I Only Marry Widows

"Is such a terrifying existence really our junior sister Zhao Ling'Er?"

Lu Chengfeng had this thought flash through his mind, and then he heard the Empress say, "Present it."

He dared not be slow, holding both hands up, a flash of golden light passed, and the map of the Celestial Demon Continent appeared in his hands. He respectfully handed over the map he had already prepared.

"Please, Your Majesty, verify it."

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt his palm lighten; the map of the Celestial Demon Continent had already disappeared.

"You ventured to explore the Celestial Demon Continent and made a map; you have merits and shall be rewarded."

"I bestow upon you a Great Tao Divine Weapon, and a set of Great Tao Spirit Armor."

Hearing this, Lu Chengfeng was overjoyed. He had risen from the mundane, and his foundation was too weak. He had nothing to boast except for a Sun and Moon Gourd.

Even Giant Spirit Venerate had a Great Tao Divine Weapon that matched his Dharma Form, while he was empty-handed.

As for Yin Tianjiao, the Marshal of Evil, he was armed to the teeth, covered all over with Great Tao Divine Weapons and Spiritual Treasures of the Great Tao.

The treasures used by the Celestial Monarch of the Year of Jiazi, whom he had slain, were all of the Great Tao Spiritual Treasure level, making people envious.

Although Great Tao Spiritual Treasures vary in rank, Lu Chengfeng was currently empty-handed and had nothing. To be gifted a Great Tao Divine Weapon and a Great Tao Spiritual Treasure was like a pie falling from the sky.

"The Empress is truly generous!" He was delighted in his heart and quickly expressed gratitude, "I thank Your Majesty for the grand grace."

"This is what you deserve, but since the reward has been given, you left camp without authorization, intruded into the Divine Court without edict, and killed Immortal Gods of the Divine Court. Do you know your crime?" The Empress's voice was extremely cold, devoid of the slightest emotion.

Lu Chengfeng had anticipated this scene. The Empress had been suppressing him, and now he directly intruded into the Divine Court and even went on a killing spree, practically handing a ready-made handle to her. It would be surprising if she did not take the opportunity to make things difficult.

"Your Majesty, this matter indeed has its reasons." Lu Chengfeng put on an aggrieved look and explained, "I left the camp on orders."

"Previously, I received the Cyan Nether Celestial Venerate's decree, commanding me to bring the map of the Celestial Demon Continent to the Divine Court to meet Your Majesty in person."

"With the Celestial Venerate's decree, I dared not disobey."

Upon hearing his words, the Empress couldn't help but clench her fist. This was simply speaking lies with open eyes, and even spouting nonsense directly in front of her, as if not putting her in his eyes at all.

"If Your Majesty does not believe, you can personally ask the Celestial Venerate." Lu Chengfeng, looking utterly wronged, pled, "As for the subsequent actions, that was also by order."

"The Celestial Venerate declared that those who falsely claimed to be her male concubine tarnished her reputation, so anyone daring to continue pestering should be settled by me personally."

As he spoke, he patted the Sun and Moon Gourd. With a flash of white light, Luo Suyi, donned in Cyan Mist Palace Attire, wearing a Phoenix Wing Hairpin, overlaid with a Cloud Brocade Cloak, manifested.

"The Celestial Venerate is right here. If Your Majesty does not believe, feel free to ask."

With Lu Chengfeng's words, a dead silence fell upon the entire great hall.

The Empress gritted her teeth, wishing at that moment she could crush Lu Chengfeng's skull and tear his mouth apart, so he wouldn't stand there spouting nonsense and lies.

But with Luo Suyi's appearance, she also felt somewhat uneasy.

She knew very well that the Luo Suyi in front of her was her mother reincarnated.

Thinking of everything that happened between her and Lu Chengfeng in the mundane world, and that Lu Chengfeng was now married to Luo Suyi, made her feel uncomfortable all over.

Especially now that all three were in the same room, she had a feeling like sitting on pins and needles.

She initially intended to take this opportunity to act, but Lu Chengfeng used her mother as a shield, leaving her with no excuse to make a move.

With her thoughts turning, the chaos within the great hall swirled as if to birth some great terror, akin to the creation of the world.

This was no Divine Technique, merely her thoughts invoking some heavenly phenomena.

"Enough, continuing to waste words with a mere ant is beneath me."

The Empress suppressed all her miscellaneous thoughts, speaking in a cold tone, "Even if so, you should not have gone on a killing spree in the Divine Court, nor should you have slaughtered your colleagues."

"Given the circumstances, you shall be spared the death penalty, but not punishment. I hereby strip you of your position as Nine Heavens Demon Subduing Venerate."

"Are you satisfied?"

Lu Chengfeng cursed in his heart, "Damn woman, I've risked my life for you, gone through all the trouble of making the map of the Celestial Demon Continent, and not only do you fail to promote me, you demote me instead."

"Just you wait; see how I'll have my revenge on your mother."

"Whatever you take from me, I'll take back from your mother."

Though extremely displeased, he dared not challenge the Empress. He could only say in a somewhat stiff tone, "I thank Your Majesty for sparing my life."

At that moment, Luo Suyi, who had been silent, spoke up, "Since Your Majesty has revoked his position as Nine Heavens Demon Subduing Venerate, by rights, he should be demoted to True Monarch."

The Empress couldn't help but be speechless upon hearing this. She was somewhat unsure about Suyi's state, not knowing whether she had awakened her past life memory, whether it was the will of Cyan Nether controlling the body, or if Luo Suyi was speaking to her.

Originally planning to demote Lu Chengfeng entirely, stripping all divine positions, Luo Suyi's intervention resulted in merely dropping a single rank.

Although slightly displeased, she was unwilling to argue over such a small matter with her mother in front of others, choosing silence instead.

Luo Suyi continued, "As a True Monarch, he should have a title. I suggest naming him the True Monarch of Qingyuan and the Mysterious Path!"

"Unacceptable." Hearing this, the Empress could no longer hold back, "The True Monarch of Qingyuan and the Mysterious Path is an ancient deity with an exalted status, uniquely positioned among many divine ranks, capable of seeing the Celestial Venerate without bowing, equivalent in status to the Taoist Masters of the Nine States."

"Since its inception, this title has never been conferred on anyone."

"How can a disgraced Lu Chengfeng be granted such a venerate position?"

Luo Suyi's face showed a faint ironic smile, "The True Monarch of Qingyuan and the Mysterious Path became holy in flesh, wielding a Three-Pointed Double-Bladed Spear, known for his famed exploits in ancient times, unmatched under the Great Emperor, even the Celestial Venerate had to bow before him."

"This individual once battled the mysterious Jade Emperor, then vanished. Some even say that he was among the eighteen Celestial Venerates who established the Netherworld initially."

"Lu Chengfeng cultivates the Path of Time, holding a unique status in the current Three Realms, able to mitigate many troubles for you. What's more, his Fighting Dharma Form is a Three-Pointed Double-Edged Saber—a fortunate coincidence."

"Appointing him as the True Monarch of Qingyuan and the Mysterious Path benefits both you and the Divine Court."

"Moreover, regardless of its noble nature, it is just a True Monarch without any actual power, so why not confer it?"

Such statements were outright unreasonable, baselessly insisting on conferring the Venerate Position of the True Monarch of Qingyuan and the Mysterious Path to Lu Chengfeng.

What absurd notion of the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Saber coinciding with the Three-Pointed Double-Bladed Spear? There are others in the Three Realms who have cultivated their Dharma Form into a Three-Pointed Double-Bladed Spear; would they then be granted the title of True Monarch of Qingyuan and the Mysterious Path?

The Empress almost laughed with anger; although not wanting to argue with her mother in public, she couldn't help but slowly turn around, eyes fixed on Luo Suyi.

As she turned to look at Luo Suyi, an extremely subtle connection arose between them, an immense power hidden deep within Luo Suyi's Divine Soul resonated instantly with the Empress.

Countless images flashed before the Empress's eyes, as if witnessing a vast and majestic Long River, seeing through a time span of a hundred thousand years that had vanished...

The images of the future ten thousand years once glimpsed by Lu Chengfeng unfolded slowly before the Empress.

Only this time, she witnessed that stretch of ten thousand years from her perspective, or rather, from the perspective of the former Yun Cang.

And as she immersed her mind into the future ten thousand years, the original chaotic fog enveloping her silently dissipated.

Noticing something amiss, Lu Chengfeng looked up to see a truly familiar face.

"Junior Sister?!!"

No matter what, the person in front of him was indeed her mother,