“Boy, think this through. I am the first elder of the Divine Maiden Sect, and everyone who came with me is among our finest.”
“If you dare kill us, the Heavenly One Immortal Sect had better be ready to face the Divine Maiden Sect’s wrath!”
Fengxi’s voice was icy as she delivered the threat.
Every eye turned to Jiang Wuhen.
To be honest, this group from the Divine Maiden Sect really was a hot potato. Handled poorly, it would inevitably spark conflict between the Divine Maiden Sect and the Heavenly One Immortal Sect. Worse, that conflict could escalate into a war between the Eastern Divine Immortal Domain and the Southern Desolation Immortal Domain.
Jiang Wuhen, however, seemed not to care in the slightest.
He smiled mildly.
“I, Jiang Wuhen, have steeped myself in the words of the sages since childhood. How could I ever do something like murder?”
“What I said before was merely a jest.”
Fengxi gave a disdainful laugh.
“Hmph. In that case, we’ll take our leave!”
Just as expected. Jiang Wuhen was all talk.
But just then—
“Halt!”
“We won’t kill you. But we can’t let you walk away so easily, either.”
As he spoke, he turned to look at Luo Qingning and flashed a grin.
“Shizun, earlier… First Elder Fengxi made a wager with you. If Xiao Chen lost, what were the terms?”
“If Xiao Chen lost, they would be at my disposal. Hen’er, do you have any suggestions?”
Luo Qingning smiled faintly.
Only with Jiang Wuhen did she show such rare tenderness.
Jiang Wuhen cupped his fists.
“Then I’ll trouble Shizun to act. Keep them here at the Heavenly One Immortal Sect for a few days. If the Divine Maiden Sect wants them back, let their ‘Divine Maiden’ come in person!”
“Your disciple figures that since Fengxi is the Divine Maiden Sect’s first elder, she ought to be worth at least an emperor artifact or two.”
The words landed, and everyone was stunned.
Good heavens. In broad daylight, the Imperial Son is committing kidnapping!
Fengxi’s delicate brows drew together.
“Jiang Wuhen, you wouldn’t dare!”
But before her words had faded, a terrifyingly powerful aura erupted from Luo Qingning.
Fengxi sensed it at once. Wariness flashed across her face, and she swept her hand out.
Instantly, streaks of pale red radiance appeared, wrapping around Xiao Chen and the other women.
The next moment, the radiance lifted into the sky, poised to take flight.
As a great emperor, Fengxi believed that if she was determined to leave, no expert of equal realm could stop her.
But just then—
“Heh. Since Hen’er wishes to keep you, none of you… will leave the Heavenly One Immortal Sect!”
The cold voice rang out. Luo Qingning raised her hand. Above the sky, wind and clouds churned as boundless force gathered, descending like a pair of colossal palms.
RUMBLE!
In an instant, the pale red radiance shattered. The figures of the Divine Maiden Sect’s people appeared once more.
Fengxi, a mighty great emperor, let out a spray of blood and dropped to one knee.
She slowly raised her head. The look she turned on Luo Qingning was full of shock.
“You… your realm…”
Fengxi’s pupils contracted, her voice trembling.
Luo Qingning didn’t spare her another word. With a wave of her jade hand, streaks of cold light became snow-white talismans that fell from the sky, searing themselves onto each member of the Divine Maiden Sect.
In an instant, every shred of their aura drained away, leaving them no different from mortals.
“Heh heh. Shizun is the best.”
Jiang Wuhen sidled up beside Luo Qingning, grinning.
Luo Qingning smiled and nodded at him. Then her gaze shifted, her smile fading as she turned a cold, imperious face upon the crowd.
“Due to certain special circumstances, the wedding between my disciple Wuhen and the young lady of the Mu Clan is postponed for now!”
“Though there is no wedding feast, this Emperor has prepared a banquet at the ‘Immortal Grade Pavilion’ to entertain our honored guests.”
“Everyone, please proceed to the Immortal Grade Pavilion!”
Luo Qingning’s tone was calm but utterly commanding, brooking no argument.
Though puzzled, everyone cupped their fists in thanks and made their way to the Immortal Grade Pavilion.
“Hen’er, come along.”
Luo Qingning turned and smiled mildly at Jiang Wuhen.
“Shizun, I’ll pass. I have some other things to take care of.”
Jiang Wuhen smiled.
Luo Qingning nodded.
“Mm, as you like.”
“Perfect. Then use this time to think up a decent excuse to explain to your Shizun… about the ancient double pupils and the perfectly fused supreme bone…”
With that, Shizun broke into a thoroughly undignified smirk.
Then she headed to the Immortal Grade Pavilion together with the members of the Heavenly One Immortal Sect and the Mu Clan.
Watching their retreating figures and the wreckage strewn before the Heavenly One Divine Hall, Jiang Wuhen let out a long, deep breath.
He’d gotten past today’s hurdle.
And from today’s battle, he’d gained a crucial piece of information.
A Son of Fortune is not invincible!
I may be a villain, but I too… carry a mandate of destiny!
Jiang Wuhen murmured to himself, his eyes growing ever more resolute.
Today was only the beginning.
He needed to become stronger!
…
This day was destined to be an extraordinary one.
While battle raged at the Heavenly One Immortal Sect in the Eastern Divine Immortal Domain, the other great immortal domains erupted in commotion.
In the Southern Desolation Immortal Domain, atop the White Jade High Tower, a woman in white stood poised in the breeze.
She stood there as though her very presence had merged into heaven and earth, becoming one with them. Or rather, that stretch of sky seemed more like an extension of her own body.
Those azure eyes, calm as still water, gazed toward the Eastern Divine Immortal Domain and the soul-stirring natural phenomena unfolding there.
She watched in silence for a long while, then murmured to herself, “That child Xiao Chen has been gone for some time now…”
“With his talent and the trump cards he holds, he rarely finds a match among his peers. Even Luo Qingning’s personal disciple would be no match for him.”
“What’s more, this Palace ordered Fengxi to lead the ‘Thirteen Guards of Star-Moon Palace’ to shadow him in secret. Luo Qingning of the Heavenly One Immortal Sect is someone who understands the bigger picture. She wouldn’t risk offending my Divine Maiden Sect over a quarrel between juniors.”
“This matter should have been foolproof. So why… does this Palace feel so restless?”
“And beneath those peerless natural phenomena… what exactly has happened…?”
…
In the Northern Nether Devil Domain, atop a peak as sharp as a sword, a black-robed elder stood with a grave expression, gazing toward the Eastern Divine Immortal Domain.
“The devil dragon holding the blood moon. The immortal king descending upon the nine heavens. The bright moon rising above the sea. Chaos nurturing the green lotus…”
“Such peerless phenomena, all descending at the same moment… Is the age foretold in the prophecies finally at hand?”
He spoke in a low voice, then lowered his gaze to a mountain peak not far off.
At first glance, the peak looked utterly ordinary. But on closer inspection, it seemed bound to some great dao in the unseen world.
Beneath the roiling devil qi, faint ripples of golden light glimmered.
And carved into the sheer cliff face in vigorous, powerful strokes were fourteen characters of blood red:
When yin and yang reverse and the world descends to chaos, I shall dye the blue sky with my devil blood!
After a long silence, the black-robed elder narrowed his eyes.
“He… should be coming out of seclusion soon…”
…
In the Eastern Divine Immortal Domain, within a forbidden life zone blanketed in white, a youth stood before the corpse of an ice fierce beast, wiping beast blood from his blade with his sleeve.
Just then, something seemed to catch his attention. His head snapped up, and he saw, clear as day, the phenomena blazing across the sky.
He narrowed his eyes.
“Natural phenomena? Heh. All name and no substance.”
“This world exists to welcome my birth. No matter how much of a fuss you all raise, in the end, you’ll only ever be the backdrop for me, Lin Chen.”
“I can already feel it. The ‘Ice Heavenly Talisman’ is right here. Once I take control of it, my strength will undergo another qualitative transformation!”
“But I need to speed up. After all, the Yaoguang Sacred Ground… can’t hold out much longer.”
“As for these phenomena? Heh heh. Nothing special…”
