Love’s Rebellion – Jing Tian, Zhang Linghe

For thousands of years, beyond the vast seas of the mortal realm, many sects have emerged in the cultivation world. Among them, the Lunar Sect is considered orthodox in seeking the path of immortality. Nan Yan is a female disciple of this sect, renowned for her mastery of poison and healing, earning her the title of "Master of Deadly Poisons. " The sect is divided into three peaks and six halls, with over a thousand disciples, many forming factions.

Due to Nan Yan's low spiritual power and reclusive personality, she is often ostracized. One day, fellow disciple Chu Jing trespassed into Nan Yan's courtyard, setting fire to the Zhu Rong flowers she had meticulously cultivated for two years. Unexpectedly, when exposed to heat, these flowers released toxic fumes, quickly poisoning Chu Jing.

Out of compassion, Nan Yan had her pet scorpion Xiang Xiang suck out the toxic blood from Chu Jing's body and then used medicinal steam to remove most of the toxins. Although this act was misunderstood by senior disciple Fu Lang and the sect leader's daughter Meng Ying, Nan Yan's intention was also to punish Chu Jing. That night, the canyon market was brightly lit and bustling with people.

Rumors spread about Emperor Shao Cang's descent into demonic ways, killing his fellow disciples. It was said that Shao Cang was once expected to become the next Xuan Zai, but was captured by Xuan Zai Ying Zewei and imprisoned in the Soul River Water Prison, only to miraculously escape, leaving his whereabouts unknown. At this moment, Shao Cang sat alone in a corner of the market, silently listening to the surrounding gossip, drinking to commemorate lost friends.

He then left with a long sword on his back, brushing past Nan Yan, leaving only a faint connection. Years ago, Master Ji Ming of the Divine Confession Sect used the anti-demonic technique "Seven Sins Manual" to sacrifice himself and defeat the Demon Lord Sen Luo in the northern region, bringing peace to the world. Ji Ming's deed was remembered by later generations, who built statues and temples in his honor, venerating him as a deity.

The "Seven Sins Manual," a text of supreme power, transformed into a spirit talisman and vanished after Ji Ming's sacrifice. Now, Shao Cang has committed the grave crime of killing his fellow disciples and was expelled from Dao Sheng Tian by his master. To clear his name, Shao Cang seeks the Seven Sins Manual, which are said to identify demonic nature, and heads to the northern region.

Zhu Sui, the enforcement elder of Dao Sheng Tian, leads disciples including Ma Rui to pursue Shao Cang, but Shao Cang's cunning allows him to evade capture by disguising himself as Ji Ming, exploiting people's reverence for the deity. Meanwhile, Nan Yan is preparing to go to the Filthy Valley at midnight to gather Zhu Rong grass. She unexpectedly witnesses Elder Yu Yong of the Evil Path killing Dao Sheng Tian disciples.

Yu Yong, ranked fourth among the Five Ghosts of the Evil Path, has unfathomable demonic power, which frightens Nan Yan. She attempts to slip away but is noticed, nearly losing her life. Coincidentally, Shao Cang arrives at Filthy Valley while searching for the Seven Sins Manual and secretly assists Nan Yan in repelling Yu Yong, leading Nan Yan to mistake him for Ji Ming's spirit.

During the battle, Shao Cang's old injuries resurface, causing him to fall unconscious, and he is saved by Nan Yan. Seeing Shao Cang in his blue and white daoist robe, with a handsome face like a crescent moon, Nan Yan feels an attraction. Discovering he suffers from a heart condition similar to her mother, Nan Rao, she decides to keep him as a test subject for her research.

Nan Yan binds Shao Cang with ropes, under the pretext of using poison to cure his ailment, and confines him. To prevent Shao Cang from escaping, she exaggerates the severity of his condition, promising to take care of his daily needs, and sets up a barrier to restrict his spiritual power. Shao Cang recalls his old injuries from his master's punishment and the torture of the Soul River Water Prison.

He plans to find the Seven Sins Manual and expose the mastermind behind his suffering. Just as he prepares to leave, he notices a basket containing a demonic creature, attempting to intervene but is stopped by Nan Yan. This action enrages the demonic creature, causing Nan Yan's demeanor to change suddenly, as if controlled by another force, with red light flashing on her forehead. She mutters, claiming to be the "Karma Talisman.

"When Shao Cang enters Nan Yan's consciousness, he discovers the demonic creature is the spirit talisman he has been searching for, which Nan Yan accidentally absorbed. The spirit talisman tells Shao Cang that if he can take it out of her consciousness, it will recognize him as its master. To escape, they must wait until the next evening at Xu time and perform a spirit extraction ritual.

When Shao Cang entered Nan Yan's consciousness with the intention of seizing the Seven Sins Manual within her, he learned from the talisman spirit that the manual is actually composed of two volumes. The upper volume had accidentally merged with Nan Yan's body, while the lower volume remained hidden in Filthy Valley. Only by combining the two volumes could the Seven Sins Manual be obtained.

Considering Nan Yan's weak spiritual power but special background, Shao Cang decided not to forcibly take the manual and planned to act after the spirit extraction ritual the following evening. During their conversation, Shao Cang casually made up a name for himself as Ji Yang, claiming to be from the Wangri Sect on Wangri Peak. Nan Yan did not delve into this further, only concerned about whether he had a name to be called.

Now that Nan Yan had gathered five rare poisonous substances, she was only waiting for the Bili Tree to bloom and bear fruit, so she could enter Filthy Valley to obtain the Blood Mist Golden Branch and refine the Five Poisons Heart Nourishing Pill. After Nan Yan finished speaking, she gave Ji Yang a few brief instructions and then left with a food box in hand.

As she passed through Lunar Town, Nan Yan vaguely felt something following her but could not find any trace of it. Shao Cang, remembering the talisman spirit's words to ensure Nan Yan's safety, quietly followed behind her. During this time, he witnessed Nan Yan scolding some gossiping elders, seemingly playing a prank but actually curing their stomach ailments in the process.

Yu Yong had not given up on turning Nan Yan into a corpse puppet, but fortunately, Shao Cang and another mysterious person intervened in time. The mysterious person remained hidden, while Shao Cang, out in the open, killed Yu Yong with one sword strike, eliminating the threat. Meanwhile, Sect Leader Meng Zhiguang, wanting to curb Nan Rao's influence, specifically invited two experts to assist him, intending to win back a game on the mahjong table.

However, he gained nothing from it. As night fell, Nan Rao slowly returned home to find that Nan Yan had already prepared dinner. In their interactions, the roles seemed reversed, with the daughter acting like the concerned mother and the mother like the mischievous daughter. This scene convinced Shao Cang that Nan Yan was indeed sincere in her efforts to treat her mother's heart condition. Shao Cang carefully set up the array, intending to wait until Xu time to proceed.

Unexpectedly, Nan Yan assigned him the heavy task of fertilizing the fields. Insisting that Shao Cang experience it firsthand, Nan Yan made him gather manure and work on an entire plot of spiritual land. Despite his frustration, Shao Cang had to endure and silently immerse himself in the dirty and tiring work. Mu Zhanting, the young master of Longdu, personally arrived at the Lunar Sect, intending to become a disciple of Meng Zhiguang.

Initially, Meng Zhiguang had no intention of accepting a disciple, but upon hearing about Mu Zhanting's wealth, he accepted him for fifty thousand spiritual stones. Overjoyed, Mu Zhanting was initially thrilled but found the sect's rules peculiar, suspecting that it might not be a traditional cultivation sect. Nan Yan gave Shao Cang a Heart Strengthening Pill, and seeing no adverse reaction, she grew even more curious.

After Nan Yan left, Shao Cang discovered her test notes and realized he was Nan Yan's first human test subject, as she had previously only tested on animals. This revelation angered him. Meng Zhiguang, hearing that his daughter and disciples were giving Nan Yan a hard time, strictly ordered them to apologize immediately.

Meng Ying was particularly resistant, believing that Meng Zhiguang's favoritism towards Nan Yan was because he had feelings for Nan Rao and wanted to marry her as his second wife. Later, Nan Yan carefully prepared a meal with auxiliary effects for heart conditions and sincerely invited Shao Cang to taste it. Despite the meal looking appetizing, Shao Cang could barely eat a few bites, feeling nauseous. As Xu time finally arrived, he initiated the spirit extraction array as planned.

However, during the extraction, the talisman spirit did not emerge from Nan Yan's consciousness. Instead, Nan Yan began to vomit blood. This alarming scene made Shao Cang suspect that the array might be a life-draining technique, prompting him to immediately stop and suspend the extraction.

Ji Yang was furious that the talisman spirit had used his hand to harm others. He entered the sea of consciousness to give it a severe punishment and decided to stay here to recuperate. He planned to wait until Filthy Valley opened to collect both volumes of the Seven Sins Manual, striving to obtain it without endangering Nan Yan's life. As he was contemplating, a commotion arose outside the door. Nan Yan opened it to find Meng Ying, Fu Lang, and others present.

Although Fu Lang apologized to Nan Yan as ordered by his master, it was clearly perfunctory. Meng Ying misunderstood the relationship between Nan Rao and her father and demanded that Nan Yan and her mother leave the Lunar Sect immediately. Just as Meng Ying was about to compete with Nan Yan in the art of poison, she suddenly felt unwell. Everyone suspected that Nan Yan had poisoned her. However, Nan Yan diagnosed that it was due to Meng Ying secretly practicing a technique to form a core, which had caused a blockage in her spiritual veins.

Nan Yan did not expose Meng Ying on the spot and deliberately admitted to poisoning her, giving her a few spirit pills to relieve the symptoms. This action left Meng Ying confused and slightly less angry. Ji Yang, who was observing, also felt that although Nan Yan was usually noisy and behaved strangely, she had unique skills in medical treatment.

Nan Yan returned to her room and saw Ji Yang enjoying the medicinal meal. Upon carefully examining his pulse, she found no improvement, which was quite suspicious. Nan Yan secretly speculated that Ji Yang might be pretending and not actually taking the medicinal meal, but Ji Yang firmly denied it. Without concrete evidence, Nan Yan had to let it go for the time being.

At this time, Shao Cang was being hunted by Dao Sheng Tian, and Zhu Sui and others were using the Heavenly Candle Fire to track his whereabouts, leading them to the Lunar Sect. Ji Yang was helping Nan Yan light the fire for alchemy. Due to using spells, he almost exposed himself, and the reappearance of the Heavenly Candle confirmed that Dao Sheng Tian's people were close by.

Fu Lang gathered all the disciples in the square and publicly announced that Shao Cang had betrayed the Northern Territory and was hiding in Lunar Town. Thinking of Ji Yang's mysterious background, Nan Yan suspected he might be Shao Cang. However, Mu Zhanting scoffed at the baseless accusations, unwilling to listen to unfounded charges against his idol Shao Cang, and argued in his defense, revealing his identity as the young master.

In the current world, there were only five peak cultivators: Ying Zewei of Dao Sheng Tian, Mu Guanghan the overlord of Longdu, Meng Xiaolou the Sword God of Tianqiao Peak, Master Chiku of Choushan Brahma Sea, and the master of Yao Palace. Mu Zhanting, as Mu Guanghan's only son, held a prestigious status, and even Fu Lang dared not offend him rashly.

To outsiders, Mu Zhanting seemed unattainable, but in his interactions with Nan Yan, he showed a humorous side. Although Mu Zhanting had never met Shao Cang, he had many fantasies about him, imagining him as a nine-foot-tall, strong as a yak, god-like figure, which gradually dispelled Nan Yan's suspicion of Ji Yang.

Back in the room, Nan Yan continued the medicinal steam treatment for Ji Yang and persuaded him to stay in the Lunar Sect. Mu Zhanting visited with a generous consultation fee to express his gratitude and revealed that he had come a long way to find Shao Cang, believing he was falsely accused.

Talking about Emperor Shao Cang, Mu Zhanting's admiration was endless, instantly opening up. As he spoke enthusiastically outside, Ji Yang, confined in the jar and surrounded by poison, was agitated and almost revealed himself. Fortunately, Nan Yan cleverly covered for him.

That night, Meng Zhiguang warmly hosted Mu Zhanting and subtly suggested that if he insisted on staying, he needed to sign a contract to avoid angering the lord of Longdu and implicating the entire sect. Nan Yan comforted Ji Yang while performing acupuncture on him. She noticed strange bite marks on his arm and, after consulting ancient texts, confirmed they were left by the Heavenly Candle, thus determining that Ji Yang was indeed Emperor Shao Cang.

Meanwhile, Nan Rao summoned Ji Yang to the back mountain using a talisman and presented a precious bottle of Cicada Dew as proof of her identity. Although Nan Rao had no good feelings towards Dao Sheng Tian's people, she noticed her daughter Nan Yan's special attention to Ji Yang and discovered an inexplicable bond between them. She personally planted a Spirit Link Seal on Ji Yang, intending to entrust Nan Yan to him.

Before leaving, Nan Rao repeatedly warned Ji Yang that the Spirit Link Seal was a life-and-death contract that could not be violated. If the two were separated by more than ten miles, they would explode and die. Ji Yang understood Nan Rao's intention and guessed that her time was running out. He solemnly promised not to reveal her true identity to Nan Yan and planned to leave once he found the Seven Sins Manual. However, Nan Yan suddenly changed her mind and tried every possible way to persuade Ji Yang to leave the Lunar Sect.

The Spirit Link Seal is not only used to bind couples in marriage but also has the wondrous effect of connecting minds. After listening to Nan Yan's thoughts through it, Ji Yang immediately declared that he would stay in the Lunar Sect until Nan Yan successfully refined the Five Poison Heart-Nourishing Pill. This move puzzled Nan Yan, who couldn't understand Ji Yang's sudden change in attitude.

Ji Yang, meanwhile, did not hide his identity from Nan Yan and even used his status as the emperor to intimidate her, falsely claiming to have cast a life-stealing curse on her that would cause her to explode and die if they were separated by more than ten miles. Nan Yan believed this without a doubt, staying awake all night. The next day, she hurriedly sought Mu Zhanting's help.

Mu Zhanting donned his battle armor, intending to break the curse for Nan Yan. However, his actions were so absurd and ridiculous, like performing an exorcism dance, that no one could take him seriously. He even suggested using dog blood, making Nan Yan laugh and cry simultaneously, ultimately giving up on the idea of him breaking the curse. Later, Mu Zhanting excitedly came to find Nan Yan, claiming to have a new method for exorcism.

Upon seeing Ji Yang by Nan Yan's side, he couldn't help but cast a gossiping glance. After some pretentious speculation, he concluded that Ji Yang was also a loyal follower of Emperor Shao Cang. Ji Yang went along with it, falsely claiming that he had long admired the emperor and began sharing insights with Mu Zhanting. This scene left Nan Yan dumbfounded, secretly admiring Ji Yang's superb acting skills. After Mu Zhanting left, Ji Yang's expression changed suddenly.

He sternly warned Nan Yan not to have any improper thoughts about exorcism or curse-breaking. If she wanted to keep Mu Zhanting alive, she must obediently follow his instructions. Hearing this, Nan Yan still regarded Shao Cang as a notorious "great demon," feeling uneasy and not daring to slack off in the slightest. Ji Yang, seeing Nan Yan's reaction, felt a sense of satisfaction for successfully fooling her.

Fu Lang, feeling resentful after repeatedly failing against Nan Yan, took advantage of her unpreparedness and secretly destroyed all the Bili trees. Nan Yan was heartbroken and, despite trying to save them with her weak spiritual power, failed. Ji Yang, hearing Nan Yan's thoughts and moved by her filial piety, secretly used his magic to revive the Bili trees. When Nan Yan turned around, she saw Ji Yang not far away and felt grateful, showing him a smile.

In the bustling area of the canyon market, there was a painted boat specializing in intelligence trading. Its owner, Die Wan, was an elder of the Heavenly Evil Dao and had a particular fondness for handsome men, always surrounded by many beautiful male companions. One day, the fox prince Yin Ya, confident in his looks, entered the boat to meet her.

He flattered Die Wan with sweet words and presented her with a Hui Ling fruit, which had the effect of preserving beauty, thus obtaining the means to survive in Filthy Valley. Die Wan warned Yin Ya that the depths of Filthy Valley were fraught with dangers, not due to treacherous terrain but because of the hidden terror of the "Yin Zhu," a soul-stealing creature.

The Yin Zhu had the head of a human and the body of a demon, resembling a flying head with fangs. It fed on the essence of living beings, and once targeted, one could hardly escape its fate. The only way to avoid its pursuit temporarily was to carry a treasure that could conceal one's breath. Upon hearing this, Yin Ya suddenly thought of the Silver Jiao Pearl, a treasure of the demon clan.

However, the merfolk had been sealed in the demon formation for a hundred years, and the Silver Jiao Pearl had almost disappeared from the world. Just as Die Wan was about to keep Yin Ya in the painted boat for pleasure, he suddenly changed his expression and vanished without a trace, leaving even the Hui Ling fruit in the box turned into fox fur, making Die Wan feel tricked and enraged.

Ji Yang, staying in the Lunar Sect, set rules for Nan Yan, requiring her to check in on time every day and prepare sumptuous meals to serve him. Although Nan Yan was dissatisfied, she could only endure it because of his profound magic and ruthless methods. That night, Fu Lang was attacked by a mysterious force, filled with terror, not knowing it was Ji Yang secretly punishing him for destroying the Bili trees.

The next morning, Ji Yang forcibly woke Nan Yan to accompany him down the mountain to tour the market. Nan Yan reluctantly followed, seeing his keen interest in a mechanical butterfly and painfully spending 120 spirit stones to buy it, expressing her gratitude for him reviving the Bili trees. However, Ji Yang directly gave the mechanical butterfly to Nan Yan as a personal item. Only then did Nan Yan realize that he had specifically chosen the gift for her.

Nan Yan was initially moved by receiving the gift, but Ji Yang immediately explained that the mechanical butterfly was actually a device used in Xichuan to determine directions, implying that it was meant to secretly monitor Nan Yan. Just as Nan Yan was about to lose her temper, Ji Yang sensed someone from Dao Sheng Tian passing nearby and quickly pulled her into a nearby stall to hide.

Because Shao Cang came from Dao Sheng Tian, Nan Yan originally planned to trade information about the pursuers for her freedom. However, when she heard the Dao Sheng Tian disciples shouting, "Better to kill by mistake than let go," she instantly felt that Dao Sheng Tian was not as righteous as she had imagined. Similarly, the vendors were also deeply dissatisfied with their actions, finding them cruel and detestable.

Ji Yang spotted a Qingluan fan on the stall and, without thinking, generously spent a high price to buy it. This action made Nan Yan feel distressed, even wanting to bargain for him. Just as Nan Yan was muttering, Ji Yang gave her the Qingluan fan, which instantly turned her anger into joy and completely dispelled any thoughts of betraying Ji Yang.

Meanwhile, Mu Zhanting, unable to find Nan Yan, decided to first go to the painted boat to gather information. Not knowing the location of the painted boat, Mu Zhanting asked the locals along the way, only to be spotted by Yin Ya. Yin Ya saw through Mu Zhanting's background and, posing as a passerby, directed him to the location, then transformed into the enchanting beauty Die Wan to entertain him.

Because Die Wan was more interested in Mu Zhanting's money bag than his looks, Mu Zhanting keenly sensed that this woman was impersonating someone else. Yin Ya dropped the act and revealed his true form, swiftly snatching the money bag and disappearing. On the other side, Ji Yang prepared to handle matters at the painted boat. To prevent Nan Yan from running around, he set up a barrier to hide her and repeatedly instructed her to stay put.

Die Wan intended to use her beauty to seduce Ji Yang and make him indulge in the painted boat, but Ji Yang was unmoved. Instead, he used the Qingluan fan as bait, demanding it in exchange for a map of Filthy Valley. After several times of toying with Ji Yang, Die Wan gradually wore down Ji Yang's patience. Eventually, the two clashed, and Ji Yang easily subdued Die Wan and left the painted boat.

At this time, Nan Yan tried to break free from the barrier and coincidentally, Yin Ya passed by, his gaze drawn to the Silver Jiao Pearl on Nan Yan's neck. He pretended to kindly release the barrier, attempting to use fox tribe illusions to steal the Silver Jiao Pearl. However, Nan Yan was immune to illusions, causing Yin Ya's plan to fail. He then pretended to apologize in a docile manner, his pitiful appearance earning Nan Yan's forgiveness.

Die Wan relentlessly pursued Ji Yang, forcing him into the market, exposing his whereabouts, and attracting the Dao Sheng Tian disciples' attack. Die Wan, unwilling to get involved in the conflict, immediately vanished. Ji Yang, enduring the poison of the Heavenly Candle, fought against numerous enemies alone. At the same time, he sensed the barrier being broken and worried about Nan Yan's safety, quickly adjusting his strategy to break through the encirclement with overwhelming force.

Upon hearing that the Dao Sheng Tian Emperor was being pursued, Nan Yan, though fearful, was more concerned about Ji Yang's safety and tried hard to find his whereabouts. Heavenly Candle's fireflies appeared around, flitting through the crowd. Zhu Sui loudly declared that the rebel Shao Cang had killed his fellow disciples and fled with guilt, hiding in this place while severely injured, calling for the public to provide clues in exchange for a reward.

At this critical moment, Nan Yan disregarded her own safety to lead Ji Yang out of danger. Mu Zhanting cleverly created chaos to divert the Dao Sheng Tian disciples' attention, buying precious time for Nan Yan and Ji Yang to escape. Zhu Sui, wary of Mu Zhanting's status as the young master of Longdu, did not want to cause trouble, thus missing the best opportunity to capture Shao Cang.

Although Ji Yang was unafraid of the Dao Sheng Tian people, he was still moved by Nan Yan's concern, joking that Nan Yan's spiritual power was too weak and that their chances of winning in a direct confrontation were slim. Nan Yan felt displeased, thinking that she had saved Ji Yang out of goodwill, only to be mocked. However, under Ji Yang's questioning, she had to admit that she was afraid he might meet with misfortune here. Before she could finish speaking, Dao Sheng Tian disciples appeared nearby, and Ji Yang hurriedly cast a spell to become invisible.

Ji Yang's heart condition worsened due to the Heavenly Candle poison. To avoid implicating Nan Yan, he cast a spell to send her away. Soon after, Mo Xingzheng arrived, questioning Ji Yang about any unresolved grievances and hoping he could return with him to explain to their master. However, Ji Yang, unable to justify himself, had no choice but to cast a spell to knock Mo Xingzheng unconscious. A large number of disciples then swarmed in, forcing Ji Yang to use his inner strength, eventually causing him to be injured and cough up blood.

When Nan Yan returned to the bamboo forest, she found the ground littered with the corpses of Dao Sheng Tian disciples, and Ji Yang sitting nearby, looking severely injured. Fortunately, Nan Yan arrived just in time to pick spirit thistle grass to suppress his heart ailment. By the time Ji Yang's symptoms slightly improved, it was already dark. Once she confirmed Ji Yang was alright, Nan Yan felt a heavy burden lifted from her heart. Noticing that she had injured her arm while picking the grass, Ji Yang personally bandaged her wound.

After this incident, Nan Yan felt that they had shared a life-and-death experience, deepening their bond. She thought this would be a good opportunity to make a request, so she prepared a copper pot hotpot for Ji Yang, subtly bringing up the matter of breaking the curse. However, Ji Yang flatly refused. Nan Yan was displeased, thinking Ji Yang was too heartless. But then Ji Yang suddenly asked what kind of feelings existed between them, leaving Nan Yan speechless and making up an excuse to avoid the question.

The next morning, Ji Yang's behavior changed drastically; he started drinking and eating chicken, acting strangely, which aroused Nan Yan's suspicion. It turned out that Yin Ya had sneaked into the Lunar Sect alone to obtain the Silver Jiao Pearl, disguising himself as Ji Yang to get close to Nan Yan. However, his plan was inadvertently seen through, revealing his true identity.

Mu Zhanting quickly captured Yin Ya, while Nan Yan deliberately picked up a dagger to intimidate him, trying to uncover his true intentions. Unexpectedly, Yin Ya took advantage of the situation to escape. Before Yin Ya could leave the Lunar Sect, he was intercepted by Fu Lang and others. Seizing the opportunity, Fu Lang accused Nan Yan of harboring a member of the demon clan and used a magical treasure to imprison Yin Ya, intending to hand him over to their master for punishment.

Nan Yan rushed over to seize the magical treasure, resulting in a fierce argument with Fu Lang, which was only stopped by the appearance of Meng Zhiguang. Meng Zhiguang took the magical treasure without a word, stating that he would decide once he had found out the truth. Later, Meng Zhiguang interrogated Yin Ya privately about his intentions. Yin Ya used the secret of the sect master's private dealings with the treasures of the Pavilion of Wonders as leverage, requesting to stay at the Lunar Sect for a few more days. Meng Zhiguang agreed but imposed a condition: Yin Ya must clean the sect daily to ensure his safety.

Since Yin Ya was from the fox clan and skilled in illusions, he couldn't wait to control Nan Yan just after meeting Meng Zhiguang, trying to seize the Silver Jiao Pearl. At the critical moment, Ji Yang, who had been recuperating outside, returned. He easily repelled Yin Ya and warned him to lift the illusion or face severe punishment.

Despite being a prince, Yin Ya's strength was far inferior to Ji Yang's, and he had no choice but to undo the illusion. Ji Yang sternly warned Yin Ya to stay away from Nan Yan, but Yin Ya ignored him, instead adopting a pitiful demeanor to gain Nan Yan's sympathy, pleading to stay. Moved by compassion, Nan Yan allowed Yin Ya to stay and attempted to send Ji Yang away, citing his recovery.

Ji Yang was dumbfounded by this suggestion and insisted on staying. Witnessing Yin Ya's feigned weakness in front of Nan Yan, Ji Yang felt a surge of jealousy, accidentally injuring Yin Ya. Nan Yan personally treated Yin Ya's wounds and curiously inquired about his repeated attempts to steal the Silver Jiao Pearl. Thinking quickly, Yin Ya fabricated a story about the pearl reminding him of his late sister.

Even so, Nan Yan resolutely refused to give the Silver Jiao Pearl to Yin Ya, explaining that it held great significance to her and advising him to give up. Yin Ya then sought Meng Zhiguang's help to expel Ji Yang from the sect, but Nan Yan, concerned about Ji Yang's unhealed injuries, declined and instead assigned Yin Ya to perform chores around the sect, such as fertilizing and tending the spirit fields, in exchange for food.

Seeing Yin Ya feign injury to get close to Nan Yan, Ji Yang was consumed with jealousy and seized the opportunity to take Nan Yan to the kitchen to prepare a meal, thereby separating them. Nan Yan was conflicted but prioritized filling their stomachs, reminding both to get along before leaving. Although Yin Ya and Ji Yang agreed on the surface, they secretly exchanged harsh words, viewing each other as enemies.

Seeing Nan Yan head to the kitchen to cook, Ji Yang continued to harshly reprimand Yin Ya and personally supervised his work in the spirit fields. During dinner, Yin Ya spoke ill of Ji Yang behind his back, warning Nan Yan not to trust this mysterious newcomer. He even suggested they live in the same house, but Nan Yan refused.

No sooner had she spoken than Ji Yang returned, agreeing with Yin Ya's reasoning that one should always be cautious of others. He decided to stay with Yin Ya, which scared Yin Ya into finding an excuse to decline. Nan Yan, noticing their mutual dislike, silently agreed to let them stay together, believing that evil people would eventually deal with each other.

That night, Yin Ya tried to sneak away but was tripped by Ji Yang's spell, leaving him fuming with no outlet for his anger. Initially, Nan Yan thought they might fight, but after a long silence, she hid in a concealed corner and used flying insects to tease Yin Ya, thinking that after a few days of tantrums, he would eventually leave the Lunar Sect.

Hearing Nan Yan's thoughts, Ji Yang immediately took a pillow and went to her room, declaring he would sleep in her bed. He leaned in close, staring at her intently. Embarrassed and flustered, Nan Yan insisted that men and women should keep their distance, but Ji Yang suddenly took the pillow from behind her, signaling with his eyes that she should sleep on the floor, stating that as a patient, he needed better rest to heal.

Reluctantly, Nan Yan, mindful of Ji Yang's status, made a bed on the floor, feeling aggrieved. However, in the middle of the night, she suddenly had an idea and eagerly climbed to Ji Yang's bedside, smiling as she asked him to lift her curse. To persuade him, Nan Yan spoke sweetly, but Ji Yang firmly refused.

The next morning, Nan Yan awoke to find Ji Yang looking very pale and unconscious. Upon inspecting his body, she discovered the celestial candle fireflies moving inside him. To help Ji Yang quickly, Nan Yan sacrificed her beloved scorpion pet, Xiangxiang, feeling heartbroken but saying nothing as she buried Xiangxiang under a tree. Ji Yang, seeing this, felt guilty and, unable to express his feelings, clumsily carved a wooden sculpture of Xiangxiang to cheer Nan Yan up.

Due to her bad mood, Nan Yan's cooking was almost inedible. Nonetheless, Ji Yang forced himself to eat a few bites and even made Yin Ya finish the food in his bowl. After eating, Ji Yang stood before Xiangxiang's grave, recalling how he had mourned a pet's death in his childhood, and how his master had given him a wooden sculpture of the pet to ease his sorrow.

Meanwhile, Mu Zhanting wanted to expel Yin Ya from the Lunar Sect, but Yin Ya knew too much, much of it leaked from Mu Zhanting himself. So, Nan Yan decided to let Yin Ya stay. Mu Zhanting was displeased, finding Yin Ya increasingly annoying with every glance.

Die Wan secretly vowed not to let Emperor Shao Cang off easily and sent someone to investigate the relationship between Shao Cang and Nan Yan. Later, Nan Yan, Yin Ya, and Mu Zhanting were attacked by a mysterious black fog. When Yin Ya woke up, he found himself in Die Wan's lair. Using clever words, Yin Ya managed to coax information from Die Wan, learning that Ji Yang was actually the Dao Sheng Tian Emperor and had a deep-seated grudge with Die Wan.

Thus, Yin Ya and Mu Zhanting became Die Wan's bait to obtain the Silver Jiao Pearl from Nan Yan. With this pearl, which could conceal breath and identity, Die Wan could move freely without hiding her identity. Meanwhile, Ji Yang returned with Xiangxiang's wooden sculpture to find Nan Yan and the others missing. In a panic, he activated the Lingxi Seal to locate Nan Yan.

Die Wan and Yin Ya conspired to stage a scene, capturing Yin Ya and Mu Zhanting to threaten Nan Yan into handing over the Silver Jiao Pearl, or else the two men's lives would be in danger. Seeing this, Nan Yan was anxious and quickly took off the Silver Jiao Pearl, handing it to Die Wan, urging her to release the captives promptly. She then took the opportunity to poison Die Wan.

Enraged and humiliated, Die Wan severely injured Mu Zhanting and Yin Ya, inadvertently activating the Seven Sins Manual, causing Nan Yan to completely lose her sanity and injure the opponent with one move. Since Nan Yan could not fully control this power, Die Wan decided to take the opportunity to remove the magic-suppressing technique within her, eliminating a major threat to the demon tribe.

At the critical moment, Ji Yang found Die Wan's lair, piercing her body with a sharp sword, making her disappear without a trace. However, Die Wan was controlled by the Talisman Spirit and did not recognize Ji Yang. The red mark on her forehead flashed frequently, making her face look particularly enchanting, and her eyes were filled with hatred, which was frightening to behold.

Ji Yang tried to suppress his power, while Nan Yan resisted fiercely, ending up being subdued by Ji Yang. When she regained consciousness, she found herself in Ji Yang's arms, with Ji Yang personally putting the Silver Jiao Pearl on her. After returning to the Lunar Sect, Mu Zhanting squatted on the ground, looking up at the sky and laughing foolishly. He recalled vaguely seeing Ji Yang displaying his mighty power while he was unconscious.

It suddenly dawned on him that the Emperor Shao Cang he had been desperately searching for was right beside him. On one hand, Mu Zhanting was delighted to meet his idol so quickly, but on the other hand, he was angry at Nan Yan for intentionally hiding it, leaving him with very mixed feelings. In contrast, Nan Yan was extremely grateful for Ji Yang's life-saving grace.

Although Ji Yang deliberately pretended to be a big bad wolf to scare Nan Yan, she revealed what she had seen and heard. She mentioned that the bodies in the bamboo forest that day were not dead but were knocked unconscious by Ji Yang because he did not want to harm his fellow disciples.

Additionally, Nan Yan believed that Ji Yang's so-called death curse was just a facade and did not actually exist, suggesting that the external rumors of Shao Cang being bloodthirsty towards his fellow disciples were likely slander. Through this period of interaction, Nan Yan gradually saw Ji Yang's inherent kindness and shared many heartfelt words with him.

She expressed that she did not know how to help Ji Yang clear his name but was willing to accompany him and choose to trust him unconditionally. Ji Yang appeared indifferent on the surface but was deeply moved inside. He personally carved a wooden sculpture of Xiangxiang and gave it to Nan Yan as a keepsake, which made Nan Yan so happy that she hugged him, leaving him stunned for a moment.

That night, Nan Yan arranged for everyone to have a hotpot, ostensibly to interrogate Yin Ya about his relationship with Die Wan, suspecting that the two had colluded over the Silver Jiao Pearl. However, Yin Ya repeatedly denied it, acting pitifully, so Nan Yan temporarily let it go. During the meal, she solemnly announced that the four of them were now like grasshoppers tied with one string, and no matter what, they had to keep Ji Yang's identity a secret.

Since Meng Zhiguang obtained the Nine Chapter Sparrow Technique, he seemed to have found a treasure and confidently called Nan Rao and others to play mahjong. But in the end, he still lost to them. Just as Meng Zhiguang felt puzzled, Nan Rao sent a voice transmission to him, informing him that the so-called Nine Chapter Sparrow Technique was something she wrote anonymously out of boredom, which might be useful against others.

Meanwhile, Mu Guanghan suddenly visited the Lunar Sect to see his son. Mu Zhanting lied, claiming that Ji Yang and the others were members of a poetry club and recited a poem, which greatly pleased Mu Guanghan. Because of this, Mu Guanghan told his son that he would no longer restrict his hobbies, making Mu Zhanting so happy that he cried, only to faint the next second.

It turned out that Yin Ya had intentionally picked hallucinogenic mushrooms and put them in the hotpot. He might have fooled Mu Zhanting and Ji Yang, but he couldn't deceive Nan Yan, who was skilled in using poisons. Under Nan Yan's questioning, Yin Ya admitted that he wanted to enter the depths of the Filthy Valley to find the Seven Sins Manual.

Only with a treasure like the Silver Jiao Pearl, which could conceal breath, could he avoid the pursuit of the Yin Blessing. Hearing the name Seven Sins Manual, Nan Yan guessed that Ji Yang came here for the same reason. During their conversation, Nan Yan learned that Yin Ya wanted to use the Seven Sins Manual to break the demon-sealing formation and save his people.

Since his experiences were somewhat similar to hers, she immediately calmed down and expressed that if he truly wanted to save people in the future, she would be willing to lend it to him. Then, Nan Yan helped the unconscious Ji Yang to bed, carefully examining his face and sighing at how good-looking he was, unaware that Ji Yang, who was pretending to be unconscious, heard everything clearly.