The golden ash of the Crimson Moon Beast had not yet fully scattered when the sky above Cloudfire Sect turned a brilliant hue of sunrise gold. For the first time in days, the oppressive crimson light was gone—replaced by warm sunlight and the gentle flutter of falling petals stirred up by the final explosion.
Yet amidst the beauty, there was silence.
The disciples who had survived were stunned, staring wide-eyed at the spot where the monstrous beast had perished. They looked toward the battered figures standing in the center of the battlefield.
Four unparalleled beauties.
One tattered man, barely conscious, lying in their arms.
That man—was Wang Li.
His body was scorched, robes torn, spiritual qi depleted. But his eyes, half-lidded and faintly glowing, still had the same cocky glint as always.
"You girls really saved my ass," he muttered, as Mu Qingling wiped blood from the corner of his lips.
"You said you'd be fine," she snapped. "You almost died again. How many near-deaths does that make? Twelve? Thirteen?"
He chuckled weakly. "Fourteen, if we're counting that time in the Icefire Abyss."
"You idiot," Lin Ruoyan muttered, her voice trembling despite her usual fierceness. "If you died again, I would've really killed you this time."
Feng Yuling's grip on his hand tightened. She didn't speak. Her eyes—normally calm and authoritative—were misted over.
Then Bai Xueyao stepped forward. She stared down at him silently, her icy-blue eyes glinting with something unfathomable. Then, without warning, she leaned down—and pressed her lips to his.
It was gentle. Brief. Chaste.
Yet it was as if the entire world had gone still.
Wang Li blinked. "Uh…"
"You owe me a hundred spirit stones," Ruoyan said to Qingling, deadpan.
Qingling crossed her arms and looked away. "Tch."
Yuling gave a half-smile. "I was about to do that."
Bai Xueyao stood up straight, calm as ever. "A victory kiss. It's tradition."
Wang Li coughed, his ears turning pink. "If that's the case, then I demand my share from all four of you."
"Dream on," Ruoyan said, though the corner of her mouth twitched upward.
They helped him to his feet, and with support, he stood among them once more.
"Status update," Wang Li muttered.
> [SYSTEM UPDATE: Core Overload successful. Host's spiritual root stabilized. Dual Core now undergoing evolution. Potential unlocked: Primordial Hybrid Path.]
> [New Bloodline Trait Unsealed: Godslayer Vein (Dormant).]
> [Affection levels increased: Feng Yuling +15, Lin Ruoyan +12, Mu Qingling +20, Bai Xueyao +???]
He blinked.
"Wait, what's with the question marks?!"
Bai Xueyao turned slightly. "I don't reveal my cards. Even to you."
Mu Qingling rolled her eyes. "Gods, she's going to be impossible to deal with now."
Feng Yuling sighed. "We'll talk about all of this later. Right now, the Sect needs answers."
Indeed, dozens of sect elders and disciples were arriving. Some cheered, others wept in relief. The Sect Master descended from the skies, followed by a cadre of silver-robed elders.
"Wang Li!" he called. "What happened here? That creature—it was divine in origin!"
Wang Li straightened his back, blood still staining his robes.
"I'll give you a full explanation later," he said. "But in short—something ancient was sealed beneath this sect. Something tied to the gods. It woke up, and we put it back down."
The Sect Master's expression tightened. "You should have reported it to the Elders."
"I was busy," Wang Li said, motioning to his wounds and ripped clothes. "You're welcome, by the way."
An awkward silence.
Then the Sect Master gave a dry laugh. "You reckless bastard. You've saved the sect… again."
He turned to the disciples. "Let it be known—today, the Cloudfire Sect was defended not by fate, but by our own!"
Cheers erupted.
As celebrations began to ripple through the sect, Wang Li slowly walked toward the shattered southern peak. It was quiet there now, the sky clear, the ruins still smoldering.
Feng Yuling followed.
"Something's on your mind," she said softly.
He looked up at the empty sky. "That beast… it wasn't just a monster. It was connected to the ancient gods. Something is stirring in the Divine Realm."
She stood beside him in silence.
"You're afraid," she finally said.
"I'm not," he replied, "but I'm cautious. There's more going on here than any of us understand."
Yuling looked at him, and for the first time in a long while, she placed her hand on his cheek. "Then don't carry it all alone. Let us help."
Wang Li turned, catching her gaze. She leaned in—and this time, it was him who kissed her.
Soft. Deep. Fierce.
For a brief moment, the shadows of gods and beasts faded, and only the warmth of her lips remained.
When they finally pulled apart, Yuling whispered, "You'd better do that again sometime."
He grinned. "You'll have to fight the others for a turn."
From a distance, Mu Qingling crossed her arms. "He's kissing Yuling now. Where's my turn?"
Lin Ruoyan snorted. "We should tie him up and take turns."
"Pervert," Bai Xueyao said flatly—but she didn't say no.
Wang Li heard all of it, and for once, he didn't feel like running away.
For the first time in this world, he felt something strange.
Belonging.
But he also felt something else.
A faint presence… watching from the void above.
> [ALERT: Divine Realm Eyes Detected.]
[Unknown Entity: "Watcher of the Ninth Heaven" has taken notice of the Host.]
His smile faded.
"So… the real game is just beginning."