Chapter 1509 - Moth to a Fire
Loud, booming sounds like those of a war drum could be heard throughout the entire area of conflict between the Myriaddragon Mountains and Primodragon Cave. Each boom sent gravel and boulders flying. Many among the army of sixty million saw the black figure as they swarmed toward the Ninedragon Army; like a moth flying towards a fire, he generated quite a lot of commotion.
"Who's that?"
"It looks like Feng, that specter disciple that killed Long Wangyu!"
"He is...!"
They were simply shocked to see it, and few knew what he was doing or why. All the celestial orderian side knew was that he was charging toward them like a wild beast without the slightest hint of turning back. Not only that, even the Ninemoon Goddess did something completely unexpected, exposing her face and going against the bride protocol. The panicked expression she had when she saw the black-clad youth was a sign that something wasn’t normal. Right as the army was about to crush the youth to shreds, she turned to them, spread her arms and shouted with all she could, "Everyone stop! Don't touch him!"
With how much the sun emperor spoiled this daughter of his, thousands of Sunscorch Guard soldiers and Li Yunxi herself were guarding her. They were fervent followers of the sun emperor as well as the Ninemoon Goddess, a nonabane. So, she held an authority that none of the other sons of the emperor could ever have.
"Goddess, what is this?"
"Is something going on?"
"Do they know each other?"
The gods all had great senses and could see really far. They could also pick up all sorts of odd smells. Qingyu's order soon spread to all sixty million troops and they actually stopped, though they hadn’t been marching that quickly to begin with. After all, they hadn't received an order from the sun emperor to do so yet.
Right away, the entire area quieted down. Both sides had all their eyes turned on the three key people: Qingyu, Lingfeng, and Long Renshe. The fact that Lingfeng wasn't instantly killed was a sign that he had succeeded a third of the way. The reason he had chosen to show up at this instant, despite risking being vaporized immediately, was that he wouldn't have a chance to face off against Long Renshe once the battle truly began. Youths like them would stand no chance in this clash of armies no matter how talented they were. He would only be able to attract attention right as the two armies were facing off against each other.
Having absorbed far too many waste pills, heavy black miasma oozed out of him. He plunged his staff into the ground and stopped, then turned his dark red eyes to Qingyu, meeting her gaze. They were closer than ever now, still separated by thousands of people but it was progress all the same. They could almost hear each others’ heartbeats. When their fiery gazes met, it was as if all the dangers and obstacles no longer mattered. The two of them would have more than enough to reminisce for the rest of their lives with how Lingfeng stood up to sixty million troops just to see her. His fearlessness was mind numbing to say the least.
However, the key question in the Veildragon Guard and the celestial orderians' minds was: how in the world are these two related? They turned to the cold Long Renshe and Torchdragon Emperor and had a rough idea about the nature of this relationship. How could the goddess possibly have crossed paths with Lingfeng?
Amidst the many doubts, Lingfeng finally gave them their answer. He raised his staff and pointed it at the groom. "If you want to wed her, you'll have to go through me."
The words immediately sent waves across the crowds. It was a love triangle after all! Though it was just a normal, messy affair, there were completely different implications as it involved Qingyu and Long Renshe. Their union would represent the union of the number one faction with the celestial orderians. It was clear that this was a huge move on the part of the sun emperor. The mere notion of a third party going to interfere with a marriage of such a scale was tantalizing, to say the least.
A few people among the Ninedragon Army had clearly heard that Lingfeng wanted to duel Long Renshe. It would be witnessed by more than a hundred million people in total. As the three involved were youths, fights between them represented a fight between the two sides’ future hopes. It could greatly affect morale of either side, so they wildly cheered for Lingfeng like they had with Tianming back then. Even their lifebound beasts loudly howled, everyone looking at Lingfeng and letting him know that he wasn't fighting alone.
"Answer him, Long Renshe!"
"The number one genius of the Veildragon Palace who's supposed to be the strongest talent in their history, someone less than half your age is challenging you! Do you understand?"
"If you don't even dare to stand up to him, how would you be a good match for the Ninemoon Goddess?"
"Don't let the Veildragon Palace and the sun emperor lose face!"
Lingfeng's choice was the right one, and the mockery the Ninedragon Army threw the way of the celestial orderians only helped increase the pressure. Not to mention, Qingyu's reaction also added fuel to the fire, putting Long Renshe on the spot. Now, even the fifty million celestial orderians turned to him to see his reaction.
Long Renshe had earned the respect of the elites among the celestial orderians with his achievements, talent, and stable personality. Nobody had an issue with him marrying the Ninemoon Goddess. It went without saying that none among them supported Lingfeng. Perhaps they thought that if Long Renshe didn't step up now, the Veildragon Palace would be humiliated and that might affect morale in the upcoming battle.
Their burning gazes were also a pressure that forced Long Renshe to be unable to turn back. Even though his father held his arm tight, he pulled it free and shot him a heavy look before turning to Qingyu, only to see her say nothing. All she did was look at the black-clad youth with a gentle and loving gaze. Long Renshe didn't exist in her vision at all. Coupled with the fact that she had avoided him the entire time since she’d come to the sect, that meant she hadn't come to see him from the very beginning.
Though he managed to keep a calm expression, his innards tensed up from the agonizing stress. He had never seen Qingyu with such a gentle expression before. But she was supposed to be his bride! Dressed in the Diviluna Eternalight, she was the most beautiful thing on the battlefield. With the sun emperor's order to attack not having come yet, they still had time for a small show.
People from both sides kept chanting his name, even some among the Veildragon Guard. Even his father was silent about the situation, patting his shoulder in a silent acknowledgment that he had no choice but to fight, given how Qingyu and Lingfeng behaved.
"What? Did you lose confidence?" Li Xiaoyan asked.
"That isn’t the case. I just felt that he doesn't deserve the right to challenge me, but forget it. As long as we settle this, His Solar Majesty's grand design will still go through without a hitch," Long Renshe said.
"That's right. Focus on the key." Li Xiaoyan patted his shoulder as he whispered in his ear, "But you still have to win. Otherwise, the reputation the Veildragon Palace has cultivated over all these years will come crumbling down at your hands."
"Understood!" Long Renshe's eyes immediately turned bloodshot. He got down to the ground and stared at Lingfeng, loudly roaring as he charged at him like he had a deep grudge against him.