System Notification: New enemy detected—Skull Sovereign and the Ten Sages of Hell alliance advancing. Target: Survive
A cold wind swept through the White Crane grounds. Tian Hong's weathered face turned ashen. The dark qi that permeated the air felt like oil on skin - thick, suffocating, impossible to wash away.
"This presence..." Tian Hong's hands trembled. "I never thought he'd set his sights on us so soon."
Li Shen's chest tightened as the air of death crept closer. The Vassal Bond System pulsed warnings through his mind, highlighting the immense threat of the approaching force.
"This suffocating dark qi." Qin Feng dropped to her knees, her poison-trained senses overwhelmed by the malevolent energy. "The Skull Sovereign."
Around them, disciples collapsed one by one as the pressure intensified. Even the strongest warriors struggled to remain standing. Trees withered, their leaves blackening and crumbling to dust. Birds fell dead from the sky.
"Ten distinct energies follow him." Tian Hong's voice cracked. "The Ten Sages of Hell - I'd heard rumors, but this..."
Li Shen watched as Mei Ling rushed to catch her daughter Mei Lan before she hit the ground. The dark qi affected his vassals worse than the others, their connection to him somehow amplifying their sensitivity to the Sovereign's approach.
"We need to evacuate." Tian Hong barked orders, but his authority was undermined by the fear in his eyes. "Now!"
The Cranes then noticed a wave of black mist slowly rolled over the outer walls. Where it touched, stone crumbled and metal rusted. The proud gates of the White Crane Sect that had stood for centuries decayed in moments.
"The Skull Sovereign leaves no survivors." Qin Feng's words came out as a whisper. "All the sects that ever stood against him. Everyone dead."
The Skull Sovereign's name struck terror in even the bravest hearts. His absolute power and his loyal followers, the Ten Sages of Hell - every one of them a master of forbidden arts - drew allegiance from unholy clans. Under his threat, rivaling sects were forced to form tenuous alliances with the Jade Empire.
After succession of relentless battles with no time to recover, the Sovereign himself appeared to make sure the downfall of the White Crane Sect was inevitable.
Dark-armored warriors poured through the crumbling gates like a tide of death. Their blades found flesh, cutting down White Crane disciples where they stood, barely anyone put up a fight. Screams filled the courtyard as bodies fell.
"Fall back! Get to the inner sanctum!" Li Shen pulled Mei Lan behind a pillar as black arrows whistled past. Tears rolling on the girl's face as she watched her fellow disciples die.
Mei Ling followed, her Falling Petal technique left a trail of dead Skull Sect soldiers. But for each one she cut down, there were hundreds still more running amok.
Qin Feng's poison clouds provided temporary barriers, but the Skull Sect warriors pressed through, their armor enchanted against such attacks. "There's too many!" She stumbled back, her qi reserves depleting.
At the center of the courtyard, Tian Hong stood fast before the black storm. His sword moved in precise arcs, each strike ending multiple lives. But even his legendary skills couldn't stem the tide alone.
A figure in black robes walked through the carnage, untouched by blood or steel. Where the Skull Sovereign stepped, the ground cracked.
Bodies of White Crane disciples littered the grounds. Some still twitched, others lay still as stone. The proud sect that had stood for generations was being erased in mere moments.
The Ten Sages of Hell spread out behind their master, each radiating an aura of specific malevolence. Their presence alone caused nearby disciples to collapse, blood leaking from their eyes and ears.
Li Shen felt the Vassal Bond System pulse frantically, warning of power levels far beyond anything he had encountered. His vassals huddled closer, their combined strength seeming pitiful before such overwhelming force.
Tian Hong's white robes were spattered with blood as he maintained his stance, the last barrier between the Skull Sovereign and the remaining survivors. His sword glowed with pure qi, a light of defiance in the growing darkness.
The White Crane Sect's graceful pavilions were engulfed in flames, their elegant architecture now nothing more than charred rubble. Smoke choked the air and the stench of burning flesh filled the nostrils of the survivors. Bodies lay scattered across the grounds - disciples and attackers alike. The serene sect, once known for its strict discipline and refined beauty, had been reduced to a chaotic battlefield drenched in blood.
In the inner courtyard, Li Shen and his vassals found themselves trapped between crumbling walls. Three robed figures materialized from the shadows - members of the Ten Sages of Hell. Their masks bore twisted expressions of agony, carved from human skulls.
The ground split with a thunderous crack. A massive slash mark carved through stone and earth, cutting the courtyard in half. The Skull Sovereign emerged through the destruction, his black robe untouched by the chaos around him.
Li Shen's blood ran cold. This specific moment had never occurred in his past life. The White Crane Sect's fall played out differently then. His memories offered no guidance, no warning of what was to come. Li Shen's thoughts raced. Was he to blame for this horrible turn of events? Had his actions made things worse?
The Skull Sovereign's blade dragged across the ground, leaving a trail of dark qi in its wake. Stone crumbled to dust, grass withered and died. The very air seemed to rot around him.
Two more Sages appeared on the rooftops, their bone masks gleaming in the flames. Li Shen and his vassals stood back-to-back, surrounded on all sides. The crushing pressure of dark qi made it hard to breathe, hard to think.
"Your interference has drawn my attention." The Skull Sovereign's voice carried no emotion. Those words might be addressed to Li Shen or anyone at all, but for all he knew, they could also be directed to his hidden power.
Li Shen's hands shook. In his past life, he had never faced this monster directly. Never witnessed firsthand the power that had reshaped the martial world. The Vassal Bond System screamed of dangers in his mind, but offered no solutions against such overwhelming force.
The bone-masked Sages closed in, their robes rippling with forbidden qi techniques. Behind him, Mei Lan whimpered. Qin Feng's breathing came in short gasps.
For all his good intention to make a better life for everyone, he had brought about the worst possible outcome.
The Skull Sovereign raised his hand, dark qi swirling into a sphere of pure destruction. The energy crackled and writhed, drawing light itself into its void-like core. Li Shen's muscles locked as the Skull Lord overpowering pressure froze him in place.
Time slowed. Mei Lan's eyes met his, a soft smile gracing her features. Before Li Shen could decipher the meaning behind it, she shoved him aside with all her strength.
The dark sphere struck her directly. The explosion rocked the courtyard, sending chunks of stone and wood flying in all directions. Smoke and dust filled the air as debris rained down, separating the group behind walls of fallen rubble.
Li Shen pushed himself up, ears ringing. "Mei Lan!" His voice cracked as he searched frantically through the wreckage. Nothing remained where she had stood. No body. No trace of anything at all.
His legs gave out. He slumped against a broken pillar, sword falling from numb fingers. The Vassal Bond System pulsed weakly, its connection to Mei Lan severed.
Through the settling dust and debris, a flash of white qi cut across the courtyard. Tian Hong landed between Li Shen and the Skull Sovereign, his sword trailing pure energy that pushed back the oppressive dark qi.
"Your fight is with me." Tian Hong's voice carried threat despite his battered state. Blood ran down his temple, but his stance remained unwavering.
The Skull Sovereign tilted his horned mask.
Tian Hong spoke without turning. "Take the others and go. Live. Grow stronger. The White Crane Sect's legacy must survive."
The Ten Sages of Hell shifted their attention to Tian Hong, bone masks gleaming with murderous intent. They spread out in a circular formation, while the Skull Sovereign raised his blade.
Tian Hong's qi exploded outward, his sword technique creating afterimages that filled the courtyard. The display of power drew the Skull Sovereign and his Sages away from the survivors, their focus locked on the legendary Crane Sage.
"The end of an era," the Skull Sovereign's voice echoed.
Tian Hong smiled. That was the Sovereign's acknowledgment of his might. "But not the end of hope."
The battle moved toward the main hall, drawing the dark forces away from the inner courtyard. Where moments ago death had seemed certain, a path to survival now opened through Tian Hong's sacrifice.
"How pathetic." Qin Ru's voice cut through his grief. She emerged from the chaos to welcome the refugees, daggers gleaming. "The pervert Li Shen finally brought low. It's just one little dead bird."
"Enough." Qin Feng rose from behind a collapsed wall, purple qi crackling around her hands. Her eyes locked with Li Shen's, sharing his pain through their bond.
"You don't have to pretend anymore, sister. He has lost." Qin Ru spat.
Li Shen's grief twisted into rage. His eyes burned. "Restrain her."
Qin Feng had acted even before his command. Her poison mist had already spread, taking her sister by surprise. Qin Ru's eyes widened as purple mist coiled around her limbs. Her own sister's poison qi seeped into her muscles, paralyzing them one by one. "Sister, how could-"
Li Shen's fist crashed into her stomach, driving the air from her lungs. The impact lifted her feet off the ground. Spittle flew from her mouth as she doubled over, knees hitting the stone with a crack. Her daggers clattered beside her.
"That's for mocking Mei Lan." Li Shen's voice came out cold, hollow. His knuckles bore traces of blood where they'd split against her leather belt.
Qin Ru's eyes rolled back as consciousness fled. Her body slumped forward, caught by Li Shen before she hit the ground. He hoisted her over his shoulder, muscles straining under her dead weight.
"We need to move." Qin Feng shifted her poison mist to create a temporary screen. "The forest cave. They won't track us there."
Li Shen nodded, already on the move. Debris crunched under his boots as he wove between burning buildings. Qin Feng followed close behind, her footsteps silent as she covered their retreat with lingering traces of poison cloud.
They slipped into the tree line just as another explosion rocked the White Crane grounds. The dense foliage swallowed them, branches whipping past as they pushed deeper into the familiar path toward their hidden sanctuary.
Qin Ru woke to blurred vision. As her sight cleared, she found Li Shen grinning darkly above her, removing his pants. Her limbs wouldn't respond. Terror struck when she noticed her own discarded robes. Nearby, her sister Qin Feng watched with aroused eyes, unmoved.
"What are you doing?" Qin Ru's voice was a hoarse whisper, her throat dry. Her mind raced, trying to comprehend the situation. She was the proud, untouchable Poison Sister. This couldn't be happening.
Li Shen knelt beside her, his hands gripping her wrists like shackles. He pinned her to the cold cave floor, his body a weight she couldn't shift. "Embrace it," he growled.
Her heart pounded against her ribs, her breath coming in short gasps. She could feel his power, the influence of the Vassal Bond System wrapping around her like chains. "No," she whispered, her voice barely heard. "I won't... I can't..."
Qin Feng watched, her eyes filled with a mix of lust and submission. She made no move to intervene, her hands clenched at her sides. Her breathing was ragged, her cheeks flushed.
Qin Ru's mind screamed as she struggled beneath Li Shen. The system's influence coiled around her mind, distorting her thoughts into a haze of fear and unnamed feelings.
Li Shen tightened his hold, smiling as he leaned close. "You can't fight it," he breathed. "It's your fate to be born anew."
She trembled, drowning in denial and despair. Yet beneath it all, submission and desire bloomed. Paralyzed, she could only watch as his hands began to roam.
System Notification: Vassal potential—Qin Ru. Submission process initiated.
Li Shen's grip tightened around Qin Ru's wrists, pinning her arms above her head. His eyes burned with a mix of rage and lust, the loss of Mei Lan fuel a dark desire for control. Qin Ru struggled beneath him, tears streaming down her cheeks as she realized the futility of her situation.
"Please... don't," she whispered, her voice choked with fear and desperation. Her once proud demeanor crumbled as she stared into Li Shen's cold eyes.
Li Shen's response was a harsh slap across her face. The sound echoed through the cave, followed by Qin Ru's cry of pain. Her cheek reddened, the sting of the impact bringing fresh tears to her eyes.
"Engrave this on your mind, Qin Ru," Li Shen growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I am your master."
He shifted his weight, using his knees to force her legs apart. Qin Ru's breath hitched as she felt his hardness press against her. Panic surged through her, but her body refused to obey her commands. The poison paralysis still lingered in her muscles.
Li Shen's hand gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. "You will serve me, just like your sister does."
His hips moved, a brutal thrust that tore a scream from Qin Ru's throat. Pain exploded through her, her body tensing as he forced his way in. Li Shen didn't pause, didn't give her time to adjust. He moved with a punishing rhythm, each thrust a claim of ownership.
Qin Ru's cries filled the cave, her body jerking with each impact. Li Shen's hands roamed her body, gripping her small cups with bruising force. He slapped her again, the sound a harsh punctuation to her sobs.
"Stop fighting it," Li Shen snarled, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "Submit."
His pace quickened, his hips slamming against hers with brutal force. Qin Ru's mind fractured, her thoughts scattering under the onslaught of pain and pleasure. She could feel her resistance crumbling, her body betraying her as it responded to Li Shen's dominance.
Li Shen's hand tangled in her hair, pulling her head back as he leaned down to bite her neck. His teeth sank into her flesh, a primal mark of possession. Qin Ru's cry turned into a moan, her body arching against his.
"That's it," Li Shen murmured, his voice a dark whisper in her ear.
His hand moved to her ass, gripping the flesh tightly before delivering a series of harsh slaps. The sound filled the cave, accompanied by Qin Ru's broken sobs. Each slap sent a jolt of pain through her, but also a spark of something else - something dark and twisted that coiled in her core.
Li Shen's pace became erratic, his breath coming in harsh pants. He gripped her hips, his fingers digging into her flesh as he chased his release. Qin Ru's mind shattered, her resistance crumbling under the weight of his dominance.
With a final, brutal thrust, Li Shen found his release, his body shaking as he spilled into her. Qin Ru's cry echoed through the cave, a sound of surrender and submission. Her body went limp beneath him, her mind breaking under the force of Li Shen's claim.
Li Shen withdrew, leaving Qin Ru trembling and gasping. She retreated inward, eyes closing against the shame. He smirked down at his conquest - the proud Poison Sisters now fully broken to his will.
System Notification: Vassal Qin Ru Bonding process completed. The Skill Venom Bullet can be accessed.