Chapter 301: Xiao Nanfeng Steals the Bride

The black lotus in Xiao Nanfeng's mindscape was silent for long moments.

"Senior, does this dragon-quelling spike contain more undying cursed spiritual power?" Xiao Nanfeng asked again.

The black lotus was silent for some time before finally replying, "It does."

"Is it sufficient to kill the Spirit Emperor's fragment of will?" Xiao Nanfeng pressed.

"It can, but you can only release it once. You're far too weak, and it'll be easy for the Spirit Emperor to dodge the attack. You'd be done for then," the black lotus wrote.

"As long as it's feasible. Senior, could you help me with this broken dragon-quelling spike, then? Please pass me the undying cursed spiritual power if I come into conflict with the Spirit Emperor shortly."

Xiao Nanfeng passed the two halves of the dragon-quelling spike into his mindscape to the black lotus.

"Xiao Nanfeng, aren't you worried about dying?" the black lotus asked disbelievingly.

"I won't die. I'll win for sure," Xiao Nanfeng replied confidently.

He walked up to the black pond and carefully inspected the water. Then, he jumped in and dove into the pond.

The pond was particularly deep, and it took him a long while before he saw light once more. There was an aquatic barrier underwater surrounded with golden light. A palatial complex could be seen within the barrier. Before the building were countless guards and palace maidens, all bowing respectfully toward the Divine Emperor's bell in their midst.

Standing in front of the Divine Emperor's bell was a man dressed in rich golden brocade, his features fine and handsome, long hair draped over his back, an imposing aura around him.

The man tapped lightly on the Divine Emperor's bell, his eyes flashing with anticipation. "Divine Emperor, it's useless for you to hide in there! Come out and let's have a good discussion."

Xiao Nanfeng immediately guessed that this man was the Spirit Emperor. He observed the scene patiently from above as the Spirit Emperor continued to try to coax the Divine Emperor out of her bell, but to no avail.

The Spirit Emperor's face fell. Eventually, he kicked at the bell with his foot. "Divine Emperor, am I an object of such hatred to you? Are you unwilling to even speak to me?"

The Divine Emperor's bell remained silent. The guards and palace maidens trembled in fear, but none of them dared to speak.

"I've been thinking of you for fifty thousand years. Do you know how I spent my time? My patience is limited. You have to come out. I'll give you ten breaths—and if you're not out by then, I'll come fetch you myself."

The Divine Emperor refused to respond. After ten breaths, the Spirit Emperor's eyes went cold. He summoned a golden bell, one almost identical to the Divine Emperor's bell, as though they had been cast from the same mold. The Spirit Emperor sent his bell crashing into hers.

The two bells collided and simultaneously began to resonate, as though they were about to combine into one.

"The twinned bell—I split my bell into two and handed this twin to my brother for his protection. How could you have gotten it? Didn't you claim that it had been destroyed alongside my brother during that crisis?!" the Divine Emperor demanded.

"Get out here!" the Spirit Emperor shouted.

He continued spurring the golden bell forth. It began to merge with the Divine Emperor's bell in an unusual resonance, one that seemed poised to force the Divine Emperor out of hiding.

"Spirit Emperor, you lied to me! My brother didn't die because of that disaster. You must have killed him and stolen this artifact!"

The Spirit Emperor's eyes flashed. "Don't talk nonsense."

"Echoes of time past, I summon you!" the Divine Emperor incanted.

With a hum, the two bells resonated. Voices that had been recorded for time immemorial played themselves back.

A man's voice could be heard as the twin bells tolled.

"Spirit Emperor, how could you still be interested in my sister despite all these concubines you have? Why would she marry you? Dream on. I'm not going to help persuade her on your behalf. When we were all still weak, you gallivanted about and used all sorts of contemptible techniques to seize the virginity of young women. Don't you dare use them on my sister—no, I have to warn her about you. What? What're you—you're trying to kill me? Sister, save me, sister—!"

The Spirit Emperor's eyes twitched upon hearing the recording.

"Spirit Emperor, you really were the one who killed my brother!" The Divine Emperor's tone was tinged with grief and anger.

The Spirit Emperor knew that the cat was out of the bag. His features distorted in anger. "As if I would be interested in the women who flocked to me after I became a heavenly emperor! He even tried to threaten me with outlandish tales from the past. It would have ruined my proposal to you. How could I let that stand? It was all his fault!"

"Spirit Emperor, all your politeness and gallantry to me—that was all a lie, wasn't it? All a pretense for me. I don't care what ludicrous things you've done in the past, but the fact that you would kill him over something so trivial—you really are inhumane, aren't you?" the Divine Emperor shouted. Her voice was lined with grief.

The Spirit Emperor replied resolutely, "Divine Emperor, can't you see? All I did, I did for you. If you had promised to marry me from the beginning, none of this would have happened!"

"You vile bastard—oh, you don't know how I regret saving you that year!" the Divine Emperor howled.

"You simply don't understand me! But it's alright. We'll be joined together soon enough," the Spirit Emperor said.

The two bells combined into one. The resulting resonance spawned a wave of golden light that forced the Divine Emperor out of her bell.

The Divine Emperor tried to rush back in, but it was too late. With a wave of the Spirit Emperor's hand, golden light surrounded her and sealed her, rendering her immobile.

"Let me go!" the Divine Emperor howled.

"Divine Emperor, know this: all I did, I did for you. I became the heavenly emperor for you. I killed your brother for you. You've become a demon of my heart, and I swore I would marry you when you first rescued me. If I can't marry you, my heart will never be at peace, and more and more demons will spawn. That would only make me even more stubborn. I have to marry you to dispel these demons and become a more perfect self," the Spirit Emperor said calmly.

"Dream on. I would rather die than marry you!" the Divine Emperor shouted.

"You're a cursed effigy, and you can't die. You'll have to marry me regardless of your wishes. We don't have to wait for my main body, either. Now is the best time; here is the best place. Let's get married right away!" The Spirit Emperor laughed.

"Impossible!"

"It's not up to you anymore."

With a wave of his hand, the palatial complex was suddenly festooned with red banners. His clothes had been replaced by a red robe, and all the guards and palace maidens were congratulating him and the Divine Emperor.

"We don't have to bow to heaven or to earth, only to ourselves." The Spirit Emperor smiled, then began, "Today, I swear on this curse of emotion that binds us, that I shall take the Divine Emperor as my consort. Together shall our hearts be linked until the end of time."

A crimson aura emerged from the Spirit Emperor and spread to the Divine Emperor.

The Spirit Emperor waggled his fingers. Still sealed by the golden light, the Divine Emperor seemed to be manipulated into speech. "Today, I swear on this curse of emotion that binds us, that I shall take..."

The Divine Emperor spoke with great difficulty, as though she were attempting to force herself to remain silent. Even so, she was unable to resist the Spirit Emperor's manipulation. As she spoke words that cut at her very heart, tears splattered to her feet, drowning in desperation and despair.

The Spirit Emperor cared not for her pain. He had to marry her in order to dispel his demons of the heart. He smiled in grim anticipation.

The guards and palace maidens didn't dare speak. They watched on as the Divine Emperor cried.

Just as the Divine Emperor was about to finalize her vow and succumb to the curse of emotion, a flash of blue light descended from the skies and struck at the golden glow around her.

"Who dares?" the Spirit Emperor exclaimed.

Xiao Nanfeng had broken through the aquatic barrier and was slashing down with his divine undying blade.

"You dare ruin this wedding?!" the Spirit Emperor demanded.

The golden light that restrained the Divine Emperor was shattered by the divine undying blade, allowing her to regain her freedom. Simultaneously, the enraged Spirit Emperor slammed a palm toward Xiao Nanfeng, who attempted to defend himself with his blade. However, the Spirit Emperor was simply too strong. The hilt of Xiao Nanfeng's blade cut into his hands as he was sent flying. He coughed out a mouthful of blood in mid-air, clearly having sustained serious injuries.

All around, the guards and palace maidens glanced at Xiao Nanfeng in shock—then malice.

As Xiao Nanfeng fell to the ground, a pair of pitch-black hands embraced him.

The Divine Emperor caught him in her grasp.

"What are you doing here?" she exclaimed.

"I brought you into this hidden realm. It's my responsibility to bring you back out." Xiao Nanfeng wiped at the blood by his mouth.

The Divine Emperor stilled, unexpectedly touched.

The Spirit Emperor stared at Xiao Nanfeng, his eyes like flint. A frightening blaze erupted around him. "Who are you? Who dares to disrupt this wedding ceremony?"

"How shameless do you have to be to call this a wedding?" Xiao Nanfeng retorted.

"You really are asking to die!" the Spirit Emperor cried out.

"And so what? I'll be leaving with the Divine Emperor today. Whoever attempts to stop me shall die!"

The Divine Emperor's heart thumped. She knew that Xiao Nanfeng had not the strength to back up such a claim—but perhaps that was what made the feeling even more intense. No one had been willing to face death itself in the eye for her.

The Spirit Emperor grew even more incensed.

With a wave of his hand, he sent a fan of blazing flames toward him, so tall they towered over him like a cresting wave.

The Divine Emperor strode forward, but Xiao Nanfeng pulled her back behind him.

"Hide in your bell. I'll deal with him!" Xiao Nanfeng cried out.

Before the Divine Emperor could reject his plan, Xiao Nanfeng waded into the fire.