Support me at patreon for 120+ advanced chapters :
patreon.com/YaoIk
**
As the sun gradually rose in the sky, the festive atmosphere of Yun Lan Mountain finally reached its peak.
Countless cheers surged together, soaring into the heavens.
This jubilant mood somewhat dispersed the heavy gloom that had hung over the Yun Lan Sect ever since their devastating losses in the imperial capital not long ago.
The vast plaza had been completely decorated in vivid red. Disciples of the Yun Lan Sect, clad in scarlet ceremonial robes, flooded the entire space like waves of crimson, filling every inch of sight.
At the center of the plaza stood a massive ceremonial platform, long since completed.
At the highest seat on the platform, Yun Shan sat tall, his face beaming with a wide smile as he chatted amiably with the guests who had come to offer their congratulations.
Given Gu He's status and renown within the Jia Ma Empire, it was only natural that many powerful figures had arrived to celebrate his wedding.
Below the ceremonial platform, Gu He—now dressed in vibrant red robes—wore a cheerful smile as he cupped his hands and repeatedly thanked the guests who approached him with congratulations.
"Here comes the bride!"
As time passed, a crisp voice finally rang out across the bustling plaza.
At once, the roar of conversation quieted significantly. Countless gazes turned toward the source of the voice.
There, surrounded by dozens of beautiful handmaidens, a woman dressed in a red wedding gown slowly approached the ceremonial platform at the plaza's center, her face completely concealed behind a hanging red veil. She moved like the moon among the stars, the focus of all attention.
Seeing the bride's entrance, the laughter in the plaza intensified. Many turned to offer Gu He their heartfelt congratulations.
To be able to marry such a woman—even someone as revered as Pill King Gu He—was enough to stir envy in more than a few hearts.
Amid the sea of laughter and chatter, however, few noticed that the bride, supported on both sides by handmaidens, walked with a slight stiffness, as if she were a puppet.
Gu He, in his brilliant red groom's robes, wore a gentle smile as he continued thanking the guests. Then he stepped forward quickly to greet the bride.
His eyes couldn't help but drift toward her face, but the red veil completely obscured her features, showing not the slightest hint of her expression.
Accepting the red wedding ribbon from a nearby maid, Gu He held it in his hand. With the ceremonial ribbon connecting them, the bride and groom slowly walked forward, step by step, under the gaze of the entire plaza, approaching the ceremonial platform.
"Haha, today is the grand wedding of my beloved disciple. I thank you all for coming from afar. On behalf of the Yun Lan Sect, allow me, Yun Shan, to express my deepest gratitude."
On the platform, Yun Shan smiled warmly at the couple standing below, then looked up and addressed the sea of people in the plaza with a loud, clear voice.
As his voice fell, waves of congratulatory cheers erupted from the crowd like crashing tides.
"Yun'er is the future Sect Leader of our Yun Lan Sect. Her position is far from ordinary. But with Gu He's status and prestige, he is certainly a worthy match. Haha, one could say this is a perfect union between equals," Yun Shan said with a laugh.
Below the platform, Gu He continued to respond with smiles to the many guests offering their blessings.
Yet, only when his gaze occasionally swept toward the bride beside him—who had not uttered a single word since her appearance—would his smile momentarily grow stiff. A trace of unease flickered in his eyes.
"Today, before all the strong experts of the Jia Ma Empire, this Sect Master formally announces the marriage of my beloved disciple Yun Yun to Gu He," Yun Shan proclaimed with a wide grin, casting a glance toward Gu He, whose expression seemed slightly off.
As Yun Shan's declaration echoed across the plaza, another thunderous wave of cheers erupted.
Raising his eyes to the sky, Yun Shan gave a wave of his hand and laughed heartily, "The auspicious hour has arrived—let the wedding ceremony begin!"
But just at that moment—
Whoosh!
A sharp whistle tore through the air above.
A dark shadow suddenly streaked across the sky like lightning, shooting straight toward Yun Shan atop the ceremonial platform.
The abrupt and unexpected turn of events instantly drew countless startled gazes.
Yun Shan's expression darkened. He shouted sternly, "How dare you!"
With a flick of his sleeve, a terrifying wave of Dou Qi surged out and slammed fiercely into the incoming shadow.
Clang!
The sound was like metal striking metal as the shadow was repelled by Yun Shan's power.
The object spiraled backward rapidly in mid-air before plunging heavily into the ground, sending shards of rock flying. The hard stone tiles cracked beneath the impact, spreading dense spiderweb-like fissures across the plaza.
Everyone's eyes turned toward it—and saw that the object was an unusually large and oddly shaped black heavy ruler.
A light, youthful laugh drifted slowly through the air above the plaza.
"Heh, Sect Master Yun Shan, you seem to be in quite the festive mood. Even at a time like this, you still have the heart to host a wedding. Clearly… you don't take me seriously at all."
Immediately following that, another voice rang out—this one laced with cold hostility.
"Heh… not so fast. Whether today turns out to be a wedding or a funeral here at Yun Lan Sect… that's yet to be decided!"
…
As the loud, echoing laughter rang across the sky, countless heads in the plaza snapped upward toward the source.
In the next moment, they saw a vast number of figures soaring across the sky, cutting through the wind before coming to a stop above the plaza, their forms looming overhead like a dark cloud.
The sudden appearance of such a large group caused a ripple of unrest to sweep across the plaza.
That was because every single person floating in the sky above had a pair of Dou Qi Wings on their back.
In other words, all of them were at least Dou Wang level!
This realization caused many in the crowd to draw a sharp breath.
There were at least dozens of them. So many Dou Wang-level experts—even the Yun Lan Sect would have difficulty assembling such a force.
Most shocking of all was the young man at the front of the group. Clad in a black brocade robe with golden embroidery, his expression calm and confident, he stood tall in the sky with his hands clasped behind his back.
A Dou Zong!
Combined with the memory of the recent shocking incident in the imperial capital, several among the crowd began to sense that things were about to go very wrong.
At this point, there were only two major powers left in the Jia Ma Empire—the imperial capital faction and the Yun Lan Sect faction. Neutral ground no longer existed.
One was either ally or enemy. There was no in-between.
Naturally, those who had come to this wedding today were either aligned with or loyal to the Yun Lan Sect.
…
On the ceremonial platform, Yun Shan slowly rose to his feet, his face devoid of emotion.
Lifting his head, his gaze pierced the space above and locked onto the two black-clad youths hovering ahead—one with vibrant emerald wings of flame flapping behind him.
His eyes paused briefly on Xiao Yan, then moved to rest fully on Wei Yang.
Their eyes met—and Yun Shan's face slowly grew solemn.
After a moment of silence, Yun Shan finally spoke, his tone softening slightly.
"...Wei Yang? I've been in seclusion for many years. I didn't expect that someone like you would emerge in the Jia Ma Empire. A brilliant young man indeed."
He couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the youth's talent. Truly, every generation brings forth new prodigies.
A twenty-four-year-old Dou Zong.
And not only that—a Tier 6 Alchemist.
It was… absurd.
"You and I share no deep grudges—just a few misunderstandings, nothing more," Yun Shan said, his voice steady as he took a visible step back in posture. "If Mister Wei is willing to let go of this grudge, then I, in front of all these assembled experts, will drink three cups of wine as an apology. How about it?"
Facing Wei Yang directly for the first time, Yun Shan felt real pressure.
Truth be told, someone like Wei Yang—if you could avoid making him your enemy, then you absolutely should.
Because if he survived today and escaped, with his frightening potential, it wouldn't take long for him to return stronger than ever. And when that day came, it might mean the complete destruction of the Yun Lan Sect.
To make an enemy of such a man… truly required courage.
For someone of Yun Shan's standing to openly lower his posture in front of everyone like this—this was already the limit of what he could offer.
The plaza fell into absolute silence.
No one spoke. Even breathing seemed to quiet, as if the entire mountain were holding its breath.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Support me at patreon for 120+ advanced chapters :
patreon.com/YaoIk