The Master and His Wealthy Fiancée

Not only was a magnificent channel forged on Heaven-Reaching Cloud Cliff Peak, but tribulation clouds were also gathering.

Li Wang shot a cold glare at the sky, gritting her teeth. "Damn you, heavens!" With a sharp flick of her longsword, she sent an astonishing glint of cold light streaking toward You.

You flicked her right hand, and a crescent-shaped scimitar—a Divine Artifact—appeared to block the attack. It had no handguard, only a blade that pulsed with a divine rhythm.

Taking three steps back to block the blow, she shook her head slightly. "This world cannot contain your power right now. You shouldn't have broken your seal."

"Then dismantle the great Array and give him back to me!" Li Wang commanded, instantly closing the distance. Two flying swords danced around her, unleashing several world-ending rays of cold light.

You flashed through the air, dodging repeatedly, but Li Wang's pursuit was relentless. Left with no choice but to engage, she met the attacks, and the two instantly clashed. Even though You was only defending, every collision of her saber and the swords easily tore the space around them.

For the hundreds of weakened exotic beasts on the sea of clouds, it was a true eye-opener. They had all considered themselves exceptionally gifted, destined to become overlords upon awakening. Yet a single, casual strike from the two figures in the sky could end their lives. 'Did I wake up wrong? Did I oversleep and the world changed? Or did I get transmigrated?' All sorts of bizarre thoughts filled their minds.

You parried another sword strike, sending the flash of light flying toward the cliff wall of Cloud Cliff Peak. The already treacherous Yunya Mountain Peak was like tofu as another half was sliced clean off. The fall of giant boulders created a new, one-of-a-kind spectacle.

"Ming, stop! The Celestial Dao has already detected you. If you keep fighting, all your work will be for nothing! This Array only absorbs his luck; it won't take his life."

"What's the difference between a man without luck and a dead man? Give it back to him!"

The boundless sea of clouds churned violently from their battle, and the entire space trembled.

With her seal broken, Li Wang's combat power was astonishing. As a master of the Sword Dao, her offense was ferociously unparalleled. But You's Realm was clearly a step higher. Revived by the Resurrection Technique, You's strength was undiminished. Moreover, having transcended the Six Dao and the Five Elements, she was completely immune to the Celestial Dao's suppression. Thus, she was able to calmly withstand all of Li Wang's attacks.

The Corpse Dove watched the great battle in the sky, hugging its head with its wings in terror. It trembled as it spoke, "The channel is already built, but Lord You and Lord Ming have started fighting... what are we going to do?"

Turning its head, it saw Chen Dong, who looked to have fainted within the Sacrificial Array. "It's all your fault, you brat!" it said, placing the blame. "Lord Ming only broke her seal because of you!"

Just then, countless rays of sword light surged forth, and the heavenly lightning descended once more.

A bolt of world-destroying purple lightning shot straight for Li Wang.

You's brow furrowed. She teleported between Li Wang and the heavenly punishment, using the crescent Divine Artifact to block the lightning. With a wave of her right hand, she summoned a black Spirit Shield to block the infinite sword lights.

The sword light and lightning, deflected by the Spirit Shield and the crescent Divine Artifact, shot out in all directions, causing a series of stunning explosions across the great Array.

Amid the incessant rumbling, the newly constructed channel, not yet stable, began to shake.

Another bolt of lightning struck the channel. Its annihilating power caused the portal to dim for a moment. The great Array, which had halted, reactivated. Chen Dong, inside the Sacrificial Array, became the sacrifice once more, his energy siphoned to supply the channel.

'This is bad!' You thought. For the first time, a grave expression appeared on her usually serene face.

She shouted coldly, "Ming, stop! At this rate, he's really going to die!"

Snapped out of her rage, Li Wang finally noticed something was wrong with Chen Dong and rushed toward him.

The great Array was damaged. Originally designed only to absorb luck, it was now sacrificing everything. Anything within the Sacrificial Array would be converted into energy for the channel.

The immense draining sensation jolted the unconscious Chen Dong awake. The four pillars of light in his sea of consciousness dimmed, and all the crystalline motes of light were sucked away by the Array. Then, it began to drain his cultivation.

His cultivation, which had reached Inner Realm Perfection, plummeted drastically. This was a true sacrifice—what was lost could never be regained.

Chen Dong was powerless against the Array. In an instant, his entire cultivation was drained away. With nothing else to draw upon, the Array began to consume his life force.

'So, I'm going to die?' Chen Dong thought.

There was no bitterness, no resentment. His starry eyes saw only the red silhouette practicing Sword Control.

'I just hope... she can live the rest of her life in peace.'

"Brother, no!"

A desolate cry shocked Chen Dong back to his senses.

'That's right, I have to protect her in this lifetime! This damned Array... stop!'

As if sensing his will, the great Array abruptly stopped just as the last shred of Chen Dong's life force was about to be extinguished. But immediately, a powerful suction pulled Chen Dong up, dragging him toward the grand and majestic channel.

The lightning had fully activated the channel, which now exerted a terrifying pull on its surroundings, forming a massive vortex. Devoid of his cultivation, Chen Dong was easily swept into it.

Even with her seal broken, Li Wang was too late. She stretched out her right hand with all her might, but she couldn't reach Chen Dong.

She could only watch helplessly as Chen Dong vanished into the channel.

"I won't let you face this alone!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Li Wang leaped into the vortex!

You Ningmei watched them disappear. 'Is this what it means to have your luck stripped away?' she mused. 'The moment the channel took form, disaster followed.'

Then, she turned to the Corpse Dove. "You will remain in this realm and eradicate the Gu. I am going to find Ming." With that, she too stepped into the channel.