Chapter 1518: Chapter 168: Declaration of Love
Ballon nodded vigorously, firmly saying, "I am a child of the Sky God and also a servant of the Sky God. My devotion to the Sky God is boundless. Being able to dedicate my entire life to the Sky God is my greatest honor."
The Pope nodded and said, "Very well. As the most faithful devotee to the Sky God, are you willing to join hands in matrimony with the young lady beside you, Red Priestess Xuan Yue, and to respect her, cherish her, even at the cost of your life without regret?"
Ballon’s handsome face had already flushed slightly from excitement, his voice trembling as he replied, "I am willing. I am willing to give my all to care for her, even if it costs my life, I will never regret it. She will be the one and only love of my life."
Hearing Ballon’s words brought some comfort to the Pope’s heart. He could naturally see that Ballon’s words came from the depths of his soul, and he genuinely loved his granddaughter. He nodded to Ballon and smiled, saying, "The Sky God will bless you." Turning his gaze to his granddaughter, today’s Xuan Yue was remarkably beautiful. Although her face was covered by a thin veil, it could not conceal her breathtaking appearance. The Pope could clearly sense the inner turmoil within his granddaughter. He knew that Xuan Yue’s heart still yearned for Ah Dai.
"Xuan Yue, as a Red Priestess of the Church, are you willing to dedicate your life to the sacred cause?"
Xuan Yue trembled all over, her sorrow jolting her awake. Her beautiful eyes, clouded by mist, gazed at her grandfather. She lightly nodded and said, "I am a child of the Sky God, and also a servant of the Sky God. My devotion to the Sky God is boundless. Being able to dedicate my entire life to the Sky God is my greatest honor." This line was a mandatory declaration for clergy members of the Church during weddings. Due to the emotional turbulence in her heart, Xuan Yue’s delivery was halting, almost fragmented.
The Pope furrowed his brows and said, "Very well. As the most faithful devotee to the Sky God, are you willing to join hands in matrimony with the young man beside you, Holy Judge Ballon, and to respect him, cherish him, even at the cost of your life without regret?" After posing this question, the Pope’s normally composed heart began to race. He was genuinely afraid that his granddaughter might utter the three words, "I am unwilling." Such an act would result in the greatest disgrace in the Church’s history. No one had ever dared to refuse at a wedding presided over by the Pope.
Xi Wen and the others clenched their fists nervously. At this juncture, they were all bewildered, entirely unsure how to face what was unfolding before them. Ah Dai had not appeared, and the wedding ceremony was about to be completed. They were anxiously waiting for Xuan Yue’s response. Should Xuan Yue utter the three words, "I am unwilling," they would—at all costs—even confront the Church’s authority to ensure her happiness with Ah Dai.
Xuan Yue fell into silence, her heart aching as though torn apart. Ah Dai had not come; he hadn’t come to stop this wedding. It was over—everything was over. The last possibility between them was vanishing. Raising her head, Xuan Yue looked at her anxious parents. Then, shifting her gaze to the dissatisfied expressions of Ballon’s parents, she understood that at this moment, she could no longer refuse the wedding. For the sake of the Church, she had no right to refuse. Tears fell miserably, soaking her pristine wedding dress. She took a deep breath, like a prisoner about to face execution, muttering softly, "I... am... wi—..."
"No—she is unwilling!" A piercing, sorrowful roar shattered the air, and a tumultuous wave of sound descended from the heavens, pressing down like Mount Tai. All eyes instinctively turned upward. In the gleaming cathedral above, a dazzling silver light appeared in mid-air, rapidly descending. It grew larger in the eyes of the people.
Upon hearing this desperate shout, Xuan Yue shivered all over, violently pulling off the veil on her head. Excited and anxious, she looked upward. That voice was all too familiar—it was the voice she’d long yearned for. Tears cascaded from her beautiful eyes as Xuan Yue murmured deep in her heart, "You came. You finally came."
Xi Wen, Larthas, and the others all rejoiced upon hearing this voice. Xi Wen gestured to the members of the Tian Gang Sword Sect behind him, signaling them to be ready to act at any moment. The Prophet Pu Lin wore an enigmatic smile on his face, as though completely unconcerned with the impending upheaval.
To interrupt the wedding of a Church’s Red Priestess was an unimaginable insult to the Church. Chief Judge Xuan Yuan roared furiously, his entire body bursting into golden radiance as he soared upward, streaking like a meteor toward the silver light.
The silver light was none other than Ah Dai. It was only yesterday that he learned Xuan Yue was to marry Ballon today. Upon having a moment of clarity and realization, Ah Dai’s heart filled with boundless love for Xuan Yue. Determined to stop the wedding, he flew tirelessly without sleep, pushing his speed to the limit. After a day and night of relentless flying, he finally arrived just as the ceremony was about to conclude, halting the completion of the wedding. With his unmatched vision, he saw the tears glimmering in Xuan Yue’s eyes clearly. Those two crystalline streams of tears revealed everything to him, and for Ah Dai, that alone was enough. The thrilling, urgent tears of Xuan Yue gave him endless strength.
As Xuan Yuan soared to mid-air, he recognized Ah Dai as the one who had previously embarrassed him with a Heavenly Thunder Clash. His simmering fury subsided slightly, but in front of the myriad clergy, he could not afford to retreat. Bringing his palms together before his chest, he suddenly struck toward Ah Dai, unleashing a colossal, majestic Divine Battle Aura that condensed into a golden light column, roaring straight toward Ah Dai’s chest.
