The opulent dining hall within the sprawling mansion of Ironcliff City was eerily quiet. The long, polished mahogany table remained laden with an extravagant spread of roasted meats and delicate pastries, completely untouched. The heavy, velvet curtains were drawn tight against the morning sun, casting the expansive room into a dim, murky gloom.
A low, pained groan broke the silence.
Captain Feng Lie, a seasoned Level 88 Spirit Douluo and the commanding officer of the Empress's personal vanguard, shifted weakly on the plush carpet. His head pounded with a dull, throbbing ache, feeling as though a massive warhammer had been repeatedly driven into his skull. He blinked his eyes open, the blurry shapes of the room slowly coming into focus. He pushed himself up onto his elbows, the heavy, intricately forged armor he wore clinking softly against the floorboards.
"Ugh... my head," Feng Lie muttered, rubbing his temples.
Beside him, another groan echoed. Vice-Captain Chen Yu, a formidable Level 87 Spirit Douluo, rolled onto his side, clutching his stomach. Several other elite guards and seasoned maids lay scattered across the floor, slowly regaining consciousness. There was no immediate panic, no sudden, instinctual leap to form a defensive perimeter. The lingering effects of the spiritual manipulation left them feeling incredibly groggy, their limbs heavy and unresponsive.
"Chen Yu," Feng Lie grunted, pushing himself into a sitting position. "Get up. Check the perimeter."
Chen Yu shook his head, trying to clear the lingering fog. He pushed himself up, his eyes scanning the dim room. The realization hit him like a bucket of freezing water.
"Captain," Chen Yu spoke, his voice trembling slightly. "The Empress. She is gone."
The words cut through the remaining grogginess instantly. Feng Lie scrambled to his feet, his spirit power flaring instinctively. He looked toward the head of the table where Empress Zhu Leihua had been sitting. The ornate chair was empty.
"Search the halls! Lock down the mansion!" Feng Lie commanded, though the order felt hollow even as it left his lips.
As the guards scrambled to their feet, their fabricated memories surged to the forefront of their spiritual seas, overriding their confusion with sheer, unadulterated terror. They did not remember a quiet dinner. They did not remember any younger sister.
The terrifying, perfectly constructed narrative planted by Zhang Tian bloomed in their minds.
They clearly recalled arriving at this mansion under the strict, secretive orders of the Empress. They had come to negotiate a lucrative, wartime alliance with the leader of a powerful, completely unknown hidden sect. The meeting had seemingly gone well at first, until the sect leader, a man cloaked in dark shadows, had laid his eyes upon the breathtaking beauty of Empress Zhu Leihua. The negotiations had immediately twisted into a foul, demanding courtship.
They remembered the Empress righteously, furiously rejecting the man's advances, citing her status and her duty to the empire.
And then, the nightmare had unfolded.
"That monster," Chen Yu gasped, leaning against the wooden table for support as the false memory assaulted his senses. "That Titled Douluo... he just appeared out of thin air."
Feng Lie gritted his teeth, the phantom pressure of the illusionary memory making it difficult to breathe. He recalled a terrifying figure stepping forward, engulfed in a raging, abyssal inferno. A colossal, suffocating phantom of a Dark Flame Dragon had materialized, radiating an ancient, destructive heat. Nine spirit rings had pulsed with overwhelming, blinding radiance.
'We could not even summon our martial spirits,' Feng Lie thought, his hands shaking in profound humiliation. 'A Level 88 and a Level 87 Spirit Douluo, backed by a dozen elite Spirit Saints... and we were crushed into the floorboards simply by the release of his spiritual presence. We could not even put up a fight. It was a complete, effortless subjugation.'
They remembered the Titled Douluo effortlessly bypassing their defensive formations, grabbing the Empress, and incapacitating them all with a single, sweeping wave of dark flames.
But the most horrifying aspect of the implanted memory was the final, arrogant message the hidden sect leader had left burning in Feng Lie's mind.
"He left us alive on purpose," Feng Lie murmured, his face completely pale. "He did not even consider us a threat. He merely wanted messengers."
"Captain, what do we do?" a terrified maid asked, tears streaming down her face. "The Empress has been abducted!"
Feng Lie reached into his armor with a trembling hand, pulling out a sleek, black Communication Spirit Tool. "We have to inform the Imperial Palace immediately. If that lunatic's warning is genuine, the entire reputation of the Star Luo Empire hangs by a thread."
He tapped the glowing runes on the smooth jade surface, bypassing the standard military channels entirely. He established a direct, highly encrypted communication link with Lady Mei, the Head Maid of the Imperial Palace, who managed the internal, private affairs of the royal household.
Miles away, within the sprawling, heavily fortified heart of Star Luo City, the Imperial Palace was a hive of frantic, organized military activity. The mobilization orders issued by Emperor Dai Tianxiong had set the entire nation ablaze with preparations for the impending continental war against the Heaven Dou Empire.
Deep within the private, luxurious royal wing, Lady Mei was organizing the Empress's ceremonial armor when her Communication Spirit Tool chimed sharply. She answered the call, expecting a routine update on the Empress's supposedly secret diplomatic excursion.
"Captain Feng," Lady Mei greeted primly. "Has the Empress concluded her negotiations in Ironcliff City?"
"Lady Mei," Feng Lie's voice crackled through the receiver, sounding utterly broken and panicked. "You must inform His Majesty immediately. It is a catastrophe. The negotiations were a trap. The Empress... the Empress has been forcefully abducted by a Titled Douluo."
Lady Mei dropped the golden breastplate she was holding. It clattered loudly against the polished marble floor. "Abducted? Are you entirely out of your mind, Captain? You were sent with a full vanguard of Spirit Douluos! How could anyone simply abduct the Empress of the Star Luo Empire?"
"It was a hidden sect," Feng Lie explained hurriedly, his voice dropping to a terrified murmur. "The leader demanded her as his woman. When she refused, a Titled Douluo with a Dark Flame Dragon martial spirit crushed us instantly. We could not even fight back. He took her, Lady Mei. And he left a warning."
"What warning?" Lady Mei asked, her blood running cold.
"The leader stated that if the Imperial Family dares to try and replace the Empress with some other concubine or consort to save face... their sect will definitely make the current Emperor infamous as a massive, continental joke," Feng Lie relayed the humiliating message word for word. "He said he would let the entire world know how his beloved wife had been abducted and actively enjoyed by many men in their sect, turning Emperor Dai Tianxiong into the greatest cuckold in history."
Lady Mei gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. The sheer, unprecedented audacity of the threat was staggering. "Stay exactly where you are, Captain. Do not speak a single word of this to anyone else. I am going to His Majesty."
Lady Mei severed the connection, her hands shaking violently. She sprinted out of the royal wing, bypassing the bustling corridors filled with generals and strategists. She arrived at the heavy, gilded doors of the Emperor's private study. The elite guards recognized her panic and quickly opened the doors.
Emperor Dai Tianxiong sat behind a massive desk carved from solid obsidian. He was poring over sprawling tactical maps, calculating the supply routes needed to march his legions northward. He looked up, his golden eyes narrowing at the uncharacteristic intrusion.
"What is the meaning of this disruption, Lady Mei?" Dai Tianxiong demanded, his deep voice carrying the heavy, imposing authority of a sovereign ruler and a newly ascended Titled Douluo.
Lady Mei fell to her knees before the desk, pressing her forehead against the floorboards. "Your Majesty... I beg for your forgiveness. A catastrophic message has just arrived from Captain Feng Lie in Ironcliff City."
Dai Tianxiong set his quill down, his expression hardening. "Speak."
"The Empress..." Lady Mei stammered, terrified of the impending wrath. "The Empress has been forcefully abducted."
The study descended into a profound, suffocating silence.
Dai Tianxiong simply stared at her for a long, agonizing moment. His mind completely stalled. Abducted? The Empress of the most powerful, militaristic empire on the Douluo Continent, taken from under the noses of an elite guard detachment?
"Explain yourself clearly," Dai Tianxiong ordered, his voice dangerously low.
Lady Mei relayed the entire, horrifying report she had just received. She spoke of the hidden sect, the failed negotiations, the terrifying Dark Flame Dragon Titled Douluo who had crushed their Spirit Douluo captains effortlessly, and finally, the deeply humiliating, arrogant warning left behind by the sect leader regarding turning the Emperor into a continental joke.
CRASH!
Dai Tianxiong's fist slammed down upon the obsidian desk. The incredibly dense, enchanted stone fractured instantly, a massive spiderweb of cracks spreading across the surface. His golden eyes burned with an unbridled, explosive fury.
"Audacious! Treacherous! Insolent scum!" Dai Tianxiong roared, his Titled Douluo spiritual power flaring violently, shattering the crystal inkwells and tearing the tactical maps to shreds. The sheer pressure forced Lady Mei to curl into a tight ball on the floor, struggling to breathe.
'Some filthy, unknown sect dares to touch my wife?' Dai Tianxiong thought, his pride wounded and bleeding. 'They dare to threaten the Imperial Family with such vulgar humiliation? I will burn their sect to the ground! I will slaughter every single member and mount their heads on the city walls!'
He paced furiously behind his ruined desk, his mind racing through the chaotic political and military implications. This was the absolute worst possible timing. They were mere weeks away from launching a massive, continental war against the Heaven Dou Empire. The entire military apparatus was relying on the unified, overwhelming strength of the Imperial Family.
"Get up, Mei," Dai Tianxiong snapped, reigning in his violent aura. "Summon Commander Ye of the Hidden Tiger Guards immediately. Tell no one else."
Lady Mei scrambled to her feet, bowing deeply before rushing out of the study.
Ten minutes later, a man cloaked entirely in seamless, dark grey armor stepped silently into the ruined study. This was Commander Ye, the leader of the Hidden Tiger Guards—the Emperor's most elite, fiercely loyal intelligence and assassination network. They operated entirely outside the standard military hierarchy, answering only to the throne.
"Your Majesty," Commander Ye greeted, dropping to one knee.
"We face a severe crisis, Ye," Dai Tianxiong stated, pacing in front of the broken desk. "Empress Zhu Leihua has been abducted in Ironcliff City by an unknown hidden sect. They possess at least one Titled Douluo with a Dark Flame Dragon martial spirit. They have threatened to completely humiliate the Imperial Family if we make her disappearance public or attempt to replace her."
Commander Ye did not flinch, though a flicker of surprise crossed his hidden features. "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
"First, we contain the political fallout," Dai Tianxiong commanded, his tactical mind taking over. 'If the army learns that their Empress was snatched away so easily, morale will plummet before the war even begins. Tang Chen and the Clear Sky Sect will question my competence to lead.'
"You will immediately spread a carefully controlled rumor throughout the Imperial Palace and the upper echelons of the military," Dai Tianxiong instructed. "State that Empress Zhu Leihua experienced a sudden, highly severe cultivation deviation during her secluded meditation last night. The resulting spiritual backlash has caused a devastating illness that completely prevents her from utilizing her Spirit Power. She is incredibly weak and has been confined to the deepest, most restricted healing chambers of the royal wing. Absolutely no one is allowed to visit her. Let the court physicians fabricate the necessary medical reports."
"It shall be done flawlessly, Your Majesty," Commander Ye confirmed. "And regarding the abductors?"
"I want the truth," Dai Tianxiong growled, his golden eyes flashing dangerously. "I need to know if Captain Feng Lie and the guards are telling the truth, or if they are desperately fabricating some mythical expert out of nowhere to cover up their own gross incompetence. Or worse, if they are concealing a betrayal and trying to frame someone from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan or the Sacred Dragon Clan to sow discord right before the war."
He pointed a finger at the commander. "Utilize your network. I want your best agents in Ironcliff City. Investigate the mansion where the abduction took place. Find out who purchased it. Track the movements of the Empress over the last few days. Find this Dark Flame Dragon Titled Douluo."
"My agents will uncover every stone, Your Majesty," Commander Ye promised, rising smoothly to his feet and vanishing into the shadows of the corridor.
Dai Tianxiong sat heavily in his chair, rubbing his temples. The sheer audacity of the crime was maddening.
For the next several hours, the Hidden Tiger Guards moved with terrifying efficiency. They utilized their extensive web of informants, merchants, and local garrison commanders in Ironcliff City. They scoured the property records and interrogated the locals.
A few hours later, Commander Ye returned to the study, a sleek Communication Spirit Tool in his hand.
"The initial reports have been verified, Your Majesty," Commander Ye reported, his tone serious. "Captain Feng Lie was telling the truth. The mansion where the meeting took place was purchased exactly one week ago by an unknown individual paying with massive trunks of raw gold coins."
"Did anyone see his martial spirit?" Dai Tianxiong asked, leaning forward.
"Yes. We interrogated the staff at the Golden Peak Pavilion, the real estate brokers," Commander Ye explained. "They were terrified beyond reason. They confirmed that the buyer became impatient during the negotiations and unleashed his spiritual presence. He displayed an optimal configuration of nine spirit rings. Two yellow, two purple, and five black. They vividly described a terrifying, abyssal phantom of a Dark Flame Dragon. The display of power was entirely real, and it matches Feng Lie's report perfectly. This is definitely a hidden sect possessing a true Titled Douluo."
Dai Tianxiong gritted his teeth, the reality of the situation setting in. This was not a fabrication. This was a genuine, immensely powerful faction operating within his borders.
"A Dark Flame Dragon," Dai Tianxiong muttered, standing up and walking toward the window. "I have never heard of such a beast in all the annals of the Douluo Continent."
He turned back to his commander. "Begin investigating along this specific angle. The dragon lineage is prominent, but highly restricted. Could it be a rogue, mutated offshoot from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? They are arrogant enough to pull a stunt like this to leverage more power in the upcoming alliance."
"We checked the historical archives and our deep-cover informants within their clan over the past three hours, Your Majesty," Commander Ye replied quickly. "There is absolutely no record of any individual possessing a Dark Flame Dragon spirit in the entire history of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Their lineage is strictly bound to lightning. Dark flames are a completely foreign attribute to them."
"Then who?" Dai Tianxiong demanded, frustration leaking into his voice. "Could it be some ancient, hidden sect that has remained completely in the shadows within our own Star Luo Empire for centuries? Or perhaps it is a highly covert, elite black-ops sect belonging to the Heaven Dou Empire, executing a surgical strike to critically weaken our military leadership right before the war?"
"Both scenarios are plausible, Your Majesty," Commander Ye admitted. "The continent is vast, and many ancient powers retreat from the worldly struggles. We will continue to expand the search grid, utilizing every available resource."
Dai Tianxiong waved his hand, dismissing the commander.
Left alone in his study, the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire had to swallow a profoundly bitter pill.
'I have no choice,' Dai Tianxiong thought, his hands clenching into fists so tight his knuckles popped. 'I must grit my teeth and follow the humiliating demand of that unseen sect leader. I have to keep the news of my Empress being abducted a complete secret. If I fail, if I try to replace her, they will expose the truth. I will become a huge, pathetic joke in the eyes of the entire world. The Heaven Dou Empire will laugh at my weakness. My own generals will lose faith in my ability to protect my own household, let alone the nation.'
The timing of this catastrophe was simply terrible. They were just preparing to launch the vanguard, and now his Empress, the woman with whom he shared the legendary Martial Spirit Fusion, had vanished.
'This is a massive blow to our combat capabilities,' Dai Tianxiong calculated, looking at the torn tactical maps on his desk. 'With our Martial Spirit Fusion, the Hell White Tiger, Leihua and I were capable of projecting power equivalent to a Super Douluo at level 97 or even level 98 Spirit Power. It was our greatest battlefield weapon.'
He considered the overall military disparity between the factions. 'The Star Luo Empire currently boasts a much higher number of standard Titled Douluos compared to the Heaven Dou Empire or the Spirit Hall, thanks to our aggressive recruitment and the recent ascensions of our nobles. However, our number of true Super Douluos—those possessing spirit power above level 95—is still much lower. The Heaven Dou Empire has their hidden monsters, and the Spirit Hall possesses many Super Douluos among their Enshrinement Hall and even among the senior Elders of the Supreme Pontiff Palace.'
The Hell White Tiger was supposed to be the great equalizer, a force capable of tying down or even defeating the enemy's highest-tier combatants.
'This loss stings deeply,' Dai Tianxiong thought, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. 'But there is nothing I can do about it right now except create a convincing excuse and hope it satisfies Senior Tang Chen and the others. I cannot afford to lose their support.'
He spent the next hour composing himself, ensuring his regal facade was perfectly intact. He then left his study and made his way toward the grand war room located in the secure, subterranean levels of the palace.
The war room was bustling with activity. Senior generals were moving markers across a massive, detailed map of the continent. At the head of the long obsidian table stood Tang Chen, the legendary founder of the Clear Sky Sect. Beside him stood the imposing figure of Tang Hao, newly ascended Limit Douluo, and Bo Saixi, the serene but terrifyingly powerful High Priestess of the Sea God.
Dai Tianxiong entered the room, adopting an expression of grim, burdened sorrow.
"Senior Tang Chen," Dai Tianxiong greeted respectfully, bowing his head slightly as he approached the table. "I bring unfortunate news regarding our military deployment."
Tang Chen looked up from the map, his dark, piercing eyes settling on the Emperor. "Speak, Your Majesty. Have the border garrisons encountered unexpected resistance?"
"No, the borders remain secure," Dai Tianxiong lied smoothly, executing the fabricated cover story. "The issue lies within my own household. My wife, Empress Zhu Leihua, experienced a severe, highly volatile cultivation deviation during her secluded meditation last night."
A murmur of surprise rippled through the gathered generals.
"A cultivation deviation?" Tang Hao grunted, crossing his massive, scarred arms over his chest. "At the Titled Douluo level, such an event is incredibly rare, and extremely dangerous."
"It was devastating," Dai Tianxiong continued, projecting a tone of deep, husbandly concern. "The spiritual backlash has caused a severe illness within her meridians. It completely prevents her from safely utilizing her Spirit Power without risking permanent crippling. She is currently incredibly weak and confined to her healing chambers. The royal physicians have already prescribed a lengthy regimen to help her recover, but... it is highly probable she cannot participate in this impending war."
Tang Chen raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by such a sudden, unfortunate occurrence right on the eve of their grand offensive.
"That is indeed unfortunate timing," Tang Chen remarked, his tone analytical rather than sympathetic. "A Titled Douluo's foundation is delicate when disrupted. Would you like me to personally check up on the Empress? With my profound cultivation, I might be able to forcefully stabilize her volatile meridians and accelerate her recovery."
Dai Tianxiong's heart skipped a beat. If Tang Chen investigated, he would instantly realize the Empress was entirely missing from the palace.
"I appreciate your generous offer, Senior Tang Chen," Dai Tianxiong declined quickly, maintaining his respectful posture. "However, the head physician insists that her condition requires absolute, undisturbed rest. Introducing a foreign, overwhelmingly powerful spiritual resonance like your own might accidentally trigger another backlash in her fragile state. We must trust the slow, natural healing process."
Tang Chen studied the Emperor for a moment, his ancient eyes revealing nothing. Then, he offered a non-committal shrug.
'It matters little,' Tang Chen thought, turning his attention back to the tactical map spread across the table. 'The loss of the Empress means the loss of their Hell White Tiger fusion. A pity, perhaps, for their frontline morale, but strategically insignificant in the grand scheme of this war.'
Tang Chen honestly did not care much about the much-vaunted Martial Spirit Fusion.
'Even if they could utilize the Hell White Tiger on the battlefield,' Tang Chen analyzed silently, 'it can only maintain that elevated level of power for a very short period. Against a true, seasoned Super Douluo, that oversized cat would only be able to hold them back for a fraction of an hour. It lacks the profound, continuous mastery of worldly laws required to actually defeat or kill a Super Douluo. In a war dictated by Limit Douluos and divine artifacts, their fusion is merely a flashy distraction. It is not some huge loss.'
"Very well, Your Majesty," Tang Chen accepted the excuse easily, waving his hand dismissively. "Let the Empress rest. We have more pressing matters to attend to regarding our troop composition. The absence of your fusion means we must heavily bolster our vanguard with diverse, specialized Spirit Masters."
Dai Tianxiong felt a massive, profound wave of internal relief wash over him. The legendary warrior had not investigated the matter deeply, entirely dismissing the strategic loss as a minor inconvenience. His humiliating secret was safe.
"I am at your command, Senior Tang," Dai Tianxiong replied, eager to change the subject. "How should we proceed?"
"We must cast a wider net within your own borders," Tang Chen instructed, his deep voice commanding the attention of everyone in the room. "You must focus your immediate efforts on getting all the remaining, independent sects within the Star Luo Empire to actively participate in this war."
He tapped specific, marked locations on the map. "We know the major players, but there is always hidden talent. There is a strong chance that some of these reclusive sects might harbor Super Douluo-level experts within their secluded ancestral halls. We need that raw power on the front lines."
Tang Chen looked directly at the Emperor. "You must actively court them. Send your royal envoys immediately. Provide them with grand promises, offer great rewards, land, and resources for their assistance in this war. Tell them the Clear Sky Sect marches with them."
"I agree completely, Senior," Dai Tianxiong nodded, instantly grasping the necessity of swelling their ranks. "Which specific sects do you want targeted first?"
"All of them," Tang Hao interjected roughly, stepping up to the table. "We leave no stone unturned. Send envoys to the Star Crown Sect. Their supportive capabilities will be crucial in large-scale engagements."
Tang Chen nodded in agreement. "Yes. And do not neglect the martial-focused clans. Draft the warriors from the Sacred Dragon Clan. Pull the beast-masters from the Black Tiger Sect. We need the agility of the Wind Sword Sect, and the aggressive frontline breakers from the Fire Leopard Sect. Conscript the defensive specialists from the Steenbok Sect, and the aerial skirmishers from the Hornet Sect."
"I will dispatch the royal envoys within the hour," Dai Tianxiong promised, rapidly memorizing the list of powerful factions.
"Furthermore," Tang Chen added, his eyes sweeping over the assembled generals. "Do not let the Advanced Spirit Master Academies sit idle while the empire fights. They groom the next generation of warriors; it is time they proved their worth. Order every major academy within your borders to send their seasoned instructors. We need every single Spirit Saint, Spirit Douluo, and Titled Douluo they possess on the battlefield, without hiding a single one."
"It shall be done, Senior Tang," Emperor Tianxiong agreed, feeling a renewed sense of aggressive purpose. The sheer scale of the army they were building was staggering.
As the war council continued to meticulously plan the invasion routes and logistical supply chains, Dai Tianxiong secretly dispatched a secondary set of orders to his hidden network.
He ordered Commander Ye and the Hidden Tiger Guards, along with his own personal, trusted forces, to continue to relentlessly investigate that unknown hidden sect. They were instructed to look for Empress Zhu Leihua in every shadowy corner of the continent, no matter how long it took. Simultaneously, he sent a small, highly visible group of his royal forces to explicitly follow the commands of Tang Chen, publicly sending them to inspect and recruit the sects like the Star Crown Sect and the various academies, ensuring the Clear Sky Sect believed he was entirely focused on the war effort.
While the Star Luo Empire mobilized its vast, terrifying military machine, preparing to plunge the continent into an era of unprecedented bloodshed, a completely different scenario was unfolding far away in the frozen, heavily fortified domain of the north.
In the Frostfall Province, the sky had already darkened into a deep, starry night.
Within the opulent, heavily warded master chamber of Zhang Tian's sprawling mansion, a soft, confused groan broke the silence.
Empress Zhu Leihua slowly regained consciousness. Her head felt incredibly heavy, a lingering side effect of whatever potent, odorless sedative had been slipped into her wine during the dinner. She tried to open her eyes, expecting to see the familiar, dim lighting of the guest room in her younger sister's ironcliff mansion.
Instead, she was met with absolute, suffocating blackness.
Zhu Leihua blinked several times, confusion rapidly giving way to rising panic. She possessed the formidable Hell Civet martial spirit, an apex feline predator. Her spirit naturally granted her excellent, flawless sight even in the most absolute, pitch-black environments.
But right now, she felt that it wasn't the ambient darkness of the room that was the issue. She could feel a soft, silken material securely, tightly bound across her eyes, completely preventing her from seeing anything.
She attempted to summon her Spirit Power, intending to violently tear the blindfold away with a burst of dark energy.
Her breath caught in her throat. Her meridians were completely, utterly unresponsive. She felt as though a massive, insurmountable wall of pure, heavy energy had been erected around her spiritual sea. Her formidable, Titled Douluo-level Spirit Power was absolutely entirely sealed.
Although her physical movements weren't currently restricted by ropes or chains, the profound restriction on her Spirit Power terrified her far more than any physical binding. A Spirit Master without their spirit power was merely a fragile mortal.
She quickly raised her hands, trying to physically undo the silken material tied tightly across her eyes. She pulled and clawed at the knot at the back of her head, but she couldn't budge it. The silk felt incredibly strong, infused with a lingering, foreign spirit power that easily resisted her ordinary, unenhanced physical strength. She had to give up, her arms falling back to her sides in frustration.
'How did I get here?' Zhu Leihua thought frantically, her heart hammering against her ribs. 'The last thing I remember... I was having dinner with Wanyue. I took a sip of wine, and then the room started spinning.'
She lay still for a moment, analyzing her surroundings through her remaining senses. She was lying on an incredibly soft, plush surface, likely a massive bed. The air smelled of blooming spirit-orchids and a faint, masculine musk.
She tried to call out, demanding answers.
"Where am I?" Zhu Leihua yelled, her voice trembling slightly despite her efforts to project regal authority. "Who is playing this sick joke? Release my bindings immediately! Do you know who I am?"
Silence answered her.
She tried again, her panic mounting. "Guards! Maids! Where are you?" She paused, a dark, terrifying suspicion forming in her mind. "Wanyue? Are you there? Is this your doing? This is not a funny jest, Sister! Unbind me this instant!"
At this exact moment, she felt a distinct, subtle movement on the mattress beside her. The bed shifted under the weight of someone climbing onto it.
Then, she heard the familiar, melodic voice of her little sister, Zhu Wanyue.
"You are finally awake, Sister," Zhu Wanyue spoke, her voice carrying a sultry, deeply amused tone. She wasn't speaking directly to the Empress, but rather commenting to someone else nearby. "The sedative took longer to wear off than I anticipated."
Zhu Leihua's blood ran cold. "Wanyue? What is the meaning of this? Why have you done this to me? Where are my guards?"
"Your guards are safely asleep back in Ironcliff City, Sister," Zhu Wanyue responded, her voice much closer now. She sounded incredibly relaxed, lacking any of the formal, aristocratic tension they usually shared. "You will know what this is about soon enough. Trust me, Leihua, you will be thanking me for this later."
"Thanking you?!" Zhu Leihua spat, struggling to sit up on the plush bed, blindly turning her head toward her sister's voice. "You drugged me and sealed my cultivation! This is high treason!"
Zhu Wanyue completely ignored her furious outburst. Instead, her tone shifted into one of profound, eager submission. She spoke to an unknown man located somewhere in the dark room.
"She is entirely yours, Master," Zhu Wanyue purred, her voice dripping with dirty, unadulterated lust. "Please, enjoy her. Break her dignified facade."
Zhu Leihua froze. Master? Who in the world could force the proud Duchess of the Zhu Family to refer to them as 'Master' with such genuine, eager devotion?
Before she could process the terrifying implication, she felt a large, incredibly warm, calloused hand gently touch her bare shoulder.
Zhang Tian began the process of enjoying his newly acquired prize step by step. He did not rush. He relished the complete, helpless vulnerability of the proud Empress.
His strong hands moved smoothly down her arms, grasping the delicate, high-collared fabric of her deep gold and black silk gown. With a slow, deliberate motion, he pulled the zipper down her back.
"What are you doing?!" Zhu Leihua shrieked, squirming violently on the bed, trying to twist away from his grasp. "Do not touch me! I am the Empress of the Star Luo Empire! If you lay a single finger on me, my husband will mount your head on a spike!"
"Your husband is currently leagues away, trembling in his war room, too cowardly to even admit you are missing," Zhang Tian replied, his voice a dark, husky rumble that sent a shiver of terror and unexpected, involuntary heat down her spine.
He effortlessly overpowered her struggles, his physical strength vastly superior even without utilizing his spirit power. He peeled the expensive silk gown off her shoulders, dragging it down her arms and tossing it casually onto the floor.
He began savoring each part of her sexy body greatly. He ran his hands over her smooth, pale skin, trailing his fingers over her collarbone. He reached forward, his large hands confidently cupping her massive, heavy breasts through the thin fabric of her silken undergarments. He squeezed the soft, overflowing flesh with a firm, appreciative pressure.
"Wanyue!" Zhu Leihua cried out, her face flushing crimson with profound humiliation and rising panic as the unknown man fondled her chest. "Why are you doing this to me?! Who is this man?! Why are you calling him Master?!"
Zhu Wanyue chuckled softly from the edge of the bed. "He is the man who showed me what true power and true pleasure feel like, Sister. I am simply sharing his divine gifts with you."
Zhu Leihua felt the man's hands leave her breasts, only to feel his hot breath against her stomach. He leaned down, pressing soft, wet kisses across her toned midriff, his tongue darting out to trace the delicate curve of her navel.
She tried to tempt the man, desperately searching for a way out of this degrading nightmare.
"Listen to me!" Zhu Leihua pleaded blindly, her chest heaving heavily. "Whatever my sister has promised you, I can double it! Do you want wealth? I can provide you with millions of Gold Coins from the Imperial Treasury! Do you seek power? I can grant you rare Spirit Bones! Do you desire women? I can provide you with a dozen willing, beautiful noble women to serve you every night! Just let me go!"
Zhang Tian merely chuckled, a low, vibration against her skin as he dragged her silken panties down her long legs, completely exposing her bare, trembling pussy to the cool air of the chamber.
"I already possess more wealth than your empire, more Spirit Bones than you can fathom, and I already have the most beautiful women on the continent begging for my touch," Zhang Tian murmured, his fingers brushing lightly against her slick folds, drawing a sharp, involuntary gasp from her lips. "I want exactly what I have captured. I want you."
Zhu Wanyue continued to converse casually with her elder sister, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle of the Empress being so thoroughly compromised.
"Do not bother negotiating, Leihua," Zhu Wanyue advised, her voice filled with a corrupt, sisterly affection. "He will help you awaken your true self... the dirty, slutty woman you have always hidden behind that heavy crown. He will let you finally know what true, mind-shattering pleasure is. Your pathetic husband could never make you feel like this."
Zhu Leihua was shaking with sheer, unadulterated fury and a terrifying, blooming arousal she could not suppress. She was completely trapped, blindfolded, and at the absolute mercy of a man who intended to thoroughly, relentlessly ravage her body, while her own sister eagerly watched and cheered for her degradation.
~~
A/N: Check out my other novels [Heavenly Villain: Stealing Fate, Tempting Beauties].
Also, check out 20 Chapters Ahead for this fanfic on my P.atreon. [Check Out Art Of Characters On My Patreon. It's Free To View btw.]
Patreon link: https://www.patreon.com/c/evildragon04