Chapter Forty-Three: There Is Not a Single Flaw in Me

In the early morning, the sky was shrouded in a misty gray, as though veiled by a thin layer of gauze.

The three of them appeared together outside the archway of Azure Cloud Sect.

Zhu Ying carried a plastic bag in her hand, filled with a thick stack of papers, each sheet densely covered with the words, “I was wrong, I won’t dare next time.”

This was the fruit of her all-night copying.

Yet there was not a trace of weariness on her face; on the contrary, as she made her way to Azure Cloud Sect, she found the leisure to apply a touch of pale purple eyeshadow. Her fingers and toes were painted with the same light purple polish. Against her fair and tender skin, her toes appeared even more translucent and radiant.

She trailed after Tia up the steps.

A scripture beneath her feet flashed faintly, and in an instant, the scenery before her eyes changed.

The endless ocean of cherry blossoms was replaced by an expanse of plum blossoms of every color—red, pink, white—intertwining into a splendid sea of flowers, the air tinged with a faint fragrance of plum.

On either side stood two towering pavilions, and the three-story main hall rose grandly like a palace, backed by the striking Cliff Mountain, on which three human faces were carved.

They entered the changing room through a side door of the main hall.

The Azure Cloud Sect uniforms were kept in the lockers of the changing room; whenever they left the sect, they would return here to change, tossing their used uniforms into the washing machine. The next day, all that was needed was to retrieve the clean uniforms, hang them to dry, and don another set.

Liu Shuangling headed to the kitchen.

Last night, Bai Yuqing hadn’t ordered any dishes, so today’s breakfast was left to her discretion.

To ensure the aphrodisiac was all for the sect master, Liu Shuangling decided to prepare stir-fried noodles.

She used a rich assortment of ingredients—beef, chicken, shrimp, mixed with scallions and greens—all tossed together in the wok.

Once cooked, she divided the noodles into several plates.

On the plate meant for Bai Yuqing, she discreetly added the aphrodisiac Tia had given her, stirred it in well, and carried it to the dining table outside.

At the table near the serving window, Bai Yuqing appeared quietly, clad as always in his sky-blue crane robe.

He seemed to wear the same robe all year round, but in reality, there were four seasonal versions—eight sets in total. He rotated through them daily, sparing himself the trouble of deciding what to wear.

Bai Yuqing sat down.

Liu Shuangling set a plate of noodles before him, then placed plates for Zhu Ying and Tia as well, before sitting down and saying, “Sect Master, I noticed the bookshelves in the Scripture Pavilion are empty. Why not take some time to write out the scriptures you know? It would look nicer on the shelves.”

“That makes sense,” Bai Yuqing mused. With the talent of these two, if he simply wrote his insights into the books, they could basically teach themselves. That was the joy of teaching prodigies—no effort required.

Teaching them felt as smooth as the relief after constipation.

He ate his noodles.

Tia felt a faint sense of triumph.

The aphrodisiac she had used was the notorious “Spring Frenzy.” Its effects were subtle at first, but the moment one was confronted with something arousing, it would explode like a beast, driving primal urges straight into the mind, making one lose control.

She refused to believe Bai Yuqing could remain unfazed in such circumstances.

...

After cleaning Azure Cloud Sect, the three women gathered in the martial training hall.

Bai Yuqing thought they looked especially beautiful today; their feathered robes were left unfastened, exposing the full curves of the white T-shirts beneath, making them appear even more rounded.

He averted his gaze, recalling the odd taste in the food earlier, and concluded the three women must have tampered with it. Since it wasn’t poison, he couldn’t be bothered.

Bai Yuqing tucked his hands into his sleeves and said calmly, “Today’s training.”

“Sect Master, today I’d like to try attacking you with my full strength, along with my junior sisters. Let us begin with our Shikai forms,” Liu Shuangling volunteered, confirming Bai Yuqing's suspicion that they were planning something, perhaps even an assassination attempt.

“Very well,” Bai Yuqing agreed, curious to see what scheme they had devised.

Tia took the lead, reciting her release phrase. Her sword’s light split into four, transforming into giant gears that occupied the four corners of the room.

With a series of mechanical clicks, the floor, walls, and ceiling were all covered in bronze gears, large and small, seamlessly interlocked and rotating steadily, as if the entire space were governed by the power of these mechanisms.

For the first time, Liu Shuangling drew her famed sword before Bai Yuqing, its blade gleaming with a cold, sharp light.

She murmured softly, “Sink into oblivion, Glazed Dragon.”

Bang!

The sword suddenly shattered, transforming into thousands of crimson cherry blossoms that floated through the air, only to vanish a moment later.

Just as Bai Yuqing was about to question this, Tia suddenly flung off her feathered robe, which drifted before his eyes like a veil.

Bai Yuqing waved his hand nonchalantly, easily casting the robe aside.

Yet in that instant, Tia had already rushed to stand before him.

Suddenly, her body appeared bare; her white T-shirt, wide-legged trousers, and undergarments became as if transparent. Bai Yuqing could see with startling clarity the delicate and supple curves in motion, the cherry blossom pink beneath.

So fair, so full, so deep.

Her long, beautiful leg lifted high, aiming a kick at Bai Yuqing's head.

In that moment, Bai Yuqing felt utterly exposed—nothing but whiteness, as pure as tofu.

He was stunned, an indescribable urge flooding his heart in an instant.

And in that moment, he understood the trick in the food, and realized that Liu Shuangling’s Shikai ability was likely related to hallucinations—not mere illusion, but something far more potent.

Tia drew closer, nearly overwhelming his senses.

Then, as suddenly as it began, the hallucination vanished; the white trousers reappeared, stretched tightly over her curves like yoga pants, revealing the faint black beneath.

Bai Yuqing did not retreat. Instead, he ducked and sprang forward, ramming his shoulder into Tia with a surge of force that sent her flying.

Far from angered, Tia was delighted—proof that the Spring Frenzy was working, for the sect master had attacked her low.

While in midair, Tia activated her Shikai ability.

Time froze around Bai Yuqing, shackling him in place.

At the same time, Zhu Ying unleashed her full power, pouring all her spiritual pressure into her Rakshasa Eye, instantly summoning the complete form of the armored Giant Spirit God.

He gripped his axe with both hands and brought it down with devastating might, taking cover behind Liu Shuangling’s distraction.

Not until the axe was nearly upon him did Bai Yuqing notice the incoming attack.

Excitement gleamed in the eyes of the three women.

Bang!

The massive axe struck Bai Yuqing’s head, but under their eager gazes, the supposedly indestructible axe shattered instantly, scattering into countless fragments.

A nearly tangible white vortex erupted from Bai Yuqing’s body, revealing the ultimate form of his Spirit Robe to the three women.

“A clever plan. Worthy of praise,” Bai Yuqing commented, his presence both divine and demonic as he stood unscathed. “Unfortunately, there’s not a single flaw on my body. The Spirit Robe is absolute defense. Whether sleeping, drinking, or at any other time, it adheres to my skin and reflects any attack automatically.”