Chapter 9:

[Flames of Devotion, War of Desire]

The moment he refined the Celestial Flame Root, Haaron felt the shift inside his spirit sea—his qi thickened, coiled tighter, concentrated like molten gold pressed under divine pressure.

He was ready.

A breakthrough hovered at the edge of his being.

But something held him back.

Not fear. Not resistance.

Emotion.

A flicker of pain that didn't come from within him—but from her.

He turned his gaze toward Lian Rou. She sat beneath the spirit tree with her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, her expression guarded. Her silver tails—usually light and playful—were wound around her like armor.

He could feel it through the Sutra.

Sadness. Insecurity. Longing buried under pride.

Her qi was stable—Late Core Formation Realm—but her heart… was trembling.

His heart clenched.

And Haaron didn't hesitate.

He crossed the space between them and dropped to one knee before her.

"Lian."

She didn't look up. "You should be focusing on your breakthrough. You're close."

"I am."

"Then go. Yue Shilan is probably still glowing somewhere."

He cupped her chin gently, tilting her face toward him. "Look at me."

Her eyes met his, and the mask cracked.

"What do you want me to say?" she whispered. "That I liked being the first? That I didn't expect to care? I told myself I didn't need your attention, but… when I felt her qi binding to you… I—"

He kissed her not to silence.

To answer.

It was slow. Devouring. His essence poured into her—not through technique, but through intent.

When he broke the kiss, his voice was low.

"You belong to me." She blinked, stunned.

"And I belong to no one," he said. "Except the ones I claim with my soul. You're mine, Lian Rou. The first. The fiercest. I'll never let anyone else touch what I've marked."

Her lips trembled. "Then show me."

He didn't rush her. His hands slid under her robe with reverence, lifting it inch by inch, exposing her porcelain skin to the moonlight. Her breath hitched as he laid her back on the soft grass, his mouth tracing along her collarbone, down her chest, each kiss pulsing with spiritual resonance.

Through the Sutra, their qi began to sync.

Silver and violet strands twined around them in the air, visible to the naked eye. Her spiritual sea opened—not from force, but from trust.

She moaned softly as he slid inside her, their bodies molding with a perfect rhythm only those linked by cultivation could share. Every thrust wasn't just pleasure—it was transmission. Haaron's essence flowed into her, strengthening her meridians, feeding her core.

"Say it," he whispered against her throat.

"I'm yours," she gasped, wrapping her legs tighter around him.

He moved harder, deeper. Their qi flared—violet fire bursting from the ground beneath them. The tree behind them bloomed unnaturally, its petals glowing with dual-path energy.

"I'll never share you," he growled, hand gripping her waist possessively. "Not your power. Not your cries. Not your heart."

She sobbed with pleasure, her hands clawing his back, her spirit breaking open as she climaxed—her qi erupting like a wave.

Haaron followed.

But as he climaxed, his spirit core shattered—only to reform instantly.

Breakthrough.

A roar echoed through his body as he ascended.

Nascent Soul Realm.

The world slowed,his perception sharpened.

He felt everything—her heartbeat, her breath, her tears.

He kissed them away and held her close.

"You're not just mine," he whispered. "You're loved."

She trembled in his arms.

And for the first time in her life, Lian Rou cried.

The next day, as Haaron and Lian Rou walked openly through the outer mountain trails of Verdant Flame, their qi freshly refined and bonded, they passed a caravan of disciples from the Iron Wyrm Alliance—a minor power with rich bloodlines and poor brains.

The group stopped instantly when they saw Lian Rou.

The leader—Gao Yun, a bulky brute in mid Nascent Soul Realm, with golden armor and a blade the size of a man—grinned.

"Who's this pretty fox?" he sneered. "Verdant Flame's pets grow lovelier each year."

Haaron's eyes narrowed.

Gao stepped closer, completely ignoring him. "Come here, girl. I'll feed you spirit wine and let you sit on my lap."

Lian Rou's aura flared, tails rising like spears.

But Haaron moved first.

One flash.

A gust of silver qi slammed into Gao Yun's chest, sending him flying backward into a boulder.

The remaining men drew weapons.

"You dare strike a representative of the Alliance—"

Haaron stepped forward, his aura exploding.

Nascent Soul Realm—but enhanced by the Harem Sutra Network. With Lian Rou and Yue Shilan linked to his core, his qi was layered, deep, endless.

"You looked at what's mine," he said, voice low.

He raised his hand.

The air behind him shimmered.

A dual-path formation flared to life—a spiritual array formed from his harem nodes. Lian Rou's illusion and charm essence merged with Yue Shilan's ice and control. The resulting strike?

A tidal wave of freezing seduction and violent force.

It swept over the Iron Wyrm disciples like a storm.

Screams. Weapons shattered, Qi collapsed.

When the mist cleared, only Gao Yun remained conscious, crawling on all fours, blood dripping from his mouth.

Haaron walked up to him, placed a foot on his neck, and pressed down lightly.

"I don't repeat myself, Ever." Gao whimpered.

Haaron looked down coldly.

"Next time you look at what's mine—rip your eyes out first."

Then he walked away, hand linked with Lian Rou's.