Chapter 133 - Two-Person Crystal Coffin
"Really? You don't think there's any way of coming back?" The stunning young woman hesitated, her smile fading, a tinge of red forming in her eyes.
"Sadly." Ye Xingchen sighed. "It's beyond my control. My technique had too many uncertainties. In my rush to win the Heavenly Realm's War of Immortals, I pushed too hard."
"There's no way to fix it?" she asked, taking his hand.
"My Immortal Meridians are severed. Even the gods can't reverse it. From now on, I'll just be a humble figure at the Origin Core Realm, finding progress hard." Ye Xingchen looked at her with remorse. "My love, I'm sorry. I never thought I'd plunge into the abyss again."
"Hubby..." She gripped his hand, tears spilling freely. "Don't speak like that. I love the person you are. I chose you, and I'll stand by you, through thick and thin. If you're strong, we'll ascend to immortality together. If you're weak, I will protect you all my life. With me around, no one can belittle you!"
"Really? I'm deeply moved." Ye Xingchen drew her into his embrace.
"Huh?" Her eyes widened with suspicion. "Are you tricking me?"
"Why do you say that?" he asked.
"Weren't you in pain? Your hands seem rather mischievous," she remarked.
"Oh! Emotional pain doesn't deter the wandering hand!" Ye Xingchen chuckled.
"Typical..." she paused, pinching his cheek, "You scared me, you rascal!"
They whispered sweet nothings for a while, then Ye Xingchen said, "Lingyi, you're the kindest woman in the world. During my hardest times, you were by my side. Now that I've fallen again, you still remain steadfast. I will never let you down in this life."
"Stop it, that's all in the past," she replied, blushing.
"I need to say it! Though my last name is Ye, I was a nobody, only an adopted child to the Ye Royal Family. Your father and grandfather govern the Grand Temple. Your status is even higher than Chen Xi's. She's blind to my worth, but you saw my potential. You chose me when I was at my lowest. Remember our passionate kiss in front of the ancestral statue The expressions on the faces of the Chen Clan members? Priceless..." Ye Xingchen said with a light laugh. He had been abandoned by his former fiancée, but landed a bigger fish!
"You can talk all you want, but keep your hands to yourself!" The enchanting maiden's face turned crimson, and she lowered her gaze.
Just then, a voice outside called for Mu Lingyi.
"I'll be right back." She hastily dressed and stepped outside, engaging in a brief conversation. Upon returning, she carefully closed the door, her expression peculiar.
"Did you hear? Chen Xi returned to the Chen Clan," she asked.
In the room, Ye Xingchen, now donned in a white robe, replied nonchalantly, "Yes."
"And you didn't mention it?"
"Why bring up a fly I've already swatted? If not for her father's protection, she would've been reborn ages ago," Ye Xingchen stated indifferently.
"Hmm," she said, approaching him. "But I've heard she's advanced to the Establishment Wind Fire Tribulation Realm in just a year, even surpassing me."
"The peak of the Wind Fire Tribulation Realm?" Ye Xingchen seemed momentarily taken aback, then laughed, "Interesting. Looks like she got lucky, not once but twice."
"Are you worried?" she asked with genuine concern.
"Heh." Ye Xingchen glanced down at a star pagoda mark on his palm, "It'll all be settled in a few days anyway."
"Really? Then what do you make of this?" She reached out, presenting a red invitation.
"What's this?" After a glance, Ye Xingchen's face mirrored her earlier perplexity, "What's she playing at? Returning just to flaunt her wedding?"
"Don't you get it?" she remarked, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice. "She probably heard about your setback and couldn't wait to rub it in. She's clearly not over the humiliation from last year."
"She's up to her old tricks?" Ye Xingchen said, a mixture of amusement and disbelief evident in his voice.
After a moment, he shook his head, his gaze turning icy, "I'd love for the Chen Clan to make another move. With the Empress absent, it's the perfect time to root them out."
"Do you know who her groom is?" she asked.
"Yun Xiao?" Ye Xingchen glanced at the invitation. "Never heard of him."
"I heard he's a Sword Cultivator!" she chimed.
"A Sword Cultivator?" Ye Xingchen's eyes lit up, "One of the disciples of those three beautiful sisters?"
"No!" she pouted, "A Sword Cultivator from the lower realm, in the Early Sovereign Dragon Realm. Three stages above you."
"Three stages above me?" Ye Xingchen's gaze grew icy. "That brainless woman really timed this to irk me, didn't she? She knows I can take on adversaries three stages above mine!"
"Today, your cultivation plummeted to the Origin Core Realm. And she's marrying some random mortal Sword Cultivator with great fanfare. It's just to mock you, suggesting you're less than a nobody from the mortal realm," the ravishing young woman remarked, sounding quite peeved. "Ever since Chen Xi was young, she's been arrogant. To get under your skin, she's even willing to sacrifice her reputation."
As they spoke, someone approached from outside.
"It's my parents. Let's go greet them," the young woman announced, and both of them headed out.
Outside, a man and a woman stood waiting. The man, wearing scholarly robes with a tall headdress, possessed jade-like features, a long beard, and piercing eyes. The woman wore a long blue dress, her chin slightly pointed, radiating an icy allure. Both emanated a powerful aura.
"Uncle Tianshi! Aunt Qingli," Ye Xingchen greeted them with full formality.
"Xingchen, do you think you can restore your cultivation?" The man, known as Mu Tianshi, inquired.
"I believe I can, but it might take a few years," Ye Xingchen replied, his gaze dropping. "About my marriage with Lingyi, it's not going to be called off, is it?"
Mu Tianshi chuckled lightly, "What do you take me for? I'm not like those opportunists of the Chen Clan."
The beautiful woman, Ye Qingli, reassured him warmly, "Don't worry. You have inherited the royal bloodline of our Ye Royal Family. You're a person of great determination. We know you'll rise again from these setbacks. We, along with Lingyi, will wait for that day you're back on top."
"I promise, I won't let everyone down," Ye Xingchen declared passionately.
"Father, Mother, have you heard about Chen Xi's wedding?" the dazzling young lady interjected.
"We have," Mu Tianshi replied with a hint of annoyance. "Those Chen Clan jesters are at it again, looking to make a spectacle."
"Clearly, she's trying to mock and provoke you," Ye Qingli added coldly.
"It's obvious, even by the wedding invitation they sent," the young woman bit her lip in irritation.
"Just ignore them," Ye Qingli advised, looking at Ye Xingchen. "With your current state, focus on your recovery."
"Right now, rumors might spread throughout the Heavenly Realm about your setback. But stay strong and don't fall for their schemes," Mu Tianshi cautioned.
Ye Xingchen laughed softly, his eyes brimming with determination. "I must attend this wedding," he suddenly declared.
"Why, Xingchen? They'll surely use this opportunity to humiliate you," the ravishing young woman warned anxiously.
A faint smirk played on Ye Xingchen's lips. "In our path of cultivation, it's all about staying true to our principles. It's about settling scores. If I don't even have the courage to face their setup and allow them to trample over me, then where's my resolve in this path?"
Mu Tianshi chuckled. "It seems Xingchen has his plans all laid out. We shouldn't worry then."
"Relax, you don't have to worry," Ye Xingchen replied calmly. He then gently grasped the hand of the stunning girl beside him. "Lingyi, accompany me to the Ghost Market in the West."
"Why there?" the girl asked.
"We're attending a wedding, aren't we? Shouldn't we bring a gift?" Ye Xingchen answered with a smirk. "I'm thinking of crafting a two-person crystal coffin! Just in time for the ceremony, I'll deliver it to the Chen Heavenly Mansion."
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In a particular courtyard in the Chen Heavenly Mansion, as Yun Xiao entered, a man in white armor sat leisurely in a pavilion and beckoned, "Son-in-law, come over."
Such a natural call made Yun Xiao feel as if he were being set up for a trap by father and daughter.
Besides the white-armored man, there were two others in the pavilion. One of them took Yun Xiao by surprise. It was Stray Dog! The other, a middle-aged man in a violet robe, wore the attire of a cultured daoist. Clutching a feather fan and sporting a small beard, he looked the very image of a wise and serene Immortal.
"This is Master Zhao Xuanjian of the Great Dao Pavilion, also a guest of the Spirit Treasure Palace, and one of the few Galaxy grade Alchemy Masters' in the Heavenly Realm. Just call him Uncle Zhao," the white-armored man introduced.
Hearing the introduction, Yun Xiao realized Zhao Xuanjian's significance. He had connections with both the Great Dao Pavilion and the Spirit Treasure Palace, not to mention his stature as a supreme alchemy master—a true big shot.
Having just entered the Chen Heavenly Mansion, Yun Xiao was introduced to a heavyweight of the Heavenly Realm and was told to address him so informally, making things immediately clear.
"As for this martial genius, I believe you two have already crossed paths," the white-armored man added.
"Indeed! Yun Xiao and I both had vouchers to the Spirit Treasure Palace. But this fellow here, choosing love over friendship, left me behind," Stray Dog joked, raising an eyebrow teasingly at Yun Xiao.
"An honor to meet you, Uncle Zhao," Yun Xiao greeted with a respectful bow. Ah, another Zhao—a surname he held in high regard.
"My young friend, show me your Sword Soul," Zhao Xuanjian stroked his beard, eager to see. "Give your old uncle a treat for the eyes."
"Hold on." The man in the white armor interjected, eyes on Zhao Xuanjian. "When all the guests arrive, we’ll showcase it."
"Really?" Zhao Xuanjian shot him a glare. "After all these years of friendship, no special privileges for me?"
"None," the man in white armor replied succinctly.
"Ah, I get it. You finally married off that wild daughter of yours. Now you’re high and mighty, looking down on me!" Zhao Xuanjian chortled.
"Wild daughter? At least she's better than your effeminate son," the white-armored man shot back, a smirk on his face. Even in their age, they bickered like children. True signs of a deep bond.
"Hmph! Who's in the mood to argue with you, old man?" Zhao Xuanjian huffed. Turning to Yun Xiao, he sighed, "I heard about you from Qian Qianqian a couple of days ago and wanted to come down to meet you. But that old coot played his charms and got to you first. How vexing!"
After a pause, he whispered to Yun Xiao, "If the Chen Heavenly Mansion ever treats you wrong, you can always seek me out at the Spirit Treasure Palace." He specifically mentioned the palace and not the Great Dao Pavilion, because the latter was an honorary title bestowed by the Empress, not a true position of power.
"Qian Qianqian? Money Moneymoney?" Yun Xiao pondered. Anyone would guess that this was the notorious Madam Qian with her money-obsessed name.
"Zhao Xuanjian, are you here to congratulate or to poach?" The white-armored man raised an eyebrow.
"I call it winning people over with kindness." Zhao Xuanjian grinned. "Speaking of which... Did you send invitations to those three beauties? Although they keep to themselves, the child is a Sword Emperor!"
"Invitations were sent," the white-armored man responded simply.
"Do you think they’ll come?" Zhao Xuanjian inquired with a raised brow, a twinkle in his eye. Not many in the Heavenly Realm knew of the matter of Yun Xiao's Sword Soul.
"Given their enmity with the Ye Royal Family, they'll likely avoid it if Ye Qingli and Mu Tianshi are attending," the white-armored man speculated.
"If they do show up, things will surely get lively," Zhao Xuanjian remarked.
The white-armored man just chuckled.
"One last question," Zhao Xuanjian gazed intently at him. "Do you think Ye Xingchen is, well, actually crippled?"
"Whether he is or not doesn't matter," the white-armored man replied, his gaze shifting to Yun Xiao. "What I do know is, those who show off too much often meet their end by that very pride."
With that, he stood up, giving Zhao Xuanjian a tug. "Come on, let’s greet the guests!"
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