The moment the empress said those final words while still lying against the sheets, Lucas felt something inside him break loose. It was not pain. It was not discomfort. It was something far more overwhelming and intoxicating.
A dizzying wave rushed through him, as if the world had tilted on its axis. His vision swam for a moment, and he reached out instinctively to steady himself, but even that simple movement felt distant, almost dreamlike. The Yin energy coursing through his meridians was wild and immense, far more intense than anything he had ever absorbed before. It was as if her entire cultivation foundation had poured its essence directly into him in a single, unstoppable surge.
His breathing grew uneven. His pulse hammered against his ribs like a war drum. He tried to speak but the first sound came out strangled. He pressed a hand against the bedpost, then the wall, trying to ground himself, but the rush kept climbing, drowning every other sensation.
