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Chapter 7: The Emperor's Greed and the Dragon's Defiance
The dawn after their wedding night painted the Shi Family's Royal Palace in hues of gold, but within the crimson-draped wedding room, a fragile warmth lingered. Shi Feng and Yun Wushuang sat across a rosewood table, steam curling from jasmine tea in jade cups, pastries untouched. The air hummed with the fading scent of sandalwood, a reminder of their night spent not in passion but in shared vulnerability—words of stars, dreams, and scars forging a bond closer to friendship than duty.
Yun Wushuang's face, unveiled, was a celestial marvel, her scar a badge of battles won. Her demeanor remained cold, a fortress of ice, yet when her gaze met Shi Feng's, a flicker of softness broke through—like moonlight on a frozen lake. Shi Feng's heart ached with hope. Wushuang, you're letting me in, even if just a step, he thought, clutching the Golden Panther Statue in his sleeve, its weight a vow of her trust. Each glance from her, each softened edge in her voice, was a treasure he hoarded, a sign their destined path was real. But beneath his hope, fear gnawed—fear that this world, rotten to its core, would tear them apart.
Their fragile peace shattered with a thunderous clang. A golden-armored envoy, his Core Formation aura oppressive, stormed into the palace, unfurling a jade scroll.
"By the command of His Majesty, the Celestial Emperor, Shi Feng and Yun Wushuang are summoned to the Imperial Capital at once!"
The words struck like a blade, the Shi Family—Shi Tianhao, the sneering princes—bowing in trembling deference. Shi Feng's stomach twisted, dread coiling like a serpent. The Emperor? What does that monster want with us?
As they prepared to leave, Yun Wushuang's scar seemed to darken, her voice a low warning.
"Shi Feng, Zhao Tianxiong is a tyrant, his heart a pit of greed and cruelty. Trust nothing he says."
Her eyes, usually unyielding, betrayed a flicker of fear—not for herself, but for him. Shi Feng's chest tightened, his resolve hardening. I won't let him hurt you, Wushuang. Not while I breathe.
The journey to Tianjing City was a blur, their carriage soaring through clouds on the backs of spirit beasts. The Imperial Capital was a paradox—golden pagodas piercing the heavens, jade-paved streets pulsing with arrays, yet steeped in a moral decay that sickened Shi Feng. Men flaunted three wives and four concubines, women chased power through harems or reverse harems, their souls twisted by self-interest.
This world is a cesspool, he thought, memories of his pure-hearted mother clashing with the reality before him. Goodness is a death sentence here, but I'll carve a path for us, no matter how bloody.
The Imperial Castle loomed, its obsidian spires clawing the sky, exuding a malevolent aura. Shi Feng's heart pounded as they entered the Grand Throne Hall—a cavernous chamber of dragon murals and spirit crystals. Zhao Tianxiong, the Celestial Emperor, sat on a white jade throne, his Soul Transformation Realm, Early Stage cultivation a suffocating storm. His handsome face was a mask of cruelty, his eyes raking Yun Wushuang with predatory hunger. Concubines in silken robes clung to him, their smiles empty, while officials bowed like puppets, their minds as warped as the world outside.
Shi Feng's skin crawled, his hatred for the Emperor igniting. This bastard plays with lives, kills without remorse, and calls himself a ruler? He gripped Yun Wushuang's hand, her fingers cold but steady, and felt her tense under the Emperor's gaze. I won't let him touch you, he swore, his heart a furnace of rage and fear.
Zhao Tianxiong's voice slithered through the hall, smooth as poison.
"Ninth Prince, War God, your union is a spectacle, but I have a greater purpose for you, General Yun." His smirk widened, eyes glinting with lust. "Your talents are wasted on a weakling. Join me in dual cultivation, and we will ascend to the heavens together."
The hall erupted in gasps, officials whispering like vipers. Shi Feng's blood froze, confusion warring with fury.
Dual cultivation? What is this scheme?
Yun Wushuang's grip tightened, her voice cutting like a blade.
"Your Majesty, you seek my Dual Cultivation Body, don't you? You wish to use me as a cauldron to shatter your stagnant talent."
Shi Feng's heart lurched, a wave of nausea hitting him. Dual Cultivation Body? A cauldron? His inherited memories pieced it together—a Dual Cultivation Body was a rare physique that amplified dual cultivation, merging Qi to boost power. But to treat someone as a "cauldron" was to drain their essence, a parasitic act that could cripple or kill.
He wants to use Wushuang like a tool?
His vision blurred with rage, his love for her—a love he hadn't yet confessed—screaming for vengeance. She's my destined one, my heart. I'll die before I let him touch her!
Zhao Tianxiong laughed, his aura flaring, cracking the hall's marble floor.
"Astute, General Yun. Your body is a divine gift, perfect for my needs. My talent has plateaued, but with you, I can reach the Void Refining Realm. Serve me, and I'll spare your husband's pathetic life."
The concubines tittered, their laughter a knife in Shi Feng's heart. The officials nodded, their twisted souls blind to the Emperor's depravity. Yun Wushuang's scar pulsed, her eyes blazing with defiance, but Shi Feng saw the tremor in her hand—a crack in her armor, a fear she hid for his sake.
She's protecting me, even now, he realized, his chest aching. But I won't let her face this alone.
Despair clawed at him. He's Soul Transformation—light-years beyond my Qi Condensation Realm. How can I fight him?
Then, a spark of hope ignited—the system's reward from their wedding night. The Divine Dragonscale Aegis! A divine-level treasure, ten thousand times greater than the Golden Dragon Armor, capable of crushing even the mightiest foes.
Shi Feng's lips curled into a cold, defiant smile. He stepped forward, shielding Yun Wushuang, his voice a low growl that silenced the hall.
"You want my wife, Zhao Tianxiong?"
The officials gasped. The concubines froze. Yun Wushuang's eyes widened, a tear glistening in her restored pupil. Her cold facade melted, revealing raw emotion—pride, fear, and something deeper.
Shi Feng reached into his spatial ring, summoning the Divine Dragonscale Aegis.
A blinding light erupted, engulfing him in celestial radiance. The aegis materialized, its scales forged from divine dragon essence, each pulsing with power that shook the heavens. The hall quaked, dragon murals shattering, spirit crystals exploding into dust. Shi Feng's aura, once a mere flicker at Qi Condensation First Layer, skyrocketed—rivaling the Soul Transformation Realm and beyond. The air screamed under the pressure. The concubines collapsed. The officials cowered.
Yun Wushuang's breath hitched, her heart pounding as she beheld her husband—not a trash prince, but a dragon reborn.
Shi Feng's laughter rang out, cold and unyielding, laced with the pain of a man pushed to his limit.
"You dare covet my Wushuang? Zhao Tianxiong, you are a worm before my divine armor! Touch her, and I will grind your bones to dust and scatter your soul to the void!"
Zhao Tianxiong's smirk vanished, his face paling as he sensed the aegis's power. The officials scrambled back, their sycophantic masks replaced by fear. Yun Wushuang's scar gleamed under the light, her eyes shining with a mix of awe and pride.
Shi Feng… you truly are no ordinary man, she thought, her heart stirring.
The Emperor rose, his aura clashing with the aegis's, the hall quaking under their collision.
"Insolent whelp!" he roared. "You think a treasure can defy me? Kneel, or I will slaughter you and take her by force!"
Shi Feng's gaze burned, his voice a thunderclap.
"Try it, and the heavens will witness your end. Wushuang is mine, and no one—not you, not the gods—will take her from me!"
The standoff hung like a blade, the fate of the Celestial Dominion teetering on the edge of war.
To Be Continued
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