Three days later, the Realm of Soul-Stealing witnessed the greatest event in its history.
The entire Northern Divine Region was in attendance. Since everyone was subordinate to the Primordial Devil Emperor, no one dared refuse the invitation. In fact, most attended willingly, eager to earn his favor and gain the goodwill of the absolute sovereign of the region.
Millions of cultivators, from the humblest to the most powerful, gathered within the kingdom. Divine Sovereigns, Divine Masters, and countless prestigious figures filled the streets and palaces, forming a crowd unlike anything ever seen before.
The skies were crowded with carriages drawn by divine beasts, imposing warships capable of traversing the heavens, and spatial portals opening without end, bringing guests from every corner of the Northern Divine Region. The entire kingdom overflowed with a solemn and magnificent atmosphere worthy of an event destined to go down in history.
The wedding was of unprecedented extravagance.
The Central Palace had been completely remodeled for the occasion. The Heaven of Souls had been transformed into a scene of absolute splendor, adorned with an ocean of black and blood-red flowers, floating lanterns that shimmered like a sea of stars, and a gigantic profound formation erected at the center of the island, radiating perfect harmony between yin and yang energies. Its aura enveloped the entire kingdom, causing space itself to vibrate majestically.
At the center of the main island, a colossal suspended altar had been erected above the clouds. Its magnificence was such that it could be seen from virtually every corner of the Realm of Soul-Stealing, dominating the skies as the symbol of the union between the two most influential figures in the entire Northern Divine Region.
Chi Wuyao naturally occupied the position of principal wife.
She appeared wearing a majestic black and crimson imperial robe embroidered with golden threads and adorned with ancient jewels that glowed like blood beneath the starlight. Her beauty, usually shrouded in a seductive and dangerous charm, now exuded incomparable elegance. When she walked to the altar beside Ren Zu, the entire kingdom seemed to hold its breath.
Ren Zu, meanwhile, wore black imperial robes with exquisite gold and purple embroidery. His long white hair fluttered gently in the wind, while his vast and oppressive presence made space itself tremble. Before such a scene, the guests did not merely see a couple—they saw the Primordial Devil Emperor and his Empress ruling over the heavens.
After the main ceremony with Chi Wuyao, a second ceremony was held, more private yet no less magnificent, dedicated to the Nine Witches. They appeared side by side, each wearing garments carefully crafted to highlight her beauty and personality. Before countless witnesses, they knelt before Ren Zu, officially accepting their positions as the concubines of the Devil Emperor.
The celebrations lasted for three days and three nights.
Endless banquets, ancient rituals, demonstrations of power, and grand festivities enveloped the entire Realm of Soul-Stealing. Spiritual wines of immeasurable value were served as freely as water, while fireworks formed from profound energy illuminated the dark sky in a breathtaking spectacle. Everywhere one looked, millions of voices chanted Ren Zu's name, celebrating the dawn of a new era for the entire Northern Divine Region....
.
.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, far from the Northern Divine Region, on Blue Pole Star, somewhere within the Blue Wind Empire...
A small river wound its way between the surrounding mountains. Farmland lined both banks, and with the warm rays of the sun already illuminating the landscape, the farmers had long since begun their day's work.
Oxen walked back and forth across the fields, pulling plows that turned over the soil. Since the paddies were flooded, muddy water splashed everywhere as the oxen moved. Both the oxen and the farmers were covered in mud.
One of the farmers appeared to be in his early thirties. Beneath the layers of mud, it was vaguely possible to make out a bronze-skinned man diligently occupied with his honest work.
He continuously shouted commands to the oxen. Only after the field had been properly leveled did he begin planting the seedlings. The entire year's harvest depended on the spring, so he could not afford to waste a single moment of sunlight.
"Father!"
Suddenly, a sweet voice rang out. The man turned and saw a little girl, no more than three or four years old, running toward him along the embankment between the fields. She held two wild fruits in her hands as she cheerfully called out.
The little girl wore her hair in twin braids and a padded cotton jacket. Although it was already spring, the early morning air still carried a lingering chill.
She was an adorable child, as beautiful as a doll, with a jade-like face, crescent-shaped eyebrows, and eyes whose black and white were perfectly proportioned.
"Little Yue, why did you run all the way here? Look, you've gotten your jacket dirty. Aren't you afraid your mother will spank you?" the bronze-skinned man asked with a warm smile, looking at her affectionately. Even his exhaustion disappeared the moment he saw her.
"Mom won't hit me. I came to bring fruit to Daddy! Ah!"
"Careful!" the bronze-skinned man shouted.
The embankment was extremely muddy, and the little girl slipped and fell. The two fruits she had been carrying landed in the mud, and even her dress became dirty.
She immediately burst into tears. The man hurried over, brushed the dirt off her clothes a few times, then picked her up and placed her on a large rock by the side of the embankment.
"Little Yue, where does it hurt? Tell Daddy," he asked worriedly.
"I'm sorry, Daddy. Little Yue is so silly. I got the fruit dirty..." Little Yue cried, visibly embarrassed and upset that her good deed had been ruined.
Hearing this, the man immediately relaxed and smiled.
"What's so dirty about them?"
He dug the two fruits out of the mud, wiped them a few times, and took a big bite.
"Daddy, they're dirty! Mommy said if we eat dirty things, worms will grow inside our bellies! I'll wash them in the river!" the little girl cried.
"Haha, that only happens to children. Your daddy's stomach is strong, so I can eat them without worrying!" the man declared confidently, patting his chest.
"Really? Daddy is amazing!"
The little girl completely believed him and looked at him with admiration.
"Come here and give Daddy a hug. Daddy will take you home and have your mother change your clothes. If you're this dirty, you won't look like a little fairy anymore."
The man took off his outer garment before picking the little girl up. He was afraid of getting her clothes even dirtier. It was obvious how much he cherished her.
"Daddy, am I making you fall behind on your work?" she asked.
"Of course not. I've already worked plenty and needed a break. Even the oxen have to rest, let alone your daddy," the man comforted her.
"Daddy really is the best!"
The little girl leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.
"Don't do that. Daddy's dirty, so you can't kiss me. If you eat dirt, worms will grow in your tummy!" the man laughed as he quickly dodged.
"Then I'll wait until Daddy is clean!"
The little girl wrapped her arms around his neck.
Carrying his daughter, the man crossed the farmland and reached the road leading back to the village.
"Hey, Gu Tianhe! Your little girl has such fair skin. She's nothing like you. Don't tell me your wife hasn't been faithful to you?" another farmer joked as they passed by.
These farmers loved teasing each other and were, in fact, very close friends. There was no ill intent behind the joke. They were all accustomed to this kind of banter.
"Get lost. You and your wife are both so pale, yet your son looks like he was made out of mud. I heard he fell down once, and no one could tell him apart from the ground. You didn't find him until the next day. You're obviously just jealous," laughed the man named Gu Tianhe.
"Hehe, my second son is only two years older than your daughter. Their ages match perfectly. What do you say about bringing them together?" Farmer Han Dazhuang waggled his eyebrows several times.
"Don't even think about it. My daughter is like a celestial fairy. But your son isn't bad either. He'll definitely become a capable hunter in the future."
"What do you mean by that?"
"He'll become invisible the moment he falls to the ground, and not even the prey will notice him."
"You!"
"Hahaha."
Gu Tianhe laughed as he carried his daughter back into the village.
The village was not very large. There were only a few dozen families living there. They relied entirely on farming, hunting, and gathering to make a living.
As soon as the two arrived, several women who were watching over children immediately smiled at them, praising the little girl for being clever and beautiful. Even though they saw her often, they always felt it was never enough.
The little girl was equally lovable, sweetly calling them Third Aunt, Second Aunt, and so on. The villagers lived simple, honest lives, and everyone got along with one another.
"Oh my, my precious daughter! What happened to you? Are you alright?"
A woman immediately hurried over when she saw them. The moment she noticed the little girl's condition, her expression filled with worry and anger.
"She's fine. She just fell and got her clothes dirty. Why don't you help her change? I'll head back to work."
Gu Tianhe gently patted his daughter's head before leaving.
The little girl's mother brought over a clean set of clothes. She had just finished helping Little Yue change when the sound of galloping hooves echoed through the village, accompanied by startled cries.
"What are you doing?!"
Gu Tianhe's voice rang out among them. But after a muffled groan, it was abruptly cut off.
"Little Yue, don't move. Mommy's going outside to take a look."
Little Yue's mother hurried out of the courtyard and saw more than ten men dressed in black.
Every one of them was tall and powerfully built, shouting as they advanced. It did not take long before Little Yue's mother spotted Gu Tianhe lying on the ground.
"Tianhe!"
She rushed over and saw that his nose had been crushed, several of his teeth had been knocked out, and his face was covered in blood.
The entire village descended into panic. They had never seen such terrifyingly powerful people before. The villagers quickly gathered their children and looked fearfully at the men in black robes.
Some of the black-robed men carried swords on their backs, while others wore sabers at their waists. To the villagers, they looked like demons.
In reality, however, these men were not ordinary bandits. Every single one of them was a cultivator at the True Profound Realm or above, experts capable of wiping out an entire village with ease. Before them, these ordinary peasants were nothing more than ants.
After panic spread through the village, the men working in the fields rushed back. Upon seeing Gu Tianhe lying on the ground, they angrily shouted,
"What are you doing!?"
Pfft!
One man had barely opened his mouth when one of the black-robed men, whose leader was named Zhao Kuang, drew his saber and beheaded him with a single slash.
"AH! They're murderers! Run!"
PFFT!
One of the screaming women was sliced in half by another man named Wei Luo. The villagers were utterly terrified. The sounds of sobbing and desperate screams echoed throughout the village.
"How annoying. We were sent to this region. How are we supposed to find good seedlings among these peasants?" Qin Mo grumbled, spitting on the ground as his gaze swept over the trembling villagers.
His eyes were fixed on the children being held by the women. A cold light gleamed within them.
"What a waste of time. Kill them all. People this worthless don't deserve to live in this world. They should make room for those who are useful," Zhao Kuang, the group's leader, ordered.
As he spoke, he casually swung his saber. Another man was killed instantly.
"I won't let you!"
One of the villagers charged at a black-robed man with a pickaxe.
But before he could even bring it down, a sword pierced straight through his chest. The man stared blankly at the blade protruding from his body before collapsing lifelessly.
"Daddy!"
A seven-year-old boy ran toward him in tears. With a single kick from Wei Luo, the child was sent flying.
One of the black-robed men arrived before Gu Tianhe. At that moment, Gu Tianhe had just been awakened by his wife. The instant he saw the black-robed men, he immediately pushed her behind him and shouted,
"If you've got the guts, come after us! Leave the women alone!"
"The weak have no right to make demands!"
The black-robed man kicked Gu Tianhe in the chest, sending both him and his wife flying backward.
The man raised his sword once more.
It descended mercilessly toward Gu Tianhe's neck.
"Don't hurt Daddy!"
At some point, the little girl had also run over.
She stood in front of Gu Tianhe, staring directly at the black-robed man with her clear black-and-white eyes. A brilliant light of courage shone within them, completely devoid of even the slightest trace of fear.
Seeing Little Yue rush forward, Gu Tianhe was horrified. He quickly pulled her back and handed her over to his wife.
"Take Little Yue away!"
Little Yue's mother immediately picked her up and fled to save her life.
The black-robed man was about to pursue them when Gu Tianhe grabbed him around the waist and swept his legs out from under him. Caught off guard, the black-robed man stumbled and crashed to the ground.
"Die!"
With a furious roar, the black-robed man slammed his fist into Gu Tianhe's back.
At that exact moment, a streak of icy light sliced through the air.
Swish!
A sharp sword pierced straight through the black-robed man's chest with deadly precision, completely impaling him before exploding out through his back in a surge of profound energy.
His eyes widened in utter shock.
His body convulsed violently before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
The sudden reversal was so swift and brutal that the entire village froze.
Before the remaining black-robed men could even react, a tall, expressionless figure appeared among them like a ghost.
His movements were clean, swift, and merciless.
His sword sliced through the air three times.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three heads flew into the sky almost simultaneously.
The headless bodies collapsed like sacks of grain as blood dyed the muddy earth crimson.
In only a few seconds, all ten black-robed men had been completely annihilated without even having the chance to resist.
At the same time, a young woman with an elegant and noble appearance appeared beside Gu Tianhe.
Kneeling beside him, she gently placed a hand upon his chest and released a gentle stream of profound energy, rapidly stabilizing his injuries.
Absolute silence followed.
The villagers, who only moments earlier had believed they were about to die, stared at the two strangers in complete astonishment.
"Daddy!"
With tears streaming down her face, Little Yue broke free from her mother's embrace and desperately ran toward her father, throwing herself onto him.
"Daddy... Daddy... don't die..."
Despite his severe injuries, Gu Tianhe gathered enough strength to embrace his daughter and gently stroke her hair.
"It's alright... Daddy's still here..."
The young woman smiled tenderly at the scene before gently patting the little girl's head.
"Don't worry, little one. Your father is going to be alright."
Little Yue raised her tear-streaked face and alternated her gaze between the beautiful woman and the cold-faced young man standing beside her.
"Thank you, Miss... and thank you, Big Brother... You saved Daddy... You saved everyone..."
The young man, whose sword was still dripping with blood, slowly sheathed his weapon.
When his eyes met the little girl's innocent gaze, his hardened expression softened for a brief moment.
He had never been good with children.
But it was something he would have to learn.
After all, in only a few months, his own child would be born.
The woman smiled warmly and gently wiped the tears from Little Yue's face with a clean handkerchief.
"You were very brave, little one. What's your name?"
"You can call me Little Yue..." she replied between soft sobs, though her eyes now shone with gratitude.
Supported by his wife, Gu Tianhe did his best to bow respectfully.
"Thank you... Thank you so much for saving my family and our entire village. If you hadn't appeared... none of us would have survived. This humble Gu Tianhe thanks you from the bottom of his heart. May I know the names of our benefactors so that we may forever remember them?"
The cold-faced young man answered calmly,
"Fen Juechen."
"Please don't mind my husband. He's a little antisocial..."
The beautiful woman beside him smiled gently before adding,
"I am Cang Yue..."
__________________
(A/N: Well... I bet absolutely no one saw that coming. 😂
Yes, Fen Juechen and Cang Yue are together. I wanted to tie up that loose end. Remember when Fen Juechen was searching for Xiao Lingxi? Well... life happened.
As for Cang Yue, she had been single ever since... well... Yun Che... Yeah, you all know what happened. 💀
I actually considered pairing Chu Yuechan with someone as well, but in the end, I felt it fit her character much better to devote herself to raising Yun Che's daughter. And yes... she will most likely make an appearance before the story ends.
So, what do you think? Did you enjoy the chapter?
And be honest...
Doesn't Fen Juechen deserve to be happy too? 😭)