CHAPTER 50: CHAPTER 50 - A MISTAKE OR A CHOICE?

Three days. That’s all we had before plunging into what might as well be hell itself. Feng had been tight-lipped about the details, but her "research station" turned out to be a heavily warded outpost near the Screaming Mountains—a jagged range that howled with eternal winds, masking the realm’s unstable entrances.

We’d traveled by airship under the guise of a routine inspection, with Mei Ling and Lin Yue posing as my "attendants" while Feng played the role of stern overseer.

The disciples on board had kept their distance after the tea ceremony debacle, but I could feel their eyes on us, especially Jian Wei’s crew, whispering about the "perverted emperor" and his women.

Those three days weren’t wasted. In the privacy of the pleasure palace—each night expanding it in our quarters like a hidden sanctuary—I’d pushed our dual cultivation to its limits.

Mei Ling had taken it like a champion, her nature affinity syncing deeper with mine during marathon sessions that left her glowing and spent, her pussy molded even tighter around my cock, walls clenching with every thrust as if begging for more.

Lin Yue... well, she watched mostly, her green eyes burning with that mix of frustration and desire. Occasionally, she let me finger her to the edge but pulled back before release, whispering about "not yet."

It was torture, but the system loved it: [Vitality +800 from Dual Cultivation], [Harem Points +500], bonds strengthening with every shared moan.

By the end, Mei was pushing Mid-Core Formation, Lin touching the edge, and even I’d gained a sliver more control over my partial nature affinity—leaves responding to my will like obedient pets.

Feng? She’d kept her distance, but I could sense her frustration through the Pleasure Echo ability.

Each night, I’d send subtle pulses—remote waves of arousal that made her squirm in her quarters, her virgin pussy probably leaking as she remembered our "wager." [Corruption Progress: 52%]. She was cracking, but pride kept her from begging. Yet.

Now, standing before the Obsidian Gate, all that preparation felt like a thin shield against a storm.

The gate wasn’t some grand portal; it was a jagged crack in reality, black as void and pulsing with demonic qi that made the air taste like ash and regret.

Feng’s research team—outer disciples in reinforced armor—had set up containment arrays around it, glowing barriers that barely held back the leaking corruption. Winds howled through the mountains, carrying whispers that sounded too much like laughter.

"Remember the maps," Feng said, her voice steady but her pale eyes betraying a flicker of unease. She wore reinforced battle robes now, obsidian silk layered with protective formations that hugged her curves like armor.

"The realm’s layout shifts, but core landmarks remain: the Shadow Spires for orientation, the Blood Marsh to avoid, and the Fragment Vault at the center. We move fast, grab the shard, and get out. Exposure to the corruption will erode your qi over time."

Mei Ling nodded, her nature affinity already flickering—green vines coiling nervously around her fingers.

Lin Yue gripped her bow tight, arrows quivering with qi-infused tips. I felt the drain starting already—a subtle pull on my vitality, like the realm was sipping from me [Vitality Drain Detected: -5 per minute]. Manageable for now.

Feng activated her access token—a black jade key that hummed with sect seals—and the gate ripped open wider, a maw of swirling darkness that sucked in light like a black hole. "In we go."

We stepped through, and reality twisted. The world inverted—colors bleeding to grayscale, gravity pulling sideways for a heart-stopping moment before snapping back.

We emerged into a desolate landscape: cracked earth veined with glowing red fissures, twisted trees that looked like screaming faces, and a sky that roiled with purple storms. The air was thick, oppressive, demonic qi pressing against our skin like oily fingers.

"Manageable so far," I muttered, consulting Feng’s map—a holographic projection from her token showing stable paths. We moved in formation: Feng leading with ice barriers scouting ahead, me in the middle shielding with system-boosted vitality auras, Mei and Lin flanking with nature vines and arrows ready.

At first, it was almost easy. We navigated around minor hazards—collapsing ground that Feng froze solid, shadow wisps that scattered under Lin’s precise shots. The map held true, guiding us toward the Fragment Vault.

But then the corruption kicked in, subtle as poison in wine. Mei noticed it first. Her vines, usually responsive and strong, started wilting mid-summon, turning brittle and black. "Husband... something’s wrong. My affinity—it’s twisting, like the realm’s fighting back." She tried to call a protective barrier, but it crumbled into dust, leaving her exposed. Panic flickered in her eyes.

Lin fired at a testing shadow that darted from a fissure—her arrow, usually dead-on, veered wildly, embedding in a tree instead. "What the hell? My aim’s off—the qi feels... slippery." She nocked another, but it fizzled mid-flight.

Even Feng faltered. Her signature ice spear formed erratically, shards melting before they could launch. "The corruption... it’s accelerating. We need to move faster."

I felt it too—a gnawing drain on my vitality, faster than expected [Vitality Drain Increased: -10 per minute]. The system alerted: [Corrupting Influence Detected - Activating Shield Protocol]. I channeled my abilities, extending a protective aura around us like an invisible bubble—Essence Bonding linking our qi, Pleasure Amplification repurposed to heighten our resistance through shared vitality. It worked, stabilizing Mei’s vines and steadying Lin’s aim, but the cost was steep [Vitality -50]. Sweat beaded on my forehead; I couldn’t keep this up forever.

We pushed on, the landscape growing more hostile—twisted spires looming like skeletal fingers, blood-red marshes bubbling with toxic fumes. Then came the first real test: a shadow wraith.

It materialized without warning—a phasing horror of living darkness, ten feet tall with tendrils that ignored physical matter. Feng’s ice shattered harmlessly through it; Lin’s arrows passed clean through, embedding in the ground beyond. Mei’s vines grasped at nothing, the wraith flowing like smoke.

"Physical attacks won’t work!" Feng shouted, her voice edged with rare panic. "We need pure qi blasts!"

But the wraith was on us, tendrils lashing out. One grazed Lin, draining her qi in an instant—she gasped, staggering, her aura flickering. Mei threw up a barrier, but it crumbled under the phasing assault. Feng channeled a massive ice wave, but the creature simply flowed around it.

No choice. I lunged forward, activating Essence Absorption—my palm slamming into the wraith’s core. The contact burned like demonic fire, black energy surging into me, scorching my meridians [Essence Absorption Activated: Vitality +100 / Demonic Backlash: Vitality -150]. Pain exploded through my body, like acid in my veins, but the wraith shrieked, its form destabilizing as I drained its corrupted essence. It tried to phase away, but I held on, pulling more until it dissolved into wisps, leaving me smoking and weakened [Vitality: 4,850/5,000 - Temporary Debuff: -20% Qi Efficiency for 1 hour].

The group stared at me, Feng’s eyes wide with reluctant respect. "How... that should have killed you."

"Special talents," I grunted, waving it off, though the burn lingered like a bad hangover. We couldn’t afford delays.

Pushing deeper, we stumbled upon ancient ruins—crumbling stone structures half-buried in corrupted earth, offering temporary shelter. We ducked inside, sealing the entrance with combined barriers. The air was stale, but safe—for now.

As we caught our breath, strange whispers echoed in the darkness—not wind, not beasts, but voices. "Join us... embrace the void... power eternal..."

Something worse was hunting us. The realm knew we were here, and it was hungry.