Chapter 94

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Chapter 94

"Martial Uncle Song, is Qingxu Sect just ahead? I heard Qingxu Sect is a small sect. For a wedding, I don’t know how they invited so many guests. I’m worried they won’t have enough space outside their mountain gate."

The speaker is Song Mingzhu’s apprentice, who has a special status in the book as the favorite, but because her master is of a higher rank, Song Mingzhu also holds a high rank.

This apprentice is also a close disciple within the sect, but she is a direct disciple of Song Mingzhu’s senior brothers.

The young girl tightened her face and seriously criticized, "The leader of Qingxu Sect is a top genius. In the past, Qingxu Sect sacrificed a lot for the entire spiritual world, which is why it became less famous. Apprentice, be careful with your words!"

After more than twenty years,

Song Mingzhu’s appearance finally reached a level she was satisfied with, so she took the Beauty Pearl to settle her current look.

After all, she had a round face since childhood, and during her teenage years, she looked younger than her peers. It wasn’t until the baby fat faded away and her facial features became clearer that her figure became more slender, making her look like a beautiful young girl instead of a sweet little girl.

Being younger in her generation, she naturally looked more innocent and could hardly suppress others.

However, after years of hard work and improvement, when Song Mingzhu’s expression was neutral, she exuded an aura of quiet authority, especially in her eyes, which resembled that of her sword cultivator master.

The disciple who had mocked Qingxu Sect quietly closed his mouth. To be honest, for the disciples of large sects who had never been to Qingxu Sect, it was much bigger than they had imagined.

Someone pointed to the magnificent palace that was easily seen on the mountain peak and called out to their friends, "Look over there! Is that a palace made of ice and snow? It’s truly beautiful!"

There is also an ice and snow palace in Tianheng, which belongs to Song Mingzhu’s master, and with Song Mingzhu herself. They are Ice Crystal Roots, so they live all year round in a place that is freezing cold, allowing them to absorb Spirit Qi filled with icy energy day and night, which helps with their training.

For this reason, Song Mingzhu has a special bond with her master; after all, no one else can stand the cold. On that snowy peak, only the two of them live there.

Someone asked Song Mingzhu, "Little Martial Uncle, is the leader of Qingxu Sect also an Ice Spiritual Root? Why do they live in this kind of ice and snow palace?"

Song Mingzhu replied, "No, the leader of Qingxu Sect is a mutated Wind Spiritual Root; I don’t know about her partner."

Generally, a phoenix is born from fire and should naturally be a Fire Spiritual Root; she isn’t sure if there exists an Ice Spiritual Root phoenix in the world.

Thinking about her master, Song Mingzhu felt a bit awkward because they were both teacher and student, yet the leader of Qingxu Sect wants to hold a partner ceremony with her master.

She felt determined; even though her master is wonderful, her feelings for her master are more about respect and love. Right now, she doesn’t want to think about partners; she just wants to focus on her training, surpass Yun Chuyou, and become the most recognized genius in the world.

The ones responsible for welcoming guests from various sects are Yu Jiu and another person; they are Yun Chuyou’s most valued junior brothers, holding elder-level status, ensuring that guests are treated well.

Since the people from their sect visited a few days earlier, when the Cloud Boat stopped, the spirit ship of Tianheng Sect was indeed blocked outside. Yu Jiu, who was gentle and polite, said, "The wedding venue is not fully set up yet, so please wait outside for a few days. When the ceremony begins, we will lift the protective barrier and invite you in. During this time, please do not wander around, as it may be dangerous if you accidentally enter the sect’s barrier. The disciples of Qingxu Sect may not be able to help in time."

This was said very tactfully; claiming concern for not noticing in time actually meant they did not intend to take responsibility.

They had already fulfilled their duty of giving prior notice, and if anyone still tried to break in, it meant they had bad intentions. Facing such troublesome cultivators, Qingxu Sect would naturally fight back.

When that time comes, even if someone gets hurt, they will not care. However, some formations within the barriers have been altered, so if these people die, they will die outside. If a cultivator successfully breaks in, they will be trapped and will not be able to breathe easily for at least three to five days.

After all, in two days, there will be a celebration, as weddings are joyful events. No one in Qingxu Sect wishes to see bloodshed; even if they need to settle things later, it will be handled afterward.

Meng He stood silently, holding a rather imposing large sword, looking at them. He lowered his usually high chin slightly, staring at the disciples from the major sects.

Elder Martial Sister had instructed him, so he held back a little, not being overly warm toward the guests, but at least he would not make them feel looked down upon.

However, he stood there mainly to intimidate those with bad intentions. If he encountered those who were troublemakers, it would require his straightforward approach to handle it.

Fortunately, everyone was there as guests, attending a joyful event, not a competitive exchange meeting. Even if some people looked down on Qingxu Sect as a small sect, they would certainly not be foolish enough to openly oppose them.

The group was very calm, and Song Mingzhu noticed that Yu Jiu had a gentle personality, which made him easier to talk to than the other cultivator who was holding a big sword. Once the Cloud Boat stopped at a suitable place, she secretly asked, "Can I meet the leader of Qingxu Sect?"

Yu Jiu looked at her with a calm expression and said, "What do you want to see our leader for?"

Song Mingzhu replied, "I would like to ask our esteemed leader a few questions."

Yu Jiu quickly refused Song Mingzhu’s request, saying, "Elder Martial Sister is preparing for the grand ceremony and has no time to spar with anyone."

"No, I just want Master Yun to give me some guidance," Song Mingzhu said, "I mean, after the ceremony is over, can I ask again?"

As a highly valued disciple of the number one sect, Song Mingzhu had been competing with disciples from other sects for many years. She originally viewed Ye Xuanye, who was from a sect of equal status, as a rival and aimed to surpass him in every way, to truly become the best in the spiritual world.

But when the Qingxu Sect appeared out of nowhere and its leader stood before her, Song Mingzhu realized what it meant to have someone stronger than herself in the world.

Yun Chuyou was only seven or eight years older than her, and in this cultivation world where people often lived for hundreds of years, a gap of a decade or two was considered to be among peers.

Ever since Song Mingzhu started her training in the sect, her speed of cultivation had been breaking records. Even in a large sect with countless exceptional talents, she was still recognized as a top genius.

Before participating in the grand competition, Song Mingzhu was always very proud of her progress. Even though she acted modestly, she felt very proud inside.

It was not until the incident with the demon race occurred that she realized the leader of the Qingxu Sect was only a few years older than her, but their cultivation level was a whole realm higher than hers.

Song Mingzhu did not really care about the leader’s status; she was a direct disciple and received resources and treatment that were not worse than any small sect leader.

Before the Qingxu Sect gained fame, even in Tianheng, direct disciples, and even inner disciples, had a higher position in the spiritual world than the leaders of small sects.

The Qingxu Sect was just a small sect. Even if all the resources were focused on one person, it should not compare to herself, who was very cherished and had gained many great opportunities.

However, the other person’s cultivation had already far surpassed hers, especially after the grand competition, when she was just happily celebrating her great opportunity of advancing from Golden Core Stage to Nascent Soul Stage.

Yun Chuyou had advanced from Nascent Soul Stage to Astral Projection Stage, which suddenly put a lot of pressure on her.

Of course, she later learned that Yun Chuyou’s rapid improvement was because her partner was a unique phoenix in the spiritual world, a powerful ancient beast, and the resources she had were certainly not something an ordinary small sect could compare to.

With so many treasures given by her masters, senior martial sisters, and martial uncles, it still might not match the years of savings that the phoenix had.

This kind of persuasion slightly comforted Song Mingzhu, but she also knew that even with the same opportunities, different talents, understanding, and cultivation levels could vary greatly.

Yun Chuyou could take advantage of such opportunities; at such a young age, she had already improved her skills. She was exceptional and not inferior to herself.

During the great competition among the hundred sects, Song Mingzhu was dedicated to protecting her younger martial brothers and sisters from the demon cultivator and was unable to deeply understand the charm of the leader of Qingxu Sect.

When she communicated with the Remnant Soul of Senior Sword God, he also mentioned Yun Chuyou. She had always been curious about her, so when Tianheng Sect received an invitation, she seized the chance and insisted on leading the team.

Yu Jiu’s expression was somewhat subtle, "After the grand ceremony, I will ask our leader about this matter for you."

Song Mingzhu said, "Thank you! If there’s anything I can help with, I am happy to assist!"

Since the offer of help was given, Yu Jiu replied, "Then I won’t be polite to you. Our sect is indeed short on staff for hosting other guests, so I would appreciate your help in entertaining some of the guests from Qingxu Sect. After the grand ceremony, I will definitely inform our leader of your kindness."

Even though she was doing free labor, Song Mingzhu smiled sweetly as if she had found a great bargain.

Yu Jiu was not at all polite with her; he quickly arranged everything. After all, there were too many guests, and the large sects had him and Meng He. Zhong Wei needed to accompany Elder Martial Sister, and the lower disciples did not carry enough weight. With Song Mingzhu accompanying them, the smaller sects wouldn’t complain.

Not only is the direct disciple of the Tianheng Sect, but also the direct disciple of the Tianyuan Sect was instructed to help entertain guests. However, Ye Xuanye did not come willingly; Xie Fuzhi arranged it through a sound transmission.

Indeed, when they saw Song Mingzhu, the direct disciple of the Tianheng Sect, and Ye Xuanye from the Tianyuan Sect, the other sects had no objections and were all calmed down.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and these outside cultivators were finally allowed into the Qingxu Sect.

Of course, each sect received its own number tag, and the list was registered in advance. They entered in an orderly manner under the guidance of their sect’s disciples. Since this was a joyful event, rules were even more important, and they could not run around freely to avoid any chaos.

Due to the presence of the protective mountain formation, what everyone saw from the outside was quite limited. Once inside the Qingxu Sect, many sect disciples were deeply impressed.

"The concentration of Spirit Qi inside the sect is so high! This area must be at the foot of the mountain; I don’t see many disciples’ houses, and the Spirit Qi concentration is even higher than where our inner sect disciples live."

During the Great Competition of the Hundreds of Sects, many people knew that the Qingxu Sect was likely quite wealthy, but since no one had seen it, they didn’t know the specific situation.

On the way up, the sect disciples hung various festive decorations prepared for the sect master.

"These flowers are spirit herbs! They’re just used as decorations like this…"

It looks really good, but the price is very high. The cultivators are calculating the cost of the decorations in their minds, wishing they could secretly take a little and stuff those beautiful flowers into their storage bags.

For this grand ceremony, the cultivators from the Beast Control Sect also received invitations, but not many of them came, and those who did were the disciples who were excluded from their sect.

The cultivators from the Beast Control Sect looked around and finally spotted Zhong Wei’s peak while soaring. They saw many demon beasts of different levels, some familiar and some unfamiliar.

However, these demon beasts showed no signs of being restrained; they all looked very happy, and just from their fur, one could tell they were living well.

The Beast Control Sect has indeed changed some, but the demon beasts clearly seem less happy than those of the Qingxu Sect. The few disciples from the Beast Control Sect were watching intently, feeling a little sour inside.

A disciple from behind nudged him, saying, "Move forward, or you’ll fall behind."

Leading the front of the group was Yu Jiu, while Meng He was in the back. Today, he wore a black and red outfit, mostly red, looking both festive and powerful.

He was in charge of keeping an eye on things. If someone tried to wander off from the group, Meng He would bring them back.

As for Hu Xiao Bai, he waited in the middle, stamping little red seals on the guests as, with the help of the little ones, he handed out small fluffy balls with number tags to everyone, "Please enter according to your number when it’s time. Don’t throw away your number tag. After the ceremony ends, you can collect a small gift. Even if you don’t want the gift, please drop it off at the collection table."

Hu Xiao Bai wore a very cute pair of fluffy ears, and his smile was very sweet. The little creatures were also chosen for their beauty, with soft and fluffy fur, and big, sparkling eyes.

Even the angry cultivator could not stay mad at him and those lovely demon beasts. A female cultivator quietly asked, "Can we keep this number tag?"

The fluffy balls felt great and looked especially cute.

Hu Xiao Bai smiled brightly, "Of course! If you like it, everyone will be very happy."

After all, these were made from the fur that fell from the little ones. Each demon beast, proud of its fur, wanted to see its fluffy hair well-loved.

The wedding ceremony took place in the meeting room of Qingxu Sect, not in the icy palace at the top.

In fact, it wasn’t cold there; after all, Yun Chuyou had a Wind Spiritual Root. The ice and snow were just to keep the Phoenix Fire from being too hot and affecting Yun Chuyou’s health.

If it were like the frozen land where the master and disciple of Tianheng Sect lived, the harsh cold would be harmful to cultivators without an Ice Spiritual Root.

However, because of his possessiveness over his territory, he did not plan to let anyone except Yun Chuyou enter his new home.

One day, when there is new life here besides the two of them, it must be his and Chuyou’s child.

Guests took their seats, and the newlyweds, dressed in wedding attire, slowly appeared under everyone’s gaze.

Song Mingzhu left her parents at a young age to come to the spiritual world. There are not many cultivators in the spiritual world willing to form partnerships, and even when they do, it is rare to have such a grand celebration.

It is quite normal to think that cultivators with low levels only focus on their training and have no interest in love. Most cultivators who abandon their paths to rely on their descendants to grow their families live in cities with many mortals.

Their marriages are usually quite casual; only a few have grand celebrations, and they often invite mortals or smaller sect cultivators.

For a large sect like Tianheng Sect, it may take hundreds of years to invite just one or two people like Song Mingzhu.

This is her first time attending someone else’s wedding ceremony and also the first time seeing such a grand celebration.

In Song Mingzhu’s Purple Mansion, three souls witnessed the entire process with the help of magical tools.

Liu Ruyi hadn’t shown such an emotional expression in a long time. She founded Hehuan Sect and had been involved with many men, thinking she had grown accustomed to the matters of love in the world.

But now, seeing other people’s love, she can’t help but feel a bit jealous.

After all, back in the day, she had once dreamed of a grand wedding with her beloved, but what she got instead was betrayal and sharp pain.

After seeing many heartless men, she stepped out of that circle. Everyone is a cultivator, so why should a woman follow the rules of foolish love? The female cultivators of the Hehuan Sect must follow their teachings: be loving, yet indifferent, and not just fall for one person.

As long as there is love, there is no need to stick to gender or race. Whether it’s a human cultivator, a demon cultivator, or a Buddhist cultivator, as long as it isn’t harmful to oneself or others, one can pursue whom they like.

Li Baiyi looked at the expression of his beloved and carefully said, "Ruyi, if you want, I can arrange a wedding for you."

Another lingering spirit remained silent, allowing the rival to shower Liu Ruyi with affection. He felt guilty for betraying Liu Ruyi, and perhaps that guilt overshadowed his love.

Liu Ruyi scoffed, "No need for that. To hold a ceremony in the secret realm, do we need to pair with a demon beast? Fake is fake. The person is gone, and there’s no need for it."

She didn’t envy such a lavish display, nor did she care about the envious looks of others. As the founder of the Hehuan Sect, she had also enjoyed power and glory.

But after the splendor, one inevitably yearns for true feelings. Like those who have sailed through many waves, they often can’t forget their first love. Is it truly that they can’t forget the person they once loved? No, what she missed was simply the pure and beautiful self she used to be.

The process of making a bond is not very complicated. What Yun Chuyou and Xie Fuzhi have to do is similar to taking an oath in a church under a priest, but they do not have a priest as a witness; instead, they swear to the heavens.

The two newcomers only need to make their bond under the witness of heaven and earth, and they promise to share life and death together.

"I, Yun Chuyou / I, Xie Fuzhi, from this day forward, bind myself to Xie Fuzhi / Yun Chuyou as partners for life. From now on, no matter how the world changes or how time passes, through thick and thin, life and death, we will be together, swearing by our souls, and make this bond here."

Because Xie Fuzhi’s status is special, as his voice fell, in that moment of the bond’s completion, a red thread appeared between Yun Chuyou and him, a thread that could never be untied.

The red thread flashed once, then disappeared from sight, but it didn’t really vanish; it just hid itself.

At the Marriage Stone, the names of Yun Chuyou and Xie Fuzhi appeared at the same time. The letters were bright red like blood, and no matter what means were used, they could not be erased.

Many guests present showed surprised expressions, "They have tied a bond of life and death."

After the Great Competition of the Hundred Clans, Xie Fuzhi did not hide his identity as a phoenix. Although people did not know much about phoenixes, they knew a little.

In the rumors, the phoenix is said to be an immortal great spirit, but with his power, anyone who wishes to confront him would not succeed easily.

This time, many people were invited. On one hand, there is the large Tianheng Sect organization, and on the other hand, everyone wants to see the so-called ancient great demon up close.

After seeing them today, they thought that although the ancient great demon has strong abilities, they might not be very smart. Isn’t making this kind of contract just creating a weakness for themselves?

Some guests were eager to move, "The phoenix’s partner is only at the Astral Projection Stage, right? If we kill his partner, can’t we kill the phoenix too?"

However, just having a bad thought doesn’t mean he would dare to act. After all, there are so many cultivators present, and if he makes a move against Yun Chuyou, he might die before he even gets the chance.

The phoenix must have a reason for doing this; they are certainly not just confused, and they definitely have the ability to protect their partner.

In the secret realm, Liu Ruyi looked particularly surprised. She had thought that Xie Fuzhi cared more deeply, but she didn’t expect him to go this far.

Could it be that she shouldn’t have fallen for a man, but should have looked for a male demon instead? After all, the demon race is beautiful, and many are as good as Liaokong was back then.

The usually quiet Liaokong suddenly started to rub the Buddhist beads in his hand, mumbling to himself.

Liu Ruyi was close enough to hear clearly what he was saying. He was reciting scriptures that pray for the well-being of all living beings.

On a day of great joy, could anything terrible possibly happen?

Just as this thought crossed her mind, she saw the Grand Ceremony of Contract Signing come to a perfect end. Suddenly, the sky changed color; the bright sunny day turned into a gloomy one, as dark clouds blocked the sunlight, making the whole bright surroundings become dim.

The area covered by the dark clouds was enormous, and judging by the terrifying thunder within the clouds, it seemed like a powerful Transmigration was brewing.

"Which fellow cultivator is performing Transmigration here?"

The leaders and direct disciples of various sects looked around; if someone was really Transmigration at this moment, they needed to move away quickly. No one wanted to stand in for someone else and face the Thunder Calamity.

Mainly, it meant getting struck for no good reason, with no benefits at all.

The guests looked around, yet no cultivator claimed the Thunder Calamity.

"Friend Wang, why don’t we leave for now? We’ve already seen the Grand Ceremony of Contract Signing and given our gifts, so there’s no need to linger here any longer."

Most people came just to keep up appearances, to strengthen ties with the Phoenix, and since they had already brought gifts, they didn’t need to stay on someone else’s territory.

"Everyone, please come this way. This is the exit path, and it is very wide, so there is no need to rush."

Yu Jiu seemed to have expected the unexpected situation. He stood up from his seat and politely guided everyone to retreat.

For some reason, as Song Mingzhu looked at the calamity cloud above her, she couldn’t shake off a sense of unease.

This time, she saw Xie Fuzhi up close. The groom was even more handsome than the rumors had said, and the way he looked at his partner was filled with love that seemed almost tangible, making others envious.

However, the moment Song Mingzhu saw Xie Fuzhi, she felt strangely uncomfortable. She thought Xie Fuzhi was dangerous, as if she had been cruelly killed by him countless times.

Song Mingzhu told herself it must be an illusion. After all, Xie Fuzhi didn’t give any attention to anyone else throughout the whole time, not even a glance. Even if she had talent, she was just an unseasoned genius, a cultivator at the primordial stage of Nascent Soul, compared to a Phoenix that had lived for thirty thousand years and was said to possess Mahayana Stage powers, she felt as small as an ant.

What reason could such a powerful Phoenix have to target her?

Even as she said that, Song Mingzhu’s body was honest. When someone mentioned leaving, she immediately stood up.

This time, the Tianheng Sect, to show their esteem for Xie Fuzhi, sent the younger generation led by Song Mingzhu, and the older cultivators were also present, including none other than Song Mingzhu’s master, known as the Sword Immortal.

He had the power of the Soul Changing Stage, but he did not appear openly. Instead, he hid in the crowd, silently protecting the younger members of the sect, specifically for his one and only disciple, Song Mingzhu.

Song Mingzhu instinctively looked towards the place where her master was, and then quietly sent a message, "Master, I think we should leave now."

The disciples of the large sect should not leave so early, as it might seem like they were afraid of the Thunder Calamity, but Song Mingzhu felt uneasy.

The powerful being of the Soul Changing Stage hidden in the crowd nodded to his young disciple, and Song Mingzhu said goodbye to Yu Jiu, "We have urgent matters to attend to. I hope to challenge the leader of your sect another time."

They left the sect and found that the outside world was also covered in dark clouds.

"Who is causing this Transmigration? Why is it so grand and noisy?"

"Could it be that the leader of the Qingxu Sect is undergoing Transmigration? Didn’t she get married? Shouldn’t she share some of the Phoenix’s power?"

Yun Chuyou is at the Astral Projection Stage, while Xie Fuzhi is said to have skills close to the Ascension of the Mahayana Stage.

When the two of them formed a marriage contract of life and death, her power would surely increase rapidly, which is the benefit of marriage for those at lower levels.

The level of Astral Projection Stage and that of Mahayana Stage are separated by two major realms: Soul Changing Stage and Transcendency Stage. However, as one progresses further, the gap between the major realms is not just a simple tenfold difference; it is a difference in strength of thousands or even tens of thousands of times.

Having a thousand times the power of Xie Fuzhi gives Yun Chuyou, who only has one time the power, an easy way to break through from Astral Projection to Soul Changing Stage.

"But the Soul Changing Stage Thunder Calamity isn’t this terrifying."

This calamity cloud, which shows no sign of beauty for miles, feels less like a Transmigration and more like the heavens are bringing about the end of the world.

"The end of the world, this is the Tribulation of Destruction! The Tribulation of Destruction has come early!"

Sect Master Yan, who also came to attend the wedding, shouted out loud.

At the same time, almost all the guests received urgent summons from their sects.

"Demon races from various sects are invading; hurry back to support the sect!"

"Those near the Mortal World teleportation array, go to the Mortal World to fix the breach!"

"How can this be happening right now?"

Someone said, "Could it be that the union of humans and demons goes against the laws of heaven? Is that why the Thunder Calamity has come to destroy the world?"

The guests had not completely left when a demon cultivator shouted, "What nonsense are you talking about? I have never heard of such a heavenly rule. There are many humans and demon cultivators together, isn’t that right? Otherwise, how do you explain those half-breeds from the human and demon races? Did they just appear from the cracks in the ground?"

They absolutely hated these human race cultivators who spread lies, throwing all the dirt and filth onto the demon race. When something goes wrong, they blame them and even want to take their demonic pills.

The cultivator replied awkwardly, "Maybe it’s another beast that is not very noticeable, so the heavenly laws did not detect it. The Phoenix is different; it is an ancient great beast."

The Phoenix, who has lived for thirty thousand years, still looks youthful after all that time.

There should not be many people in the spiritual world who have lived this long. A nascent soul cultivator has a lifespan of two thousand years, an Astral Projection Stage cultivator lives five thousand, a Soul Changing Stage cultivator can live for ten thousand, and the limit for a Transcendency Stage cultivator is said to be thirty thousand.

However, that limit represents the utmost state of perfection. Most transcendent stage cultivators, in order to break through that boundary, may not live long enough. When they reach a bottleneck in their advancement, if they fail to break through, it can damage their lifespan.

But staying stuck and not breaking through also consumes a huge amount of energy from spirit stones day and night, and it is easy to give rise to internal demons.

In the current spiritual world, even the most powerful beings at the Transcendency Stage seem to only live for a little over ten thousand years.

Beings like Sect Master Yan, whose special skills consume their lifespan, appear to barely last for another thousand years.

"Look, the Qingxu Sect is shining!"

The sky grew darker; the clouds seemed to turn into a swirling black hole, and everything became pitch black, making it easy to stir fear in people’s hearts.

Before they could fully return to their sect on the spirit boat, the disciples were packed tightly together, and someone in the crowd shouted, "Stop pushing, your sword is poking me!"

"Ouch, who stepped on my foot!"

"Hey, body cultivators, can you please be careful? Don’t you know your muscles are as hard as rocks? I thought I ran into a wall!"

When cultivators are outside, they rarely carry lighting objects, but luckily, some cultivators stayed behind on the spirit boat and lit up the illuminating magical tools.

The sky looked like a river, with the glowing spirit boats floating like lanterns on the water.

The light from the spirit boat is limited. To avoid bumping into each other along the way, the cultivators used their unique skills. Some lit strange fires directly to brighten the paths on their sides.

Some took out lighting tools from their storage spaces, while others wore glowing robes, instantly becoming the most dazzling cultivator among them.

"Everyone, follow me!"

Song Mingzhu used her spiritual power to create an ice and snow path back to the spirit boat, blending it with the glowing firefly grass that sparkled in the darkness.

At that moment, the dark sky suddenly lit up.

"It’s morning, it’s morning!" someone exclaimed, but they quickly realized that it wasn’t morning yet; most places were still shrouded in darkness.

The mysterious Sect Master Yan walked toward the direction of the Qingxu Sect, saying, "It must be the Qingxu Sect that is shining."

As someone who seeks hidden knowledge, he has a strong curiosity and wants to understand what the symbols really mean.

Even if his curiosity could lead to danger, he is determined to uncover all the truths, which is the duty of the leader of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.

Everyone followed Sect Master Yan’s gaze, and indeed, the Qingxu Sect, surrounded by a great formation, suddenly became very bright. The entire mountain seemed to be covered in golden light, like a sun shining in the darkness.

"Did they activate the mountain protection formation? That palace looks so clear!"

Many cultivators were stunned by the grand beauty, "The ice and snow under the sun is really beautiful."

One imaginative cultivator said, "Could this be part of the Grand Ceremony of Contract Signing?"

However, this guess was quickly refuted by others, "What nonsense are you talking about? Even ancient great monsters wouldn’t have this ability!"

They were stuck here; although they faced darkness, they did not encounter danger. Once trapped in darkness, they could be ambushed by emerging demon creatures.

This was truly no joke, nor was it a performance; it was the will of Heaven overturning the Three Realms.

An endless stream of Spirit Qi was being drawn into the large hole, many places had broken open, and from within, a continuous flow of demonic energy emerged.

As one decreased, the other increased; Spirit Qi was quickly consumed, but the demon race grew stronger.

The disciples guarding the sect were having a hard time, and some disciples, in their despair, turned into demons on the spot.

If the Three Realms were gone, the demon race could not thrive; they would only disappear. However, these monsters clearly were not smart demon cultivators; they resembled uncontrollable beasts.

There seems to be no demon race in the area near Qingxu Sect. It’s unclear if they just haven’t appeared or if there’s another reason.

Because of Yun Chuyou’s presence, the changes in the story were hidden by a special power. Even if everything turned different, that existence in the background had never noticed.

But what needed to come would eventually arrive. After the two of them made their bond, the being that controlled everything became anxious.

Realizing that everything had changed, it hurriedly allowed the Tribulation of Destruction to appear ahead of time.

Xie Fuzhi, dressed in wedding clothes, held Yun Chuyou’s hand and said, "Chuyou, it is coming for me. Are you afraid?"

Yun Chuyou shook her head and replied, "I’m not afraid."

"Besides, starting today, we are completely tied together, so I won’t go anywhere. I will always be with you."

Xie Fuzhi laughed, "Yes, you will always be with me."

The destructive Thunder Calamity struck powerfully; lightning struck down, shaking the mountain protection formation. The lightning scattered, but it held strong.

However, the fierce thunder did not back down; it only got more intense, and soon it created cracks in the formation supported by countless spirit stones.

"Is everything going to be okay?"

Zhong Wei comforted the frightened little ones on the mountain, "Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. Elder Martial Sister and the others are here; everything will be fine."

In truth, she was also very scared, but in front of the weaker little ones, she had to stay strong and not show her fear.

As the mountain protection formation seemed about to shatter from the lightning, a transparent shield suddenly appeared around it.

It was Yun Chuyou’s super invincible protective shield, which she had stored in the system space and had never used.

She had worked hard for so many years, earning countless achievements and experience. This protective shield had taken her a long time to save up for, lasting 24 hours, and she had built it up for a whole month.

The lightning struck the protective shield, but there was no movement at all.

Yun Chuyou began to use a lot of spirit stones to repair the mountain protecting formation; Premium Spirit Stones were used as if they were free, and soon the formation was restored to its original state.

The invincible shield had no cracks at all, and it even thoughtfully provided soundproofing, so there was no need to light candles inside the clan, as the lightning could illuminate the entire place.

Hu Xiao Bai lowered his hands from his ears, "I knew the master was the strongest!"

The system made everything it produced seem reasonable; to everyone, the shield was a defensive artifact made by Yun Chuyou, who was a very high-level Alchemy Master.

She was not only the youngest Astral Projection Stage cultivator but also the youngest master of artifact creation.

Outside, the cultivators marveled at the amazing features of the defensive artifact, "You are also a master of artifact creation; can such an incredible defensive artifact really be made?"

The master of artifact creation being asked replied irritably, "How would I know? My level is not as high as hers."

Lower-level cultivators cannot know the methods of higher-level cultivators, and the same goes for artifact creation.

"Go."

Xie Fuzhi chanted a spell, and the thunder from the protective shield was drawn away, cracking loudly as it struck the dark creatures hiding in the shadows.

These people now realized that there were creatures outside the Qingxu Sect, and there were many of them.

They were all attracted to the emotions, gathering closely around them, which is why they did not attack the cultivators.

Sect Master Yan still could not enter the Qingxu Sect in time; the old man looked up, murmuring, "This is heaven’s will to destroy him."

Even an ancient great demon, can it go against heaven?

The protective shield is not endless; it will eventually run out.

Some people gloatingly pretended to be sad, saying, "He shouldn’t have formed a marriage pact; if he hadn’t formed a pact with the master of Qingxu Sect, the phoenix would not die or disappear. Now look what has happened."

The cultivator who spoke was punched by none other than Meng He, who was escorting everyone out.

He sent someone out, so he stayed outside at that time.

"If you dare to talk nonsense again, I will make you regret it!"

Meng He wanted to go back, but he received a message from Elder Martial Sister that Zhong Wei and Hu Xiao Bai would keep an eye on the situation, first directing the demon beasts towards Blue Mountain.

Yu Jiu has a ghostly trick; he will choose the right moment to temporarily move the disciples from the sect into the ghostly realm.

Elder Martial Sister told him not to stay there; does she want to be with Xie Fuzhi in death?

Even if he doesn’t want to now, if Xie Fuzhi gets into trouble, Elder Martial Sister will also be in danger.

If he had known, he should have stopped her from forming a bond!

Under the protection of the invincible barrier, the fluffy ones began to move as planned.

Once the entire Qingxu Sect was left with just himself and Xie Fuzhi, Yun Chuyou said, "Master, this mountain has only us left, just like decades ago."

"Yes, when I picked you up back then, you were so tiny, like a little child pretending to be an adult. You were really very adorable."

Yun Chuyou snorted softly; she wasn’t really a little child, just a small body.

"Chuyou, if the shield is not taken down, the thunder will not disappear."

Yun Chuyou said, "Our spirit stone can handle it."

She couldn’t believe that energy would be endless. Energy is conserved; the Thunder Calamity would certainly vanish.

"But later, it will drain the Spirit Qi from other people’s bodies, even their vitality."

Xie Fuzhi said, "If that’s the case, others will die. Do you want this world to be left with just the two of us?"

He gently coaxed, "Please take down the shield."

Yun Chuyou was silent for a moment, then suddenly reached out to pinch Xie Fuzhi’s face, "Are you really Xie Fuzhi, not someone else pretending to be him?"

What she thought about Xie Fuzhi was not true; he was not someone who cared for the world. After all, he often said that as long as she was alive, it didn’t matter to him if the whole world died.

Xie Fuzhi’s face was pinched by her, but he simply continued to look gently at his lover.

"But if that’s the case, Chuyou, you will suffer for a lifetime, right?"

Xie Fuzhi said, "Actually, I lied to you. Do you know why the red thread flashed and then disappeared? Our life-and-death marriage contract was actually successful."

Yun Chuyou suddenly raised her head sharply, and Xie Fuzhi said, "I tampered with the spirit tool I used for the contract, the kind of marriage contract we made can be broken unilaterally."

As he spoke, he ended the marriage contract and pushed Yun Chuyou away, "See, our names have disappeared from the Marriage Stone. You should go with Yu Jiu."

Yu Jiu, who should have left, appeared again, standing not far away, looking at Yun Chuyou, "Elder Martial Sister."

Yun Chuyou looked at Xie Fuzhi in disbelief and then at the truly faded Marriage Stone.

She suddenly rushed forward and bit Xie Fuzhi hard, "Xie Fuzhi, you terrible, rotten liar! Who told you to do this? Is this how you should treat your wife?"

Yun Chuyou never allowed Xie Fuzhi to call her "wife" because it felt a bit strange, but at that moment, she angrily referred to herself as "master."

"Yu Jiu, you should leave first," Yun Chuyou emphasized, "Listen, I am commanding you now as the leader of the Qingxu Sect and Elder Martial Sister."

Yu Jiu remained silent for a moment, but in the end, he chose to respect Elder Martial Sister’s wishes.

Now, it was truly just the two of them left. The lightning blocked outside information from reaching them; they couldn’t see the outside, nor could the outside see them.

In Yun Chuyou’s eyes, there were no other people, only Xie Fuzhi’s hateful face.

She used her authority to turn off the protective array.

"The invincible shield lasts one more day. After that day, I will be here, I won’t go anywhere," Yun Chuyou said, "If necessary, I’ll die with you."

In reality, the shield could hold for a long time. Xie Fuzhi had deceived her, so she naturally had to trick him back.

The thunder did not stop. Yun Chuyou was serious; as the shield came down, the heavenly thunder immediately turned the entire Qingxu Sect into charcoal.

Seeing countless thunderbolts about to strike Xie Fuzhi, Yun Chuyou hesitated for no moment. She tightly embraced Xie Fuzhi, standing in front of the troublesome phoenix.

She had many small protective shields in her system space, personal ones, even more than those used in her sect.

At that moment, countless bolts of lightning gathered and struck down, their power seeming capable of destroying everything.

In truth, Yun Chuyou felt a bit scared, as she didn’t know if the personal protective shield would hold. After all, it had acted very unreliable in the secret realm before.

However, as she said, it didn’t matter if she died. But if she chose to abandon Xie Fuzhi now, surviving would have no meaning.

Considering the time she lived through two lifetimes, she had already lived to about eighty or ninety years, so she wouldn’t be at a loss.

The girl buried herself in the warm embrace of the phoenix, "Xie Fuzhi."

She had expressed her fondness many times but always cautiously avoided saying those three words, as they felt sacred to her and shouldn’t be said lightly.

But at this moment, she felt she wanted to say them because if she truly died, she would surely regret it.

"Hmm…"

With her head buried in her chest, Yun Chuyou could not see the expression on Xie Fuzhi’s face, but she could hear his responding voice.

"Xie Fuzhi, I don’t like you."

Xie Fuzhi looked thin, but his muscles were actually very strong, and his chest was not so narrow.

Yun Chuyou could sense that the body she was holding was trembling. She could not see, so she did not know that just as her words fell, a certain phoenix’s eyes turned a bright red that it could no longer control.

Even so, even though it was her choice, when Xie Fuzhi heard those words, he couldn’t help but feel his heart break.

He told himself that it was because Chuyou was angry that she said she didn’t like him.

"Xie Fuzhi, I really mean it, I truly don’t like you."

Yun Chuyou lifted her face, her eyes shining with tears, "Xie Fuzhi, I love you."

In the next moment, Yun Chuyou felt herself being held very tightly, almost unable to breathe.

At this critical moment, something shattered; it was the sound of a personal shield breaking.

As she watched the thunderstorm about to strike, Yun Chuyou took a deep breath, ready for the possibility of being struck by lightning.

But the searing flames turned into chains, countless chains that surprisingly trapped the Thunder Calamity.

The red chains spread out, reaching into the dark sky, and Yun Chuyou seemed to hear cries of pain.

The black hole gradually shrank, and light began to reappear everywhere.

The monsters had nowhere to hide in the light; although they were riddled with many wounds, the situation began to change.

Yun Chuyou looked up, confused; what was happening?

The phoenix with red eyes transformed back into one with silver hair and golden eyes. He lowered his head and kissed his bride, "Chuyou, I love you too."

In many cycles, Xie Fuzhi had already become enchanted; he had never stopped his self-destructive tendencies.

After the first few cycles, the situation had already turned; the so-called child of destiny could not match the pursuit of destruction.

The Tribulation of Destruction is a unique way of self-rescue according to the way of heaven, willing to destroy Xie Fuzhi at the cost of destruction to gain new life.

However, Xie Fuzhi himself had no desire to survive; he kept struggling between life and destruction, wanting to annihilate both himself and the damned way of heaven.

Things that are long broken, even if mended with great effort, are still full of cracks and will shatter at the slightest touch.

Xie Fuzhi’s display of love is genuine, but that little affection is not enough to save him from his self-destructive tendencies.

The ice and snow fortress built on the high mountain is Xie Fuzhi’s true heart.

The ice and snow froze the flames, also freezing his will to survive.

Until this moment, until Yun Chuyou gave up her path of life and chose him without hesitation.

He finally heard that Yun Chuyou loved him, and he only wanted her to love him.

Love melted away like snow in the spring, and from now on, Xie Fuzhi would live for Yun Chuyou.

The Marriage Stone, with the names of Yun Chuyou and Xie Fuzhi, appeared clearly once again on its surface.

This time, the marriage contract was complete, and no matter what was done, it could not be undone; even death would not separate these two names.

They would live and die together until the end of time.