Three days had passed since the child was saved.
The Crimson Orchid Sect's outer halls had been abandoned. What remained were only ashes, broken swords, and a lingering sickness in the air.
Shen Li and Yan Yue stood before the gates of the Crimson Lotus Temple, a once-neutral temple rumored to house ancient elemental scriptures. But it had recently grown... strange.
Too vibrant. Too loud.Too alive with power.
[System Prompt: Flame Candidate Detected – 2nd Slot Awakening][Warning: Existing Bondmate may resist integration][Trial Type: Emotional Conflict + Physical Temptation]
"Do you feel that?" Shen Li murmured.
Yan Yue's eyes narrowed. "Someone inside is broadcasting their spiritual aura like a signal flare."
"And it's aimed at me," he muttered.
They entered the temple.
Incense thickened the air—sweet, almost intoxicating. The walls shimmered with fiery runes. Scarlet-robed acolytes smiled too widely.
In the center courtyard, dancers swirled around a rising flame. Music thrummed like a heartbeat. But all motion halted the moment she appeared.
Barefoot, clad in red veils and gold silk, the High Flame Priestess stepped into view. Her long copper hair flowed like molten fire, skin kissed with golden markings. But it was her eyes that arrested Shen Li—amber, slitted, hungry.
She smiled. "Welcome, Tower-Blessed. I've been waiting."
[Flame Candidate Identified: Meiyun – Class: Lust Aspect | Rank: Gold Core (Tempered)][Warning: Emotional Disruption Detected in Primary Bondmate]
Yan Yue tensed beside him.
"She's radiating seduction aura," she said under her breath.
Meiyun walked forward, hips swaying. "I sensed your awakening the moment your tower stirred. The bond you seek—it doesn't have to be cold. Let me show you how real power blooms… through passion."
Shen Li kept his face neutral. "And what do you want in return?"
Her smile deepened. "To share the path. And perhaps… share you."
She circled him like a flame in motion, one finger trailing lightly down his arm.
Yan Yue stepped between them so fast the air cracked.
"Touch him again," she said flatly, "and I'll burn this temple down with your own fire."
[Flame Bond Spike – Primary Bondmate Emotion: Jealousy][System Suggestion: Conflict Trial Activated – Emotional Declaration Imminent]
Meiyun tilted her head. "So possessive. But the Tower doesn't favor fear or restraint. It favors those who surrender to desire. That's why you can't truly claim him."
Yan Yue's jaw clenched. "I don't want to claim him."
"Then move aside," Meiyun whispered, eyes glowing.
Shen Li finally moved.
"No one claims me," he said sharply. "The Tower binds only those who choose to be bound. If this is a trial, I accept it—but not by becoming a puppet to your performance."
Meiyun chuckled. "Then let's make it a dance, not a chain."
The next moment, flames roared around the courtyard.A challenge.
A ritual circle formed beneath Meiyun's feet. The red silk burned away, revealing glowing spirit tattoos that danced across her skin. Her body hovered midair, arms raised in a swirling cyclone of fire.
"If you can endure my flame," she said, "then you're worthy of my bond."
Yan Yue reached for her blades. "I'll fight with you—"
Shen Li held out a hand. "No. This is my trial."
He stepped into the flame without fear.
[Trial: Flame of Seduction – Resist Elemental Overload + Emotional Overstimulation][Rewards: Secondary Bond | Lust Trait Bonus | Hidden Flame Skill Unlocked]
The fire wrapped around him like a living creature—caressing, coaxing, consuming. Every breath was heat. Every heartbeat felt like a slow pull toward collapse.
Memories stirred.
Laughter in a sunlit orchard.
A stolen kiss under moonlight.
A night of whispered promises that were never kept.
The Tower fed him these illusions.
He gritted his teeth.
"This flame… is beautiful," he admitted aloud. "But it's not real. Lust is not strength alone—it's the reflection of something deeper."
Meiyun's flames wavered.
"You… resist me?"
"I choose balance," he said. "Not emptiness."
From the edge of the courtyard, Yan Yue's gaze never wavered.
And maybe that's why… he didn't fall.
When the ritual ended, Meiyun floated gently to the ground. A single ribbon of fire wrapped around Shen Li's wrist, marking his acceptance.
[Second Flame Candidate Bonded: Meiyun][Flame Type: Lust Aspect | Power Boost: +22% in Charm/Dual Trials][Hidden Trait Unlocked: Flame of Temptation – Can Trigger Emotional Truths in Others]
She knelt before him.
"Then we are bound… by choice, not conquest," she said. "But don't think I'll lose to her."
Yan Yue turned on her heel. "I'll be outside. Cooling off."
Meiyun smirked. "She burns hotter than I do."
Shen Li sighed. "Great. Now they both want to kill me."
Outside, he caught up to Yan Yue. She didn't look at him.
"You didn't need her," she said stiffly.
"No. But I'll need allies. The Tower wants unity, not solitude."
"She kissed you with her flames."
"Jealous?"
Her silence was long. Then:
"…Yes."
[Primary Flame Bond Progress: 71% – Emotional Honesty Achieved][System Prompt: Dual-Bond Phase Unlocked – Choose Next Trial Location]
Shen Li looked at the stars above.
Two flames now burned within him.
But one had always burned brighter.
And it wasn't the one dancing in red.