Chapter 86.2: The Little Bride???

At that moment, the royal princes began entering the Celestial Dragon Realm one after another.

"Little Brother Qi Yuan, why have you been so cold to your big sister lately?" came a teasing voice. Lu Fei sauntered past him, making every motion deliberate.

"Who are you? Why are you talking to me?" Qi Yuan said evenly.

Since she was no longer his white moonlight, they might as well be strangers. Better to stay that way. Clean breaks, without lingering entanglements. Those who lingered for post-breakup flings or friendly revisits were people Qi Yuan found most contemptible.

Lu Fei's smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered and said playfully, "Little Brother Qi Yuan, you really do love to joke. Didn't you like looking at your big sister? Once we're inside the secret realm, I'll let you look all you want."

She lifted her chest ever so slightly, accentuating her already striking curves.

Qi Yuan glanced at her and immediately lost interest. Even the sword fairy from Dong Xian’s game was more pleasing to look at.

His tone cooled further. "I don't know you. Stop bothering me."

The last thing he wanted was to get entangled with Lu Fei again, especially after recalling how terrifying the Yin Maiden Grand Art was.

Lu Fei's smile froze completely.

"I'll remember this," she said coldly.

Po Lang had also said something similar to him.

Qi Yuan sighed helplessly. "Can you

not

?"

If anyone were to remember him, it should rightfully be his one and only white moonlight. Lu Fei left in a huff.

Qi Yuan glanced through the crowd and saw Po Lang entering the Celestial Dragon Realm as well. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. He had feared Po Lang wouldn't come.

"Senior Brother, let's go together," Dong Xian said, smiling brightly.

"Let's go!" Kang Fulu added heartily.

The three of them stepped into the Celestial Dragon Realm.

A forest brimming with birdsong and the scent of flowers greeted them. Towering trees stretched skyward, and streams wound gently through the undergrowth.

Since all the princes were teleported separately, Qi Yuan found only Dong Xian and Kang Fulu nearby.

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Qi Yuan opened his Divine Flower Society jade slip, but his expression quickly fell. He couldn't reach anyone.

Just then, Kang Fulu's expression turned grave. He looked toward Dong Xian and said slowly, "There's something you need to know."

Dong Xian straightened immediately. "Please, Senior Brother, speak."

"Your royal father passed away last night. The three sects have suppressed the news for now. We haven't announced it publicly to avoid chaos during the Dragon-Seizing Contest."

Dong Xian froze.

My father... is gone?

Though they'd never been close, and he'd met the man fewer times than he'd met Lord Withered Tree, he was still his father. The news left him with a faint, hollow ache.

"Thank you for telling me, Senior Brother. This won't affect me," Dong Xian said after a brief pause, his emotions quickly leveling out.

Qi Yuan, however, was momentarily dazed. He remembered clearly that when he'd looked at the old king, the system had indicated he still had a month to live. Only less than two days had passed since then. Something had clearly changed.

Could it be that the sect master and the queen were indulging in forbidden pleasures, only to be caught by the old king? Did the sect master have no choice but to silence him?

Qi Yuan's imagination wandered darkly, then he shook it off. He had no proof, and idle speculation was pointless. The subject was dropped.

Kang Fulu, his white hair glinting faintly under the forest light, took a deep breath and said, "The spirit qi here is denser than even the Five-Light Peak. No wonder the Great Shang rose so rapidly after obtaining the Celestial Dragon Realm a thousand years ago."

Qi Yuan nodded in agreement. Cultivating here felt faster than even on the Seven-Colored Peak. In two or three years, he could probably reach mid-stage Foundation Establishment.

However, even that was still too slow for Qi Yuan. He'd rather fight monsters in a game, it was more exciting and efficient.

"The stronger the spirit qi, the greater the chance of rare treasures appearing," Kang Fulu said. "We should head deeper into the realm."

Qi Yuan and Dong Xian agreed. The deeper they went, the better their chances. Not just for treasure, but for a chance encounter with his white moonlight.

***

Meanwhile, in the deepest part of the Celestial Dragon realm, spirit qi surged like mist. In a tranquil pool, the energy had thickened into a visible flow, swirling gently around a crystal coffin at the center.

The coffin radiated an ancient, awe-inspiring presence. Within it lay not a body, but a delicate, resplendent wedding dress. Every cultivator who came upon it could sense at once that it was no mere garment, but something alive. A sentient being of its own.

***

"There's no shortage of good things in this place," Qi Yuan muttered as he roamed through the realm.

He stopped and plucked a mushroom from the ground. It was a Spirit Spout Fungus, capable of absorbing thin spirit qi and exhaling it in concentrated form. Better yet, each was worth several spirit stones.

In no time, Qi Yuan had gathered over a dozen of them. He pranced around like a cheerful girl picking mushrooms.

Dong Xian couldn't help but feel tempted. A flicker of greed passed through his eyes. If this entire Celestial Dragon Realm were his, he could probably ascend to Nascent Soul, or perhaps even Violet Palace realm.

Nevertheless, he quickly suppressed the thought. After all, the second Celestial Dragon Realm wouldn't fall under royal control, but the joint ownership of the three great sects.

"Come," Kang Fulu said. "The treasures will be even greater deeper in."

The three of them took to the air again, flying deeper into the secret realm.

Suddenly, Dong Xian halted midair. "A corpse?"

In the distance lay a body. All three landed cautiously, and soon saw not one, but three corpses.

Dong Xian recognized one of them instantly. His voice trembled as he stared at the man in the python-embroidered robe. "Fifth Brother?"

When he pulled aside the robe, a golden handprint was revealed on his brother’s abdomen.

"The Dragon-Repenting Hand..." Dong Xian muttered, his face darkening.

The Dragon-Repenting Hand was a royal secret technique, known only to the princes of Great Shang. His brother fell to his own kin.

To encounter such a scene right after entering the Celestial Dragon Realm, no wonder Dong Xian's expression had gone cold.

Beside him, Kang Fulu narrowed his eyes. He recognized the other two corpses on the ground as well.