---
Night fell silently over the valley.
The mountain winds whispered across the stasis crystal where the Heaven-Chosen girl lay suspended, her features perfect but pale, her aura faint like a dying ember.
Li Zhen stood before her without emotion.
She had once stood at the peak of the Lower God Realm. A goddess descended. Now? A wounded, helpless figure sealed in a mortal cocoon.
> [Target: Unknown Heaven-Chosen]
[Beauty: 97 | Talent: 5 Stars (Locked)]
[Affection: 0% | Loyalty: 0%]
[Soul Fracture: 42% | Cultivation Sealed | Memory Suppressed]
System Prompt: A soul bond attempt will awaken deep memory fragments. Risk Level: High.
He studied the information without blinking.
"I won't risk awakening her ego," he muttered.
Instead, he began the first phase of conditioning.
---
Phase One – Dependency and Soft Control
The stasis crystal dimmed as he released her into a recovery chamber. Her meridians remained sealed. He infused low-level healing essence, not enough to grant mobility, but enough to keep her conscious.
The girl blinked open her eyes.
Golden pupils. Disoriented. Cold.
"Who… am I?" she whispered hoarsely.
"You don't need to remember," he replied flatly. "You only need to survive."
He never gave his name. Never introduced himself.
Only gave her one command: Rest. Obey. Heal.
Food was delivered personally. Only by him. Sometimes he said nothing. Sometimes he spoke cold facts. Never warmth. Never comfort. But his presence, constant and commanding, created the first seed of psychological reliance.
---
System Update
> [Target Response: Subconscious Bonding Initiated]
[Affection: 3% | Loyalty: 0%]
[Condition Met: Soul Imprint Level 1 Achieved]
– Target will begin forming instinctive emotional reliance on host when awake.
He had seen this work before—with Lin Yue.
And it was working again.
---
Meanwhile – Lin Yue's Change
Back in her own chambers, Lin Yue felt it: the cold shift in Li Zhen's attention.
He was no longer watching her. No longer controlling her every step.
It sparked both jealousy and desperation.
One night, she approached him in the cultivation hall wearing a pale jade robe, delicate fragrance clinging to her skin.
"I've reached peak Foundation Establishment," she whispered, bowing.
Li Zhen opened one eye from his lotus posture. "Then prepare to break through."
She bit her lip. "Will you guide me?"
He nodded slightly.
But as she entered his lap and wrapped her arms around his chest—seeking affection—he merely placed a cold hand on her back and injected pure spiritual energy, triggering her breakthrough with methodical precision.
Not a word of tenderness.
Not a kiss.
Nothing but function.
> [System Prompt: Lin Yue breakthrough supported]
[Emotional Stimulation: Moderate | Cultivation Level: Core Formation (Initial)]
[Affection: 57% | Loyalty: 63%]
Her eyes glistened.
"Do you… ever feel anything for me?"
He didn't answer.
He simply stood and left.
---
Phase Two – The First Crack
Two nights later, the Heaven-Chosen girl spoke again.
"Why do you help me?" she asked, voice faint.
"You're useful," he answered honestly.
"Will you abandon me when I'm not?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because by the time you're not useful… you won't care."
That silenced her.
> [Target Affection: 6% | Loyalty: 2%]
[Hidden Trait Discovered: Pridebound Resilience – Slower loyalty gain, but permanent when achieved.]
He would need to shift tactics. Not break her suddenly—but bend her gently.
---
Elsewhere – The Rise of the Zhen Web
In nearby valleys and towns, Li Zhen's influence spread. His disguised subordinates—Ayara, Lin Yue, and three recently subdued cultivators—acted in secret.
They purchased lands. Collected herbs. Recruited orphans.
The Zhen Web was forming: a hidden network of loyal agents unaware of the mastermind's identity. Each linked to the system's emotional web through soul contracts and minor karmic threads.
> [Emotional Web Growth: 12 Active Threads]
– Passive stat bonus: +4%
– Enhanced cultivation gain when linked agents ascend levels.
Li Zhen didn't need to rule openly.
He ruled from the shadows—unseen, untouched, and unfeeling.
---
That Night – The Demon Servant's Choice
Ayara, now a Core Formation demon woman, returned from her mission with a bruised arm and news.
"A rogue cultivator tried to follow me," she said, kneeling.
Li Zhen walked past her. "Is he alive?"
"No. He screamed once."
"Then clean up the trace."
She nodded, but added hesitantly, "...My soul feels heavier lately. Is that… you?"
He turned slightly.
"It's your bond deepening. Don't fight it. Or it will hurt more."
She lowered her eyes.
"Yes… Master."
---
Final Scene – The Crimson-Eyed Girl Sleeps
The Heaven-Chosen girl slept again, murmuring faint names in her dreams. A brother. A master. A realm beyond this one.
But she never remembered upon waking.
Li Zhen sat nearby in meditation, watching as her soul slowly repaired—one shattered memory at a time.
> [Target Affection: 8% | Loyalty: 3%]
[Estimated Bonding Time to Phase Three: 9 days]
He smiled faintly.
Not from emotion.
But from certainty.
The gods had fallen.
And now, they would serve.
-