The Asura God Projection watched the golden sword aura growing larger in his pupils. He tried to dodge, only to realize in shock that the space around him had been completely locked down. He couldn't move at all.
"No—!"
The Asura God Projection let out an unwilling, furious roar.
But his roar cut off abruptly the very next moment.
The golden sword aura passed through his body without resistance.
The Asura God Projection froze in place.
Then,
a thin golden line appeared down the middle of his body. Endless golden Holy Fire burst from it, swallowing him in an instant.
"Mortal... I'll be waiting for you in the Divine Realm..."
The Asura God Projection left him with those final words, then vanished into nothingness beneath the searing golden Holy Fire.
The dark red vortex above the heavens dispersed, revealing the clear sky that had been there before.
Warm sunlight spilled over the ruins, dispelling the gloom and bloodshed.
Gu Sheng stood in midair, his golden hair billowing, his expression calm.
He put away the Sword of Holy Spirit and felt the surging Limit Douluo Soul Power within him. Looking toward the Divine Realm, he curled his lips into a cold smile.
"The Divine Realm, huh?"
"Soon, I'll come up there and find you."
With that, Gu Sheng's figure blurred and transformed into a golden streak of light, vanishing into the horizon in an instant.
All that remained was the silent ruin, quietly bearing witness beneath the sunlight to what had just happened.
Gu Sheng stood high in the air, gazing down at Slaughter City, which had been reduced to ruins.
The once towering, fearsome underground fortress was now nothing but charred walls and rubble. Thick smoke, mixed with the pungent stench of blood and sulfur, continued to spread through the air.
The degenerates who had once eked out a miserable existence in this den of sin had already been reduced to ashes by the earlier shockwaves, without even a trace left behind.
"This filthy place should have disappeared long ago."
Gu Sheng spoke to himself, his voice echoing slowly above the desolate ruins.
He slowly raised his right hand. The Sword of Holy Spirit in his grasp once again burst into dazzling golden light, sacred and boundless, sweeping away every trace of gloom and bloodshed around him.
Golden Soul Power surged into the blade like a tide. The terrifying pressure of a Level 99 Limit Douluo erupted without restraint, and the entire sky seemed unable to bear its might as it began to tremble violently.
"Be gone."
With that single, even word, Gu Sheng turned his wrist and slashed down at the ruins below.
A golden sword aura thousands of meters long tore through the sky, carrying an earth-shattering force as it crashed into the wasteland below.
Rumble—
The earth shook. Countless massive fissures spread in every direction like a spiderweb, and raging golden Holy Fire burst from them, instantly purifying the remaining Blood Pools of sin, the bones, and every other filthy trace into nothingness.
The land began to collapse across a vast area. The surrounding mountains crumbled under the force of the impact, and countless boulders tumbled down, filling in the enormous pit.
Slaughter City, once a place that had struck terror into the entire Douluo Continent, was erased from the world in that moment.
Gu Sheng surveyed the flat wilderness before him, now where the ruins had been, and contentedly put away the Sword of Holy Spirit.
His Limit Douluo Soul Power circulated. His figure wavered, then transformed into a golden streak of light and vanished into the horizon.
Heaven Dou City, the imperial palace.
Night had deepened. The bright moonlight spilled over the magnificent palace complex, draping it in a veil of silver.
Inside the Empress's bedchamber, candlelight flickered, casting a warm, intimate amber glow.
Qian Renxue had already taken off the imposing dragon robe she had worn during the day and changed into a pale yellow gauze nightgown.
The gauze was as thin as a cicada's wing, doing nothing to conceal her alluring, shapely figure. Her fair, jade-like skin shimmered in the candlelight, veiled and revealed in turn, making her especially captivating.
She sat before the exquisite dressing table, holding a white jade comb as she absently brushed her waterfall of golden hair.
But her usually dignified phoenix eyes, which looked down upon her ministers, were now filled with worry and longing that she couldn't hide.
"That rascal's been gone so long, and he hasn't sent me a single message."
Qian Renxue murmured plaintively, staring blankly at her reflection in the mirror.
"Thinking about me?"
A familiar voice, tinged with teasing, suddenly rang out in the quiet bedchamber.
Qian Renxue's delicate body shuddered. Before she could even turn around, a pair of warm, strong arms had already wrapped around her slender waist from behind.
His familiar masculine scent enveloped her, and the heart that had been hanging in suspense settled back into place in an instant.
"So you do remember to come back."
Qian Renxue turned around, reproach in her beautiful eyes as she slipped her arms around Gu Sheng's neck.
Gu Sheng scooped her up and carried her to a nearby chaise, settling down with her curled up in his arms.
"I came straight back as soon as I finished what I had to do. I didn't waste a moment."
Gu Sheng buried his face in the crook of her neck and took a deep breath of her faint, delicate fragrance, looking utterly content.
His breath tickled her, and Qian Renxue couldn't help laughing as she pushed at his shoulder.
"Stop it. You're covered in dust. Go wash up first."
"No. Let me hold you a little longer."
Instead of letting go, Gu Sheng held her even tighter.
Qian Renxue rolled her eyes at him helplessly, but she didn't loosen her arms around his neck either.
"Did everything go smoothly in Slaughter City?"
Qian Renxue looked at him with concern, gently caressing his face with her small hands.
"Pretty smoothly. I took the opportunity to flatten Slaughter City, too."
Gu Sheng said it as casually as if he were talking about something trivial.
Qian Renxue froze for a moment. She had known her husband was powerful, but the news still startled her.
"That was the Asura God's place of inheritance. You destroyed it just like that? Didn't the Divine Realm react?"
"How could they not?"
Gu Sheng raised his brows, amusement entering his voice.
"That Asura God's projection descended and tried to subject me to some kind of Asura Judgment."
Qian Renxue's heart leapt into her throat. Her beautiful eyes filled with anxiety as she hurriedly looked him over.
"Were you hurt? A strike from a god isn't something you can take lightly."
"Do you think your husband is the sort to let himself get the short end of the stick?"
Gu Sheng pinched her pale cheek and smiled reassuringly.
"Not only was I unhurt, but I used the pressure to break through the third seal inside me."
"Now your husband is a Level 99 Limit Douluo."
At those words, Qian Renxue went completely still.
Level 99. Limit Douluo.
That was the pinnacle that countless Soul Masters could never hope to reach in their lifetimes.
And Gu Sheng had reached it at such a young age.
"Limit Douluo..."
Qian Renxue murmured in a daze, gazing at Gu Sheng with love and even greater admiration.
"My husband really is the most amazing man in the world."
"Of course. Otherwise, how could I be worthy of our esteemed Her Majesty the Empress?"
Gu Sheng teased her as his hands began to wander, slowly climbing beneath the smooth gauze.
Qian Renxue's body stiffened at once, and a misty haze rose in her beautiful eyes.
"Don't... We're still in the bedchamber. What if someone comes in..."
"Who would dare come in?"
Gu Sheng cut her off imperiously and lowered his head to kiss the red lips he had longed for.
Qian Renxue put up a token struggle, then melted into his arms, responding to him clumsily but passionately.
The temperature in the bedchamber began to climb rapidly.
Candlelight flickered, stretching their shadows long across the wall, until they finally merged into one.
After a long while, their lips parted.
Qian Renxue lay breathlessly against Gu Sheng's chest, her beautiful eyes full of bashfulness, her fair skin touched with a faint blush.
"You come back and bully me right away."
She gave Gu Sheng's chest a few dissatisfied little punches, though her voice was full of playful affection.
Gu Sheng caught her small hand and gently kissed it.
"How can you call that bullying? It's just a little marital fun."
He gazed at the bashful, captivating beauty in his arms, his love threatening to spill out of him.
Qian Renxue lifted her head slightly. Curious about Gu Sheng's hair, now a pure gold, she reached out and gently ran her fingers through its silky strands.
"Why did your hair turn this color?"
"It's a change brought on by breaking the seal."
Gu Sheng took her hand and patiently explained.
"This power is too immense. My body and soul are both undergoing a transformation. Once all nine seals inside me are undone, no one in this world will be able to match me."
Qian Renxue listened, deeply shaken.
She could sense the faint nobility and authority radiating from Gu Sheng—a terrifying presence that transcended the mortal world and drew close to the gods.
"Then I'll have to work hard, or you'll leave me far behind."
Qian Renxue raised her chin defiantly, determination flashing in her phoenix eyes.
She possessed the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul and was a heaven-blessed genius. Naturally, she wasn't content to become a pretty ornament standing behind Gu Sheng.
"Silly girl, you're my wife. If I'm strong, doesn't that mean you're strong too?"
Gu Sheng laughed and rubbed her head, drawing her closer against him.
Qian Renxue obediently leaned into his arms. Feeling his strong heartbeat, she felt safer than ever.
"By the way, about my mother... You handed Xiao Wu over to her. How is she doing now?"
Qian Renxue hesitated, then finally asked, troubled.
Her feelings toward Bibi Dong had always been complicated: resentment, longing, and an indescribable reluctance all tangled together.
Gu Sheng naturally understood what was on her mind. He gently stroked her back and spoke softly.
"She's happy, of course. A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast will do a lot to improve her strength."
"But don't worry. With me around, she won't interfere in Heaven Dou's affairs. You just focus on being the Empress."
Qian Renxue bit her lip and spoke dejectedly.
"That's not what I'm worried about. I just... don't know how I should face her in the future."
"Leave it to me."
Gu Sheng's voice was calm, yet carried an absolute confidence that put her at ease.
"You just be my happy little wife. I'll shield you from every storm."
Qian Renxue looked up at Gu Sheng's peerlessly handsome face, her eyes turning slightly red.
"Husband, you're so good to me."
She leaned in of her own accord and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.
Gu Sheng's eyes darkened slightly. He looked at her red lips, so close to his, and swallowed.
"That's not nearly enough."
He gave Qian Renxue a mischievous look, one hand already slipping beneath her loose gauze.
Qian Renxue cried out in surprise and tried to dodge, but how could she possibly be a match for Gu Sheng? Before long, he had pinned her beneath him.
"You... You're such a scoundrel. All you ever think about is this."
"If I didn't have those thoughts about my own wife, that would be the strange thing."
Gu Sheng declared matter-of-factly, then lowered his head and sealed her red lips.
The candlelight in the bedchamber seemed to blush too, flickering faintly before going out.
In the darkness, only their breathing remained, along with the soft, breathless whispers that made one's face burn.
Moonlight passed through the window lattice and spilled onto the bed, outlining their figures in a warm, intimate tableau.
This was destined to be a sleepless night.
The next morning.
Warm sunlight filtered through the window gauze and spilled across the wide bed.
Qian Renxue lazily opened her eyes, only to find herself aching all over and unable to move.
She turned her head slightly and saw Gu Sheng gazing at her tenderly, one hand still twirling a lock of her golden hair.
"Awake?"
Gu Sheng smiled faintly. His voice was husky with sleep, making him sound especially alluring.
Qian Renxue bashfully burrowed beneath the covers, leaving only her beautiful eyes peeking out at him.
"This is all your fault. I have morning court today, and now I don't even have the strength to get up."
She complained, though her voice was full of coquettish reproach.
Gu Sheng laughed and pulled her into his arms, covers and all.
"Forget morning court. You're not going today. I'll stay in the palace and rest with you."
"How can I do that? I'm the Empress. I haven't been on the throne long. What will the ministers think if I skip court for no reason?"
Qian Renxue looked at him disapprovingly.
"Anyone who dares say a word won't ever get to open their mouth again."
Gu Sheng spoke evenly, but there was an unmistakable note of absolute authority in his voice.
On the Douluo Continent, he was already standing at the very peak. The rules of the mundane world didn't matter to him in the slightest.
Watching his domineering manner, Qian Renxue felt sweetness bloom in her heart. But she also knew she couldn't just let him have his way.
"All right, I know how powerful you are, but I want to be a worthy emperor, too. I can't let people gossip behind my back."
She rubbed her chest against Gu Sheng's in a coaxing way, her voice soft and sweet.
Seeing how determined she was, Gu Sheng could only sigh helplessly.
"I really can't do anything with you."
He kissed her forehead affectionately, then got up and began helping her get dressed.
Qian Renxue happily let him wait on her. Watching his earnest, gentle profile, she was filled with happiness.
"Husband, once things here in Heaven Dou have settled down, let's go visit the Star Luo Empire."
As Qian Renxue straightened her collar, she spoke with eager anticipation.
Before you continue