Chapter 376: Imperial Palace Wedding

“We need to get out of this cursed place!”

“As expected of the Devil's Forest, we didn't even see how Third and Fourth died... And forget about treasures here, there isn't even a decent stone. I'm never coming back to this place in my life!”

“Oh? Is that... It looks like there's someone over there.”

The three men stood before the man in black, each emanating the aura of the Earth Profound Realm.

“Covered in wounds, looks like he's about to die. What a pathetic wretch,” said the man in the middle.

“Hmph, his aura is at most at the Spirit Profound Realm. To dare venture into a place like this alone, he must have a death wish.”

“Looking at him, he won't last much longer anyway. Since we've run into him, hehe... let's just send him on his way.”

The speaking middle-aged man revealed a bloodthirsty smile... For people who live by the sword like them, killing undoubtedly brought immense pleasure. He drew his long saber, let out a sinister chuckle, and struck the black-clad youth's crown with the blunt side of the blade.

Clang!!

The black-clad youth, lying prone on the ground, seemed to be at his last gasp, yet he somehow found a surge of strength. With his badly damaged knife, he managed to block the blow with difficulty, causing the middle-aged man's saber to deflect and strike the ground. The youth's broken knife was also jolted from his grasp.

“Oh-ho!” the middle-aged man burst into laughter. “Hahahaha, in such a pathetic state, and you still have the strength to resist. This great one was trying to be kind by sending you on your way, yet you don't know what's good for you. Heh, I'd like to see how you survive this great one's blade now.”

With that, he channeled three parts of his Profound Strength into his arm and thrust his saber directly towards the black-clad youth's heart.

The scent of death suddenly drew near. The black-clad youth's pupils constricted, and his body instinctively shifted, only for a 'thud' to sound as the saber violently pierced through his right chest.

Blood quickly drenched his chest, turning it completely red. The black-clad youth's entire body stiffened abruptly, and his eyes gradually began to lose focus... He clearly smelled the scent of death...

No...

I haven't killed Yun Che yet... I haven't gotten my revenge...

“I cannot... die!!!!”

“Ugh ahhhhhh!!”

His unfocusing eyes suddenly blazed with a fierce, wolf-like glare. A surge of unknown strength propelled him to his feet. One hand gripped the middle-aged man's saber-wielding right hand tightly, while his other hand viciously slammed into the middle-aged man's chest...

“No one... will... kill me!! Ahhhhhh!!”

Thump!!!!

This was meant to be a fatal blow, and he was leisurely enjoying the black-clad youth's descent into death. He never imagined the youth would suddenly leap up. Following that, he felt as if a wave of resentment from hell enveloped him, freezing him in place as if he had fallen into an icy abyss. By the time he recovered his senses, he could no longer feel his own body...

The middle-aged man slowly lowered his head. As his gaze dropped, he saw the black-clad youth who should have been dead by his saber... The youth's fist, along with half of his arm, had completely vanished into his chest...

“You... you...” The middle-aged man's eyes, almost bursting from their sockets, uttered his last words before he slowly toppled backward. As his body fell, the blood-soaked arm was pulled free from his chest... From the middle-aged man's chest, a massive, gaping wound gushed blood furiously.

A chilling wind swept through, carrying a heavy scent of blood. The black-clad youth was covered in blood, especially his arm, which looked as if it had just been steeped in a pool of blood. His hair whipped wildly in the chilling wind, half-obscuring his demonic face, and the long saber still impaled in his chest continued to drip blood in steady streams...

At that moment, the middle-aged man's two companions felt as if they were witnessing a terrifying demon god from legend!

They had killed countless people and ventured into innumerable dangerous places, possessing far greater courage than ordinary individuals. Yet, the unimaginably intense resentment, hatred, and malevolence enveloped them like an icy abyss, causing every muscle and every vein in their bodies to convulse with fear. Almost simultaneously, they shrieked, scrambling and crawling frantically as they fled backward, quickly disappearing into the eerie gray mist.

He pulled out the long saber, which fell limply by his feet. The young man's vision spun, and he collapsed heavily to the ground, falling unconscious.

I must kill Yun Che... kill Yun Che...

I absolutely... cannot... die...

The last voices in his consciousness completely faded. His body was as tattered as a rag doll; an ordinary person in his state would have long been dead. Yet, he stubbornly clung to life, refusing to die... In his left hand, he tightly clutched a pitch-black key, enveloped by eerie gray-black mist. At that moment, these wisps of mist began to swirl frantically, as if sensing something...

From deep within the hazy gray mist, an incredibly sinister laugh suddenly echoed, strange and terrifying...

“Such heavy resentment, such terrifying obsession... And on him, there's actually an aura that can free me from my prison... Hahahaha... Hahahaha... This is truly a perfect host beyond my wildest dreams... Heaven has finally opened its eyes! I've waited so many years, and now I can finally regain my freedom... Hahahaha... Hahahahahahaha...”

***

Yun Che and Cang Yue’s wedding ceremony made the entire Imperial City of Heavenly Wind bustling and vibrant. The wedding lasted a full day, and only when night had completely fallen did the Imperial City and Palace finally quiet down.

The stars and moon were hazy, but tonight's moonlight was exceptionally bright, gently caressing the entire Imperial Palace. Cang Yue had been sitting in the bridal chamber for a long time. Red candles glowed throughout the room, and a sliver of moonlight streamed through a gap in the crimson curtains, illuminating the beautiful woman by the bed. She continuously looked out the window, listening to the sounds outside, asking with nervous anticipation again and again: “Is he not ready yet? When will he come?”

“Oh, my Princess sister, you’ve asked more than thirty times already,” Xiao Lingxi said, sitting before the red candles, resting her chin on her palm, and looking out the window with a worried expression. “It’s already quiet outside, he should be here soon...”

Creak...

At that moment, the tightly closed door was gently pushed open. By the candlelight, both saw the figure entering. Cang Yue’s delicate body trembled slightly, then subtly tensed with a mix of nervousness and joy.

Beneath their feet lay a crimson carpet exquisitely embroidered with auspicious dragons and phoenixes. Red silk draped all the walls, and on luxurious golden stands, two large red wedding candles shimmered brightly. Their bodies, gilded with soaring dragons and phoenixes, cast flickering light upon the almost floor-length, flowing golden glass curtains, filling the entire room with a hazy, dreamlike glow. Yet, even these magnificent splendors could not compare to the beautiful woman who had awaited him for so long. He paused at the doorway, bathed in the soft, intimate light, gazing at the two most important girls in his life.

Xiao Lingxi stood up, puffing her cheeks. “So slow! You almost made your Princess wife die of impatience... It's your wedding night, so I, the extra person, should leave. You... you... you... anyway, the rest is up to you two.”

Xiao Lingxi finished speaking somewhat incoherently and, without waiting for Yun Che and Cang Yue to respond, hurried to leave.

Yun Che gently pulled Xiao Lingxi’s arm. “Little Aunt, you...”

Xiao Lingxi pulled her hand away, shaking her head impatiently. “Ahhh! Today is a very important day for you and Princess sister, we can talk about other things tomorrow! Don't hold me back anymore!”

With that, she ignored Yun Che and scurried away.

“...” Yun Che watched Xiao Lingxi leave, somewhat bewildered and at a loss for words. He could always sense Xiao Lingxi’s emotions very clearly. He felt that his Little Aunt’s current mood... seemed a bit chaotic.

Yun Che stepped forward and came to Cang Yue’s side, gently removing her phoenix coronet. Instantly, Cang Yue’s shy and timidly beautiful face appeared in his eyes. Her complexion, radiant as jade, glowed in the light of the red candles, captivatingly exquisite.

Feeling Yun Che’s gaze, Cang Yue quietly lowered her head, a faint blush spreading across her delicate cheeks. Yun Che sat beside her, gently embraced her fragrant shoulders, and softly said, “Senior Sister, I’ve kept you waiting.”

Cang Yue’s face flushed crimson, her heart fluttering wildly. She softly asked, “Husband, are you still calling me... Senior Sister?”

Back when they were both at New Moon Profound Palace, they indeed addressed each other as Senior Sister and Junior Brother. However, Yun Che’s total time spent at New Moon Profound Palace was less than two days. Their continued use of "Senior Sister" and "Junior Brother" afterward was a habit, and also a memory.

At the sound of “Husband,” Yun Che’s entire body went soft. He smiled, looking at Cang Yue, and gently asked, “Do you prefer I call you Yue’er, or Xue Ruo?”

Cang Yue softly replied, “Whichever Husband prefers. A woman marries her husband and takes him as her sky. Whatever Husband likes, I will like too.”

In the night sky, a wisp of cloud obscuring the bright moon was dispersed by the wind, making the light streaming into the bridal chamber even brighter and clearer.

“I often wonder, if I hadn't met Husband back then, where would I be now? Would Imperial Father have already passed away, and would the entire Imperial Family be embroiled in conflict, or even have fallen into others' hands...” Cang Yue leaned on Yun Che’s shoulder, her eyes misty like fog. “Husband, you are Heaven’s greatest gift to me in this life. To be able to marry you, I, Cang Yue, have no other desires in this lifetime.”

“The same goes for me,” Yun Che said softly, closing his eyes. “If I hadn't met Xue Ruo back then, I might have already died in New Moon City. It was also you who brought me to the Imperial City, brought me into the Heavenly Wind Profound Palace, allowing me to represent the Imperial Family in the ranking tournament... and it was then that I met my biological grandfather and learned my true origins... and that is why I am who I am today. Meeting Xue Ruo was also a tremendous gift from Heaven to me.”

As they confessed their feelings to each other, the girl's delicate scent and the man's aura constantly teased each other's senses and heartstrings. Their bodies drew closer and closer... Finally, Cang Yue's fragrant lips were gently kissed by Yun Che, and her body was pressed onto the bed beneath him. Her heart fluttered wildly like a startled deer, beating rapidly. A blush simultaneously spread across both of her cheeks. She closed her eyes, her timid heart shyly yielding to his kisses, letting him suckle her fragrant tongue, caress her pearly teeth, and taste the sweet, rich fragrance in her mouth...

Unbeknownst to Cang Yue, Yun Che had already peeled away her clothes layer by layer. Her plump, delicate, snow-white body was revealed without inhibition before his eyes. Yun Che indulged in admiring and caressing this flawless, jade-like form. Under his tender touch, Cang Yue softly moaned and hummed, her tender, alluring sighs melting the listener's soul and numbing their body. Her delicate, snowy skin gradually flushed crimson as if shy, and her breathing grew hot and quick.

“Ahhh...”

With a soft moan, a mix of pain and pleasure, their bodies finally united deeply. Cang Yue tightly embraced the man above her. In her beautiful eyes, tiny glistening tears silently fell.