Chapter 37: The Solar Princess and the Ancient Feud
Location: Cloud Soaring City – The Grand Auction House
The Grand Auction House was a floating coliseum made of clouds and solid gold. It was the neutral ground where the Titans of the Immortal Realm gathered to flex their wealth.
Jiang Chen sat in the Sky Box—the highest VIP suite—sipping Immortal Nectar.
On his left sat Mo You, radiating the cold, regal aura of the Abyssal Dragon Princess. Prince Long Wei knelt by her feet, peeling grapes for her like a terrified servant.
On his right sat Feng Xi. She was currently trying to juggle three Spirit Fruits.
"Husband!" Feng Xi cheered as she caught a fruit in her mouth. "This world is fun! The food glows!"
Mo You glanced at her with a mix of affection and pity. "Enjoy it while you can, little bird. Once we reach the Divine Realm, the politics will be exhausting."
"Politics are boring," Feng Xi mumbled, juice running down her chin. "I just want to burn things and eat."
Below them, the auction floor filled up.
"Welcome," the Auctioneer, a Golden Immortal with a white beard, announced. "Today, the Phoenix Pavilion graces us with their presence!"
The southern doors burst open. A wave of heat rolled into the arena.
A group of women walked in. They wore robes of crimson feathers that seemed to be on fire. Leading them was an old woman with eyes like burning coals—Matriarch Zhu, a Peak Immortal King.
The crowd gasped.
"The Phoenix Pavilion! They control the Southern Continent!"
"Their flames can melt the void!"
As Matriarch Zhu walked to her VIP box, she stopped.
She tilted her head, looking up toward the Sky Box. Her nostrils flared.
"Pure Yang..." Matriarch Zhu whispered. "I smell... the Golden Crow? No... something purer."
She looked directly at the Sky Box. Her gaze locked onto Feng Xi.
Suddenly, a red crystal around the Matriarch's neck shattered.
"The Lost Heir!" Matriarch Zhu shrieked.
She didn't walk. She flew. She turned into a streak of fire, blasting through the protective barriers of the Sky Box.
"Protect the Princess!" Long Wei screamed, drawing his sword (uselessly).
Jiang Chen didn't move. He sensed no killing intent—only desperation.
Matriarch Zhu landed in the suite. She ignored Jiang Chen. She ignored Mo You. She fell to her knees in front of Feng Xi, who was mid-chew on a grape.
"Princess!" The Matriarch wept, tears of lava streaming down her face. "We found you! The Divine Solar Empire has been searching for ten thousand years!"
Feng Xi blinked. "Who are you, grandma? You're ruining my snack."
"Princess, please!" Matriarch Zhu pulled out a golden feather. "Touch the Ancestral Plume! Remember your blood!"
She pressed the feather into Feng Xi's hand.
WOOSH.
The feather dissolved into golden light. It shot into Feng Xi's forehead.
Feng Xi froze. The grape fell from her mouth.
Her eyes, usually bright and playful, rolled back.
[System Alert]
[Memory Seal: Broken.]
[Identity Restored: Feng Xi, Ninth Princess of the Divine Solar Phoenix Clan.]
[Cultivation Unlocked: Divine King (Sealed).]
A pillar of golden fire erupted from Feng Xi. It blew the roof off the auction house.
When the fire cleared, Feng Xi looked... different.
Her messy hair was now arranged in a complex, fiery crown. Her robe had transformed into armor made of solidified sunlight. Her eyes burned with the intensity of a supernova.
She looked down at the weeping Matriarch.
"Rise, servant," Feng Xi said. Her voice wasn't squeaky anymore. It was melodic, imperious, and terrifyingly hot.
"Yes, Highness!" Matriarch Zhu sobbed.
Feng Xi turned her head slowly. She looked at Jiang Chen. Her gaze softened slightly.
"Husband."
Then, she looked at Mo You.
Her eyes narrowed. The air in the room began to crackle. Frost met Fire.
"You," Feng Xi hissed.
Mo You stood up slowly, her shadow expanding to counter the light. "Me."
"I remember now," Feng Xi pointed a finger wreathed in white flames at Mo You. "Your father... the Dragon Emperor... he stole the Suns of the Southern Galaxy to heat his bathwater!"
"They were dying stars!" Mo You shot back, her voice icy. "He was recycling them! And your mother, the Phoenix Empress, burned down my favorite Void Garden because she said it was 'too gloomy'!"
"It was gloomy!" Feng Xi shouted, the room temperature rising to 500 degrees. "It was full of creepy shadow-slugs!"
"Those were my pets!" Mo You roared, darkness flooding the room.
[Alert: Divine Faction War Imminent.]
[Faction A: Abyssal Dragon (Darkness)]
[Faction B: Solar Phoenix (Light)]
[Status: Mortal Enemies for 1 Million Years.]
Long Wei and Matriarch Zhu huddled in the corner, hugging each other in terror. The clash between a Dragon Princess and a Phoenix Princess was enough to destroy the entire Immortal Realm.
"Die, Lizard!" Feng Xi summoned a Solar Lance.
"Burn, Chicken!" Mo You summoned Shadow Claws.
They lunged at each other.
CLAP.
Before they could collide, two hands grabbed them.
Jiang Chen stood between them. He caught Feng Xi's wrist with his right hand and Mo You's wrist with his left.
His Grandmist Aura exploded. It wasn't Dark or Light. It was the Chaos that birthed them both.
"Sit. Down."
The pressure forced both Princesses back into their chairs.
"I don't care what your fathers did," Jiang Chen said, his eyes glowing purple. "I don't care if they stole stars or burned gardens."
He leaned in close.
"In this house, there is only one Emperor. Me."
He looked at Feng Xi.
"You are my wife first. A Princess second. Do you understand?"
Feng Xi pouted. The divine fire in her eyes flickered, reverting slightly to her usual self. "But Husband... her dad is a jerk."
He looked at Mo You.
"And you. No calling her a chicken."
Mo You crossed her arms, the shadow retreating. "Fine. But she started it."
Jiang Chen sighed. He released them.
"Good. Now, we have an auction to win. If you two want to fight, do it in the bedroom later. I'll officiate."
Both wives blushed red (one from heat, one from blood flow).
Matriarch Zhu and Prince Long Wei stared at Jiang Chen in absolute horror.
'He... he suppressed the Dragon and the Phoenix simultaneously?' Matriarch Zhu thought. 'Who is this monster?'
Jiang Chen sat back down.
"Now," he gestured to the destroyed roof. "Let's buy that Seed."
The Auction Begins
The auction continued under the open sky (since the roof was gone). The atmosphere was tense. The entire crowd knew that the Sky Box contained two Divine Beings who wanted to kill each other.
"Item #100," the Auctioneer stammered. "The... Dead God Seed."
A withered, grey seed was brought out. It pulsed with a faint, dying heartbeat.
"Starting bid: 1 Million Spirit Stones!"
"10 Million," Matriarch Zhu shouted instantly. "The Phoenix Pavilion bids for the Princess!"
"20 Million!" Prince Long Wei yelled, not wanting to be outdone. "The Long Clan bids for the Dragon Princess!"
The crowd watched in silence as the two servants had a bidding war on behalf of their masters, who were sitting next to each other eating fruit.
"50 Million!"
"100 Million!"
"One Billion," a cold voice interrupted.
The crowd gasped.
A new player had entered.
Floating above the arena was a man in blue robes. He stood on a flying sword that hummed with Immortal King power.
"The Sword Immortal Sect," someone whispered. "That's Sect Master Jian. Why does he want the seed?"
Sect Master Jian looked down at the Sky Box.
"I sense strong bloodlines there," Jian said, his voice sharp as a blade. "Dragon and Phoenix. But this Seed... it belongs to the Sword. It contains the Law of Withering. I need it to perfect my Severing Dao."
He looked at Jiang Chen.
"Give it up, juniors. You may have rich servants, but in the Immortal Realm, strength rules. If you bid again... I might accidentally drop my sword on your heads."
It was a blatant threat. An Immortal King threatening "juniors".
Feng Xi looked at Jiang Chen. "Husband, that man is rude. Can I burn him?"
Mo You looked at Jiang Chen. "Husband, his neck looks fragile. Can I snap it?"
Jiang Chen smiled. He stood up and walked to the edge of the balcony.
"Sect Master Jian," Jiang Chen called out. "You talk about strength?"
"I do," Jian sneered. "I am an Immortal King. I can sever a planet."
"Cute," Jiang Chen said.
He opened his mouth.
"Xing'er. Wake up."
Inside Jiang Chen's internal universe, the baby was napping. He heard his dad.
He woke up cranky.
Jiang Chen pointed at the Sect Master floating in the sky.
"That man stole your pacifier."
[Target Locked.]
Inside the Dantian, Baby Jiang Xing opened his mouth.
In the real world, Jiang Chen opened his mouth.
A tiny, spectral baby head manifested behind Jiang Chen. It looked like a giant, ghostly infant wearing a crown.
The spectral baby opened its mouth.
"WAAAAAAH!"
A suction force—The Galactic Devour—hit the Sect Master.
"What—?!" Sect Master Jian didn't even finish his sentence.
His sword shattered. His robes disintegrated.
And then, his Cultivation Base—thousands of years of gathered Qi—was ripped out of his body. It formed a blue stream of energy that flew into Jiang Chen's mouth (and into the baby's stomach).
Sect Master Jian fell from the sky. He hit the ground as a withered old man, stripped of all power.
[Jiang Xing: Spirit Lamp Stage 3 -> Stage 4.]
[Flavor Text: Tasted like sharp metal. Needs salt.]
Jiang Chen wiped his mouth.
He looked at the silent auction house.
"One Billion and One," Jiang Chen said politely.
"Going once... Going twice... Sold!" The Auctioneer screamed, terrified.
Jiang Chen turned to his wives.
"See? Teamwork."
Feng Xi giggled. "Our son is the best weapon."
Mo You smirked. "He takes after his mother."
Matriarch Zhu and Prince Long Wei looked at each other. They realized something terrifying.
The Dragon Princess was scary.
The Phoenix Princess was scary.
But the Human Husband... he was the one they should really fear.