The storm-wracked heavens above the Bewildering Wood had become a battlefield without bloodshed.
Cloudbanks churned in vast black spirals. Celestial banners cracked in the wind. Endless ranks of armored sky-legions floated in ordered formations beneath the glow of divine sigils, while opposite them spread a sea of monsters, spirit beasts, demon riders, and nightmare cavalry stretching so far across the darkened sky that it seemed the Fell Realm itself had risen to swallow the horizon whole.
And at the center of that suffocating tension stood the commander of the Holy Vanguard.
The mere mention of the Ten-Thousand Calamities True Lord had already shaken the nerves of many divine officers.
The commander of the Empyrean host stepped forward atop a floating war-platform wrought from bronze and jade. His heavy beard drifted in the storm winds, and the towering pagoda clasped in one hand radiated layers of golden ward-light.
"I am here," the heavenly marshal declared. "Speak your purpose, True Lord."
For several breaths, only mist moved across the demon ranks.
Then a voice came drifting from within the black fog.
Cold.
Thin.
Sharp enough to make mortal flesh feel flayed from bone.
"I wonder," the Ten-Thousand Calamities True Lord said lazily, "why the armies of the Empyrean Throne have descended into the lower realms in such force."
The heavenly marshal narrowed his eyes toward the unseen speaker.
"I come under decree of the High Emperor himself. We pursue the cursed remnant of the Shadow Fox bloodline." His voice thundered across the battlefield. "And you? Why does the Holy Vanguard march in full strength?"
A low chuckle rolled through the demon mist.
"The cursed remnant?" the True Lord mused. "I suspect you are here for the Primordial Sigil."
A flicker crossed the marshal's face.
Only for an instant.
Then he answered evenly, "That is also one of our objectives. The Primordial Sigil is a sacred treasure of the upper realms. The High Emperor has ordered its return."
The reaction from the demon army was immediate.
Laughter exploded from the fog.
Cruel laughter.
Mocking laughter.
Thousands of demons howled openly at the heavens without restraint or fear.
The gods of the Empyrean host stiffened in outrage.
"The marshal speaks strangely," the unseen demon commander replied. "The Primordial Sigil belonged to our realm long before your Throne ever laid claim to it."
His voice remained calm, but ridicule dripped from every syllable.
"Still... this argument is older than kingdoms. We need not waste time debating ownership."
The heavenly marshal's expression darkened further.
"Then why have you come?"
"This commander arrives under the orders of the Sovereign herself." The True Lord's tone sharpened. "We have come to request that the armies of the Empyrean Throne withdraw and cease disturbing the peace of the lower realms."
Request.
The word sounded polite.
The voice made it feel like judgment.
The divine ranks erupted with fury.
Prince Thalven shot forward immediately, his crimson cloak whipping behind him like living flame.
"Impudent cur!" he barked. "We carry the High Emperor's decree. You dare obstruct us?"
Silence answered him.
Not fearful silence.
Dismissive silence.
As though none among the demon host cared enough to acknowledge him.
The insult struck harder than any weapon.
"If I refuse?" the heavenly marshal asked coldly.
"Then we settle the matter by war."
The answer came without hesitation.
The marshal's beard stirred in the wind. Vast currents of Vitae rolled beneath the surface of his divine armor.
"You think I fear battle?"
A dry laugh emerged from the fog.
"Today is unfortunate," the Ten-Thousand Calamities True Lord said. "I happened to bring slightly more soldiers than you did."
The mists shifted.
Endless eyes gleamed within.
Winged horrors.
Towering beasts.
Ranks upon ranks of black-armored demon infantry.
The heavenly marshal's face grew uglier by the breath.
The numbers were undeniable.
The Holy Vanguard had not merely come prepared.
They had come ready for annihilation.
"And you interfere so openly," the marshal growled, "without fear of igniting full war between the heavens and the Fell Realm?"
The answer thundered across the sky.
"For the Sovereign's command, we would gladly drown the realms in blood."
Even many demons shivered hearing it.
Prince Thalven finally lost patience.
With a violent motion, he leveled the Flame-Tip Lance toward the demon ranks.
Its burning edge split the clouds with shrieking heat.
"I have long heard the True Lord boasts unmatched power," Thalven roared. "Come out and fight me!"
The reaction from the demons was instant.
Rage exploded through their ranks.
"How dare you challenge the commander!"
"Little princeling thinks he's immortal!"
"Someone skin the brat already!"
"Move aside! I'll rip his arms off myself!"
Prince Thalven's face twisted black with fury.
As one of the Empyrean Throne's greatest war gods, he had never endured such naked humiliation.
Had he still possessed the Sky-Wheels beneath his feet, his presence might have carried greater majesty.
But Kael Ashvane had stolen them.
That humiliation still burned like acid inside him.
He tightened his grip on the Flame-Tip Lance and prepared to charge.
Then the Ten-Thousand Calamities True Lord finally spoke again.
"Great-Strength Marshal."
A thunderous voice answered immediately from the demon host.
"I am here!"
The mist split apart.
Something enormous emerged.
The beast beneath it came first—a monstrous horned predator with blazing golden eyes and claws that walked atop storm-clouds as though they were solid ground.
Then came the rider.
Massive.
Broad as a fortress gate.
The warrior wore heavy golden armor over a body like black iron mountains. A colossal metal staff rested across one shoulder, while two enormous swords crossed behind his back.
When Prince Thalven saw him clearly, his expression changed.
"You."
The Bull Tyrant grinned slowly.
It was not a human grin.
It looked like something carnivorous baring its teeth before feeding.
"Little prince," he rumbled. "Do you still remember me?"
Prince Thalven's eyes blazed.
"So it's you, demon filth."
The Bull Tyrant's grin vanished instantly.
Hatred flooded his face.
"Back then," he snarled, "you swarmed me with half the heavens at your back and carved me apart piece by piece."
The veins in his neck bulged beneath the armor.
"Today, I'll return every wound a hundredfold."
Prince Thalven laughed coldly.
"I cut you down once before."
The divine prince rolled his shoulders.
Crackling thunder burst from his flesh.
"I can do it again."
His body suddenly erupted with blazing divine radiance.
Three heads emerged.
Eight mighty arms unfolded from his sides in a burst of violent power.
Each hand held a different divine weapon wreathed in celestial fire.
His Divine Manifestation towered over the battlefield like a wrathful god descended into mortal skies.
The Bull Tyrant only laughed harder.
"You still think I'm the same beast you hunted before?"
His monstrous mount stamped the clouds beneath it, sending shockwaves through the heavens.
Then—
Another voice descended from above.
Bright.
Clear.
Filled with strange warmth.
"If you refuse the sacred path," the newcomer said, "what value is rebirth?"
Both armies looked upward.
The storm clouds parted.
Golden light poured through the sky.
Soft chanting drifted across the battlefield, layered with ringing bells and distant hymns.
Hundreds of warrior-monks descended slowly from the heavens.
Some carried staffs.
Others held prayer wheels, chains, banners, relic blades, or crystal lamps glowing with sacred light.
At their head floated two serene figures crowned in halos.
Their robes shimmered with countless jeweled threads. Calm radiance surrounded them like living dawnlight.
Seraph Manthian.
Seraph Previan.
Behind them stood four towering Warden-Knights clad in heavy sacred armor.
The Bull Tyrant's face changed immediately.
Fear.
Real fear.
"You remember us, don't you?" one of the Warden-Knights asked coldly.
The Bull Tyrant stared upward.
He recognized them all.
The very hunters who had once dragged him toward captivity in the Aureate Sanctum.
He remembered chains forged from sacred scripture.
Remembered holy fires eating into his flesh.
Remembered kneeling beneath mountains while divine chants crushed his mind for years.
The old terror clawed its way back into his chest.
Meanwhile, the heavenly army brightened with renewed hope.
Though the Aureate Sanctum forces numbered only in the hundreds, everyone present knew what those figures represented.
The two Seraphs alone possessed power capable of reshaping battlefields.
And the four Warden-Knights were infamous executioners of the Fell Realm.
One of them stepped forward now, his voice carrying openly across the heavens.
"Bull Tyrant," he declared, "we once brought you westward toward salvation, and you repaid mercy with betrayal. You fled and crawled back to monsters and corruption."
His gaze swept contemptuously across the countless demon soldiers.
"Your fate nears its end. Do you regret your choices now?"
The words carried not the slightest caution.
Not the slightest fear.
As though the tens of thousands of demons before him were no more threatening than insects.
The Bull Tyrant's grip tightened around his iron staff.
Even so, unease flickered visibly across his face.
The Ten-Thousand Calamities True Lord saw it.
Rage stirred beneath the unseen commander's silence.
He was already preparing to send another champion forward—
Then a woman laughed.
The sound floated gently across the battlefield.
Beautiful.
Soft.
Almost playful.
Yet every living thing present heard it perfectly.
"What exactly is fate?" the woman asked lazily. "I've never understood it myself."
The heavens changed.
Black flames erupted from beneath the cloud layer.
Not one.
Thousands.
They twisted upward like serpents of living darkness.
The flames danced across the sky, then transformed.
Birds emerged from them.
Enormous spirit birds.
Peacocks of black fire.
Silver-crested cranes.
Vast phoenix-hawks.
Shadow swans with burning eyes.
Every creature circled a single massive pillar of black flame rising slowly toward the heavens.
Upon those flaming birds stood women.
Demonesses.
Sorceresses.
Monstrous beauties dressed in silk and gold.
Some lounged lazily across feathered backs.
Others sat cross-legged with strange instruments in their arms.
Some smiled openly toward the divine armies.
Others stared with dead, hungry eyes.
Together they surrounded the central black fire while the sacred radiance of the Aureate Sanctum dimmed beneath their presence.
The entire sky turned strange.
Dark.
Dreamlike.
Seductive.
Terrifying.
Then the central fire began to contract.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
A gigantic shape emerged within it.
A phoenix.
A true phoenix.
But unlike any living creature beneath heaven.
Its feathers were black as the void between worlds, and every inch of its body burned with dark fire that gave off neither smoke nor heat.
Four breathtaking women stood upon its wings and tail feathers, clothed in flowing golden robes while carrying ancient treasures and ceremonial weapons.
And at the center—
A woman reclined across the phoenix's back.
Everything stopped.
Breathing stopped.
Thought stopped.
Even the storm seemed to freeze.
She lay there lazily, one arm supporting her cheek, snow-white robes spilling around her body like flowing moonlight.
Her skin looked softer than cream.
Her curves beneath the silk could have driven saints to murder.
Every movement carried impossible grace.
Impossible temptation.
Impossible authority.
The beauty of the world itself seemed cheap beside her.
Then suddenly—
The entire demon army dropped to its knees.
Tens of thousands moved as one.
"Glory to the Sovereign!"
The cry shook the heavens.
Sovereign Vaela lifted one slender hand lazily.
Only then did the Holy Vanguard rise again in perfect discipline.
Every gaze remained fixed on her.
No one could look away.
No one dared truly meet her eyes either.
She was too beautiful.
Not merely beautiful in the ordinary sense.
Her existence itself felt dangerous.
Men wanted to worship her.
Desired to kneel before her.
Desired to tear away their own souls just to earn another glance.
And worst of all—
They knew she understood that power completely.
Her appearance transformed the battlefield instantly.
The demon host surged with fanatic energy.
Meanwhile, morale in the divine ranks collapsed visibly.
Even the gods of the Empyrean Throne—beings who had spent eternities surrounded by celestial maidens and heavenly queens—felt shame rise in their hearts.
Compared to the woman before them, all others seemed pale and lifeless.
The four Warden-Knights stared like carved statues.
Their minds had weathered countless ordeals.
They had slaughtered demons for ages beyond counting.
Yet now, looking upon Sovereign Vaela, dark desires stirred uncontrollably inside them.
Only the two Seraphs maintained themselves.
They inclined their heads slightly.
"So the Sovereign herself has arrived," Seraph Manthian said calmly. "An honor."
Vaela giggled softly.
"I do not worship your sacred doctrines," she said. "Nor do I feed wandering monks. What honor could there possibly be in meeting me?"
Despite the teasing words, every eye remained fixed upon her mouth while she spoke.
Manthian folded his hands together.
"The Sovereign is a being of supreme wisdom," he answered. "To witness your presence is naturally fortunate."
Vaela's eyes drifted slowly across the gathered holy figures.
Just one sweep of her gaze sent hearts hammering wildly in countless chests.
"I thought I heard someone discussing fate earlier," she murmured. "I truly wish to understand it better. Would one of you kindly teach me?"
Several warrior-monks visibly lost focus beneath her smile.
Sweat appeared on brows.
Breathing quickened.
Even divine discipline faltered.
Manthian answered carefully.
"The mysteries of fate are endless. How could we dare claim understanding before the Sovereign?"
"Oh?" Vaela smiled. "Then perhaps we should all withdraw somewhere quiet instead. Burn incense. Brew tea. Talk slowly about fate together."
Previan finally spoke.
"The mysteries of fate cannot be exhausted even across ages."
Vaela's smile deepened.
"Then we can spend ages discussing it."
The atmosphere grew stranger by the moment.
Soft.
Pleasant.
Yet beneath it lurked something vast enough to crush worlds.
Manthian finally said, "We came under decree of the Aureate Sanctum. We seek the return of the Primordial spirit essence to the sacred mountain. Today is likely not suitable for leisurely discussion."
Vaela pouted lightly.
The gesture nearly shattered the composure of half the battlefield.
"Oh, come now," she said sweetly. "It's rare for me to meet such distinguished Seraphs. Surely you can spare a little guidance?"
The seductive warmth in her voice spread like invisible poison.
Warrior-monks lowered their eyes.
Divine soldiers clenched their jaws.
Even Prince Thalven's breathing had become heavier.
Manthian remained unmoved.
"The Sovereign's request is difficult to obey."
Vaela sighed softly.
"Then forget the discussion."
Her smile faded slightly.
"You may all leave now."
The words were gentle.
No intimidating aura erupted.
No crushing Vitae pressure descended.
Nothing visible happened at all.
Yet both Seraphs felt their hearts stir.
Only slightly.
But enough.
Enough to disturb beings who had remained unmoved through ten thousand years of cultivation.
As for everyone else—
Terror exploded inside them without warning.
Not physical terror.
Something deeper.
Something primal.
A trembling rose from the soul itself.
Many soldiers nearly turned and fled on instinct.
Even seasoned gods felt their limbs growing cold.
Previan's halo brightened subtly behind his head.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked.
Vaela smiled once more.
Now the smile looked almost pitying.
"Because while I am here," she said softly, "you will not pass any farther."
The black phoenix beneath her spread its burning wings slowly across the heavens.
---
Inside the cramped tree hollow, sheltered from the dying storm, the air was thick with sweat, musk, and the raw sounds of flesh.
Violet Farwyn and Azure Farwyn laughed with wicked delight, flushed and triumphant—until Azure suddenly shuddered hard. A soft, broken cry escaped her as her whole body convulsed.
"What's wrong?" Violet asked, still hugging her sister from behind.
"He… he…" Azure trembled, voice thick with shock, barely able to form words.
"What? Keep sucking him dry!" Violet demanded, reaching around to feel her sister's twitching belly. Her eyes widened. "You came too? How are you this useless?"
Azure said nothing more. She simply clung tighter, arms and legs wrapped around Kael, grinding forward desperately as if trying to melt her entire body into his.
Kael thrust up hard, flooding her with thick, powerful jets of his seed. His hands gripped her waist, pinning her down as the swollen, monstrous head of his cock pushed halfway into her deepest core. The pleasure nearly undid him, every muscle burning with raw bliss.
Azure couldn't hold on. Her Vitae stalled, her hidden technique scattered. What had begun as careful extraction turned into something else entirely. She was like a drunk forced to swallow more strong liquor—unable to take it, only able to spill. Hot, sticky Lunar Essence gushed from her core, slicking his throbbing length as their bodies locked together in desperate, messy climax.
They groaned and cried out, grinding against each other until Azure finally went limp, collapsing back into her sister's arms.
"What happened?" Violet asked, holding her.
"He… he…" Azure panted, skin glistening with sweat.
"He knows that kind of art too?" Violet whispered in her ear.
Azure shook her head.
"Then what?" Violet pressed.
"Gods… it felt like… like Master described. Primordial Virilic Essence," Azure moaned, still lost in the aftershocks.
"What?" Violet gasped.
"It has to be… the moment it hit me inside… it numbed everything. I couldn't…" Azure's voice trailed off, drunk on the lingering ecstasy.
Kael, half-dazed, heard them clearly. So the Fifth Sister wasn't the only one. Looks like this really is Primordial Virilic Essence.
"Really? We actually found some?" Violet's voice brimmed with hungry excitement.
"So hot… so numb… my whole lower body feels warm, just like Master said," Azure murmured dreamily.
Kael's chest swelled with dark satisfaction.
"Move over. I'm testing this myself!" Violet said eagerly, shoving her spent sister aside.
"Wait… I'm not finished yet!" Azure protested weakly.
Violet ignored her. She crawled to Kael where he leaned against the hollow's rough wall, catching his breath. Her soft hand slipped between his legs and gripped his still-heavy cock, only slightly softened.
"What are you doing?" Kael growled low.
"I want more," Violet whispered, voice dripping with lust. In the darkness she shed the last of her robes, pressing her naked, silky body against him. Her full, smooth breasts crushed into his chest.
"I… I just…" Kael started, still sensitive from his release. Her teasing fingers were almost too much.
"You what? Can't go on?" she teased, stroking and twisting with clever, wicked skill—pinching, rubbing, pumping in every way that made his blood roar.
"Who says I can't!" Kael snarled. Her soft tits and hard little nipples dragged across his chest, stoking the fire back to full blaze.
"Heehee, hard again already. I knew Big Brother was strong," Violet purred.
Kael's cock swelled rapidly under her hand, thick and iron-hard once more.
"You caught me off guard and made me finish earlier," she whispered hotly against his ear. "This time I'm getting revenge."
"Bring it on," Kael grunted, lust burning hot in his veins.
Violet rose on her knees, straddling him. She lined up her slick entrance against his massive head and sank down slowly, grinding and working herself onto him. "So big… mmh… I can't fit it…"
After long, teasing minutes, she had only taken the fat crown. The tight, wet folds gripped the most sensitive ridge.
Kael's control snapped. He seized her hips and slammed her down.
"Ah!" Violet screamed as his huge cock speared straight through her passage and slammed into her core.
"You… you ambushed me!" she cried, but the words dissolved into gasps as Kael lifted and dropped her, pounding upward with brutal force. Pleasure crashed over her in waves—sour, numb, itchy, aching—all at once.
"Wait! I'm not… not ready yet…" she whimpered, hips bucking wildly.
"Ready? On the battlefield you wait for the enemy to get ready?" Kael growled, gripping her ass and driving up harder. "Strike first. Strike fast."
Violet leaned forward, arms wrapped tight around his head as she rode the savage rhythm, terrified she'd be thrown off the wild beast beneath her. Her soft breasts smothered his face. Kael turned his head, caught a stiff nipple between his lips, and sucked hard.
"Uhh… ahh!" Violet wailed. Honey gushed from her, splattering their joined bodies.
Kael fucked faster, harder. His cock, soaked in her juices, swelled again—growing thicker, blazing hotter. The Dracoiling stirred.
"Gods! It's changing again! Ah! Ah! Too hot! I'm going to break!" Violet screamed. A deep, syrupy climax built inside her. She tried to summon her locking technique, but it was too late. Her core spasmed helplessly.
Seeing her go quiet, Kael grew annoyed. He stood, pinning her against the hollow wall, spreading her legs wide and hammering into her with deep, punishing strokes.
"Ah!" Violet's scream cut through the now-still forest. "Too deep! Right there! That spot—ah… ah… just like that! I can't hold it! Take it! It's yours, take it all!"
Her cries rang clear in the quiet night, each one dripping with raw, filthy need.
Kael's blood boiled. He thrust deeper, faster, aiming every stroke at the places that made her shriek the loudest.
Azure, listening nearby, grew unbearably aroused. She crawled over, found her sister's kicking leg, then Kael's powerful thrusting body. With a low moan she pressed herself against his arm, hugging it tight.
"Ah!" Violet gave another cry—this one softer, sweeter. Kael felt sudden molten heat flood around his cock as her walls clamped down. A slick, velvety suction wrapped his entire length. Pleasure surged through his root. He froze mid-thrust, locking his Essence Gate with the Nine-Vessel Reclamation, refusing to spill.
"You came again?" Azure asked, surprised.
"I… I…" Violet shuddered violently, voice broken.
"Didn't you tell me to be careful? How are you this weak?" Azure scolded lightly.
"He's… too fierce… I wasn't ready and he just…" Violet moaned, belly twitching as she squirted helplessly around him, cumming even harder than before.
"My turn," Azure breathed. "I'll avenge you."
"No. I want another try. I refuse to lose to him!" Violet clung desperately to Kael's neck, weakly grinding out the last of her thin fluids onto his buried cock.
Kael groaned at the delicious sensation but stayed perfectly still, reinforcing his internal lock.
"You already came twice. Rest first. Don't throw yourself on his spear again!" Azure scolded.
"Just watch," Violet panted. She gathered herself and quietly began her secret technique, determined to conquer him.
Kael heard her defiance and his fighting spirit surged. His Vitae flowed smoothly, his gate secure. He started thrusting again—hard, deep, relentless.
Violet focused everything she had, but soon her moans turned watery and defeated. "Mmh… still… still no good! How is his big cock this strong?"
Her passage was soft and ruined from her previous orgasms. The messy mix of her juices and cream made wet, obscene sounds as Kael pounded faster, harder.
Violet felt her core turning to mush. Another climax threatened. Desperate, she arched and clamped down with everything she had, her hidden core latching onto his swollen head like a hungry mouth. A fine, tangible suction pierced straight into him.
Kael felt it immediately. There it is again. These little demonesses both know this kind of draining art. Just like what the Fifth Sister taught me.
But he had already released once. His endurance was higher, and the Nine-Vessel Reclamation held his gate like iron. Though the urge to cum roared through him, he did not break.
Violet sucked again and again, growing frantic when nothing came. Ignoring the aching pleasure in her core, she redoubled her efforts—only for a massive counter-suction to blast straight into her depths. Her whole body jerked. Her secret technique shattered. With a helpless, sweet cry, her own Lunar Essence poured out in thick waves, all of it greedily drawn into Kael.