Lucien stood before a door that pulsed like a heartbeat.
Not carved from stone or metal, but living wood laced with golden veins—Yin-forged and bound by oaths thousands of years old. It wasn't just a gate. It was a womb to power.
Behind that door waited the highest honor and heaviest responsibility of the Crimson Sect: the Royal Seed Ceremony.
A rite reserved only for the crowned.
System Notification: Ceremony Initiation Protocol Enabled] [Warning: Energy Load Will Surpass Previous Limits. Outcome Unpredictable.]
Kaelara fastened Lucien's robe from behind, her fingers lingering longer than necessary.
"Are you ready for this?" she asked.
Lucien looked over his shoulder, smirking.
"I was born ready. Literally. Ask the system."
Lira stood nearby in her new formal armor, half-protective, half-symbolic, lips pressed tight. "Don't forget to breathe. You'll need it more than they will."
Solenne didn't speak. She simply placed a hand over his chest. Her aura intertwined with his for a moment.
"I'll anchor your mind if it gets too much," she whispered.
He nodded. "Then let's see if I can take them further than anyone has."
Entering the Chamber
The door opened on its own.
Inside, the room glowed with warm gold, violet mist, and floating petals that never fell. In the center stood a circular jade altar, glowing with ancient sigils.
Twelve women stood around it.
Nude. Unashamed. Perfect.
Each represented a realm. Each was handpicked by the Crimson Crown to receive Lucien's first ceremonial seed.
Their Yin was not just high-tier. It was sacred.
Lucien stepped into the circle.
Every woman bowed—not to his title. To his aura.
He felt their desire like waves crashing against his skin. But this wasn't lust.
This was reverence.
The Mistress of Ritual stepped forward, clad in ceremonial red with only her face exposed.
She spoke with voice echoing through the room.
"You have entered the Chamber of Chosen Flesh." "Twelve women await your blessing. You may choose one to receive your first cultivation mark." "Once chosen, your seed will bind. Her Yin will evolve. And your system will expand."
Lucien's system flared.
Choice Required: Select First Yin Vessel] [System Evolution Path Will Be Influenced Based on Choice.]
He looked around.
Some eyes pleaded. Some challenged. One even glowed with silent tears—she had trained for this moment her entire life.
Lucien exhaled. And stepped toward the woman with the calmest eyes, the softest aura, and a body built like truth.
He extended his hand.
She took it.
First Vessel Selected. Ceremony Initiation: Confirmed.]
The woman Lucien chose stepped onto the altar with grace that made the air still.
She wasn't the most voluptuous. Nor the most outwardly seductive.
But her aura was pure, flowing with Yin so soft and balanced that it hummed like a lullaby to his system.
Selected Vessel: Liéran of the Silent Snow Sect] [Yin Quality: Supreme-Calm Class. Virgin Core: Untouched. Spiritual Purity: 98.3%]
Lucien extended his hand.
She knelt before him.
Not out of subservience. But as one accepting sacred ritual.
The Mistress of Ritual placed a drop of glowing silver liquid between their palms.
Rite of Merging Begins]
Liéran whispered, "I've waited a decade for this."
Lucien raised her chin gently. "You won't have to wait another second."
He placed a kiss on her lips—slow, respectful, layered with intent.
Then another.
Lower.
On her collarbone.
On the swell of her breast.
On her navel.
Until she lay fully on the altar, body trembling not with fear, but with overwhelming reception.
Lucien disrobed, his body now glowing faint gold, aura fully aligned with the ceremony's energy.
The other eleven women watched in silence—not with jealousy, but anticipation.
They would receive him next.
But first, Liéran.
Lucien entered her slowly.
Her gasp echoed through the chamber. Her hands gripped the edge of the altar. Her legs wrapped around his waist.
Yin-Merge Confirmed. Host Absorbing Passive Traits.] [System Upgrade in Progress: Spiritual Focus + Emotional Clarity Gained.]
Lucien moved with rhythm—not fast, not slow.
Ritualistic.
Liéran moaned like a melody, each sound shaped by generations of untouched longing.
He kissed her temple, her lips, her throat. Whispered names of constellations into her ear.
She climaxed once. Then again.
Tears fell from her eyes.
Lucien stayed inside her even after. Letting their auras weave. Letting their breaths match.
The Mistress of Ritual approached, placing her hand on Liéran's forehead.
Her skin glowed. A small sigil—gold and shaped like a lotus—appeared over her womb.
First Mark Bestowed. Royal Seed Ceremony Phase 1 Complete.]
Lucien gently withdrew, stood, and covered her with a silk veil.
She wept softly. Not from pain. From being seen.
The altar lit once more.
And the Mistress of Ritual turned to Lucien.
"Your next vessel awaits."
Lucien raised his eyes.
And pointed.
Lucien's gaze swept across the remaining eleven.
A dozen pulses of aura reached for him—some soft, some stormy. But one... burned.
She didn't bow. Didn't smile.
She challenged.
Her skin was bronze, kissed by fire. Her hair burned red like a living blaze. Eyes like twin embers dared him to choose wrong.
He didn't hesitate.
Lucien pointed at her. She walked forward barefoot, hips rolling with heat and defiance.
Second Vessel Selected: Faenya of the Crimson Blaze Sect] [Yin Type: Flame-Wrapped, Aggressive Core, Experience Level: Initiated]
She stepped onto the altar, stopping inches from him.
"You think the same touch works twice?" she asked.
Lucien grinned. "I don't repeat. I adapt."
She grabbed his wrist, pulled him down onto the altar.
"You'd better."
Fire and Climax
Faenya lay back and opened herself—not softly, but like a queen daring a dragon to roar.
Lucien slid into her—and heat exploded through his spine.
Not pain. Just raw power.
System: Aura Burn Detected. Adapting to High-Temperature Yin Merge.] [Trait Unlocked: Passion Resilience + Minor Fire Immunity]
He thrust into her with more force than before. She matched him—hips slamming upward, fingers scratching down his back.
Her moans weren't soft. They were growls.
She climaxed with a scream that shook the altar. Then again, harder.
Lucien pushed her arms above her head, pinned her, stared into her ember-glow eyes.
"You like it rough?"
"I like it real."
He slammed into her again.
And her body shuddered as golden mist flared between their cores.
Dual Synchronization Complete. Secondary Core Compatibility Achieved.] [Seed Imprint Stable. Mark Engraving… Done.]
A fiery lotus appeared on her womb. She grinned, breathless.
Then leaned in and bit Lucien's lip.
"Now that," she whispered, "was worthy of a Crown."
Lucien stood, chest rising and falling, body burning with more than heat.
The Mistress of Ritual nodded.
"Two marks down. Ten remain. You may rest—"
Lucien raised a hand.
"No," he said, voice rough. "Bring me the third."
Lucien's body glowed gold and crimson. Two merges. Two marks. Two women transformed.
But his eyes… They were already locked on the one who hadn't moved.
She stood apart. Veiled in deep purple. Aura unreadable. Eyes closed.
Even the system hadn't registered her presence. Until now.
Warning: Yin Signature Detected — Unclassified. Hidden Core.] [Name: Veil-Sworn. Sect: Unknown. System Compatibility: Unstable]
Lucien pointed to her.
The chamber fell silent.
The woman opened her eyes—black, but lined with violet rings that spun slowly like galaxies.
She stepped forward. Did not bow. Did not speak.
Just met his gaze.
And nodded.
Lucien walked toward her.
They met without ritual. No Mistress intervened. No system prompt spoke.
She removed her veil. Unwrapped herself in silence.
Her body was art sculpted from night and lightning—inked with celestial lines across her hips and spine. She lay back without command, legs open, lips parted, breath shallow.
Lucien entered her without a word.
And the world broke.
Emergency System Update: Core Compression Overload. Forbidden Yin Compatibility Detected.]
Lucien moaned—louder than before. Her body pulled him in. Deeper. Harder. Faster.
And yet she didn't move. She simply received.
Every thrust caused ripples in the chamber walls. Her eyes remained open. Unblinking.
Lucien leaned in, kissed her neck. Felt her aura bend time.
His climax built like thunder. Her body sucked in every wave of energy he gave. Not for pleasure. But for transformation.
She climaxed once. Silently. Then again—eyes glowing now.
Then her voice finally came:
"You are the one I waited for. Across lifetimes."
Lucien gasped.
Seed Transfer Complete. Third Mark Engraved.] [System: Hidden Core Unlocked. Trait Acquired — Dimensional Threading.]
He fell back. Breathless. Exhausted. Evolved.
The Mistress of Ritual stepped forth. Placed a glowing black lotus over the woman's womb.
Lucien's throne pulsed in the distance.
Royal Seed Ceremony: Phase One Complete.] [Remaining Vessels: 9]
New Skill Unlocked: Multi-Threaded Cultivation – Can harvest and restore multiple partners in parallel.]
Kaelara, Lira, and Solenne entered the chamber. All three bore different expressions—pride, jealousy, curiosity.
Lucien looked up from the altar.
He smiled.
And whispered:
"I'm just getting started."
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Next Chapter: Trials of the Nine — Lust, Politics, and Assassins [18+]
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