Mozhou.
Cangyun Sect.
The news from Old Yin Mountain had already spread here.
All the high elders gathered in the main hall.
"No matter how much we kept telling ourselves we were overestimating Yang Cheng, the truth proves we've only ever seen the tip of the iceberg," said the Grand Elder of Cangyun Sect.
Everyone else wore grim expressions.
The news that arrived today was enough to make their scalps tingle in shock.
Yang Cheng had actually slain Su Lingchen, and in the end, it was his sword that severed the head of a true god.
A person like that was terrifying beyond reason.
"Third Elder, earlier we told you to go to Fire Dragon Mountain to apologize to Yang Cheng. Yet until now, there's been no result."
The Sect Master looked at Sun Xiangsheng.
Sun Xiangsheng said, "When I arrived, he was no longer at Fire Dragon Mountain."
"And then you just gave up?"
The Second Elder snapped, "You couldn't even ask around for where he went?"
"Forget it. Talking about this now is meaningless," said the Sect Master. "The urgent matter is to mend this, to save what can be saved."
"On one hand, our Cangyun Sect will provide Fire Dragon Mountain with vast amounts of resources. On the other, the Third Elder must continue with the apology. This time, there can be no quitting halfway."
"Otherwise, I might just take your head myself and present it to Yang Cheng as an apology gift."
Sun Xiangsheng's face went pale, his throat dry. "Yes."
Zhen'nan Pass.
The Great Zhou army had already won a sweeping victory.
Yang Cheng left the remaining operations to his subordinates.
He himself returned to Zhen'nan Pass.
Ding!
[Calling this a miracle no longer suffices. This is a myth.]
[The host actually killed Su Lingchen, a peak Shattering God powerhouse.]
[As for slaying a Yin God afterward, while still shocking, compared to this it isn't even surprising.]
[After evaluation, the host's achievements have far exceeded the system's task requirements.]
[Reward adjusted: from Two-Star Shura Sword Domain, upgraded to Three-Star Shura Sword Domain.]
Yang Cheng had expected that killing a true god would bring a huge reward, but it turned out to be of little use.
That god's talent had clearly been far beneath Su Lingchen's. Even five hundred years later, he would have only advanced from Insight God to Yin God.
Still—
Yang Cheng was satisfied.
The reward from slaying Su Lingchen was already unimaginably rich.
A Three-Star Shura Sword Domain!
Yang Cheng had already used the Shura Sword Domain before, and he knew how terrifying even the One-Star version was.
Now he had Three-Star Shura Sword Domain.
How terrifying would his combat power be now?
Ding!
[Your mother has two greatest wishes. One, that the host live safely and in good health this life. Two, that she may see her daughter-in-law.]
[Please fulfill Yun Liyue's second wish. Bring the girl you favor to meet her.]
[The host was five hundred and ten years old and still unmarried in the past life. You can't blame your mother for being anxious. You should understand her wish to hold a grandchild. Time limit: three years.]
[Mission reward: one Divine Wish Talisman.]
The Divine Wish Talisman was one of the most mysterious treasures in existence.
It could be used to make a wish.
Once a wish was made, Heaven's Dao would resonate with it. The wish wouldn't come true immediately, but it would indeed raise one's fortune.
"The problem is, I'm only 11," Yang Cheng muttered, speechless. He really hadn't expected the system to give him such a mission reward.
In his past life, he had been a true old bachelor—five hundred years old and still single.
But now he was only 11, not even at Great Zhou's legal marriage age.
Still, the lure of the Divine Wish Talisman was strong, so Yang Cheng had to think carefully.
Anyway, the mission only required him to bring the girl he liked to meet Yun Liyue, and he had three years.
'The girl I like?'
For some reason, the first person that came to mind was Tangtang.
Normally, given his age, he would only feel the affection of an elder toward a younger child when it came to someone like Tangtang.
But in his memories, there was also Tang Xingyu from his previous life.
While Yang Cheng was deep in thought, someone came to request an audience with him.
"Who seeks an audience with this prince?" Yang Cheng asked.
"Your Highness, it is the Xu family," Lin Shu said. "They are grateful that you saved Xu Qingxue, and upon hearing that the Empress is here as well, they wish to pay their respects."
Yang Cheng thought for a moment.
Xu Qingxue had suffered this calamity because of him.
Although he saved her, he knew very well that in his previous life, Xu Qingxue had never gone through such an ordeal.
So with Xu Qingxue and her family here, if he refused to see them, it would indeed seem improper.
"Let them in," Yang Cheng said.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
Xu Wanhe led the Xu family to kneel before Yang Cheng.
"There's no need for such formality," Yang Cheng said, telling them to rise.
"Your Highness, the entire Xu clan is endlessly grateful to you," Xu Wanhe said, his voice even choked with emotion. "Who would have thought that for Qingxue's sake, you would go as far as slaying Su Lingchen? Such immense grace and virtue, even if our Xu clan were to be ground to dust, we could never repay it."
The look in Xu Qingxue's eyes as she gazed at Yang Cheng was full of emotion, worship, and reliance.
Yang Cheng said honestly, "This prince did kill Su Lingchen with Qingxue as part of the reason. But the main cause was that he openly provoked this prince. So there's no need for such words."
But clearly, the Xu family didn't believe him.
Soon after, the Xu family members, thinking themselves clever, left Xu Qingxue behind and quietly withdrew from the room.
Yang Cheng was left speechless.
Before, he had only used Xu Qingxue as a tool, leveraging her to deal with Zhao Wuji.
Later, when she was dragged into danger because of him, he only felt guilt toward her, nothing more.
Yet now, from the looks of it, everyone seemed to believe there was some ambiguous relationship between them.
Were these people blind? Couldn't they see that he was only 11?
"Xu Qingxue," Yang Cheng called.
Her face flushed red. "Your Highness."
Yang Cheng was just about to say, "What's with that expression?"
But just then, from outside came the ceremonial cries of "Long live the Empress!"
A figure stepped into the room.
It was Yun Liyue.
"Mother," Yang Cheng muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching.
He had clearly done nothing, yet somehow it felt like he had been caught in the act.
What made him want to complain even more was that Xu Qingxue's face grew even redder, with a hint of panic, as if they had actually done something shameful.
"Qingxue greets the Empress," she hurriedly said, about to kneel before Yun Liyue.
But Yun Liyue quickly held her up, then even shot Yang Cheng a glare.
Yang Cheng looked utterly innocent.
Ignoring him, Yun Liyue carefully looked Xu Qingxue over, satisfaction appearing on her face.
Had it been an ordinary girl seeking to meet Yang Cheng, Yun Liyue wouldn't have bothered to come.
But she had already heard of Xu Qingxue's deeds.
Eighty days ago, Su Lingchen had tried to make Xu Qingxue his maid.
At that time, everyone believed Su Lingchen stood high above, that Yang Cheng couldn't possibly compare. Some even thought it was Yang Cheng's honor that Su Lingchen was willing to take him as a disciple.
But Xu Qingxue had firmly refused Su Lingchen.
Even later, when Su Lingchen struck her with the Nine-Nine Thunder Origin Finger, making her suffer eighty days of torment, Xu Qingxue never once begged for mercy.
And her words, "A good woman does not serve two husbands, a loyal servant does not serve two masters," had now become a motto quoted by countless mothers-in-law to scold their daughters-in-law, and by masters to admonish their servants.