Inside the Jade Pool's grand hall, Qu Ying dismissed everyone, leaving only herself and Changning.
Now that she looked at this man again, he was still as refined and graceful as ever, carrying an indescribable charm.
To be honest, Changning did not want to see this woman. The very first time he laid eyes on her, a sense of disgust had risen from the depths of his heart.
"Changning, after all this time, your temper is still as stubborn as ever."
Looking at Immortal King Changning's icy face, Qu Ying smiled faintly, endless allure swirling through her eyes.
"Whether my temper is stubborn or not depends entirely on the person."
Hearing Immortal King Changning's words, Qu Ying smiled again. Sure enough, he was still the man she remembered.
Seeing that madwoman acting like this, Immortal King Changning felt a headache coming on.
"Where is Xiang Tian? I want to see him."
With a sweep of Qu Ying's sleeve, Xiang Tian was teleported to her side. His upper body was still completely bare, while his lower body was covered only in ragged strips of cloth.
Immortal King Changning was somewhat stunned by the sight. The kid did not seem injured at all. Could it be that this madwoman was enjoying a second spring and had set her sights on this young fresh meat?
Xiang Tian's face was dark, and he felt so aggrieved he could barely put it into words. These people would not even agree to let him change clothes.
Qu Ying reached out, grabbed Xiang Tian by the hair, and dragged him upright. "Look, he's still perfectly fine."
That action made Immortal King Changning narrow his eyes, a chilling gleam flowing within them.
It only made Qu Ying more curious. What exactly was the relationship between Xiang Tian and Immortal King Changning? She had known Immortal King Changning for so long, yet she had never heard of him having any relatives or younger kin.
Moreover, Guang Hao had previously said that he knew Xiang Tian as well. Xiang Tian was presumably not Changning's family. But if they were not that close, what reason did Changning have to protect this kid so fiercely?
Xiang Tian suddenly yanked hard, disregarding the pain as he tore free from Qu Ying's grip. He did not run toward Immortal King Changning, because he knew that by Qu Ying's side, any action he took would be useless. He was not stupid enough to so greatly underestimate an Immortal King.
"Just like you—stubborn as a mule."
Qu Ying looked at Immortal King Changning, her voice still gentle.
After so much time had passed, she still had to admit that this man possessed a fatal attraction for her.
"What happened to your face?"
Suddenly noticing the slight redness and swelling on Xiang Tian's right cheek, Immortal King Changning immediately sensed that something was wrong.
Xiang Tian glanced at Qu Ying beside him. "A gift from that old hag."
A gift from that old hag? Immortal King Changning glanced at Qu Ying, and fury instantly rose within him. Without the slightest warning, he threw a punch straight at her. Its speed was beyond description—within the blink of an eye? No, it was far faster than a blink!
It was only a single punch, yet the might of an Immortal King was simply unimaginable. The instant Immortal King Changning threw it, the entire hall was blasted to pieces. Qu Ying had no time to react and could only meet it with a punch of her own, but the collision sent her flying backward violently. Yet in the instant she was flung away, she did not forget Xiang Tian, directly dragging and pulling him to her side.
After steadying herself, Qu Ying stared at Immortal King Changning in disbelief. She had never imagined that Changning would throw such a punch.
The entire Jade Pool was dumbstruck as they looked at the pavilion hall that had turned to ash. How had it simply vanished like that? Only when they noticed the two figures facing off did their souls nearly flee their bodies in fright.
Even Shi Mu, the strongest among them, felt his heart tremble at the prospect of a clash between two Immortal Kings. He did not dare step forward and get involved.
Looking at Qu Ying, Immortal King Changning said frostily, "Hand Xiang Tian over to me."
Qu Ying's expression twisted. She truly could not understand how this man could be so unyielding, attacking her outright.
"Changning, I'm the one who slapped him. What, are you going to slap me too?"
She had gone mad. It was the first time everyone had seen their Immortal Lord so distraught. The Queen Mother of the West, whom all revered and feared, now possessed none of an Immortal King's bearing. She looked more like a woman brimming with resentment and sorrow.
Immortal King Changning was utterly unmoved. Arcane power gathered in his hand, his terrifying might on full display. The heavens and earth began to darken; the fury of an Immortal King could directly affect an entire stretch of heaven and earth.
"This is bad—Immortal King Changning is truly enraged!"
Sensing the profound and mysterious change in the world around them, Shi Mu's face drained of color.
Everyone was terrified out of their wits, instantly thrown into chaos as they fled in every direction. If they were caught up in this battle, even the vault of heaven might be torn apart.
Ning Rong, standing below, fell into despair. She had not expected things to develop to this extent.
Though the notice had ordered Xiang Tian to marry her, she understood that it had been entirely a stopgap measure. After all, Riyao had already withdrawn the bounty, Xiang Tian's background and identity were unknown, and Immortal King Guang Hao had spoken a warning. The Jade Pool could only take a step back.
In truth, even Qu Ying had not expected this situation. She had not anticipated Immortal King Changning being so aggressive.
Changning's eyes flashed with icy light as he looked at Qu Ying. Snow began to fall from the sky, and the temperature throughout the entire space plummeted.
"Immortal King Domain... we're finished..."
Shi Mu stared blankly at the heavens, muttering to himself.
"Have you gone mad?!"
Qu Ying let out a shriek. She still wanted to salvage the situation, but her bottom line was that she absolutely could not hand Xiang Tian over.
"Absolute Zero!"
Immortal King Changning spoke softly. Frost immediately blanketed the entire mountain peak, and the temperature plunged sharply. Some people could already feel their limbs stiffening; their feet could no longer move, and ice crystals were spreading over them.
Seeing this, Qu Ying could no longer concern herself with anything else and immediately unleashed her own domain.
"Blazing Sun!"
With a thunderous shout, a sun suddenly appeared in the gloomy sky, shining against the sun deep within the clouds at the distant horizon.
Two blazing suns, a biting wind, and drifting snow—had they not seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed such a scene could exist beneath the heavens.
The two forces canceled each other out. After Changning cultivated the Immortal King Domain, he used ancient frost as his reflection, assimilating himself into it. After Qu Ying advanced to Immortal King, she used the blazing sun as her reflection. Her target, however, was still Changning.
She wanted Changning to remember her at all times—to remember that she possessed the strength to stand beside him. After all, in terms of attributes, she could suppress the Immortal King Changning.
Everyone felt warmth return to their bodies, their limbs no longer stiff, and they all let out a breath of relief.
The Immortal King Changning remained unmoved. He flew forward directly, immortal power gathering in his hand and radiating boundless might as he struck at Qu Ying.
Qu Ying pointed toward the sky. Above her head, a fiery sphere descended from the blazing sun manifested by the Blazing Sun Domain. She, too, charged forward.
If the two of them collided, the entire space would surely collapse. Everyone's hearts rose into their throats as they wrapped themselves layer upon layer in magical treasures. At a time like this, running was utterly useless.
"Boom!"
A heaven-shaking explosion rang out. The imagined tearing and collapse of space did not occur. Instead, a golden light suddenly appeared and enveloped the two of them.
Billowing smoke and dust were suddenly scattered by a ripple of immortal power. Everyone's eyes widened as they stared in disbelief at the person who had suddenly appeared in the middle of the field.
He stood between the two of them, carrying a stone stele on his back.
It was actually the Immortal King Guang Hao!
Three Immortal Kings had actually gathered at the Jade Pool at this very moment!
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