Phoenix Reversal Essence Cultivation Technique

Ten years had passed since he last returned home.

From a distance, Pang Yue caught sight of Brightlake Island, and a sense of ease, as if finally returning, rose within him.

It was sunset; the sun was dipping into the sea, and the evening glow flared like fire, dyeing the western sky and the ocean in golden hues.

A gentle evening breeze blew as seabirds circled low, their calls melodious and languid.

Above Brightlake Island, two figures stood suspended in the air, apparently waiting for him.

One was dressed in splendid robes, dignified and imposing—it was Zhuang Buxiu, a fellow disciple from the Flame Demon Hall.

The other wore a feathered cloak, tall and striking, his features handsome and refined, with a hint of a smile that made him instantly likable.

Pang Yue halted his escape light.

These two blocking the entrance to his home clearly did not come with good intentions. Especially Zhuang Buxiu; the last time he came to visit with Kui Shanshui, things had ended rather unpleasantly. Not long after, Pang Yue was sent to the outer seas. To believe Zhuang Buxiu had nothing to do with that was impossible for Pang Yue.

"Brother Xu, it’s been too long!" Zhuang Buxiu greeted with a cupped fist.

Pang Yue replied coolly, "What business brings you two here?"

Zhuang Buxiu smiled. "Brother Xu, allow me to introduce you. This is Senior Brother Qu Ziyang of the Ice Demon Hall, currently the foremost of the third generation of the Qu family and a promising candidate for the next true disciple of the Ice Demon Hall."

"Greetings, Senior Brother Qu." Pang Yue returned the gesture and said, "If you have business, speak plainly. I have been away for ten years and am rather weary."

"Brother Xu, you are truly a man of action." Qu Ziyang, seeing Pang Yue had no intention of inviting them onto the island, sighed and said, "Forgive my abrupt visit, but there is a matter I have waited years to address. Though it is a difficult request, I hope you will grant it."

Pang Yue glanced at Zhuang Buxiu, then turned to Qu Ziyang. "Please, speak your mind, Senior Brother Qu."

"Years ago, I fell in love at first sight with Lady Qin Shuyi, the cultivator of your island. I had hoped you would act as her guardian and grant her to me in marriage, but you were then away at sea and unable to return, so the matter was delayed. The greatest suffering in this world is longing—Brother Xu, I beg you to grant me and Lady Shuyi your blessing."

Qu Ziyang spoke with utter sincerity.

Pang Yue was first taken aback, then looked at Qu Ziyang with a half-smile. "Senior Brother Qu, perhaps you do not know—Qin Shuyi is my concubine and chosen vessel."

"I am well aware," Qu Ziyang replied, "but it seems Brother Xu has long since seen through the temptations of women, and has never even met Lady Shuyi. She remains, to this day, untouched and pure."

Pang Yue burst out laughing. "Rest assured, Senior Brother Qu—after tonight, she will no longer be untouched!"

Qu Ziyang was baffled. "Brother Xu, what do you mean? You agree to let us be together?"

Pang Yue shook his head. "Not at all. There is no need to trouble you, Senior Brother. I shall personally initiate her tonight."

Qu Ziyang’s face flushed and then turned pale, spiritual power surging within him as the air temperature plummeted and ice crystals began to form in the air.

"Are you mocking me, Brother Xu?"

Pang Yue sneered. "The night is long, but the hour is short and I have important matters to attend to. I’ll take my leave!"

With that, his figure blurred and he darted away.

"Hold!" Qu Ziyang pressed his palm, and a wave of dark blue chill surged, sealing off Pang Yue’s path in a radius of several miles.

"You would draw your sword?" Pang Yue stared coldly at him.

Zhuang Buxiu remained unmoved, watching the conflict unfold as if from the shore.

Qu Ziyang’s gaze fixed on Pang Yue, murder flashing in his handsome face. "Xu Liming, if you dare touch Shuyi, I swear I will petition the sect for a formal duel tomorrow!"

"You’d best check your head first," Pang Yue sneered. His body became a piercing sword light, cleaving through the void between Qu Ziyang and Zhuang Buxiu in an instant.

The frigid mist did nothing to hinder him; the sword light parted it effortlessly.

Qu Ziyang, humiliated and furious, shouted, "Such arrogance for a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator! Just wait until tomorrow—I'll teach you a lesson!"

Zhuang Buxiu tried to soothe him. "Senior Brother Qu, let’s leave. It’s not worth losing your temper over a woman. Today’s plan has backfired; I fear Brother Xu might do something rash to Lady Qin."

Qu Ziyang snorted. "If he dares lay a finger on Shuyi, I’ll petition the sect for a duel tomorrow!"

His thunderous voice echoed across Brightlake Island.

With nothing left to do, the two departed together.

The afterglow faded, dusk grew deep, and only the sound of the waves persisted.

...

Night.

Qin Shuyi’s bedchamber.

The brocade curtains still held warmth, beast incense curled in the air, and the rosewood bed was encircled on all sides by gauzy drapes.

Through the pale lotus-colored veil, a graceful silhouette sat upright on the bed.

Inside, by the table.

Pang Yue, utterly at ease, pressed a jade slip to his forehead, reading its contents with care.

After a long while, he put the jade slip down and looked at the beauty on the bed. "I did not expect you could cultivate the Phoenix Reversal Essence Art to the Foundation Establishment realm."

The woman on the bed said nothing.

Pang Yue’s fingers tapped lightly on the table. A gentle breeze stirred, lifting one corner of the gauze above the bed and revealing her form.

Her figure was lithe and alluring, clothed in a silken gown. Even seated, she exuded elegance and grace. Her waist was slender yet shapely, her curves both soft and toned, with full, rounded breasts and hips, her delicate silhouette a masterpiece of feminine allure.

For the first time, Pang Yue studied Qin Shuyi closely.

She was breathtakingly beautiful, her skin fair and flawless, her bearing dignified and gentle, though at this moment tinged with a cool aloofness. At the center of her smooth brow, a triple plum blossom spirit mark made her appear all the more noble and pure.

"What do you intend to do? Aren’t you afraid of Qu Ziyang challenging you to a duel?" Qin Shuyi asked, flustered.

She had not expected that the first thing this Daoist Xu would do upon returning after ten years was slip quietly into her chambers at night, subdue her with a touch, and demand the jade slip containing the Phoenix Reversal Essence Art.

She had heard every word Qu Ziyang had spoken above Brightlake Island at dusk, and thought matters would be settled tomorrow. She had not foreseen this unexpected move.

"If you had found yourself a true disciple, perhaps I’d be cautious. But to rely on a fool used as someone else’s pawn? Hardly someone I need concern myself with," Pang Yue said lightly, rising and walking to the bed.

Qin Shuyi shrank back in panic, her long, shapely legs exposed in her retreat, their beauty an irresistible temptation.

Her spiritual power was completely sealed by Pang Yue, and the room was warded against any sound escaping.

Before him, with all her Foundation Establishment cultivation sealed, she was as powerless as a mortal.

Pang Yue seized her slender, delicate ankle. Qin Shuyi flushed crimson, her breath catching, her lovely feet arching tight with nervous tension as she closed her eyes in resignation.

He let the gauze fall, breathing in a faint scent of snowy plum that captivated his senses.

"Don’t…" Qin Shuyi murmured.

Under Pang Yue’s forceful yet gentle advance, her brief resistance faded into submission.