I don’t like your heart.

No, no.

It’s not like that at all!.

The always calm and composed Qin Ximo completely panicked.

The girl before her was clearly wearing the very clothes she had personally gifted her —

She should be Shen Yuemian!.

But if she were Shen Yuemian, how could she possibly be calling her “Martial Aunt”?

Only one person in the entire Qingyun Sword Sect could call her Martial Aunt —

Her junior sister’s newly accepted disciple not long ago.

Talentless, yes, but obedient, filial, and lovable — Cao Xueyan.

Although the two looked similar and shared similar personalities, they were still two entirely different people.

Cao Xueyan’s background was spotless.

Her parents and ancestors for three generations could be checked — all ordinary, with no ties to demonic cultivators.

Had that not been the case, she would never have been allowed entry into Qingyun Sword Sect, much less become her junior sister’s disciple.

No, everything was fine.

Qin Ximo kept reassuring herself.

The panic on her face faded.

When she lifted her head again, the hesitation was gone — replaced by cold decisiveness.

“You heart demon truly has tricks.

Hundreds of years and you finally changed tactics.

But you think this is enough to shake my Dao heart?.

You underestimate Qin Ximo far too much.”

“Martial Aunt, what are you saying?”.

The heart demon wore an innocent expression, pitiful and confused, as if not understanding why Qin Ximo was speaking like this.

With a soft, sweet voice she said:

“Martial Aunt has been away for many days.

My master has been terribly worried.

But now that Martial Aunt has broken through, this is a great blessing for the sect.

With a Nascent Soul cultivator sitting in the sect, you’ll stabilize the position of Dao Leader.

Within the entire Xuan-Iron Immortal Dynasty, who would dare disobey your command?”.

Qin Ximo saw through it.

This heart demon had some intelligence, but not enough.

In the end, it still used childish tricks to shake her heart.

Flattering her strength.

Tempting her with supreme authority.

Even daring to seduce her with demonic cultivation!.

…Though to be fair, she had indeed cultivated a technique from the Pleasure Sect — under special circumstances.

But she never misused it like those demonic women who harmed innocents.

As for Shen Yuemian — she owed that girl far too much.

She had taken her purity, her yin essence…

And because of the Qingqiu fox bloodline, she had stolen the heavenly auspice meant for her.

“Enough.

I’ve seen enough of these petty tricks — better to cut you down early, before you disgust me further with that face.”

With that thought, Qin Ximo immediately drew her sword.

Even before reaching Nascent Soul, she had already touched upon the profound meaning of the sword.

After tribulation tempering, she had fully mastered it.

One sword — nothing remains uncut.

Even a heart demon with no physical form, existing only in illusion — her sword could cut.

As expected, the heart demon’s throat was pierced in a single strike —

No blood spilled.

Qin Ximo’s sword had destroyed it at the root.

No matter how convincing the illusion, it could not even muster a drop of fake blood.

“Martial Aunt Qin!”.

The heart demon’s expression twisted in fear.

It lunged forward — only for Qin Ximo to sidestep.

Missing its strike, the demon’s face contorted with malice:

“Qin Ximo!

For the sake of us being one, I tried to persuade you kindly —

But you are stubborn, unteachable!”.

“Tsk.”

Qin Ximo clicked her tongue.

“A little heart demon like you wants to lecture me?”.

“If you listened to me, your cultivation would far exceed mere Nascent Soul!”.

The heart demon screeched.

“What I cultivate is Immortal Dao and Heavenly Dao.

And you dare tempt me toward a path that is neither immortal nor righteous?.

You call that persuasion?”.

Qin Ximo stared coldly.

“Do you dare claim your Dao heart is flawless?”.

The heart demon roared:

“That little fox — she looks just like your master-shishu!

Same temperament, same presence!

Isn’t that far too much of a coincidence?”.

“You’re only lying to yourself.

Forcing yourself to separate them in your heart — so you can stay by that little fox’s side without guilt!”.

Without realizing it, Qin Ximo’s grip tightened on her sword.

Her voice grew stiff.

“Nonsense.

You are about to disappear and still refuse to shut up.

Truly hateful.”

Facing the sword at its throat, the heart demon burst into laughter:

“You can lie to yourself, but not to me!.

We are one.

Your doubts, your confusion, your obsession, your delusions…

They are what formed me!”.

“Your filthy little thoughts — did you think I didn’t know?”.

“My entire life is open and upright!”.

Qin Ximo snapped back.

“What filthy thoughts do I have?

You are the shameless one — disgusting tricks, no bottom line — and you claim to be one with me?”.

“Open and upright?”.

The heart demon sneered.

“You harbor improper thoughts toward your own martial senior.

Against ethics!”.

Qin Ximo had heard enough.

She didn’t even bother arguing.

A few more sword strikes —
And the heart demon was obliterated, annihilated without even managing a scream.

The heart-devil tribulation was over.

Qin Ximo looked up — but saw only the false sky created by the cave-heaven.

Having reached Nascent Soul, she could now feel the world as if one with it —

Compared to Golden Core, the difference was like finally gaining true awareness.

She would no longer be led around by that demoness Lu Qianyun.

“With my current cultivation, even I cannot force my way out of this cave-heaven.

Its master must have been unimaginably powerful.”

Qin Ximo withdrew her spiritual sense and sighed.

“Even the Pleasure Sect has inherited secret realms —

Why have no righteous sects ever discovered even a single intact legacy realm?”.

“Could there be some secret no one dares to speak?”.

The ancient era was far too distant — even earlier than the founding of the Qingyun Sword Sect.

The legendary founder of Qingyun — who knows what cultivation he possessed?

Only that he surpassed Nascent Soul.

If he reached Divine Transformation, why leave behind no secret realm at all?.

Qin Ximo didn’t know.

But she knew one thing — her little fox was still waiting anxiously.

Using her power, her body — previously charred by heaven’s lightning — was instantly restored.

Her robes became immaculate, not a single crease remaining.

Qin Ximo inspected herself carefully.

Good — she wouldn’t want her little fox to worry.

She flew toward the Daoist temple.

During the tribulation she had been fully focused — she hadn’t checked whether the disaster had affected the temple.

As a Nascent Soul cultivator, her spiritual sense far surpassed Golden Core.

In an instant, she crossed a hundred li.

The scenery blurred — Qin Ximo now hovered above the temple.

She sensed it — her familiar aura was inside.

But… why did it feel injured?.

Her heart clenched.

Had the tribulation actually reached her little fox?.

This was… sigh!

She descended quickly.

The doors of the transmission hall were open — inside lay the girl she cared for most, collapsed on the cold floor, unable to move.

And beside her stood Lu Qianyun, completely unaffected, raising her head to meet Qin Ximo’s gaze.

“Ah, Fairy Qin.

You look radiant — congratulations on your breakthrough.”

Lu Qianyun’s expression showed no flaw — perfectly polite.

But Qin Ximo’s face turned cold.

“You did this to her?”.

Lu Qianyun covered her mouth, feigning pity:

“Fairy Qin, don’t wrong me.

She was hurt by the shockwaves from your tribulation.

How could that be my fault?”.

“Isn’t that right, Yue~er~?”.

Cao Xueyan forced her body to move, enduring the agony in her legs.

She stood and looked toward Qin Ximo.

“You’re back…”.

“Mm.”

Qin Ximo nodded, walking to her side and holding her cold hand.

“Was it truly the tribulation that hurt you?”.

Cao Xueyan’s face was pale, but she still smiled gently.

“Heaven was supposed to ignore me…

But I guess it didn’t recognize me properly and burned me a little.

It’s nothing — just my legs…

They may take some time to heal.”

Qin Ximo held her hand — but her gaze drifted downward.

Since when…

Had there been two more tails?