Anthonio descended from the Crimson Mountains with the sunrise at his back, his newly achieved Sovereign cultivation radiating power that made the very air around him shimmer. Every step felt different—lighter yet more impactful, as if reality itself recognized his transcendence.
I'm Sovereign, he thought, still marveling at the fundamental change. Seventeen years old and I've achieved what most cultivators spend lifetimes pursuing.
The journey back to the Academy took half the time it should have. At Sovereign 1-Star, his movement techniques transcended mortal limitations—he could cover miles in minutes, his body transforming into pure essence when needed.
But as the Academy came into view, Anthonio suppressed his aura dramatically. He couldn't hide being Sovereign—that was impossible after a tribulation visible for hundreds of miles—but he could control how much power he displayed.
Let them see Sovereign 1-Star, he decided. Not that my actual combat capability rivals Sovereign 4-Star. Keep some advantages hidden even now.
He entered Academy grounds just before noon, and the reaction was immediate.
Students stopped mid-conversation, staring with awe and fear. Instructors emerged from buildings, their Transcendence-level cultivations instinctively recognizing a superior power. Even the ambient essence in the Academy seemed to shift, acknowledging a Sovereign's presence.
"Is that—"
"Anthonio Crimsonhart?"
"He's Sovereign? But he's seventeen!"
"The tribulation two nights ago—that was his ascension?"
Whispers spread like wildfire. Within minutes, the entire Academy knew—their champion had returned as a Sovereign cultivator.
Headmaster Aldric materialized before him, the elderly Sovereign's expression complex. "Anthonio Crimsonhart. You've achieved Sovereign realm."
"Yes, Headmaster."
"At seventeen years old. Unprecedented in Academy history. Perhaps in kingdom history." Aldric's eyes studied him carefully. "The tribulation was visible across three provinces. Many thought a great treasure had appeared. Instead, it was a student's ascension."
"I apologize for any concern caused."
"Concern?" Aldric's laugh was short. "Try astonishment. Pride. And yes, concern—because a seventeen-year-old Sovereign raises questions about how such rapid advancement was achieved."
"Through hard work, exceptional resources, and fortunate circumstances. Nothing forbidden."
"The investigation team will want to continue their examination—"
"With respect, Headmaster, I'm Sovereign now. Investigation of my cultivation methods is no longer within Academy jurisdiction unless you're formally accusing me of specific violations. Are you?"
It was a calculated challenge. As a Sovereign, Anthonio had legal rights that transcended Academy authority. Unless they could prove actual crimes, they couldn't compel him to submit to examination.
Aldric's expression showed he recognized the power shift. "No formal accusations. Though Master Veyron will undoubtedly want answers."
"Master Veyron is welcome to ask questions. I'm not obligated to answer them."
"Indeed." Aldric paused, then continued with genuine respect. "Regardless of how it was achieved—congratulations, Anthonio. You've accomplished something remarkable. The Academy is proud to claim you as our student."
After the Headmaster left, Anthonio made his way toward his quarters. But he'd barely taken ten steps when Selene materialized from the shadows, dropping to her knees in full view of gathered students.
"Master," she said formally. "This servant congratulates you on your ascension. You honor us with your achievement."
The public declaration of their relationship—framed as master and devoted servant—sent new ripples through the watching crowd. Anthonio played along, placing his hand on her head in benediction.
"Rise, Selene. Your loyalty is appreciated."
She stood, and he caught the desperate hunger in her eyes. She needed him—needed the domination, the submission, the complete surrender that only he could provide. But they were in public, surrounded by witnesses.
Tonight, he promised silently. Tonight I'll give you everything you need.
The day passed in a blur of attention. Fellow students approached with congratulations and requests for guidance. Instructors offered formal respect tinged with wariness. Even Lei Feng, the former Azure Phoenix captain, sought him out.
"Sovereign at seventeen," Lei said, genuine admiration in his voice. "I knew you were hiding depths, but this exceeds all expectations. You'll be leaving the Academy soon, won't you? Sovereign cultivators rarely remain as students."
"Probably. Though I haven't decided my path yet."
"Whatever you choose, I wish you success. You've proven yourself exceptional."
As evening approached, Anthonio finally reached his quarters—only to find Cassandra waiting inside, her violet eyes bright with competitive fire and barely contained arousal.
"Sovereign," she said without preamble. "You're actually Sovereign. Do you know how arousing that is? Knowing I've been fucking someone who'd become the youngest Sovereign in history?"
"Cassandra—"
"Shut up." She was already stripping, her athletic body revealed with practiced efficiency. "I need to know what it feels like. What sex with a Sovereign is like. Whether you're even better now than before."
Despite having just completed a grueling ascension two days ago, Anthonio felt desire stirring. His Sovereign cultivation came with stamina that made his previous Transcendence limits seem laughable.
"You want to test whether Sovereign power translates to better sex?" he asked, amused.
"Exactly." Cassandra was completely naked now, her hands moving to his clothes. "Consider it competitive research. For science."
"For science," he agreed, pulling her into a fierce kiss.
They didn't make it to the bed. Cassandra pushed him against the wall, her hands freeing his cock with urgent efficiency. She dropped to her knees, her mouth engulfing him without hesitation.
"Fuck," Anthonio groaned as her lips slid down his length. "You're not wasting time."
Cassandra pulled back just enough to speak. "I've been thinking about this for two days. Ever since the tribulation lit up the sky and I knew you'd succeeded. Knew you'd come back even more powerful." She took him deep again, her tongue working his shaft expertly.
He let her work for several minutes, enjoying the sight of the competitive lightning cultivator servicing him eagerly. Then he pulled her up and spun her around, bending her over the nearby desk.
"Is this what you wanted?" he asked, positioning himself at her entrance. "To feel Sovereign power fucking you?"
"Yes," Cassandra gasped. "God yes. Give it to me. Don't hold back."
He entered her in one powerful thrust, and they both groaned at the sensation. Cassandra's pussy was tight and hot, her lightning essence making every touch electrically charged.
Anthonio fucked her with controlled intensity, his Sovereign-enhanced strength allowing him to maintain a brutal pace indefinitely. His hands gripped her hips hard enough to leave marks, his cock driving deep with each thrust.
"Harder," Cassandra demanded, her competitive nature showing even now. "I said don't hold back. Fuck me like you mean it."
He increased his pace, the desk creaking beneath them. Cassandra moaned with each impact, her inner walls clenching around him, her body responding to the overwhelming sensation.
"Touch yourself," he commanded. "Make yourself come on my Sovereign cock."
Her hand moved between her legs immediately, fingers finding her clit. Within seconds she was trembling, orgasm approaching rapidly.
"That's it," Anthonio growled. "Come for me. Show me how much you need this."
Cassandra came with a cry that was half pleasure, half lightning crackling through her hair. Her pussy clenched around him like a vice, and the sensation pushed him over the edge. He buried himself deep and came hard, filling her with several powerful pulses.
They stayed connected for a moment, both breathing hard. Then Cassandra looked back at him with a satisfied grin.
"Verdict: Sovereign sex is definitely better. Your stamina is insane now, your strength is perfect, and something about your essence just feels more intense." She straightened, his seed leaking down her thighs. "We're doing this again. Regularly."
"Demanding woman."
"Your woman. And yes, demanding." She dressed quickly, kissed him once more, then headed for the door. "Send word when you want round two. I'll make time."
After she left, Anthonio cleaned himself with a minor technique and collapsed onto his bed. He'd barely closed his eyes when another knock came.
"Come in," he called, too tired to move.
Aria entered, her golden hair loose around her shoulders, her amber eyes holding a mixture of relief and desire. "You're back. You're safe. You're Sovereign." She moved to the bed, sitting beside him. "Do you know how terrified I was? Watching that tribulation, knowing you might die?"
"I survived. Obviously."
"Obviously." She traced patterns on his chest. "And now you're beyond anyone's ability to truly threaten. Beyond Academy authority, beyond political manipulation. You're free in ways most people never achieve."
"Are you here to congratulate me or for something else?"
"Both." Aria's hand moved lower, sliding beneath his clothes. "I want to celebrate your success properly. Want to show you how proud I am. How much I've missed you."
Despite having just been with Cassandra, Anthonio's body responded to Aria's touch. Sovereign stamina was truly remarkable.
"You're insatiable," he said.
"So are you, apparently." She freed his hardening cock, her hand stroking with practiced skill. "Sovereign cultivation doesn't just enhance power. It enhances everything. Including this."
She leaned down and took him in her mouth, her enthusiasm matching Cassandra's earlier. But where Cassandra had been urgent and competitive, Aria was playful and sensual—taking her time, varying her technique, clearly enjoying herself as much as pleasuring him.
Anthonio let his head fall back, surrendering to the sensation. Aria's mouth was talented, her tongue doing things that made his toes curl, her hand working in perfect rhythm.
When she finally pulled back, her lips were swollen and her eyes dark with arousal. "Bed. Now. I want you properly."
They moved to the bed, shedding clothes efficiently. Aria's body was beautiful in the candlelight—curves in all the right places, skin flushed with desire, golden hair spread across his pillow.
"How do you want me?" she asked.
"On your back. I want to see your face while I fuck you."
She positioned herself, spreading her legs invitingly. Anthonio moved between them, his cock pressing against her entrance.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Always ready for you."
He pushed inside slowly, savoring every inch as her tight heat enveloped him. Aria's back arched, her breath catching, her hands gripping the sheets.
"God, you feel even bigger now," she gasped. "Fuller. More intense."
"Sovereign cultivation affects everything," he agreed, beginning to move with steady rhythm. "Including this."
He took his time with Aria, their coupling more sensual than his encounter with Cassandra. His hands explored her body—cupping her breasts, teasing her nipples, trailing down her sides. His lips found hers in deep kisses that she returned eagerly.
"I love this," Aria murmured between kisses. "Love how you make me feel. Like I'm special. Like I matter."
"You do matter. You're mine, Aria. One of my treasured few."
The words made her clench around him, and he increased his pace in response. Aria wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper, her hips rising to meet his thrusts.
"Harder," she breathed. "I want to feel you tomorrow. Want the memory of tonight burned into my body."
Anthonio complied, his Sovereign strength allowing him to drive into her with relentless power. Aria cried out with each thrust, her breasts bouncing, her mouth open in continuous pleasure.
"Touch yourself," he commanded. "Make yourself come while I fill you."
Her hand moved between them, fingers finding her clit. Within seconds her inner walls were fluttering, orgasm building rapidly.
"Come for me, Aria. Show me how much you need this."
She came with a broken cry, her pussy clenching around him rhythmically. The sensation was too much—Anthonio followed immediately, emptying himself inside her with a groan.
They collapsed together, both breathing hard, sweat cooling on their skin. Aria curled against him, satisfied and content.
"Stay," she whispered. "Just for a while. Let me enjoy this."
He held her, and they drifted in comfortable post-coital silence. Eventually Aria dressed and left with a final kiss, promising to see him tomorrow.
Alone finally, Anthonio checked the time—nearly midnight. He should sleep, should recover from the intense day.
Instead, another knock came. This time it was Selene, entering through shadows rather than the door.
"Master," she breathed, her voluptuous form barely concealed by a thin robe. "I've been patient all day. Waiting while you handled obligations, while others took their time with you. But now it's late, we're alone, and I need you desperately."
Anthonio sat up, studying her. Selene's need was genuine—he could see it in her eyes, in the way she trembled, in how her Sovereign 6-Star cultivation couldn't quite conceal her desperate arousal.
"What do you need, Selene?"
"Everything." She dropped the robe, standing naked before him. "Bind me. Edge me. Dominate me. Use me until I'm nothing but sensation and submission. I need to feel owned, master. Need to stop being the powerful instructor and just be yours."
Despite having been with two women already, Anthonio's Sovereign body responded immediately. He stood, his commanding presence making Selene shiver with anticipation.
"On the bed. Face down, hands above your head."
She obeyed instantly, positioning herself in complete vulnerability. Anthonio retrieved silk ropes from his storage, beginning the intricate bondage that Selene craved.
He bound her wrists to the headboard, her ankles spread and secured. Essence-reinforced restraints that could hold even a Sovereign—barely, but enough for their purposes.
"You're mine tonight," he said, his hand trailing down her spine. "Your pleasure belongs to me. Your body belongs to me. Everything you are belongs to me. Understood?"
"Yes, master," Selene gasped. "I'm yours. Completely yours. Use me however you want."
What followed was intense and prolonged. Anthonio used every technique he'd learned—edge play that brought her to the brink of orgasm repeatedly without allowing release, temperature contrast with ice and heat that made her writhe, sensory manipulation that heightened every touch.
"Please," Selene sobbed after thirty minutes of exquisite torture. "Please, master, let me come. I need it so badly—"
"Not yet. You haven't earned it."
He continued the torment, his hands, mouth, and essence working her body expertly. Selene's Sovereign cultivation was useless against the psychological domination—she could break the physical restraints easily, but she'd never break the mental submission.
After an hour of edge play, Anthonio finally entered her. Selene screamed into the pillow as he filled her, the sensation overwhelming after so much denial.
"Who do you belong to?" he demanded, his hips moving with controlled power.
"You, master! Only you! Forever yours!"
"What are you?"
"Your property! Your slut! Your devoted servant who exists only for your pleasure!"
He fucked her with relentless intensity, his Sovereign stamina allowing him to maintain the pace far longer than before. Selene came three times before he finally allowed himself release, each orgasm more intense than the last.
When he finally untied her, Selene was trembling, tears streaming down her face from overwhelming sensation. He held her carefully, providing the essential aftercare.
"Thank you, master," she whispered. "That was perfect. Exactly what I needed."
"I know. Sleep now. You've earned it."
She was unconscious within minutes, completely satisfied and deeply submissive. Anthonio held her for a while, then carefully extracted himself.
Three women in one evening. Even with Sovereign stamina, he was finally feeling the exhaustion.
Worth it though, he thought as sleep began claiming him. Cassandra's competitive enthusiasm, Aria's sensual passion, Selene's complete submission—each unique, each satisfying in different ways.
Morning: Confrontation
Anthonio woke to urgent knocking. He extracted himself from Selene's sleeping form and opened the door to find Lyra looking unusually serious.
"Kael knows," she said without preamble. "About you and Seraphina. He figured it out."
Anthonio's mind went immediately alert. "How?"
"Process of elimination combined with observation. He listed every male student Seraphina interacts with, analyzed her behavior around each, and concluded you're the one she lights up around. He's been watching for two days, and now he's certain."
"Where is he?"
"Waiting in the training hall. He wants to talk. Just you and him."
This was the confrontation Anthonio had been expecting—just earlier than planned. But he was Sovereign now, powerful enough to face any consequences.
"Tell him I'll be there in ten minutes."
After Lyra left, Selene stirred. "Master? What's happening?"
"Kael knows about Seraphina and me. I need to face him."
"Do you want me there? For support?"
"No. This is between him and me." He dressed quickly, then paused. "But thank you for offering."
The training hall was empty except for Kael, standing in the center looking emotionally devastated but determined. The protagonist's three Divine Essences manifested subtle auras—he was prepared for confrontation, possibly combat.
"Anthonio," Kael said as he entered. "My best friend. My teammate. My champion partner." His voice held pain. "And the person who stole Seraphina from me while pretending to support our engagement."
"Yes," Anthonio said simply. No point denying it now.
"How long?"
"Since before the engagement was announced. We met at her debut ball, fell in love that night. The engagement to you was political arrangement she never wanted."
Kael's jaw clenched. "So while I was planning our future, while I was trying to make her happy, while I was trusting you as my friend—you were sleeping with my fiancée behind my back?"
"Yes."
"And you felt no guilt? No shame? No remorse for betraying someone who trusted you completely?"
Anthonio considered lying, softening the truth. But Kael deserved honesty at this point.
"I felt guilt. Still do. You're a good person, Kael. Better than I am. You deserved better than this betrayal." He met the protagonist's eyes directly. "But I loved her more than I valued your friendship. And I'd make the same choice again."
"Why?" Kael's voice cracked. "Why deceive me for months? Why not just tell me the truth from the beginning?"
"Because Seraphina wasn't eighteen yet. Didn't have legal autonomy. If we'd revealed the relationship early, her family would have interfered, possibly forced the engagement anyway. We needed time."
"So you used me. Let me believe the engagement was real, that Seraphina might eventually love me, while you were claiming her behind my back."
"Yes."
Kael's Divine Essences flared with emotion. "I should fight you. Should challenge you to combat for this betrayal. Reclaim my honor."
"You could try. But I'm Sovereign now, and you're Manifestation 3-Star. It wouldn't be a fight—it'd be a massacre."
"I know." Kael's shoulders slumped. "That's the worst part. You're not just better at deception—you're better at everything. Stronger cultivation, sharper tactics, more willing to do whatever it takes to win. I never stood a chance against you."
"That's not true—"
"It is!" Kael's shout echoed through the empty hall. "You've been playing a different game this whole time. While I was being honorable, you were being strategic. While I was trusting, you were manipulating. While I thought we were friends, you were stealing everything meant for me!"
The accusation hit harder than expected. Because it was true—Anthonio had systematically stolen the protagonist's destiny, claimed his artifacts, taken his heroines.
"I'm sorry," Anthonio said quietly. "For what it's worth, I am genuinely sorry for the pain this caused you."
"Are you sorry enough to give her up? To step back and let me try to win her properly?"
"No. I love her too much for that."
"Then your apology is worthless." Kael turned away. "Get out. I don't want to see you right now. Maybe not ever."
"Kael—"
"GET OUT!"
Anthonio left, feeling the weight of the protagonist's pain and rage. Outside the training hall, he found Seraphina waiting, her silver eyes red from crying.
"He knows," she said. "He came to me this morning, asked directly if I was in love with you. I couldn't lie anymore."
"What did you tell him?"
"The truth. That I love you, that I've loved you since the debut ball, that the engagement to him was never what I wanted." Tears streamed down her face. "He looked so hurt, Anthonio. So betrayed. And I did that to him. We did that to him."
Anthonio pulled her close. "I know. And we'll live with that guilt. But Seraphina—I don't regret choosing you. I regret the pain it caused him, but I don't regret us."
"Neither do I." She held him tightly. "But it still hurts. Knowing we destroyed someone good to claim our happiness."
They stood together in the hallway, two people who'd chosen each other at the cost of someone else's heart.
The villain's victory, Anthonio thought. I got everything I wanted—power, the heroine, freedom from destiny. But the cost was a friend's trust and a good man's happiness.
Was it worth it?
He looked at Seraphina, saw the love in her eyes despite the guilt, felt the rightness of being with her.
Yes. It was worth it. And I'd pay that price again.
END OF CHAPTER 37