Chapter 1: The Humiliating Wedding & The God-Tier System
Mist Cloud City.
The Golden Dragon Pavilion - Main Estate.
The night was cold, but the Golden Dragon Estate was ablaze with lights. Red lanterns floated high above the courtyards, casting a crimson glow over the extravagant feast below. The scent of roasted spirit beasts and aged wine filled the air, intoxicating the guests.
However, beneath the festive music and laughter, a current of mockery flowed through the crowd like poison.
"Have you heard? The famous 'Queen of Gold,' Su Ruoyan, is actually going through with it tonight."
"It's a tragedy. A peerless beauty like her, marrying that waste, Jiang Yi?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down. You know it's a matrilocal marriage. Jiang Yi isn't a real husband; he's a shield. The Blood Sect's Young Master has been harassing her for months. She needed a man—any man—to declare herself 'taken' so the Blood Sect would back off."
"Heh, what a lucky dog. Even if he's just a decoration, he gets to sleep in the same room as the number one beauty of the city. I'd give ten years of my life just to smell her hair."
"Sleep? Dream on. I bet she won't even let him touch a corner of her robe. He's trash with a shattered Dantian. In this world, a man without cultivation is less than a dog."
Outside the main hall, the mocking whispers were loud enough to pierce the eardrums.
Inside, the atmosphere was suffocating.
Jiang Yi stood in the center of the hall, wearing heavy red groom's robes that felt more like shackles than a celebration of love. The fabric was expensive silk, embroidered with gold thread, but it couldn't hide the pale, unhealthy complexion of his face.
He looked at the woman standing next to him.
Su Ruoyan. The Pavilion Master of the Golden Dragon Pavilion.
She was devastatingly beautiful. Her long black hair was pinned up with a phoenix hairpin made of pure spirit jade. Her skin was as white as snow, contrasting sharply with her blood-red lips. Her figure, wrapped in a tight ceremonial dress, was explosive—curves that could topple cities and cause wars.
But her expression was like ice. She didn't look like a bride on her wedding day; she looked like a general concluding a hostile business deal. Her eyes held no affection, only a weary determination.
"Transmigrating for three days... and this is how I start?" Jiang Yi thought bitterly, clenching his fists inside his long sleeves.
He wasn't from this world. Three days ago, he had woken up in the body of this "Jiang Yi," a fallen noble whose family had been wiped out. The original owner had a shattered Dantian—the energy center required for cultivation. Desperate and starving, he had signed a "Soul Contract" to sell himself to the Golden Dragon Pavilion as a live-in husband.
In this world, a live-in husband (son-in-law) was the lowest form of existence. You gave up your family name, your dignity, and your freedom.
"Groom and Bride, bow to the Heavens!" the officiant shouted.
Jiang Yi gritted his teeth and bowed.
Let them laugh. Let them spit on my name. In this world, strength is the only truth. Without power, you are nothing but a joke. But I won't stay a joke forever.
...
Late Night. The Bridal Chamber.
The guests were gone. The noise of the banquet had faded into the distance.
The bridal chamber was luxurious beyond measure. The floor was covered in fur rugs from Spirit Beasts, and the furniture was carved from fragrant sandalwood. In the center of the room stood a massive bed, draped in red silk curtains.
Su Ruoyan sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing her temples tiredly. The cold, domineering aura she held in the main hall melted away, revealing a hint of exhaustion.
She looked up at Jiang Yi, who was standing awkwardly by the door.
"Jiang Yi," she said, her voice cool and melodious, like water hitting ice. "We signed a contract. You are my husband in name only. You will sleep on the floor tonight. Do not expect me to fulfill a wife's duties."
She didn't even look at him as she threw a thick wool blanket onto the rug near the window.
"Your monthly allowance will be ten Spirit Stones. That is enough for a mortal to live like a king. Just stay out of my way, and don't cause trouble."
Jiang Yi caught the blanket. He looked at this breathtaking woman—the woman every man in Mist Cloud City dreamed of.
"So," Jiang Yi smirked, tossing the blanket onto a chair. "I really am just a shield to block your arrows?"
Su Ruoyan frowned, her beautiful eyes narrowing. "Don't overthink it. You have a broken Dantian. You can never cultivate. I provide you with wealth and safety. In exchange, you provide me with the status of a married woman so the Blood Sect stops pressuring my clan. It is a fair trade."
She stood up to remove her heavy outer ceremonial robe.
Swish.
As the red silk slid down her shoulders, it revealed a flash of creamy, jade-like skin. She wore a thin white undergarment that clung to her damp skin, outlining the magnificent curve of her waist and the deep valley between her chest.
Jiang Yi felt a fire ignite in his blood. It was a primal reaction, fueled by the lingering frustration of the original owner of this body.
Fair trade? To hell with that.
He stepped forward.
"What are you doing?" Ruoyan's eyes flashed dangerously. A faint blue aura—Spirit Qi—began to rise from her body. She was a cultivator at the Spirit Core Realm, powerful enough to crush him with a single finger.
"We are married before the Heavens, Ruoyan. If I sleep on the floor tonight, the servants will talk. By tomorrow morning, the Blood Sect will know our marriage is a sham."
He took another step, ignoring the pressure of her aura. "Do you want your plan to fail on the first night? Do you want the Blood Sect Young Master to come kicking down your door tomorrow?"
Ruoyan froze. Her hand hovered in the air, the Qi dissipating.
She bit her lip. He was right. Her mansion was filled with spies from rival families. If word got out that they slept separately, the marriage would be exposed as a fraud instantly.
"You..." She glared at him, her face flushing slightly with anger and embarrassment. "Fine. You can sleep on the outer edge of the bed. But I am warning you, Jiang Yi. If you touch me, I will break your hand."
"Deal."
Jiang Yi climbed onto the massive bed. The scent of her body—like orchids and musk—filled his nose, making his head spin.
He lay beside her, stiff as a board. Ruoyan blew out the candles with a wave of her hand, plunging the room into darkness.
Minutes passed. The silence was deafening. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.
Suddenly, a cold, mechanical voice rang out in the depths of Jiang Yi's soul.
[Ding! System Booting...]
[Scanning Host...]
[Scanning Environment...]
Jiang Yi's eyes snapped open in the dark. His heart skipped a beat.
System?! Is it finally here? My transmigrator cheat code?
[Ding! Condition Met.]
[Detected Valid Marriage Partner: Su Ruoyan.]
[System Awakening Initiated...]
A blue holographic screen, visible only to him, appeared in the darkness, floating above the bed curtains.
[Target Analysis: Su Ruoyan]
[Beauty Score: above 9o(Peerless Goddess)]
[Cultivation: Spirit Core Realm (Early Stage)]
[Physique: Pure Yin Body (Dormant)]
[Status: Legal Wife]
[The Supreme Lineage System is online.]
[Core Directive: The Host becomes stronger by marrying and conquering high-quality Goddesses. The more women you bind, the higher your cultivation rises.]
[Newbie Gift Pack Detected. Would you like to open it?]
"Open! Open it now!" Jiang Yi screamed internally, his hands trembling under the covers.
[Ding! Congratulations Host.]
[Reward 1: Ancient Aphrodisiac Aura (Single Use - 1 Hour). Effect: Maximizes host's charm and lowers target's mental resistance by 90%.]
[Reward 2: Primal Chaos Yang Body (Tier 1). Effect: Repairs Broken Dantian instantly. Grants Infinite Stamina and Perfect Yang Essence.]
BOOM!
A heat wave exploded inside Jiang Yi's abdomen. It felt like a volcano erupting. The shattered fragments of his Dantian, which had crippled him for years, melted and reformed into a golden, indestructible sphere.
A terrifying, masculine power surged through his veins, washing away the weakness and sickness. His muscles tightened, his skin glowed, and his eyes became sharp and piercing in the dark.
At the same time, the Aphrodisiac Aura activated automatically. An invisible, sweet pink mist radiated from his pores.
In the dark, Su Ruoyan suddenly shifted.
She felt strange. The man lying next to her... the "trash" she had bought... suddenly smelled intoxicating. Her heart began to race against her ribs like a trapped bird. A strange, unfamiliar heat rose from her lower abdomen, making her breath hitch.
"Jiang... Jiang Yi?" Her voice trembled. She sounded confused, breathless. "Why is it... so hot?"
Jiang Yi turned to face her. In the moonlight filtering through the window, his eyes seemed to glow with a predatory golden light.
He reached out. This time, he didn't hesitate. He pulled her waist—which was shockingly soft and pliable—into his embrace.
"You—! I told you not to touch—" Ruoyan tried to push him away. She wanted to summon her Spirit Qi to blast him off the bed.
But to her horror, her arms felt weak, like cotton. Her Qi was disorganized, swirling lazily in her body. The contact with his skin sent electric shocks through her nerves, making her toes curl.
"My dear wife," Jiang Yi whispered. His voice was no longer the weak, timid voice of the old Jiang Yi. It was husky, deep, and filled with a magnetic charm that tugged at her very soul. "We are already married. Why fight it?"
He leaned in, his lips brushing against her sensitive earlobe.
"You need Yang energy to balance your Pure Yin Body... and I can give it to you."
Su Ruoyan's mind went blank. The "contract" was forgotten. The business deals were forgotten. The Blood Sect was forgotten. All that remained was the overwhelming instinct to merge with the source of this heat.
She didn't push him away. Instead, her slender arms slowly, instinctively, wrapped around his neck.
"Just... just this once," she gasped, her face burning so hot she felt dizzy. "If you tell anyone..."
Jiang Yi grinned, his hand sliding up to cup her chin.
"Once won't be enough, Ruoyan. We have a lot of cultivation to do."
The red curtains fell, shutting out the world.
[System Notification: Dual Cultivation Initiated.]