Ni Ni Layan shut down the conversation entirely, as if his question held no value to her. But what did it really matter? In truth, he had arrived exactly as destined. He had managed to get close enough.
The protagonist of the smut novel from his previous life was right there before him—the one destined to cause the world's destruction. The novel had ended after every single man had perished, and the pages were closed. No one ever said, nor was it even hinted, what happened after the end. The men died. Period. And she lived on, eternally alone and... still unsatisfied.
As Ni Ni Layan emerged from the rushing river, her flawless, wet body moved with effortless elegance. She walked past, ignoring Morse, who sighed as he sat on a nearby tree trunk.
A profound perplexity clouded his mind. The Ni Ni Layan before him now wasn't yet the terrifying version from the novel. How on earth could he steer her away from the plot's dark path?
"If she walks before a man completely naked, how the hell can I convince her of the virtues of chastity?"
It seemed nearly impossible. She didn't need someone to change her behavior; she was a celestial being who had lived for thousands of years. She was like the elderly—they have lived so long that you can never change their outlook on life.
"What was the point of coming here then?"
Was he going to weep over his fate now that he had seen the truth with his own eyes? What had he expected? A mere virgin girl who hadn't yet matured into the lustful Celestial Phoenix of the novel?
In an instant...
Morse lunged his entire body into the fresh, flowing water of the river. He jumped in wearing only his underwear. He didn't care; he didn't mind. A nagging resolution had been forming in his mind for some time..
"This mission will not be easy."
No one welcomed him. No safe home. No trustworthy companions. Even his father had become a puppet in the hands of the elders. Now, his only purpose was to save himself and the world from the Phoenix's lust.
Morse swam with all his might against the current. He tried to hold his ground as she had, mimicking her way of immersing himself in the rushing water without being swept away. She was free... she was, without a doubt, superior to him.
How could he convince her to follow his lead? When she excelled beyond him in everything?
He decided to steady himself against the current. From this day forward, he would make this place his home until his plan began. He had decided to tame the Phoenix. To teach her, to educate her... together, they would stand against lust and carnal desire.
"Of course, Morse Xuan is stronger than lust... without a doubt."
Suddenly, while Morse was still struggling to steady himself, the System notification appeared once again.
[ Failure... The Host's partner possesses a soul level higher than the System's current rank. The Supreme Yin System cannot be integrated with her. ]
This System was truly bizarre—appearing and vanishing out of nowhere.
[ To register Ni Ni Layan (The Celestial Phoenix) as the Host's partner, she must accept the System's energy paths—the "Origin Yin Meridians"—just as the Host did. ]
So, the System hadn't given him those energy paths out of the goodness of its heart... It had failed to make Ni Ni Layan its host because it couldn't penetrate her soul.
"What is my role in this then?"
[ To earn Dual Cultivation points, the Host does not necessarily need to engage in sexual acts. You simply need to remain as close to each other as possible for the longest duration. However, points cannot be credited unless Ni Ni Layan accepts the Origin Yin Meridians. ]
Wait a second... how can a Celestial Phoenix have Yin meridians? Though it was biologically possible, the Celestial Phoenix draws its power from the sun; its nature is pure Yang, not Yin. Having Yin meridians should be impossible for her.
[ As long as the partner is a living being, they can accept Yin meridians. In fact, the benefits of Yin are greater for her, as it will allow her to achieve spiritual balance much faster. ]
A spark ignited in Morse's eyes. Spiritual Immortality is the attainment of spiritual perfection. To ascend to the Celestial Realm, Ni Ni Layan must have cultivated Yin at some point to reach that state. After passing through all stages of cultivation and enduring the five hundred heavenly tribulations, one finally achieves Spiritual Immortality.
If Ni Ni Layan integrates the Yin meridians now, she will merge with the cooling nature of Yin and will no longer be driven by her usual, rampant lust.
"Yes! I've found the solution!"
But his joy was short-lived as he got distracted and began to drift away with the current like a fool. He quickly scrambled to grab a large rock and climbed onto dry land, looking like a fish crawling onto shore for the first time. He immediately coughed up the water he had swallowed.
"Don't you worry, Phoenix... you're going to become the most chaste girl in history."
It was the kind of dream only the naive believe could come true—nearly impossible.
The logic was simple.
For the System to bestow the meridians upon her, she had to give her consent first. He simply had to convince her. It should have been easy. Practically speaking, achieving spiritual perfection is the core of cultivation; if he offered her these meridians, she would gain a much more powerful starting point to ascend to the Upper Realm and take revenge on those who betrayed her. It was a one-time offer she couldn't possibly refuse.
When Morse returned to the cave entrance, he heard strange, fragmented sounds... gasps for air as if someone were suffocating.
He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
But...
As he looked inside—peering deeper than he probably should have—he found her. With those utterly depraved expressions, she was using her "guilty" fingers. She held the magazine in her "sinful" hand, clutching her sex with desperate intensity, moaning like a cat in heat.
She was laughing like a lunatic in the midst of her estrus, her fluids spraying blatantly everywhere. She pulled her sticky fingers from her private place, dripping right before Morse's eyes.
Morse caught a scent he had never expected to encounter... a musky aroma that caused his "little brother" to rise high and stand at attention. He could swear that anyone would lose control just from the scent she was emitting. It was a soft, smooth, and delicious fragrance.
He swallowed hard, trying to look into her eyes with a defiant gaze.
"You want revenge, don't you?"
There was no time to waste. He was on the edge, so he asked directly.
"Revenge... huh? Unimportant. I don't need such things. Why don't you just bring that 'big guy' over here instead?"
She was pointing at him, deliberately provoking him.
"Didn't we agree that mental lust is superior to blind lust?" Morse countered. "To truly enjoy it more, you need to be conscious of your desire, not let it cloud your mind."
"Who cares?"
Her response was shocking, leaving him standing there in disappointment. He had expected her to dismiss his philosophical words about lust, but he hadn't expected it to be this swift.
"Wait a moment! What about those who betrayed you? They stabbed you in the back! You were the best person to rule them; you were just and merciful. Why waste yourself here? Your place is in the Upper Realm, as an invincible Queen—not just a lustful woman."
Ni Ni Layan sighed listlessly.
"As if you have the solution... Who the hell do you think you are? The savior hero? What's the point? I don't want to go back. Don't waste your time here."
She was right. He wasn't the "savior hero," nor could he ever be. He was just a man terrified of his own demise, with no foundation of power to back his words.
"And is this how you see yourself? Are you truly satisfied with this? A cave instead of a palace... a woman begging unknown men to pleasure her... Why? You are greater than all of this. You are stronger than all of this. You are... the Phoenix."
"The Phoenix has retired, boy. There is no one left here but Ni Ni Layan. In the end, I am a bird... instinct drives my kind. Why shouldn't I be like them? Just pure instinct?"
"But you aren't just a bird. You are the Phoenix!"
Oh... had his words truly enraged her?
Ni Ni Layan glared at him with an angry, dissatisfied gaze, as if she were about to incinerate him. She rose from her seat and advanced toward him with steady, deliberate steps. Morse found himself recoiling in fear.
She pushed him back until he reached the door, which she slammed shut, pinning him there. She stared directly into his eyes.
"If I were somehow stupid enough... to agree to your nonsense... could you make me the Ruler of the Ninth World?"
Ninth? Weren't there only two worlds—the Upper and the Lower? Where on earth did these other seven worlds come from.