Gu Sheng raised his head, looking at her with a half-smile.
His eyes brimmed with amusement and tenderness that refused to fade.
Qian Renxue bit her luscious red lip and, undaunted, lightly kicked his chest with her other foot.
"Who's nervous? I just... I just think this wedding dress is too stuffy!"
"Oh? If my wife finds it too stuffy, then I'll help you out of it."
Gu Sheng chuckled softly.
Looking at the handsome face so close to hers, Qian Renxue's eyes gradually grew misty, like a pool of autumn water.
The elaborate wedding dress fell away piece by piece like petals, slipping quietly onto the dark red carpet.
The night deepened, and the stars outside the window quietly watched over the sleeping palace.
Like a docile, drowsy kitten, Qian Renxue curled up unguardedly in Gu Sheng's broad, warm embrace.
Her smooth, slender arms rested tightly against his chest, and a sweet, satisfied smile graced her breathtakingly beautiful sleeping face.
Gu Sheng lowered his head tenderly and placed a gentle, loving kiss on her smooth forehead.
He tightened his arms around her, and they fell fast asleep in each other's embrace, wrapped in perfect bliss.
Red candles flickered.
The night passed in silence.
Several days later.
The Pope's Palace.
Bibi Dong sat upon the supreme papal throne, her entire being radiating an authority so intimidating it made people hold their breath.
She wore an extravagant papal gown.
Beneath its high slit, her long, shapely legs were crossed, and her graceful figure exuded a fatal allure.
But at that moment, no one dared look directly at such beauty.
"Set out immediately and return to Heaven Dou City."
Bibi Dong looked down at Qian Renxue and issued an absolute order.
"Under the identity of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, bring about the downfall of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family as quickly as possible and seize control."
Qian Renxue stood in the center of the hall, her delicate brows knitted together.
She directly voiced her objection.
"The situation is stable as it is. We only need to wait for Emperor Xue Ye to die of natural causes."
"Then I can ascend the throne openly and reap the benefits."
Qian Renxue met her gaze without flinching and demanded loudly,
"Why resort to such drastic measures now, adding the risk of exposing ourselves?"
At these defiant words, Bibi Dong's expression darkened.
She slowly rose from her throne.
Holding her scepter, Bibi Dong walked down the steps one by one.
Each time the scepter struck the ground, it rang out with a dull echo through the spacious hall.
Thud—thud—
The sound pounded at everyone's heart, bringing an overwhelming sense of oppression.
Fervor and icy coldness mingled in Bibi Dong's eyes.
Her voice echoed through the hall, at times as sharp as a blade, at times as low as a ghost's whisper.
"Do you know how much I've sacrificed for this plan?"
"And do you know what happens to those who oppose me?"
The instant her words fell,
Bibi Dong released threads of powerful pressure from within her.
Though she wasn't exerting her full strength, the aura of a peak-level powerhouse was enough to make the air throughout the hall grow thick and still.
Even breathing became extremely difficult.
Bibi Dong stopped, her expression utterly severe.
"Carry out the order!"
"The Spirit Hall does not keep useless people."
She stared coldly at the golden-haired girl before her, each word cutting to the bone.
"Not even... my daughter."
The fingertips hidden in Qian Renxue's sleeves trembled violently.
She struggled to steady her quickening breath, withstood the pressure, and proudly lifted her head to look Bibi Dong in the eye.
Her exquisite face was set in a cool expression as she demanded sharply,
"Are you finished?"
Qian Renxue's emotions finally erupted, and she began to voice her grievances.
"From the time I was little until now, you've never cared about me—not even once!"
"In your eyes, there's no such thing as family. All you care about is the power in your hands and your ridiculous revenge!"
At her daughter's accusations, Bibi Dong's eye twitched.
She immediately shot back,
"I did all of this for your own good!"
Bibi Dong pointed at Qian Renxue and berated her mercilessly.
"Look at how weak you are now."
"You're just like your useless father!"
Those words struck a nerve with Qian Renxue.
She clenched her fists in fury and shouted back,
"Don't you dare bring up my father!"
Crystal-clear tears welled in Qian Renxue's eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
She straightened her back like bamboo standing firm in the wind, refusing to yield even half a step to the woman before her.
Just as the confrontation reached its breaking point,
Bam!
The heavy hall doors were suddenly flung open.
With a sharp look and a chilling air about him, Gu Sheng strode straight into the hall.
The guards on either side tried to stop him, but one icy glance from him was enough to leave them too frightened to move.
"Get out!"
Gu Sheng barked at the guards, ordering them away.
He strode over to Qian Renxue and, without hesitation, clasped her cold hand.
Feeling the warmth in his palm,
Qian Renxue's brave facade crumbled in an instant, and tears silently slid down her cheeks.
Gu Sheng turned slightly and shielded her firmly behind him.
He faced Bibi Dong.
The pressure of a Titled Douluo, enough to crush an ordinary Soul Master, surged toward him like a tidal wave.
Gu Sheng remained calm.
Sensing the pressure from outside, his Holy Spectrum Puni Martial Soul resonated of its own accord, and a faint holy light appeared over his body, protecting him.
Though he stood at the heart of the oppressive storm, the absolute gap in the rank of their Martial Souls left him as steady as a mountain, unmoving.
Gu Sheng stared into Bibi Dong's eyes and spoke, each word deliberate.
"You don't have to approve of me."
"But you can't treat her like this."
Gu Sheng tightened his hold on Qian Renxue's hand.
"She's your daughter, not your pawn."
Looking at the young man standing up for her, Bibi Dong felt a nameless fire rise within her.
Anger and a hidden jealousy twisted together in her chest.
Why did this girl get to meet someone willing to shield her from every storm?
The two stared at each other, neither willing to back down.
In the end, amid their silent confrontation, Bibi Dong unusually withdrew her pressure and chose to yield.
Seeing this, Gu Sheng stated his demand outright.
"I'm going with Qian Renxue to Heaven Dou City."
He turned to look at the girl behind him, his voice gentle but firm.
"I won't leave you alone again."
A long silence fell over the hall.
Bibi Dong returned to her throne. After a long while, she finally relented indifferently.
"Do as you please."
"Don't blame me if you die."
Bibi Dong looked down at Gu Sheng, her voice laden with warning.
"If you become a burden to her, I won't let you off."
When she heard Bibi Dong agree, Qian Renxue panicked.
Tears streamed down her face as she shook her head desperately, firmly rejecting Gu Sheng's proposal.
"No!"
"Under the surface, the Heaven Dou Imperial Family is rife with turmoil, and the forces involved are tangled together."
Qian Renxue clutched Gu Sheng's sleeve, her eyes full of worry.
"It's still too dangerous for you there. I can't let you take that risk!"
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