The wedding procession fleet entered the secret cosmic realm where the Darkness God Palace was located.
On the vessels, the divine lamps prepared long in advance lit up one after another, illuminating the darkness.
The Darkness God Palace was majestic and imposing, no less grand than the Truth God Palace or the Destiny God Palace. It was the size of a planet and could accommodate a billion cultivators without feeling crowded. Even gods who manifested their colossal divine bodies appeared as mere specks of dust before it.
In the dark void, massive copper pillars as thick as mountain peaks floated suspended. At the top of each pillar, divine flames burned, their red firelight casting an eerie glow over the towering Darkness God Palace.
The wedding procession fleet came to a halt. Zhang Ruochen stepped forward first, descending to a square below the Darkness God Palace that stretched ten thousand li in length and width.
Xue Tu and Xiao Hei followed closely behind him, their divine might radiating outward as their gazes swept the surroundings.
Further back were one hundred and eight divine generals.
Xiao Hei noticed the square was packed with saint-realm cultivators from various clans: Ghost Clan, Bone Clan, Stone Clan, Death Clan, and more.
Some wore armour, exuding an air of iron-blooded solemnity.
Some were dressed in red robes with colourful sleeves, radiant and festive.
Some were chained, with dishevelled hair.
…
“What is the Darkness God Palace playing at? Two supreme gods are marrying, yet they gather so many saint-realm cultivators here. Is this meant to humiliate Zhang Ruochen?” Xiao Hei snorted coldly.
Xue Tu hurriedly said, “If you do not understand, do not speak nonsense and invite ridicule. These are the servants and retainers Wu Yue Hall Master is bringing as her dowry. I just probed with my spiritual power and was startled. Guess how many there are? A full ten million.”
“Ten million saint-realm cultivators as dowry servants and retainers?”
Xiao Hei’s scalp tingled. He had probed earlier too. The cultivators on the square were all at least saint-level, with many saint kings and great saints among them.
Xue Tu chuckled. “This emperor has attended many divine weddings, but a dowry of this scale is a first in my life. Look up there!”
Xiao Hei looked up and saw countless vessels floating in the dim, hazy darkness, each carried on the backs of enormous saint beasts.
Red silk ribbons were tied all over the beasts and vessels.
Inside the vessels were golden, gleaming chests, their contents unknown but undoubtedly filled with treasures.
After a brief probe, Xiao Hei was stunned.
There were hundreds of thousands of saint beasts and over ten thousand vessels.
Xiao Hei swallowed hard. “Do not tell me everything in those vessels is part of the dowry?”
“If not dowry, what do you think it is?”
Xue Tu gave him a look as if he were a country bumpkin, snorted lightly, and continued, “Wu Yue Hall Master has been renowned for hundreds of thousands of years, her cultivation far surpassing even the great clan patriarch. The wealth she has accumulated in her lifetime certainly exceeds that of the Xue Jue family. Now that she is marrying Senior Brother, naturally she brings all this wealth with her.”
“Come to think of it, the great clan patriarch has it tough. The family does possess astonishing wealth, but he cannot possibly give it all as betrothal gifts for Senior Brother. Compared to this, we look rather shabby!”
“This emperor suddenly does not feel like opposing this marriage anymore!” Xiao Hei sighed.
Xue Tu’s expression grew solemn. He had thought his speed of amassing wealth through killing and plundering was fast enough, but now it seemed utterly insignificant.
If one could marry a god venerable…
No, he must not aim too high.
Marrying a great god would suffice, even an older one, an uglier one, preferably one nearing the end of her lifespan. Then he would surely gain vast wealth.
Xue Tu was sorely short of divine stones.
These years, he had spared no effort to gather divine stones, all for the next opening of the sundial so he could cultivate in seclusion longer. Yet the divine stones he had collected were still far from enough.
Xue Tu decided that upon returning, he would pay respects to Feng Tian and ask her to arrange a marriage for him.
It was not that Xue Tu lacked ambition, but rather that he had a heart full of drive.
Zhang Ruochen, walking ahead, paid no attention to their muttering. He maintained an upright posture, radiating heroic spirit, his gaze fixed upward on Wu Yue standing at the end of the white jade steps.
Wu Yue wore a grand red bridal cape edged with gold thread, embroidered with the pattern of a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix. A blue jade belt cinched her waist, perfectly outlining her moon-like slender figure.
Her skin was already jade-like, her natural beauty ethereal, but today she had deliberately applied makeup. Her red lips were glossy and vibrant, her brows arched like willow leaves, her eyes bright as if filled with the stars of the universe.
On her head was a golden phoenix crown radiating origin light, clearly no ordinary item, accentuating her peerless immortal beauty with even greater nobility and elegance.
She stood there quietly, waiting for Zhang Ruochen to receive her, her beautiful eyes smiling, enough to captivate the world. Yu Shi, dressed in white as a maid, stood silently beside her.
Even the cultivators present who knew well the enmity between Zhang Ruochen and Wu Yue could not help doubting at this moment whether the two truly shared deep affection and were now becoming a destined couple.
The old clan leader chuckled softly. “Look at them. Is there even the slightest discord? Who would not say they are a perfect match made in heaven?”
“Just acting! Let us see how long she can keep it up,” the Blood Absolute War God said.
The old clan leader replied, “Zhang Ruochen’s cultivation is already formidable, and with his terrifying speed of progress, it may not be impossible for her to act for a lifetime.”
The long jade steps were carpeted with soft red saint beast hide.
Flower petals rained down from the sky.
The petals were crystal clear, exuding an enchanting fragrance.
“To marry Hall Master Wu Yue, you must first pass our test.”
The gods of the Spirit God Hall materialised on the steps, each holding a wine vessel: some gourds, some cauldrons, some goblets.
Clearly, this was not provocation but a genuine wedding gate-blocking tradition.
Zhang Ruochen looked at Wu Yue and transmitted, “Is all this really necessary?”
Wu Yue smiled brightly, as if she had not heard his transmission.
Zhang Ruochen said quietly, “It is time for you two to perform!”
“Haha! Drinking? This Great Tu War God Emperor has never been drunk in the hell realm!”
Xue Tu strode boldly up the steps, snatched a water-vat-sized gourd from a Spirit God, and drank deeply.
But after the first mouthful, he regretted it!
The wine was too fierce, containing divine flames, like swallowing molten iron and lava.
“Is this all the Darkness God Palace has? I, the Emperor of Slaughter who shakes heaven and earth, drink wine like water. In the entire universe, there is no one I fear.”
Xiao Hei stared coldly at a Spirit God, took the wine cauldron from his hands, and poured it domineeringly into his mouth.
But after the first mouthful, Xiao Hei’s body convulsed.
It was too cold. Frost kept forming on his body.
Xue Tu drank for a while, his body igniting, his face turning red as a lantern. He shook the gourd and said, “Something is wrong. This gourd is a spatial treasure. How much wine is inside?”
“An entire sea of wine! Today is the day we witness the Great Tu War God Emperor’s capacity,” the Spirit God laughed heartily.
Xue Tu looked at Zhang Ruochen.
Was this not a trap?
Zhang Ruochen said, “I leave this to you two!”
Xue Tu watched Zhang Ruochen ascend further, glanced at the gourd in his hand, then at the mocking expressions of the Darkness God Palace Spirit Gods. Gritting his teeth, he resolved himself.
His divine body expanded dozens of times. He tossed the gourd into his mouth and swallowed it whole, wine and all.
“Hey, that does not count!” a Spirit God exclaimed.
Xue Tu glared back. “What is the rush? This emperor has never been drunk in the hell realm. Would I cheat?”
He clenched his teeth and squeezed his hands tightly.
Boom!
The gourd exploded in his stomach. His belly instantly swelled into a round ball, his divine body expanding uncontrollably: ten li tall, a hundred li tall…
Finally, he reached tens of thousands of li in height, divine flames erupting from his body, fire pillars shooting from his seven orifices, forcing the Darkness God Palace cultivators to retreat in fear.
Xiao Hei, unwilling to lose, followed suit, swallowing the entire wine cauldron. His belly turned square.
With a long cry, he transformed into a cat-headed undying bird and flew into the void.
Instantly, this cosmic secret realm descended into chaos.
Zhang Ruochen reached Wu Yue and met her gaze. A strange, indescribable feeling arose, as if he truly were marrying the Moon God. The rejection in his heart gradually faded.
Unfortunately, in the Dark Triangle Star Domain, he had seen her ruthless and venomous side, more vicious than a scorpion.
Undoubtedly, she was using spiritual power techniques to deliberately create this subtle illusion in Zhang Ruochen, numbing his will and reducing his guard against her.
Mu Tuo War God stood at the palace gate and said gravely, “Zhang Ruochen, with the Anomalous Heavenly Emperor absent, the Palace Master is Wu Yue Hall Master’s elder. You should perform the three kneels and nine kowtows to your senior.”
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Mu Tuo War God, then at the palace gate.
Inside the gate was pitch blackness.
Zhang Ruochen said, “By War God’s logic, my grandfather is the senior of all cultivators present, including Palace Master Wu Bian. Does that mean everyone must kowtow to him?”
Mu Tuo War God stamped his foot fiercely, divine power shaking the surroundings.
The Blood Absolute War God stood at the prow of the Luoyun divine vessel and said, “We are all family now. No need for so many formalities. Everyone, no need to kowtow to this seat!”
Wu Yue, graceful and composed, extended her jade-white, slender fingers and parted her red lips lightly. “Let us skip the formalities! Ruochen, shall we go?”
Zhang Ruochen thought for a moment, then took her hand.
Soft and boneless, smooth and delicate.
Seeing this, countless Darkness God Palace cultivators were moved to tears, filled with envy and jealousy.
Many among them were seeing Wu Yue’s true appearance for the first time. This single glimpse was enough to linger in their memories for life.
Such a beauty would, from this day forward, belong to another.
Zhang Ruochen and Wu Yue descended the steps hand in hand. She was breathtakingly beautiful, as if not of this world. He was heroic and dashing, his divine might overwhelming.
The one hundred and eight divine generals knelt on one knee in unison.
Watching this scene, Xia Yu’s eyes flickered with admiration, then dimmed, before finally settling into calm acceptance, as if she had come to terms with it.
“Onward, back to Destiny God Mountain,” Zhang Ruochen declared loudly.
Swish!
Swish!
…
Led by the gods of the Darkness God Palace, the ten million saint-realm cultivators boarded the vessels carried by saint beasts and followed behind the Luoyun divine vessel and the Xue Cai divine centipede vessel, flying grandly into the starry sky.
The one hundred and eight saint vessels laden with betrothal gifts remained in the void.
In an instant, the Darkness God Palace grew quiet and desolate.
Wu Bian stepped out of the palace gate, gazing at the horizon with a dark expression.
Mu Tuo War God bowed and said, “Zhang Ruochen is too arrogant, showing no respect to the Darkness God Palace. He must pay a price.”
“No matter how he jumps about, for now he is merely an insignificant minor figure,” Wu Bian said.
Mu Tuo War God replied, “He can already defeat Xu Liao.”
“Can he defeat Wu Yue?” Wu Bian asked.
Mu Tuo War God hesitated, then finally said, “If Wu Yue wished to kill him, he would naturally have no escape. But will Wu Yue kill him? Why does this god feel that Wu Yue genuinely wants to marry him?”
Wu Bian’s eyes darkened slightly. He sneered coldly. “These are trivial matters. Wait until there is news from the Starry Battlefield. Before the greater tide, Zhang Ruochen can only be reduced to ashes.”
