A breeze stirred the forest leaves as the group continued along the winding woodland trail. After rescuing the known Mirror Village and coming across to Deity of Nature's warning, the fresh scent of pine and the soft rustle of undergrowth came as a small mercy. Birds chirped overhead, and Fenglan was the first to break the silence with a loud, dramatic sigh.
"I swear if I see another village with cursed people or weird dolls I'm going to scream! Why can't there be a haunted wine tavern instead? At least then the ghosts would serve us drinks."
Zhenhai snorted. "Knowing you, you'd drink the entire haunted cellar and leave the ghost bartenders bankrupt."
"Don't tempt me," Fenglan replied with mock pride, puffing out his chest as they wove through the trees. Fenglie walked silently behind, his arms crossed, though the subtle twitch at the corner of his lips betrayed his amusement.
Longxuan, walking beside Mo Tianzun, let out a quiet chuckle. Tianzun only smiled faintly, though his fingers twitched slightly. The system in his mind had gone strangely silent since their encounter at the mirror village. Worse, today, his internal energy flared uncontrollably earlier, burning hot through his meridians. He had passed it off as a side effect of their last battle, but...
As they moved deeper into the woods, a faint floral scent began to tickle their senses. It was out of place in the pine-heavy forest. Soft, pink petals floated down from above, though there were no cherry trees to be seen.
"What in the world?" Fenglan blinked, catching a petal. "This smells like perfume."
"Careful," Mo Tianzun said, voice quiet. He extended his spiritual senses—only to flinch slightly. Something in the air felt... corrupt. Sweet, cloying, and threaded with desire. A presence not of nature, but of seduction.
Just then, a warm wind swept through the forest, and with it came a soft, melodic voice.
"So many strong young cultivators... what a delightful surprise."
The group stopped. A figure emerged from the swirling pink mist. She was tall, with cascading black hair and eyes like molten gold. Her robe clung to her like a second skin, shifting like smoke around her curves. But her beauty wasn't human. The air around her pulsed with desire, pressing on them like a heated fog.
Fenglan immediately turned away, blushing to his ears. "What the hell is that dress? She's going to catch cold!"
"That's not a woman," Zhenhai murmured, raising his blade. "That's a demon."
The woman laughed. Her form shimmered and twisted, revealing horns and slitted pupils for a split second before settling back to her seductive shape. "You wound me. I come in peace. My master simply wanted to greet his old friend."
Mo Tianzun's eyes narrowed. "Liu Shengjie sent you."
The demon gave a curtsy that was both mocking and obscene. "The God of War sends his regards. He is... displeased to learn you survived."
Longxuan stepped protectively in front of Mo Tianzun. "What are you doing here?"
The demon smiled. "Just observing. And perhaps playing a little."
With a flick of her wrist, the air around them shimmered. A wave of heat washed over them. Mo Tianzun staggered slightly, clutching his chest as his core flared violently. His skin flushed, breath catching. Longxuan turned to him, alarmed.
"Tianzun?"
"She's... amplifying desire..." he gritted out, falling to one knee.
"Oh dear," the demon cooed. "His body remembers pleasure even if his mind resists. Such a strong man... so easily undone."
Longxuan growled. In one movement, he swept Mo Tianzun into his arms and turned back. "Fenglie! The demon is using lust to manipulate his qi. Cover us!"
Fenglie threw a talisman in the air, releasing a surge of golden light. The demon hissed, recoiling, and the mist parted just enough for Longxuan to leap away with Tianzun.
They landed near a rock spring tucked behind the ridge.
Tianzun trembled in Longxuan's arms, his skin burning. "My body... the energy's going out of control. It hurts. It burns."
Longxuan cupped his cheek, trying to ground him. "Look at me, Tianzun. Breathe."
Tianzun's eyes glowed faintly with white light, and strands of his hair turned silver as the power inside him surged.
"Don't let go," he whispered. "Please... don't let go."
Longxuan leaned in, resting their foreheads together. "Never. We'll get through this. I'm right here."
Behind them, the others clashed with the demon of lust, steel and spell flying in bursts of color. But in the heart of the clearing, only the soft whispers of two souls reaching for each other could be heard.
And overhead, far away in another realm, Liu Shengjie stood atop a celestial mountain, watching the world through a mirror of ink.
"So... he did survive," he murmured coldly. "Then it seems we'll need to push our game forward. Gods... prepare your judgment. The True Devil must fall again."
The pieces moved across the board.
And Heaven's game was far from over.