Chapter 261: In this world, there's more than just magic!

Marquis Qitian looked full of confidence as he watched Princess Qianyou's distant expression of astonishment, a confidence that seemed boundless, a confidence held firmly in his grasp.

With flowers dancing in the sky, endless petals swirling around, even someone as cold-hearted as Princess Qianyou would surely be moved!

With a slight step, Marquis Qitian caused countless petals to surge from all directions, gathering more and more, slowly lifting him higher and higher.

And below, the petals gathered more and more, forming what seemed like a slowly materializing bridge of petals.

Through the combined efforts of numerous experts and Marquis Qitian, a flower bridge gradually took shape. The colorful petals framed Marquis Qitian like a romantic celestial being, carrying him towards the distant location of Princess Qianyou.

Princess Qianyou was already dumbfounded, as were Ah Da and Ah Er.

Large-scale spells were forbidden in the Ancient Sacred Capital, yet before them lay a spell that covered the sky and earth. Why it was allowed had been forgotten, and at this moment, the three were immersed in the romantic atmosphere of the sea of flowers.

At this moment, a flower bridge in the distance became the biggest highlight in the sea of flowers, as if the entire world of flowers had been born for that flower bridge, for the figure on the bridge who seemed like a hero of heaven and earth.

The person on the bridge became the protagonist of the moment, with everyone looking at him with admiration.

Marquis Qitian! Gu Lin?

Finally, after a moment of confusion, everyone recognized Marquis Qitian, who wore a phoenix-winged purple gold crown, lock-golden armor, lotus-silk cloud shoes, and exuded a sharpness that seemed to pierce the heavens and earth.

Marquis Qitian, full of vigor, could conquer countless hearts with just his appearance and demeanor.

Princess Qianyou, Ah Da, and Ah Er returned to their senses, but Zhongshan remained frowning and cold-eyed throughout. This Gu Lin was indeed not as ordinary as before. At least before, he could never exude such aura. Even with guidance, it would have been impossible. This was a kind of powerful pride, coupled with which, the sky full of flowers vividly portrayed the meaning of the "star effect."

The most romantic thing was the interweaving of iron and tenderness, the companionship of heroes and poetry, which Gu Lin achieved. No, it should be said that Marquis Qitian achieved it. Regardless of whether it was real or not, within that aura, he exhibited the true colors of a heroic iron-blooded man, yet amidst the endless flowers, he also created a poetic sentiment of tenderness. It was truly a world of difference after two years!

Not far away, Marquis Qitian suddenly produced a purple flower about one meter in diameter in his hand. A super-sized purple orchid.

Princess Qianyou had been watching, her eyes flashing with surprise, delight, and puzzlement as she looked at Marquis Qitian standing on the flower bridge.

Finally, on the head of the giant white tiger, the flower bridge bearing Marquis Qitian reached its destination. Standing on the tiger's head, he said, "Qianyou, I'm back!"

It should have been a welcome to Princess Qianyou, but coming from Marquis Qitian, it seemed as if he were the one returning from a distant place.

"Congratulations!" Princess Qianyou said sincerely.

"Do you know what the first thing I did when I came back was?" Marquis Qitian stared at Princess Qianyou.

"What?" Princess Qianyou asked, puzzled.

"This Purple Heart Sky Orchid. Remember when you said you wanted a 'Purple Heart Sky Orchid'? I went to the Lan Yue Sea and waited for four months. Finally, I managed to get one. I picked it myself, just to give it to you today," Marquis Qitian said with a hint of deep affection.

Hearing Marquis Qitian's words and feeling the atmosphere before, any girl would be deeply moved. But at this moment, Princess Qianyou looked at Zhongshan beside her.

With an immensely disappointed glance, she looked at Zhongshan.

This small gesture didn't escape Marquis Qitian's eyes. His eyebrows raised slightly as he immediately turned to Princess Qianyou and said, "Qianyou, while I was resisting that person's consciousness in the Niman Palace, I also created an image of you in my mind. Several times when I was on the verge of defeat, it was 'you' who encouraged me. Seeing 'you' filled me with renewed determination. It wasn't just me who defeated that person; it was us together. I didn't even want to come back because there was a 'you' there. I wanted to stay with that 'you' forever, for ten thousand years, until the limits of human endurance were exhausted. But in the end, I remembered the real you outside. The one in my mind was just an illusion. Only you are real. For you, I defeated my own attachment and left the Niman Palace."

Although Marquis Qitian's words could intoxicate a group of people, Princess Qianyou took a deep breath and looked at the 'Purple Heart Sky Orchid' in Marquis Qitian's hand, feeling somewhat reluctant as she said, "Gu Lin, the past is the past. It wasn't me who helped you; it was you who helped yourself. It was you who forged a determination. And about the matter of the Sealing Spirit City, you should have heard about it, right? The Heavenly Tail Flower devours people. Even now, I still feel a bit repulsed and hesitant about flowers. Thank you for today's reception, but I really can't stand seeing so many flowers right now. I'm sorry!"

"Repulsed by flowers?" Marquis Qitian raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Zhongshan beside him.

Finally, Marquis Qitian smiled slightly and said, "I was trying to make you happy. It was truly my mistake."

With a wave of his hand, Marquis Qitian made a sweeping gesture.

"Whoosh!"

Billions of petals, at Marquis Qitian's command, fell to the ground, no longer dancing in the sky. Marquis Qitian also put away the Purple Heart Sky Orchid in his hand. The long dreamy flower bridge also fell to the ground, and for a moment, the sky and earth became clear.

"Qianyou, I have prepared a welcoming banquet for you at my Qitian Mansion. You haven't visited my Qitian Mansion before, have you?" Marquis Qitian said.

"No, I've been away for a few years, and I'm a little tired. I want to go back and rest first. Thank you for your kindness. If there's a chance in the future, I'll visit again," Princess Qianyou said.

As she spoke, a hint of unfamiliarity crept into Princess Qianyou's tone, distancing the two even further.

Marquis Qitian raised an eyebrow, then smiled faintly and said, "Okay!"

"Ah Er," Princess Qianyou said.

Ah Er immediately understood and drove the white cloud, carrying Princess Qianyou, Zhongshan, and Ah Da towards a distant direction.

Meanwhile, Marquis Qitian stood on the head of the white tiger, watching as the white cloud carried the four away. He grabbed the long phoenix wing on his head with his right hand, his eyes gleaming with arrogance and absolute self-confidence.

Marquis Qitian knew that Princess Qianyou didn't truly dislike flowers, because at the last moment, she still looked unwilling to part with the Purple Heart Sky Orchid. There must be another reason, and Marquis Qitian had probably guessed it. That one irritating factor was Zhongshan!

"Zhongshan?!"

Marquis Qitian's eyes flashed with a hint of brightness as he uttered Zhongshan's name. There was a hint of resentment in his eyes, but more than that, there was disdain—

In the Ancient Sacred Capital, Princess Qianyou's residence.

Princess Qianyou's residence was a large restricted area where outsiders were not allowed to disturb. There were twenty floating islands inside, and only one of the floating islands would pass through this restricted area. The owner of that floating island was also Princess Qianyou.

Below, on the ground, stood a huge palace, the 'Youlan Palace.'

Princess Qianyou, Zhongshan, Ah Da, and Ah Er all walked in.

"Sir, you will live next to the Youlan Palace from now on," Princess Qianyou said.

"Good!" Zhongshan nodded.

"Sir, how did you find the flower-filled environment that Gu Lin created just now?" Princess Qianyou suddenly smiled at Zhongshan.

"It was like a dream." Zhongshan replied straightforwardly.

"Yes, like a dream indeed. You know, at that time, Qianyou really liked it." Princess Qianyou stared at Zhongshan.

Seeing Princess Qianyou's gaze intensify, Zhongshan sighed lightly and smiled.

"Qianyou said those things against her heart because of you, sir. You owe me something!" Princess Qianyou said.

Meanwhile, Ah Da and Ah Er were very tactful and walked to a distance to wait, allowing Zhongshan and Princess Qianyou to have a private conversation.

"Owe? How do you want me to repay?" Zhongshan answered readily.

Zhongshan had told Princess Qianyou before that their relationship was only sentimental and not deeply profound, needing time to prove. But seeing Marquis Qitian expressing his love so fervently, even though Zhongshan's feelings were not particularly strong, he still felt somewhat displeased. It was as if Princess Qianyou could sense Zhongshan's inner voice and very cooperatively rejected that declaration of love.

Zhongshan felt quite relieved, so much so that when he looked at Princess Qianyou, he thought she looked even more beautiful. So when Princess Qianyou mentioned "repayment," Zhongshan readily agreed.

"I want... I want you, sir, to create a grander scene for Qianyou than Marquis Qitian did, something entirely dedicated to her. A magnificent spectacle born solely for Qianyou." Princess Qianyou said.

Every girl has dreams and aspirations, and although Princess Qianyou was at the Combined Body stage in her cultivation, she still had her own dreams. She wished for the person she liked to be the most outstanding, even if only in some aspect.

Watching Princess Qianyou, Zhongshan took a deep breath because there was a hint of coquettishness in Princess Qianyou's tone.

"Here in the Ancient Sacred Capital?" Zhongshan stared at Princess Qianyou and asked.

"Yes, right here." Princess Qianyou affirmed, her eyes flashing with anticipation.

"Alright, within ten days, I will prepare a visually stunning spectacle for the princess, a scene that will surpass anything Marquis Qitian did before, completely dedicated to Qianyou, to let everyone know that you've returned." Zhongshan nodded firmly.

Hearing Zhongshan's words, Princess Qianyou first felt joy, then a bit of worry. "Sir, large-scale spells are not allowed in the city," she reminded him.

"Don't worry, in this world, there's more than just magic!" Zhongshan smiled slightly.