"Alright," Ling Feng murmured, his voice dropping to a register that was less playful and more commanding. The air around them seemed to thicken, not with pressure, but with anticipation. "Brace yourself. This is gonna feel weird."
He didn't just hold her hand. He pulled her closer, his movements decisive and devoid of hesitation. His other hand moved with the precision of a surgeon, placing his palm flat against her solar plexus, directly over where her Fate Palace resided within the internal dimension.
Su Yonghuang gasped, her body instinctively tensing. Her noble pride flared; she was the Sect Master, a descendant of the illustrious Su Clan! To be touched so intimately by a male disciple was a violation of every protocol she had ever known. Her instinct was to strike him, to unleash the solar fire and incinerate him for his insolence.
But before she could mobilize her Grand Dao, the energy hit her.
It wasn't an invasion. It was a vacuum.
Deep within Ling Feng's Inner Void, the Yellow Chaos Emerald pulsed with a rhythmic, alien hum.
[Mastery: Energy Manipulation] [Trait: Absorption]
WHOOSH.
The sound wasn't physical; it was the sound of spiritual pressure collapsing. The searing, agonizing heat that had plagued Su Yonghuang for years—the "impure" Yang energy that clashed with her bloodline—was suddenly ripped from her meridians.
It didn't flow out like a gentle stream; it was a torrential flood. The excess solar energy, which felt like jagged shards of glass circulating through her veins, was magnetized to Ling Feng's palm.
To Ling Feng, the sensation was intense. It felt like he was holding a fragment of a dying star. The heat was enough to turn a Royal Noble into ash instantly. But Ling Feng was no ordinary cultivator. His Primal Chaos Genesis Physique didn't reject the foreign energy; it greeted it like a predator greeting prey.
'Warning: High thermal density detected,' his mind processed the intake like a computer reading a status bar. 'Converting to raw currency.'
His alien physique laughed at the pain. The Chaos Force devoured the Solar energy. Inside his Inner Void, the raw fire was stripped of its destructive intent, compressed, and spun into golden loops of pure power—Rings.
Cling. Cling. Cling.
Dozens of Rings materialized in his void, fueling his reserves.
"Relax," Ling Feng's voice whispered in her ear, cutting through the haze of her shock. He was close—too close. She could smell the clean scent of soap, a fragrance that didn't exist in this world, mixed with the sharp, electric scent of ozone that hung around him like a storm cloud. "Don't fight it. Let it go. Stop trying to control the nuke, just let me disarm it."
Su Yonghuang's knees buckled.
The relief was instantaneous and overwhelming, bordering on orgasmic. The perpetual burning sensation, the feeling of swallowing razor blades made of magma that she had endured since childhood, vanished in seconds. It was as if a mountain had been lifted from her soul.
She slumped forward, all her majestic strength draining away with the pain. Ling Feng caught her easily, his arm sweeping around her waist to support her. He held her firmly, anchoring her trembling form.
"There," Ling Feng exhaled, his voice straining slightly as he processed the massive influx of energy. His eyes glowed with a terrifying, golden-yellow luminescence. "I've drained the toxicity. You were running hot, Sect Master. Way too hot. Now... I'm giving you a jumpstart."
He reversed the flow.
But he didn't return the raw fire. Instead, he injected a stream of pure Chaos Energy.
It flowed into her body like liquid mercury—cool, heavy, and undeniably powerful. This energy didn't follow the laws of the Nine Worlds. It didn't care about the Grand Dao or the Will of the Heavens. It acted as a structural reinforcement, coating her scorched meridians with a protective film.
It was a "coolant system" made of alien energy. It wouldn't replace the Solar Immortal Scripture, but it acted as a buffer, allowing her to channel her Complete Yang Saint Physique without burning her own foundation to ash.
Su Yonghuang trembled violently. She felt light. For the first time in her life, she felt truly powerful, not just dangerous. The fire within her was no longer a wild beast trying to consume its host; it was a loyal hound, sitting obediently at her feet, waiting for a command.
She looked up, her face inches from his. Her beautiful, golden eyes were wet with unshed tears of sheer relief. The majestic, untouchable Sect Master was gone, replaced by a woman who had been saved from a lifetime of torture.
"Why?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "Why do this for me? You barely know me. I am an outcast of my own clan, a Sect Master in name only. Why save me?"
Ling Feng looked down at her. The golden glow in his eyes faded, replaced by a warm, human gaze. He could have lied. He could have said it was for the benefit of the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect, or to use her strength against the Heavenly Jewel Kingdom. He could have cited the Grand Dao or destiny.
But Ling Feng didn't care about destiny.
"Because I hate bad endings," Ling Feng said softly, his tone devoid of his usual mockery. He reached up, his rough fingers brushing a stray strand of ink-black hair behind her ear. The gesture was tender, possessive, and shockingly casual. "And because a woman like you shouldn't be hiding in the dark, burning yourself up for a legacy that doesn't appreciate you. You're the Sun, Yonghuang. You're meant to shine, not self-destruct."
Su Yonghuang's heart hammered against her ribs like a war drum. It wasn't the cultivation deviation. It was something else entirely.
No one had ever spoken to her like this. Not the Elders who feared her volatile power, not the ancestors who burdened her with the duty of the Su Clan. They saw a weapon. They saw the shadow of General Su Ru.
Ling Feng saw her. He treated her not as a statue to be worshipped, but as a woman to be cherished.
"You are... a rogue," she murmured, but she didn't pull away. Her body leaned into his warmth, craving the stability he offered.
"I prefer 'Lovable Scoundrel'," Ling Feng grinned, the playful spark returning to his eyes. "Or 'Charismatic Anti-Hero'. Take your pick."
"Ahem."
A cool, crisp cough cut through the thick atmosphere like an ice blade.
Li Shuangyan was standing nearby, holding a tray of steaming spirit tea. Her expression was perfectly neutral, but her eyebrow was twitching ever so slightly—a telltale sign of her inner thoughts. "If you are quite finished fixing the Sect Master, the tea is getting cold. And I believe the Sect Master's reputation might suffer if she is seen clinging to a disciple all night."
Ling Feng chuckled, the sound vibrating against Su Yonghuang's chest. He slowly helped her stand upright, though his hand lingered on her waist for a moment longer than necessary. "Jealous, Shuangyan? Don't worry, I have two hands. I can hold you both."
Li Shuangyan rolled her eyes, a gesture she would never have dared perform a month ago. The corner of her lip tugged upward, betraying her. "Shameless."
Su Yonghuang smoothed her golden robes, her face flushing a deep, radiant red as the reality of the situation crashed down on her. She, the Sect Master, had been practically melting in the arms of a junior disciple. But the cold, lonely distance she usually maintained to protect herself—and others—was shattered.
She took the tea cup Li Shuangyan offered, her hands steady for the first time in years. The tremors were gone.
"Ling Feng," Su Yonghuang said, her voice regaining some of its natural authority, though it possessed a softness that hadn't been there before. She took a sip of the tea, centering herself. "The Evil Infested Ridge is opening soon. That was one of my primary reasons for returning to the sect now. The Heavenly Jewel Kingdom will be there. The Azure Mysterious Ancient Kingdom might be there. It is a convergence of predators."
"Let them come," Ling Feng took his own cup, sipping the tea with the casual air of a man drinking coffee on a Sunday morning. His eyes, however, flashed with a ruthless, golden light. "I need resources. The sect is broke, and I have expensive tastes. If they want to donate their lives and treasures to my cause? I'm happy to accept."
He looked at the three women—Su Yonghuang, the majestic phoenix; Li Shuangyan, the icy sword; Xu Pei, the gentle violet blossom.
"We're going to that Ridge," Ling Feng declared, his voice firm. "Along with seven other disciples I'll personally train up. And we're not going to scavenge for leftovers. We're going to rob the place blind. The Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect is back in business, ladies. And management has changed."
...
Days seemed to pass by in an instant on Lonely Peak.
The integration of Su Yonghuang into Ling Feng's "circle" was faster and more seamless than anyone anticipated. Mostly because Ling Feng didn't give her a choice. He didn't treat her like a Sect Master to be bowed to; he treated her like part of the crew.
Later that afternoon, the sun hung low over the mountain, casting long shadows.
On the terrace of Lonely Peak, Su Yonghuang was sitting on a granite couch, looking utterly bewildered. Xu Pei was happily serving her more tea, humming a tune.
"I still do not understand," Su Yonghuang started, watching Ling Feng with a mixture of fascination and confusion. "You claim that your power comes from... Chaos? But it has to be some form of energy derived from the Great Dao. All energy in the Nine Worlds originates from the heavens and the earth."
"Is that so?" Ling Feng replied, not looking up.
He was tinkering with a large sheet of Star-Iron, bending it with his bare hands as if it were aluminum foil. He was shaping it into a boxy structure—a custom-made BBQ grill.
"Alright, look at it like this," Ling Feng said, grabbing a rivets tool he had seemingly manifested out of thin air. "The Grand Dao? The Will of the Heavens? That's like... Windows 95. It's an operating system. It's old, it's clunky, it crashes if you look at it wrong, and it's full of bugs. Everyone else is just running software compatible with Windows 95."
Su Yonghuang looked at Li Shuangyan, completely lost. "Windows... Ninety-five? Is that a lost era?"
"Does he always speak in riddles?" Su Yonghuang asked.
"Always," Li Shuangyan confirmed, calmly sipping her tea. She had long since stopped trying to decipher every strange word that came out of his mouth. "You get used to it. Eventually, you stop trying to translate and just look at the results. The results are usually... violent, but effective."
"Chaos is like Linux," Ling Feng continued, seemingly oblivious to their confusion. He slapped the top of the finished grill. "It's open-source. It does whatever I tell it to. I don't need the permission of the Heavens to run a program. I just write the code and hit enter. That's why your Solar pressure didn't crush me. I just deleted the file."
"The results are undeniable," Su Yonghuang admitted, placing a hand over her dantian. The heat was stable, humming with a pleasant warmth rather than a destructive blaze. "But Ling Feng, the sect... we cannot just rely on your strength alone. You said you were going to train seven disciples, correct? To face the geniuses of the Great Powers, they need more than just spirit."
"Indeed." Ling Feng nodded, wiping grease from his hands onto a rag. "That's why I wrote this."
He tossed a scroll onto the stone table. It landed with a heavy thud.
Su Yonghuang picked it up. The calligraphy was bold, bordering on wild.
"The Radiant Sun & Moon Art?" She read the title, her brows knitting together.
"I remixed your clan's Solar Manual and combined it with the Violet Cloud Chant," Ling Feng explained casually, as if discussing a recipe for scrambled eggs. "I realized that the Yin and Yang balance in the sect's current teachings is trash. This art allows for dual cultivation of Yin and Yang properties within a single body, without the... uh... naked part. It's perfect for the mass of disciples. It stabilizes their foundation and boosts their absorption rate of Worldly Essence by 400%."
Su Yonghuang unfurled the scroll, her eyes scanning the diagrams and mantras. Her pupils constricted.
"This..." Her voice shook. "The circulation route... it bypasses the minor meridians entirely and utilizes the hidden vessels! It creates a resonant frequency with the stars! This... this is profound. This is at least an Emperor Level Merit Law! Maybe even a Heaven's Will Secret Law!"
"Eh, low-tier Emperor at best," Ling Feng shrugged, grabbing a skewer of spirit-meat and placing it on his new grill. "I whipped it up during breakfast. I was bored. But it'll do for now."
Su Yonghuang stared at him. Whipped it up during breakfast? A merit law that could cause blood to flow like rivers in the outside world was created because he was bored?
He stood up and walked over to her, leaning on the back of the granite couch. His face was close to hers again, his presence encompassing her.
"But for you, Yonghuang," he dropped the 'Sect Master' title entirely, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "We need to go deeper. Your physique needs pure Sun Essence. My Chaos energy is a perfect fix, but it's not the fuel. You need the real deal to ignite that engine properly."
"And where would I find such a thing?" Su Yonghuang asked, mesmerized by his confidence. "True Sun Essence has not been seen since the past Eras."
"The Evil Infested Ridge," Ling Feng said, his eyes gleaming with knowledge that shouldn't belong to him. "There's a tree in there. The Godly Wood. It bears a fruit—the Sun Fruit. It contains the essence of the primal sun."
Su Yonghuang's expression hardened. "The Evil Infested Ridge opens in two months. But Ling Feng, you must understand. The Heavenly Jewel Kingdom and Heavenly God Sect will make things difficult for us.."
"Correction," Ling Feng grinned.
He tapped his chest. Beneath his robes, a faint red glow manifested. The Red Chaos Emerald.
[Trait: Absolute Force] [Trait: Power Mastery]
"They will try to make things difficult for us. And we're gonna crash everything in our way."
"You want to declare war on the entire region?" Su Yonghuang asked, though a thrill was rising in her chest. The caution she had learned over the years was melting away, replaced by the fiery spirit of her ancestor, Su Ru.
"I'm looking to harvest," Ling Feng corrected, his smile turning feral. "And if some assholes want to stand in our way? Well, they get deleted. The Heavenly Jewel Kingdom, the Violet Mountain Noble... they're just mobs, Yonghuang. Just small minions."
He looked at the three women.
"Get packed, ladies," Ling Feng declared, turning back to his grill as the scent of roasting meat filled the air. "We're going on a field trip. And I promise you, it's gonna be a riot."
Su Yonghuang looked at the priceless scroll in her hand, then at the confident back of the man who had turned her world upside down in less than twenty-four hours.
For the first time in her life, the crushing weight of her duty felt... light.
"He is madness," Su Yonghuang whispered, a smile finally breaking through her stoic mask.
"He is the storm," Li Shuangyan corrected softly, her eyes reflecting the dancing flames of the grill.
"He is Big Brother Ling!" Xu Pei chirped happily, holding up a plate for the meat.
Ling Feng stepped out onto the balcony edge, looking east towards the horizon where the Evil Infested Ridge lay. The timeline was shifting. The original Li Qiye played the long game, manipulating shadows and pulling strings from the dark.
Ling Feng wasn't a shadow. He was a supernova. He was going to play the loud game.