Volume One, Chapter Seventy-Two: Annihilating the Naga

Chapter Seventy-Two: The Annihilation of the Nagas

What does it mean to be a sentient being? It means to possess the full spectrum of emotions and desires—a body of flesh and blood with endless longing. No matter how vast your powers may be, if you dwell in the Realm of Desire, you cannot escape that single word: desire. Desire is like a shackle; you cannot sense its presence, yet it never leaves you, not for a moment. When hunger strikes, you crave food; when fatigue sets in, you yearn for sleep; when love arises, you seek release. Whether born from womb, egg, moisture, or transformation, all beings in the Realm of Desire share this nature. Naturally, the naga race is counted among sentient beings.

Though each of the six divisions of the Realm of Desire solves its physiological needs differently—on the four continents, union is a primal, unrestrained affair: flesh meets flesh, man shares his golden essence, woman her jade nectar, mingling in bliss; dragons, garudas, and earth-dwelling gods of the Four Heavenly Kings and the Trayastrimsha Heaven follow suit, though in their union, men release wind, women breath, blending together; in the Yamā Heaven, lovers merely hold hands; in the Tuṣita Heaven, yearning alone brings joy; in the Nirmāṇarati Heaven, a glance suffices; in the Paranirmita-vaśavartin Heaven, conversation brings fulfillment.

Yet, regardless of method, emotion and desire govern all sentient beings without exception. As one of their kind, the naga race cannot avoid the desires between men and women. Among the heavens, it is commonly acknowledged that dragons are the most lascivious—their romantic entanglements are notorious. Most races strictly uphold the rule of marrying within their own kind, rarely crossing boundaries, save for divine beings like Indra, who gathers beauty from every race with no restraint. Dragons, however, scorn such rules; when desire rises, regardless of the other’s race, they act on impulse. Thus, among the Three Realms, dragon progeny are diverse and monstrous, with many hybrid species: dragon and snake beget the jiao dragon; dragon and ox beget the qilin; dragon and pig beget the dragon-elephant. The dragon’s infamous licentiousness is well known.

Trishna, the Demoness of Desire, is one of the greatest powers of the highest heaven in the Realm of Desire, the Paranirmita-vaśavartin Heaven. This heaven stands far above the other six; its denizens are versed in all arts of union, elevating them to new heights. Trishna not only masters the techniques of spiritual communion but also transforms the art of verbal union into a new practice—melding spirit and word, creating a novel method of male-female union where the spirit is the body and speech the medium.

This art requires the practitioner to possess powerful divine awareness, able to guide the other into realms of ecstatic spiritual communion. Through the rhythm of speech, one resonates with the laws of heaven and earth, allowing both parties to experience myriad seductive illusions, raising the soul’s pleasure to its utmost. It is, in truth, a dual cultivation method; when performed with care, both man and woman may perceive the mysteries of cosmic laws during communion, akin to advanced dual cultivation.

Yet, if the practitioner harbors malicious intent—seeking only to destroy the other’s life or spiritual progress—she uses her voice to obscure the rhythm of heavenly laws, letting the victim experience only the extremity of soul pleasure, ensnared in desire, unable to escape, falling into the whirlpool of longing, ultimately perishing in body and soul.

This technique is called “Seductive Charm of Inversion.”

Trishna’s power lies in her ability to cast this art not merely upon a single partner, but upon countless sentient beings within her divine awareness. All sentient life in her domain falls under its influence—a wide-area, indiscriminate attack.

Though the naga army numbered in the millions, their range was not so vast. Under Trishna’s divine sense, not even fish or shrimp could escape. When her divine consciousness washed over them and she unleashed the “Seductive Charm of Inversion,” a single sultry, beguiling, raspy voice—issuing straight from the depths of her throat—pierced the souls of all present. The naga army instantly fell into chaos.

Even among the twenty-four great saints and the eighteen hundred holy men, Dragon One included, all felt the presence of an infinitely enchanting, soft-bodied figure drawing near: half-lidded starlit eyes, slightly parted crimson lips, gasping breaths, trembling like a blossoming branch—her seductive moans caused the naga blood to surge, their spirits to waver, their desires to spiral out of control.

There was only one Trishna, yet every naga felt she was coming for them, each longing for union with her.

Immediately, waves of bestial roars broke out. The naga army’s banners tilted, weapons clashed, formations dissolved, and lustful cries echoed everywhere.

Their eyes reddened, veins bulged, and in their gaze was only the demoness; all they wished for was union, oblivious to the rising flood.

Trishna’s seductive utterances, each laced with enchantment, drove her divine sense like a deadly poison, a slashing blade, sweeping through the naga ranks now reduced to utter confusion.

Quick-tempered ones could not endure—tents burst as their wind spilled forth, exposing grotesque shapes, shouting and exulting in extreme pleasure.

Those with stronger divine awareness fought to resist, but under Trishna’s relentless moans, they too abandoned struggle; sounds of wind spilling, tents bursting, tearing in succession, like firecrackers, the scene so sordid and repulsive as to astound all the heavens.

Lotus Leaf... brother, you’re so strong...

Lotus Leaf, damn it, I want more...

Lotus Leaf...

At that moment, the heavens of the Realm of Desire heard the raucous laughter and commentary of the old rascal Mara:

Lotus Leaf—

Beings of the Desire Realm, do you witness such a breathtaking scene? Our Demon Goddess of Desire displays her mighty power—the naga race, thrown into disarray, their forces shattered.

What you see is our wondrous “Seductive Charm of Inversion,” and do you see its power? No matter how many enemies there are, once caught, there is no escape—ha ha—

Lotus Leaf—

Look! Legions of nagas collapse, blood spurting everywhere, their divine awareness battered by indiscriminate assault.

Under our wondrous charm, they are powerless to resist, like chickens and dogs, utterly defeated.

Dear children of the heavens, do you not rejoice in such a power?

The hosts of the Desire Realm roared like seas and mountains:

Mighty, mighty, mighty, mighty—

Lotus Leaf! Ramor, let us be proud and cheer for our beautiful and great Trishna, the Demon Goddess of Love—

Love God mighty, Love God mighty, Love God mighty—

Lotus Leaf—

The old Mara, addicted to commentary, kept boasting.

Ramor—

The invincible Demoness of Love, Trishna, will bring us a miracle—a miracle to be recorded in the history of the Three Realms:

The naga race, who have ruled the vast salty sea for billions of years, will be annihilated by our demoness, single-handedly—wiped out!