The air smelled of rain and blood.
Lucien lay naked beneath the collapsing roof of the forbidden chamber, his body trembling from the aftershocks of both pleasure and pain. His back bled from spiritual lashes, but it was not the wounds that made his breath ragged—it was her.
Lin Yue. The Holy Maiden of Lustbane Sect. Revered by all. Untouched. Untouchable.
Except by him.
Her robes were in tatters, clinging to her sweat-drenched skin. Her chest rose and fell in shallow gasps, eyes glazed over in dazed satisfaction, lips still trembling from the pleasure that had shattered her sacred vows.
"You bastard," she whispered, her voice hoarse but weak. "You… really did it."
Lucien chuckled softly, his voice laced with madness and sorrow. "You begged me to. Again and again."
She turned her face away, tears slipping silently. In the next moment, the heavy doors burst open.
Elder Qian and a dozen disciples stormed in, blades drawn and eyes burning.
And that was the end of Lucien's world.
They dragged him before the elders, still half-dressed, his spirit core sealed and his name spit upon like filth.
"For defiling the Holy Maiden," Elder Qian spat, "and indulging in demonic dual cultivation, you are banished."
Lucien met his gaze, bloody lips curling into a crooked smile. "She screamed my name louder than your chants ever reached the heavens."
A slap cracked across his cheek.
But he did not bow.
Three Years Later
The brothel in Crimson Edge City was drowning in moans and music.
Velvet curtains danced in perfumed air. Red lanterns flickered against the walls like breathing hearts. Bodies intertwined behind silken veils. And in the most secluded chamber, a woman cried out—again and again.
Lucien's hand traced the curve of her throat as she writhed beneath him, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, her eyes rolled back in surrender.
He moved like a tide: relentless, hungry, hypnotic.
"C-Can't… anymore…" she gasped, body arching with another shudder.
Lucien smiled and leaned close, lips brushing her ear. "You said that two climaxes ago."
His hand glowed faintly as he activated the Ninefold Furnace of Desire. He felt her core pulse with pure Yin essence, flooding into him like sweet fire. His meridians lit up. His cultivation surged.
Early Foundation Realm → Mid Foundation Realm.
With a deep exhale, he pulled back, letting her fall into unconsciousness, a blissful smile etched on her face.
Lucien stood slowly, wiping sweat from his brow, muscles slick and defined under the red light. He slipped on his black robe, tied loosely at the waist, leaving half his chest bare.
As he poured wine, a knock echoed.
He opened the door.
It was the madam of the brothel, her gaze sliding over his body shamelessly. "You drained another girl dry, didn't you?"
Lucien sipped the wine. "She'll be fine. In a day or two."
"And you?" she asked, biting her lip. "Still hungry?"
He stepped forward slowly. She backed up without realizing it, breath hitching as he closed the distance.
"I always am," he said, voice like velvet laced with poison.
He kissed her before she could answer—deep, dominant, consuming.
She melted against him.
The wine spilled. The door slammed shut.
Later That Night
Lucien sat cross-legged on the rooftop of the brothel, the city lights beneath him.
He gazed at the stars, the demonic scroll in his hand pulsing softly.
Level One of the Ninefold Furnace required nine dual cultivations with compatible Yin vessels. He had completed seven.
Each time, the ecstasy went deeper. The madness grew louder. The power... sweeter.
He licked his lips.
"I wonder how Lin Yue would scream now…"
The thought made his blood stir. She had betrayed him, thrown him to the wolves. But her body, her constitution, her pure Yin bloom—was one of the nine rarest in the world.
She was the key to Level Two.
And he would have her again.
Not for love.
For dominance.
For vengeance.
For transcendence.