Chapter 2267 Side Story 2: Luo Qiqi
Pilipala! Pilipala!
On a mountain floating above the Sky of Freedom, festive firecrackers exploded loudly in the air, signaling a joyous festival.
Experts that people had only heard of in rumors but hardly saw around were swiftly gathering on this mountain. With bright smiles on their faces, they offered their congratulations and handed over their wedding gifts.
It was the wedding between Great Sovereign Zhang Xuan and G.o.d Monarch Lingxi!
The wedding between the two strongest experts of the Firmament was intended to be a discreet affair. They were planning to make it a simple ceremony with only close friends as guests, but somehow, news began spreading around. In less than half a day, the mountain was already flooding with people.
“From the Cloud Dragon Monarch of the Sky of Cloud Dragon, a Golden Dragon Scale Robe and three liters of Golden Dragon Blood!”
“From the Deathless Monarch of the Sky of Spirit Origin, three Deathless Phantasmagoric Feathers and five liters of Deathless Celestial Phoenix Blood!”
“From G.o.d Monarch Fumeng of the Sky of Adamant Gold, three Tiger Fang and two Tiger Tails…”
Looking at the list of congratulatory gifts that had been given by the G.o.d Monarchs, Fairy Linglong was utterly stunned.
These were things that countless experts would go into a frenzy in order to obtain, such that even G.o.d Monarchs would make a move on each other for them.
Yet, they were nothing more than ordinary wedding gifts here!
The other eight G.o.d Monarchs had really gone all out.
“From the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, three Monarch Origin Pills and two G.o.d Monarch realm swords…”
The more Fairy Linglong read on, the more strongly she felt that the G.o.d Monarchs had gone insane.
As valuable as the Golden Dragon Scale Robe and Deathless Phantasmagoric Feathers were, Kong s.h.i.+’s gifts of Monarch Origin Pills and G.o.d Monarch realm swords were on a whole new level. Those were items that were useful even on G.o.d Monarchs!
If they used it well, they could definitely groom yet another G.o.d Monarch realm expert.
It would have been difficult for even the Heaven Subjugation Monarch to prepare another set of these items, yet he still gave them out as wedding gifts.
Fairy Linglong really wanted to shake that old man’s body and scream at him to check if he was still sane.
“This must really be the most extravagant wedding ever since the founding of the Firmament. I must say that G.o.d Monarch Lingxi’s eyes are truly sharp. To think that she would find a gem amid the hordes of mortals in the lower worlds…” Fairy Linglong shook her head and sighed.
She was one of the G.o.d Monarchs who had appeared along with the birth of the Firmament, so she had long seen past life and death. The reason she had remained single to date was because there was simply no one who could catch her eye.
She had thought that it was impossible for a man who had the ability to conquer her to appear in the world, but who could have known that two formidable figures would appear one after another within just fifty years?
This was especially so for Zhang Xuan.
The first time she met him, he was no more than an ordinary high-tier Celestial G.o.d, but in just ten days, he had become an expert that towered above the entire Firmament.
Just recalling that battle against Vicious made her pat her heart in relief.
If not for the rise of this young man, the Firmament might have ceased to exist.
As a woman, she could not help but envy how G.o.d Monarch Lingxi was able to notice his potential and support him all this time. If she had sharp eyes like that, she might have been freed from singledom by now…
“It’s just a huge pity for this young la.s.s…”
Thinking about the young lady whom she had saved from the spatial turbulence back then, she could not help but sigh deeply in lamentation.
It was clear to anyone who had eyes how much the young lady loved Zhang Xuan. She gave her all for him, but in the end, she still was not able to receive anything in return.
Even someone who had lived for so many years like Fairy Linglong could not help feeling sorry for her.
Noticing Fairy Linglong’s gaze, Luo Qiqi turned her gaze over and directed a smile at her. “I’m fine.”
Despite her words, her eyes reflected endless bitterness and sorrow.
She knew that Zhang Xuan had never been moved romantically for her, but she simply could not help herself from falling deeper and deeper into the swamp.
“Forget him. I’ll help you find someone better, someone who truly loves you,” Fairy Linglong said.
“Someone better?” Luo Qiqi shook her head helplessly. She gazed ahead of her and sighed deeply. “Having met the best, I don’t think that there’s anyone who can compete with him.”
Having seen how outstanding Zhang Xuan was, no matter how good others might be, they could not possibly catch her eye.
Realizing that she could not convince Luo Qiqi at all, Fairy Linglong shook her head and berated, “You are really wasting your life on Zhang Xuan!”
It was as if she was poisoned by Zhang Xuan! No words would simply work on her at all.
Just as Fairy Linglong was in deep thought, the s.p.a.ce before her suddenly warped a little, and two young men appeared before them.
The one standing in front had fair skin and a das.h.i.+ng appearance. Even Zhang Xuan would pale in comparison when it came to looks.
On the other hand, the young man standing behind him felt sharp and cold. Vaguely, one could feel a powerful Sword Intent harnessed within his body.
“The old ancestor behind the Sky of Heavenly Sword?” Fairy Linglong narrowed her eyes in shock.
As one of the Nine G.o.d Monarchs, she knew a thing or two about the truth behind the mysterious Sky of Heavenly Sword. The Heavenly Sword G.o.d Monarch was indeed powerful, but what was even more fearsome was the unfathomably powerful teacher behind him. Even G.o.d Monarch Lingxi could very well pale in comparison to him.
It was just that his teacher was an elusive figure in the Firmament, such that nearly none of the G.o.d Monarchs had ever seen him.
They had only heard rumors that he was a young man who appeared to be in his early twenties.
Nevertheless, judging from how the young man’s Sword Intent was even stronger than that of the Heavenly Sword G.o.d Monarch, it was as clear as day who he was.
However, what left Fairy Linglong even more astounded was how he, despite being comparable to G.o.d Monarch Lingxi, was actually standing behind yet another das.h.i.+ng young man. Who could the das.h.i.+ng young man be?
Paying no heed to Fairy Linglong’s doubts, the das.h.i.+ng young man walked up to the confused Luo Qiqi and smiled. “I didn’t expect the primordial energy created during my creation of the Firmament to morph into an artifact and gain sentience…”
“Creation of the Firmament? Primordial energy?” Fairy Linglong’s teeth clattered together as a conjecture surfaced in his mind.
“You carry the aura of the earth, which was what I used to seal the s.p.a.ce of the Firmament in place back then. In the crisis fifty years ago, you ended up falling into the mortal world as the Dimension Silencer… It’s a pleasure to have you back here,” the das.h.i.+ng young man said.
Noticing the anxious look on Luo Qiqi’s face, he smiled a little before gently placing his hand on Luo Qiqi’s.
Hong long!
The next instant, Luo Qiqi’s cultivation began to surge. A peculiar connection was forged between her and the Nine Skies of the Firmament, granting her power over the spatial laws.
“This…” Luo Qiqi widened her eyes in shock.
The das.h.i.+ng young man had only touched her for a brief instant, but she could feel her strength growing several thousand times stronger than before!
Even if Fairy Linglong made a move on her, she would be able to subdue her easily!
“Am I… G.o.d Monarch?” Luo Qiqi muttered in disbelief.
It was nigh impossible for new G.o.d Monarchs to emerge in the Firmament. The only reason the Heaven Subjugation Monarch and Zhang s.h.i.+ had succeeded was because they each possessed a fragment of the heavens. Furthermore, the two of them were highly talented and diligent individuals, so their unyielding perseverance eventually allowed them to obtain the strength they currently had.
On the other hand, she had not done anything, but with just a touch from the das.h.i.+ng young man, she had gained such tremendous power as well…
Was she dreaming?
“Strictly speaking, you are the Overseer of the Firmament’s s.p.a.ce. Even though you aren’t a G.o.d Monarch, you can be certain that most G.o.d Monarchs won’t be a match for you,” the das.h.i.+ng young man replied with a smile.
“Then… why isn’t there a cultivation ordeal?” Luo Qiqi was still unable to believe her current situation.
A breakthrough to G.o.d Monarch would surely bring about the envy of the heavens, resulting in a heavenly tribulation. The same should have happened to her, so why was nothing happening.
The das.h.i.+ng young man chuckled softly in response. “I am the heavens themselves. I am the one who allowed you to make a breakthrough, so why would there be a cultivation ordeal?”
“Heavens?” Luo Qiqi widened her eyes in shock.
“Do you wish to marry Zhang Xuan?” the das.h.i.+ng young man suddenly asked.
“I…” Luo Qiqi froze in place upon hearing those words, unsure how she should respond.
“Just say yes if you wish to, no if you don’t want to. What’s there to hesitate over? There’s no need to be embarra.s.sed over your own wishes,” the young man said with a wave of his hand.
“I… want to!” Luo Qiqi said. With greater determination this time around, she added, “I think of it even in my dreams!”
As if having confessed something that had been weighing on her mind all this while, the tense look on Luo Qiqi’s face finally relaxed a little.
“Hahaha, what an energetic young lady you are!” The das.h.i.+ng young man burst into laughter. “Since that’s the case, let’s have him marry you as well!”
“This…” Luo Qiqi’s eyes lit up for a moment, but soon, her face sank yet again as she shook her head. “But… Zhang s.h.i.+ doesn’t like me, and I don’t wish to spoil the relations between him and Luo s.h.i.+. It wasn’t easy for the two of them to get together with one another…”
She had witnessed just how much Zhang Xuan had gone through in order to come together with Luo Ruoxin. Their relations.h.i.+p really did not come by easily, so she could not bring herself to tear them apart.
“You are worried about that?” The das.h.i.+ng young man burst into laughter. He pointed over and said, “Well, just look over there…”
Luo Qiqi raised her head and saw a pair of lovebirds descending from the sky. The groom was dressed in a bright red wedding robe, looking more suave than ever. The bride had a light blush coloring her fair complexion, looking like shy little girl.
At that instant, the attention of the entire world was centered on those two.
They were none other than Zhang Xuan and Nie Lingxi!
While she was still awed by how compatible the two of them looked together, Nie Lingxi suddenly looked in her direction and beckoned her over. “Qiqi, come here!”
Hu!
The das.h.i.+ng young man snapped his fingers, and Luo Qiqi’s body flew over to where Zhang Xuan and Nie Lingxi were.
Nie Lingxi looked at her for a moment before waving her hand elegantly, and a magnificent red gown and tiara appeared on Luo Qiqi’s body, turning her into a beautiful bride.
“G.o.d Monarch Lingxi, I… I…” Luo Qiqi’s eyes reddened in agitation as her body began trembling lightly.
Everything had happened so quickly, and she could not believe that this was really happening to her.
“You have done far too much for Zhang Xuan. Previously, the Library of Heaven’s Path suppressed his feelings, leaving him with little emotions for those around him. Now that he has ascended on his sentiments, how could he possibly watch as you suffer?” Nie Lingxi chuckled softly.
“But…” Luo Qiqi was still a little overwhelmed by the situation.
Bliss had come so quickly that she did not know what she should do with it.
She turned her gaze toward the young man, only to see him looking at her dotingly. “Qiqi, are you willing?”
“I am…” Blus.h.i.+ng in embarra.s.sment, Luo Qiqi lowered her head and replied with a voice as soft as the buzz of a mosquito. “… willing.”
How could she not be willing? This was what she had been dreaming of ever since their time together on the Master Teacher Continent!
Back then, when he walked out of her wedding, she had thought that their fates would diverge once and for all, and it was impossible for them to be together. She had never dared imagine that this unrequited love of hers could one day be fulfilled.
“That’s all that matters,” Zhang Xuan said with a smile.
Then, he turned to the crowd and declared with a peal of hearty laughter, “Today, we shall be married!”
His voice echoed throughout the entire Firmament, and countless individuals clasped their fists to offer him their blessings.
Then, Zhang Xuan extended his hands to Nie Lingxi and Luo Qiqi and asked, “Shall we go?”
The three of them flew into the distant sky, till they finally disappear over the horizon of the world.
Beneath the crowd, the livid-faced Luo Xuanqing finally released the ma.s.sive axe in his hand before heaving a sigh of relief.
“That’s more like it…”
—
Author’s Note: This story was designed to be a 1-to-1 pairing, but there have been readers hashtagging me, hoping for Luo Qiqi to have a better ending. So, I wrote this side story for her to give some closure.