Chapter 46: Crane Wind's True Nature: The Code of the Underclass

Before a full month had passed, He Feng returned to his residence.

Suspended atop the towering cliffs of the Qingtian Plateau stood the “Divine Sovereign Manor,” He Feng’s sole private domain on the Tianyi Star—a secluded paradise utterly detached from the clamor of the mortal world.

This was not a palace in the traditional sense, but a colossal floating island meticulously transformed by cutting-edge ecological and spatial technologies.

At the island’s edge was a steep, alloy base encased within a high-strength transparent energy shield, beneath which roiled endless seas of clouds and unfathomable chasms.

Inside, however, lay a carefully crafted realm that blended contrasting aesthetics:

The angelic ease and refinement: At its core was a broad viewing platform paved with vast, warm-toned natural stone slabs.

Elegant white curved loungers, fountains adorned with lush greenery, and vintage gazebos cloaked in climbing vines imparted a Mediterranean sense of leisure. The air was imbued with a languid fragrance mingling sunlight, verdure, and rare incense.

The cold efficiency of a godmaking civilization: Beneath the seemingly primitive layout lay the most advanced technology.

Underfoot, the stone flooring concealed temperature regulation systems and energy matrices; the fountains circulated water purified at the molecular level, subtly infused with healing energies; the vines were genetically optimized ornamental plants whose growth and form were fully controlled.

An invisible force field calibrated the island’s internal temperature, humidity, and gravity to a constant, most comfortable state. Sleek, minimalist service robots stood ghostlike in corners, ready to respond instantly.

The untamed vitality of primordial ecology: Much of the island was cloaked in dense primeval forest.

Towering ancient trees—also optimized strains—flourished, exotic flowers and plants exuded enchanting scents, and simulated birdcalls and babbling brooks filled the air.

A crystalline stream meandered through the woods, cascading over a small waterfall at the island’s edge before plunging into the cloud sea below.

Deep within the forest lay a small wildlife preserve, replicating diverse ecosystems and housing creatures from across the universe.

At this moment, the sunset’s afterglow, like molten gold, poured over the viewing platform, bathing everything in a warm, resplendent light.

He Feng reclined upon one of the broad white curved loungers. He had shed his power-signifying administrative jacket and crisp white shirt, baring his upper body.

The top-tier medical and genetic technologies of the godmaking civilization had long repaired any scars from his millennia of battles, leaving only a symmetrical, explosively powerful musculature that gleamed with a healthy sun-kissed hue in the sunset.

His short black hair fell carelessly over his forehead; the usual intimidating gleam in his eyes faded, revealing pure, profound pupils as dark as the night sky.

His face could hardly be called conventionally handsome; the features together were somewhat ordinary. Yet the seasoned calmness born from countless trials, the confidence of one who commands all, and now, the unguarded languor, formed a unique and deeply compelling charm.

His long fingers grasped a crystal goblet, half-filled with a liquid as clear and red as ruby—an exquisite vintage gifted by an affiliated civilization.

He did not drink heartily, merely sipping lazily now and then, savoring the complex, mellow aroma as it spread across his palate.

His gaze, however, was wholly fixed on the figure at the platform’s center.

The angel Chu Ling.

She had swapped her usual elegant yet somewhat formal dark green gown.

Now she wore a strikingly modern, shimmering silver miniskirt, its hem just mid-thigh, fluttering with each movement to reveal a pair of long, straight legs, alabaster-white and flawless.

Her matching off-shoulder crop top, imbued with futuristic tech aesthetics, perfectly outlined her flawless waist and hips.

Her emerald hair no longer flowed gently down but was tied into lively twin ponytails that bounced with her dance.

There was no music playing—or rather, the accompaniment was silent. The island’s intelligent system simulated ethereal, slightly psychedelic electronic rhythms in the air, perfectly attuned to her movements and He Feng’s shifting emotions, perceptible only to him via implanted neural receptors.

Chu Ling’s dance was a stark departure from her usual reserved, demure demeanor.

She seemed to have completely unleashed some innate nature, each motion infused with strength and astonishing flexibility.

Spinning, leaping, her body undulating in waves... at times she moved like a swift leopard, brimming with wild tension;

At others, she resembled a moonlit spirit, bearing an ethereal allure.

The silver skirt caught the sunset’s rays in dazzling flashes, contrasting sharply with her green hair and porcelain skin.

Her eyes burned with focus and passion, never wandering into emptiness but locked unwaveringly on He Feng reclining in his chair, as if the entire world contained only him as audience.

Within that gaze lay undisguised desire, a profound, bone-deep attachment, and a fervor almost sacrificial in nature.

This was the “performance” He Feng most often enjoyed amid his busy affairs, a deeply ingrained habit.

The primal “lustful” code embedded in the male angel gene found its most direct expression within him.

His standards were extraordinarily high; few women across the cosmos could catch his eye and stir his heart:

Kaisa: His first love, childhood companion, etched deeply into his soul.

From youthful, tender explorations at barely a hundred years old, to millennia of intimate closeness, they knew each inch and sensitive spot of each other’s bodies.

Their passion was complex, woven with love, rivalry, and later resentment.

He adored her pride, her golden hair, and the way she struggled to restrain overwhelming emotion, yet ultimately succumbed.

But with Kaisa, even their intimacies felt like miniature battles—each striving to please and conquer, ever mindful of the other’s feelings, allowing no negligence. Passionate yet exhausting.

Liang Bing: The feisty little enchantress with fiery, rebellious spirit.

She once tried to ignite him like a blazing fire, wielding a reckless, intoxicating charm. She often covertly tempted him—her future brother-in-law—whether from genuine affection or a desire to sever him from Kaisa and keep him away from her sister, none could tell.

He acknowledged her allure: wild, dangerous, and vibrant.

Yet he always kept his distance, not only because she was Kaisa’s sister but because instinct told him entanglement with Liang Bing meant endless trouble.

He Xi: Merely the thought of her, even in the most private moments, sent a forbidden shiver through He Feng.

His sister, with snow-white hair and abyssal wisdom.

Once a shadow following him in childhood, she had grown into his most formidable adversary.

His feelings for her were tangled: filial love for her upbringing, admiration for her talent, the helplessness of opposing factions, and a secret yearning so suppressed by reason that even he dared not probe it.

It was a dark, forbidden desire, despite the absence of blood relation.

Her cold, silver-haired visage, with its occasional glimpses of vulnerability and confusion, held a deadly, guilt-laden attraction.

This thought remained buried deep within, an absolute taboo.

Angel Chu Ling: And before him now stood the only woman who could remain by his side long-term, fulfilling all his needs.

Unlike Kaisa’s complexity, Liang Bing’s madness, or He Xi’s taboo, Chu Ling offered him ultimate purity and submission.

She was his housekeeper, assistant, lover, and the perfect vessel for his emotions.

Before her, he needed no masks or restraint; he could reveal his deepest fatigue, darkest thoughts, primal desires, and most wicked nature.

He Feng took a sip of the wine, admiring Chu Ling’s powerful, beautiful dance.

Thousands of years had not diminished his interest in her. Chu Ling was like an endlessly unread bespoke book, always bringing fresh surprises.

She could be gentle as water, passionate as fire, cold as ice, innocent as a child… even provocatively enticing.

Whatever style he desired, she mastered it flawlessly and delighted in doing so. Her devotion to pleasing him was one-sided, unconditional, and wholehearted.

She was always ready to fulfill any request he made, always placing his feelings above all else.

This absolute submission and dedication were a more intoxicating poison to He Feng—whose craving for control ran to his bones—than any beauty alone.

Now He Feng relaxed deeply into the soft lounger, his gaze admiring and tinged with languid desire, lips curved in a faint smile.

He appeared as a foolish king, lost in a tender realm, his will eroded by beauty.

The golden sunset bathed his bare torso and Chu Ling’s dancing form, composing a lavish yet tranquil tableau.

He looked forward to the story beginning anew twenty thousand years hence. The past ten thousand years had been rather dull: from his youth at the Angel Academy, where he desperately studied and trained with the sword to improve his strength, through his struggles with the angelic legions, to his lofty position in the Celestial Palace.

He had never awaited the female angel’s overthrow of Hua Ye. Despite his sister He Xi being destined as one of the three kings, he refused to be a mere bystander; he fought to gain status, fame, and fortune.

But he sank deeper and deeper—the Celestial Palace was flawed, he knew, yet his subordinates also benefited from it.

He could not betray them at the last moment, for that would bring universal betrayal and ruin his reputation.

In the end, he could only watch the Celestial Palace’s destruction and jump ship at the final moment.

The angel civilization was impressive but lacking in many areas. He had seen many civilizations, but none as fascinating as the planet of the Future Elite Corps.

The angelic civilization was a gastronomic desert, and Tianyi likewise; exquisite food could not satisfy the energy needs of a super warrior, only fleetingly pleasure the palate.

Thus, everyone consumed synthetic foods, nutrient pastes, and synthetic proteins—high-energy sustenance.

He Feng abandoned thought and chose instead to watch Chu Ling’s seductive dance.

Yet, deep within those profound black pupils, as Chu Ling executed a difficult midair spin, her skirt blossoming like a silver lotus, a swift, icy gleam flashed momentarily.

Her steps gradually slowed, culminating in an elegant, enticing bow—like a swan offering itself in sacrifice to the gods.

She breathed softly, emerald eyes like the purest lake reflecting He Feng’s figure, filled with unhidden expectation and question.

He Feng drained the remaining wine in his glass; the rich liquid slid down his throat, bringing a warm glow.

He set down the goblet and beckoned to Chu Ling, his face pure, relaxed, and imbued with desire.

“Come here.”

Chu Ling’s face blossomed into a radiant smile, as if receiving the most treasured reward.

She approached with light, alluring steps, moving toward her master—the only man on this floating divine estate to whom she would willingly surrender everything.

The sunset stretched their shadows long and intertwined, eventually merging into the afterglow where angelic ease and godmaking technology intertwined.

Beyond the island lay the boundless sea of stars.

Within the Divine Sovereign Manor, there remained only fine wine, the sunset, and a timeless dance performed for one alone.