Qingyu shook her head in exasperation. "I don't know.... Itâs impossible, Big Brother. He's too strong. I'll never know anything he doesn't want me to know. Neither my father nor I have the strength to resist him."
They were merely mortals who had come from the chaos skyjail. Even after Li Wudi had awakened eight bane-rings, he was still working hard to become a god. Because of the weak spiritual energy in the Flameyellow Continent, it was difficult to attain godhood without the inheritance of caeli. How could he fight an emperor from a world with a nova source?
Tianming felt like a sea of fire stood in their way.
"Big Brother, I hope I'm wrong. I hope my father is doing well, at least better than me. Heâs suffered too much. The heavens canât be so unfair to him,â said Qingyu.
"The astralscape of order has a strict hierarchy. They have millions of years worth of legacies and a nova source. Thereâs no way we can fight against the sun emperor in just a few years.â
In fact, Tianming's talent was extraordinary; not even the sun emperorâs daughter could catch up with him. However, he was still no match for a man who had cultivated for an entire millennium. For the time being, there was no solution to their problem.
"Don't overthink it, youâll only stress yourself out. I'll think about your problem first." Tianming set aside the issue regarding his godfather and set his sights on Qingyu. Although they were godfather and godson, Tianming thought of him as family. He didnât have siblings, but he had long regarded Qingyu as his sister.
"Qingyu, what do you think of your betrothal to Long Renshe?" Tianming solemnly asked.
"It can only mean that he began planning the occupation of the Xuanyuan Dragon Sect from the moment he laid eyes on me." Qingyu bitterly smiled. If the goddess married the successor of the Veildragon Palace, then the celestial orderians had reason to remain and protect her. For that reason, the sun emperor had put on a convincing act, emphasizing how much he loved the Ninemoon Goddess. The purpose of the engagement was to take over the Xuanyuan Dragon Sect.
"So you arenât willing to marry him?" Tianming asked.
"Big Brother, are you kidding? How could I be willing? Heâs just playing me like a puppet." Qingyu shook her head.
"Don't get all excited, Iâm just making sure on behalf of Feng." Tianming laughed.
Qingyu's behavior had Lingfeng breathing a sigh of relief. In life, the greatest joy after reuniting was discovering that neither one of them had changed.
"Feng is so silly." Qingyu pursed her lips. There was a smile on her face whenever she mentioned him.
"Heâs listening," Tianming said.
"Well, tell him... I miss him a little. As soon as I left the Divine Moon Realm, I thought Iâd look for him in the xenomemory space if I ever regained my freedom..."
"Well thereâs no need for me to repeat that. Heâs pricked up his ears."
Their conversation made Lingfeng blush. Heaving a sigh of relief, he turned away and looked into the distance, hoping to resolve the awkwardness.
"Ye Lingfeng, you hooked up with my sister the moment I wasnât around!" Tianming gave him a kick.
The silly Yin Chen relayed that to Qingyu, who covered her face in embarrassment. "Big Brother, youâve got it all wrong. I was the one who hooked up with himâ¦." She faltered.
"Young people nowadays are so direct!" Ying Huo said with a look of disgust.
"Thatâs Ying⦠Huo speaking⦠isnât it?"
Looking up at Ying Huo, Yin Chen repeated Qingyuâs words.
"So what if it is?" Ying Huo pursed its beak.
"Shuo Yue⦠says it⦠misses you⦠as well." Yin Chen burst into laughter. Turning into a locust, it revealed an expression of disgust.
"Dammit, Iâve got love troubles! I must hold on. I canât save myself for one person like Tianming!" Ying Huo shuddered, fluttering its wings and flying away at once. Its words echoed in the air. "Fifth, tell that big white bird not to lust after my handsome figure!"
What a chicken!
A reunion was hard to come by. Even if the road ahead was filled with obstacles, even if they couldnât overcome adversity, nothing could affect their optimism. When he had finally stopped laughing, Tianming took a deep breath and said, "If thatâs the case, we must ruin this so-called betrothal."
"Big Brother, can it be done? Wonât it cause a chain reaction? Ruining the sun emperorâs plan will definitely arouse his anger. Iâm afraid that innocent people will suffer as a result," Qingyu said.
"Thereâll be risks and danger. We still have to come up with a detailed plan. Don't feel bad, youâre just a pawn of his. His purpose is to completely control the Xuanyuan Dragon Sect. People will die, but itâs his fault, not yours. Everyone has the right to live for themselves. If you remain his pawn, heâll have more reason to harm others," Tianming said.
"Alright." Qingyu nodded. After their conversation, she felt a release of her pent-up frustrations. Even if the chains of fate were wrapped tightly around her neck, there was hope in her heart because she had family and loved ones on her side. After all, Tianming was a reliable man. "Big Brother, I really want to see you. Itâs a pity Iâm trapped in the Dragontooth Spring."
Like a lonely bird trapped in the sun emperorâs cage, she could hardly move, even if she spread her wings. She had merely switched to a different cage in the Xuanyuan Dragon Sect. Freedom was an illusion; Shuo Yue was the only one she could speak to about her suffering. But now, Tianming and Lingfeng had appeared outside her cage. The chains were still there, but at least she was smiling.
"Don't worry, weâll have plenty of opportunities. The future will be better. At least Feng and I have climbed to a position where we can see you," Tianming said. Rising from the Flameyellow Continent to the Xuanyuan Dragon Sect hadnât been easy.
"Iâll try my best as well. Iâll never give up. I can't disappoint those who love me." Clenching her fists, Qingyu vowed to keep fighting. Then she suddenly thought of someone. "By the way, whereâs Ling'er? Why haven't I seen her?"
"Ling'er is by my side. Something happened to her and I'm still waiting for her to heal." Tianming grit his teeth.
"That's good."
That was all they had to say. Rising to his feet, Tianming patted Lingfeng on the shoulder. "You two talk. I'll take a walk."
"Okay." Lingfeng was still a little nervous. Embarrassment swept across his face as he turned to the locust in front of him. Those who didnât know any better would think that he had fallen in love with the insect.