**Location: Shangyuan City**
**Merchant alliance headquarter **
**Third Largest City in the Azure Cloud Kingdom**
Marcus didn't sleep.
He lay on the thin mat in his room. Stared at the ceiling. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the battle. The woman's heart being eaten. The guard turning to ash.
The crunch. The scream that became ice crystals. The kiss that turned flesh to dust.
Five dead. Xue Lian dying. The seal in his bones pulsing with each heartbeat.
If she died he died.
Dawn came. Marcus hadn't moved.
A knock at the door. Captain Xuan Ao ducked through.
"Brother Lin Mo. We're going to the Golden Needle Pavilion. Lady Xue's condition is worsening."
Marcus stood. His body felt hollow. Empty.
They left the headquarters. Flew through the city.
Shangyuan City sprawled beneath them. Massive. The third largest city in the Azure Cloud Kingdom.
Marcus had thought Tianluo City was huge. This dwarfed it.
The walls stretched for miles. Thirty meters high. Built from stone that shimmered with defensive formations.
Inside the walls the city was divided into districts. Each with different architecture.
"Beautiful isn't it?" Xuan Ao's voice held pride. "This was once the capital of the Yunshan Kingdom. Before the unification."
The northern district held lizard folk buildings. Scaled roofs that reflected sunlight. Low structures built for creatures with tails.
The eastern district spiraled upward. Fairy towers. Impossible heights held up by formations Marcus couldn't begin to understand.
Human structures dominated the south. Wide buildings. Practical. Efficient.
"A thousand years ago the five kingdoms fought constantly." Xuan Ao pointed at landmarks as they flew. "Slavery. Banditry. Racial wars. No law. No order. Just survival."
They passed over a massive crater. Filled now with gardens. But the scars were visible.
"The Azure Cloud Kingdom unified them all. The final battle happened here. This city was nearly destroyed. Millions died."
Xuan Ao's voice grew quiet.
"They say the streets ran red for weeks. Bodies stacked so high they blocked the gates. Cultivators fought for three days straight. The sky itself burned."
Marcus looked at the crater. Imagined the violence. The death.
Just like the ship crash. Just like the auction. Just like everything in this world.
Power decided everything. The weak died. The strong survived.
"They rebuilt half of it." Xuan Ao continued. "The current kingdom capital is smaller than this city was at its peak. But the emperor keeps it small. Doesn't want another Shangyuan. Too much power in one place breeds rebellion."
They flew over markets. Massive. Thousands of stalls. Millions of people.
Marcus saw cultivators flying between districts. Mortals crowded the streets below. The gap between them was visible even from the air.
"The Golden Needle Pavilion is neutral ground." Xuan Ao explained. "They treat everyone. Mortal or cultivator. Human or beast folk. As long as you can pay."
Marcus nodded. Didn't care. His mind was elsewhere.
The seal pulsed. Reminded him.
Thirty minutes later they descended.
The Golden Needle Pavilion rose before them. Massive building. Ten stories tall. Built from white jade that seemed to glow in the sunlight.
In the center courtyard stood a statue.
Two hundred meters tall. A figure in robes holding a scepter. A dragon coiled around the shaft. Its eyes were rubies the size of Marcus's head.
The statue dwarfed every building Marcus had seen in this world.
"The Healing Saint." Xuan Ao said reverently. "Founded the pavilion three thousand years ago. Saved millions during the Plague of Endless Night."
They landed at the gate. Guards in silver armor stopped them. Their cultivation was Foundation Establishment. Marcus could tell now. The way qi moved around them.
"Identity tokens."
Xuan Ao presented his. The guard looked at Marcus.
"And the mortal?"
"He's with me. We're here to visit Lady Xue Lian of the Black Seal Trade Association."
The guard pulled out a communication token. Jade. Glowing with formations. He spoke into it. Listened. Nodded.
"You may pass."
They entered through the main gate.
The gate itself was carved from a single piece of jade. Thirty meters tall. Formations covered every surface. Protection. Healing. Detection.
A painting hung above the entrance. Large. Depicting a cultivator painting a river from the heavens. The brush strokes seemed to move.
Marcus looked at it.
The world dropped away.
Water surrounded him. An abyss. Dark. Endless. Deeper than the ocean. Colder than ice.
He was drowning. Sinking. He tried to swim up. Kicked. Struggled.
The more he fought the deeper he sank.
Pressure crushed his chest. His lungs burned. His vision darkened.
He could see something below him. Far down. A figure. Sitting. Cross-legged. Eyes closed.
Meditating at the bottom of the abyss.
The figure's eyes opened.
Looked at Marcus.
A hand grabbed his shoulder. Shook him hard.
Marcus gasped. Jerked back to reality.
His heart hammered. Sweat poured down his face. His legs shook.
Xuan Ao gripped his arm. Concern in his eyes. "Brother Lin Mo. Are you alright?"
"The painting." Marcus pointed with a trembling hand. "I saw... there was water. An abyss. Someone at the bottom."
Xuan Ao looked. Frowned. "It's just a painting. A cultivator and a river. Nothing special."
Marcus stared. The painting was just a painting now. No abyss. No water. No figure.
What had he seen? A formation? A test? Something else?
"You're exhausted." Xuan Ao guided him forward. "Lady Xue's condition has you stressed. Understandable."
Marcus nodded. Didn't argue.
But his hands still shook.
They entered the main hall. A male receptionist in white robes sat at a desk.
Xuan Ao presented his token.
The receptionist looked at Marcus. Smirked.
"What's the mortal doing here? This is a medical institution for cultivators. Not a charity for the rich to waste our resources."
Marcus said nothing.
Xuan Ao's jaw tightened. "Mind your job. We're here on official business."
"Official business." The receptionist's smirk widened. "Bringing pets doesn't count."
"You little..."
They argued. Voices rose. People in the hall turned to watch.
The system panel appeared.
High Level Female Cultivator Detected
Name: Su Qingyi
Age: 98
Cultivation: Golden Core Stage 2
Affiliation: Elder, Golden Needle Pavilion
Spirit Root: Supreme Grade
Talent: Cultivation (High), Medical Dao (High)
Favorability: 1/100
Marcus scanned the crowd. Saw only onlookers.
Then a figure appeared at the reception desk.
Everyone bowed. Including the receptionist.
"Welcome Elder Su."
A woman. Light green hair. Brown eyes. The rest of her face covered by a black veil. Black floral dress. Impressive figure.
Xuan Ao grabbed Marcus's shoulder. Pushed him down into a bow.
Marcus followed.
"What's going on here?" Elder Su's voice was calm. Cold.
Xuan Ao explained. Elder Su's eyes found the receptionist.
"Last warning."
The man's face went pale. He bowed deeper.
Then Elder Su pointed at Marcus. "You. Follow me."
Marcus looked behind him. No one there.
He pointed at himself.
She nodded.
Marcus stepped forward.
A formation appeared beneath his feet.
Light flashed.
The main hall vanished.
---
Marcus stumbled. Caught his balance.
A different room. Smaller. Private. Elder Su stood before him.
"You're Lin Mo?"
Marcus nodded.
She smiled behind her veil. "What's your real name?"
Sweat beaded on Marcus's forehead. What did she want?
"I'm Su Qingyi. Friend of Lady Xue Lian." She waited.
"Marcus." The word came out quiet.
"Marcus." She tested the name. "Unusual."
"Lady Xue told me everything. You have a Yang physique. Rare. Especially in someone without cultivation."
Marcus said nothing.
"Her condition is critical." Su Qingyi turned back. "Extreme Yin poison from Han Yinqiu. A Golden Core Stage 1 Yin cultivator from the Silence Lotus Yin Sect. The poison is eating through her meridians. Corrupting her Golden Core. Spreading through her blood."
She pulled out a jade slip. Showed it to Marcus.
Medical diagrams. A human body. Black veins spreading from the heart outward.
"Normally we'd use a high Yang pill. Grade 5 or higher. But we don't have one. The ingredients are too rare. Too expensive. The Black Seal Trade Association is wealthy but not that wealthy."
Marcus studied the diagram. The black veins looked like the ones on Xue Lian's neck.
"We've tried eighteen different antidotes. Nothing works. The poison is too strong. Too refined. Han Yinqiu has been cultivating for over two hundred years. Her Yin energy is ancient. Dense. Powerful."
Su Qingyi set the jade slip aside.
"You could help. Your Yang physique means your blood carries Yang energy. But you're mortal. Your blood qi is weak. Insufficient to form even a Grade 1 Yang pill."
She paused. Studied him.
"There is a way. We could refine your entire body into a pill. Every drop of blood. Every bone. Every organ. That much material would create a Grade 4 Yang pill. Maybe Grade 5. Enough to save Lady Xue."
Ice flooded Marcus's veins.
She's going to kill me. Refine me alive. Boil me down. Turn me into medicine.
Demonic cultivation. He'd read about it. Cultivators who used humans as resources. As ingredients.
His hands shook. Sweat poured down his back. His breathing quickened.
Su Qingyi watched his reaction. Waited.
Then she chuckled. "Relax Marcus. I'm joking. I won't refine you. The Golden Needle Pavilion doesn't practice demonic methods. We're healers. Not butchers."
Marcus didn't feel relieved. Her tone said she could if she wanted. If the situation was different.
"There is another method." Her voice changed. Softer. Almost embarrassed. "It will take time. Days perhaps. But it can neutralize the Yin poison without killing you."
Marcus grabbed at the lifeline. "What method?"
Su Qingyi's face colored behind her veil. "Dual cultivation. The Yin Yang exchange. You provide Yang energy. She provides Yin energy. The energies balance. Neutralize each other. Her poison disperses. Her cultivation might even advance."
The words hung in the air.
Marcus's mind went to the novels he'd read on Earth. Dual cultivation. Cultivation through intimacy. Through joining.
His face flushed.
"Will Lady Xue accept this?" His voice was hoarse.
"I've already told her. She agreed." Su Qingyi met his eyes. "The alternative is death. She's pragmatic."
Pragmatic. Like she'd been pragmatic buying him at auction. Like she'd been pragmatic putting a slave seal in his bones.
"Are you willing?" Su Qingyi asked. "Or would you prefer we explore other options?"
Other options.
Like being refined into a pill.
Like dying when the seal stopped his heart if Xue Lian died.
Like watching her die and dying with her.
No real choice. Just the illusion of choice.
"I'll do it." Marcus's voice was steady despite everything.
Elder Su nodded. Pulled out a jade slip. "This is the Yin Yang Dual Cultivation Sutra. Study it."
She pressed the slip to his forehead. Information flooded in. Instructions. Techniques. Energy circulation patterns.
Marcus's enhanced mind absorbed it instantly. Comprehended.
"Good." Elder Su stood. "Follow me."
She led him through corridors. Stopped at a door.
"Inside. Lady Xue is waiting."
Marcus stepped through.
The door closed behind him.
---
The room was large. A bed dominated the center. Xue Lian lay there.
Her breathing was shallow. Faint. Black veins crawled across her neck. Pulsing with her heartbeat.
"Lady Xue?" Marcus's voice was quiet.
No response.
He approached the bed. Looked at her face. Pale. The poison was killing her.
"Lady Xue." He tried again.
Nothing.
She was unconscious. Maybe dying.
Marcus sat on the bed's edge. His hands shook.
What am I doing?
The internal struggle hit him. She was unconscious. Couldn't consent. This was wrong.
But if he refused Elder Su might refine him. Or Xue Lian would die. And the seal would kill him.
Survival or morality.
The choice wasn't really a choice.
Marcus's hands trembled as he reached for her.
This is wrong. This is wrong. This is wrong.
But he was already dead if he didn't.
He began.
---
With trembling hands, he began to carefully undress her.
Marcus pulse thundered in his ears as he peeled the final layer of silk from Xue Lian unconscious form.
Her skin gleamed like moonlit jade under the soft glow of spirit lamps.
Full heavy breasts rose and fell with shallow breaths. Nipples already stiffened in the cool air as if her body instinctively sensed the approaching yang heat.
Lower the delicate sunflower tattoo seemed to pulse faintly above her lower lips. Swollen glistening folds already wept clear nectar despite her comatose state.
His own clothes hit the floor in a careless heap.
Eight thick veined inches stood rigid and flushed dark. The bulbous head glistened with his own leaking desire.
Even he felt a momentary flash of intimidation at his own size and he was the one wielding it.
He settled between her parted thighs. Knees sank into the spirit jade bed.
The blunt crown kissed her lower lips. It was immediately bathed in scalding slippery warmth.
One slow deliberate push.
Her body fought him.
Tight resistant heat clamped down like molten silk trying to strangle him.
Marcus gritted his teeth. Hips rolled with controlled force.
The first inch stretched her open with a wet sucking sound.
Then another.
Halfway now and already her inner walls spasmed violently around the invasion. They rippled like they were trying to drag him deeper or force him out.
A guttural groan tore from his chest.
He pulled back almost all the way out until just the flared head remained trapped inside her clutching entrance.
Then he slammed forward.
The wet squelch echoed loudly.
Her body jolted. Breasts bounced heavily.
Three quarters buried now.
Her walls churned and sucked. They massaged every ridge and vein with greedy rhythmic pulses.
He could not hold back anymore.
Marcus began to thrust. Long punishing strokes bottomed out with bruising force against her cervix.
Each withdrawal dragged a lewd sucking sound from her depths. Each re entry ended in the heavy slap of his balls against her soaked skin.
He activated the Yin Yang Harmony Sutra at full force.
Yang essence roared through his meridians like liquid fire.
Less than ninety seconds later Xue Lian eyes snapped open.
Black pupils blown wide with feral hunger.
A raw animalistic moan ripped from her throat as the yin poison detonated into pure ravenous lust.
She moved like lightning.
Powerful cultivator hands seized his shoulders and flipped him onto his back with terrifying ease.
Marcus barely had time to gasp before she straddled him. She impaled herself in one brutal drop.
Half his length vanished inside her lower lips in an instant.
His spine arched violently off the bed. A choked scream of pleasure pain exploded from his lungs as her scalding spasming depths swallowed him to the root.
Xue Lian threw her head back. Long black hair whipped like ink in a storm.
She began to ride him with savage intensity. Rising until only the head remained trapped then crashing down with bone jarring force again and again and again.
The wet slapping of flesh filled the chamber like war drums.
Her heavy breasts bounced wildly with each descent.
Her nails raked bloody trails down his chest as she chased the overwhelming stretch. The impossible fullness she had never known.
Marcus refused to break.
Snarling through clenched teeth he gripped her hips hard enough to bruise even cultivator flesh and began pistoning upward. Violent punishing thrusts met her downward drops with explosive collisions.
Each impact forced broken keening cries from her throat.
Her walls clamped down harder with every stroke. They milked him with rhythmic sucking contractions that threatened to pull his soul out through his shaft.
They rolled and shifted until she was face down. Ass raised high. Thighs trembling.
Marcus knelt behind her. Fingers dug into the lush meat of her hips and he slammed back inside.
The angle was devastating.
His thick shaft speared straight into the deepest parts of her lower lips. It battered her womb with every brutal plunge.
Her ass rippled with each impact. The wet clap clap clap of skin on skin rang through the room like applause from hell.
He reached beneath her. Rough fingers found her swollen bud and rubbed merciless circles while he pounded without mercy.
Xue Lian screamed. Raw throat tearing ecstasy as her first violent orgasm ripped through her.
Her walls clamped down like a vice. They spasmed so violently Marcus nearly blacked out from the pressure.
But he did not stop.
He continued through it. Harder deeper faster. Forcing her body to take wave after shattering wave until she was sobbing with overstimulation.
He tried his best to impale her but mortal limits arrived far too soon.
By the fifth round Marcus was flat on his back again. Drenched in sweat and their combined fluids. Pelvis screaming with every movement.
His shaft kept rigid by the stubborn yang physique throbbed painfully with oversensitivity.
Each thrust now felt like fire scraping over raw nerves.
Yet Xue Lian showed no sign of stopping.
Her eyes glowed with manic hunger.
Her cultivation bottleneck stagnant for decades was cracking wide open under the relentless influx of pure yang essence.
She rode him like a woman possessed. Grinding down until he was buried to the hilt. Rolling her hips in cruel torturous circles that made his vision white out.
Marcus hoarse broken cries finally turned desperate.
Outside the sealed chamber Elder Su Qingyi pressed her burning face against the cool corridor wall and fled. Ears scarlet. Muttering frantic apologies to the heavens.
Xue Lian showed no mercy.
Round after round.
---
Hours later.
Marcus lay on the floor. Not the bed. The floor.
Every muscle screamed. His body was covered in marks. Bruises. Scratches. Blood.
The Yin Yang Sutra had worked. Too well.
Two minutes in Xue Lian had woken. The poison had made her feverish. Desperate. The Yin energy in her body was going berserk. Needed Yang to balance.
She'd taken it.
Golden Core strength versus mortal enhanced stamina.
It hadn't been close.
Marcus stared at the ceiling. His vision blurred. Red-rimmed eyes. Tears he hadn't realized he'd shed.
Every part of him hurt. His shoulders dislocated twice. His ribs cracked. His throat raw from screaming.
The system had enhanced his body. Made him stronger. More resilient.
It just meant he survived longer. Endured more.
The system panel appeared.
Host lacks spirit root. Cannot benefit from dual cultivation.
All energy converted to Kama Points.
Total Kama Points Earned: 2
Two points.
An entire night of trauma. Of being used like an object. Of having no choice. No control. No voice.
Two points.
Marcus wanted to laugh. The sound that came out was broken. Hollow.
The system gave him two points for the worst night of his life.
On the bed Xue Lian sat up. Stretched. The black veins were gone. Her skin glowed with health. Her breathing was deep and steady.
She looked at Marcus on the floor. Her expression was calm. Neutral. Like looking at furniture.
"Most of the poison is neutralised ." Her voice was clinical. Professional. "My cultivation has also advanced. I can break through to Golden Core Stage 2 when I stabilize my foundation."
She stood. Moved to where her clothes lay. Dressed with efficient movements.
Marcus couldn't move. Could barely breathe.
His shoulder was still wrong. His ribs sent fire through his chest with each breath. Blood trickled from cuts he couldn't see.
"You performed adequately." Xue Lian adjusted her robes. Checked her appearance in a mirror. "The Yang energy was sufficient. Better than expected for a mortal."
Adequately. Like reviewing a servant's work. Like commenting on a tool's effectiveness.
She walked to the door. Paused with her hand on the handle.
"Rest today. We leave for Tianluo City tomorrow morning. The association needs me. The elders will use my absence to make moves."
Her eyes found him on the floor. Golden amber. Empty of warmth.
"The seal remains. You're still mine. Don't forget that."
The door closed.
Silence.
Tonight he was just Marcus. Broken. Traumatized. Alive.
And two Kama Points richer.
The irony would be funny if he could remember how to laugh.