38: Chapter 38 Just as he was about to go on his honeymoon with Huo Ling'er, the catastrophe of the Heaven-Mending Pavilion arrived.

The Golden Crow rose in the east, and the first ray of dawn filtered through the cracks in the window lattice, spilling onto the slightly disheveled canopy bed.

The air was still thick with the lingering scent of last night's intimacy, a mixture of dragon incense, feminine fragrance, and an indescribable, ambiguous aroma.

Wang Teng slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was the tranquil sleeping face in his arms.

Nourished by the rain and dew of the night, Princess Huo Linger now looked like a fully bloomed begonia, delicate and dripping with charm.

She curled up in Wang Teng's embrace, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath her eyelids, a satisfied and serene smile still hanging on the corners of her mouth.

Seemingly sensing the movement beside her, Princess Huo Linger's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly woke up.

When her dazed eyes met Wang Teng's smiling gaze, the wild and shameful images of last night instantly flooded her mind.

"Ah…"

She let out a low cry, like a startled little ostrich.

Subconsciously, she pulled the quilt over her head, burying herself completely, leaving only a pair of ears that were red enough to drip blood exposed.

"Hehe, my good wife, isn't it a bit too late to be shy now?"

Wang Teng was in a great mood; he reached out and rubbed her little head through the quilt, his tone full of doting and teasing.

If it were before, this girl would have definitely bristled, either waving her little fists to punch him or opening her mouth to bite him.

But today, there was only a slight squirming beneath the quilt.

Then, a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum, yet as gentle as water, came from beneath:

"Husband… stop it, it's… it's time to get up. We still need to go serve tea to the Fire Emperor."

As she spoke, she slowly poked her head out from the quilt.

Although her stunningly beautiful face was flushed with red clouds.

The look she gave Wang Teng lacked the usual willful arrogance, replaced by the gentle tenderness of a newlywed wife.

Enduring the soreness of her body, she wanted to get up and help Wang Teng dress.

The gentleness and obedience revealed in her every movement made it seem as if she were a completely different person.

Wang Teng felt a surge of heat in his heart and grabbed her little hands as she prepared to work.

He pulled her back into his arms and planted a heavy kiss on her smooth forehead:

"What's the rush for tea? That old man swindled me out of so much dowry last night; what's wrong with letting him wait a little longer?"

"Husband! You are not allowed to talk about the Fire Emperor like that!"

Princess Huo Linger gave him a coquettish glare, but her gaze was soft and harmless, feeling more like she was acting spoiled.

She extended her lotus-like arms to wrap around Wang Teng's neck, pressing her face against his chest to listen to his strong heartbeat.

Her heart was filled with unprecedented peace and happiness.

"Husband…"

"Hmm?"

"Let's stay in the Imperial Capital for a few days, and then go out for a stroll, shall we?"

Princess Huo Linger's voice was soft, filled with a hint of longing.

"Ever since we went to Baiduan Mountain, I haven't seen the outside scenery for a long time.

Besides… we just got married, and I want to spend more time alone with you."

This was essentially asking for a honeymoon in disguise.

Wang Teng played with a strand of her hair and nodded with a smile:

"As you wish. Where do you want to go in these Eight Regions of the Lower Realm?

Your husband is now at the peak of the Venerable realm; even if we cross the great regions, taking you to see the sea is a matter of the blink of an eye."

Princess Huo Linger tilted her little head to think, and her eyes suddenly lit up:

"Let's go to Tianshen Mountain!"

"Tianshen Mountain?"

Wang Teng raised an eyebrow.

"Yes! Sister Yun Xi's home is there."

Princess Huo Linger said enthusiastically.

"I heard Sister Yun Xi say that Tianshen Mountain towers into the clouds and is surrounded by divine light all year round.

There are many exotic flowers, rare herbs, and precious birds and beasts there that don't exist in the outside world; it's as beautiful as a fairyland."

Speaking of this, she stole a glance at Wang Teng, a flash of slyness in her eyes:

"Besides… Sister Yun Xi didn't return to the Imperial Capital with us this time; she went straight back to Tianshen Mountain to report for duty.

Husband, you… don't you want to go see her?"

Hearing this, Wang Teng couldn't help but pinch her little nose and laughed:

"You girl, you've just married into the family and you're already trying to arrange concubines for me? What's wrong, do you think having one husband isn't tiring enough?"

"Oh! You're terrible!"

Princess Huo Linger was so embarrassed she punched him, but then she said seriously.

"Sister Yun Xi is a very good person, and she helped us a lot at Baiduan Mountain.

As a goddess of the Celestial Race, her status is sensitive, if we could… anyway, going to Tianshen Mountain to take a look is always a good thing."

A flash of brilliance appeared in Wang Teng's eyes.

Tianshen Mountain, it is one of the gathering places of the Ancient Divine Mountains, with unfathomable heritage.

Taking a trip there might allow him to snag quite a few good things, and by the way, he could completely abduct that purple-haired goddess back.

"Alright! I'll listen to my wife!"

Wang Teng waved his hand, full of heroic spirit: "Our first stop will be Tianshen Mountain!

When the time comes, I'll beat those old men of Tianshen Mountain until they submit, and make them hand over the best divine materials as gifts for my wife!"

Princess Huo Linger giggled at his antics, and the bedroom was filled with warmth and sweetness.

However, this wonderful atmosphere did not last long.

"Boom!"

The bedroom door was suddenly pushed open extremely violently, and the door frame was almost shattered.

A wave of restless, heavy, and even irrepressible imperial pressure filled with the aura of slaughter instantly dispersed the intimacy in the room.

"Who is so tactless?!"

Wang Teng's good deed was interrupted, his face instantly darkened, and a flash of murderous intent appeared in his eyes.

Subconsciously, he wrapped the quilt around and shielded Princess Huo Linger in his arms tightly behind him.

But when he saw who it was, his brow furrowed.

The person who arrived was none other than the Fire Emperor.

But at this moment, where was the high-spirited Fire Emperor from last night's forced marriage, or the festive appearance of someone waiting to drink tea as imagined earlier?

He was still wearing the red-gold imperial robe.

But his hair was somewhat disheveled, and his normally majestic square face was now filled with unprecedented gravity and anxiety, and even…

A trace of undisguised shock and anger.

He strode into the bedroom, not even glancing at the messy clothes on the floor or the ambiguous scene on the bed.

His eyes, burning with divine fire, stared fixedly at Wang Teng.

"Father? What happened?"

Princess Huo Linger poked her head out from behind Wang Teng, and seeing the Fire Emperor in this state, a sense of foreboding suddenly rose in her heart.

She had never seen the Fire Emperor show such an uncomposed expression.

The Fire Emperor took a deep breath.

His voice was hoarse, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a thick scent of blood:

"Something has happened."

"Something big has happened!"

He looked at Wang Teng, his gaze intense, his tone urgent and heavy:

"I just received an urgent secret report from the border, as well as messages transmitted by several spies who risked their lives while lurking deep in the Desolate Region…"

The Fire Emperor paused, seemingly calming his emotions, and then uttered a piece of information that would shake the entire Desolate Region:

"Butian Pavilion… is finished!"

"What?!"

Princess Huo Linger exclaimed, her face turning pale instantly.

"Butian Pavilion? That Bad Seed Shi Hao is still there! How could…"

Wang Teng's eyes also narrowed slightly; within his double pupils, two miniature killing formations began to rotate slowly, emitting a dangerous aura.

"Explain clearly." Wang Teng's voice was calm, but it carried a chilling coldness that made one's heart tremble.

Butian Pavilion was one of the top human orthodoxies in the Desolate Region, inherited from ancient times with deep heritage.

Although it couldn't compare to an ancient kingdom like the Fire Kingdom, it was definitely a behemoth. How could it just be finished?

The Fire Emperor gritted his teeth and said hatefully:

"It's a siege! A long-planned siege!"

"Not only are there Ancient Remains and pure-blooded creatures from other regions, but several Ancient Divine Mountains within our own Desolate Region are fueling the flames behind the scenes!

Even… some major sects of human scum are participating in it!"

"They somehow found out the news that the ancient sacrificial spirit vine of Butian Pavilion is about to pass away.

They have gathered several terrifying existences at the Venerable level, along with countless armies of beast tides, and have already surrounded Butian Pavilion!"

"They want to take advantage of the fall of the old vine to divide up the endless heritage of Butian Pavilion and massacre all the human geniuses there!"

Speaking of this, two feet-long divine fires erupted from the Fire Emperor's eyes, his voice filled with the anger and sorrow of a rabbit mourning the death of a fox:

"This is to sever the foundation of our human race!

If Butian Pavilion is destroyed, the next one… might be my Fire Kingdom, or the Shi Kingdom!

This is a great calamity targeting the entire human race of the Desolate Region!"