Xuan Hall at night.
The long-burning lamps in the corridor cast the large red '囍' paper-cut on the window lattice onto the hall's wall, like a man-eating beast.
Chen Xuan sat on the Holy Son's throne, carved from thousand-year-old warm sun jade, self-mockingly staring at the pair of dragon and phoenix candles in front of him, as thick as a child's arm...
Tonight, he should have been too excited to sleep, eagerly anticipating tomorrow's wedding.
But now?
He was probably already the object of secret ridicule throughout the sect!
“Xuan Ge!”
Accompanied by a loud voice, a burly young man, built like a bear with a bronze complexion, strode in. It was Du Meng, Chen Xuan's trusted brother with whom he had faced life and death.
The true disciple of Pan Yan Peak, Du Meng!
As soon as Du Meng entered the hall, he cursed with a dark expression.
“Damn it! That pretty boy Ji Wushuang is chatting with that slut Liu Ruyan by the Crescent Moon Lake. They're exchanging glances, clearly having an affair!”
“I bet that Liu Ruyan's Cinnabar Mark was lost because she was fooling around with Ji Wushuang...”
Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan's gaze dimmed.
He clenched his fists tightly and said with hatred, “No matter! It's enough that I've seen that bitch's true face! Tomorrow, I will announce the annulment of the engagement!”
“What? Announce the annulment of the engagement?”
Du Meng was startled, then gave a thumbs up.
“That's a bold decision! Although Liu Ruyan is as beautiful as a celestial fairy, since she's a fickle and promiscuous woman, she's not worthy of Xuan Ge!”
Chen Xuan smiled weakly.
At this moment, a sudden chill ran down his spine!
Liu Ruyan deliberately revealed the loss of her Cinnabar Mark to force him to annul the engagement!
Under such a great humiliation, how could he still have the face to continue being the Holy Son?
In this way, Liu Ruyan wouldn't have to marry him, and she could help her adulterer contend for the position of Holy Son!
Everything made sense!
“Ji Wushuang!!!...”
Chen Xuan's steel teeth were almost ground to dust, his eyes splitting with rage!
These two scoundrels were truly despicable and shameless!!!
Suddenly!
“Ah ah ah!...”
Chen Xuan's head suddenly hurt as if it were tearing apart, and he cried out in pain. Some blurry images seemed to be emerging in his mind.
Du Meng quickly checked on him, his brows tightly furrowed.
He said worriedly, “Xuan Ge, your headache seems to be caused by someone erasing a certain memory! You must be careful, a man is innocent, but his possession of a treasure makes him guilty!”
Chen Xuan shook his head and said, “Erasing memories is a forbidden art, easily leading to backlash. Who would go to such lengths for a cripple like me? Besides, even if the villain stole the Haotian Sword and the panlong treasure ring, they wouldn't dare to use them easily, right?”
As he spoke, he suddenly realized something!
Chen Xuan's tone suddenly became faint, “If I voluntarily give away those two treasures, the situation would be different...”
“What do you mean?...”
Du Meng was stunned, his eyes filled with deep pity and helplessness!
Had the once peerless prodigy, after losing all his cultivation, uncontrollably slid into the abyss of a “mere ant”?
After Du Meng left, Chen Xuan's mood remained unsettled for a long time.
Ji Wushuang and Liu Ruyan were very likely together, plotting against him!
Did Master know about this?
However... he absolutely could not fulfill the promise to give up the Holy Son position and the two treasures!
Chen Xuan then entered the cultivation secret chamber, sat cross-legged within the Spirit Gathering Array, and emptied his mind...
An incense stick later.
Chen Xuan sensed the fossilized “True Dragon Heart” in his dantian, which immediately shone like a brilliant golden sun, emitting light!
This “True Dragon Heart” was an unexpected gain from Chen Xuan's exploration of an ancient sacred land ruin.
And a large part of the credit for Chen Xuan being able to condense the unprecedented Nine-Rank Golden Core was due to the assistance of the “True Dragon Heart.”
At a certain moment.
A sharp pain swept through Chen Xuan's entire body!
Yet he gritted his teeth and persevered, his eyes filled with excitement... because that brilliant golden light was slowly healing his collapsed dantian!
The healed part of the dantian seemed even more extraordinary, faintly exuding a Dragon's might!
Morning.
Chen Xuan opened his eyes, which burst with ecstasy!
His collapsed dantian had healed by about a tenth!
And besides that, the True Dragon Heart also transmitted an ancient miraculous art to Chen Xuan, the “Nine Yang True Dragon Art”?
Cultivating this art required the cooperation of the True Dragon Heart!
The “Nine Yang True Dragon Art” has nine stages. Once the first stage, the Qi Refining Stage, is completed, one can condense the True Dragon Overlord Body and Nine Dragon True Essence! Upon breaking through to the Golden Core Stage, one can even condense a Celestial-Rank Golden Core that surpasses the Nine-Rank...
This was a truly supreme, most masculine, and most dominant Invincible Law!
Chen Xuan clenched his fist, muttering excitedly, “There are still ten days, and I can cultivate the ‘Nine Yang True Dragon Art’!!!”
At the same time.
In a serene ancient hall, a white-browed Daoist, who had been sitting cross-legged, suddenly stood up, immensely excited!
With a wave of his hand, he conjured an ancient, unadorned bronze mirror. A figure appeared on the mirror's surface, none other than Chen Xuan!
“Hahaha! This little fellow has the True Dragon's Yang Qi in him, with a golden dragon phantom hovering above his head. He is the perfect candidate to reinforce the True Dragon Grand Array's seal! I originally thought that in three years, the Great Black Heaven Demon Lord from the Black Sin Abyss would surely break through the Grand Array's seal, causing a world-ending catastrophe!”
“Now, I've finally found a solution! The Desolate Heaven Domain is saved!...”
The white-browed Daoist laughed, causing the entire ancient hall to shake continuously, as if unable to withstand the power contained in his laughter!
He was none other than the recognized number one expert in the Desolate Heaven Domain, Muyun Sanxian!
At this moment, a dark shadow flickered in a corner of the ancient hall, revealing a black-robed figure.
He immediately knelt down and said excitedly, “Congratulations, Master! This child, your subordinate knows him. He is Chen Xuan, the Holy Son of Haoran Sword Sect! Unfortunately, he self-destructed his Nine-Rank Golden Core over a month ago and became a cripple, I'm afraid...”
Muyun Sanxian's smile remained, and he said with certainty, “As the saying goes, ‘No destruction, no construction’! The True Dragon's Yang Qi that this little fellow has awakened is restoring his damaged dantian. His future achievements will surely surpass mine!”
“I had planned to try my luck at the disciple recruitment assembly, but I didn't expect my fated disciple to appear early! Wonderful! Wonderful!...”
“Shadow, quickly go to Haoran Sword Sect to protect Chen Xuan's safety. And while you're at it, secretly observe his character!”
“Yes, Master!”
The black-robed man responded respectfully, then suddenly vanished into thin air!
...
The next day.
Melodious music played on Jade Maiden Peak, and streaks of light flew in from various peaks.
Some rode flying swords, some controlled flying boats, some walked on clouds...
Supported by her bridesmaids, Liu Ruyan, dressed in a red wedding gown, descended from the clouds and headed towards Xuan Hall.
Her steps were light and elegant, exuding the demeanor of a celestial fairy.
The bright sunlight fell on her, making her phoenix coronet and robes glow. Beneath the swaying pearl tassels was a face of breathtaking beauty!
Around, there were suppressed exclamations and whispers, and many people stared blankly...
This was the charm of Liu Ruyan, the number one beauty of Haoran Sword Sect!
She walked gracefully, her figure stunningly beautiful!
Her seemingly casual frown or smile was enough to captivate the world!
Everyone on Jade Maiden Peak was alerted and rushed over.
When Chen Xuan appeared, the jealousy in the eyes of many young male disciples of Haoran Sword Sect almost shot out!
Thinking that the celestial fairy-like prodigy, Liu Ruyan, was about to be married by Chen Xuan, this cripple, and be made to yield to his desires...
Many male disciples felt even more disgusted than if they had eaten a dead rat!!!
Jealousy, mockery, disdain, unwillingness, resentment, envy—all these gazes fell upon Chen Xuan.
Of course, a few disciples held great respect and gratitude for Chen Xuan, their eyes filled with blessings.
Chen Xuan and Liu Ruyan looked at each other from a distance!
Both their gazes were extremely cold, seemingly devoid of any emotional color.
At this moment, whispers began to rise around them.
“Junior apprentice-sister Ruyan, with her celestial beauty, marrying our crippled Holy Son... it's truly not worth it!”
“She is the first pearl of our Haoran Sword Sect, even in the entire Desolate Heaven Domain, she's a top beauty, what a pity...”
“My dream fairy is actually marrying Chen Xuan, this good-for-nothing, I'm so unwilling I want to die! Ah ah ah!...”
Ji Yaoyue raised her delicate brows and coldly shouted, “All of you, shut up!”
At her sharp reprimand, the whispers finally ceased.
At this moment, Ji Wushuang also stood up and said righteously, “The marriage between my Senior apprentice-brother and Ruyan Senior apprentice-sister was personally approved by the Sect Master and blessed by all the elders! How can you allow such nonsense?”
His distinguished and outstanding demeanor made many female disciples' eyes sparkle with admiration.
A young man in armor stepped forward and said righteously, “Chen Xuan Holy Son has lost all his cultivation, he can't even defeat the handyman disciples in the sect, while Junior apprentice-sister Ruyan has a bright future. Therefore, I think he is no longer worthy of Junior apprentice-sister Ruyan!”
His name was Dai Tao, and he had always been Chen Xuan's sworn enemy.
Following Dai Tao's words, a chorus of agreement immediately erupted at the scene.
“Disciple...”
Ji Yaoyue spoke, glancing at Chen Xuan, signaling him to make the announcement.
“Clack!”
Chen Xuan suppressed the anger in his heart, stepped forward, and said in a deep voice, “Today's wedding is canceled! I apologize for troubling all fellow disciples to come here!”
As soon as he said this, the scene exploded!
Who could have imagined that Chen Xuan would actually annul the engagement?
Some people began to subtly mock Liu Ruyan about her Cinnabar Mark, while others sourly ridiculed Chen Xuan for not knowing what was good for him.
Dai Tao, however, laughed heartily, giving a thumbs up and praising, “Chen Xuan Holy Son, I admire you... It's a pity that with your status as a cripple, no one will probably marry you in the future! I'll give you some advice: there are a few pretty female handyman disciples, you can try to flirt with one or two.”
“Flirt with your mother!”
A furious curse came from a distance. It was Du Meng, who had rushed over, glaring at Dai Tao.
Immediately, the atmosphere was thick with tension!
“Enough!”
Liu Ruyan let out a cold, desperate cry, instantly restoring silence to the scene.
Her clear beautiful eyes revealed a sense of brokenness and poignant sadness.
Under everyone's gaze, Liu Ruyan said with utter disappointment, “Chen Xuan, three days ago, under the flowers and moon at Xuan Hall, to prove my undying love for you, I gave you my pure body!”
“And you? Today you want to cancel the wedding... to humiliate me so coldly and heartlessly! Ruyan's heart aches so much...”
Boom!
Liu Ruyan's words shocked everyone!
Those who suspected Chen Xuan had been cuckolded all shut up.
However, their gazes towards Chen Xuan became even more disdainful and contemptuous.
What a useless good-for-nothing who pulls up his pants and denies everything!
Chen Xuan was stunned!
He could be certain that on that night three days ago, he had drunk alone until late, and absolutely had not been under the flowers and moon, or with cooing lovers, with Liu Ruyan.
She was lying!!!
Chen Xuan looked at Liu Ruyan, who was crying as if her heart would break, and suddenly felt that this woman was so unfamiliar...
What kind of venomous heart was hidden beneath that celestial skin?
When a chorus of condemnations and curses arose, Chen Xuan suddenly realized something with a start!
Liu Ruyan's slanderous words were truly a heart-killing blow, meant to completely ruin his reputation and plunge him into an abyss of no return, wasn't it?