Qin Wentian's Anger . . .
In that frozen moment, it felt as if time itself had come to a standstill. The two figures locked in an airborne embrace possessed a beauty and grace that transcended mere mortals.
He had returned.
At this precise instant, the name of the returning hero reverberated through the hearts of every citizen in Sky Harmony City.
Qin Wentian, a name that had once echoed through Sky Harmony City's streets when he was a precocious 16-year-old, and by the time he reached the age of 18, had shaken the foundations of the entire Chu Country. He had ascended to power, with the ability to decide the next emperor of Chu, eventually unifying the nine continents and ascending to the esteemed position of the Monarch of Grand Xia. He had even famously rejected an immortal emperor's offer of apprenticeship, a legendary act witnessed by the entire particle world. His glory was unmatched, and there was no one who didn't know his name.
The marriage between him and Mo Qingcheng in Chu had been nothing short of monumental, sparking a colossal commotion as various transcendent powers attempted to disrupt their union. Yet, Qin Wentian had thwarted their efforts with effortless ease. No one could rival him.
Born in Chu, raised in Sky Harmony City, and initially forsaken by his engagement to the Bai Clan, he had risen from these humble beginnings to become the true legend of Sky Harmony City.
But eventually, he had chosen to embark on a journey to the immortal realms, an odyssey that had spanned over a decade. Memories, even of legendary figures, had a way of fading with the passage of time. This was especially true in a relatively small city like Sky Harmony City. When the Star River Association asserted its dominance, the populace gradually forgot about Qin Wentian, forgetting even to remember his name. So much so that they dared to harbor nefarious designs on Mo Qingcheng.
Now, his return was an exultant reminder of who he truly was—the indomitable legend of this entire particle world.
As they gazed upon the radiant silhouette of Qin Wentian and the unparalleled beauty of Mo Qingcheng, it was as if they were witnessing the most harmonious and divine union beneath the very heavens. Anyone harboring ill intentions toward this match was merely inviting their own ignominy.
Finally catching up to Qin Wentian, Luo Huan observed the heartwarming scene with a smile, her heart brimming with warmth. She had been there from the very beginning, having witnessed the blossoming of their love story during their adolescent years up until this moment.
They were reunited at last.
Within the confines of the Qin Residence in Sky Harmony City, the members of the Bai Clan, including Bai Qingsong and Autumn Snow, gazed upon the two lovers locked in an ethereal embrace. Autumn Snow, her eyes moistened by tears, harbored no envy; instead, she felt only genuine happiness for the reunited couple.
Even Qin Yao, her heart profoundly moved by the spectacle, allowed tears of joy to cascade down her cheeks without reservation.
In the silent embrace of their reunion, words seemed superfluous. Mo Qingcheng rested her head on Qin Wentian's chest, her eyes fixated on his handsome visage, savoring the comfort of his presence. Her cheeks bore the traces of her tears, but the vulnerability they revealed didn't concern her. Even amidst her tears, she couldn't help but smile, a radiance that shone from within, and cried and smiled in that delightful, endearing manner.
It was a moment that felt frozen in time. Qin Wentian reached out, tenderly brushing away the tears that cascaded down Mo Qingcheng's cheeks. His touch was gentle, and as he gazed upon her beautiful yet wearied face, a pang of guilt gripped his heart. She must have endured so much throughout these long years.
"Qingcheng... I'm sorry," Qin Wentian murmured, his voice laced with regret. The sacrifices Mo Qingcheng had made for him weighed heavily on his conscience—she had put her own progression on hold for his sake.
Mo Qingcheng gently placed her finger against his lips, a soft smile gracing her tear-stained face. Her tears persisted, but in that gentle, radiant smile, it was as though all her past suffering had dissolved into nothingness, like mist evaporating in the morning sun.
With a shared smile, words seemed redundant. Qin Wentian refrained from further apologies, knowing that in this moment, his silence conveyed everything he wished to express. Leaning in, he pressed a tender kiss to Mo Qingcheng's forehead and whispered softly, "Qingcheng, once this matter is resolved, I'll take you to the immortal realms."
Mo Qingcheng nodded earnestly, her tears welling up once more. Her eyes sparkled with a deeply moving expression. She no longer wished for separation, for the chasm of countless worlds to keep them apart. It was simply too great a distance. Countless nights had seen her gazing at the heavens, dreaming that she could glimpse Qin Wentian's face among the stars.
Qin Wentian lowered Mo Qingcheng gently to the ground, his gaze turning to the Medicine Sovereign, Qin Chuan, and Ye Qingyun. He spoke, "Foster fathers, Senior Medicine Sovereign, I apologize for my tardiness."
"You are right on time, not a moment too late. Any later, and you might have missed the chance to see an old skeleton like me one last time," Qin Chuan responded with a smile. He had fretted over Qin Wentian's safety throughout the years, knowing that the boundless immortal realms were a place of peril, teeming with countless experts.
"No need for apologies, it's the tyranny of the Star River Association to blame," Qin Yao interjected with a steely resolve, her own grievances toward the association evident. She couldn't help but think of the ordinary disciple who had dared to harass her relentlessly.
"Little sister, who has been causing you trouble?" Qin Wentian asked, brushing a hand through her hair as he noted her expression.
Qin Yao shot him a resentful glance. "You return after so long, and you dare to ask who's been bullying me?"
"I know I'm in the wrong, Sister, and you can beat me if you want to," Qin Wentian jestingly remarked. This woman before him had been his closest companion since childhood. Together, they had watched the stars paint stories in the night sky.
"Hmph, it's good that you know you are wrong," Qin Yao replied with a pout. "I can forgive you. Go and deal with that scoundrel for me—he keeps coming to our residence every day to harass and insult me, and even Qingcheng. He must pay for it."
As she spoke, Qin Yao pointed towards the young man who had earlier insulted them. Qin Wentian turned to look at the individual in question, and when the young man caught sight of Qin Wentian's gaze, he couldn't flee fast enough. Being a resident of Sky Harmony City, he was acutely aware of Qin Wentian's reputation.
"You dared to harass my sister?" Qin Wentian's tone was as cold as ice. The offender attempted to make a swift escape, but with a mere flick of Qin Wentian's finger, the sound of something piercing the air rang out, and the person crumpled to the ground.
"Are all these people here to target our Qin Residence?" Qin Wentian questioned Qin Yao.
"Yes, the majority of them are part of this conspiracy. Aside from the Star River Association, they are members of various factions within our city. They seek to capitalize on our misfortune, hoping to reap rewards from our downfall. They've allied with the Star River Association in an attempt to obliterate us," Qin Yao explained with an icy resolve.
"Understood." Qin Wentian took a deliberate step forward, his presence so imposing that it forced the other experts to retreat. His name reverberated through Sky Harmony City, Chu, and the entire particle world, akin to a legend. Even with the backing of the Star River Association, who would dare to provoke Qin Wentian?
The immortal from the Star River Association continued his battle against Qin Wentian's formidable demonic beast. No one dared to interfere with Qin Wentian here.
In the distance, a gust of wind stirred the air, heralding the arrival of a group of experts on immortal treasures. It was none other than Purgatory, Fairy Qingmei, and their companions.
"Surround them," Fairy Qingmei commanded as she observed the situation. In moments, experts from her faction formed an outer perimeter, encircling their adversaries. The faces of those who had come to destroy the Qin Residence contorted with displeasure.
In the heart of a majestic courtyard, bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun, a palpable tension gripped the assembled multitude. All eyes, brimming with anticipation, turned toward Qin Wentian, for his command held the power to shape the destiny of all present.
"Monarch, how shall we address this challenge?" The question hung in the air, and the collective gaze of the assembly rested on the Monarch, their hearts heavy with trepidation.
With unwavering authority, Qin Wentian raised his head, his voice resolute, commanding the attention of all. "Spare no one, let none escape the justice of our wrath," he declared, his words resonating like thunder, instilling an unwavering resolve within each soul.
"Roger!" A chorus of voices, harmonized and united, thundered in response, their unwavering determination echoing throughout the grand courtyard. With these solemn words, the experts of Grand Xia embarked on a relentless campaign of retribution.
The battleground erupted into chaos, and one expert, locked in fierce combat with Ye Qingyun, abruptly disengaged from the skirmish. Descending with a newfound urgency, he sought to bolster the ranks of his beleaguered comrades.
Qin Wentian, unswayed by this development, remained fixated on the unfolding carnage. Without so much as a glance, he raised his hand, unleashing a devastating blast that reduced the peak-ascendant foe to mere shards.
Among the onlookers in the distance, fear and awe held them in trembling thrall. They marveled at Qin Wentian's newfound might and power, questions swirling in their minds.
The experts of Grand Xia proceeded with their merciless onslaught, their actions punctuated by agonized screams that pierced the air. Qin Wentian's countenance remained resolute, his gaze unwavering as he surveyed the smoldering ruins of the Qin Residence. Whether the enemy hailed from the Star River Association or any other faction vying for control of the city's riches, Qin Wentian understood that only the most brutal measures would serve as a lasting deterrent. He was resolute in his determination to prevent a recurrence of such a calamity.
Amidst the turmoil, a deafening boom resonated through the heavens. The once-adorable, now ferocious, demonic dragon known as Little Rascal had forcibly torn off an immortal's arm. The skies painted red with fresh blood, the wounded immortal descended with a feral roar, bathed in the radiant light of their immortal foundation, which shrouded the people of the Qin Residence.
In response, Qin Wentian's own immortal foundation surged, creating an impervious force field that thwarted the relentless assault of the opposing immortal's divine power.
Purgatory, swift as lightning, sprang into action. She streaked toward the wounded immortal, hurling purgatory fireballs with pinpoint precision.
Qin Wentian's unwavering gaze remained fixed upon the beleaguered immortal. Though this second-level immortal foundation expert was locked in battle with Little Rascal and Purgatory, the outcome appeared inevitable.
"Qin Wentian, even with three immortals by your side, you shall not withstand the Star River Association's formidable might. Our great army will soon descend upon you, and your demise will be a spectacle," the desperate immortal threatened, his voice trembling with a mixture of anger and despair.
With steely resolve, Qin Wentian retorted, "Let him savor the agony of existence before embracing death." Purgatory, acting on his command, subjected the captive to the searing agony of her flames. The captive's agonized screams filled the air as the flames consumed his leg and surged into his very being, reducing his immortal foundation to ashes.
"QIN WENTIAN, YOU DARE?!" The captive's cries were punctuated by panic and despair.
Purgatory's countenance turned to ice as she witnessed the enemy's audacious threat against Qin Wentian. While the captive grappled with Little Rascal, her palm surged forward, shattering his immortal foundation in a thunderous explosion. The radiant light of immortality vanished, leaving him teetering on the brink of death.
...pu... As vermillion bird flames engulfed his body, the immortal-foundation expert's screams of agony pierced the air. His immortal foundation lay in ruins, and the purgatory flames seared his mortal form. The excruciating torment he endured was beyond imagination.
The chilling spectacle sent shockwaves through the witnesses below. This legendary figure, once an insurmountable beacon of immortality, had been ruthlessly crippled and reduced to ashes by Qin Wentian's demonic beast. His futile attempt at intimidation had met a ferocious response.
Beneath the harrowing scene, the experts of the Star River Association abandoned all pretense of valor. Their sole desire was escape. They had arrived with grandiose declarations, intending to raze the Qin Residence to the ground and seize the #1 beauty in Chu, as well as the Medicine Sovereign. Yet now, survival was their sole aspiration.
But was survival even an option? In a matter of moments, the grounds of the Qin Residence ran red with their blood. The very forces that had demolished the Qin Residence now unwittingly created their own graveyard.
"Foster Father, assemble our forces to address the factions in the city that partook in this affront. Spare the innocent and the children, but those even remotely complicit in this atrocity—show them no mercy." Qin Wentian's voice, cold as the wind, reverberated throughout Sky Harmony City, shaking its very foundations. They were poised to cleanse the city with an iron fist, extinguishing the hopes of every faction that had sought to exploit the vulnerable Qin Clan.
The Qin Wentian who had returned was a tempest of fury. Those who had aimed to kick his family when they were down, who had razed the Qin Residence and dared to lay hands on his beloved wife, Mo Qingcheng, would soon face the wrath of an unyielding force.