"This is bad. I can't get my bearings in the fog, and these towering ancient trees are blocking my line of sight. Even my Yin-Yang Eyes can't immediately locate the academy. On top of that, the scenery around here is eye-searing… these snakefolk are everywhere. If they get alarmed, it won't end well."Yi Tianxing took a deep breath, frowning as he pondered the situation.
He walked in circles for a while but still couldn't find the location of the academy. It was as if the place had turned into a maze, completely disorienting his senses.
"Could this be an array?"
A thought surfaced in his mind.
Given his strength, even if the fog was exceptionally dense and obscured vision, his Yin-Yang Eyes should have been able to pierce through it—turning everything into shades of black and white. That was one reason he'd dared to enter this mist alone in the first place. Yet now, he felt like he was simply going in circles.
Something wasn't right. Not right at all.
It felt just like he had fallen into a maze array.
Yi Tianxing realized there must be a formation hidden within the fog. He hadn't expected this, but it wasn't entirely impossible either. There were countless formations in the world, including naturally occurring ones. Even if this was the work of a foreign race, that didn't mean they couldn't use formation techniques. After all, there were many ways to set up an array—formation disks, chess formations, formation diagrams…
Too many possibilities.
One must never underestimate any non-human race. It's not just the human race that progresses—other races evolve and grow stronger too.
"If it's really a maze array, I'll have to break it. Otherwise, I'll just keep going in circles. There must be powerful cultivators trapped in the academy as well. The fact that no one has escaped is probably due to the fog and the array within it."
He speculated silently.
The purpose of this formation was likely to trap the Confucian scholars inside the academy.
There were only two ways to break an array: either find its weakness and destroy it, or forcibly tear through it. Neither was easy. For Yi Tianxing, both options were troublesome. Forcibly breaking it would definitely alert the snakefolk in the valley. As for finding the flaw… that would be like forcing a fish to climb a tree—he wasn't skilled in the Dao of Formations.
Not enough to see through the array's flaw, at least.
"…Wait, there's a woman up ahead?"
Suddenly, Yi Tianxing saw a woman walking toward him. At first glance, it looked like Cai Yan.
"Zhao Ji? No, that's not her—it's an illusion."
He shook his head forcefully. When he looked again, the figure had disappeared.
Yi Tianxing's face darkened."Something is wrong. Either the formation is inducing illusions… or some other power is influencing my mind.""How could my will be shaken like this?"
Then he noticed something worse:"…My body feels like it's burning. So hot. Why are my desires flaring up so intensely? Not good. I've been affected."
The putrid air emitted from the snakefolk's mating was laden with a potent aphrodisiac that stirred up primal urges. Not even his Heavenly Emperor Dragon Subjugation Scripture could completely suppress it.
All around him, he could still hear the snakefolk moaning in ecstasy. The sounds were like fuel to the fire, and that fire was spreading rapidly within him.
Gulp!
Without hesitation, Yi Tianxing pulled out Moon Well Water and began chugging it down. The cool liquid helped suppress the flames in his body—at least temporarily.
"No, if this continues, I'm going to lose control. Water. I need to find water."
According to legend, when snakefolk go into heat, any nearby animals would fall under the same effect. The snake race was considered one of the most lecherous and lust-driven races in existence. If he lost control of himself, would he really have to relieve the tension with a snake woman?
Yi Tianxing couldn't bear the thought. The image alone was too much.
The Moon Well Water didn't fully extinguish the fire inside him. Instead, it seemed that the more he suppressed it, the more intense it would be when it returned.
Right now, he had an overwhelming desire—he needed water. He had to submerge his entire body in cold water.
Splash…
He suddenly heard the sound of flowing water.
"Water!"
His instincts kicked in immediately. The flames inside were close to overwhelming him. His mind was being flooded with illusions, and his vision was going blurry. If he didn't cool down soon, the consequences would be unbearable.
Hearing the sound of water was like finding a life-saving rope. Without any hesitation, he charged madly in that direction.
In that moment, the fog and formation no longer existed in his perception. He had only one thought in his mind: water.
Staggering and stumbling, he somehow managed to pass through the previously inescapable area.
Splash…
The sound of water grew clearer and more vivid in his mind.
Soon, he was greeted by a wave of moisture, and in front of him was a magnificent sight—a waterfall cascading from above, crashing into a pool below, forming a lake.
"Water!"
Without another thought, Yi Tianxing dove headfirst into the lake. The burning heat in his body felt like it was going to consume him alive.
Splash!
The cold water shocked his system, reeling his mind back in from the edge.
"I'm in water. I made it through the maze."
Opening his eyes, he saw that he was fully submerged. The fog still hung in the air above the lake, and that seductive fragrance still lingered in the mist.
The cool water provided some relief, and he instinctively sunk his entire body deeper into it.
"Damn it. Even soaking in water doesn't suppress this completely. Once I leave this lake, I'll probably lose control instantly."
The aphrodisiac was so potent that even being underwater didn't erase the burning in his chest. The water around him even felt like it was heating up from the sheer intensity of his internal fire.
"No. I need to find a way to detoxify this aphrodisiac, or it'll be a ticking time bomb in my body, ready to explode at any moment."
He racked his brain for any possible solution.
Splash...
Suddenly, the soft sound of water being played with came through the ripples.
"Someone's here!"
Yi Tianxing's pupils contracted. He didn't surface. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the direction of the sound.
And then he saw it—and his heart pounded.
Right before him, in the water, was a naked figure of a woman, seen from the back.
Smooth, snow-white skin without a single flaw, a graceful curve of the back, a plump, shapely rear, and long, slender legs—every line and every inch was breathtaking. That waist was the epitome of perfection, softness incarnate.
Even through the pinkish flush on her skin, it was clear: she was beautiful beyond imagination.
"Who is she? She's stunning… is she even human?"
Yi Tianxing wasn't inexperienced. He'd been with Cai Yan, one of the most stunning beauties under heaven, and every moment with her was an ecstatic experience. But the body he was seeing now—this was a completely different kind of masterpiece. Pure, raw, and dangerously alluring.
Already affected by the aphrodisiac, this sudden visual shock was too much. The fire he had been suppressing so desperately exploded like gasoline on flames.
The dam burst.
A raging desire surged through him. His throat felt scorched, and his loins… responded accordingly.
Whoosh!
Yi Tianxing's breathing grew heavy, and air bubbles surged from his nose as he struggled to keep control.
"Who's there?!"
Though the voice was soft, it rang like thunder in the woman's ears. Her face changed. In a flash, she pulled out a robe from somewhere and quickly wrapped her body in it. Her expression turned ice-cold as she swept her gaze over the lake.
"Get out. Now."
Her tone was sharp and lethal.
She had explicitly ordered that no one approach this lake during the mating season. And yet, someone had gotten in—and had seen her body.
That was unforgivable.
There was only one consequence for this: Death.
"Damn it. It's mating season again, and everything around is sealed. The lake was restricted—no one was supposed to come close. If it weren't for this blasted heat suppressing my power and dulling my senses, I would've sensed the intrusion immediately…"
Fury burned in the woman's heart.