28: On their wedding night, the empress fell.

Inside the bridal chamber, the red candles burned brightly.

The air was filled with a faint scent of Ambergris, mixed with the unique fragrance of a young woman, creating an enchanting and intoxicating atmosphere.

With a casual wave of Su Xuanchen's hand, an isolation Formation enveloped the entire sleeping quarters.

The clamor of the outside world was completely shut out.

He turned around and looked at the figure sitting by the edge of the wedding bed.

Gu Lingshuang was dressed in a Phoenix Crown and Embroidered Robe, her hands tightly clutching the corners of her clothes, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

Her head was bowed, her body tense, like a small animal that had fallen into a trap and was still trying to put up a final resistance.

Su Xuanchen stepped forward and picked up the Wedding Scale that had been prepared.

He gave it a gentle flick.

The Red Bridal Veil slipped off.

A breathtakingly beautiful face was revealed under the flickering candlelight.

Because it was her wedding day, she wore exquisite makeup today.

Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her lips like painted cinnabar, and the rouge at the corners of her eyes blended into a heart-stirring charm.

The coldness that usually kept people at a distance was softened significantly by the bright red wedding dress and vibrant makeup, instead revealing a sense of fragility that made one want to conquer her.

Gu Lingshuang raised her head and stared fixedly at Su Xuanchen.

In those beautiful phoenix eyes, stubbornness and hatred still burned.

“Have you seen enough?”

She spoke coldly, but her voice carried a trace of imperceptible trembling.

Su Xuanchen smiled.

He set down the Wedding Scale and turned to pick up the two cups of Nuptial Wine on the table.

“Not yet.”

He walked up to her and handed her one of the cups.

“One look is for a lifetime; how could it ever be enough?”

Gu Lingshuang looked at the cup of wine and hesitated for a moment.

Ultimately, she reached out and took it.

Things had already come to this; who was she putting on an act for?

She was an Empress; even if she lost, she had to lose with dignity.

“Drink.”

She tilted her head back and drained the cup in one gulp.

The liquid was pungent, burning like fire as it went down her throat.

Su Xuanchen also smiled and finished his drink.

The wine cups hit the floor, making a crisp sound.

Su Xuanchen sat down beside her, his hand naturally wrapping around her slender waist.

Gu Lingshuang’s entire body stiffened, and she instinctively tried to struggle.

“Don’t move.”

Su Xuanchen's voice was deep and carried a trace of burning heat as it brushed past her ear.

“You are my wife.”

“This is an obligation you should fulfill.”

Gu Lingshuang bit her lower lip, a flash of humiliation appearing in her eyes.

It was true.

She was his wife.

A wife he had married with proper rites, announced to the world, and even destroyed a top-tier Sect to obtain.

She had no reason to refuse.

“Su Xuanchen...”

She looked at the handsome face so close to her, her voice raspy.

“I hate you.”

Su Xuanchen’s smile deepened.

He reached out and gently caressed her burning cheek, his fingertips brushing against her trembling eyelashes.

“I know.”

“But it doesn't matter.”

He suddenly leaned down and kissed those red lips that were still speaking harsh words.

Overbearing.

Unquestionable.

All her hatred and all her resentment were blocked back in that moment by this aggressive kiss.

“Mmm...”

Gu Lingshuang’s eyes widened, and she pressed her hands against his chest, trying to push him away.

But that body was like an iron mountain, remaining completely unmoved.

Gradually.

She felt the strength within her body rapidly draining away.

Gu Lingshuang’s cheeks instantly turned crimson, and her eyes began to glaze over.

Her memories of being an Empress in her past life became blurred at this moment.

In their place was the most primal physical desire.

“Su... Su Xuanchen...”

Her voice changed pitch, carrying a touch of charm that she herself found shameful.

Su Xuanchen released her lips and looked at her dazed expression, a satisfied light flashing in his eyes.

“Call me Husband.”

He softly coaxed her.

“No...”

Gu Lingshuang was still making a final struggle.

“Rip—”

A sharp sound of tearing silk echoed.

The complex phoenix crown and robes were torn open by Su Xuanchen, revealing the skin beneath that was like mutton-fat white jade.

A chill hit her, and Gu Lingshuang shuddered violently.

Immediately after, she was covered by a searing heat.

The red candles flickered, casting the two entangled figures onto the wall.

That night.

This Reborn and haughty Myriad Tribulations Empress finally fell completely beneath that man.

She drifted in the intertwining of pain and sweetness.

She struggled in the gap between hatred and pleasure.

She shouted “I hate you,” yet time and again, she proactively held him tight.

Three days.

For three whole days.

Su Xuanchen did not step out of the room once.

During these three days, Gu Lingshuang felt as if she were in an absurd and long dream.

The dream was filled with that man’s scent and the sensations that made her Soul tremble.

It wasn't until the sun was high on the third day.

Only then did Su Xuanchen push the door open and step out, looking refreshed.

And on the bed.

Gu Lingshuang was curled up in the brocade quilt, her exposed shoulder covered in ambiguous red marks.

Tear stains still hung at the corners of her eyes, and she was so exhausted she couldn't even move a finger, falling into a deep sleep.

Even in her dreams, her brow remained tightly furrowed.

She seemed to still be struggling with why she would so shamelessly sink into the embrace of that “enemy”... While Su Xuanchen was immersed in the gentle land for these three days.

The outside world.

Had long since been turned upside down.

The news that Su Xuanchen had leveled the Myriad Spirits Sect within fifteen minutes on his wedding day exploded like a thunderclap throughout the entire Sacred Ruins Continent!

The Myriad Spirits Mountain Range.

This had once been a blessed land with rich Spiritual Qi, a cultivation Holy Land that countless Cultivators aspired to.

And now.

All that remained here was a massive, bottomless sinkhole.

For tens of thousands of miles around, peaks had collapsed and rivers had ceased to flow.

The air was thick with the lingering star power that wouldn't dissipate, as well as traces of a Saint's heart-palpitating resentment.

“Hiss—”

An expert from another province who had rushed over to investigate the situation stood at the edge of the sinkhole, sucking in a breath of cold air.

Looking at this apocalyptic scene before him, his legs were shaking.

“Is... is this really something human power can achieve?”

“The Myriad Spirits Sect... is really gone? Not even a mouse is left?”

Beside him, a white-haired old man had a solemn expression, holding a compass in his hand, trying to divine something.

“Crack!”

The compass suddenly exploded.

The old man violently spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with horror.

“Immeasurable! Incalculable!”

“That residual aura is too terrifying! It’s at least the Sixth Heaven of the Saint Realm... no! It might even be a powerhouse in the Late Stage of the Saint Realm!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding crowd fell into a deathly silence.

Late Stage Saint!

That was an existence standing at the pinnacle of the Sacred Ruins Continent!

One must know that the Myriad Spirits Sect's Saint Zilei was a powerhouse of the fourth heaven of the Saint Realm and had the protection of the Sect's Great Formation.

To be able to completely erase him along with the Formation within fifteen minutes.

Su Xuanchen's strength far exceeded everyone's imagination!

“The Su Family... is going to soar to the heavens.”

Someone murmured to themselves.

The news quickly spread to all the top-tier powers.

Taichu Sect.

As one of the oldest overlords of the Sacred Ruins Continent, the Taichu Sect Master was currently sitting in the main hall, looking at the intelligence in his hand, speechless for a long time.

“Destroying Myriad Spirits in fifteen minutes...”

He set down the report and rubbed his brow, his tone carrying deep wariness.

“Pass down the order.”

“From now on, when encountering members of the Su Family, retreat three steps.”

“Prepare a grand gift and send it to Tianyan City to celebrate Saint Su's wedding.”

“Remember, the gift list must be generous—three times more generous than before!”

Fentian Demon Palace.

Inside that palace where demonic fires burned all year round, the Demon Palace Master shattered the armrest of his throne with a palm strike.

“Damn it! Where did this monster Su Xuanchen come from?”

“It’s one thing to become a Saint at six thousand years old, but his combat power is also this Heaven-Defying?”

Fierce light flashed in his eyes, but ultimately it turned into a helpless sigh.

“Forget it.”

“Notify everyone to shrink our sphere of influence and give those mineral veins near the Northern Desolation... to the Su Family.”

“Consider it making a friend.”

Admitting defeat.

Faced with the overwhelming strength Su Xuanchen displayed, these two overlord forces chose to back down immediately.

As for the Lingxiao Sword Sect.

Ever since their Sect Master was thrown out of the Purple Heaven Palace like a dead dog that day, the entire Sect had directly sealed their mountains.

The Sect-protecting Formation was fully activated, not even letting a fly in or out.

They were clearly afraid Su Xuanchen would come knocking on their door and they would follow in the footsteps of the Myriad Spirits Sect.

For a time.

The three words “Su Xuanchen” became the most untouchable taboo in the Sacred Ruins Continent.

Countless people were privately discussing that this newly ascended Saint was likely already the number one person in the Sacred Ruins Continent on the surface!

The Su Family, leveraging the prestige of this battle, leaped to become one of the top-tier forces.

There was even a faint trend of them standing above other forces... The destruction of the Myriad Spirits Sect left behind more than just ruins.

There were also resources and territories that made people's eyes turn red with envy.

Although the headquarters had been wiped out by Su Xuanchen in one go, the Myriad Spirits Sect still had countless branches, mineral veins, herb gardens, and shops in various places.

This was a massive piece of fat meat.

Although Su Xuanchen looked down on these “scraps,” for other forces, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get rich.

And so.

A feast of division began.

Major second-rate and third-rate forces frantically pounced on the Myriad Spirits Sect's inheritance.

Even some top-tier forces couldn't sit still and began to act secretly.

However.

In this chaotic scramble for food.

One team was the most overbearing and the most conspicuous.

That was the Su Family's legion.

“Rumble—”

The ground trembled.

Three thousand death warriors clad in pitch-black heavy armor, riding One-Horned Kirin Beasts, galloped across the land like a black torrent.

Wherever they passed, Evil Qi soared to the heavens, and no one dared to block them.

And at the very front of the team.

The Su Family Clan Chief, Su Jingyuan, was dressed in High-Grade Spiritual Armor, holding a war saber, his face full of high spirits.

Behind him followed thirty Dao Protectors of the Eternal Realm with terrifying auras!

This lineup was more than enough to destroy a second-rate Sect, let alone grab territory.

“Ahead is the Myriad Spirits Sect's largest Red Gold Mineral Vein!”

Su Jingyuan pointed to a mountain range ahead shrouded in Spiritual Qi and shouted loudly.

“The Old Ancestor said that our Su Family has more people now and higher expenses, so we must know how to manage the household!”

“This mineral vein, our Su Family wants it!”

“Who agrees? Who opposes?”

At this time, several groups of people had already gathered around the mineral vein.

There were several nearby Sects, as well as some Loose Cultivator Alliances.

They were originally in a standoff, discussing how to divide it.

Seeing the Su Family army arrive, their faces instantly turned extremely ugly.

“The... the Su Family is here!”

“That’s Su Jingyuan! And those thirty Eternal Realm experts!”

“Damn it, what's the point of fighting for it now!”

A Sect Elder bit the bullet and stepped forward, saying with a forced smile:

“Clan Chief Su, we discovered this mineral vein first, according to the rules...”

“Rules?”

Su Jingyuan sneered, and his war saber suddenly swung.

“My Su Family’s saber is the rule!”

“The Old Ancestor destroyed the Myriad Spirits Sect; these things are originally our spoils of war!”

“I'll give you three breaths of time to get lost!”

“Otherwise, no mercy!”

“Boom!”

The three thousand death warriors behind him stepped forward in unison, their polearms leveled.

“Kill! Kill! Kill!”

The terrifying Killing Intent almost solidified, directly shocking that Elder into spitting blood and flying backward.

“Run!”

“The Su Family is too overbearing!”

The crowd instantly exploded into a mess, with everyone wishing they had two more legs, crawling and scrambling to flee the scene.

What a joke.

Reasoning with the Su Family?

The ashes of the Myriad Spirits Sect weren't even cold yet!

In this way.

The Su Family army entered as if into an uninhabited land.

Mineral vein after mineral vein, herb garden after herb garden, city after city.

As long as the Su Family took a fancy to it, they directly planted their flag and declared sovereignty.

Although other forces were extremely envious, they could only stare helplessly, angry but not daring to speak out.

Even the people from the Taichu Sect and Fentian Demon Palace chose to take the initiative to yield when they encountered the Su Family army.

In just three days.

Relying on Su Xuanchen's prestige and this invincible army, the Su Family forcefully seized one-third of the resources left by the Myriad Spirits Sect!

And it was all the most profitable and highest-value parts!

Countless Heaven And Earth Treasures and Spirit Stone mineral veins were transported back to Tianyan City like flowing water.

The Su Family's treasury was directly filled to the brim.

Their overall strength had expanded more than twofold in these few short days!

Inside Tianyan City.

The Su Family Elders looked at the mountain of resources, each of them grinning from ear to ear.

“We’ve struck it rich! This time we've really struck it rich!”

“With so many resources, it's enough for our Su Family to squander for a hundred years!”

“Hmph, those forces still wanted to compete with us for food? They should take a good look at themselves first!”

Su Tieyan stroked his beard, his eyes full of emotion.

“All of this was brought by the Old Ancestor.”

“Without the Old Ancestor's Divine Might, how could my Su Family have today's glory?”

Hearing this, everyone nodded one after another, their gazes toward the back mountain Forbidden Ground filled with fanatical worship.

There.

Was the Old Ancestor's sleeping quarters.

It was also the supreme Forbidden Ground of the entire Sacred Ruins Continent now... Inside the sleeping quarters.

Su Xuanchen leaned lazily against the headboard, playing with a transmission Jade Slip in his hand, listening to the results reported by Su Jingyuan.

“Mm, you did well.”

He offered a casual compliment and tossed the Jade Slip aside.

Regarding these external possessions, he didn't actually care much.

At his level, ordinary resources could hardly move his heart anymore.

His gaze fell upon Gu Lingshuang, who was still fast asleep beside him.

This was his greatest harvest.

He couldn't help but feel emotional; no wonder since ancient times, kings often neglected their morning courts.