"Grandpa Shan, do you know where my parents are right now?" Chen Yinyin asked, impatience.
Chen Shan's face darkened, his expression serious. "Lin Feng is here again, pressuring for a marriage. The clan leader and madam are in the hall, negotiating with the Lin family about it."
"Damn bastard Lin Feng, damn Lin family!" Chen Yinyin's voice was sharp and angry. "Just watch, I'll chop them to pieces!"
Her fury flared as she unsheathed her large sword and charged toward the Chen family hall.
Xie Ren, sensing the brewing drama, couldn't help but feel intrigued. He followed closely behind Chen Yinyin, eager to witness the unfolding spectacle.
As they entered the hall, a little girl's voice filled Xie Ren's mind, unmistakably the system's arrogant tone.
[Ding, the system has detected the presence of the "Child of Destiny" Lin Feng, who practices Dual Cultivation. His Luck points are valuable. Please suppress and eliminate him as soon as possible.]
So this was the "Child of Destiny." And he practiced Dual Cultivation, too? Xie Ren thought with a hint of interest.
He scanned the crowd, trying to locate someone who stood out, but everyone appeared fairly ordinary.
He decided to activate the feature he got from the system, True Nirvana Gate for the first time. The moment he did, a strange and fascinating sight unfolded before him.
Above each person's head, there was a subtle halo ring shimmering in varying shades, red, green, blue, purple, and black. The colors ranged from faint to vibrant, some so bright they nearly blazed, others so pale they could be easily overlooked.
But Xie Ren noticed something particularly odd, unlike everyone else's this halo was burning in red flames. What was that?
Just then, the system voice rang once again.
[These Flame are known as The Blessings of fate. Across the vast heavens, few are born beneath the blessing of fate. Those who bear either of these flames are both blessed and cursed by the Heavenly Dao, marked as individuals who will stir the world itself.]
[Red flame: A symbol of destiny's favor. The bearer is chosen by the heavens, destined for greatness. Luck, fortune, and opportunities will naturally align in their favor.]
[Black flame: A mark of sacrifice and inevitable downfall. The bearer is a fated antagonist. A stepping stone upon which another's legend shall rise. Though they may soar to the heavens, their destiny is to be cast down at the peak of their power.]
Xie Ren finally understood, while the colors and intensity of their halo signified their luck, the two different flames signified that if one was either a child of destiny or a fated scapegoat.
When his eyes landed on Lin Feng, Xie Ren raised an eyebrow. Despite having his halo in red flame, Lin Feng only had a red halo with a few shades of black.
Xie Ren thought it was odd. The Heavenly Dao doesn't seem to have very high expectations for him.
But now the real question arose, How should he deal with Lin Feng?
Xie Ren turned to Chen Shan, who had quietly followed them into the hall.
"Old Chen, can you tell me more about this Lin Feng?" he asked, his tone casual but probing.
Though Chen Shan didn't know Xie Ren's identity, he knew he was someone important, given his association with Chen Yinyin. With a respectful nod, the housekeeper replied.
"Sir, you may not be familiar with him, but Lin Feng is Miss Yinyin's fiancé and the son of Lin Huan, the head of the Lin family. It's said that about a year ago, Lin Feng was nothing more than a weak Qi Refining cultivator, completely useless, some even called him a waste.
But after an affair with his brother's father's daughter, he seemed to change overnight. His cultivation breakthroughs came easily, like drinking water, and he began taking concubines as if he were picking vegetables. Now, Lin Feng is at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, a rising star, and one of the most famous geniuses in Empyrean Cloud City."
This guy already had concubines and he still wants to take Chin Yinyin into his harem? A "Child of Destiny" is engaged to Chen Yinyin? Xie Ren couldn't help but think. The idea of the Demon Sovereign being taken into someone else's harem was both absurd and amusing.
Could it be that the reincarnated Chen Yinyin, the Demon Sovereign, would allow herself to be claimed by such a man?
Chen Yinyin marched up to Lin Feng with fury in her eyes. Without hesitation, she swung her large sword toward him.
"Damn bastard, do you think you deserve to marry me?" she said, her voice full of rage.
Lin Feng reacted swiftly, raising his jade fan with ease to block her strike.
He then gazed at her, his eyes gleaming with greed and confidence. "Yinyin, what are you saying? How could I not deserve you? I'm the number one genius in Empyrean Cloud City, the future patriarch of the Lin family, and a direct disciple of Grand Ming, the master of the Profound Purity Sect. If I don't deserve to marry you, then who in Empyrean Cloud City does?"
The room fell into a tense silence. No one spoke up. Everyone knew the truth of Lin Feng's words. His reputation as the prodigy of the Lin family and his connection to the mighty Grand Ming made him a force to be reckoned with.
Lin Feng didn't stop there. He raised his chin arrogantly, his voice dripping with smugness. "Chen Yinyin, don't accuse me of using force. Here's what I propose, let's have a duel. If you win, I'll let you annul the marriage. If you lose, we'll carry out the marriage tonight!"
"Bastard!"
Chen Yinyin's fury flared, her grip tightening on her sword. She had thought Xie Ren was the most shameless person she had ever met, but now, she was confronted with someone even more despicable.
Was this really her punishment for the sins of her past life, as the Demon Sovereign? To be cornered by a pathetic, arrogant man like Lin Feng?
Hearing her retort, Lin Feng sneered. "It seems like you don't understand the situation, Yinyin. If you follow me, you'll live in luxury, rise to the top, and have everything you've ever dreamed of. But if you oppose me, the Chen family will be drenched in blood, and your people will suffer endlessly."
With those words, Lin Feng threw aside any pretense of civility. His true nature emerged, force and power were his only tools to get what he wanted.
Chen Yinyin clenched her teeth, her anger rising. She wasn't blind to the reality of the situation. She had just found a place to call home, a family she could rely on, and she wasn't about to put them in danger for the sake of pride. But marrying Lin Feng? That was a fate she could never accept.
She couldn't believe this, she, the great Demon Sovereign, was being cornered by a mere Golden Core family. It was humiliating.
Just as the situation threatened to crush her, a figure dressed in white suddenly entered the room, cutting through the tension.
"Yinyin, are you getting married?" the boy called out with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Your master doesn't approve!"
The room went still, and a small flicker of hope ignited in the Chen family's hearts. But as they turned their gaze to the newcomer, that hope quickly dimmed.
The man, no older than seventeen or eighteen, was dressed in simple white robes. His cultivation was barely at the Qi Refining stage.
The Chen family had considered standing up to the Lin family before, but with Lin Feng now being the personal disciple of Grand Ming, the most powerful cultivator in Empyrean Cloud City, they knew they didn't have the strength to fight. They had no choice but to endure Lin Feng's pressure and endure the shame of this forced marriage.
Yet, in the midst of despair, Chen Yinyin's heart suddenly stirred. The man was somehow her only hope.
"Disciple Chen Yinyin pays respects to Master!" she declared, bowing deeply in front of him.
The room fell into stunned silence. Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief. Chen Yinyin, the fierce and powerful woman, had just called a Qi Refining boy her "Master"?
What was going on here?