Turns Out I'm the Real Monster?!

"Wait."

Jiang Mu held out a hand, looking at Shangguan Luoxue with a wary expression.

"Give me the Star Position of the Earth Spirit Star first. Otherwise, I won’t cultivate with you."

He wasn’t a fool.

What if this woman went back on her word afterward?

Securing the benefits upfront was the only way to go.

"?"

Shangguan Luoxue was taken aback. She looked at Jiang Mu’s mercenary expression—the kind that wouldn’t release the hawk without spotting the rabbit—and sneered inwardly.

’Such an act!’

’Keep pretending!’

’Wasn’t it because you saw my true face and were bewitched by my beauty that you agreed to dual cultivation like a fawning dog, wagging its tail?’

’And now you’re putting on this lofty act of only caring about benefits. How utterly hypocritical.’

’Besides, you’re already an orthodox Star Official. What use is another Star Position to you?’

’Don’t tell me you can cultivate two Star Positions at once?’

But then, she had another thought.

Once he started dual cultivation with her, his path forward would be ruined. He would be stuck at the Fourth Realm for the rest of his life.

For a young and boundlessly talented genius, this was indeed an extremely cruel, even devastating, price to pay.

Even if giving him this Star Position was a waste, it could be considered a form of compensation.

At least it would make him feel a bit more balanced about the deal.

Thinking this, the dissatisfaction in her heart gradually faded, replaced by a soft, internal sigh.

’Forget it... In the end, I am the one in the wrong.’

’I owe him this.’

Shangguan Luoxue said no more. She raised a delicate hand, palm facing up.

A speck of brilliant starlight was born from the void. It spun and condensed rapidly, finally transforming into an illusory Star Shadow that contained immense Star Power and profound Dao Rhyme.

The Star Shadow had a strange silhouette, faintly resembling a leader, and it radiated an imposing pressure.

It was precisely the Star Position projection of the head of the Seventy-two Earth Fiends—the Earth Spirit Star.

In the next moment, the Star Shadow turned into a stream of light and flew straight toward the spot between Jiang Mu’s eyebrows, vanishing inside in an instant.

Shangguan Luoxue said coolly:

"This is the guiding Star Shadow of the Earth Spirit Star. When you return to the real world, you can enter a meditative state and perceive the sea of stars. Use this as a medium to verify your star, and it will automatically draw the Star Position to empower you.

But let me remind you, you already have an orthodox Star Position in your body. Forcibly changing it is extremely risky. In the best-case scenario, your Cultivation Level will regress. In the worst, your meridians will be completely severed, and you might even die on the spot. You’d best be careful."

Jiang Mu felt a cool sensation between his eyebrows, and a vast tide of information about Star Power flooded into his sea of consciousness. He was blooming with joy on the inside.

The Earth Spirit Star!

’The leader of the Seventy-two Earth Fiends is finally mine!’

’Sweet!’

’This is great. Now, I can assign orthodox Star Positions to Demon Shadow Number One and Demon Shadow Number Three.’

’Once Shadow Number Two recovers, and with my main body...’

’Quad-core drive!’

’Won’t my cultivation speed just take off?’

Jiang Mu suppressed his overwhelming joy and held out his hand again, saying with righteous indignation, "What else? What about the Cultivation Technique and Magical Treasure you promised me? Since you’re giving things away, you might as well give them all at once."

Shangguan Luoxue glanced at him and said coolly:

"You have no use for those things right now. Giving them to you would be a waste. When the time is right, you will naturally receive them."

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Jiang Mu looked at her suspiciously. "You’re not planning to go back on your word, are you? To break your promise?"

Shangguan Luoxue snorted coldly, not bothering to explain.

Jiang Mu thought about it and figured she had a point.

’She already gave me the most precious orthodox Star Position. She probably wouldn’t be stingy with mere external objects.’

"Alright, then."

Jiang Mu nodded and said, "Then send me back first. I’m going to go verify my star."

In her Grotto Heaven Dao Mansion, he could leave on his own.

But this was the Purple Mansion Divine Realm; he didn’t have that kind of permission here.

Shangguan Luoxue: "..."

She looked at Jiang Mu as if he were an idiot.

’Is this guy really that stupid, or is he just playing dumb?’

’Didn’t he hear me just say we were about to begin our "dual cultivation and Dao discussion"?’

’When can’t he verify his star?’

’Does it have to be right now?’

Shangguan Luoxue was silent for a moment, then suddenly took a step forward, coming to stand before Jiang Mu.

They were extremely close.

Peach blossom petals drifted down silently, landing in her ink-black hair and setting off her exquisitely beautiful yet icy face. She looked like a Fairy from a painting.

Shangguan Luoxue’s crimson lips parted, her voice cool and clear:

"Hold me."

Jiang Mu blinked, his mind catching up in an instant:

"Right now? Aren’t you being a little too eager? Besides, I’m just a consciousness here. It won’t have much of an effect, right?"

’Why does this guy talk so much nonsense!’

"Hold me!"

Shangguan Luoxue suppressed the coldness in her heart and repeated herself.

Her meaning was clear:

Here, she was in charge of everything. Jiang Mu just needed to listen and do as he was told.

Jiang Mu had no choice but to open his arms and embrace her.

She was ice-cold to the touch.

There was none of the soft, warm, jade-like feeling he had imagined. Instead, it was like hugging a block of Profound Ice.

Jiang Mu felt like he was about to be frozen solid.

"Close your eyes."

Shangguan Luoxue formed a hand seal and began to circulate the Purple Mansion Agreement.

In fact, Jiang Mu was right. This method wasn’t of much practical use.

To completely recover her Cultivation Level and repair her Dao Foundation, they had to discuss the Dao in person and engage in the union of yin and yang.

But why did Shangguan Luoxue want to perform the dual cultivation and Dao discussion in the Purple Mansion Divine Realm?

Very simple.

She needed to adapt.

After all, she was one of the world’s top experts, a great beauty with an unparalleled face, and her pride was immense. If they rashly started the real, physical act, she would find it completely unacceptable.

She wouldn’t be able to get over the mental hurdle.

She had to get used to it here first.

Once her psychological fortitude had strengthened and she felt everything was falling into place, they could naturally begin for real.

As for whether Jiang Mu might die for some other reason while out on a mission, or if some other accident might occur in the meantime, that was beyond her control.

She had no way to forcibly lock him by her side.

For Cultivators of their realm, all things emphasized naturalness and the non-action of the Great Dao.