The Golden Horned Beast That Almost Got Eaten

Six months later, in front of the detached villa in Bright Moon Residential Quarter, the area was draped in red and decorated with willow branches and lanterns. Friends and family of the bride and groom gathered together, and every major power across the globe had sent representatives to congratulate the Third Speaker on his grand wedding.

A flying vehicle shaped like a traditional red bridal sedan chair descended from the sky. Lu Gang, dressed in a festive gown, served as the wedding officiant. Standing on the stage and seeing that the time was right, he began the ceremony with a resonant voice.

"The newlyweds arrive at the hall, guests and hosts stand on either side. A talented man matched with a beautiful woman, drums and music resound to the heavens."

"The red bridal sedan has arrived at the gate. I invite the new groom to shoot three arrows at the sedan door to settle the universe: the first arrow shot at the sky, for a heaven-sent union and family joy! The second arrow shot at the earth, for a long-lasting marriage and everything going as wished! The third arrow settles the universe—shoot the sky first, then the earth, for a union that lasts as long as heaven and earth!"

After the rites were completed, the groom, Luo Feng, beamed with the joy of a wish fulfilled. He took the embroidered ball from the red silk held by Xu Xin, who was veiled in a red cloth: "My bride, welcome to our home!"

Beneath the red veil, through the hazy red silk, Xu Xin felt as if she were seeing that shy boy from her student days once again, the one who used to gaze at her so timidly. Having finally come together after so many hardships, she couldn't help but blush, her eyes misting over as she followed the gentle guidance of the red silk toward the hall filled with guests.

The two stepped over a charcoal brazier, bowed to heaven and earth to acknowledge their union, thanked their parents for their upbringing, and finally bowed to each other, pledging to fly together like birds with joined wings in a fated, beautiful marriage.

Outside, amidst the bustling wedding, Xue Xi, who had served as the bridesmaid the entire way, handed Xu Xin over to Luo Feng and then rushed non-stop to the kitchen. Thirty-one dishes were prepared table after table using the Chef God Domain.

Only after the waiters had carried away all the banquet dishes did Xue Xi finally heave a sigh of relief.

Ever since she received the wedding invitation from Xu Xin, she had been busy helping with the arrangements. She had strongly suggested that the wedding follow Chinese traditions, and since both Xu Xin and Luo Feng were true-blue Huaxia people, they naturally agreed to the suggestions of their head bridesmaid and kitchen manager.

Leaning against an old willow tree that was sprouting new shoots, Xue Xi watched the pair of newlyweds, who were radiating sweet smiles from the bottom of their hearts, and fell into a daze.

Suddenly, Thor, wearing his prayer beads and sporting his signature bald head, popped out from behind the tree: "Hey, Fourth Sister, what are you doing daydreaming here? It's lively inside right now, aren't you going to take a look?"

Xue Xi shook her head: "I won't go. Actually, I don't really like crowded places. You know, I used to be socially anxious."

Thor let out an exaggerated "Ah!": "Socially anxious? You?" He then swept a look at Xue Xi that clearly said, Are you kidding me?

Xue Xi sighed, squatted down to sit on the curb by the tree, rested her elbows on her knees, and propped her face in her hands. Her eyes were filled with memories, and she spoke to herself as if pouring out her heart. Thor rubbed his bald head and sat down beside her, listening to his Fourth Sister's murmurs.

"The grandmother at the orphanage loved telling us stories about the romances of immortals, which made us pester her when we were little to find us an immortal man, so we could experience the sweet love of the Weaver Girl, Chang'e, and other goddesses."

"At those times, she would put on a kind expression and tell us: 'It will happen, it will all happen. Grandma's greatest wish is for you to form a new family with a partner who loves you, so you won't be lonely anymore. That way, even when Grandma goes to heaven, I won't have to worry about you babies!'"

Recalling the past at the orphanage, a warm smile appeared on Xue Xi's face: "Thinking back, that was truly the happiest time for us, who had never experienced the warmth of a home. What Grandma didn't know was that we didn't want any immortal men; we just wanted her to stay with us forever, because as long as she was there, it was home."

Thor dropped his playful demeanor and said earnestly: "Fourth Sister, you've said before that you don't belong to this world, and we've checked—there really were no records of you before. But..."

He paused, and with his pure, sincere heart, Thor reached out a large hand to stroke Xue Xi's long hair: "You are our Fourth Sister now, my sister. If one day you get married, I, as your eldest brother, will definitely vet the guy and make sure it's a grand celebration!"

A warm current flowed through Xue Xi's heart, and she turned her head away, acting coy: "I'm not getting married! I'm going to be the woman who becomes the Master of the Universe!"

Seeing Xue Xi's mood improve, Thor secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled a black giant egg, fully thirteen meters in size, out of his World Ring. The surface of the egg was covered in many golden lines, outlining mysterious patterns.

"Forget about that. Come on, help your Second Brother cook this egg. I've tried every method I could think of, but I can't break it. I put it in water and used the ultra-high-temperature flames from a fighter jet, but I couldn't cook it. See if you can think of a way, sis."

Xue Xi was shocked by the egg, which looked like a small hill. One had to know that even the egg of the largest King Rank Monster, the Unicorn Tyrannosaurus, was only about one or two meters long. What on earth was this thing?

Hearing that Thor couldn't cook it even with temperatures of tens of thousands of degrees, Xue Xi's chef instincts kicked in. Golden flames suddenly erupted from her hands as she pondered whether to test the limits of her Culinary Spirit Fire.