Xin Muchen led a charmed life. The only downside of being the legacy disciple of the Seven Killing Swords sect was how long it took to get dressed. He had dozens of treasures, talismans, and pills, each meant to save or extend his life.

  When he was done putting on his shirt, he looked back to the two naked jade beauties on his bed and frowned. He wanted to tell them to get the hell out, but they were too high on bliss to even know what continent they were on, let alone obey his instructions.

  “Scum,” he hissed under his breath. It did not matter ultimately; scum can be useful. Even now, he was cultivating them like they were furnaces through the Heart Sacrifice Sutra, a very useful internal art that had some interesting advantages. The greater the misery of the target, the greater the benefit to his cultivation; it would even ensure safe passage across the boundary and into Nihility.

  He tossed some more Heavenly Bliss Pills on the bed, to keep the two addicted and miserable, and then left his room.

  Xin Muchen had the Red Conference to thank for his new life. He did not know what happened, but someone offended Zhu Xuelian and got everyone killed. Xin Muchen was only the sixth-best disciple of the new generation, officially, but after that day, he was the only one left standing.

  After that, Yu Shun was killed by Zhu Xuelian, and Yu Yan, Yu Shun’s brother, was killed by Yun Fei. Yu Yan’s fate was truly laughable, Xin Muchen thought. He was killed by his own wretched toy. Though Yu Shun poisoned Yun Fei to make Zhu Xuelian’s life miserable for the Heart Sacrifice Sutra, Yu Yan got her addicted to bliss, and there is no manner in which he and his core group of disciples did not make Yun Fei’s life a living hell.

  Even Xin Muchen only felt a little sorry for Yun Fei, every time he saw her beg for more bliss.

  The manner in which Yun Fei killed Yu Yan was something Xin Muchen did not even dare to remember. But even without remembering it, he could still feel Yu Yan’s screaming vibrating in his soul.

  This was the reason he went through the tedium of putting on all his defensive talismans and treasures. He did not want to end like Yu Yan.

  Many of the generational talents died in the war — most of them during the sneak attack of the three sects, right after Yu Shun and Yu Yan died — and with no one else suitable for the position, every resource was poured into Xin Muchen, the new Legacy Disciple.

  He had many accomplishments to deserve this honor. He stole the Life-Severing Sword from the Galaxy Sword sect, and as part of Yu Yan’s little cadre, he also had the opportunity to learn the Heart Sacrifice Sutra. Now, he was even going to marry a princess, and he often dreamed of the benefits of turning her into his cultivation furnace, too.

  Even becoming a king or emperor was not impossible.

  Xin Muchen led a charmed life.

  “Young master… young master…!” a disciple ran over to Xin Muchen, face flushed red.

  “What is it?” Xin Muchen asked.

  “A beauty… a jade… a jade beauty…!” the disciple exclaimed, eyes wide with wonder.

  Xin Muchen scoffed. A jade beauty? Xin Muchen had already seen all of them. The most beautiful ones already belonged to him.

  But something about the crazy look in the disciple’s eyes gave Xin Muchen pause. Was this beauty enough to make a man nearly lose his mind…?

  Xin Muchen smiled darkly. “Where?”

  The disciple bowed and took Xin Muchen’s left arm and then tried to lead the legacy disciple, likely already counting the many favors and benefits he would receive for this service. Xin Muchen hated people like this.

  They went down toward the Inner Courtyard of the sect, where the main road led up the mountain toward the Sect Hall. There Xin Muchen immediately spotted her, mostly because there was a wide ring of disciples around her, staring at her as she passed on through.

  She wore thigh-high leather boots, with a pointed, metal heel, and Xin Muchen could even see silk stockings between the slit of her shorter, white inner skirt, and the black, outer skirt. Her dress was black and embroidered in gold and red, with two sashes of red silk beneath a revealing cleavage. Her hair was covered by a silk sheet which appeared opaque against her black hair, and she wore a black, transparent veil to cover her face, except for her black and red eyes.

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  In her left hand, she carried a scabbard with a sheathed sword. A jade charm dangled from the pommel of the exquisite sword.

  Even with the veils, Xin Muchen could tell that she was mind-numbingly beautiful. He might have even fallen in love at first sight. Her imperious demeanor, bold outfit, yet mysterious identity were the perfect combination of hooks to reel in his heart.

  He already regarded her as his favorite furnace.

  He jumped forward, landing right in her path, and smiled. “Miss, welcome to the Seven Killing Swords sect. I’d like to give you a to—“

  But she didn’t stop. She stepped around him and continued onward, toward the Sect Hall.

  Xin Muchen chuckled, and followed her, then walked beside her. “You don’t have to be so cold. I am not a villain; I merely want to show you the wonders of our sect.”

  Xin Muchen’s left eye twitched. For almost two years, everyone had to give him face. Who would dare to ignore him?

  Well, this jade beauty did.

  He finally got the attention he wanted when he grabbed her upper arm. She stopped, turned her veils and sheets of silk in his direction, and he saw her eyes narrow.

  “Aren't we already like Dao Companions? There's no need to hide your face from me,” Xin Muchen said, politely, as he reached for the veil that covered her face.

  Before his fingers could touch the silk, she struck his chest with her palm, and a tremendous amount of fire energy poured into his meridian vessels, cutting off his internal system.

  On reflex, Xin Muchen reached for his sword — a Supreme grade treasure — but he quickly realized he could not draw it, this close, and instead opted to retaliate with a hard punch to her abdomen.

  The back of her palm struck his fist and led his swing away from her body, then she stepped to his side and with her other hand, extended his elbow, and dislocated his shoulder.

  Xin Muchen yelped in pain, and before he knew it, he found himself on the ground, and her boot sent two of his teeth flying loose across the street.

  A collective gasp rose from the crowd.

  Then she continued onward to the Sect Hall.

  Xin Muchen’s heart roared with anger. It did not matter if she was the goddess of beauty, this humiliation he would never forget. He reached into his pocket and broke one of the talismans that he had made for his own purposes, and threw its remains at the jade beauty’s feet.

  Immediately, a cloud of purple miasma burst from the broken talisman and engulfed the girl in what everyone recognized as a potent perfume of bliss.

  “You idiot…” Xin Muchen hissed and howled, as he rose to his knees, and used his sword as a crutch to stand up. “This Xin Muchen was polite and gave you face and opportunity. Now you will pay for trampling on my goodwill. I will make your life so miserable you will curse your ancestors.”

  When the cloud of bliss appeared, the jade beauty stopped in her tracks and seemed to stare blankly ahead.

  “You won’t even be a concubine; I will make you my slave,” Xin Muchen cursed the most foul things he could think of. “You will beg me to die…!”

  Then, the air shimmered around the jade beauty, and as if painted with an ink brush, red flames appeared, blowing away the mist of bliss.

  The flames pulsed waves of heat as they extended in all directions, and the disciples that stood close to them slowly retreated. Where the ink-like flames touched the ground, they became less ink and more real; melting even the stone of the pavement.

  “Did you say… Xin Muchen?” The jade beauty asked, turning toward him.

  Dozens of eyes opened in the flames, each one possessing an eight-pointed star instead of a pupil, and then three words, in burning gold, appeared in the sky and flames above the jade beauty.

  ALL

  HEAVENS

  BURN

  “Huh…?” Xin Muchen blinked in confusion and his voice trembled. His eyes focused on the words. To him, it looked like they said: The heavens burn all.

  Slowly, the jade beauty drew her sword and pointed it downwards. Then, she drew a great circle with the flames that appeared in the wake of her sword’s tip, and when the circle was complete, a great shock wave pulsed through the area, causing the tiles to jump up and down as the wave passed through them.

  No sword energy. No qi. And yet, a wave of sword force emanated from the great wheel, and a purifying force struck Xin Muchen. His skin burned. His vitality burned. His lifespan burned. Every sin he had ever committed burned. His cultivation burned.

  It burned. It burned. It burned.

  His left hand was the first to turn to ashes, and without the support of his sword, he fell to the ground and crawled toward the jade beauty, leaving a trail of glittering ashes behind. He crawled because he knew these flames would never disappear. They didn't consume air for fuel. His life and her whim were their fuel. He would burn for an eternity.

  He wanted to ask her to let him die…!

  An elder suddenly landed in front of Xin Muchen and kowtowed before the jade beauty.

  “Xin Muchen has offended this princess; this is the fault of Her Highness’ idiot betrothed. Please give us face and show mercy…!” The elder kowtowed again. “Please show mercy!”

  The sword returned to its sheath with a click, and the flames, words, and burning inferno disappeared.

  The last thing Xin Muchen saw before losing consciousness was that the jade beauty — the princess he was supposed to marry, apparently — drew flaming words with the tips of her fingers.

  One thousand top-grade spirit stones.

  The elder kowtowed again. “Princess is merciful!! Her demand is reasonable!! Princess is merciful!!”