C25: Poisoned Trust

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Lin Xiao lay in the deepest recovery chamber of the Eternal Sun Palace, his body still ravaged from the battle against the Eternal Divine Alliance. Deep gashes crisscrossed his torso, void corrosion ate slowly at his left thigh, and multiple cracked ribs made every breath painful. The System’s backlash continued limiting his recovery speed. Even with continuous dual cultivation from his seven women, true healing was slow and agonizing.

He had grown too accustomed to rapid victories. The Divine Realm was teaching him humility the hard way.

On the seventh night of seclusion, only Fairy Luo Qing remained with him for the final intensive session. The others were resting or standing guard after exhausting themselves in previous days. Luo Qing had always been the most politically astute, the one who provided intelligence and strategy. She moved with graceful care, her starlight aura gently soothing his wounds as they cultivated.

“Master, let me handle the final circulation tonight,” she whispered softly, her hands pressed against his chest. “You have pushed yourself too far. Rest and let me carry some of the burden.”

Lin Xiao, weakened and trusting, nodded. He closed his eyes and allowed her to guide the energy flow.

The betrayal came without warning.

As their energies merged deeply, Fairy Luo Qing’s starlight suddenly turned pitch black. Ancient soul-binding chains hidden within her originally pure star laws — a forbidden technique planted long ago by the remnants of the Heavenly Sovereign Alliance before she joined him — activated. The chains pierced straight into Lin Xiao’s soul core, bypassing most of his defenses.

The System screamed in his mind.

【Critical Alert! Unknown Soul Poison detected. Divine Plunder ineffective. Fate Manipulation blocked. System lockdown initiated to prevent total collapse—】

The interface flickered and went partially dark. For the first time since awakening, the Eternal Grind System was truly helpless. The poison had been designed specifically to counter System-dependent cultivators, using ancient divine restrictions that operated on laws older than the System itself.

Pain unlike anything Lin Xiao had ever felt exploded through his soul. It felt as if thousands of burning needles were tearing his very existence apart from the inside. His Divine Chaos Lightning went berserk, scorching his own meridians in a desperate attempt to fight back.

Fairy Luo Qing’s beautiful face twisted into cold hatred as she pulled back. “You really believed I had fully submitted? The Alliance never forgot its grudges. This poison was prepared the moment I was forced to join you. Die, you demon. Your women and your empire will follow soon after.”

She tried to flee, but Lin Xiao’s hand shot out with the last of his strength, grabbing her wrist. Blood poured from his mouth and eyes.

“You…” he rasped, voice filled with fury and pain. The betrayal cut deeper than any physical wound. He had trusted her more than most.

The poison spread rapidly. His vision blurred. Divine energy scattered uncontrollably. The void corrosion from the previous battle reacted with the soul poison, accelerating the damage. Lin Xiao collapsed to the floor of the chamber, convulsing as his soul began fracturing.

The other six women burst into the chamber moments later, alerted by the chaotic energy surge. Horror filled their faces as they saw Luo Qing trying to escape and Lin Xiao writhing on the ground.

Murong Xue moved like lightning, severing Luo Qing’s escape route with a ruthless sword strike. Princess Yan Zi and Xuan Yue restrained her while Bing Yue and Mei Ling rushed to Lin Xiao’s side, pouring their energies into him desperately.

Luo Qing laughed bitterly as she was subdued. “It’s too late. The poison is tied to ancient soul oaths. Even if you kill me, he will die. The System he relies on cannot save him from this.”

The chamber descended into chaos.

Lin Xiao fought for his life on the cold floor. The pain was unbearable — every breath felt like swallowing molten glass. The System remained locked down, unable to assist with plunder or healing. For the first time since his awakening, he faced death without his greatest crutch.

His remaining women formed a desperate protective circle around him. They poured every ounce of their divine energy into his body through the Harem Synergy, trying to suppress the poison. Tears streamed down some of their faces as they watched the man who had conquered realms struggle on the verge of death.

Hours passed in agonizing slowness. Lin Xiao’s consciousness flickered in and out. He saw flashes of his past — the beatings in the Lin Clan, the rivers of blood he had spilled, the women who had stood by him. Rage and sheer willpower kept him clinging to life.

Through pure determination and the combined strength of the six loyal women, he managed to isolate the worst of the poison in a small portion of his soul. He burned it away with raw chaotic energy, enduring pain that nearly shattered his mind.

By dawn, the immediate crisis had passed. Lin Xiao lay pale and exhausted, his body covered in cold sweat and new scars. The soul poison had been mostly neutralized, but it left permanent damage — a lingering weakness in his soul core that would take months to fully heal and reduce his maximum power output by nearly 20% for the foreseeable future.

Fairy Luo Qing was bound in divine chains in the corner of the chamber, her cultivation sealed.

Lin Xiao opened his eyes, gaze burning with cold fury as he looked at her.

“Kill me,” she spat. “I regret nothing.”

He stared at her for a long moment, then spoke in a weak but icy voice. “No. You will live. You will watch everything I build. And you will suffer every single day knowing you failed.”

The betrayal had nearly cost him everything. The System remained partially unstable. His body was heavily scathed. Trust within the harem had been shattered.

But Lin Xiao was still alive.

And the grind would continue — harder, bloodier, and far more cautious than before.

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