My Xianxia Harem Life

Clara and Thea huddled close together, their voices dropping to a hushed whisper as they exchanged secretive glances.

Whatever they were planning, they clearly wanted it to remain between the two of them.

Yet despite their caution, Riley could hear every word effortlessly, his divine sense picking up their conversation as if they were speaking right beside him.

He didn’t interrupt. Instead, a slow, knowing smile spread across his lips.

”The future’s looking bright for me,” he murmured with a light chuckle, reclining lazily in his chair as the warm ocean breeze played through his hair.

He deliberately tuned them out after that—he preferred to let the surprise come naturally.

Just the knowledge that Thea, graceful and seductive as ever, would soon be offering herself to him willingly was enough to leave him content and buzzing with anticipation.

The beach getaway had gone exactly as he had hoped.

A few days of sun, laughter, and intimacy with the women he cherished had rejuvenated him more than any cultivation technique ever could.

The soft crash of the waves, the warmth of the sand beneath their feet, and the scent of salt and sunscreen hung in the air as Riley spent the afternoon swimming and playing with his wives.

Clara splashed him with a teasing grin, Katherine clung to his back as he carried her through the shallow water, and even the normally reserved Fay allowed herself a rare, carefree laugh.

For a moment, it was easy to forget the weight of his responsibilities and enemies.

As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, casting golden light across the sea, the group started gathering their things, preparing to return to the Austere clan.

That was when Riley froze.

A subtle shift in the wind, a disturbance in the natural flow of energy—it was faint, but unmistakable.

His brow furrowed.

One of his wives noticed immediately.

”What is it, Riley?” she asked, concerned by the sudden tension in his expression.

He didn’t answer right away.

His gaze scanned the distance, though nothing was visibly amiss.

Still, he felt it—a presence, or perhaps several, lurking beyond the boundaries of the peaceful little paradise they had created.

”Nothing to worry about,” he finally said, his voice calm but firm. ”Just some unwanted visitors I need to take care of.”

Before anyone could respond, he stepped forward, his robe fluttering with the sudden surge of spiritual energy. In the blink of an eye, his form dissolved into the wind, leaving behind only a faint shimmer and the lingering echo of his presence.

The beach was quiet again, save for the gentle waves and the whispering breeze.

Clara and Thea exchanged a look.

”He’ll be fine,” Thea said softly.

Clara nodded. ”They have no idea who they’re dealing with.”

***

Riley stood high above the world, suspended atop the sea of clouds that stretched endlessly in every direction.

The air was still, and the only thing visible for miles was the soft white mist beneath his feet.

Yet he knew—without a doubt—that he was not alone.

”Reveal yourselves,” he said calmly, his voice carrying effortlessly through the silent sky. ”Or would you prefer I kill you where you stand?”

A wave of killing intent exploded from his body, so thick and suffocating that it distorted the very fabric of the air.

The clouds around him evaporated instantly, blown away as though the heavens themselves feared to remain near him. And yet, despite the pressure, no one stepped forward.

Riley smiled coldly. ”Very well.”

He raised a single palm. At that moment, three figures shimmered into view before him.

They had no faces—only vague, shadow-like outlines that suggested humanoid forms.

Clearly cultivators, they had cloaked themselves in powerful concealment techniques that would have easily fooled even sect leaders or half-step immortals.

But not Riley.

Not with his mind palace fully awakened.

With mastery over the soul and thought, even true immortals could not mask their presence from him.

To stand before him was to stand naked before the all-seeing eye.

”Stay your hand, fellow Daoist,” one of the figures spoke, its voice old and distorted, as though filtered through layers of illusion.

It was clear even this was a mask, a disguise to hide their true nature.

”You have sixty breaths,” Riley replied coldly. ”Speak your purpose. Otherwise, the owners of three of the ten largest continents in this world will be picking out new names by morning.”

His words rang with absolute confidence—an iron declaration, not a boast.

The wind stilled, the clouds parted even further, and in that moment, the sky itself seemed to hold its breath.

One of the shadowy figures twitched with impatience, his killing intent spiking as he prepared to lunge forward.

The tension in the air was sharp enough to cut.

But just as he was about to make a move, a second figure raised an arm, halting him with a single gesture.

”Remember why we’re here,” the wise one said, his voice still disguised—raspy and warped through layers of illusion.

The reckless one hesitated, then took a reluctant step back, suppressing his aura.

The speaker turned his attention fully to Riley.

”Fellow Daoist Riley,” he began, adopting a more diplomatic tone, ”we won’t waste your time with flowery words or false courtesy. We’ve watched your recent rise with great interest. Few have shaken the world the way you have. Your name echoes across every sect, every clan, every imperial court. That is why we have come.”

He paused, as if gauging Riley’s reaction, but the man remained expressionless.

”We are offering you something greater than mere fame,” the voice continued. ”Join us. The three of us have spent millenia preparing for this. With your strength, we can finally tip the scales. Together, we can dominate the ten great continents—rule this entire world and reshape it as we see fit. Power, wealth, legacy… all of it will be ours.”

The offer hung heavy in the air like a poisoned gift.

Riley raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. His voice, when it came, was cold and cutting.

”World domination?” he scoffed. ”Is that what you think I want?”

He let out a soft chuckle, one without humor.

”Let me tell you something. I already have more than anyone else could dare ask for. Power? I have enough to crush the entire land. Wealth? My vaults are overflowing. Women? I have goddesses in my bed. Influence? My name alone bends knees. And legacy?” He stepped forward slightly, his eyes glowing faintly. ”The world already revolves around my will.”

He waved his hand dismissively.

”To ask for more is just greed—childish and short-sighted. If your ambition is to enslave the world, I suggest you find another dream. One that won’t get you killed.”

”Leave,” he added flatly. ”You three can crawl back to whatever cave you came from.”

But the shadows didn’t disappear. Not yet.

One of them spoke again, this time with a colder, more threatening tone.

”With how noisy your name has become lately, the Golden Dragon Clan will not sit idle for long. You’re disturbing the balance they’ve maintained for thousands of years. They don’t take kindly to anyone disrupting the order they’ve spent eons cultivating. You may think yourself untouchable—but even dragons grow hungry.”

Riley’s smile returned, this time with a cruel edge.

”I’ve never slain dragons before,” he said casually. ”It would be good if they try to do that so I can feed their bones to my cute pet.”

He raised his palm again, the same gesture he had paused earlier out of courtesy—a warning they had ignored.

”I take care of my problems myself,” he continued, voice like thunder hidden beneath silk. ”I doubt the three of you can say the same.”

His palm glowed as divine energy gathered in his hand, a radiant swirl of destruction that warped the space around it.

The temperature dropped. The sky dimmed. A pulse of raw power expanded outward like a shockwave.

Then, without warning—

BOOM!

A colossal palm made of heavenly light descended from the skies above, impossibly vast and shimmering with divine might.

The clouds parted violently, the heavens split open, and the world shook as if trembling in awe.

The very air screamed under the pressure, folding space and time into rippling waves of chaos.

Mountains far below cracked and trembled. Seas surged. Beasts in the wild scattered in fear.

The three shadowy figures barely had time to react.

One immediately cast a defensive seal, forming a translucent golden barrier above his head.

Another vanished in a blur, relying on speed to escape the strike zone.

The third stood frozen, unable to move as the sheer spiritual pressure locked his limbs in place.

The giant palm didn’t care.

It crashed down like the judgment of the heavens, swallowing the three figures in blinding light.

And then—silence.

The skies returned to stillness. The clouds, once scattered, slowly began to reform.

The only thing left where the shadows once stood was a deep, smoking crater in the sky itself, as though even the heavens had been burned.

Riley exhaled softly, lowering his arm.

He didn’t bother checking if they survived.

”They escaped?” he muttered, ”old fogeys are really tricky.” Riley did not care for this little detail though since he knew that this would instill fear into those 3 old fools.

He turned away, his body shimmering as he prepared to return to the beach in the distance.