Chapter 551: The Joyful Fragrance Takes Effect

Chapter 551: Chapter 552: The Joyful Fragrance Takes Effect

Zisang Jin’s face instantly turned pale as a tender green radiance of Dao Essence bloomed within the dark palace hall.

It was like the very emergence of spring, brimming with greenery and teeming with life!

This power wasn’t strong; it was like a gentle caress, warm and soft.

For a moment, Chen Dong, driven by the aftereffects of the Joyful Fragrance, was held back by this power—a strange sort of barrier that both hindered him and didn’t.

He succeeded in tackling Zisang Jin to the ground, drool of desire dripping unceasingly from his savage face.

But within the green light, he couldn’t take the next step. It was as if a will within the light told him he shouldn’t be doing this.

Zisang Jin couldn’t unleash her Divine Sense or Spiritual Power. Even though she was at the Nascent Soul Stage, she was no match for the frenzied Chen Dong in a direct confrontation. Using her own lifespan to power her Dao Essence against him simply wasn’t worth it. In that instant, she had no choice but to use her new insight into her Dao Essence.

Although it was still faint, the green light truly contained a sliver of fundamental law.

The cycle of new growth replacing old is a part of nature’s way, and this feeling of burgeoning life continuously washed over Chen Dong’s collapsing soul.

It caused Chen Dong to find a sliver of clarity in his daze, only to lose himself again in a repeating cycle.

“Just like a beast in heat!” Zisang Jin spat. Seizing the moment while Chen Dong was dazed, she struggled to her feet, kicked him away, and scrambled off in a panic.

‘Thank goodness it was me. Any other girl might have just gone along with it after some token resistance!’

Zisang Jin thought to herself as she fled. There was no denying Chen Dong’s good looks. He might not have been a peerless, celestial beauty, but he was still exceptionally handsome, with fine, jade-like features. When he was frenzied, he possessed a peculiar, heart-pounding passion that could infect another person, causing them to lose their senses and stir their own desires.

‘On top of that, Chen Dong is already a Golden Core cultivator at such a young age; he’s definitely a prodigy. If he were let loose in a city of the Human Race like this, how many women would he victimize? There might even be some fighting for the chance.’

‘No wonder Lord You wanted to keep this kid here. If a creature like him were released, he could become a complete disaster!’

Zisang Jin decided she would absolutely not provoke Chen Dong while his aftereffects were active. If her cultivation were at its peak, it would be a different story; she could just suppress him with her higher Realm and not care whether he lived or died. But now? If she were a moment slower to escape, she’d be the one pinned down, her own fate in his hands!

After fleeing a safe distance away, Zisang Jin hid behind a pillar and secretly watched Chen Dong’s reaction.

After the green light faded, Chen Dong lay on the ground, drenched in sweat, the veins all over his body bulging.

His eyes, full of desire yet somehow innocent, looked pitiful. They lacked his usual guardedness and depth.

Zisang Jin hastily shook her head. ‘This is no time to pity him. His mind is filled with nothing but lust; how could he not seem simple?’

But just then, Zisang Jin cursed inwardly. She had been discovered. Their gazes locked in mid-air.

Chen Dong’s figure blurred. A distance of a hundred zhang was nothing to him, even in this state. In a flash, he was before Zisang Jin, pinning her against the pillar. His eyes were devoid of clarity, making him look more like a wild beast.

Their gazes locked as Chen Dong pressed down on her.

Zisang Jin’s Divine Sense was in turmoil. Her Dao Essence was still recovering and couldn’t be activated again. Chen Dong’s actions grew bolder, making her extremely uncomfortable.

‘Am I really… going to fall into his hands today?’

She desperately wanted to resist but couldn’t break free. Should she let Chen Dong do as he pleased, or should she sacrifice her own lifespan to fight back? These conflicting thoughts warred in her mind, leaving her momentarily paralyzed with indecision.

This time, it seemed Chen Dong was truly going to devour her; his frantic hands were already tearing at her clothes.

Zisang Jin’s mind went completely blank.

‘No… not like this!’

A mournful cry echoed in her heart, but Zisang Jin still couldn’t stop Chen Dong.

Her heart sank into the depths of despair. But just then, Chen Dong’s actions ceased, and he forcefully pushed Zisang Jin away.

“Quick… go! I can’t control myself!”

Zisang Jin quickly straightened her clothes and fled. She knew in her heart that if Chen Dong hadn’t suddenly regained a sliver of sanity, she would have met a terrible fate. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t bring herself to use her Dao Essence to properly punish him.

As for Chen Dong, if he hadn’t recently been so focused on comprehending numerous Secret Techniques to the exclusion of all else, and if the initial tender green radiance of Dao Essence hadn’t granted him that tiny sliver of clarity, he never would have been able to stop himself.

Meanwhile, in a central hall within the same palace complex, a black-robed Lord You withdrew his gaze.

“As expected of you. Able to resist the effects of the Joyful Fragrance even at the Golden Core Stage. You didn’t completely lose yourself, and you didn’t succumb to lust during the most critical moment. Things won’t be so simple from now on!”

As he spoke, he gestured, and a screen of light manifested before him.

On the screen were two peerlessly beautiful women. One, dressed in red with raven hair, was like an otherworldly fairy under the moonlight as she strummed an ancient zither. The other, clad in a snow-white dress, had lovely fox ears nestled in her silver hair and was sitting cross-legged a short distance away.

In contrast to his own gloomy surroundings, they also appeared to be in a palace hall, one that was opulent and seemed to be carved from jade.

The red-robed Li Wang lowered her gaze to the zither and asked, “How is he?”

Lord You said flatly, “His Dao Heart is still pure. For now, he has resisted the Joyful Fragrance.”

Li Wang raised her beautiful eyes and smiled faintly. “I knew it. How could he possibly lose himself so easily!”

Lord You’s expression remained impassive as he continued, “His danger has passed, but yours is just beginning. It’s time for me to get started as well…”

Hearing this, Li Wang’s heart grew heavy with worry again, and she let out a soft “Mm.”