There was a deathly stillness instantly in the hall. The air seemed to have frozen. Gong Caiwei"s guzheng came to a spontaneous stop. The Shi Yuan who had originally been watching the sword dance was taken aback. Stowing her thoughts, she looked at Gong Fengting with great animosity.Gong Fengting"s question was not at all evil in intent, but it sounded very improper. Clearly, he was saying the others were not as good as Lin Yingmei.
Although he had always addressed Lin Yingmei as the First Wife, the other beauties did not mind, but to place this question on the table for discussion, this was mostly displeasing. Everyone present stared at Su Xing in silence. Just as Wu Xinjie was about to come to Su Xing"s aid, Su Xing extended a hand to stop her. Neither servile nor overbearing, he calmly answered: “The first.”
“A tie for number one?” This answer was within Gong Fengting"s expectations. Prince Feng Wu hung a mocking smile. In fact, the reason why he was so aggressive still was due to some male jealousy. Even the Buddha would be unable to remain calm seeing Su Xing with so many Star Generals.
“Everyone together.”
Su raised his copper goblet, looked at all the beauties, smiling in reply.
The beauties knowingly smiled. Hua Wanyue among them nevertheless was considerably awkward – She the Hero Star did not treat this man as her husband, however, Su Xing"s answer made Hero Star Hua Wanyue somewhat stunned.
Gong Fengting was at a loss, having not expected that Su Xing would reply this way. Astonishment flashed past his eyes, and he nodded in admiration. “Well said. I shall toast you a cup!!”
“Su Xing, do not waste time. We are leaving.” Gong Caiwei rose. She looked coldly at her father, somewhat displeased with her father"s conduct just then.
Su Xing saw that time was nearly up. He nodded.
“Your Servant still has other matters that cannot be delayed. Your Highness Prince, Your Servant shall take his leave.”
Prince Feng Wu forced a smile. He scratched his nose in embarra.s.sment, “Then next time, This King shall seek out Su Xing for a drink.”
“En. Farewell.”
Su Xing left the palace, urging on his escape light and leaving with Gong Caiwei at the same time. Instantly, they vanished beyond the heavens.
Gong Fengting sent them off with his eyes, up until their figures disappeared.
At this time, his adviser said: “Prince, are you letting the Purple Thunder Monster leave like this? This Purple Thunder Monster has just broken the Bright Moon Longevity Palace and may have obtained the Longevity Cultivation Method.”
“And so what?” Gong Fengting pursed his lips, recovering his stern manner.
The adviser was at a loss for words. Yes, so what. The other party had more than ten Star Generals following him. Even the Ten Great Sect"s encirclement had failed, so how could the trifling Prince Feng Wu"s entire army compare. “But it really is a pity. For the Longevity Cultivation Method to unexpectedly be obtained by the Purple Thunder Monster.”
“Caiwei has a good relationship with him. This King does not feel it is a pity.”
“Does Prince truly feel that Purple Thunder Monster will let Miss Caiwei go?”
“Caiwei will naturally understand. We need not worry. However, This King had just probed him…” Prince Feng Wu said contemplatively.
“The result?”
“What a good answer, everyone together. This King is very impressed, ha, ha.”
“…”
Water Illusion Fairy Xi Yue opened her eyes. When she saw she was in her Immortal"s Abode, she breathed a sigh of relief. She flipped out a dull gold stele. That tablet"s golden characters swirled, glowing faintly, it Spirit Qi oppressive. The corner of Xi Yue"s lips could not help but smile.
She communicated with the Feiyu inside the Star Nest. The Boatman was still recovering. However, worried about Su Xing, Xi Yue still prepared to not wait for Zhang Feiyu"s recovery and exited the Immortal"s Abode. After several flashes.
An escape light flew over.
“Sister Xi Yue, you have returned? This is truly too good, the Headmaster has something to seek of you.”
A young girl dressed in blue silk happily said. This girl"s name was Lan Tianyu,1 the only person in the Illusion Reality Sect that Xi Yue actually got along with. “The Headmaster is looking for me?” Xi Yue was surprised.
“Yes, something urgent.”
Xi Yue"s Immortal Abode was opened inside the Illusion Reality Sect"s leyline. Even if she herself were to force it, she could not open it. Her heart was somewhat nervous, but Xi Yue had never disobeyed the Headmaster"s orders.
“Xi Yue shall go.”
Illusion Reality Main Hall.
The headmaster appeared as a grotesque old crone. Her body was stooped, her expression sunken, and her face was filled with wrinkles. Her eyes were like candleflames in the wind about to extinguish at any moment, however, her Supercl.u.s.ter Early Stage cultivation made people not dare look down on her. Just that Old Mother Soulless2 moniker was enough to make people respect her.
“Lady Mother.” Xi Yue deferentially said. Everyone in the Illusion Reality Sect addressed Old Mother Soulless as “mother.” At the very beginning, even Xi Yue was somewhat unaccustomed, but in the end, she adjusted.
“Xi Yue, you are finally willing to return.” Old Mother Soulless" hand held a hideous cane made of wood from the Chinese scholar tree. She spoke calmly, yet the air exhibited pressure.
“Xi Yue has some matters to attend to and asks Mother to pardon.” Xi Yue sincerely answered.
“Hmph, since you have returned, then never mind. And the Boatman? Why has she not come out to greet This Old Woman. Does she despise old bodies?” Old Mother Soulless was unhappy.
Xi Yue said: “Feiyu is injured and trapped in the Star Nest, unable to appear. Please forgive her, Mother.”
A slight sneer appeared in Old Mother Soulless" eyes. “This Old Woman hears that you and the Purple Thunder Monster walked very close, have you finally tasted suffering now? What kind of person is that Purple Thunder Monster, could it be you were not betrayed accompanying him. Could it be he sneak attacked Zhang Feiyu, and that is why you have returned.” Old Mother Soulless had thought Xi Yue had been deceived. She sneered, but she was also upset.
Xi Yue was unable to reply. If she mentioned the Bright Moon Longevity Palace affair, she was positive Old Mother Soulless would turn hostile. She kept her silence.
Old Mother Soulless merely treated XI Yue"s silence as acknowledgement, and her heart was even more pleased.
“Your following the Purple Thunder Monster has made the Devil Star Palace very unhappy. This Sect has received enormous pressure. This time, Great Saint Starkiller has died, and the Holy Lord of Draconic Demon has been inducted into the Devil Star Palace. This Sect has decided to pair you with Holy Lord Of Draconic Demon to complete the Seven Stars a.s.sembly. The Devil Star Palace will confer to you two the art of "Devil Star Dual Cultivation." When you two cultivate at the same time, you will certainly be able to ascend Maiden Mountain.
“Huh.” Xi Yue"s face paled. “What is Mother saying.”
“Do you feel dissatisfied?” Old Mother Soulless" eyes were gloomy.
“No. Xi Yue absolutely will not dual cultivate with Holy Lord of Draconic Demon and asks that Mother recant that promise.” Xi Yue emphatically replied.
Old Mother SOulless scolded her: “Absolutely disgraceful. Xi Yue, when you first fell into the Netherworld, it was This Sect that kindly sheltered you, that you have the name of Water Illusion Fairy. You dare violate This Sect"s orders?”
“Xi Yue"s heart belongs to Su Xing. In this life and in this world, she will absolutely never betray him.” XI YUe spat blood.
“Wrong, wrong.” Old Mother Soulless was extremely angry. “You have been deceived once by that Purple Thunder Monster, and now you want to be deceived twice. Lowly girl, why do you not understand that the Purple Thunder Monster has exploited you.”
“He did not exploit me.” XI Yue knocked her head against the floor, leaving blood: “Xi Yue asks Mother to help.”
“Help? The Devil Star Palace is being forceful. How would you have This Sect explain to them? Shameful.” Old Mother Soulless" knuckles were white, her fury springing from the heart.
“Mother, calm.”
The surrounding Supercl.u.s.ter Ancestors hastily soothed her.
An ancestor shouted: “Xi Yue, why do you persist in the wrong ways, quickly apologize to Mother.”
“Even if Xi Yue dies, she will not marry anyone else.” Xi Yue lowered her head and did not raise it.
“Shameful.” That Ancestor sent Xi Yue flying with a palm. The girl slammed into a pillar and nearly lost consciousness. Xi Yue was already injured at the Bright Moon Longevity Palace. Not having recovered yet, this impact made her vomit blood, staining her clothes red.
The other Ancestors were slightly disturbed, but in the end, they still restrained their impulses. They looked at Xi Yue. Disappointment, confusion, fury, they all could not understand how the Water Illusion Fairy could have been bewitched by the Purple Thunder Monster, to surprisingly be confused to this degree.
“Mother"s kindness is like the mountains, Xi Yue does not dare forget, but the dual cultivation art, XI Yue absolutely will not agree.” Xi Yue said resolutely, not compromising at all.
This nearly drove Old Mother Soulless mad.
“Elder SIster Xi Yue, just agree.” Lan Tianyu wept.
Xi Yue shook her head.
“This is beyond you.” Old Mother Soulless slapped a table into splinters. “Lock Xi Yue in Black Flame Mountain.”3
“Ah, Mother, please reconsider.” Lan Tianyu shouted. Black Flame Mountain was the volcano under the Illusion Reality Sect. Its terrain was poor, its array strange.
“If you dare plead for her, you will be locked in as well.”
Xi Yue"s face paled. It was a pity she was powerless to resist. When she was dragged away, her heart only worried about the Longevity Stele matter.
By the time Xi Yue was taken away, Old Mother Soulless face was full of wrath. “How could This Sect raise such an ignorant Star Master, to have been tricked into nearly losing her life by the Purple Thunder Monster, to surprisingly even keep him constantly in her mind.”
“Just what kind of person is that Purple Thunder Monster.”
“I heard that before Great Saint Starkiller died, his Star General Great Blade Guan Ying was seduced by the Purple Thunder Monster.” Someone said.
“…” Old Mother SOulless twitched.
“…” Everyone.
“Go inform Devil Star Palace and say that the Water Illusion Fairy has been captured. Have Holy Lord of Draconic Demon come.” Old Mother Soulless took a deep breath.
“Ah, Lady Mother, could it be?”
“With things as they are, it is too late to change anything. At that time, Xi Yue naturally will understand that what This Sect has done was with her in mind.”
“Xi Yue definitely will understand.”
“If only that were so.”
…
The Black Turtle Territory"s Star Master powers was an alliance of one Devil Palace and Four Halls, among them, the Devil Star Palace was the leader. The other sects served it, and Xi Yue"s Illusion Reality Sect was one of those. If it was before she had met Su Xing, Xi Yue would have followed Great Saint Starkiller blindly. However, that day in Black Turtle Temple when Xi Yue made public she was following the Purple Thunder Monster gave the Black Turtle Territory a big shock.
Su XIng worried for Xi Yue and used the Jade Pendant to very quickly appear in the Black Turtle Territory. Then, he rushed without stop to the Illusion Reality Sect because he did not know where XI Yue"s Immortal"s Abode was opened at. Su Xing could only go to the Illusion Reality Sect to ask. Generally, Star Masters" Immortal"s Abodes were unmistakably inside their sects.
Regarding XI Yue, Su Xing"s heart actually was considerably complex. As the first woman who had the courage to confess her love to Su Xing, this kind of feeling was very sudden, so much so that it made Su Xing somewhat wonder how to handle this. To say that she had pa.s.sion as intense as Lin Yingmei"s, no one would believe it. Su Xing originally felt that he himself was a bit fickle in love, but when he faced Xi Yue, he nevertheless felt something was missing.
He wondered about that disorderly complexity or those baffling feelings, but in short, regarding Xi Yue"s position, Su Xing treated her as a dear friend. As for what came after…let nature run its course, then.
Although he thought this, Su Xing still used several moments of time to rush to the gate of the Illusion Reality Sect from the Azure Dragon Territory.
Su Xing had hardly mentioned his name when a young woman in blue silk shouted in shock. “You are the Purple Thunder Monster that Elder Sister Xi Yue insists on marrying? Quickly, quickly go save Elder Sister.”
What?!!