The First Elder stood in the doorway, his face a mask of absolute horror. His eyes darted between the Sect Master—who looked ready to combust from a mixture of shame and Yang energy—and the casual Young Noble.
The Elder looked as if he wanted to claw his own eyes out rather than witness this blasphemy against the ancestors.
"Oh, hey Elder," Ling Feng said, his tone breezy and utterly unbothered. "What's the sitch?"
"The... the sitch?" The First Elder stammered, his brain short-circuiting at the strange dialect. He pointed a shaking finger at them, his beard trembling. "The atmosphere... Young Noble, this is... The Sect Master... You are in the Main Hall!"
"Relax, old man," Ling Feng lied smoothly, his face a portrait of serious academic pursuit. "We were discussing... internal energy transfer protocols. Very advanced dual-polarity thermodynamics. You wouldn't get it; it's a new meta."
Su Yonghuang took the opportunity to slip out of Ling Feng's grasp like an eel. She smoothed her robes with frantic, sharp movements, her face burning a brilliant crimson that rivaled the sunset.
However, centuries of cultivation allowed her to forcefully don her mask of authority, though the cracks were visible to anyone looking closely.
"First Elder," she said, her voice slightly higher than usual. "What is the emergency? It had better be significant."
The First Elder took a deep breath, deciding to repress the memory of what he just saw deep into his Dao Heart for the sake of his sanity.
"Guests! Important guests at the mountain gate!" The First Elder reported, wiping sweat from his brow. "It is... It is the Princess of the Jewel Pillar Sacred School, Chen Baojiao! And her servant, Shi Gandang!"
Ling Feng's eyes lit up, the chaotic green swirling in his pupils intensifying. "She made it."
"She looks... well, she looks like she fought a war to get here," The First Elder grimaced, his expression grave. "She is in a sorry state, Young Noble. And she claims... she claims she has severed ties with her clan."
"Perfect," Ling Feng clapped his hands together, the sound echoing sharply in the hall. "Let's go welcome the new recruit."
...
The Mountain Gate of the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect was usually a quiet, desolate place, a reminder of the sect's decline. But today, the air was heavy, vibrating with the aftershocks of a personal tragedy.
Chen Baojiao stood at the foot of the ancient stone stairs. She was no longer adorned in the opulent, jewel-encrusted armor of a Princess of the Jewel Pillar Sacred School. She wore simple, rough traveler's clothes, stained with the dust of the road.
Her face, usually capable of toppling cities with a smile, was pale and drawn. Her lips lacked color, but her eyes—phoenix eyes that held a natural, tyrannical charm—were burning with a fierce, unyielding light that refused to be extinguished.
Beside her stood Shi Gandang. The old man, a legend in his own right, looked grim. His stone-like skin seemed weathered, and he supported his Young Miss by the elbow, his posture defensive, ready to fight the entire world if it dared to step forward.
When Ling Feng descended from the sky, landing with a casual, heavy thud that cracked a paving stone, Chen Baojiao's eyes locked onto him instantly.
"You came," Ling Feng smiled, walking towards her with hands in his pockets, looking less like a cultivator and more like a guy meeting a friend at a mall.
"I kept my promise," Chen Baojiao said. Her voice was weak, lacking her usual resonant power, but it was steady. "I returned to the Chen Clan. I told them I was leaving. They... did not take it well."
"I bet they didn't," Ling Feng scoffed, a sneer curling his lip. "Old fogeys hate losing assets. They look at a genius and see a stock portfolio, not a person."
"To leave," Shi Gandang spoke up, his voice gravelly and deep, vibrating in the chest of everyone present. "The Young Miss had to return everything the Clan gave her. Her artifacts. Her status. Her wealth. And... her cultivation."
Ling Feng stopped in his tracks. The casual smile vanished.
He looked at Chen Baojiao with narrowed eyes. Immediately, the Primal Chaos Genesis Physique reacted. His vision shifted. The world became a grid of energy lines, and he focused on the woman before him.
What he saw made his jaw tighten.
Her internal world was a ruin. Her meridians, once broad and flowing with the power of the Tyrannical Immortal Physique, were shattered—snapped like dry twigs. Her Dantian was cracked. She had forcibly severed her connection to the clan's cultivation laws, ripping the energy out of her own body. It was an act of agonizing self-destruction.
It was exactly like the original timeline where she sacrificed her cultivation to follow Li Qiye. But reading about it on a screen and seeing the devastation in person were two different realms of reality. The pain she must be in was unimaginable, yet she stood upright.
"You crippled yourself," Ling Feng said softly, the weight of the realization hanging in the air.
"I severed my ties," Chen Baojiao corrected sharply, lifting her chin. Pride radiated from her broken form. "I would rather be a mortal following a tyrant than a puppet princess in a golden cage being sold to the highest bidder. You said you could fix me. You said you could give me a future."
She took a shaky step forward, her legs trembling under the strain. "I have bet my life on you, Ling Feng. Do not disappoint me."
Ling Feng stared at her. The silence stretched for a long moment, the wind whistling through the mountain gate.
Then, a wide, genuine grin broke across his face. It wasn't his usual mocking smirk reserved for enemies. It was a look of pure, unadulterated respect.
"That's metal," Ling Feng said, nodding appreciatively. "Seriously. That's the most hardcore thing I've heard all week. You got guts, Baojiao. Absolute savage behavior. I like that."
He stepped forward, ignoring the defensive tense-up of Shi Gandang, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Shi Gandang," Ling Feng looked at the old man. "You stuck with her through this? Even when she's a 'cripple'?"
"I am the Young Miss's protector," Shi Gandang bowed low, his voice unwavering. "Where she goes, I go. My loyalty is to her, not the Clan."
"Good. You're hired," Ling Feng pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the First Elder, who had just arrived, panting and clutching his chest. "Elder, get this guy a badge. He's a Guest Advisor now. Full benefits. Treat him well, or I'll dock your pay."
"Y-Yes, Young Noble!" The First Elder bowed frantically, too scared to ask what "benefits" meant.
Ling Feng turned his attention back to Chen Baojiao. The playfulness in his eyes was replaced by the intense focus of a surgeon.
"Alright. You did the hard part. Now it's my turn. Let's get you fixed up."
He didn't wait. He didn't ask for a private room or incense to pray to the heavens. He simply placed his hand directly over her Dantian.
"Chaos Control: Restoration."
BOOM!
The Green Chaos Emerald within his Inner Void spun violently. A torrent of emerald energy, crackling like wild electricity, erupted from Ling Feng's hand and punched into Chen Baojiao's body.
It wasn't a gentle healing stream like the water of life. It was a forceful invasion. The Chaos Force was an alien power, not bound by the laws of this reality, and it didn't just repair; it rewrote.
"Ngh!" Chen Baojiao gritted her teeth, a groan of agony escaping her lips as her body convulsed.
Inside her body, a microscopic war was waging. The shattered remnants of her meridians were being consumed by the green energy. The impurities clogging her Tyrannical Immortal Physique—the "rust" on the engine—were incinerated instantly.
Ling Feng focused, his mind processing information at the speed of light. 'The Tyrannical Immortal Physique creates too much blood energy. It's like putting a rocket engine in a bicycle; it destroys the vessel. The Chaos Force needs to act as a regulator. A transmission system.'
He channeled the energy, forging new, wider, more durable meridians that glowed with a faint emerald hue. He connected her physique directly to the ambient energy of the world, creating a complex venting system that would allow her to channel endless power without backlash.
"Breathe," Ling Feng commanded, his voice echoing in her mind.
Chen Baojiao gasped, her back arching. She felt a sensation she hadn't felt in years. Lightness. The constant, crushing pressure on her chest—the curse of her physique—was gone. The pain that ate at her lifespan was vanishing like mist under the sun.
Instead, a new power was surging from her Dantian. It was raw, violent, and incredibly strong. It felt like a dormant volcano had just been awakened, but this time, she held the reins.
"The Spring of Life..." Chen Baojiao whispered, her eyes widening. She could feel her cultivation base rebuilding itself at a terrifying speed. Not with the Chen Clan's arts, but with something new. Something derived from the Chaos Force itself.
Ling Feng pulled his hand back, exhaling a puff of white steam. "Done. I rewired your system. Your physique is now stable. You can cultivate as hard as you want, and you won't explode. In fact, the harder you cultivate, the hotter you'll get. Literally and metaphorically."
Chen Baojiao stood up straight. Her color returned instantly, a healthy flush rushing to her cheeks. Her skin glowed with a vitality that surpassed even her previous peak. She clenched her fist, and the air audibly popped around her fingers, unable to withstand the density of her raw strength.
She looked at Ling Feng. The gratitude, the relief, the adrenaline—it was a chaotic cocktail of emotions that overwhelmed her rationality. He had done what the heavens couldn't. He had saved her.
Without thinking, she lunged forward.
She grabbed Ling Feng by the collar of his robe and pulled him down, smashing her lips against his.
It wasn't a romantic, flowery kiss. It was a clumsy, desperate collision, fueled by the rush of survival and the promise of a new life. It tasted of dust and victory.
The First Elder covered his eyes with his sleeve, groaning. "Oh, for heaven's sake... surely this violates some precept..."
Su Yonghuang, who was watching from the shadow of the gate, felt a sharp pang of jealousy pierce her heart. Her fingers tightened around the stone frame of the gate, leaving indentations, but she bit her lip and stayed silent, acknowledging the debt Baojiao owed him.
Ling Feng was surprised for a split second—his eyes widening—but he quickly melted into it. He grinned against her lips, wrapping his arms around her waist to steady her trembling form. He broke the kiss after a moment, pulling back just enough to look her in the eye.
"Welcome to the team, Baojiao," he chuckled, wiping a smudge of dirt from her cheek. "I take it you're happy with the customer service? Five-star rating?"
"You are arrogant," Chen Baojiao panted, her eyes shining with moisture and fire. "But you deliver."
"That's the brand promise," Ling Feng winked. He gestured up the stairs. "Let's go inside. Meet the rest of the crew. We have a lot of work to do, and I'm starving."
...
By evening, the chaotic energy of the day had settled into a comfortable, warm buzz.
Ling Feng's private courtyard was lively. Chen Baojiao had been formally introduced to Li Shuangyan and Xu Pei. Thankfully, because they had all traveled and fought together in the Evil Infested Ridge, the transition was smooth.
Ling Feng watched them from his spot on a lounge chair. He never thought much of it before, but he supposed it really was true that fighting together forged a bond stronger than steel. The camaraderie was instant.
Chen Baojiao was currently listening intently as Shi Gandang explained the modified cultivation art Ling Feng had thrown together for her in five minutes. It was a mix of her physique's natural inclination and the chaotic principles of his own power.
"This art..." Shi Gandang murmured, his stone eyes wide as he read the floating golden text Ling Feng had manifested. "It is reckless. It abandons defense for absolute offense. It burns blood energy to fuel speed and power. It suits the Young Miss perfectly."
"High risk, high reward," Ling Feng called out, taking a sip of wine. "That's how we roll. No pain, no gain, right?"
As the moon rose high, casting silvery light over the spirit garden, the group began to disperse. Shi Gandang retired to the guest quarters, eager to meditate on the new insights.
Li Shuangyan, giving Ling Feng a knowing, slightly smirk-filled look, took Chen Baojiao by the arm to show her the new living arrangements, leaving Ling Feng alone with Xu Pei.
The sudden quiet was heavy.
Xu Pei sat on a stone stool near the spirit herbs, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She looked nervous again, her shoulders hunched.
"Hey," Ling Feng walked over, his footsteps silent. He crouched down so he was eye-level with her, encroaching on her personal space in that casual way of his. "You okay, Sunshine?"
"Yes," Xu Pei nodded quickly, too quickly. She stared at the ground. "It is just... Sister Baojiao is so strong. Her aura... it is like a storm. And Sister Shuangyan is a Noble, a genius. I am..."
She trailed off, the insecurity evident.
"You're the heart," Ling Feng said softly.
He reached out and took her hands. They were rough, calloused from years of gardening and servitude. To most cultivators, these were flawed hands. To Ling Feng, they were real.
"Listen to me," he said, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Shuangyan is the sword; she cuts through obstacles. Baojiao is saber; she takes heads. But you? You're the home. Without you, this place is just a barracks. It's just a place we sleep between fights."
Xu Pei looked up, tears shimmering in her big, doe-like eyes. "Truly? You are not just saying that?"
"I don't dispense fake news," Ling Feng smiled gently, squeezing her hands. "You ground me. That's a power neither of them have. Come on. Let's go inside."
He led her into his room.
Tonight was different. Unlike the wild, intense passion he shared with Li Shuangyan, tonight was about reassurance.
He undressed her with a slow reverence, removing her simple sash and robes as if unwrapping a priceless artifact. The moonlight filtered through the window, painting her skin in shades of ivory.
"I will be gentle," Ling Feng whispered against her skin, pressing a kiss to the hollow of her throat.
"Young Noble..." Xu Pei wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. Her shyness melted away under his touch, replaced by a deep, trusting warmth. "Please... love me. Make me feel real."
Ling Feng laughed softly, a low rumble in his chest, his thumbs tracing circles on her hips. "That's the plan, Sunshine. Prepare to be pampered."
He kissed her collarbone, slow and deliberate, then worked his way up to her throat, feeling her pulse leap under his lips. "But we're doing this your pace. You tell me when, where, how."
Xu Pei's breath hitched as his hands slid up her ribs, calloused fingertips skimming the underside of her breasts.
"I—I don't know what I'm doing," she admitted, fingers tightening in his hair. "But I want all of you. Even if I'm clumsy."
"You think I care about clumsy?" Ling Feng nipped her earlobe, grinning against her skin when she shivered. "You're here. That's all that matters." He rolled her onto her back, caging her between his arms, but left space for her to push him away—always room to run, always her choice.
He settled between her legs, not yet joining their bodies, but letting her feel the heat of him against her core. Her back arched slightly, a silent invitation, and Ling Feng chuckled, deep in his chest. "Eager, are we?"
"I am trying to be brave," Xu Pei whispered, her hands roving over his shoulders, down the planes of his back. "You make me brave."
"That's my girl," he murmured, lowering his head to claim her lips. This kiss was different from the others. It wasn't gentle or teasing; it was a deep, soul-searing connection, a silent promise that he would meet her courage with his own.
Xu Pei gasped as Ling Feng's hands mapped her body—every touch deliberate, worshipful. His fingers traced the curve of her hips, the dip of her waist, as if memorizing her.
"Beautiful," he murmured against her throat, his breath hot. "Every part of you, Sunshine."
She shuddered, her fingers tightening in his hair. "Don't hold back," she whispered. "I want all of you."
He chuckled, low and warm, sliding a hand between her thighs. "Tell me what you like," he coaxed, nipping her collarbone.
Xu Pei whimpered, arching into his touch. "J-just you," she stammered, cheeks flushed.
Ling Feng's grin softened. "That's my girl." His fingers curled inside her, slow and deep, drawing out her pleasure until her breath hitched.
When she trembled, gasping his name, he kissed her forehead—reverent, grounding.
"Easy," he murmured. The moment stretched, intimate.
He entered her then, a slow, steady pressure that made her gasp. Her breath hitched at the stretch, the sensation of being filled so completely, so utterly, it stole the air from her lungs.
He paused, giving her a moment to adjust, to breathe. And she did, her body relaxing as the initial discomfort gave way to a deep, aching pleasure.
"Okay?" he breathed against her cheek.
She nodded, her hands gripping his biceps. "Okay."
He began to move then, a slow, deep rhythm that was more about connection than speed. Each thrust was a deliberate caress, each retreat a sweet torment. He was watching her, his dark eyes focused on her face, on the way her lips parted, the way her pupils dilated. He wasn't just taking pleasure; he was learning her, memorizing the sounds she made, the way her body responded to his.
"Please, Young Noble... more," she whimpered, her hips rising to meet his. The shy, gentle girl was gone, replaced by a woman who knew what she wanted. A woman who wanted him.
Ling Feng grinned—wild, unrestrained—and pinned her wrists above her head. His grip was firm but gentle, leaving her room to twist free if she chose. She didn't.
"Look at you," he murmured, voice rough with admiration. "So bold for me."
His thrusts deepened, each one punctuated with her soft gasps and his name half-moaned against his shoulder.
Xu Pei arched beneath him, her body singing with every stroke—no longer just pleasure, but something deeper. The Chaos Energy in his core reached out, weaving through her meridians like liquid sunlight. She cried out as it ignited her senses, her nails raking down his back.
"I—I feel you," she gasped. "Inside me. Everywhere."
"You do?" Ling Feng growled against her throat, slowing his thrusts just to watch her squirm. His fingers traced patterns on her sweat-slicked skin, mapping constellations only they knew. "Then feel this."
He shifted angles sharply, hitting that sweet spot that made her vision white out. Xu Pei sobbed his name, her legs locking around his hips like she'd die if he stopped.
"Sunshine," he murmured, catching her tear with his thumb. His voice was wrecked, raw with something deeper than lust. "You with me?"
"Always," she whispered.
Ling Feng kissed her eyelids, her cheeks, the corner of her mouth—each press of his lips a quiet promise. His thrusts became deliberate, deep rolls of his hips that dragged against her most sensitive places, pulling choked whimpers from her throat.
When she dug her nails into his shoulders, he groaned, low and satisfied. "That's it, Sunshine. Mark me up. Show them all who I belong to."
Xu Pei arched beneath him, her voice breaking around his name as she clutched him closer. "You—you feel so good, Young Noble. Like you're made for me."
The words slipped out, raw and honest, and Ling Feng's rhythm stuttered. He cradled her face in his hands, thumbs brushing away tears she hadn't realized she'd shed.
"Maybe I am," he murmured, and the vulnerability in his tone—so rare for him—sent heat flooding through her veins.
Their bodies moved together in a rhythm that felt less like possession and more like a conversation—a give-and-take of whispered gasps and lingering touches.
When he shifted, hitting that spot deep inside her that made stars burst behind her eyes, she cried out, her head falling back.
Ling Feng buried his face in her neck, his breath hot against her skin. "That's it, Sunshine. Let go. I've got you."
He didn't let up. His fingers tangled in her hair, tipping her head back to expose the delicate line of her throat. He kissed her there—slow, open-mouthed, tasting her sweat and the rapid flutter of her pulse.
"You're perfect," he breathed against her skin. "Every inch of you." The sincerity in his voice sent a fresh wave of heat through her, and she met his next thrust with a desperate roll of her hips.
"Only for you," she gasped. "All of me... only for you."
Ling Feng's control snapped. His grip tightened on her hips, and he drove into her—hard, fast, relentless. Xu Pei sobbed with pleasure, her body straining towards release, every nerve ending alight with the force of their combined passion. The room faded away, leaving only the slap of skin against skin, the ragged sound of their breathing, and the overwhelming feeling of him inside her—filling her, completing her.
"Come for me," he growled, the command a rough, primal thing. And she did. Xu Pei shattered around him, a silent scream tearing from her throat as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her. It was so intense it was almost painful, a white-hot ecstasy that left her trembling and breathless.
Ling Feng followed her over the edge with a hoarse cry, burying himself deep inside her as he found his own release. He collapsed against her, his body heavy and boneless, his face buried in the crook of her neck.
They lay like that for a long while, tangled together in the sheets, their hearts beating a frantic, syncopated rhythm against their ribs.
Finally, he stirred, rolling onto his side but keeping her wrapped in his arms. He brushed a stray strand of hair from her damp forehead. "My cute sunshine," he whispered.
Xu Pei buried her face against his chest, her fingers trailing idle patterns over his ribs. "Was I... really alright?" she murmured hesitantly.
Ling Feng's chest vibrated with a soft laugh. He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Alright? Pei, you were... you. You were brave and honest and you gave me everything."
He paused, his thumb stroking her cheek. "That's the most beautiful thing in the world."
Tears pricked her eyes again, but this time they were tears of pure, unadulterated joy.
Ling Feng cupped her face between his rough palms, thumbs stroking away the wet trails on her cheeks. "Tell me," he murmured, lips barely brushing hers. "What do you need?"
Xu Pei's fingers curled into his hair, pulling him closer with unexpected boldness. "You," she breathed against his mouth. "All of you—not just your kindness."
Ling Feng's grin was sharp in the moonlight as he chuckled. "Quite eager are we?" He nipped her bottom lip, and Xu Pei's back arched at the sharp sting.
"Yes," she gasped, shyness giving way to need.
"Good," Ling Feng growled, and the shift in him was immediate. He rolled, pinning her beneath him, one thigh pressing between her legs, eliciting a whimper. His hands bracketed her head, fingers lacing through hers, pinning her to the mattress.
The gentle lover from moments ago was gone, replaced by the untamable force she had witnessed from afar.
Xu Pei gasped as he scraped teeth down her throat, leaving marks she would wear proudly tomorrow. "Young Noble—ah!"
His fingers tightened around hers.
"Call me Feng," he demanded, lips hot against her ear. "Say it."
She shuddered beneath him. "F-Feng," she whispered, the name foreign yet intimate on her tongue. He rewarded her with a deep thrust that stole her breath.
She arched against him, fingers clenching helplessly around his. "I—I want," she panted, cheeks flushed crimson with desire and newfound boldness. "Everything."
Ling Feng laughed darkly, pressing an open-mouthed kiss to her racing pulse. "Greedy girl," he murmured, but adjusted his angle, granting her wish with each slow, deliberate roll of his hips.
Xu Pei whimpered, nails digging into his wrists—no longer shy, but possessive.
The scent of jasmine from her hair mingled with sweat as he dragged his lips down her collarbone, worshipping every inch of exposed skin. When he finally took her nipple into his mouth, her cry was half-surprise, half-pleasure—raw and unfiltered.
"So responsive," Ling Feng growled against her breast, reveling in how her body trembled beneath him. She answered by tightening around him, drawing a ragged groan from his throat.
"Look at me, Pei," he commanded, releasing her hands to cup her face. Her dazed eyes locked with his, and he was struck again by her unwavering trust.
"You take me so well," he murmured, beginning to move again—a rhythm both punishing and reverent.
Each thrust was a question she answered by arching into him, their bodies speaking a language deeper than words. He shifted, hitting a spot that made her see stars—her nails raked down his back, leaving welts that would last.
"Feng!" she sobbed, the name tearing from her throat like a prayer. "Please!"
He claimed her mouth in a searing kiss, tongue stroking hers in the same rhythm as their bodies.
"Please what, sunshine?" he growled against her lips. "Tell me."
Xu Pei trembled beneath him, fingers tangling in the sheets. "Don't stop," she begged, voice breaking. "Please don't ever stop."
A dark, possessive joy surged through him. "Never,"