The celestial phenomenon above the Green Lotus Sect drew cultivators from every peak within moments. Liu Ruyan arrived first, her figure tearing through the void like lightning. Dressed in ornate palace robes, her silver hair cascading like moonlight, she hovered before the Demon Locking Prison's entrance.
Elders, inner disciples, and even outer disciples flooded the area, their eyes alight with greed and curiosity. What treasure could cause such an omen?
A voluptuous elder with violet hair stepped forward, barely containing her excitement. "Sect Master—could a divine artifact have emerged from the prison?"
Liu Ruyan's brow furrowed. She knew every secret within those walls. The only "treasure" there was Ning Chen—and he should've been inert under her seals.
Then it struck her. Nan Gongling.
Her spiritual sense swept the crowd. No sign of her disciple. She's still inside.
"Wait," Liu Ruyan commanded, her voice steel. "All will be revealed."
Depths of the Demon Locking Prison
The chaos subsided. Ice and fire receded into Nan Gongling's awakened eyes, leaving the chamber scarred but stable.
Ning Chen lounged on the bed, studying her updated panel:
[Nan Gongling]
[Cultivation: Golden Core Layer 4]
[Divine Ability: Sun-Moon Divine Eyes (Gold-tier – Awakened)
- Left Eye: Solar World (Absorbs/refracts sunlight)
- Right Eye: Lunar World (Harnesses/stores moonlight)
]**
[Beauty Score: 98]
Leaps from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core? Even he hadn't predicted this.
A droplet fell from the ceiling, striking Nan Gongling's forehead. She stirred, her new eyes snapping open—one a swirling sun, the other a shimmering moon. Colors, textures, and spiritual currents flooded her vision, overwhelming senses once shrouded in darkness.
Memories surged: her body fracturing under the divine eyes' power, Ning Chen's Yang energy forcibly stabilizing her. He saved me—even as I violated him.
Rising, she faced him—naked, radiant, and utterly unselfconscious. "Senior Brother," she breathed, her voice trembling with awe. "Thank you for… imparting your grace."
The formal phrase carried double meaning, her gratitude laced with unintended suggestiveness.
Ning Chen smirked. "Don't mention it. Literally. Liu Ruyan would skin us both."
Outside the Prison
The celestial mirage faded. Liu Ruyan's jade-like composure cracked as Nan Gongling emerged—her aura transformed, eyes blazing with solar and lunar might.
Golden Core? Sun-Moon Divine Eyes? Rage and envy coiled in Liu Ruyan's gut. How dare he empower another?
Yet she smiled, clapping gently. "Well done, Ah Ling. The sect's future shines brighter with your… breakthrough."
Nan Gongling knelt, oblivious to the venom beneath her master's praise. "This disciple owes all to Senior Brother's guidance."
Liu Ruyan's nails pierced her palms. Oh, he'll repay this debt.