The next day, news of Erica's wedding being held at the Magic Phoenix Empire's royal palace
immediately spread like wildfire and caused a huge commotion. Within three days, the entire empire
was informed of the upcoming wedding.
The announcement of Erica, a rare genius spirit manipulator of the Magic Phoenix Empire, getting
married undoubtedly broke the hearts of countless desperate men.
To add to the shock, the queen would be personally hosting the wedding. This was considered an
honor of the highest order for anyone.
But what caught the curiosity of the entire Magic Phoenix Empire the most was whom Erica was set to
marry. Like a cloud hovering above the ocean, the suspense hung in the air. All would be revealed on
the big day.
A few days later, the royal palace was filled with mirth. Red lanterns hung high above. The booming
clash of gongs and the deafening bang of drums resonated in every corner. Vibrant firecrackers
exploded across the sky. The entire empire was in on the celebration.
A red carpet spread through the center of a huge square. At the front of the carpet, a gorgeous
wedding platform was built. The queen sat on its right with Felicia standing beside her.
It was crowded with people along either side of the carpet. Among the esteemed guests were the
empire's ministers, heads and representatives of major clans, and other influential individuals. They all
gathered to show great respect to Erica.
Of course, the main reason those distinguished guests attended was because of the queen personally
announcing the wedding news. It was obvious that this wedding was of great importance to her.
Then, under the public's watchful eyes, an exquisite vehicle decorated by red silk flowers slowly made
its way down the red carpet. Within the vehicle sat a nervous-looking, delicate figure adorned with a
phoenix coronet and draped in robes that hinted of a high ranking.
"Erica, you're getting married. I never expected you to marry him. However, he's certainly proven his
worth. I've heard that he gave the spiritual race members a hell of a beating. You'll surely feel safe and
secure around him!" Outside the vehicle stood Tasha, who was also Felicia's disciple. Donning a pink
outfit, she looked pure and lovely.
"Then why don't you marry him for me?" Erica glared at Tasha through the red veil draped over her
face.
The vehicle stopped a few meters away from the wedding platform. Tasha assisted Erica in getting out
of the vehicle. They then walked onto the wedding platform to stand in front of the public before
standing in front of the queen.
The crowd was in an uproar, as the bridegroom was still nowhere to be found. Naturally, it was very
odd.
A moment later, an inexplicably strong force suddenly rushed towards them. A black shadow of evil
light rained down from the sky and landed on the red carpet with astonishing speed. After giving the
crowds a glance with its cold eyes, the figure strode forward.
Everyone was shocked by the sudden appearance of this mysterious yet intimidating man. They
watched him walk onto the platform. The astonishment was clear as day on their faces.
At that moment, the queen stood and walked to the front of the high platform. "Today is the wedding of
the most outstanding spirit manipulator of our Magic Phoenix Empire—Erica. Her partner to be is
someone I believe everyone is quite familiar with. I present to you Prince Crimson of the Holy Dragon
Empire." Then she turned to Rocky who had just come up on stage.
Once the queen announced this, everyone fell into silence.
This caused the crowd to erupt into an uproar soon. Everyone could hardly believe what they had just
heard. Rocky, the notorious and unforgivable Prince Crimson of the Wild Spirit Land, was the
bridegroom.
"Prince… Prince Crimson?"
"He was the brute that slaughtered thousands of spiritual race beings…"
"I heard he also murdered the emperor of the Timber Deity Empire not long ago…"
"Why would Erica agree to marry such a despicable man?"
"Perhaps she's being forced against her own will?"
"It's a wedding between the beauty and a beast!"
For a moment, everyone in attendance was discussing among themselves and wouldn't calm down.
Rocky remained calm even after hearing these comments. Erica, on the other hand, lifted her red veil
and cast a blood-curdling glare at everyone around her. "Shut up! Who dares to speak ill of my
husband?"
Her words silenced the crowd once more. The stunned attendees looked at each other. Erica
addressed Prince Crimson as her husband even before the wedding ceremony officially began. It
appeared she wasn't forced to marry the prince.
But Erica now found herself slightly embarrassed at her unexpected outburst. It was too late to take
back the words she loudly blurted. As she looked towards Rocky, she noticed him cast a cheeky grin
back at her.
"I didn't expect you to be so proactive and take initiative before your marriage, Erica," Tasha
commented from beside her, a cheeky grin plastered across her face as well.
Erica's face turned beet-red. All she wanted was to find a deep hole to hide in.
"I know you've all heard of the rumors surrounding Prince Crimson. But I swear as the queen of the
Magic Phoenix Empire that he is nothing like that. Moreover, he is a valuable benefactor of our empire."
The queen came to the rescue, doing her best to diffuse the awkward tension.
However, her words failed to dispel the doubts of the people present. Most of them had a deep-rooted,
unfavorable view of Rocky. They even began to suspect that she was only speaking for him because
he was threatening her.
The scene fell back into chaos and restlessness once more.
Then out of nowhere, a few intimidating figures fell from the sky and shocked the entire audience.
Everyone was even more surprised once their faces could be seen.
These figures weren't just any ordinary humans. They were a group of spiritual race beings led by an
alluringly gorgeous woman. She moved in a seductively coquettish manner paired with an irresistible
temperament—a charm that proved to be at par with Erica's.
The queen and Felicia quickly stepped forward and greeted, "Welcome, Matriarch Jill and elders."
The unexpected guests were none other than the matriarch and elders of the Phoenix Master Clan.
It was nearly everyone's first time to see them. They were astonished that such reputable figures of the
clan decided to attend this ceremony.
"What brings you here, Matriarch?" Felicia asked.
"I heard that Prince Crimson and Erica would get married, so I bring a few of the elders here with me.
Why was I not informed that such a joyous occasion was about to take place?" Jill reproached in
response. She then turned to Rocky, the slightest hint of resentment swimming in her gaze.
"Matriarch, we know how busy you are. We didn't want to disturb you," Felicia replied respectfully.
"I couldn't care less about anyone else's wedding. But how could I refuse to attend the great Prince
Crimson's wedding? After all, he is the great benefactor of our clan," Jill responded excitedly. Although
she didn't announce it loudly, it was loud enough for everyone present to
hear.
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