The Master and His Wealthy Fiancée

Night fell, but the drizzling rain that covered the globe continued to fall. The earthquake that had left countless people homeless and bereft of their families had finally ended.

At the peak of the mountain range at the earthquake's epicenter, Corpse Dove cawed raucously, "Exhilarating! This thrill of destroying everything is just the best!"

Lord You gazed indifferently at the night sky. "I cannot comprehend such a feeling. But it matters not. After all, I created you for the purpose of destroying this world."

Corpse Dove scratched at the local Earth Vein with its talons. "I know that. Lord You created me from resentment and hatred. The desire to kill and destroy is in my very nature..." As Corpse Dove spoke, a black feather on its forehead began to hum.

Lord You glanced over and said softly, "Someone is still trying to communicate with you?"

Corpse Dove raised its head and replied immediately, "It's just that fool, Chen Dong. I gave him a Communication Feather back in the Qiankun Realm."

With a gesture from Lord You, the humming Black Feather on Corpse Dove's forehead flew into his hand. A voice full of rage echoed from it, demanding, "The earthquake! Was the earthquake your doing?"

Lord You answered coolly, "It was."

A moment later, Chen Dong's voice came again. "Lord You, your Realm is already at the pinnacle of this world. Why must you do this?"

"You will know in time."

Lord You casually tossed the Black Feather back to Corpse Dove and said coldly, "We're leaving. On to the next location."

Corpse Dove cawed in excitement. "There's more? CAW CAW! This is fantastic!"

Just then, a figure appeared in the distant sky.

Corpse Dove said in surprise, "Lord You, the brat actually came!"

Lord You did not speak, but waited in silence.

"Why? Why?! That was hundreds of thousands of lives!" Chen Dong roared, his voice raw and hoarse.

On his way here, he had seen towns and villages already laid to ruin by the catastrophe.

Lord You gave a contemptuous smile. "Can you feel their anguished cries?"

Chen Dong's eyes were bloodshot as True Qi condensed in his fists.

"There's no need to look at me like that. It's good that you've come. I'll give you a chance to be a hero!"

Chen Dong yelled, confused, "What do you mean?"

"With the power of the Spirit Tide, I can resurrect these humans."

"Impossible! You're lying! No one can do that, not even a True Immortal!"

Lord You made a gesture, and an astonishing amount of Spiritual Qi converged in his hands. "Have you forgotten the Blood Storage Array?"

"Ordinarily, I could not. But during this phase of the Spirit Tide eruption, the Spiritual Qi contains all possibilities. As long as I cover the entirety of Jiangzhou with the Blood Storage Array, those who died in the disaster today can be brought back to life!"

"But are you willing to pay the price?" Lord You's deep eyes were fixed on Chen Dong.

"What do I have to give?" Chen Dong asked gravely. 'Lord You's power could easily force me to submit. What he's asking for can't be simple.'

Lord You's brow furrowed slightly. "When the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is fully restored, I want you to willingly sacrifice your destiny to help me open the passage!"

'Destiny? A passage?'

Chen Dong fell into deep thought.

"If not for your profound entanglement with destiny, I would not be giving you this choice. When the time comes, I could simply control you and perform the sacrifice myself."

Corpse Dove chimed in from the side, "Kid, this is an extremely good deal. You get to pay for your pity with your destiny."

A wicked smile touched Chen Dong's lips. "Of course I'll agree. I just didn't realize my destiny held such value."

Lord You opened his palm, and a Blood Stone appeared in it. "Why do you think I enslaved you? It was because your destiny is exceptionally rare. Even in an era teeming with prodigies, you would still stand above all others."

As he spoke, he flung the Blood Stone into the night sky, and an Array that blanketed the heavens instantly unfurled.

Chen Dong asked quietly, "What will happen to me if I lose my destiny?"

Corpse Dove cackled. "What do you think? You'll be cursed with fatally bad luck, of course! You might even choke to death on your own spit on the day of the sacrifice!"

Chen Dong raised an eyebrow. 'That's much better than I imagined. Choking to death on my own spit would be a peaceful end, all things considered. It's a shame I haven't yet helped the Celestial Profound Sect flourish. Then again, Master is still hale and hearty. He has plenty of time to take on another disciple.' He relaxed at the thought.

By now, Lord You had begun to operate the Array. His hands were spread wide, and a flash of crimson crossed his deep eyes. The endless rain suddenly halted, then reversed, pouring back up into the sky.

Lord You's hand seals blurred into countless phantoms. Finally, with a flick of his hands, a gash opened on each of his palms. Deep crimson blood floated out like two silk ribbons, drifting up into the celestial Array.

Corpse Dove flapped its wings in horror. "This is a terrible deal! My Lord, how can you use your own blood?"

Chen Dong asked, "What's wrong?"

Corpse Dove snorted. "The Blood Stone's energy is insufficient, so Lord You has to use his own blood to supplement it."

Chen Dong took out the Jiao Blood Pearl. "I have this."

Lord You's voice rang out, "Jiao Blood cannot be used to resurrect living creatures. It is far too volatile!"

When the great Array in the sky turned a bloody crimson, Lord You pulled back his hands. His already fair face was now deathly pale, and the black tattoos on his neck had faded considerably.

'It seems even for Lord You, this Array requires a significant price.'