Chapter 12: The Choice That Cracked the Heavens
The arena was a graveyard of broken marble and shattered pride. Lin Feng, the Sword God, stood trembling, his divine blade snapped in half. But the true destruction wasn't physical—it was the look in his eyes as he stared at his fiancée, Ye Ziyun.
"Ziyun..." Lin Feng gasped, his voice cracked. "Come here. The Elders... the Sect... we can still fix this. If you confess that he bewitched you, the Sect rules will be merciful. We can preserve our reputation."
Yanluo stood five paces away, his hands back in his pockets, looking bored. He didn't say a word. He didn't have to.
The Sect Elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect stepped forward, his face red with fury. "Ye Ziyun! You are the face of our Sect! To be seen with this... this villainous prince! Kneel and repent, or be stripped of your cultivation and exiled to the Cold Pits!"
Ziyun looked at the Elder, then at the man she had called her 'destiny.'
"Feng..." she whispered, her eyes searching his. "Help me. Tell them... tell them I'm more than just the Sect's reputation."
Lin Feng hesitated.
His eyes flickered to the High Elders. He thought of his position as the Chosen One. He thought of the 'Sword Heart' that required him to follow the 'Righteous Path.' Every second of his silence was like a hammer blow to the girl standing between two worlds.
[System Notification: "Ling"]
[Observation: The 'Righteous Hero' is currently calculating the tax benefits of his fiancée's soul. Cringe levels: 100%.]
"I..." Lin Feng finally spoke, his voice weak. "Ziyun, the Sect's honor comes first. If you just kneel... I will try to visit you in the pits."
Ziyun's expression didn't shatter; it went cold. colder than her ice cultivation.
"So... I was never the choice," she murmured. "I was just a condition for your ascension."
The Villain's Move
Yanluo stepped forward. He didn't make a speech. He didn't talk about 'honor.' He simply walked into the 'Danger Zone' of the Elders' pressure and reached out his hand.
"If you're going to stand there thinking, Lin Feng," Yanluo's voice echoed like a thunderclap, "then she's already mine."
He looked at Ziyun, his red eyes glowing with an arrogant warmth. "Go back to him, Ziyun. Go back to the 'Righteous Path' and the cold pits. If you can."
He turned his back on her, walking toward his own pavilion where his harem was waiting. It was the ultimate gamble. The "Public Choice" Nuclear Option.
He didn't get three steps.
A pair of soft, trembling hands grabbed his black robes from behind. Ziyun didn't just walk to him; she ran. She pressed her face against his back, her tears staining the silk.
"I already left," she said, her voice firm enough to shake the Arena. "I don't have a Sect. I only have a Prince."
The crowd exploded.
Lin Feng let out a primal scream of agony. CRACK. The phantom of the Sword God behind him shattered into a million pieces. His 'Dao Heart' wasn't just broken; it was ground into dust.
The Aftermath: A Very Crowded Celebration
Back in the Prince's villa, the "Victory Celebration" was getting a bit... cramped.
"Welcome to the club, Ice Fairy," Hu Ruyan chirped, though she was currently using her tails to push Ziyun away from Yanluo's left side. "But just because you're a 'Defector' doesn't mean you get the prime seating. That belongs to the Fox!"
Yao Qingxue sat on the main divan, looking at Ziyun with a mature, predatory smile. "She has potential. But she needs to be... re-educated. Her 'Righteous' habits are quite stiff."
Yanluo was currently lying back, his head in Ling Yuechan's lap while Mu Qinglan fed him wine that was definitely too strong for a weekday.
"I'm exhausted," Yanluo sighed, looking up at Ziyun who was standing awkwardly. "Ziyun, stop standing there like a statue. You made your choice. That means you follow my rules now."
He reached out and pulled her down onto the cushions. Ziyun gasped as she landed right next to him, her face flushing as the "Villainous" scent of him overwhelmed her senses.
"Rule number one," Yanluo whispered, pulling her closer until her heart was racing against his chest. "No more thinking. I do the thinking. You just do the 'Dual Cultivation.'"
He leaned in, claiming a spicy, public-betrayal kiss that made the other heroines pouting and complaining.
"Hey! I wanted a kiss too!" Ruyan whined, crawling over him. "I'm the one who did the massage today!"
"There's enough of me to go around," Yanluo laughed, his hands wandering as the comedy of the harem turned into the warmth of the night.
The Cliffhanger: The Ring's Revenge
Suddenly, the room turned cold.
[System Warning: !@#$%!]
[Ling: Host! The Empress Spirit! She's not retreating!]
A spectral figure manifested in the center of the room. Empress Feng Yaoyin stood there, but she wasn't looking at the broken Lin Feng. She was staring at Yanluo with a look of terrifying hunger.
"The Boy is a failure," the Empress hissed. "But your body... your Primordial Chaos Physique... it is the perfect vessel for my rebirth."
She lunged forward, not as an ally, but as a predator.
Yanluo's red eyes flared. He didn't move. He just smirked as the spectral Empress touched his forehead.
"You want my body, Yaoyin?" Yanluo's voice turned demonic. "Be careful what you wish for. I'm a very demanding landlord."
FLASH.
The room went white.