The entire ballroom fell into a terrified silence. The music cut off instantly. Nobles dropped their wine glasses, backing away in a sudden panic.
"Zhen Sheng!" Li Yan barked, stepping forward. He reached out to grab the general’s shoulder, but a sudden force pushed him back. Prince Jing Yuchen did not hesitate. His violet eyes turned completely dark, the pride in his face vanishing into pure rage. He did not check on the general. Instead, he took a deep breath and unleashed his full Enigma pressure into the room.
The air inside the ballroom instantly turned freezing cold. The thick smell of ozone flooded the space, pressing down on everyone like a weight. Many lower-rank nobles dropped to the floor, gasping for air as the prince’s spiritual energy crushed their strength.
"Lock the doors!" Jing Yuchen roared, his voice echoing like thunder through the hall. He pointed his finger at the palace guards standing by the entrance. "No one leaves this room! If anyone moves a single inch, kill them on the spot!"
"Prince, look at his chest," Li Yan said, his voice urgent as he knelt beside the groaning general. He kept his calm, forcing his mind to focus despite the chaos. "He is not just sick. Something is actively destroying his core."
Zhen Sheng rolled onto his side, his large body twitching on the floor. He was coughing up dark, thick blood, his breathing ragged and shallow. The hot cedar scent that usually filled the room was turning sour and burning, like a forest fire out of control.
Suddenly, a loud chime rang inside Li Yan’s head, and the blue glass screen popped up right before his eyes.
[ System Alert: Target core collapse in progress. ′Shatter−Core′ poison is eating the general′s energy pathways.
Quick Fix Available: Host must perform an immediate counter − infusion of SS − Rank biology. Use blood and pure scent to stabilize the infected corelines.
Time limit: 60seconds. If target dies, the Triple−SoulBond will explode, destroying the host′s soul. ]
Li Yan glared at the floating red text. "Always a trap," he muttered under his breath. He knew from his memory of the novel that he couldn’t wait for a doctor. He had to act now. Without a second thought, Li Yan raised his hand and bit down hard on his own lower lip. He bit until the skin broke, and the taste of blood filled his mouth.
At the same time, he forced his inner energy to push his pheromones out. A sudden, intensely sweet scent of crushed lilies exploded from his skin. Li Yan leaned down over the shaking general. He pressed his bleeding lip directly against his own palm, coating his hand in his blood, and then slammed his palm flat against Zhen Sheng’s chest, right over his pounding heart.
"Listen to me, you brute," Li Yan hissed, leaning close to the general’s ear while pressing down with all his body weight. "Do not fight my energy. Let it in."
The moment the bleeding SS-Rank sweetness touched the general’s burning cedar scent, a strange reaction occurred. The two energies clashed, then fused, drawing in the prince’s ozone pressure from the air around them.
The mixture was too much for the palace walls to handle. A wave of colorful energy ripples shot out from the three men, slamming into the walls. The entire palace began to shake violently, dust falling from the ceiling as a loud rumble echoed through the ground.
"What are you doing to him, Mingxuan?" Jing Yuchen demanded, stepping closer, his face tight as he felt his own energy being pulled into the circle.
"Saving his life," Li Yan panted, sweat dripping from his chin as the system screen began to count down. "Keep the crowd back and shut up."
Before the prince could reply, the gold doors at the back of the ballroom swung open with a loud crash. A large group of guards dressed in gold armor marched inside, forming a straight line.
Walking slowly behind them was an old man wearing a massive gold robe with a long train. It was the Emperor. His face was covered in deep wrinkles, and his eyes were entirely cold, showing no warmth or worry for his son or his general. The surrounding nobles immediately dragged themselves up and bowed low, their foreheads touching the floor.
"What is all this," the Emperor asked, shocked to see the General in such condition.
The Emperor stopped a few paces away from the three men, looking down at the blood on the floor, the groaning general, and Li Yan’s bleeding lip.
"Father," Jing Yuchen said, his posture remained stiff and proud. "An enemy agent infiltrated the ball. They poisoned General Zhen Sheng. We were securing the perimeter."
"Securing the perimeter?" the Emperor asked, finding it hard to believe his eyes but he knew men like his son and The General don’t just cause trouble as respected image to this land, his eyes fixing on Li Yan.
"Look at the state of you all. Your unique Triple-Soul Bond was supposed to bring stability to my empire, why is it causing so much damage now?." The Emperor whispered lowly, watching his words.
Li Yan stood up slowly, wiping the blood from his lip with the back of his sleeve. His mind was already calculating the old man’s motives. "Your Majesty, the general was attacked by a foreign spy. The threat is real, and it is here."
"I understand there is a threat here but come on look at your energies. They are completely unstable. If your scents leak into the streets in this chaotic state, every Alpha in the city will go mad."
The Emperor turned to the gold-armored guards behind him. "I believe it is safe for everyone if you all return back to the estate for now."
"The general needs a royal doctor." Li Yan voiced out, completely worried.
"The general is a military man; his body will survive, let’s go." Jing Yuchen said, .
The guards moved in instantly, their boots thudding against the floor as they surrounded the trio. Zhen Sheng was slowly pushing himself up from the floor, his breathing still heavy, but the red lines on his neck had faded thanks to Li Yan’s quick intervention. His golden eyes were bloodshot and dark as he glared at the guards.
"Don’t touch me," Zhen Sheng growled, his voice raspy as he staggered to his feet on his own. He looked at Li Yan, a strange, intense look passing through his eyes before he looked away.
They were escorted out of the ballroom through a side exit, away from the staring eyes of the frightened guests. The long walk down the dark hallways was completely silent. Li Yan walked with stiff steps, his mind filled with frustration. He hated this world, he hated the Emperor, and most of all, he hated how his body felt whenever he had to use his pheromones.
Outside the palace gates, a large, black royal carriage was waiting for them. The guards opened the door, waiting for them to climb inside.
The moment Li Yan stepped up into the dark, enclosed space of the carriage, a sharp ding echoed inside his brain. The blue screen appeared again, but this time, the text was a dangerous shade of purple.
WARNING:Poison residue has successfully created a ′DesireLink′ inside the Triple−SoulBond.
Host′s pheromone stability is currently dropping to 40
Target aggression levels and possessive instincts have increased by 200
Li Yan froze on the seat, his back pressing against the soft cushions of the carriage.
The doors slammed shut behind them, locking them in total darkness as the carriage began to move away from the palace. The space inside was narrow and hot.
Li Yan looked across the small space. General Zhen Sheng was sitting right opposite him, his large frame leaning forward, his jaw tightly clenched. Beside him, Prince Jing Yuchen sat perfectly still, his silver hair falling over his face.
Both men had their eyes wide open. In the dim light of the carriage window, Li Yan could see that their eyes were completely bloodshot, glowing with a wild, hungry intensity. They weren’t looking at his face or his hands. Their dark gazes were fixed entirely on his neck, staring at the spot where his skin was pulsing with the sweet scent of lilies like two starved predators waiting for the right second to strike.
Li Yan’s heart hammered against his ribs, sweat breaking out on his forehead as he realized the true danger was just beginning.