Sylvara Thorne stood there in the steamy bathing area, her outer robe hanging loosely off one shoulder. Her icy-blue eyes glared at Walter with pure disdain. Frost still clung to the ground around her feet from her earlier qi surge.
"One minute," she snapped. "Speak, or I'll freeze you solid and drag you to the elders myself."
Walter kept his hands raised, but his posture stayed confident. The system's temporary boost still hummed in his veins. He could feel the difference—this body wasn't completely useless anymore.
"Senior Sister Sylvara, I know how this looks," he said calmly. "Outer disciple sneaking into the inner sect baths. Most people would call me insane."
"You are insane," she cut in, crossing her arms. The motion made her robe slip a little lower. Steam curled around her pale skin. "Trash with damaged roots doesn't belong here. Especially not staring at me."
Walter didn't flinch. Instead, he let a small smile touch his lips. "I wasn't staring. I was… appreciating. Even angry, you're the most striking woman in the Azure Phoenix Sect. That Frost Phoenix bloodline of yours makes the air around you feel alive."
Sylvara's cheeks colored slightly, but she masked it with a scoff. "Flattery? From you? The same fool the sect master's daughter rejected last week? Save your breath."
The system chimed quietly in Walter's mind.
[Seduction Progress: 12%. Pride damaged. Curiosity rising.]
[Target's Ice Yin Body detected. High compatibility for first bond.]
The goddess's sultry voice whispered, "Good. Keep pushing. Proud ones like her break beautifully once they feel desired."
Walter took one careful step closer, keeping his tone smooth but firm. "That Walter is gone. Something changed today. I'm not here to beg or serve. I'm here because I see potential—yours and mine."
Sylvara laughed coldly, but she didn't strike. "Potential? You couldn't even light a spark of phoenix flame last month. What makes you think you can speak to me like this now?"
"Because I'm offering something no one else can." Walter locked eyes with her. "A real connection. Not servant and master. Not bully and victim. Something deeper. Something that could make both of us stronger."
He let the words hang in the warm, misty air. Sylvara's breathing quickened just a fraction. Her icy aura flickered, mixing with the steam.
"You talk like you know secrets," she said, voice lower now. "What could a trash disciple possibly give me?"
Walter smiled wider. "Power. Through a bond no cultivation manual teaches. Your Frost Phoenix bloodline is rare. My… new path can awaken it fully. In return, I grow stronger too. Win-win."
Sylvara stepped forward, closing the distance. Her presence radiated cold, but her eyes burned with interest and suspicion. "You're either very brave or very stupid. Prove it. Show me this so-called path. Right now."
The system flashed excitedly.
[Seduction Progress: 28%. Physical proximity increasing. Resistance dropping.]
[Warning: First bond requires deep intimacy. Prepare for rapid power surge.]
Walter's heart raced, but he kept control. In his old life, he never had chances like this. Here, the system made it possible.
He reached out slowly and brushed a strand of her silver-white hair behind her ear. Sylvara tensed, but she didn't pull away.
"Trust me for one night," he murmured. "Let me show you what real dual cultivation feels like. Not the cold, mechanical version in the sect manuals. The kind that sets your blood on fire."
Her lips parted. For the first time, uncertainty mixed with the pride in her eyes. "You… dare suggest that? Here? With me?"
Walter nodded. "I dare. Because I know you feel it too—the boredom of training alone, the pressure to stay perfect. Let go for once. With me."
Steam thickened around them. Sylvara's robe slipped further down her shoulder, revealing more smooth skin. Her breathing grew heavier.
The goddess purred in approval. "She's close, Walter. Push just a little more and she'll surrender."
Sylvara stared at him for a long moment. Then, slowly, she lowered her hand. The frost on the ground melted.
"One chance," she whispered, voice husky. "If this is a trick, I'll kill you myself."
Walter pulled her closer, his hand resting on her waist. Heat met ice in a thrilling contrast.
"It's no trick," he said softly. "It's the start of something powerful."
Their faces were inches apart now. Sylvara's eyes fluttered half-closed. The tension in the air turned thick and electric.
The system screen updated one last time before things escalated.
[Bond Formation Imminent.]
[Prepare for major cultivation boost.]
Walter leaned in, ready to claim his first true bond.