The soft glow of the early morning sun streamed through the intricate lattice windows of Xuan Long's room. The scent of blooming spirit grass wafted in gently from the garden. As Xuan Long stirred awake, he felt a warm pressure against his chest.
He opened his eyes slowly.
Yue Li.
She was fast asleep, her delicate face mere inches from his. Her arms gently wrapped around him, her soft breath brushing against his cheek. Her black hair, slightly tousled from sleep, cascaded across the pillow like a silk waterfall. Her lips parted slightly in a peaceful smile.
Xuan Long blinked, unsure whether to move or stay still. A strange warmth stirred in his heart.
*Is this... love?*
His gaze softened. Slowly, gently, he leaned forward, drawn like a moth to a flame, his lips nearing hers...
But suddenly—
"M-Master?!"
Yue Li's eyes opened wide.
Xuan Long froze.
Their faces were now a breath apart.
Her face turned crimson. "W-What were you doing?!"
Xuan Long awkwardly cleared his throat, pulling back. "N-Nothing. I just... you were sleeping too close. I was going to move you."
"Liar! You were totally going to kiss me!"
"That—That's not true!"
She shot out of bed, her robe fluttering. "I'm going to cultivate! D-Don't disturb me!"
And with that, she vanished into the next room like a startled bird.
Xuan Long sat there, dazed. *Was I really going to kiss her? Am I losing my mind?*
---
Down the hall, Xiou Xue and Yue Mei still slept soundly, curled around each other like twin foxes. Xuan Long peeked in, his gaze softening.
"Sleep well, my princesses."
He turned around and found Hei Mo approaching, his usual cold demeanor unchanged.
"Master."
"Yes?"
"I have a method to hurt the Zhou family far more deeply than any blade."
Xuan Long raised an eyebrow, curious. "Speak."
"I wish to perform a blood curse. If I use Zhou Yuechan as a medium, every Zhou descendant under Foundation Realm will die within a day."
Xuan Long paused for a moment, then chuckled.
"You demonic cultivators truly don't hold back. But do it. Those animals dared speak of enslaving my sisters... Let their bloodline pay."
---
Deep in the dungeons beneath Shadow Mountain, Zhou Yuechan lay chained to a stone slab, her pride shattered.
Hei Mo entered the chamber, tools and talismans in hand.
Her eyes widened. "Y-You! What now?!"
"Silence," Hei Mo growled.
He began driving silver-black spirit nails into her pressure points, each one drawing a scream.
"Aaaah! You monster! My father will kill you! My grandfather will rip your soul apart!"
Blood dripped down the slab. With each nail, Hei Mo chanted in an ancient tongue, the room darkening with malevolent energy.
---
Elsewhere, across the cities, cries echoed.
In Zhou territory, hundreds of cultivators under Foundation Realm collapsed, their bodies decaying into dust. Panic spread like wildfire. Healers could do nothing.
Zhou Patriarch and Grand Elder returned from their conquest, only to find their descendants dead and daughters missing.
"WHO DID THIS?!" the Zhou Patriarch roared.
A trembling servant approached. "M-Master... it was Shadow Mountain... the lord there... Xuan Long..."
The Grand Elder's eyes turned blood-red. "That bastard! Assemble the elders! We march to his gates!"
---
Meanwhile, on Shadow Mountain...
Xuan Long sat comfortably within the grand strategy hall, observing the market reports.
He leaned back and muttered, "Duplication of 100,000 high-grade spirit stones... now to 1,000,000..."
He sighed. "I have more money than the entire central region."
Mu Chen entered with reports. "Master, we are struggling to store the excess stones. The vaults are overflowing."
Xuan Long nodded. "I've thought about it. We need to dominate the market now. Send word to Hua Sect. Drop prices by 40%."
Mu Chen gasped. "40%?! But we're already outpricing the entire region!"
Xuan Long smirked. "Exactly. I don't want competition. I want monopoly. Let the others rot."
---
The news hit the city like a thunderclap.
"What?! Qi Refining Pills at only 6 lower-grade spirit stones?!"
"Impossible! This must be a scam!"
"No, look! It's the official Hua Sect store!"
The crowd flooded the stalls. In a single day, Hua Sect earned over 50,000 mid-grade spirit stones.
Huang Liang, the Hua Sect leader, held her head. "This man... he's insane... and brilliant."
"We could survive a siege for six months with these profits."
Her eyes sparkled with a mix of awe and worry. "But... is he making any profit? Or is he sacrificing himself for us?"
She looked toward the mountain in the distance. *Xuan Long... what are you planning?*
---
Back in the Zhou estate, the Patriarch stood in the bloodied courtyard. Slaves and mortals were chained up, writhing in terror as Zhou sons laughed, ready to use them as toys.
A servant stumbled in. "M-Master! Bad news! Young Master Zhou Liang is dead! And Young Miss Yuechan has... been used for a blood curse."
"WHAT?!"
The Patriarch rushed forward and grabbed the servant by the throat.
"Say that again!"
"X-Xuan Long killed them both... and... and Zhou Yuechan was used as a medium... many descendants have already died..."
The Grand Elder stepped forward, eyes flaming with fury.
"Enough! We march to Shadow Mountain now. Call every elder, every soldier! That dog Xuan Long will pay with his life!"
The drums of war began to beat.
---
Back at the mountain, Xuan Long sat in meditation. In the distance, the cries of market vendors and the songs of children echoed.
His eyes slowly opened. "Let them come. But I won't just survive... I'll thrive."