Countless beams of sunlight streamed down from the heavens, enveloping the palace where Gu Shenge resided and bathing it in brilliant light.
Inside the palace, blazing golden flames burned across Gu Shenge's body. His three thousand strands of hair rose like chains of the Sun God, while divine markings between his brows rippled with waves of golden light. A golden sun appeared behind him, radiant and sacred, lending him a noble air. An aura of supreme yang and holiness filled the palace, making him seem like a young deity.
After a long while, the golden sun faded from sight and the flames died out. Gu Shenge slowly opened his eyes. A dazzling golden glint flashed within them, followed by a look of satisfaction.
"As expected of the Solar Sacred Body. It really is powerful."
Gu Shenge sighed with admiration. The top-tier physique from Shrouding the Heavens, combined with an Emperor-Tier Cultivation Technique from Battle Through the Heavens, had already made considerable progress for him after just one cultivation session.
At this rate, he would probably break through to Two-Star Dou Emperor in less than a month.
Gu Shenge opened the system. Taking Yue Mei as a concubine had earned him five Mystic-Grade Lotteries, so he used them all at once.
[ Ding~ Lottery complete. Congratulations, Host, you have obtained: one Top-Grade Huangji Pill. ] [ Ding~ Lottery complete. Congratulations, Host, you have obtained: a pocket dimension treasure, the Serenitea Pot. ] [ Ding~ Lottery complete. Congratulations, Host, you have obtained: a Low Earth Tier Dou Technique, the Great Burning Sun Palm. ] [ Ding~ Lottery complete. Congratulations, Host, you have obtained: one Tier 6 Alchemist Manual. ] [ Ding~ Lottery complete. Congratulations, Host, you have obtained: one hundred pairs of Balenciaga. ]
Huh? Had something weird slipped in there?!
Gu Shenge looked bewildered when he heard what he had won in the last lottery. A hundred pairs of Balenciaga? System, had it made a mistake? Would he ever be able to use all of them?
"Wang Fu."
A voice called from outside the palace. Gu Shenge came to his senses and told the person outside to enter.
At his words, Yue Mei entered the palace, her serpentine tail swaying as she brought along a beautiful snake-woman with long, wavy red hair.
Gu Shenge turned his gaze to Hua She'er. Her looks were in no way inferior to Yue Mei's. Though she lacked Yue Mei's bewitching charm, she had a hint of boldness about her. She wore a red breastplate over a black fishnet top that barely contained her full breasts. Her figure was even fuller than Yue Mei's, with wide hips that made her the very picture of a curvaceous snake beauty.
"Greetings, Wang Fu."
Hua She'er bowed to Gu Shenge, curiosity in her beautiful eyes.
She had been quite surprised to learn that the queen had chosen both her and Yue Mei as her bridal attendants, to be married off to Wang Fu as concubines. But since it was the queen's decision, she naturally had no objections.
On the way here, Yue Mei had already told her that Wang Fu would ask if she was willing to become his concubine and that she absolutely had to agree. Whatever happened afterward, she was not to tell anyone. Yue Mei had especially stressed that this was the queen's order.
Yue Mei had made it clear: I've gone off the deep end, so you're coming with me.
After greeting him, Hua She'er waited for Gu Shenge to ask his questions.
They still had to go through the formalities. After asking her a few questions, Gu Shenge successfully placed his mark on Hua She'er as well.
[ Ding~ Congratulations, Host, on taking a poor concubine. Reward: 10,000 Origin Points and one Mystic-Grade Lottery. ] [ Ding~ The bride price has been issued: one High-grade Profound Tier Dou Technique, Wild Snake Spirit Dance; one Top-Grade Dou Ling Pill; and one Transformation Pill. ]
A poor concubine? After hearing the system's notification, Gu Shenge gradually understood how it judged the five ranks in "Marry Wives and Take Concubines."
Medusa was his principal wife because she was a heroine in Battle Through the Heavens, had great fortune, and was good at bearing children.
Yue Mei was a favored concubine because she was the leader of the Charm Snake Tribe among the Snake-People Tribe. She had also appeared a few times in the original story and possessed a trace of fortune.
As for Hua She'er, although she was Medusa's personal guard captain, she had appeared only once in the original story. She had pitifully little fortune, almost none at all, so she was merely a poor concubine.
Without the super-multiplier bonus, the rewards and bride price the system gave him were pitifully meager as well.
Feeling the Marriage Contract within her, Hua She'er turned to Yue Mei. Now she understood why Yue Mei had said those things to her on the way here.
Gu Shenge handed Hua She'er the Transformation Pill. He left the rest to Yue Mei, who would explain everything to her.
"You two may leave."
"Yes, Wang Fu." ×2
Hua She'er accepted the Transformation Pill and left the palace with Yue Mei.
Having earned another Mystic-Grade Lottery, Gu Shenge connected with the system and used it.
[ Ding~ Lottery complete. Congratulations, Host, you have obtained: a juvenile Black Prison Soul-Devouring Python. ]
"Black Prison Soul-Devouring Python?"
The name piqued Gu Shenge's interest. A dark light flashed, and a black python over four meters long appeared before him.
It had a typical triangular head, and its pale-gold eyes held a fierce, almost human expression. A black horn rose from its forehead, covered in spiral grooves and shimmering with an unusual light. It looked razor-sharp and powerful.
Its jaws parted slightly, revealing fangs glistening with terrifying venom. Its pale-gold forked tongue flicked out. Its long body was covered in scales as black as ink, seemingly as indestructible as black gold. Mysterious pale-gold markings ran across its body and glinted strangely, radiating a fearsome devouring force. The energy of the heavens and earth seemed drawn to it, surging into its body.
A pair of dark-gold wings grew from its back, marked with strange symbols that shone brilliantly and seemed utterly miraculous. If raised well, it would make a fine flying mount in the future.
At the same time, information about the Black Prison Soul-Devouring Python flowed into Gu Shenge's mind.
The Black Prison Soul-Devouring Python was a rare serpent species with powerful natural gifts. It fed on souls to grow and could reach the seventh rank as an adult.
This juvenile Black Prison Soul-Devouring Python was only at the fifth rank, equivalent to a human Dou King.
"Not bad." Gu Shenge nodded in satisfaction and reached out to touch it. The Black Prison Soul-Devouring Python obediently brought its head to his palm and let him stroke it.
Gu Shenge chose not to control the Black Prison Soul-Devouring Python with his Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. A fifth-rank magical beast wouldn't do much to improve his cultivation, and if he kept it in the space within his pupils, its cultivation would be drained. It was easy to imagine how much harm that would do to a growing juvenile serpent.
An exquisitely carved little jade pot decorated with cloud patterns appeared in his hand. A force of attraction issued from its opening, and the Black Prison Soul-Devouring Python was drawn into the Serenitea Pot.
"Little one, stay in there for now. Once your master here has finished getting married, I'll take you out to play."
Gu Shenge patted the Serenitea Pot and hung it from his waist. The Top-Grade Huangji Pill appeared in his palm.
The perfectly round pill gleamed like jade, with Pill Patterns curling around it. Its strange fragrance spread through the air, making anyone who smelled it feel their Battle Qi stirring and hard to suppress.
The Huangji Pill was a top-grade sixth-tier pill with two main effects. First, it helped a Dou Emperor increase his cultivation by one or two stars in a short time. Second, it strengthened the body and tempered the bones.
This Top-Grade Huangji Pill from the system transcended the limits of sixth-tier pills and reached the seventh tier. It could raise a Dou Emperor's cultivation by three stars. Its medicinal effects were powerful, and it had no side effects.
Gu Shenge gazed at the Top-Grade Huangji Pill and fell into thought. He was considering whether to take it now or wait until he reached Seven-Star Dou Emperor, then take it and advance straight to Peak Dou Emperor.
After careful consideration, Gu Shenge decided to take it now. The Solar Sacred Body's potential was even greater than that of a Dou Di Bloodline. He had no such thing as a cultivation bottleneck; all he needed was energy to increase his cultivation.
And what he needed most right now was to raise his cultivation as quickly as possible. A Dou Emperor might dominate the Northwest Continent, but in the Central Plains he was less than nothing.
Gu Shenge swallowed the Top-Grade Huangji Pill and sat cross-legged to refine it, hoping to break through to Four-Star Dou Emperor before tomorrow.
Before you continue