Her Husband's Exclusive Mark (1 / 2)

After looking again and again, and rubbing his eyes over and over, the Branch Hall Master confirmed that his eyes were not playing tricks on him.

The breathtakingly beautiful, cool-faced woman in plain battle attire before him really was Yun Yun, the former sect master of the Misty Cloud Sect whom Soul One had captured and thrown into the Dungeon.

But hadn't Soul One locked Yun Yun in the Dungeon? Shouldn't she still be there?

Why had she appeared here, and who was the man holding her hand?

Hmm?!

Where had Soul One gone?

The Branch Hall Master looked around and discovered that Soul One was nowhere to be seen.

Chen Yang and Yun Yun approached hand in hand. Beside the Branch Hall Master, Gu He stared fixedly at their interlaced fingers.

Holding hands with their fingers intertwined was perfectly normal for a couple, but to Gu He, the sight was painfully glaring.

Jealousy, fury, and all manner of other dark emotions surged into his heart in an instant.

Humans were creatures prone to jealousy. He hated that someone like Chen Yang existed in this world, hated that such a powerful man would take a fancy to a useless woman who was nothing but a pretty vase.

If only Chen Yang didn't exist!

Then no one would be competing with him for Yun Yun.

Gu He clenched his fists and moved closer to the Branch Hall Master.

"My lord, that man is Chen Yang—the Chen Yang who killed Protector Wu and Iron Protector!"

Gu He revealed Chen Yang's identity to the Branch Hall Master, hoping to borrow his blade to kill Chen Yang.

Old Man Mu Gu stood fairly close to the Branch Hall Master, so he heard Gu He clearly.

Upon learning Chen Yang's identity, he frowned. His gaze deepened as he carefully studied the man before him, who gave off no hint of danger.

Chen Yang had completely concealed his aura. To an outsider, he seemed no different from an ordinary person.

Although not a trace of danger emanated from Chen Yang, the wariness in Old Man Mu Gu's eyes did not diminish.

When he first began studying Alchemy, his master, Han Shanshan, had taught him something.

She had said that there was one fixed rule in this world: the more dangerous someone was, the more harmless they often appeared. If you looked down on such people, you were finished.

Besides, how could anyone capable of establishing such an immense Spatial Lockdown possibly be an ordinary person?!

Old Man Mu Gu took a seemingly casual step back, retreating behind Star-Picking Old Ghost.

"Star-Picking Old Ghost, I'll cover your back so no one can ambush you from behind!" Old Man Mu Gu whispered to him.

Star-Picking Old Ghost: "...!"

You must take me for a fucking idiot!

Having cultivated to the Dou Zun Realm, Star-Picking Old Ghost naturally possessed a certain degree of discernment. He would not step forward foolishly like some hotheaded rookie.

Without betraying anything, he also took a step back, standing beside Old Man Mu Gu. He chose not to take the lead, leaving that opportunity to the Branch Hall Master and the two Branch Hall Deputy Masters.

After learning the identity of the man before him from Gu He, the Branch Hall Master's eyes abruptly changed.

His gaze turned dark as he stared at Chen Yang, a measure of scrutiny in his eyes.

Chen Yang swept his gaze across them and immediately noticed Gu He. His brow furrowed.

Hmm?!

Why was Gu He here?

How had a mere Dou Wang like him survived the battle that wiped out the Misty Cloud Sect?

In an instant, Chen Yang cast an interrogating glance at Gu He.

Hopefully, it wasn't what he was thinking!

Perhaps Soul One had merely picked up Gu He along the way when he captured Yun'er.

After returning to the Soul Hall, the Branch Hall Master had taken an interest in his talent for alchemy and wanted to groom him into the Soul Hall's next Old Man Mu Gu.

That was why Gu He had the right to stand here.

That was what Chen Yang thought.

Yet Yun Yun's next words directly overturned that notion.

Upon seeing Gu He, anger and utter disgust immediately flashed through Yun Yun's eyes.

During the time since Soul One had captured her and brought her to the Central Plains, she had not been unconscious the entire time. Whenever her awareness was hazy, she often heard Gu He's voice beside her.

Every day, he helped Soul One check whether she had regained consciousness.

After confirming that she had not, he would always sit beside her and pour out his same old feelings.

He said that he hated Chen Yang, hated him for taking her away, but that he had never blamed her.

He also said that he had come to the Central Plains willingly, having volunteered to accompany Soul One.

He wanted to join the Soul Hall and use its power to eliminate Chen Yang.

Moreover, Soul One had already promised him that, as long as he served the Soul Hall faithfully, she would be given to him once the matter was settled.

When that time came, he would not mind that she was no longer untouched. He would still marry her as his concubine, break all her wings, cripple her cultivation, and keep her beside him forever, until she grew old and faded like a yellowed pearl.

Just listen to that. How disgusting was it?!

How had she never known that Gu He was this sort of person, that his mind could be so twisted?

Thankfully, she had never had any feelings for him. Otherwise, she would truly have sickened herself.

"Husband, he sought out Soul One of his own accord, solely to join the Soul Hall and borrow their blade to get rid of you. Then he wanted to possess me, marry me as his concubine, break my wings, and keep me by his side forever, until I grew old and faded like a yellowed pearl."

At those words, an inexplicable fire of rage flared in Chen Yang's heart. He pulled Yun Yun close, wrapped one arm around her waist, and imprisoned her in his embrace.

Staring at her creamy-white collarbone, he suddenly lowered his head and bit down hard, leaving his mark.

"Hiss!" Chen Yang's sudden action hurt Yun Yun. She had not expected him to suddenly go mad, and hurriedly begged for mercy, her voice trembling with tears.

"Husband, don't bite me. It hurts!"

Her voice was soft, tender, and sweet, instantly soothing Chen Yang's raging heart.

"This is a mark. You're mine. No one else gets to covet you—even one look means death." Chen Yang released his bite and admired the masterpiece he had left on her delicate, creamy-white collarbone. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, looking quite satisfied.

Yun Yun lowered her head to look at the mark beneath her collarbone, hurting so much that she wanted to cry.

With a mark like that beneath her collarbone, how was she supposed to face anyone again?

Watching this, Gu He's eyes bulged with such fury that their corners nearly split. Yet he could do nothing, only hate himself for being weak and powerless.

"But this whole patch is so fair and tender, with such a milky fragrance. That bite mark is so obvious, so glaring. How am I supposed to face anyone now?" Yun Yun pouted and complained to Chen Yang unhappily under her breath.

Chen Yang shook his head indulgently. Amid Yun Yun's murmured reproaches, he gently touched the bite mark on her collarbone with a finger and cast an illusion.

As the illusion took effect, the bite mark beneath Yun Yun's collarbone changed. It seemed to come alive, transforming into a Blood Phoenix.

"There. That will do!"

"My exclusive mark!" Chen Yang chuckled softly. The pad of his finger glided beneath her collarbone, as carefully as though he were polishing a priceless piece of jade.

Seeing Chen Yang's intent expression, Yun Yun felt as though she had been enveloped in masculine hormones, and a restless heat rose through her body.

She suppressed that heat and glared fiercely at Chen Yang, saying nothing more.

Only after leaving his mark and soothing her did Chen Yang slowly turn his gaze toward the Branch Hall Master and the others, who were already turtles trapped in a jar.

With a clicking chuckle, he asked the lovely woman in his arms indulgently, "Want to play a little archery game, with those people as the targets?"

With that, he directly conjured a divine bow.

"The twenty-third of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Stems Treasure Arts: Heavenly Evolution Illusion Creation!"

"Illusion creation: Great Yi Divine Bow!"

(The update times have changed to noon and around six in the evening.)