Chapter 24: Escape plan

The warm tongue pushed deep into Moon’s mouth to block out his screams or cries, whatever he wanted to let out.

Nox sucked on him, licking every cavity of Moon’s teeth and his mouth. Not letting him move the entire time, until his core was coated with Rio’s cum.

Until his very being was shivering from the sheer amount of frost energy pushed into his veins, into his blood.

And until he fainted from exhaustion.

.

.

.

.

When Moon woke up again, he felt a thin energy circling his body.

"Novice, four-star!"

Moon’s eyes widened in shock.

It would have been a great hurdle to break through from three to four-star even in his cultivation world, as it was a massive jump in power.

The energy was a leftover that his body could not absorb yet.

His body was clean and light.

His trousers were tied securely.

But there was not a single breath other than Moon’s.

He sniffed the copper and sulfur, and his eyes stilled on the empty stone racks, gaping from the stone wall like a grinning and mocking mouth.

’What were you even expecting? That they came to rescue you? Come on, they only came for their carnal desire and to clear out the witch’s potions. Now, now, Moon Astra, doesn’t it look like you are the one who sapped all these potions? They left you to take the blame.’

Moon slowly pushed himself up onto his knees again. By now, his knees were already bleeding from spending so many days trapped in that posture, not to mention the hurdle he had just faced.

Moon didn’t cry anymore. He wiped his eyes with his trembling wrist as he sat back on his aching ankles.

"Can I go back?" he said in his mind.

[You can.] The voice was calm.

Moon didn’t expect such an answer. He asked again, "How? And where?"

[The same way you came here. Drown in the same pool, and you will return underneath the black, soul-devouring lake in your world.]

Moon’s hand paused; he calmed down. "Isn’t it the same as being dead under the lake?"

[That’s your fate in your world.]

Moon didn’t ask more; he knew nothing was free.

"Can I choose not to mate with them? They are too..." Moon choked, "Too selfish," he finished softly.

[You must awaken their wolf spirit as well as yours.]

"I know."

Moon lowered his head.

Even though he had never placed any hope in anyone else other than his own self.

Even though he knew the brothers didn’t really have any feelings for him.

Even though it was obvious from the very beginning they would leave him alone.

Still, it hurt.

He stared at the place where the brothers had come from, now plain stone as if it were just like the rest of the floor.

His fingers curled in a grip.

They certainly had a secret channel to traverse under the cavern that even the witch couldn’t detect.

Yet they left him.

Left him alone to face the consequences.

Moon could not bring himself to forgive such traitors.

He clutched his chest to calm his turbulent thoughts.

The energy and Qi inside him swirled in his meridians, needing his attention, but Moon’s consciousness was blank. Vacant to the point where he couldn’t even enjoy his breakthrough.

The orange hue seeped inside the cavern through the small window crafted out of the stone wall. Its glow didn’t reach Moon’s body, only dancing around the roof.

It was too high.

Moon lifted his face.

As the bell rang in the city square, awakening a new day, and with that came the day of Moon’s execution.

Moon swept the entire room with his divine sense. The brothers didn’t take all the things. Their sole interest was potions.

Moon didn’t hesitate this time as he took a few more things into his own satchel.

’Anyway, they are going to burn me down in a few hours; what can they do to me anymore?’

He thought.

"Help me hide the satchel. You owe me this favor for my humiliation last night."

Moon said sternly.

[Sigh! My poor child.] The Goddess’s soft voice rang in his mind. She didn’t deny him, and the satchel vanished from the spot.

After a moment, Moon heard another sigh, followed by the Moon Goddess’s voice.

[Close your eyes, relax, and let me enter your consciousness.]

Moon didn’t hesitate.

The Goddess was the one who brought him here. He didn’t need to guard against her.

There was no need.

She could have let him die long ago if she wanted.

As his mind relaxed, a flood of words, inscriptions, and spells invaded his consciousness.

Moon was surprised.

This time the Goddess did not give a jade, but directly sent a five-elemental divine-level technique into his mind.

And with this, Moon’s mood finally lifted. Shifting from utter depression to the ecstasy of knowledge.

"A divine-level Five Elemental cultivation technique!" Moon gasped internally, his breath hitching. "I never thought I would see one with my own eyes. Why are you being so generous all of a sudden?"

The Goddess didn’t answer him but said in a deep voice,

[I must remind you, with your Qi level you cannot transport or hide in the air for long. And you certainly cannot pass the border of Vaile’s territory. Don’t underestimate the wolves just because they don’t have cultivation power.]

"I didn’t. And I would never underestimate my opponent. Just the fact that they could indeed trap my body here meant they had their own strength. That Maestra wasn’t so simple either."

[They have an array and ten thousand border guards. All are high-level wolves.]

"I only need to trap them in an illusion for a moment, escape the fire, and hide deep in the forest. I will think of crossing the border later."

[I don’t think an illusion will be effective if the witch is there overseeing it.]

"I can still burst my Qi and send a sudden attack. They will not think I can fight back. So I might as well catch them off guard."

[Sigh! Be careful. And don’t leave your mates alone.]

Moon’s jaw clenched so hard it even cracked.

"Don’t worry, I will fuck the hell out of their senses and awaken whatever spirit they have,"

he growled, shedding his usual politeness totally.