Recently, Daoist Nun Xuan’ai had been feeling inexplicably uneasy. Especially after hearing that Human Emperor Jiang had paid a visit to the Red Dust Pure Land, her anxiety only grew stronger. She feared more than anything that Human Emperor Jiang would discover what she had done.
“No, no, that’s impossible. The disciples of the sect seldom interact with the Human Emperor; only the Holy Maiden and the Headmaster received him. Those two definitely don’t have any Gu worms on them.”
“What if the Human Emperor uses his Divine Sense to scan the disciples? No, no, that’s impossible too. Human Emperor Jiang is known for his righteousness. To scan the disciples in that manner would be no different from stripping them bare before his eyes. That’s something the Human Emperor would never do.”
“But what if, just this once, something unexpected happens? Who can guarantee that the Human Emperor won’t suddenly act on impulse?”
Daoist Nun Xuan’ai hid in a secret place within the Red Dust Pure Land, shivering uncontrollably. Her teeth chattered as she alternated between comforting and scaring herself. She was truly terrified.
If the Holy Maiden and the Headmaster discovered her scheme, she was confident she could fight or flee. But if the Current Human Emperor himself found out—she wouldn’t even dare to run.
Death by suicide and a trip to the Underworld to reincarnate would be far kinder than being caught by Human Emperor Jiang, who could crush her soul and obliterate her spirit.
“How can there be such a terrifying person in this world?”
Anyone born in the Nine Provinces had heard of Jiang Li’s legend. He was the man who, while still in the Golden Core Stage, had slain Nascent Soul Cultivators; who, at the Integration Stage, had killed those in the Tribulation Transcendence Stage. Among all Human Emperors through the ages, none had ever been so monstrous.
And now, he was at the Mahayana Stage, his strength equal to that of an Earthly Immortal—perhaps even capable of slaying a Heavenly Immortal. A person like that would be considered a ruler in the Immortal Realm itself, let alone here in the Nine Provinces.
Daoist Nun Xuan’ai had grown up within the Imperial Dynasty and had seen her fair share of deceit and political intrigue. But she had also witnessed how, before absolute power, all schemes dissolved into illusions. Hence, she was a firm believer in the idea that “the strong reign supreme and walk carefree.”
Later, she joined the Red Dust Pure Land—one of the Six Great Sects. Through hard work, she achieved the extremely rare Integration Stage and became an Elder of the sect. Such a status commanded respect wherever she went.
But it wasn’t enough. Elders did not hold absolute power. She wanted to become the Headmaster.
Yet no one supported her. It was a joke—who would willingly let Daoist Nun Xuan’ai become Headmaster? The first thing she would do would be to gather countless disciples, pursue world domination, and indulge in endless pleasures.
That was utterly contrary to the very principle of the Red Dust Pure Land. The Red Dust Pure Land—its name itself revealed its purpose: to offer seekers a place of restful clarity amidst worldly chaos. But within Daoist Nun Xuan’ai’s heart, there was only the “Red Dust.”
There was no “Pure Land.” Naturally, the other Elders opposed her. When she realized that she couldn’t become Headmaster, Daoist Nun Xuan’ai began to tyrannize the disciples.
Obey her and prosper, defy her and die—it was as simple as that. She indulged in the thrill of being in control. It wasn’t long before the disciples reported her misdeeds.
Daoist Nun Qingyu convened the Council of Elders and decided to expel her from the sect. After being expelled, Daoist Nun Xuan’ai drifted everywhere, until one day she stumbled upon the hidden settlement of the Gu Clan.
For the Gu Clan, whose strongest members were only at the Nascent Soul Stage, a cultivator of the Integration Stage like her could move about completely unhindered. She learned whatever Gu Arts she pleased and took whatever Gu Worms she desired. Eventually, she mastered the Gu Arts she wanted, crafted a plan, and returned to the Red Dust Pure Land.
She was utterly confident. The disciples of the Red Dust Pure Land were innocent and unacquainted with worldly cruelty. For someone as cunning as her, equipped with Gu Arts, controlling the sect would not be difficult.
To plant Gu worms in the Spirit Rice supply, she could only act from the source. If she were to plant them directly within the sect, she risked being discovered by other Elders. Originally, her plan had been to massacre a small town and use Corpse Gu to control its people.
But before she arrived, Yuan Ling had already slaughtered two towns and used inferior Corpse Gu to control the corpses. Ecstatic, Daoist Nun Xuan’ai killed Yuan Ling and replaced the inferior worms with her own Corpse Gu.
Each autumn harvest, she had Yuan Ling and Du Xin’er secretly plant new Gu worms, while she herself hid in a secret chamber of the sect, observing, adjusting, always one step ahead. Over time, she succeeded in controlling several Spirit Transformation disciples. After fifty years of planting Gu, every Nascent Soul disciple in the sect was under her control.
Even among the Spirit Transformation cultivators, many had become her puppets—and two of them had even broken through to the Integration Stage. Her original plan was to wait another fifty years, until her web of Integration cultivators grew larger, and then make her move. But an unexpected change forced her to act early.
She heard that the Red Dust Ancestor had been resurrected. Daoist Nun Xuan’ai had only ever heard legends of the Red Dust Ancestor but had never seen a portrait. She always thought it was just a self-glorifying myth the sect spread to elevate its prestige.
Yet curiosity won over caution—she wanted to see whether this legendary ancestor was truly as divine as the stories said, capable of making even immortals bow. Daoist Nun Qingyu herself could not see the Red Dust Ancestor and worried that no one would attend to the ancestor upon awakening.
So she arranged for one of the ancestor’s descendants to stand guard. But what she didn’t know was that the descendant had already been implanted with a Heart-Controlling Gu. Daoist Nun Xuan’ai summoned that descendant and had them paint the portrait of the Red Dust Ancestor’s immortal face.
When she laid eyes upon that painting, it was as if lightning had struck her body—her breathing grew heavy and fast. There truly existed in this world a beauty that transcended gender.
“Is this portrait something a mere mortal like me deserves to look upon? The strong are destined to claim such beauty…”
Her thoughts scattered wildly, spinning into obsession—until they coalesced into a single overpowering desire: Possess her. Possess her! And so Daoist Nun Xuan’ai decided—she would stage a coup and usurp the sect! She would guard the Ancestor’s side, forever and ever!
“Xuan’ai, how are you here!”
Daoist Nun Qingyu’s eyes widened in horror when she saw Daoist Nun Xuan’ai standing before her. What shocked her even more was the crowd of disciples gathered behind Xuan’ai—among them were two Integration Stage cultivators! It was beyond belief.
The other Elders quickly formed ranks as if facing a great enemy, though they still had no idea what had just happened. They were Integration cultivators, yes, but their hearts were simple and pure—nothing like Xuan’ai’s twisted cunning.
A coup?
That was something that happened in storybooks! How could such a thing occur within the Red Dust Pure Land?
“You won’t even call me ‘Senior Sister’ anymore? How heartless of you, Senior Sister Qingyu,” Daoist Nun Xuan’ai said with a relaxed smile, the certainty of victory glimmering in her eyes.
“I only regret being too soft-hearted back then. I should’ve killed you with a single palm strike that day!”
Daoist Nun Qingyu’s anger flared to the extreme. Yet she did not fear Daoist Nun Xuan’ai. She had the confidence to subdue her within thirty moves.
Among the Integration Stage cultivators of the sect, Daoist Nun Xuan’ai was the weakest. Her personality was incompatible with the sect’s cultivation technique, the Red Dust Pure Land Heart Sutra. All the Elders present were sure they could defeat her. Five Elders and one Headmaster—six Integration cultivators in total.
Across from them stood Xuan’ai’s side, with only three Integration cultivators including herself. The power gap was enormous.
“Senior Sister Qingyu, you sure exude quite the authority. In a fight, this junior admits defeat. But these disciples behind me are all under the control of my Heart-Controlling Gu. Their lives and deaths hang on a single thought of mine. If you dare touch me, I’ll have one of them kill themselves!”
Her voice was calm, almost casual. Yet it froze Daoist Nun Qingyu in place, halting her attack mid-motion. The five Elders beside her also dared not move, fearful of collateral deaths.
Seeing their hesitation, Daoist Nun Xuan’ai smiled faintly.
“Don’t believe me? Allow me to show you.”
Among the disciples behind her, one stepped forward. Without hesitation, he reached into his own chest, ripped out his heart, and collapsed dead on the spot.
“Xuan’ai!!”
Daoist Nun Qingyu’s fury peaked. Her beautiful eyes, filled with rage, dyed crimson as blood streamed from the corners. The killing intent around her erupted into the heavens.
Thunder roared above her head—an omen of her approaching the Tribulation Transcendence Stage! She hated herself for her past mercy. She hated herself for not detecting the Heart-Controlling Gu.
She hated herself for not being as strong as Jiang Li.
She hated!
(End of Chapter)