Douluo Continent: My Martial Soul is the Black Dragon, I am the Lord of the Gods

Chapter 296 Restraint, Release

……

The killings in the outer city did not last long.

When Xuanming's figure reappeared on the twisted, bloody streets of the inner city, the chill emanating from him seemed even more intense than when he left. A trace of lingering blood remained on his fingertips, but it was quickly swallowed up by his own aura.

The eerie blood spear did not appear, but the pair of black dragons behind him constantly scanned the surroundings, their eyes radiating a chilling aura.

The fallen ones around them retreated in terror as if they had seen a ghost, making way for the path and not daring to even breathe.

Xuanming was already used to this. He walked expressionlessly through the dirty streets and came to a relatively "quiet" area.

The buildings here are also twisted and bizarre, but at least there is no fighting or screaming everywhere.

He pushed open a door made of some kind of huge animal bones and entered a narrow but relatively clean stone house.

This is his and Hu Liena's temporary residence in the Killing City.

Compared to outside, this place is almost cozy... if you ignore the lingering smell of blood in the air.

Inside the room, Hu Liena was curled up on a simple stone bed in the corner.

Hearing the door open, she abruptly looked up.

More than a year of living in the killing city left obvious marks on her.

Her once charming face had become a little thinner, with more sharp lines, but her peach blossom eyes were no longer clear or alluring as before. Instead, they were filled with weariness, repression, and a restlessness and desire hidden deep in her eyes that were about to burst forth.

Her breathing was a little rapid, and her cheeks were flushed an abnormally. When she saw Xuanming come in, her eyes lit up instantly, like a hungry beast seeing its prey. She subconsciously licked her dry, chapped lips.

“You’re back…” Hu Liena’s voice was slightly hoarse and trembled almost imperceptibly.

Xuanming's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, a barely perceptible ripple flashing deep within his icy blue eyes.

He could clearly sense that Hu Liena's mental state was becoming increasingly unstable.

The evil aura of the Killing City is constantly eroding people's minds, and the "Bloody Mary," a local specialty, is an even more potent poison that exacerbates this erosion.

Although he was already used to killing, and his mental strength was as solid as a rock under the protection of the Ice and Fire Dragon Chief's Crown, and he was even completely immune to the influence of Bloody Mary, Hu Liena was different.

Although her martial soul is mental, it leans more towards charm and manipulation. Under the impact of this purely negative energy, her resistance is becoming increasingly difficult.

The most obvious sign is that her desires are getting out of control.

Especially... my desire for him.

"Hmm." Xuanming responded lightly, walked to the stone bench on the other side of the room, sat down, closed his eyes, and seemed to be preparing to regulate his breathing.

However, he had only been sitting down for a short while when a fragrant breeze mixed with a faint smell of blood wafted towards him.

Hu Liena had appeared in front of him without him noticing, and leaned down, almost pressing her face against his.

Her warm breath, hot and scorching, sprayed onto his neck. Her eyes were hazy and aggressive, and one hand had even restlessly landed on his shoulder, her fingertips exerting a slight pressure.

"Xuanming..." Hu Liena's voice was like a dream, filled with intense longing, "It's... dangerous outside, isn't it? Let me... see if you're hurt?"

These words are less a sign of concern and more a clumsy excuse and a test.

Her fingers tried to slide towards his chest, and her body pressed closer and closer.

Xuanming did not open his eyes, but the invisible chill emanating from his body suddenly intensified.

A cold white light quietly spread out from him, not as an attack, but as gentle as a cool spring.

"Uh..." Hu Liena trembled violently as if she had been doused with a bucket of ice water. The dazedness and flush in her eyes quickly faded, replaced by a moment of clarity and the ensuing shame and panic.

She jerked her hand back as if burned, staggering several steps backward until her back hit the cold wall.

She lowered her head, clutching the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, her body trembling slightly, and dared not look at Xuanming again.

This is not the first time.

Every time her desires spiraled out of control, she would almost instinctively want to get close to Xuanming, wanting to draw some kind of cold sense of security from him, but she was also driven by the increasingly strong possessiveness and craving from the depths of her soul, making her bold and aggressive.

Each time, Xuanming would use his unique domain power, like the most effective tranquilizer, to forcibly pull her back from the brink of losing control.

However, Xuanming could sense that the effect of this "cooling" was weakening, and the intervals between treatments were getting shorter and shorter.

Hu Liena's obsession with him did not diminish because of his cold response; on the contrary, it became even stronger and more... direct under the influence of the environment of the killing city.

The way she looked at him often revealed an almost overwhelming possessiveness that seemed to devour him.

On several occasions, shortly after he had calmed her down with his domain, she would suddenly "attack" him again due to some kind of resentment or more complex emotions—sometimes with resentful bites, sometimes with desperate embraces, and sometimes with clumsy and crazy attempts to kiss him.

Although Xuanming would stop or push him away each time, the increasingly frequent and intense "loss of control" made Xuanming realize that the root of the problem was becoming deeper and deeper.

He opened his eyes and looked at Hu Liena, who was huddled in the corner, exuding an aura of fragility and struggle. His icy blue eyes remained calm, but there was also an indescribable solemnity in them.

This can't go on.

"Sister Bing, do you have a solution?" Xuanming asked.

Hu Liena's desire for him had always been strong, especially after her martial soul evolved into the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox. Her initial probing had taken on a strange "assertiveness."

Coupled with the unique environment of the Killing City, Hu Liena's desire for him was completely ignited. He knew she had already been very restrained. He had originally intended for Hu Liena to train herself to control her desires, but she clearly couldn't.

"Why don't you just satisfy her?" the Ice Dragon King said.

"The desire to kill needs to be released, and so does the desire for this kind of thing. It's better to guide than to suppress. You know that principle."

Restraint is necessary, but so is release. Unrestrained restraint will damage your mind, while unrestrained release is indulgence and self-degradation.

“This is not a question of satisfaction or dissatisfaction,” Xuanming responded in his mind.

“Once the floodgates of desire are fully opened, they will only be amplified infinitely by the environment of the killing city, eventually consuming her completely. What I need is for her to control, not indulge.”

"She's already been restrained enough, can't you let her release some of her tension?" the Ice Dragon King said helplessly.

“I know what you’re worried about, but…”

Just as he was weighing his options, Hu Liena, who was in the corner, seemed to have recovered from her brief moment of shame and confusion.

The burning desire that had been forcibly suppressed did not disappear; instead, after the chill subsided, it was like a suppressed volcano, brewing an even more violent eruption.

She slowly raised her head, her eyes no longer glazed over, but filled with a kind of obsessive, almost desperate madness.

The flush on her cheeks returned, even more vibrant than before, and her breathing became heavy.

"Why..." Hu Liena's voice was low and hoarse, tinged with sobs and an unsettling stubbornness, "Why do you always push me away? Xuanming...do you hate me that much?"

She leaned against the wall, slowly stood up, and walked step by step toward Xuanming.

This time, she didn't pounce on him directly like before, but her relentless approach carried an even stronger sense of oppression.

“Every day here is like torture in hell… Only you… only thinking of you…”

Hu Liena's voice trembled, her eyes fixed on Xuan Ming, "I know I was wrong... I know I lost control... but I couldn't control myself..."

She stopped in front of Xuanming, extremely close, her warm breath, carrying a sweet, fishy scent, almost hitting his face.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, but her eyes shone brightly, filled with a resolute determination to burn her bridges.

"If you don't want me... if you're always this cold..."

Her voice suddenly turned shrill, "Then what's the point of me leaving here alive?! Maybe...maybe I should just go completely insane!"

Before she finished speaking, a bright pink light shone in her eyes, and the phantom of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox flashed behind her. An extremely strong spiritual charm mixed with an all-consuming possessiveness surged toward Xuanming like a tidal wave!

At the same time, she seemed to lose all reason, opening her arms to hug him desperately, her lips trying to haphazardly press against his.

This outburst was far more intense and decisive than any before! It was as if he truly wanted to burn himself out completely!
Faced with Hu Liena's resolute and frenzied outburst, Xuan Ming sighed softly.

Just as Hu Liena rushed towards him, her breath hot and her eyes streaked with tears, Xuan Ming no longer used his icy domain to push her away. Instead, he opened his arms and embraced her tightly and forcefully.

This embrace was not an attempt to appease her fervor, but rather carried a sense of stability and acceptance.

Hu Liena's body stiffened abruptly as she crashed into his arms, seemingly unable to comprehend this sudden acceptance.

The push and coldness she expected did not come. Instead, she felt a cool yet incredibly real touch from a solid chest, and strong arms that wrapped around her.

"Ugh..." she let out a muffled whimper, struggled for a moment, and seemed to want to continue that unfinished, frantic demand.

But Xuanming held her tightly, not giving her any room to continue losing control.

His chin rested gently on the top of her head, one hand encircled her back, and the other hand slowly and firmly patted her back.

“I don’t hate you.” Xuanming’s voice was deep yet exceptionally clear, piercing through her frantic consciousness. “Calm down, Nana.”

He didn't say anything more comforting, just repeated that simple yet powerful hug and pat.

Hu Liena's struggles gradually weakened.

The frenzied desire that was almost burning her up seemed to find an outlet in this sudden, firm embrace, or like the fur of a raging beast being gradually smoothed out.

Her tense body slowly relaxed, and she buried her face deep in the crook of his neck, greedily inhaling his unique, crisp scent tinged with a hint of blood.

Tears welled up again, but no longer in despair or madness; instead, they were sobs filled with immense grievance and lingering fear.

"I...I feel so bad...Xuanming..." Hu Liena sobbed, her voice broken, "This...this place feels like it's going to eat me up...I can't control myself..."

"I know." Xuanming's voice remained steady, and he continued patting her back. "I'm here."

Hu Liena stopped talking and simply hugged him tighter, as if she wanted to completely merge herself into his body.

Hot tears soaked the fabric of his clothes on his shoulders, and his hot breath sprayed on his skin, accompanied by a slight tremor.

Xuanming let her hug him, neither pushing her away nor making any further moves, simply maintaining the embrace.

Time seemed to slow down at that moment.

Inside the room, the suffocating smell of blood seemed to have faded somewhat, leaving only Hu Liena's gradually calming, soft sobs and Xuan Ming's steady heartbeat.

After an unknown amount of time, Hu Liena's breathing finally became even and long, and her tense body completely softened, as if she had exhausted all her strength. She fell into a deep sleep in his arms, but her brows were still slightly furrowed, as if she was still not at peace in her dreams.

Xuanming carefully lifted her onto the stone bed and covered her with a clean garment.

He stood by the bed, looking at Hu Liena, who was still unconsciously curled up in her sleep, seeking protection, his icy blue eyes filled with complex emotions.

The Ice Dragon King's voice echoed in his mind, tinged with a hint of teasing, yet also with seriousness: "See, isn't it working? Sometimes, a hug is more effective than any domain suppression. This girl... needs you more than you think."

Xuanming remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a soft sigh.

He knew that Hu Liena's dependence on him was amplified in the special environment of the Killing City, and her desire for him was also amplified.

But Hu Liena's self-control couldn't be that bad. Her bloodlust hadn't even gotten out of control yet, so how could her desire for him have gotten out of control?

What exactly went wrong...?

(End of this chapter)