After Xue Hua and Long Qingyi shared a kiss, the disciples of the Cosmic Void Sect were abuzz with speculation and rumors.

Some even claimed that Xue Hua was already pregnant. Others swore that Qingyi had used black magic to win over both her heart and Rou’er’s.

Of course, all of this was dismissed as silly gossip from disciples who were too idle and needed extra work.

Whenever the elders caught them engaging in such talk, they put those disciples to work immediately, whether scrubbing the sect grounds or enduring brutal training regimens.

The absurd gossip subsided somewhat, but not enough to stop the rumors from spreading. And not just within the Cosmic Void Sect.

Bai Hu Lie, of the Myriad Beasts Sect, fought alone and killed his five brothers who were in the early stages of the Celestial Origin Realm.

He dedicated this victory to Long Qingyi and, upon receiving the official title of heir to the sect, asked his father to speak with the leader of the Cosmic Dawn Sect to arrange the marriage between his beautiful sister and his now sworn brother.

This only caused Qingyi’s fame to explode even further, engulfing the entire northern region of the Celestial HEaven.

If the regions weren’t so isolated, it likely wouldn’t take long for word to reach the central region.

Unfortunately, the crossing was far more difficult than it seemed.

Only a few ships could traverse that distance, and they made few trips per decade, almost always merchant and cargo vessels.

Everything remained confined to the northern region.

Still, many rumors circulated about the possibility that Qingyi might go after the Ma family’s heiress in the central region of the Celestial Sky.

And if he managed to win over all three great beauties of the northern region, plus the beast emperor’s only daughter, who could easily be considered the fourth great beauty if she weren’t so isolated?

Even those indifferent to Qingyi wanted such a legendary story to unfold for no reason other than the drama.

Naturally, the one who didn’t miss this story was Ma Zhenwu.

The old man stood on the balcony of his luxurious mansion, gazing at the starry sky of the planet he had received as a gift from the sect leader after advancing to the realm of the Stellar Sovereign.

His eyes were weary and his breathing weak. The night wind rustled his robes, but he barely noticed.

"My dear little granddaughter... you must forgive your grandfather... your grandfather doesn’t want to die, but he will do his best, regardless of fate!" Zhenwu declared, puffing out his chest.

But that didn’t last long.

The starry sky closed in with dark clouds and thunder rumbled in the distance, the heavens themselves responding to the old man’s challenge.

He fell silent immediately, clenching his teeth.

If regret could kill, he’d already be six feet under.

In the end, Zhenwu pushed the bitter thoughts from his heart, clenching his fists as his eyes filled with determination.

He would do this right!

This time, he wouldn’t let his actions make everything worse!

Just as he was about to laugh, he froze. His eyes shot upward.

With a single push from his feet, he broke through the clouds and reached the space above, his aged body coming to a halt in the planet’s low orbit.

The silence of the void pressed against his ears. He looked around, searching.

Then he found it.

A golden phoenix, made of nothing but Qi, tearing through the void at terrifying speed. The golden glow ripped through the surrounding darkness as it approached, leaving streaks of light in its wake.

He raised a single hand. The phoenix veered toward him, its body dissolving into flames and fragments of Qi, leaving behind only a scroll that landed naturally in his palm.

The old man unfolded the scroll without hesitation. His eyes trembled as he read.

[Grandpa, today, I finally managed to reach the First Step of the Path of Extinction Realm, and soon it will be time to participate in the Divine Maiden Ceremony. I want you to come see me, no matter what!

If you refuse, I promise I’ll go there with my master and bring you by force!

With love, your precious granddaughter...]

Zhenwu froze.

For a moment, happiness washed over him. His granddaughter still held him so high in her heart, with such affection.

He had been so afraid that this child might become bitter after the death of her father and mother. Fortunately, that hadn’t happened.

That happiness, however, soon turned to despair.

To get there in time, he would need to board the sect’s next ship bound for the central region. But there was a problem.

The sect leader had promised Long Qingyi that, as payment for all he had done for the sect, he would board that very ship.

That was the region Zhenwu least wanted Qingyi to go to, for that was where his beloved granddaughter was.

He couldn’t allow that. No.

But what could he do?

He would rather die ten thousand deaths than kill an innocent disciple. And it was all his fault.

In the end, Zhenwu could only curse fate with a bitter laugh.

***

While Zhenwu whined about the cruelty of fate, Guo Tianhao was isolated in a cultivation chamber.

His body was bursting with power as his dantian rebuilt itself and formed its own origin. Raw energy vibrated in the air, cracks running along the walls of the room like spreading veins.

His eyes opened.

A shockwave swept through the chamber, kicking up dust from the floor and rattling the stone beneath his feet.

He stood up, burning with power, his eyes shining with a cold light.

Looking at his own hand, he slowly opened and closed his fingers. A smile spread across his face.

He had finally advanced to the realm of the Celestial Origin. Now, Qingyi was little more than an ant in his eyes.

The moment he left the cultivation room, his gaze fell on Li Tianfa, who wore a bitter yet amused smile.

"What is it?" Tianhao asked. "Are you going to tell me that Qingyi is dead and I won’t get a chance to take my revenge?"

Tianfa let out a pained laugh he couldn’t contain.

"It was your brother who died, Young Master Tianhao." His voice dropped. "Your brother died, and Long Qingyi stole his wife."