elders. Fitting.
Then, something deeper stirred in his dantian.
A ripple.
A pulse.
A seed.
Then—
> [Crimson Lotus System detected.]
[Dual Dao Resonance confirmed: Host soul origin "Lust Sovereign Shen Mo."]
[Welcome, Master.]
[Reinitializing legacy... synchronizing dual-cultivation modules...]
Shen Mo's eyes widened, crimson light swirling faintly in his irises.
> [>] System Activated: Crimson Lotus
[>] Core Mode: Demonic Dual Cultivation
[>] Cultivation Method: Power through sexual conquest and emotional resonance
[>] Quest Board Unlocked
A translucent interface flickered before his eyes—sharp red petals spinning slowly around it like a demonic lotus in bloom.
He stared for only a breath before a familiar voice drifted into his ears—soft, cold, and disdainful.
"Still alive? I thought you'd have crawled into a ditch after yesterday's humiliation."
Shen Mo turned toward the door.
There she stood—Su Lanyue, his senior sister, wearing the signature tight inner robe of a Jade Lotus disciple. White silk stretched across her chest, barely containing the massive G-cup breasts bound tightly beneath. Her waist was slender, her legs long and poised. Lustrous black hair framed her youthful but smug face, and her lips curled into a smirk that promised cruelty.
This was the girl who had made a habit of mocking the original Shen Mo. She was also…
> [>] Target Acquired: Su Lanyue
[>] Affinity: Low (Despises you)
[>] Special Trait Detected: Charming Yin Veins
[>] Mission Available
Shen Mo raised an eyebrow as the notification expanded.
> [>] Mission: First Bloom
Objective: Seduce Su Lanyue within 3 days
Reward: Yin Absorption Art + +1 Cultivation Tier
Bonus: Full-body affinity bond (permanent stat boost)
Failure Penalty: Loss of system access for 7 days
He chuckled darkly.
"You're looking at me like you've seen a ghost," Su Lanyue said, stepping closer. Her scent—sweet lotus with a tinge of body warmth—wafted toward him. "Don't tell me you've finally grown a spine."
Shen Mo slowly stood, letting his gaze roam—openly now. He was no longer the pathetic boy who trembled beneath her words. He was the demon who once made goddesses scream.
"I'm not the same Shen Mo you knew," he said softly.
That made her blink.
"Is that so?"
Her mocking grin remained, but her steps faltered for just a moment. He caught it—the flicker of confusion in her eyes. He smiled in return, slow and dangerous.
"Would you like proof?"
Before she could retort, his hand shot forward, grasping her wrist—not harshly, but with enough force to assert dominance. She gasped, startled.
"W-What do you think you're doing?!"
"You visited me every day for three years just to belittle me," he whispered, pulling her close. His breath ghosted over her ear. "You wanted me to break... or maybe... you wanted something else."
Her face turned red, then pale, then red again.
"Let go, you—"
> [>] Seduction Progress: 5%
[>] Emotional resonance increasing
[>] Target arousal: Mild
He leaned closer, letting his aura shift—drawing on a sliver of his past life's demonic charm. Su Lanyue's legs visibly tensed. She tried to pull back, but didn't.
"You're trembling, senior sister. Are you angry... or excited?"
She slapped him.
Hard.
But not hard enough to stop his slow smile.
She stormed off, slamming the door behind her, her robe fluttering violently with her retreat.
> [>] Mission Timer: 72 hours remaining
[>] Seduction Progress: 12%
[>] Update: Target returns to her quarters alone. Aura unstable.
Shen Mo laughed.
"Oh, how delightful this second life will be."
---
Later that night, Shen Mo stood beneath the moonlight near the Lotus Spring—the women's bathhouse tucked within the elder peak's shadow. Forbidden to male disciples. Guarded by barriers. Rumored to be used by Elder Xue Yuelan herself.
He had no intention of entering. Not yet.
But the system whispered.
> [>] Hidden Opportunity: Observe Elder Xue Yuelan's bathing ritual
[>] Reward: Yin Insight + 1 Seduction Tier
[>] Risk: Extreme (High detection chance)
He knelt in the shadows, aura hidden, watching as a single figure emerged from the silver mist beyond the veil.
A woman with fox ears, pale moonlit skin, and a body barely covered by a translucent blue robe. She stepped into the water like a spirit born of ice and lust. Her silver-white hair floated behind her like a veil, her curves subtle yet dangerously mature.
Elder Xue Yuelan.
The Frozen Flame of the Jade Lotus Sect.
A woman no man dared approach.
Not yet.
Shen Mo's eyes narrowed.
> [>] New Target Logged: Xue Yuelan
[>] Affinity: Unknown (No prior interaction)
[>] Seduction Difficulty: Extreme
[>] Hidden Trait: Lunar Yin Reservoir Body
A slow smile curled Shen Mo's lips as he watched the moon reflect off her bare back.
His path had begun.
Revenge. Pleasure. Power.
The Crimson Bloom was only beginning to open.