The Sovereign's Fury

The heavy bass from the mansion’s speakers throbbed in Leo’s chest as he touched the wooden bead in his pocket. 

It was a Soul-Nourishing Charm he had spent six months of his courier wages to buy.

The martial hall his wife founded had just been promoted to a Silver-Grade Sect. They were throwing a massive gala to celebrate her rise, and this was his anniversary gift to her.

But the moment he pushed open the double doors, the music cut out. A heavy silence filled the hall.

Hundreds of elite guests turned to stare, their faces twisting with disgust.

“Why is this trash here?” Marcus, Leo’s brother-in-law, sneered loudly. 

He let a flicker of Lightning Qi dance across his knuckles.

 “A courier with broken meridians doesn't belong at a Silver-Grade banquet.”

The whispers and mocking laughs hit Leo like a physical punch. He stood still, letting out a quiet sigh.

Three years ago, when he married Elena, she was a failing student. It was Leo who had secretly used his hidden connections to get her the ancient manuals she used to build Iron-Leaf Hall.

But as the hall became famous, the family started treating him like a stray dog. He was only good for cleaning the training mats and delivering packages on his rusty bike.

“Everyone, settle down. I brought him here,” Leo’s mother-in-law, Madam Vane, said as she stood up from the head table.

Leo was shocked. Usually, she was the first person to call him a parasite. He knew this "kindness" meant trouble was coming.

“Here, you loser. Sign this so we can stop smelling your poverty.” Madam Vane didn't even look him in the eye as she shoved a stack of papers into his hands.

Leo looked at the first page. It was a Bloodline Awakening Report. Elena had just confirmed she possessed a Divine Ice-Phoenix Spirit.

“Elena… she awakened a Divine Spirit?” A grin broke out on Leo’s face. He felt a rush of pride. 

With this, our family will be unstoppable.

He looked around the room, desperate to find his wife. “Where is Elena? I want to congratulate her!”

“She’s done with you,” Madam Vane snapped. “A woman with a Divine Spirit is a goddess. A mortal like you would only stain her reputation. Look at the next page.”

Leo’s smile vanished. He turned the page: MARRIAGE ANNULMENT AND QI-SEVERANCE CONTRACT.

“A divorce? After everything we've been through?” Leo’s hand shook, the paper crinkling in his grip.

“The whole city knows already,” Madam Vane hissed. “Elena is a top-tier genius now. She needs a husband who can fight beside her, not a delivery boy who can’t even lift a training sword. You’re holding her back from reaching the Immortal Realm.”

“But we took an oath! If she wants to leave, she should tell me herself!”

“Stop dreaming!” Marcus barked from the side. “A Divine Phoenix doesn't live in a nest with a common sparrow. Sign it and disappear.”

Leo felt a cold numbness spreading through his chest. He had always believed Elena was different, that she truly loved him despite his "lack" of power.

“Are you calling my mother a liar?” Elena’s sister, Sarah, walked up and raised her hand as if to slap him. Madam Vane stopped her, looking at Leo with pure hatred.

“Don't get your hands dirty on this bum. Leo, I’m not asking. You’re leaving with nothing. No money, no spirit stones. Just take your rags and go.”

Leo shook his head, refusing to give in. “I won’t sign anything until I hear it from her.”

“Then hear it now.”

The back doors opened and Elena walked in, glowing with a faint, frosty aura. She looked more beautiful than ever, but her eyes were like ice.

“Sign the papers, Leo. I have a meditation session with the City Lord in ten minutes. I don’t have time for this drama,” she said. Her voice was flat, without a hint of the woman he used to know.

The guests burst into laughter at Leo’s shocked expression. He felt a sharp sting of betrayal.

“So three years of marriage is just 'drama' to you?” Leo asked, his voice trembling with hidden pain.

“Status changes everything, Leo,” Elena replied coldly. “You helped me start the hall, I admit that. But I’m a Silver-Grade Master now. The council is laughing at me because my husband is a courier. I can't reach the top if I’m worried about you.”

“You think I’m a curse on your luck?” Leo looked her in the eyes.

Elena hesitated for a second, feeling a tiny spark of guilt, but she brushed it off. “I need to be with my own kind. Wealth and power have moved me beyond you.”

“Hey, stinker!” Darius, a cousin, shouted. “Maybe you can get a job as a court jester with those sad eyes!”

Leo clenched his fists, but he didn't strike. Not yet.

“Love is a distraction for the weak,” Elena added, looking away. “You were a good support in the beginning, but you’ve reached your limit.”

The words felt like a knife in his ribs. Then, he saw her left hand. She was wearing a **High-Tier Mana Ring**. It was the symbol of the Sterling Clan, the most powerful family in the province.

“I see. The rumors about you and Young Master Sterling weren't just rumors,” Leo said softly.

“He is a True Cultivator. He is my equal,” Elena said firmly.

“Fine. I won’t beg for a place I’m not wanted. I’ll sign.” Leo scrawled his name on the paper and tossed it onto the table.

“Finally!” Sarah cheered.

“Wait,” Elena called out. She pulled out a small pouch of Silver Coins. “Take this. It’s enough to buy a small house in the outer city. We’re even now.”

Leo looked at the coins and then at Elena. He felt a strange sense of freedom.

“Keep your change, Elena. You’re going to need every bit of it when your new friends realize you aren't the only one with a secret.”

Leo turned and walked out of the mansion, leaving the warmth and the music behind. As he stepped into the dark street, his phone vibrated.

It was a number he hadn't seen in years.

“Leo?” The voice on the other end was frantic. It was Uncle Chen, his father’s old shadow guard.

“Your father is at his limit. He is the Supreme Patriarch of the Dragon-Blood Clan, and the elders are trying to seize the throne. You are the only True Heir left. You have to come back and claim your heritage.”

Leo looked back at the glowing mansion one last time. A dark, powerful aura flickered in his eyes for a heartbeat.