In Douluo Palace, illuminated by hundreds of soul-guided lamp fixtures, the splendor was akin to a brightly lit stage.
Qin Xiao caught sight of the densely packed rankings directly in front of him.
They all belonged to the powerhouses of the Martial Soul Hall.
At the very bottom, Qin Xiao even spotted the name of Ghost Panther Douluo.
And standing before the many spirit tablets was a woman in a black dress, looking at Qin Xiao with an exceptionally calm gaze.
Though he had only encountered Bi Bidong on a few occasions, Qin Xiao recognized her at first glance.
One had to admit, Bi Bidong was indeed beautiful.
Her long hair lay about her shoulders carelessly, with not a single ornate accessory upon her head.
The black dress wasn't ostentatious, yet it accentuated her figure and aura to the fullest.
Perhaps it could be said the other way around; Bi Bidong could make any clothing look stunning, as if possessing the magical ability to turn decay into magnificence.
"You wouldn't have come just to see me, would you?" Bi Bidong asked calmly.
Qin Xiao nodded, "In a few days, I will be marrying Xue'er. I would like to invite you to attend."
Qin Xiao noticed that when he said these words, Bi Bidong's delicate body visibly shuddered. It was not hard to see that her heart was considerably shaken.
But, in the next moment, Bi Bidong's expression returned to normal again.
The incident just now felt like an illusion to Qin Xiao.
"You can go back now,"
Bi Bidong said coldly, "I will not attend Qian Renxue's wedding."
Qin Xiao gave Bi Bidong a deep look, said nothing more, and silently turned to leave.
He would not say that many years had passed and past grudges should be laid to rest now. The enmity between you and Qian Xun Ji should not extend to Qian Renxue, who is innocent, that kind of foolish talk.
Nor would he say, you attending would make Qian Renxue very happy, that kind of nonsense.
It's hard to advise the wise, and useless to advise the kind.
He wasn't Bi Bidong, so how could he understand how deep Bi Bidong's hatred for Qian Xun Ji was?
Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.
His main purpose for inviting Bi Bidong today was because she is Qian Renxue's biological mother.
Informing her was Qin Xiao's way of fulfilling his duty.
As for whether she would come, that was Bi Bidong's own business.
In short, it's up to her to attend or not.
...
Time flies swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, the day of great joy arrived.
Today, the entire Thunder Emperor City was in a fervor.
From the moment the sun rose, the cheers in the city never ceased.
The streets were crowded with people eager to catch a glimpse of His Majesty Thunder Emperor's true visage.
Indeed.
For those who had never seen Qin Xiao, his allure far surpassed that of the bride.
To quote the people in the city, what does it matter how pretty the bride is?
Isn't she still just a person?
But His Majesty Thunder Emperor was a god!
He was their faith, and if they could see His Majesty Thunder Emperor's demeanor with their own eyes, they could boast for a lifetime.
Even their children, and their children's children could boast for a lifetime.
When mentioning this event, they could proudly say, "My dad, my grandpa saw His Majesty Thunder Emperor's true face! Aren't we impressive?"
It's akin to a primary schooler bragging to others, "My dad has seen Ultraman," that kind of feeling...
...
Lei Di Inner City.
The courtyard belonging to Qin Xiao wasn't crowded, hosting only a few dozen people.
But any single one of them was a renowned character across the Soul Land.
Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, President of Tian Shui Academy, Headmaster of Chihuo College, a host of Titled Douluos from Martial Soul Hall, Fleet Admiral Ge Long, and so on...
It's worth noting that even that fellow, Deep Sea Demonic Whale, rushed over from Sea God's Island to attend Qin Xiao's wedding, offering his sincere blessings.
"My wish for you is that each of your wives gives birth to triplets, all boys."
Hearing Deep Sea Demonic Whale's words, Qin Xiao nearly acted to suppress this most despicable fellow on the spot.
Listen to this, are those words of blessing?
And in the central position of the courtyard, a row of people took their seats.
Qiandaoliu, Ning Fengzhi, Star Luo Retired Emperor, Yu Luomian, Du Gu Bo, and a few others.
In front of everyone, there stood Qin Xiao and Liu Erlong, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Meng Yiran, Qian Renxue, Dugu Yan, Ah Yin among several other brides.
"Haha, quick, bring me the soul-guided camera, I want to record this scene," Qiandaoliu laughed heartily.
"Qin Xiao, you never thought this day would come. After battling for so many years, it turns out I am the winner. So what if you're stronger? I am of a higher seniority than you,"
Du Gu Bo was also extremely happy.
He felt that even if he truly became a god one day in the future, it might not be as joyful as today.
The plan of many years had finally come to fruition; his granddaughter had done him proud!
Some were happy, some were delighted, while others were restless.
As the Star Luo Supreme Emperor was about to toast Qin Xiao, he nearly accomplished it.
But among the crowd, no one noticed a beautiful woman in a white dress, hiding amongst them, except for Qin Xiao.
She looked at Qin Xiao and snorted, "Hmph, who would have thought this man to be so fickle; one wedding and he has taken so many women."
"Aside from strong cultivation and good looks, what else does he have to offer? What makes him so enchanting?"
Without a doubt, this person was Gu Yuena. After leaving the Aquipeia Forest, she had wandered through the major cities of the human world and finally, during Qin Xiao's grand wedding, she had arrived here.
As for what she felt inside, two words sufficed to describe it: disappointment!
'Indeed, humans are foolish creatures, once their minds are muddled by so-called love, they become careless in their actions...'
Gu Yuena reminded herself to never let 'love' poison her in the future.
...
As time passed, one by one, the wedding arrangements were completed, and Qin Xiao's wedding banquet also reached its conclusion.
Suddenly, Qin Xiao raised his head and looked towards a particular spot in the sky.
While others couldn't see it, he could distinctly see the ripples in the void and sense a familiar presence.
He instantly deduced that someone was hiding there in the void, and it was someone he knew...
'Bi Bidong, you actually came after all...'
'But since you have come, why not show yourself? Perhaps you really missed an opportunity to reconcile with Xue'er.'
Qin Xiao couldn't help but sigh, a woman's thoughts are truly hard to grasp.
But then again, the proverb goes: 'It's hard to endure hardship oneself, let alone urge another to be good.' He wouldn't stand on his high horse of self-proclaimed righteousness to criticize others' decisions.
Of course...
If it were an enemy, that would be a different story.
"The bride and groom bow to each other, and to the bridal chamber..."
As per Qin Xiao's request, the officiant had to conduct this ceremony.
He even said that all other ceremonies could be omitted and go straight to the main event, and he wouldn't mind.
After all, who could say no to earthly pleasures?
With the departure to the bridal chamber, everyone in the courtyard knew that the grand soul power event was drawing to a close.
After witnessing Qin Xiao and the brides leaving, they tactfully exited the courtyard.
After all, what followed was no longer something they could participate in...
And Qin Xiao enjoyed an unprecedented happiness that made him want to linger forever.
Gorgeously dressed with flowers in her hair, she walked with golden lotus steps as the warm curtains of the bridal suite embraced the night of spring.
The dawn of spring is quickly overtaken by the rising sun, henceforth the king shunned the early court.
...
Time flies like an arrow.
Two months passed in a flash.
The Divine Realm.
Inside the Destruction God Temple, the Life Goddess suddenly heard a voice from outside:
"We request an audience with the Destruction God King!"
The Old Sea God and the Old Shura God had arrived... The Life Goddess's eyes flickered, and with her divine thoughts spreading, she had already sensed the movement outside the Destruction God Temple.
'If converted to Soul Land's time, Destruction has been gone for three years; why hasn't he returned yet?'
'He said that subjugating Soul Land wouldn't be difficult.'
The Life Goddess sighed inwardly as she remembered the missing Destruction God King.
She knew the Destruction God King might have encountered some difficulties...
Now that the Old Sea God and the Shura God were knocking at the door, she couldn't ignore them... Sighing, the Life Goddess had no choice but to meet the two herself.
With a wave of her hand, the massive doors of the Destruction God Temple swung open with a bang. Following that, two figures walked in.
One was tall and sturdy, wearing a blue robe with blue hair and eyes, the original Sea God, Poseidon.
Next to Poseidon stood a tall, thin figure covered in armor adorned with dark red demonic patterns. Only a pair of blood-colored eyes were exposed, creating a chilling presence.
And this person's identity was obvious: the previous Shura God. In the Divine Realm, his status was on par with the God Kings of Destruction, Life, Goodness, and Evil!