Chapter 7: Jealous Flames
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"The stronger I get, the more they watch. The more they watch… the harder they fall."
—Qin Feng
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Golden Sky Sect — Two Days Later
The news had spread like wildfire.
Qin Feng had completed the "Trial of Harmony" — with Lei Ziyue, the Crimson Lightning Princess.
What no one knew was how it happened.
And they definitely didn't know she initiated it.
Now?
The sect was in chaos.
His name was everywhere. Again.
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1. Girls on Edge
Inside Qin Feng's private courtyard, the energy was tense.
Ziyue sat at the table, sipping tea, cheeks still flushed from two nights ago. She didn't speak — didn't need to. Everyone knew what had happened.
Zihan glared at her from the bed.
Yun'er, the Saintess, sat by the window, arms crossed, trying to act calm but failing miserably.
"So," Yun'er said coldly. "You and him... really did the trial?"
Ziyue didn't look up. "We did."
Zihan's voice was quiet. "How far did it go?"
Ziyue finally smirked.
"All the way."
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Flashback — two nights ago
The ancient formation had wrapped them in light. The Trial of Harmony demanded body and soul alignment. For most, it meant meditation and shared breathing techniques.
For Qin Feng and Ziyue?
It was fire and lightning — literal and figurative.
Their clothes vanished in the ritual's glow. Ziyue had tried to act tough, but the heat… the need... had broken through both their barriers.
Her breathing had become shallow. His hands had wandered. Their lips had locked.
He pushed her back onto the glowing jade platform.
"You sure?" he whispered.
She grabbed his collar.
"Shut up and take it."
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[Spiritual Compatibility: MAX]
[Ding! Trial Passed.]
[Skill Gained: Dual Flow — You and partner regenerate qi together twice as fast when in contact.]
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Back in the present—
Yun'er stood abruptly. "I'm going to train."
Zihan didn't move. She just whispered, "You like making us jealous?"
Qin Feng leaned back. "I don't like it. I just… don't stop it."
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2. Return of the Hero
That evening, thunder cracked the sky.
At the gates of the sect, a lone figure appeared — soaked in blood and shadow.
Lin Tian had returned.
But he wasn't the same.
His robes were black. His aura unstable. His eyes burned with hatred.
The guards stepped back in fear.
He didn't say a word.
Just walked forward.
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[System Alert]
[Rival Appears: Fallen Hero Activated]
[Current Threat Level: High]
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Inside the Elder Hall, the Sect Master looked up.
"Prepare the arena. We have a challenge coming."
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3. Challenge
The next morning, drums echoed across the mountain.
"QIN FENG!" Lin Tian's voice rang out like a blade.
Qin Feng looked up from the garden, sipping tea beside Yun'er.
"He's early," he muttered.
Yun'er frowned. "He looks… wrong."
"He's worse than wrong. He's been rewritten."
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[Quest: Duel of Destiny — Accept Challenge From Fallen Hero]
[Reward: ???]
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The central courtyard was packed.
Elders, disciples, even outer sect cooks — everyone came to watch.
Qin Feng walked into the ring, calm as ever.
Lin Tian stood across from him, eyes blazing.
"You stole my moments. My growth. My women."
Qin Feng smiled lazily. "I did."
"You'll die for it."
"No," he said. "You'll lose for it."
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4. Round One
Lin Tian struck first — dark flames erupting from his fists.
Qin Feng dodged with ease, Shadowstepping behind him and landing a lightning-charged elbow to his back.
CRACK!
Lin Tian spat blood but spun midair, landing a kick.
They traded blow for blow — light against shadow, fire against lightning.
But something was off.
Qin Feng noticed it during a punch exchange — Lin Tian's hits felt... hollow. Forced.
"You're not using your own strength," Qin Feng said mid-fight. "You're burning through something else."
Lin Tian didn't deny it.
"I sold my soul to take yours."
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[System Alert: Chaos Core Detected — Lin Tian's system will collapse in 7 days unless stabilized.]
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Qin Feng smiled. "Then I just have to outlast you."
He gathered energy — a storm formed overhead.
Thunder cracked.
He raised his hand — Heaven's Fang formed from lightning.
Lin Tian roared, launching a dark spear.
BOOM!!
They collided.
Smoke swallowed the arena.
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When it cleared—
Lin Tian was on one knee, coughing blood.
Qin Feng stood tall, sparking, grinning.
"I win."
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[Duel Completed]
[EXP +1200 | Cultivation Raised: Qi Condensation 6 → 7]
[New Title: Heaven's Bully]
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The crowd went silent.
Then:
Cheering.
Whispers.
Shock.
Qin Feng turned away.
"I'm done here."
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5. Aftermath
That night, Lin Tian knelt in the mountains, screaming at the sky.
"I will KILL HIM!"
But his core was already cracking.
A timer ticked behind his eyes.
7 days… until collapse.
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In the shadows, someone watched him.
A woman. Cloaked in red.
"You look like someone who needs a deal."
He looked up. "Who are you?"
She smiled darkly.
"Let's just say... I'm the real author of this world."
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"The hero falls deeper.
The villain rises higher.
But soon… they'll both kneel to something greater."
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TO BE CONTINUED…
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Chapter 8 Preview:
A surprise "training camp" where all the girls are forced to go with Qin Feng.
Tensions rise: jealousy turns physical.
Ziyue finally admits something emotional.
New waifu appears: cold assassin girl Sura returns, this time in a skimpy disguise.