"Your Excellency, please visit us again!" Yan Xiaohui bowed deeply, speaking with the utmost respect.
Leo smiled graciously. "Of course," he replied. He had to admit that he found Yan Xiaohui impressive; she was sharp-minded and exceedingly respectful toward him—perhaps even excessively so. Despite this, he had no intention of adding her to his harem.
At present, Leo's harem includes Wang Xuanwei and several other summoned members. Technically, each of these companions was originally an elderly man who had been transformed into a young woman, yet this did not bother Leo in the slightest. To him, loyalty mattered more than origin.
No matter how respectful Yan Xiaohui might be, as a native of this world, she would never be as loyal to him as his summoned harem members. Leo was naturally cautious—some might even call him paranoid. He wasn't about to risk bringing an outsider, especially one from the mysterious Sacred Candle Sect, into his inner circle. The sect itself seemed dangerously similar to a fanatical cult, and he wasn't about to let its influence get too close to him.
With a final glance at Yan Xiaohui, Leo turned and left the Sacred Candle Temple without a second thought.
...
"Your Honor, did everything go as planned?" the royal teacher asked as Leo returned. The entire journey had taken less than a day. In fact, with Wang Xuanwei's incredible speed, they'd arrived back even sooner than the teacher had expected.
One should never underestimate the speed of a half-step Celestial Ascension Realm cultivator—they could teleport across millions of miles in the blink of an eye.
"Yes, it went well," Leo replied, with a slight grin. "Lady Yan Xiaohui is indeed as beautiful as the rumors claimed."
As a harem-seeker protagonist, Leo often judged women based on their appearance first and intellect second. In this, he wasn't unique; many of the protagonists in the novels he'd read in his previous life behaved similarly. However, Leo differed in one curious way: he often found himself imagining how men would appear if transformed into women.
He glanced at the royal teacher, an elderly man with a serious expression. A mischievous thought crossed Leo's mind. "Come to think of it," he mused, "the royal teacher might make quite a beautiful woman."
Grinning, he turned to Wang Xuanwei. "Wang Xuanwei, transform the royal teacher into a beautiful woman!"
With nearly absolute power in this world, Leo seldom held back on anything. To him, nothing was truly impossible when one held enough power.
"What… what did Your Excellency just say?" the royal teacher stammered, looking perplexed. He had grown somewhat accustomed to Leo's eccentricities, but what he'd just heard was almost too outrageous to believe. Surely, he must have misunderstood?
"Don't worry, Royal Teacher," Wang Xuanwei reassured him in a calm, almost sympathetic tone. "You'll adapt to your new identity soon enough." Having undergone a similar transformation himself, Wang Xuanwei spoke from experience. Though uncomfortable at first, he was gradually becoming accustomed to his new form.
For beings of such high rank and power, body transformation was a trivial matter. Although Wang Xuanwei appeared this way now, he could revert to his original form at any time—though he wouldn't dare without Leo's explicit permission.
"Wait…!" the royal teacher tried to protest, but it was too late. With a flash of dazzling light, Wang Xuanwei's transformation spell struck him, instantly reshaping his form from an elderly man into a young, beautiful woman.
The royal teacher blinked, stunned, as she looked down at her new appearance. She was speechless, both at the bizarre turn of events and at the realization that her life was about to become infinitely more complicated. Leo, however, simply smiled, pleased with the results, while Wang Xuanwei looked on with practiced nonchalance.
Looking down at her transformed body, the royal teacher shuddered. She had long suspected that the "fallen immortal" she served was no benevolent figure, but now she was certain—the man before her was more likely a fallen demon king than any kind of savior.
"Your Excellency, please… don't do this!" the royal teacher pleaded, dropping to her knees. Her mind raced, weighing her options. She could either threaten this demon king—an impossible choice—or she could beg. The decision was clear. "I have always served you faithfully!"
Leo chuckled, clearly amused by the sight of the former elderly man now groveling as a young, beautiful woman. "Don't worry, royal teacher! I believe you'll shine with your new appearance," he said, smiling as if he'd just given her a rare gift. "Continue to accompany me, and answer my questions about this world, the palace, and whatever else I wish to know."
The royal teacher, however, was far from grateful. Instead, she cursed her misfortune silently. Legends she'd heard growing up flickered through her mind—stories of fallen immortals reincarnated who brought prosperity to those who aided them. But there were also darker tales, tales of demon kings who wreaked havoc upon their return. She knew now which one Leo truly was.
"I must inform the ancestors," she thought, feeling a surge of dread. Her earlier suspicions had turned to certainty: this man was no reincarnated immortal but a fallen demon king.
"Your Excellency, may I be excused to change into appropriate attire so that I can better serve you?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly. Her new clothes fit loosely, hanging awkwardly off her now slender frame. Though her mind was racing with schemes, she dared not let any hint of her intentions show on her face.
Leo shrugged, looking entertained. "Fine, go and find something that fits," he said with a smirk.
She bowed low before hurrying away.
As she left, Wang Xuanwei approached Leo and remarked, "Master, she seems to harbor ill intentions."
Leo smiled. "I know! But why should we care? Let's enjoy the fruits of absolute power for a while," he replied. His thoughts turned inward. In his last life, he had barely begun to taste the pleasures of supreme power before he was killed. Now, with Wang Xuanwei—a companion at the very peak of this world's power structure—by his side, Leo allowed himself a rare indulgence.
Over the long term, Leo knew, absolute power could grow tedious. Humans, after all, thrived on challenges and dreams to strive toward. Even paradise would feel empty if every desire were met without effort. However, for now, he intended to savor the rare joys of having everything at his fingertips.
"Wang Xuanwei, what should I do next?" Leo asked, feeling an unexpected pang of boredom. The system had given him nearly everything he could want: the most beautiful women, endless wealth, exquisite foods, longevity, and ultimate power. It felt almost like he'd reached the max level in a game with no new content to explore. In video games, developers usually add fresh challenges to keep players engaged. But in real life, he had no such luxury; there was no one to add new "content" for him.
"Master, you should establish your own dynasty!" Wang Xuanwei suggested.
"Establish a dynasty?" Leo thought it over. "That's a dangerous move, with hardly any benefit," he mused aloud. Despite his system's gifts, he knew he wasn't truly invincible. Here, in this lower realm, he stood at the top, but higher realms and immortal worlds existed beyond his reach. If he disrupted the existing power structures to set up his own dynasty, those formidable powers might retaliate.
"There's no need," he concluded. After all, he was already the crown prince of a powerful nation and stood to inherit the throne one day. Though this world's inhabitants revered him as a reincarnated immortal, he knew that his true identity didn't change his rightful status as the first-born prince of this empire. In the eyes of the world, he was the empire's heir. The karma of the world recognized him as his father's successor, and not even the greatest of dynasties could defy that.
Just as Leo carried a karmic debt to the dynasty, his parents also bore karmic obligations, both to the Celestial Mountain Empire and to their son, Leo. Were they to strip him of his position as crown prince without just cause, they would not only absolve Leo of his karmic debt to the dynasty but would also disrupt the luck and stability of the entire empire. Matters of succession—crown princes, senior officials, and positions within dynasties and sects—were intertwined with karma. Actions taken without careful consideration of these bonds would inevitably invite karmic backlash.
This connection to the Celestial Mountain Empire presented another barrier to Leo's ambitions. Bound as he was by karma and luck to the empire, any attempt to sever this bond would trigger severe consequences. While Leo believed that with his system summons he was strong enough to withstand such a backlash, he still preferred to avoid becoming a target.
"Then, why not establish your own sect instead?" Wang Xuanwei suggested thoughtfully.
"Not a bad idea!" Leo nodded, considering it. Unlike a dynasty, a sect wouldn't conflict with his karmic ties to the Celestial Mountain Empire. He could freely join or even establish a sect without risking karmic retribution.
"Very well! There's no downside to it, so why not? I'll establish a sect called the Garden of Blossoms," Leo declared. "Our founding principle will center around cultivating techniques that enhance beauty. Membership will be open only to women… although men may join if they agree to at least temporarily change their gender."
As he completed his sentence, he felt a subtle, almost ethereal force binding him. It was the world's karmic energy, which had recognized the Garden of Blossoms and Leo as its founding leader.
"Karma truly has its uses," Leo mused. "I can sense that as the leader of the sect, I have some control over its karmic luck. Through this connection, I'll be able to sense if anyone dares to betray me."
Experienced leaders of sects and dynasties understood the inner workings of karma. While there were techniques to hide karmic fluctuations, outright betrayal of one's sect or dynasty usually caused karmic tribulations—subtle disturbances that adept leaders could detect. For Leo, this new role as sect master offered a valuable advantage.
"Wang Xuanwei," Leo instructed, "begin preparations. First, choose a suitable location and hire people to construct the sect grounds. Don't worry about my safety; I'll summon another loyal bodyguard shortly." Leo planned to reinforce his protection by summoning a second powerful guard. Although Wang Xuanwei was a half-step Celestial Ascension Realm cultivator—placing him among the strongest in this world—Leo knew of at least five other cultivators at this level. Even though Wang Xuanwei's strength surpassed theirs, Leo preferred to have two such protectors by his side.
"Just to clarify," Wang Xuanwei asked, "will we offer the temporary gender transformation free of charge?"
"Yes," Leo replied. "Cast a simple gender-change spell on any men wishing to join. Dispel it only if they decide to leave the sect. Of course, I won't allow members to leave freely once they've joined, but I'll provide an exit path so as not to deter anyone from joining." Leo envisioned transforming his new sect into his personal harem.
He chuckled to himself, reveling in the thought. "Magic truly is a marvel! There are endless possibilities with spells like these."