This was by no means Phoenix being intentionally modest. The thought didn't arise simply because the man standing before her was Xu Luo, either.
It was utter suppression, a matter of sheer presence!
It was the aura of a true expert, one that invisibly penetrated to the very depths of the soul!
The disposition he exuded, revealed so casually, could already influence experts of the same realm. It was something that, if spoken of, would be utterly unbelievable!
Because until now, the only ones capable of such a feat were true titans at the Peak of Transformation Realm, figures like Xushan and Xiang Wentian!
Only they, when appearing before those of a much lower realm, could instill the thought: 'I can't possibly defeat this person.'
As for achieving such a thing between Martial Artists of the same realm, it was considered almost impossible!
Especially a woman with Phoenix's disposition—she was not one to be so easily swayed.
Phoenix was incredibly shocked, but at the same time, a happy smile spread across her face. It was only because… the man was Xu Luo. Had it been anyone else, she likely never would have shown such heartfelt joy.
"I just had a breakthrough." Xu Luo nodded, then looked at the two of them with some hesitation. "You two..."
"Sister Phoenix came with people from Merak to help us. I had just come out of seclusion with nothing to do, so I decided to accompany her to relax a bit," Huangfu Shishi said, glancing at Xu Luo with a happy smile.
"I mean... you two... All right, never mind." Xu Luo looked at the two women's pure, innocent gazes. He felt that something wasn't quite right, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He could only scratch his head and give up on a problem that was clearly too much for him.
"You sound like you were hoping to see us fight," Phoenix said, looking at Xu Luo with a playful smirk. "To see us at each other's throats over you?"
Huangfu Shishi also watched him with a grin. "Brother Xu Luo, you're so full of yourself!"
"Tch... Can you just pretend I was never here?" The corner of Xu Luo's mouth twitched violently. "Please, just ignore me!"
"Hmph, in your dreams!" Phoenix snorted, stepping forward and grabbing one of Xu Luo's arms. "I came back just for you, but you were nowhere to be found for days. As punishment, you have to accompany me... us on a shopping trip!"
Phoenix had originally meant to say "accompany me," but then she remembered Huangfu Shishi was there and added the "us." However, Huangfu Shishi was sharp as a tack; how could she not see that Phoenix wanted to be alone with Xu Luo? Though she felt a slight pang of jealousy, she remembered that she and Xu Luo had already shared the most intimate of moments. She was already his woman, so she couldn't be bothered to compete with Phoenix over this.
With that, Huangfu Shishi said, "You two go on ahead. There's something I need to take care of at the palace, so I'll head back first."
After watching Huangfu Shishi leave, Phoenix's smile vanished. She pulled Xu Luo into a room, a flicker of worry in her eyes. "Xu Luo, we're being watched!"
"Tell me about it." Xu Luo sat down, pulling Phoenix down with him. He patted her shoulder and comforted her softly, "It's all right. I'm here now, aren't I?"
"That person... he's terrifying! He just glanced at me from a distance, and I felt like I was being targeted by a venomous snake. My blood ran cold." Phoenix quietly recounted her encounter with the lecher while she and Huangfu Shishi were out shopping.
"The fat man didn't seem scary at all, just sleazy. I taught him a harsh lesson. At the time, I didn't think much of it, other than feeling the gaze of that person in the distance was a little frightening. But after I got back and thought it over, I realized something was wrong." Phoenix's delicate brows furrowed as she continued in a low voice, "With my current strength, if I were to use fifty percent of my power... to strike someone, what would happen?"
Xu Luo's eyebrow shot up. "Even an opponent of the same level, if they didn't fight back, would be severely injured if you hit them with fifty percent of your power."
"Exactly. His taunts provoked me, and I was so furious that I wanted to kill him... I couldn't help but use fifty percent of my power. But that fat man... he screamed bloody murder, but in reality, he was completely fine! He only had a few minor scrapes!"
Phoenix continued, "And I also realized he seemed to be provoking me on purpose, as if he specifically wanted to test my strength. And although his words were extremely flippant and infuriating, looking back, there wasn't a trace of desire for me in his eyes... That's not normal!"
Xu Luo nodded. Phoenix wasn't exaggerating. With her looks, and with Huangfu Shishi beside her, the two of them were peerless beauties. Wherever they went, they would draw attention like a pair of brilliant pearls. How could any man be so flippant and provocative on the surface, yet in reality feel not a shred of desire?
"Did you look into it?" Xu Luo knew Phoenix had her own intelligence network in the secular world.
"I did. I couldn't trace their background. All I know is that there were four or five of them in total, and now only two are left in the Imperial Capital. They don't seem to belong to any sect. We also received intel that they're investigating me and Huangfu Shishi," Phoenix said.
"The Imperial Capital is very unstable right now. Don't make a move against them for the time being. Let's go see your master and the others," Xu Luo said. Inwardly, however, he made a mental note of what Phoenix had told him. 'I'll have someone else investigate this later,' he decided. 'When it came to the people around him, he couldn't afford a single misstep.'
"By the way, what exactly is going on in the secular world? Did discovering that Spirit Stone Vein really cause such a huge commotion? I feel like something isn't quite right," Phoenix said.
"Haven't you heard the other rumor?"
"You mean... the one that goes, 'A treasure lies in Cangqiong; he who obtains it shall become an Immortal'?" Phoenix's expression was incredulous. "Are you kidding me? Become an Immortal? Since when are there Immortals in this world?"
Xu Luo nodded and said softly, "No one can say for sure. The very nature of Immortals is their mystery. Since ancient times, from the most powerful experts to the most common mortals, who hasn't wished for eternal life? So, even if it's just a rumor, it's enough to tempt many hearts."
"That's true, but... it doesn't have much to do with us," Phoenix said. "In my opinion, even if you didn't resist, it would be very difficult for the Kaiyang Sect to control the Cangqiong Royal Family. I don't know what's going on this time, but all those major sects, even many of the Hidden Sects that normally don't even attend the grand assemblies, are all converging on the secular world. We need to be careful with every step we take."
"If this trouble comes knocking, there's no escaping it." Xu Luo sighed softly. Even if they were willing to give up everything they had right now to stay out of it, it would be almost impossible for them to get their wish.
"They all have their own agendas. For now, let's just wait and see how things play out. If things get too bad, we'll just give everything up and run away," Phoenix said softly. She had been in the secular world for years and had long since grown tired of the scheming and endless struggles. If she could, she would rather find a deserted place with the man she loved and live in seclusion.
"Things haven't gotten that bad yet," Xu Luo said, squeezing Phoenix's hand reassuringly.
...
Finally, the day of Xu Su's wedding arrived. Early in the morning, all the friends and relatives of the Xu Family gathered at the Xu Mansion, and the entire Vermilion Bird Avenue was bustling with excitement.
The neighbors on either side of the Xu Mansion had all temporarily lent their homes to the Xu Family for the wedding; otherwise, there wouldn't have been nearly enough space.
The bridal procession went smoothly. Both of the devastatingly beautiful brides were brought back within the auspicious hour, allowing Xu Luo, who had been worried something might go wrong, to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Li Wenxi, Qiushuiduan, and others came to offer their congratulations. In addition, many sects also sent representatives with wedding gifts to express their well wishes for Xu Su.
Dubhe, however, made no move. It was unclear whether they simply didn't care about their traitorous disciple or if they had already forgotten Guo Ying even existed.
"First bow, to Heaven and Earth!"
"Second bow, to the elders!"
"Husband and wife..."
The voice of the Grand Ceremony Officer from the palace, who had once presided over the Centennial Star Festival, was loud and resonant as he officiated the wedding.
This was a tremendous honor. If the one getting married hadn't been a scion of the Xu Family, the Grand Ceremony Officer would never have personally come to officiate. He wouldn't even deign to appear for the weddings of most members of the Royal Family, unless it was for the Crown Prince himself.
Just as the Grand Ceremony Officer called for the couple to bow to each other, and Guo Ying and Xia Muyao, standing together, were about to bow toward Xu Su, a cold voice suddenly came from outside. "Wait."
Standing with Xu Luo, both Huangfu Shishi and Phoenix tensed up. Xu Luo's eyebrow twitched, a cold glint flashing in his eyes as he thought, 'So, they've come after all?'
"This woman... she appears to be a traitor from my Dubhe Sect. Why has she appeared here? Perhaps the Xu Family can give me an explanation?" a lean, gaunt-faced elder said as he walked in slowly, surrounded by a group of people.
The elder's eyes glinted with a sharp, cold light. He first glanced at the veiled Guo Ying, then sneered. "Truly worthy of being the number one family in Cangqiong. Your nerve is something else. Daring to meddle in the affairs of the sects... You're really courting death!"
"Senior, no matter the grievance, today is my brother's wedding day. Can you do me the courtesy of waiting? Whatever the issue is, can we discuss it tomorrow?" Xu Luo said, parting the crowd and stepping forward. He looked at the elder, a strange light flickering in his eyes.
He couldn't fathom the elder's true strength.
His eyes, which seemed murky, actually swirled with countless vortices formed from vital energy so dense that an ordinary person would never notice.
"What a joke. Who the hell do you think you are? Give you face? On what grounds?" a young man of about thirty, standing beside the elder, sneered with cold arrogance. "If we give you face, what about the face of our Dubhe Sect?"
With that, the young man turned to Guo Ying and said coldly, "Guo Ying, even now, are you going to pretend you don't know me? I never imagined you would debase yourself to this extent! Marrying a mere secular disciple... Moreover, you betrayed the sect. Your crime is unforgivable! Kneel and admit your guilt at once!"
Guo Ying's body trembled slightly, but she remained silent. Beside her, Xia Muyao gripped her hand tightly. From beneath her own wedding veil, Xia Muyao's cold, clear voice rang out. "Isn't your Dubhe Sect being a bit too tyrannical? Your people framed our Cangqiong Emperor, Empress, Crown Prince, and other Princes, and after being beaten back, you still have the gall to come here and make trouble?"