Chapter 5: The Empress in the Ring
The night in the Heavenly Sect was silent, but for the hum of spiritual energy. Inside the luxurious guest chambers, Xu Yanluo lay with his eyes closed, his breathing rhythmic.
In the mental plane, a cold, ethereal mist gathered.
A woman materialized. She wore robes of ancient starlight, her face hauntingly beautiful and cold enough to freeze a soul. Empress Feng Yaoyin, the spirit residing within the Protagonist's ring, stared at Yanluo's sleeping form.
"Who are you truly, boy?" her voice echoed in his consciousness. "No prince of a mortal realm possesses a soul this... refined."
Yanluo didn't open his eyes in the physical world, but his mental projection smirked. 'An Empress Spirit? Watching a man sleep? How scandalous.'
Yaoyin recoiled, her spectral eyes widening. "You can perceive me?!"
'I designed your character quest, Yaoyin. I know the birthmark on your soul,' Yanluo thought lazily. 'Go back to your ring. The Hero needs his diaper changed. I'm busy.'
Before she could strike out in rage, the physical world exploded with golden light.
CRACK.
The ceiling—or what was left of it after Yanluo's "hand slipped"—shattered as a rift in space tore open. Princess Xu Meiling stepped out, her face a mask of royal annoyance.
"Brother! Enough playing in the mud!" she snapped, grabbing Yanluo by the ear as he sat up. "Father is throwing a tantrum. The Imperial Festival starts in three days, and you're down here acting like a mountain bandit!"
"Ow, ow! Meiling, watch the hair! It's 85% of my charisma!" Yanluo complained, though he stood up with effortless grace.
He turned to the trembling Sect Leader and his daughter, Lin Xinyue. "Pack your things, Xinyue. You're coming to the Upper Realm. You're my new... 'Aura Assistant.'"
"I-I... Yes, Your Highness!" the girl stammered, half-terrified and half-captivated.
Han Cangming, the Hero, stood in the courtyard, his knuckles white as he watched his fiancée being drafted into a villain's retinue. "Xu Yanluo! I swear on the heavens... I will find you! I will grow stronger, and I will take back everything you've stolen!"
Yanluo didn't even look back. He just waved a dismissive hand. "Write it in a diary, kid. It'll make a great tragedy."
As they ascended toward the rift, four massive auras blocked the path. The Leaders of the Four Great Sects had arrived, their combined pressure shaking the clouds.
"You cannot take the treasures of the Mortal Realm and leave!" the oldest master roared. "Leave the girl and the spirit stones, or face the Four-Gate Annihilation Formation!"
Yanluo sighed, leaning against the rift's edge. "Meiling, do you want to do it, or should I?"
"I'm tired," his sister yawned. "Just one-shot them and let's go."
Yanluo's red eyes glowed. He raised a hand, and the atmosphere turned heavy. [Skill: Primordial Collapse].
A sphere of black gravity condensed in his palm and expanded in a heartbeat. The "Great Formation" didn't just break—it folded in on itself. The Four Sect Leaders were sent screaming through the air like discarded ragdolls, their prestigious robes tattered and their dignity non-existent.
"Comedy gold," Yanluo muttered.
Seconds later, they were inside the royal transport vessel, a floating palace crossing the void between realms.
Yanluo sat on a velvet divan. Yao Qingxue, the Regent Consort, immediately sat beside him, pulling him into a possessive hug. She didn't care about the Princess or the new girl; she simply began doting on him, kissing his temple and stroking his jaw.
"You're back," she whispered, her voice thick with affection. "Don't scare me like that again. Those lower-realm ants aren't worth your time."
"I missed you too, Qingxue," Yanluo said, leaning into her.
Hu Ruyan crawled to his feet, her fox tails fluffing up as she began massaging his legs. "My turn! My turn! My hands are much better at relaxing muscles than the Regent's," she chirped, looking up at him with wide, playful eyes.
Mu Qinglan and Ling Yuechan stood nearby, pouting visibly as they prepared his tea and spiritual fruits.
"One at a time, ladies," Yanluo laughed, pulling the Fox Princess's tail playfully.
"Eek! Shameless!" Ruyan squealed, blushing furiously but leaning closer to his hand.
As the vessel pierced through the clouds of the Immortal Realm, the sky turned a brilliant, shimmering gold. The massive spires of the Immortal Dynasty appeared on the horizon, reaching toward the very center of the universe.
Yanluo looked out at his true home. The "Game" was over. The "War" was just beginning.
"The Upper Realm," Yanluo smirked, his white hair catching the celestial light. "Let's see if the 'Great Protagonists' up here are any more fun to crush."