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No... Wasn’t it Charm Techniques?

Shen Yuan tightly gripped the blanket, his face flushed as he lowered his head. He couldn’t understand what was happening. He wasn’t the kind of person to act impulsively. Initially, when the woman stood naked before him, all he felt was caution—nothing beyond that.

Why is it, then, that when she approached me... I reacted in such a way?

And that feeling... even now, it leaves me incredibly unsettled.

When he thought back on his actions, he felt too ashamed to face her.

"Why?"

Finally... he mustered up the courage to ask.

"What do you mean ’why’?" The woman approached with a sly smile. "It’s cooperation, naturally. You saw it yourself—had I returned even a moment later, the situation wouldn’t look as it does now."

Her gaze turned somber. Clearly, she’d been under scrutiny from above. Despite all her accomplishments through the years, they still distrusted her. In the end... she remained an outsider.

She was fortunate to have made this choice, or else, when certain sacrifices had to be made, she would undoubtedly be the first to be cast aside.

"We..." Shen Yuan bit his lip. "Why did we have to do that?"

"You didn’t like it?" A sly smile played on her lips as she looked at the man, his face now red like a monkey’s bottom. For the first time in an age, she found herself unexpectedly relaxed.

After years of cutthroat survival, surrounded by deception and treachery, she seemed to have forgotten the fleeting joy of certain pleasures...

"Hmm?" The woman leaned closer, seemingly unwilling to let Shen Yuan evade the question.

Backed into a corner with nowhere to retreat, Shen Yuan suddenly summoned his courage. He met her gaze directly and, after a pause, said, "I liked it..."

The woman froze for a moment. She hadn’t encountered such a gaze in a long time. Due to her strength, people either looked at her with fear or greed. This kind of genuine affection—she had only seen it once before, long ago... when she had first taken human form.

It seemed to be from a scholar-like figure just like him.

For a moment, she found herself unable to meet his eyes and shifted her gaze away.

Her tone grew distant as she explained, "I couldn’t hurt you before, and since you refused to let me leave, I had to resort to this method.

The flesh and spirit of the Four Spirit creatures naturally meld through union.

I simply employed an ancient technique. While the world knows the Black Tortoise as both a turtle and a snake, few realize the other three spirits also consist of two entities.

If they don’t forcibly merge as one, it’s actually more in alignment with the Heavenly Dao—though it often leans toward individual compatibility. "

"So that’s how it is..." Shen Yuan lowered his head, feeling an inexplicable sense of loss.

He had anticipated as much. Surely, the woman had her motives when she acted; it couldn’t possibly be because she had feelings for him, could it?

Though confident in his looks, he couldn’t believe someone of her immense power, far surpassing even their lord, would genuinely be attracted to him.

"What are your plans now?" Shen Yuan asked, his eyes turning cold. "I will never betray Jiangnan. Even if there’s a connection between us now, when it comes time to choose, I’ll still choose Jiangnan."

The woman turned toward him. The previously shy look in his eyes was replaced by icy resolve, and, inexplicably, she felt a pang of discomfort in her heart.

Still, she replied, "I understand. Those who follow the Divine Path Sect are hard to sway. I’ll give you two choices now—pick one."

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"My lord, that woman is abnormal!" Kui Wood Wolf, nursing his severed limb, gritted his teeth in resentment. The injury wasn’t just to the human form—she had severed his original body’s arm.

Healing it would be exceedingly difficult, and even then, it wouldn’t compare to the arm he had before.

The injury would significantly impact the forthcoming battles.

This is the final Era; every ounce of strength matters. The woman striking such a decisive blow at this critical time—how venomous her intent must be!

"Do you have proof?" The Three-Eyed God General asked coldly as he stared forward.

He understood Kui Wood Wolf’s grudge, but the woman hadn’t done anything wrong.

Even the White Tiger Star Officer harbored resentment—not giving him any face earlier—but engaging her in combat now was out of the question.

Among the Four Spirit-based Star Officers, the White Tiger was the strongest, matching even the Four Heavenly Kings in prowess.

Despite her weakened essence, she would still be hard to deal with.

He was here for battle—not to create further complications.

If she truly committed a crime, that would be another matter entirely.

But otherwise, forcing a divine Demon General of her stature into rebellion would cause the remaining demons to revolt instantly!

The Heaven’s Court’s rash, exploitative actions had already eroded trust. The outsider demons would certainly no longer trust Heaven’s Court, and the internal forces—those who had pledged allegiance—were precariously guarded, all monitoring the situation closely.

Over half of the Twenty-Eight Constellations had once been demons from Outer Space. Especially those under the White Tiger Star Officer—if she defected, the rest would surely scatter. At that point, the Southeast Pass would become unstable, and reinforcements would become the only option.

Kui Wood Wolf lowered his head. Earlier, when she had brazenly severed his arm, if he had even a shred of evidence, he wouldn’t have let her go unpunished.

"Let’s leave..." The Three-Eyed God General said solemnly. "We’ll deal with the Southern Barbarians first. You’ll have your chance later.

Heaven’s Court no longer needs the Heavenly Pond.

In the end, these outsider demons will remain ungrateful, as untrustworthy as wolves with white eyes.

Treasures like the Four Spirit creatures will never fall into the hands of outsiders. "

Kui Wood Wolf’s face lit up upon hearing this, and even the pain in his arm seemed to diminish. He eagerly replied, "I assure you, my lord, I won’t let you down!"

"Hmm..." The Three-Eyed God General nodded slightly, but a faint trace of mockery flickered in his eyes—for even if the Four Spirit creatures didn’t end up with the White Tiger Star Officer, they certainly wouldn’t belong to a failure like Kui Wood Wolf...

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"Dean Chen?"

In the teahouse, Shen Yuan’s mother glanced uneasily at Dean Chen, who had returned without her son. A sense of foreboding crept into her heart.

"Where’s my son?"

"Don’t worry, madam..." Chen Ying replied gently, imitating Chen Qing’s calm tone—a soothing, reassuring cadence. "Shen Yuan is fine. He’s merely attending to official duties."

"Is he in any danger?" Shen Yuan’s mother asked anxiously.

Chen Ying sighed inwardly. She had encountered this woman many times before, noting that she hardly qualified as a competent mother.

Her current affection for Shen Yuan was purely driven by his growing status, which garnered admiration from her ex-husband and younger son while elevating her societal standing to one envied by her peers.

However, Shen Yuan greatly cherished their mother-son bond.

"Rest assured..." Chen Ying said with a gentle smile. "Though the matter is urgent, it’s not particularly dangerous. Besides, Shen Yuan is already a candidate for the next Great Hell Ruler—you don’t need to worry about him meeting any accidents."

"The Great Hell Ruler?" Shen Yuan’s mother’s eyes gleamed with delight.

She knew full well the prestige of that position.

Recently, several members of the Shen Family had been admitted into the academy, and even her younger son had begun preparing for exams. If they succeeded, she might not be as celebrated as she was now.

But if her eldest became the Great Hell Ruler... the situation would be utterly transformed.

"But... Yuan’er has yet to marry..." Shen Yuan’s mother hesitated.

Chen Ying sighed softly once again. This woman ultimately prioritized personal ambition. Yet, it was not her place to intervene in this matter. Shen Yuan’s devotion to filial piety was his own choice.

Nonetheless, she absolutely had to ensure the woman’s safety. This time, mistakes could not be made; anyone else might falter, but this woman must remain protected at all costs!