Marrying Wives and Attaining Immortality in a Chaotic World

Chapter 173: The Royal Son-in-Law

“This is getting more and more interesting. This trip was worth it!”

“On the Blood Sea side, two great experts have arrived, and even the Blood Sea Sovereign has come in person. However, they still can’t suppress Xu Lian. How many powerful figures are supporting this genius who has risen from the bottom?”

The guests from various factions in the audience were thoroughly entertained.

Even Xu Lian himself couldn’t figure it out, so how could anyone else know?

The Blood Sea’s Sovereign, seated on his bone throne, glanced at Xu Lian and said, “You’re quite impressive. With only the cultivation of a seventh-level grandmaster, you managed to fight the second-ranked genius of my Blood Sea to a draw. With so many powerful figures backing you up, if nothing goes wrong, you will undoubtedly become a formidable force in the future.

“The Blood Sea has always valued talent. If you join us, you can become a second-level genius like Wuyi.

Once you become a member of the Blood Sea, the outcome of this final match won’t matter. I can make Wuyi surrender so that you can claim victory and become the royal son-in-law.”

Xu Lian asked curiously, “I don’t quite understand. What does ‘second rank’ mean? Is there a first rank above it?”

Blood Sea’s Sovereign explained, “The so-called ranks refer to the hierarchy within the major factions for their younger generation. With so many young talents in each major faction, such ranks are common.

Wuyi is the second rank of Blood Sea. Above him is the first rank.

Those who make it into the first rank are peerless geniuses, the core of each top faction’s core. They are not revealed to the public, but are cultivated as hidden assets.

Once the first-ranked geniuses mature, they don’t casually involve themselves in conflicts between factions unless it’s a matter of survival.

Therefore, the second-tier geniuses will eventually become the high-ranking members of their respective factions.”

Xu Lian was shocked. With his cultivation at the ninth level of the Grandmaster realm, Xue Wuyi was only the second-ranked genius in the Blood Sea. How powerful must the first-class geniuses be?

Only now did he realize that the geniuses competing for the title of royal son-in-law were all second- or third-ranked talents from their respective factions. None of the first-ranked incomparable geniuses had participated.

“All this time, I’ve been competing with second- and third-tier geniuses… What was the point?”

Xu Lian felt a little disappointed. He had fought his way through so many geniuses to reach the finals, thinking that he had become one of the top talents of the younger generation. It turned out that he was only second-rate.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in joining the Blood Sea,” Xu Lian said.

Xue Wuyi, the two great experts from the Blood Sea, and even the Blood Sea’s Sovereign all had blood-red hair and crimson eyes, as if they had been exposed to nuclear radiation… The Blood Sea clearly had something sinister about it.

He had no desire to turn himself into some kind of monstrous being.

There was no such thing as a free lunch. The Blood Sea Sovereign’s invitation to join the Blood Sea couldn’t be all benefits with no drawbacks. There had to be some kind of “trap” waiting for him.

Just like when he became an honorary disciple of the Sword Pavilion, the Sword of Destruction would belong to the Sword Pavilion after his death. That was the price.

The voice of the Blood Sea Sovereign turned cold. “You have no interest in joining the Blood Sea, yet you ask questions? Are you mocking me?”

His temper changed quickly… Xu Lian replied, “That’s not what I meant. I was just asking casually.”

“Since you refuse to join the Blood Sea, we must win this final match. Whether Wuyi becomes the royal son-in-law of the Yin Dynasty is no longer important. What matters is that the Blood Sea will never bow to the forces that support you!”

The Blood Sea Sovereign’s tone was firm and left no room for negotiation.

Xu Lian fell silent. At this point, he couldn’t simply admit defeat.

His own pride wasn’t worth much, but he couldn’t let the great expert from the Huo Clan, the owner of the rusty spear, and the blurry figure lose face.

They had gone out of their way to help him, and they had stood strong against the Blood Sea.

If they weren’t backing down, then he had no reason to either.

If negotiations failed, then they would have to fight!

In reality, the first Blood Sea expert had been in a stalemate with the Huo Clan expert from the very beginning.

The second Blood Sea Great Expert had fought against the rusty spear, but the owner of the spear had not yet revealed themselves. This was somewhat humiliating… Fighting a weapon for so long without gaining the upper hand made the Blood Sea Great Expert both angry and worried.

The Blood Sea’s Sovereign couldn’t hold back any longer and finally attacked the blurry figure. He started with a probing strike, then vanished from his bone throne, reappearing in front of the blurry figure to engage in close combat!

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The two of them were clearly stronger than the other Great Experts, and their battle was especially intense. Almost instantly, the surrounding space began to collapse!

Fortunately, the claws of the nine golden dragons pressed down on the space from all directions, preventing the collapse from spreading.

Otherwise, the entire capital’s civilians would have suffered, and even the cultivators wouldn’t have been spared. The slightest ripple from such a battle could wipe out ordinary cultivators.

“Who is that person? They’re holding their own against the Blood Sea Sovereign, the leader of a top-tier faction.”

“Brother Xu, can you give us a clue?”

The other geniuses couldn’t contain their curiosity and began to ask Xu Lian about the identity of the blurry figure.

You’re asking me? Who should I ask?… Xu Lian replied, “She is my elder sister.”

The geniuses’ faces twitched, and they felt the urge to strangle him. A powerhouse of this level couldn’t possibly be his peer!

Since he refused to reveal anything, the geniuses had no choice but to continue watching the battle.

Even though they couldn’t see the details of such a high-level battle, just feeling the energy fluctuations might be beneficial to their cultivation. At the very least, it gave them a goal to strive for.

Boom!

The Blood Sea’s Sovereign, who had been engaged in close combat with the blurry figure, was suddenly sent flying. Everyone’s eyes widened in shock.

The Blood Sea’s Sovereign was furious. He reappeared in front of the blurry figure and resumed the melee.

Boom!

However, after just a moment, the Blood Sea’s Sovereign was sent flying again!

The crowd was stunned. It seemed that the Blood Sea’s Sovereign was no match for this person?

“Who are you? Why are you hiding your true form? Show yourself!”

The Blood Sea’s Sovereign roared, standing on his bone throne as he charged toward the figure once more.

The blurry, graceful figure spoke in an ethereal voice, “Haven’t you realized it yet? I am only a projection. If my true form were here, you would have died countless times by now.”

What…?

A projection?

Everyone was stunned.

Even the usually calm Yin Dynasty Emperor was visibly shocked. A mere projection was suppressing the Blood Sea’s Sovereign? How powerful must her true form be?

Boom!

The Blood Sea’s Sovereign was sent flying again, along with his throne, looking utterly disheveled!

“Retreat!”

The Blood Sea’s Sovereign was furious. He had no desire to continue the battle. With a wave of his sleeve, he took Xue Wuyi and disappeared into the vast expanse of the Blood Sea.

The two Great Experts of the Blood Sea also had no intention of continuing the battle and retreated into the Blood Sea.

Whoosh!

The Blood Sea that had enveloped the capital began to recede like a tide, retreating from the massive spatial rift.

Soon after, the endless sea of blood outside the capital retreated as well, disappearing into the distant horizon.

“Did I… win?”

Xu Lian felt as if he were in a dream. A top tier faction like the Blood Sea had been forced to retreat?

Snapping out of his daze, he quickly bowed to the Great Expert from the Fire Clan, the rusty spear, and the graceful blurry figure. “Thank you, Senior from the Fire Clan and the other two seniors, for your help. Please stay and have a celebratory drink with me.”

“No need. As your protector, I am bound by the rules of the Sword Pavilion and cannot interact with you excessively,” the Great Expert from the Fire Clan said. With that, he stepped into the void and disappeared.

The rusty spear pierced the void and disappeared as well.

The blurry, graceful figure dissipated without a trace, as if she had never been there.

“…” Xu Lian was at a loss for words. These experts were truly formidable, and they were sparing with their words.

The Great Expert of the Fire Clan and the other two seniors?

The other geniuses noticed his wording and looked at him strangely.

“You don’t even know who the other two are, do you?”

“You don’t even know them, yet they came to help you?”

Xu Lian speculated, “Apart from the Great Expert from the Fire Clan, I really don’t know who the other two seniors are. Maybe they are enemies of the Blood Sea?”

The geniuses didn’t know what to say. They felt a bit more balanced now. It was indeed possible that the other two were enemies of the Blood Sea who didn’t want Xue Wuyi, the second-ranked genius of the Blood Sea, to become the royal son-in-law of the Yin Dynasty, thus preventing an alliance between the Blood Sea and the Yin Dynasty.

Otherwise, why would they go to such lengths to help Xu Lian, whom they didn’t even know?

“The winner of the final match is Xu Lian!”

The Minister of Rites made the announcement.

Perhaps because the final match was so exciting, no one paid much attention to the result.

The officials, nobles, and guests from various factions of the Yin Dynasty were all speculating about the identities of the owner of the rusty spear and the blurry figure. Their attention was no longer on Xu Lian.

However, the commoners were overjoyed. Cheers erupted, finally giving the event a festive atmosphere. Xu Lian, the genius who had risen from the bottom, had “defied the odds” by defeating the genius of the Blood Sea and claimed victory. He was about to marry the princess, a story that resonated with the dreams of the common people.

“Xu Lian, step forward to receive your decree.”

The eunuch standing beside the Yin Dynasty Emperor spoke in a rhythmic, ceremonial tone.

Xu Lian walked up the steps to the platform and stopped in front of the dragon throne. He bowed to the emperor and waited for the decree to be read.

The eunuch began reading in a formal, cadenced voice, “By the decree of the Emperor of the Yin Dynasty, it is proclaimed: Xu Lian of Green Bamboo Town, Pingyang County, Taizhou Prefecture is virtuous, humble, and diligent in his cultivation. Like a polished gem, he has become a pillar of the court. He is hereby appointed the royal son-in-law of the Imperial Princess, with the rank of a fifth class official. A perfect match, blessed by heaven, the wedding shall take place at this auspicious hour.”

Xu Lian bowed deeply. “Your servant accepts the decree.”

Two young eunuchs approached, carrying the official robes, seal, and other items for the royal son-in-law, as well as a set of wedding clothes.

Xu Lian accepted them.

A group of palace maids surrounded him, giggling and chattering.

“Royal Son-in-Law, please bathe and change into your wedding attire.”

“The auspicious hour has come. It’s time for the wedding ceremony.”

“…” Xu Lian followed them to bathe and change into the wedding attire. In this world, weddings were conducted quickly, and he had no objections to that. Speed wasn’t a bad thing.

The crowd didn’t disperse. Countless eunuchs streamed down from the palace above, carrying red lanterns, decorations, and red silk, and quickly set up the venue.

By the time Xu Lian finished bathing and dressing, the area had been transformed into a festive scene filled with joy. Banquet tables were set up with remarkable efficiency…

As the sound of gongs and drums filled the air, a sixteen-person palanquin emerged from the fog-shrouded palace, followed by a long procession. This was the Imperial Princess, the bride.

At the cheerful gesture of the Minister of Rites, Xu Lian stepped forward, lifted the sedan curtain, and helped the princess out with a red silk cloth. The princess was veiled, so Xu Lian couldn’t see her face, but he assumed that the Imperial Princess of the Yin Dynasty could not be anything less than beautiful.

Next was the wedding ceremony.

“Bow to heaven and earth.”

“Bow to the Emperor.”

“Bow to each other as husband and wife.”

“The ceremony is complete!”

With that, the wedding was over.

Xu Lian escorted the princess to her residence, and then returned to host the banquet.

The other geniuses, eager to befriend the rising star Xu Lian, chatted and laughed with him, toasting him repeatedly.

The guests from various factions, court officials, and nobles all showed him great respect.

The banquet lasted until late into the night before it finally came to an end.

Xu Lian made his way to the princess’s residence.

Upon entering the princess’s chamber, he waved his hand, and the palace maids, giggling behind their hands, tactfully left.

Xu Lian closed the door and bolted it shut.

He walked over to the bed and sat down next to the princess.

Glancing at her, he could see that she was a bit nervous.

Xu Lian slowly lifted her red veil… It was like opening a blind box.

When he saw the princess’s face, his eyes lit up. Not only was she beautiful, but she was stunningly so, with a breathtaking elegance.

Xu Lian said, “It’s late. Let’s rest early…”

The princess blushed and nodded quietly. “Mm.”

Without another word, Xu Lian blew out the red candles, ushering in the beginning of a beautiful night.