The bloodstained air of the hunting hall had yet to dissipate, mingling with the steaming sweat and rusty scent emanating from the wolf warriors to form a primal, violent atmosphere. Lin Xi was pinned between Lucifer's throne and his solid chest. The fresh bloodstain on her collarbone was greedily absorbed by the dark gold contract mark, sending waves of burning, numbing pain through her. She could distinctly feel every taut muscle in his body and the scorching heat radiating through the thin fabric, intense enough to consume everything.
The panoramic projection had faded, yet the scenes of slaughter seemed seared onto her retinas. Within her body, the power Lucifer had forcibly infused and her own chaotic energy, after a brief "collaboration," had once again fallen into a delicate stalemate. Like two ferocious beasts temporarily ceasing hostilities, they stood dangerously opposed within her meridians.
"Feel the power?" Lucifer's lips brushed her earlobe, his voice low, tinged with post-battle hoarseness and unmasked possessiveness. "My power—the sensation of it coursing through your veins." His fingers slid slowly down her spine, raising tiny goosebumps wherever they touched. "How does it compare to your own pitiful struggles?"
Lin Xi bit her lower lip, trying to ignore the contract energy growing more active with his touch. "Power is merely a tool, Your Majesty. How it is wielded determines whether it becomes a blade or a shackle."
"Witty," Lucifer chuckled, pinching her chin to force her gaze toward the chaos in the hall's center—where the Shadowfang troops had gathered and departed, their frenzied pheromones still lingering in the air. "Behold the feast you've conjured, my 'advisor.' The Blood Clan stirs because of you. My warriors fight because of you. Do you still believe you're merely an insignificant 'tool'?"
His words pierced like icy needles, shattering the shell of composure she'd tried to maintain. Yes, the vortex of all this seemed to swirl around her, the "vessel." She was no longer just a struggling traveler fighting for survival—she was the eye of the storm.
At that moment, an extremely subtle yet distinctly "Shadow Eye"-sourced cold energy fluctuation abruptly appeared at the edge of her perception—like a pebble tossed into a lake! The fluctuation was faint yet carried a precise directionality, not targeting the entire royal city, but... pinpointing the hunting hall where she stood, pinpointing her!
Lin Xi's body stiffened abruptly.
Lucifer immediately sensed her unease. "What is it?" His voice instantly turned icy as his crimson pupils swept the surroundings with piercing intensity. His Alpha dominance spread like a tangible spotlight, enveloping the entire space.
"Something... is watching us." Lin Xi concentrated her senses, but the cold fluctuation vanished in an instant, leaving no trace, as if it had been nothing but her imagination. Yet the lingering chill of being locked onto refused to fade. "Very faint. Carries the aura of a Blood Clan 'Shadow'. The target... seems to be me."
Lucifer's gaze instantly turned dangerous. He released his grip on her, slowly straightening his body. His eyes scanned every corner of the hunting hall, every shadow, like the most precise scanner, inch by inch. The few remaining guards in the hall instantly went on high alert.
Silence spread, broken only by the crackling of burning torches.
Suddenly, Lucifer moved! Without warning, he lunged sideways, his arm shooting out like lightning. His fingers curled into a claw, channeling a surge of dark golden, frenzied energy as he lashed out at the thickest shadow behind the throne!
"Come out!"
"Rip!"
The shadows seemed torn apart by an invisible force, forcing out a blurred figure nearly indistinguishable from the darkness! Like a startled specter, it retreated rapidly backward, attempting to merge into the walls.
But Lucifer was faster! He gave it no chance, his form shadowing the retreating figure as his other hand seized the hilt of Night Howl. Icy killing intent instantly locked onto its target.
Yet, before the shadow vanished completely, it emitted an extremely faint yet distinct telepathic transmission, clear in Lin Xi's ears, spoken in the ancient secret language of the Blood Clan:
"'The Vessel'... we have found you..."
In the next instant, the shadow shattered like a broken bubble, completely annihilated before Lucifer's blade could touch it, leaving only a faint, nauseating residue of dark energy.
Lucifer's sword froze mid-air. He slowly sheathed it, turning to face Lin Xi. His crimson pupils, like two ghostly flames, locked onto her face.
"What did it say to you?" It was not a question, but a command. The temperature in the entire Hunting Hall seemed to plummet.
Lin Xi's heart sank. She couldn't utter the word "vessel"—it would instantly place her in even greater peril. Yet concealment was equally deadly.
She drew a deep breath, meeting his scrutinizing gaze, and chose her words carefully: "It said... 'We found you.'" She omitted the most crucial word.
Lucifer stared at her for a long moment before a cold, vicious curve slowly spread across his lips.
"Found?" He stepped closer, each stride carrying a crushing weight until he once again enveloped her in his shadow. His hand shot out, clamping down on her cheek with such force it made her cheekbones ache. "Upon my throne, beneath the mark of my power, tell me..."
He leaned in, his crimson pupils mere inches from her eyes, churning with savagery and the fury of a territory violated.
"What... did they find?"