The killing intent from Gui Ying’s departure lingered in the air, a foul miasma of death and betrayal. Lu Feng stood over the unconscious form of Xue Yao, his face an unreadable mask of ice. The dark seed Gui Ying had planted pulsed faintly beneath her skin, a venomous parasite tethered directly to his own sovereign power. A chain. A leash. For the first time in a thousand years, the Dragon Sovereign felt the bitter sting of being constrained. Bai Li stood silently behind him, her hand resting on the hilt of her divine sword. Her beautiful face was tight with worry and a simmering rage. She had watched her lord, the master of the Jianghu, be threatened using a worthless mortal woman. The indignity was a fire in her veins. "My Lord," she began, her voice low and steady, a stark contrast to the storm in her heart. "Your Inner Qi is still sealed. Confronting Gui Ying now is... unwise. Give me the order, and my Shadow Corps will hunt him to the ends of the earth." Lu Feng did not turn. His gaze remained on Xue Yao. This woman, who had called him trash, who had handed him divorce papers, was now the shackle that bound him. The irony was a blade twisting in his soul. "His 'Soul Devouring Art' is a forbidden technique," Lu Feng said, his voice flat. "Your corps would be nothing but fuel for his power." Before Bai Li could argue, a servant from the temporary villa rushed in, bowing low. "My Lord, a visitor requests an audience. She calls herself Fairy Lingxi, of the Jade Dew Palace." Bai Li’s eyes narrowed. "The Jade Dew Palace? They have remained secluded on their mountain for three hundred years. Why show themselves now?" Her suspicion was a palpable force in the room. "Let her in," Lu Feng commanded, his tone betraying no interest. He turned from Xue Yao and sat down, his posture relaxed, almost lazy, as if receiving a common petitioner. A moment later, a woman who seemed to glide rather than walk entered the room. She was ethereal, dressed in silks the color of morning mist, her face a masterpiece of serene beauty. A delicate, medicinal fragrance followed her. She was Fairy Lingxi, the famed Sect Mistress of the Jade Dew Palace, a grandmaster of alchemy whose creations could supposedly bring the dead back to life. She bowed gracefully, her movements fluid and mesmerizing. "Fairy Lingxi pays her respects to the Dragon Sovereign." Lu Feng merely grunted in acknowledgment, his eyes half-closed. Lingxi was not deterred by his coldness. She smiled, a gentle expression that could melt the hardest of hearts. "The Jianghu is in turmoil. The return of the Dark Alliance threatens us all. My Jade Dew Palace has remained neutral for centuries, but we are not blind. We wish to form an alliance with the Dragon Order." Bai Li scoffed, the sound sharp and contemptuous. "An alliance? Or an opportunity to curry favor? Your palace never involved itself before." Fairy Lingxi’s gaze shifted to Bai Li, her smile unwavering. "The War Goddess is as fierce as the legends claim. But this is not about favor. It is about survival." She turned back to Lu Feng and produced a small, intricately carved jade box. "As a show of our sincerity, I have brought a gift." She opened the box. Inside, nestled on a bed of silk, was a single pill. It glowed with a soft, golden light, and its fragrance was so potent it seemed to invigorate the very air, cleansing the lingering traces of Gui Ying's dark energy. "The Nine Revolutions Soul Pill," Lingxi announced softly. "It took our sect a century to create this one. It cannot break a forbidden soul curse, but it can fortify a mortal's meridians and strengthen their life essence. It may give this woman..." she glanced at the unconscious Xue Yao, "...the strength to resist the corrosion from within." She took a step forward, intending to approach Xue Yao's bedside. In that instant, the temperature of the room plunged. A wave of bone-deep killing intent erupted from Bai Li. It was not the controlled pressure of a warrior, but the raw, unrestrained fury of a jealous heart. The very air shimmered around her. "Do not take another step," Bai Li hissed, her eyes blazing with a light Lu Feng had never seen before. It was possessive. It was absolute. Fairy Lingxi froze, her serene expression finally cracking with a hint of fear. She was a grandmaster, but Bai Li's raw power was that of a deity of war. "I only meant to help..." "The Sovereign needs no help from you!" Bai Li snapped. The hilt of her sword hummed, eager for blood. Lu Feng’s eyes slowly opened. He didn't look at Lingxi. He looked at Bai Li. For three years, he had seen her as his most loyal subordinate, his sharpest blade, the perfect commander. He had seen duty, respect, and unwavering obedience. But now, in the depths of her gaze, reflected in the inferno of her killing intent, he saw something else entirely. He saw a woman who would slaughter gods and demons if they dared to stand too close to him. He saw a devotion so profound it bordered on madness. He had been blind. "Enough," Lu Feng said. Just one word. The crushing pressure vanished instantly. Bai Li flinched as if struck. The color drained from her face as she realized she had lost control. She fell to one knee, her head bowed in shame. "Forgive my transgression, my Lord." Lu Feng’s gaze was unreadable. He waved a hand lazily. The jade box flew from Lingxi’s hand and into his. He inspected the pill for a moment before closing the lid. "Your sincerity is noted," he said to Lingxi, his voice devoid of warmth. "You may leave." Fairy Lingxi, shaken, could only bow. As she turned to depart, she cast a quick, knowing glance at the kneeling Bai Li. It was a look of pity, of understanding between women, and it cut Bai Li deeper than any blade. When she was gone, silence descended. Lu Feng rose and walked not to Xue Yao, but to Bai Li. "Get up," he commanded. She rose, but kept her head bowed. "I am prepared for my punishment, my Lord. I allowed my personal feelings to compromise my duty." Lu Feng was silent for a long moment. He looked at the pill in his hand, a treasure that could start a war between Martial Sects. He looked at Xue Yao, the source of his current weakness. Then he looked at the proud, fierce War Goddess standing before him like a penitent child. He finally tossed the pill to her. "Give it to her. It will buy us time." Bai Li caught it, startled. She administered the pill to Xue Yao, whose breathing immediately stabilized, a faint golden light glowing under her skin before fading away. "Gui Ying thinks this chain is enough to tame me," Lu Feng mused aloud, his voice taking on a dangerous edge. He began to pace, his lazy demeanor replaced by the coiled energy of a predator. "He draws his power from a forbidden source. To break his curse, I need something of equal or greater power. Something that defies the laws of life and death." Bai Li's head snapped up. "My Lord, what are you thinking?" "The legends speak of the First Emperor," Lu Feng stated, his back to her. "He sought immortality and defied the heavens. They say his soul was bound to his Imperial Tomb, a Forbidden Necropolis that no martial artist has ever returned from." Terror, pure and undiluted, flashed in Bai Li's eyes. "The Necropolis is a myth! A deathtrap! It is said his entire Terra Cotta army was infused with his vengeful true essence, an immortal guard that annihilates any who intrude. Not even a Sovereign..." Lu Feng stopped pacing. A cruel, cold smile, more terrifying than any expression of rage, touched his lips for the first time. "He thinks he can control the dragon by holding a sparrow hostage," he murmured. "Prepare the Dragon Order. We are not going to the Necropolis to steal from a tomb." He turned to face her, his eyes burning with an ancient, terrifying light. "We are going to awaken an army."

The Jealous Heart of the War Goddess