Many children, many blessings: Stealing the offspring of powerful figures to cultivate immortality.

The night was so dark that it seemed impossible to see through, and the water clock in the corner of the secluded courtyard dripped softly.

Jiang Yining had just put her three children to sleep in the next room, tucked her daughter in the brocade quilt that smelled of milk, and turned to walk back to her main room.

Before she could even untie the water-stained ties on her clothes, the window behind her was forcefully pushed open by a powerful wave of heat.

Feng Liuyun's flamboyant crimson brocade robe shimmered so brightly in the dim candlelight that it made one dizzy.

Without even tapping the iconic folding fan in his hand, he unleashed a crimson-gold Nirvana Array, sealing the entire inner room, along with all sound, within the barrier.

"Why aren't you guarding your pile of junk in the middle of the night? What are you doing running wild in my room?"

Jiang Yining didn't even turn her head. Her fingertips hooked the collar of her smoky blue robe, which had slipped down, and her purple-gold eyes revealed an undisguised intention to drive the guest away.

Feng Liuyun completely ignored her cold face, took a few steps to stand behind her, and forced her back to the corner of the bed with the scorching aura of divine beast essence.

"Sister Ning's words to fool that ghost and the old monk in the yard during the day were truly flawless, but have you forgotten that a phoenix's nose is a hundred times more sensitive than a dog's?"

His usually charming and smiling eyes were now narrowed into dangerous slits.

Jiang Yining frowned, trying to use her mid-stage semi-saint power to shake the crazed firebird away.

Feng Liuyun saw through her intentions first. Two slender, snake-like strands of Nirvana True Fire wrapped around her wrists, pinning her to the hard bedpost.

"You'd better not use your spiritual power, otherwise once my barrier breaks, Gu Qinghan, who's holding the broken sword and blowing in the cold wind in the courtyard, will rush in immediately."

Feng Liuyun leaned close to her earlobe, his hot breath hitting the side of her neck.

"If Master Gu sees me pinning you down on the bed in the middle of the night, do you think he'll chop off my head first with his Pure Yang Broken Sword, or smash this room of yours first?"

Jiang Yining was so angry at his shameless threat that she laughed, her wrist scraping against the scalding hot flame as she struggled.

"If you want to die, just say so, and I'll remove the barrier to grant your wish."

Before the sarcasm in her voice had even subsided, Feng Liuyun had already used her free hand to ruthlessly peel off her outer smoky blue robe.

The sound of tearing silk was particularly jarring in the quiet interior.

With her skin exposed to the cool night air, no longer covered by fabric, Feng Liuyun's calloused fingers slid down her spine inch by inch.

His movements seemed frivolous, but the pressure from his fingertips was so heavy it felt like he was carving an indelible mark into her bones.

"Sister Ning's body is always coveted. I need to investigate how much that bald monk with his sycophantic words has gotten from you."

Feng Liuyun gritted her teeth and spat out those words, her burning knuckles brushing against the old scars on her shoulder blades.

When his fingertips rested on the hidden indentation at the bottom of her waist, his previously effortless movement was abruptly halted in mid-air.

His breath caught in his throat, and his Adam's apple bobbed with great difficulty.

The dim candlelight illuminated her snow-white skin in every detail, and a golden lotus Buddha seal lay quietly above her Dao foundation.

The Buddha seal exuded the purest and most authentic Mahayana Buddhist primordial yang energy, and each lotus petal seemed to be silently mocking his self-deception.

The feigned probing in Feng Liuyun's eyes was shattered by this golden lotus, and the faint red at the corners of her eyes spread into a raging fire of jealousy.

The uncontrolled Nirvana Fire exploded along his clothes, burning the light gauze curtains hanging by the bedside and the scriptures on the table to ashes.

"During the day you kept saying it was just about the power of your vow to guide the relics, is this the trace left by your supposedly pure and innocent Buddhist practice?"

Feng Liuyun tightened his fingers, pinching her delicate chin and forcing her to look up and stare directly into his eyes, which seemed to be bleeding.

His voice trembled uncontrollably, and even the knuckles of his fingers gripping hers were turning white.

"What's so great about that chanting monk? He hasn't even completely removed the ordination scars from his head. Why are you giving him your precious body so cheaply!"

Faced with his near-collapse, Jiang Yining did not show any panic at being exposed for lying.

"If you only want to come to me to demand an explanation, the door is over there. You can go back to the demon realm and continue being the high and mighty young master of the phoenix clan."

She stared coldly into his furious eyes, showing no weakness whatsoever despite being at his mercy.

Feng Liuyun was so angry at her overbearing attitude that her chest heaved violently, and the ball of flame in her palm, which was powerful enough to scorch the sky and boil the sea, always avoided her vulnerable meridians.

"You know perfectly well that I can't bear to leave. You're so sure that I can't live without you, that's why you dare to stab me in the heart so recklessly."

He let out a hoarse roar that sounded worse than crying, and pressed his forehead firmly against her shoulder.

Jiang Yining did not break free from the restraint on her chin. Instead, she took the initiative to raise her free hand and place her cool palm on his cheek, which was burning hot with jealousy.

"The divine laws within April's body underwent a change. If it weren't for the suppression of the pure yang source of the Mahayana stage, she would have been completely destroyed. I was seriously injured at the time and had no other choice."

Jiang Yining gently stroked the redness at the corner of his eyes with her thumb, her tone extremely soft, carrying an almost cruel tenderness.

"You know perfectly well that I did all this to preserve the Jiang family bloodline, yet now you're yelling at me over a temporary tool for healing?"

Her words downplayed a passionate and intense dual cultivation session as a transaction where each party got what they wanted, perfectly soothing Feng Liuyun's pride, which had been riddled with holes by jealousy.

The raging flames around Feng Liuyun were miraculously suppressed by the warmth of her palm, and the fingers that were gripping her chin also loosened their grip.

"But he touched you, and this unsightly lotus flower is what he uses to show off on you."

He buried his face in her palms like a child who had suffered a great injustice, his voice muffled and heartbreaking.

Jiang Yining casually ruffled his long, unruly hair, a confident glint of control flashing in her purple-gold eyes.

"You, Young Master Feng, will always have a place on the spirit ship of Abandoned Star Island. How can the physical marks left by those passersby compare to the deadly killing formations you shielded me from?"

This comforting remark, tinged with obvious favoritism, completely transformed the madness in Feng Liuyun's eyes into a more aggressive desire.

He raised his head, cupped her cheeks tightly in his hands, and pressed his burning lips hard against those lips that always uttered hurtful words.

Feng Liuyun bit her lip tightly until he tasted blood before releasing it, his voice hoarse as he growled, "I don't care what he left behind, tonight, I'm burning it all!"