85: The quasi-emperor's greed led him to send the dragon girl as a dowry?

Kunlun Sacred Hall, Gold Emperor's Hall.

This is the Peak of power in the Kunxu Divine Domain. Amidst the swirling clouds and mist, golden palaces float like a heavenly palace.

"Bang!"

A Great Saint wearing a Golden Feather Cloak, with a withered aura, knelt heavily on the golden bricks in the square before the hall.

Heavenly Azure King.

This former king of the Golden-Winged Great Peng Clan, who once awed the region, had his forehead touching the ground, his whole body trembling, as humble as a stray dog.

"Your sinful subject, Heavenly Azure, pays respects to Your Majesty Gold Emperor!"

"I beg Your Majesty... to seek justice for my clan!"

The hall doors remained tightly shut.

After a long time, an indifferent yet majestic voice, sounding like heavenly thunder, drifted out from within the hall.

"Heavenly Azure, you still have the face to come here?"

"You have completely lost the face of the Peng Clan. Kneeling here now, how are you any different from a dog? What kind of decorum is this?"

Heavenly Azure King gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with resentment and determination.

"Your Majesty! It is not that your subject is incompetent, but that Su Xuanchen is simply too much of a Prodigy!"

"Your subject is willing to offer the whereabouts of the tian peng halberd—the emperor weapon left behind by our clan's ancestor, the Supreme Dao Great Emperor Tian Peng Emperor!"

"I only ask Your Majesty to take action and suppress this scoundrel to avenge my clan's humiliation!"

The hall doors swung wide open in response.

A golden path rolled out.

A middle-aged man wearing a Nine-Dragon Golden Robe and an imperial crown walked out with his hands behind his back.

Gold Emperor.

A genuine Quasi-Emperor powerhouse!

In his originally calm eyes, a terrifying brilliance erupted.

"tian peng halberd?"

Gold Emperor stared at Heavenly Azure King, his breathing becoming slightly hurried.

"Is this true?"

"If there is a single word of falsehood, this Emperor will skin you alive right now!"

That was a supreme dao emperor weapon!

If he could obtain the tian peng halberd, his combat strength would skyrocket, and he would even have the confidence to challenge a Great Emperor!

"It is absolutely true!"

Heavenly Azure King kowtowed repeatedly.

"That emperor weapon is located within an ancient Secret Realm, and your subject has the method to open it!"

"Good! Good! Good!"

Gold Emperor laughed loudly, his body radiating intense golden light, in an extremely good mood.

"Seeing as you have contributed by offering this treasure, this Emperor shall help you once."

"Speak, who is that enemy?"

Heavenly Azure King raised his head, his eyes full of satisfaction.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, it is the Su Family Ancestor of the True Saint Continent, Su Xuanchen!"

The atmosphere suddenly froze.

The temperature plummeted to the freezing point.

The smile on Gold Emperor's face vanished, and his body emitted a bone-chilling Killing Intent capable of freezing the Soul.

"Su... Xuan... Chen?!"

Every word was squeezed out from between his teeth.

"The one who... killed my son Jin Yu and even destroyed a wisp of this Emperor's Divine Thought... Su Xuanchen?!"

When a Quasi-Emperor is enraged, heaven and earth change color.

Above the entire Kunlun Sacred Hall, thunder rolled, and the golden Killing Intent transformed into a tangible storm.

Heavenly Azure King was so terrified that he prostrated himself on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.

"It is exactly him!"

"Your Majesty, this youth has a damaged emperor weapon in his hands; he is very sinister..."

"Shut up!"

Gold Emperor roared, his eyes a mixture of greed and hatred.

"Originally, this Emperor was going to settle the score with him; I didn't expect him to deliver himself to my door!"

"A damaged emperor weapon?"

Gold Emperor licked his lips, his smile hideous.

"Very good."

"I want the tian peng halberd."

"And I want the emperor weapon in his hands as well!"

"With two emperor weapons gathered, who in the Kunxu Divine Domain will still be a match for this Emperor?!"

"Pass the order!"

Gold Emperor waved his large sleeve, overflowing with Killing Intent.

"Assemble the Golden-Armored Divine Guards!"

"Follow this Emperor to retrieve the tian peng halberd!"

"Once the divine weapon is in hand, this Emperor will personally descend upon the True Saint Continent and... tear that Su Xuanchen into ten thousand pieces!"

...True Saint Continent, Wanbao City.

As soon as Su Xuanchen landed, before he could even enjoy the joy of returning home.

"Stop right there!"

A delicate shout rang out.

At the entrance of the Purple Heaven Palace, a silver figure blocked his path.

It was the Dragon girl he had "picked up," Ao Qing.

After this period of recuperation, along with the irrigation of the Su Family's priceless divine medicines, her injuries had mostly healed.

She wore a light blue Flowing Immortal Gown. The pair of broken horns on her forehead had been covered by exquisite silver ornaments, which instead added a unique sense of fragile beauty.

However, this princess of the Sea Race was currently blushing, hands on her hips, trying hard to put on a fierce expression.

"What is it?"

Su Xuanchen raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a half-smile.

"Injuries healed? Want to fight?"

"Who... who wants to fight you!"

Ao Qing's face turned red, her eyes darting away, but she still braced herself and said:

"I... I'm here to negotiate terms with you!"

"Terms?"

"That's right!"

Ao Qing puffed out her developing chest and raised her chin proudly.

"You saved me, and I also promised... that bad woman..."

She stole a glance at the smiling Gu Lingshuang beside her, shrunk her neck, and lowered her voice.

"But I am the Saintess of the Sea God Palace! I am of the Silver Dragon Royal Family!"

"You... you can't just take me in so casually!"

"You must go to the Sea God Palace! Present betrothal gifts! Marry me with proper ceremony!"

"Otherwise... otherwise, I won't marry!"

Su Xuanchen was stunned.

He turned his head and looked at Gu Lingshuang with a strange expression.

"Wife, is this girl's brain still not fully recovered?"

"I saved her life, and now she wants me to pay betrothal gifts?"

"This is a losing business deal."

Gu Lingshuang covered her mouth and chuckled, giving him a flirtatious roll of her eyes.

Then, she stepped forward and intimately took Ao Qing's hand.

"Little sister, you've misunderstood."

"What my husband means is that the betrothal gifts should naturally be given."

"However..."

Gu Lingshuang shifted the conversation, her golden eyes gleaming with cunning.

"I heard that the Sea God Palace is currently facing a siege from the Eastern Dragon Palace and is in a precarious situation?"

Ao Qing's face turned pale, her pride fading, replaced by deep worry.

"Yes..."

"The eldest prince of the Eastern Dragon Palace, Ao Lin, is in seclusion attempting to break through to Quasi-Emperor."

"Once he emerges, the Sea God Palace will surely be destroyed."

"That's exactly it."

Gu Lingshuang patted the back of her hand, her tone persuasive, like a Big Bad Wolf enticing Little Red Riding Hood.

"Think about it, if my husband doesn't go, won't the Sea God Palace be finished?"

"Your clansmen, your mother, won't they all die?"

Ao Qing's eyes reddened, and she nodded.

"So."

Gu Lingshuang finally revealed her true intention.

"My husband going to the Sea God Palace is to save lives, not to deliver betrothal gifts."

"Since he's saving lives, shouldn't the Sea God Palace show some appreciation?"

"This..."

Ao Qing was getting confused. She blinked her large eyes, unable to say exactly what was wrong, yet it felt very reasonable.

"Then... then what should be done?"

"It's simple."

Gu Lingshuang leaned into her ear and whispered:

"As the Saintess, you represent the Sea God Palace. Bring the entire Sect with you as a dowry and marry into the Su Family."

"In this way, the Sea God Palace becomes the property of the Su Family."

"Isn't it only natural for my husband to protect his own property?"

"Furthermore, I'll tell you a secret."

Gu Lingshuang said mysteriously:

"That Eastern Dragon Palace prince will take at least two or three more years to emerge from seclusion."

"During this time, as long as you serve my husband well and make him happy."

"When the time comes, let alone one Quasi-Emperor, even if there are ten, my husband can settle them for you!"

Ao Qing listened, completely dazed.

Not only did he want her, but he also wanted the entire Sea God Palace packaged and sent over?

Isn't... isn't this just giving everything away for free?

But thinking of Su Xuanchen's terrifying power in suppressing four Great Saints with a wave of his hand, and then thinking of the safety of her mother and clansmen.

Ao Qing bit her lip.

She'd go for it!

As long as she could save the Sea God Palace, what did it matter if she sold herself?

Besides... this man wasn't bad-looking, and he was strong; it wasn't really a loss.

"Fine!"

Ao Qing raised her head, her face filled with the tragic heroism of "if I don't enter Hell, who will?"

"I agree!"

"As long as you can save the Sea God Palace, I... and the Sea God Empress, and even those goddesses left behind by the Dragon Ancestor..."

"Will all be yours!"

"Pfft—!"

Su Xuanchen spat out the mouthful of tea he had just sipped.

"What was that?"

"Buy one get one free isn't enough? Is this a wholesale deal?"

He looked at Ao Qing's expression of facing death with equanimity, then at the cunningly smiling Gu Lingshuang.

In his heart, he silently gave his first wife a big thumbs-up.

Impressive.

Truly impressive.

This routine... cough, this ideological work was simply superb.

"Alright."

Su Xuanchen put down his teacup, walked over to Ao Qing, and reached out to pinch her soft, delicate cheek.

"Since you've said so."

"Then from now on, we're one family."

"Go, massage my shoulders. My hands are sore from all the killing these past few days."

Ao Qing's face turned red, but she didn't resist.

She obediently walked behind Su Xuanchen, reached out her slender little hands, and began to massage with just the right amount of pressure.

With that submissive appearance, where was there any trace of the air of a princess of the Sea Race?

She looked exactly like an obedient little wife... Half a month later.

Another extremely grand wedding was held in Wanbao City.

This time the protagonist was the Saintess of the Sea God Palace, of the Silver Dragon Royal Family, Ao Qing.

It wasn't as shocking as marrying nine at once last time, but its significance was by no means light.

Because as Ao Qing married into the Su Family, the entire Sea God Palace, along with the three thousand sea regions under its command, nominally became vassals of the Su Family!

The Su Family's territory thus extended from the land to the deep sea!

On the wedding night.

Red candles flickered.

Ao Qing sat nervously on the edge of the bed, her hands wringing the corner of her clothes, her heart pounding.

"What? Still afraid?"

Su Xuanchen lifted her bridal veil, looking at that face which was exquisitely beautiful beyond words.

"N-no... I'm not afraid..."

Ao Qing stammered, but her body honestly shrank back a little.

"That... Sister Gu said..."

"Said... said what?"

Su Xuanchen leaned closer to her, his nose almost touching hers.

"Said... I should be more proactive..."

Ao Qing closed her eyes and steeled her heart.

She reached out, clumsily wrapped her arms around Su Xuanchen's neck, and pressed her red lips against his.

"Husband... please be gentle..."

Like dry wood and a blazing fire.

That night, Dragon roars echoed within the Purple Heaven Palace, and the spring scenery could not be contained.

Shortly after the wedding.

The Su Family did not immerse themselves in the lap of luxury.

Su Xuanchen gave the order.

Su Jingyuan led the Su Family Iron Cavalry, aided by the two Great Saints brought by Yan Ruyu and various experts who had surrendered later, and began the final sweep of the True Saint Continent.

Those who submitted prospered; those who resisted perished.

The Su Family's battle flags were planted across all one hundred and eight domains of the True Saint Continent.

Whether it was a Holy Land with a ten-thousand-year Legacy or an ancient clan living in seclusion, before the Su Family's terrifying foundation, they had only two choices:

Submit, or be destroyed.

In just three short months.

The True Saint Continent was unified!

This was a feat never before achieved since ancient times!

The name of the Su Family resonated throughout the entire Kunxu Divine Domain.

Even those high-and-mighty Emperor Clans and Sacred Halls began to turn their gazes toward this remote corner.

Shock, wariness, attempts at recruitment... countless undercurrents began to surge.