Chapter 2: May the Rod Save You

"Xinzi! For eight months, I've been a devoted donor of your Liberation Temple! Today if you don't make me an initiate, I won't let you off!"

"The Golden Lotus be praised; are you threatening me? Do you believe that I only have three words to say and my Spirit Formation hall will drive you out of the White Immortal sect?"

"Don't go too far!"

"Last time I checked, I've already gone as far as your cunt could take. There is no more room for me to explore! How can I go farther?"

"You!"

"Me what? When you come asking me for blessings with the tone of a vindictive autocrat, how can I take you seriously? The nerve of the bitch, trying to threaten me in my house! Haven't I taught you how to make sincere requests already?"

In a lustrous white hall adorned with two rows of tall nun statues, Xinzi sat on a marble-white lotus throne. Before him, an overbearing beauty with jet-black hair tied in a ponytail, hand-filling tits, and a pert butt that stood out in her short, unconventional blue skirt, threw a tantrum. Two lovely girls stood at his right and left, both holding golden pewter staves and eager to beat down the audacious missus. At the missus' back, 13 women lined up, all daggering her with murderous glowers.

Despite only being a Qi Refinement outer disciple, across the White Immortal sect, Xinzi's name resounded like a thunderclap. Two reasons explained this phenomenon. First, although the Clear Heart monastery was only a vassal of the White Immortal sect, its accomplishments in Formation Arts put the superior sect to shame. If not for the White Immortal sect restricting the resources available to the monastery, its top experts wouldn't be restrained to the Core Formation stage.

As the number one talent in the Clear Heart monastery's history, Xinzi's attainments in the Formation Arts surpassed most of the White Immortal sect's elite disciples. From the moment he joined the sect, he was destined to become the next master of its Spirit Formation hall. Xia Hu was correct. Formation Masters ruled this world. Xinzi's status put him above several elite disciples, and in the shadows, the Great Elders also guided his cultivation. If he wanted to, several elders would compete to become his official masters. Who dared offend him?

Second, using his status and accomplishments, Xinzi founded the Liberation temple, which, under the pretense of enlightening the neglected sex, only dealt with female disciples. Initially, the disciples used Xinzi's Liberation temple as a gateway to the Spirit Formation hall—providing generous donations for connections and perks. But 16 months ago, Xinzi became a black-grade Formation Master and set up several second-layer Copulation Arrays.

By dual cultivating in a second-layer Copulation Array, Pulse Condensation experts could double their cultivation speed, Foundation Building experts tripled it, whereas Qi Refinement disciples would see their Qi sense quadrupled. To any disciple within those realms, Xinzi's arrays were of a deadly appeal. But to prevent trouble, he hid his work as Qi Gathering Arrays and used Karmic Oaths to make his female donors keep their true nature a secret.

If they relied on the Spirit Formation Hall, even those elite practitioners of the Yin-Yang Sword Array would have to pay 100 spirit stones, or contribution points, for 1 hour in such a room—unless they seized special quotas. Xinzi, however, only charged 12 spirit stones per hour—using 30% of the revenues to maintain the array. Moreover, once a month, Xinzi auctioned off a three-day spot. Something the Spirit Formation Hall, which wouldn't grant over 24 hours-long spots, couldn't compete with. The only catch was that all dual cultivation practices had to go through him. In the Great Desolation world where benefit reigned supreme, this rule led to fierce fighting for quotas and countless betrayals of beloved. Meanwhile, Xinzi's coffers overflowed with spirit stones.

The domineering missus was one such example. Unlike the disciples lining up, she didn't truly belong to the White Immortal sect. Once a rogue cultivator, she drew the attention of a White Immortal elder and became his Dao Companion. A pity that he later became impotent—destroying all her chances to make further progress in her cultivation. To her, Xinzi's arrays were a life-death matter, and as soon as he introduced her to their wonders through hard, deep and meticulous exploration, she dedicated her wealth to his establishment.

However, six months ago, to prepare for the upcoming Yin-Yang Controller competition, Xinzi declared that the Liberation Temple would be accepting three initiates. Only donors who'd been faithful devotees for at least six months qualified for a spot. Not only did the initiates have unique accesses to the Copulation Arrays and Xinzi's time, but they also lived in rooms empowered by permanent Qi Gathering Arrays. While only half as efficient, the Qi Gathering Arrays didn't require a dual cultivation partner. Such permanent housing would produce massive benefits. And knowing that only elite disciples or above qualified for this treatment, how could they let it go?

A pity that till now, Xinzi had only handpicked two initiates—A'Zhi and A'Zhu—each with a late Foundation Building cultivation base. Initially, Yan Le, the missus, believed that with the time and energy she spent in Xinzi's temple plus her own peak-stage Foundation Building cultivation base, the seat was doomed to be hers. Never did she expect that she didn't even come into consideration!

Still, before Xinzi, she dared not overreach. The rage dispersed, with shyness replacing hubris. "I...can't do that here!" Yan Le whispered, knowing full well what Xinzi meant by "sincere request."

"Unrepentant! How can I feel your sincerity if you can only show it behind closed doors?" Xinzi wouldn't take no for an answer. A man of great principles, he didn't believe in letting women go wild...unless that led to some fast skirt dropping. Yan Le, especially, wouldn't have it easy. Although Xinzi craved that peak Foundation Building cultivation base, welcoming tigers in one's abode most often spelled disasters.

Knowing that she'd have to expose the side Xinzi had trained out of her, Yan Le bit her lower lip. Luminous runic characters flew across the room, with the profound chants of enlightened monks resounding throughout the immaculate halls. Taking one moment to hold Xinzi's eyes, Yan Le unstrapped her shirt, letting it drop below her chest as she circled Xinzi's desk to stand beside him. Her steps lost poise and composure, but unable to reject the sinful script, she kneeled towards the lotus monk.

"Liberation Abbot...please welcome this sinful harlot into your hall of enlightenment." To speak such demeaning words before a crowd of onlookers made Yanle's cheeks flush red. Still, she leaned forward, hugging Xinzi's thigh and giving him a first-class look into her cleavage. The contrast between Yanle's milky chest and the sutra chants filling the hall would have driven countless monks mad with rage, but in Xinzi's superior eyes, this scene was but a sample of the dreamlike world he aimed to create. The sample sent blood to his crotch, and as his rod poked through his white monastic robe, the satisfied monk stood up.

"Child, you have suffered. But the Golden Lotus' mercy is boundless. May The Rod save you," Xinzi told Yan Le, who despite her looks was by several decades his senior, and led her towards his favorite Copulation Array—leaving many sighs and disappointed donors behind.

…

Crossing the narrow hallway leading to the Chambers of Enlightenment, Xinzi went down to the very end of a corridor where a tall steel door stood. Pushing it open, he pulled Yan Le into his personal dual cultivation room—a privilege reserved for those he formally welcomed into the Liberation temple. Sparsely decorated, the room offered one round mattress which reminisced of cultivation cushions. Cedar shelves covered the walls, putting several unspeakable instruments on display. Meanwhile, supported by a second-layer Levitation Formation, a golden lotus floated above the room, producing dazzling rays that draped the purple mattress in a false holy light. Ignoring the posturing, Yanle's eyes locked on the large hexagram with intertwining figures and spiritual nodes laid underneath the mattress.

Following a brief appraisal of the Qi Revolution speed, Yan Le could affirm that of all the second-layer Copulation Arrays she ever saw, this one stood leagues above the rest. As she marveled at the intricate patterns, Xinzi pushed Yan Le towards the mattress and joined his hands in a prayer sign. Dazzling white light surged from his robe, locking Yan Le in a trance.

"A singular aim in an unfettered heart dispels the darkness shrouding the Gate of Enlightenment. Step beyond the Bitter Sea, embrace the truth and awaken to the Root of Liberation," Xinzi chanted the Clear Heart sutra, entrancing Yan Le through the depth of his profane enlightenment. Refusing to be bound by the mainstream principles of liberation, from an early age, Xinzi sought his own road. Chunxu was only the final touch of broader research—culminating in Xinzi achieving Enlightenment through Indulgence. Drawn by his call of sacred decadence, Yan Le took off her shirt, unbuckled her skirt, and beckoned for Xinzi to claim his devotee.

The monk's lips curled into a profane grin, and he dived in!