9 Becoming a Falling Star!

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Su Xiaobai prepared himself for the inevitable showdown. 'If it's a fight he wants, I must be ready.'

Whoosh!

Just as Dean Lian's cane was about to make contact, Su Xiaobai expertly shifted his stance at the last possible second, activating the invincible body technique he had mastered through painstaking practice.

Boooooom!

A thunderous explosion echoed as the strike intended for Su Xiaobai instead sent debris flying, tearing through the walls and creating a big hole in the ceiling.

Dust and rubble filled the air, obscuring vision but not enough to hide the aftermath.

"Hahahaha!" The Dean laughed triumphantly, mistaking the destruction for a successful hit. "The rat is killed!"

As the dust settled, a slightly feminine voice came, tinged with hints of nervousness. "Dean Lian, where is the intruder? The Tianglong spirit, is it safe?"

"The Tianglong spirit is fine, I have killed the intruder already, hahahaha!" Dean Lian couldn't help but laugh, his voice echoing proudly around the damaged chamber.

??

The girl who had entered frowned, her gaze quickly sweeping across the chaotic scene before settling on the unintended new skylight.

"Then why is there a gap through the ceiling?" she questioned, her tone filled with concern.

"!"

The next moment, Dean Lian's laughter faltered and died abruptly.

"Huh?"

__________

"..."

"..."

Su Xiaobai was hurtling through the air at the speed of sound, his face set in a grimace of determination and despair.

"This invincible body helped me survive for once... But how will I survive the fall?" he muttered under his breath.

To use the invincible body again, he needed his energy reserves to be full, which, tragically, were now critically depleted.

The force of Dean Lian's astonishing energy attack had catapulted Su Xiaobai high into the sky, flinging him like a ragdoll.

He had managed to activate the invincible body at the precise moment needed to avoid instant obliteration, but now, as he arced like a comet through the heavens, he faced a new danger.

Gazing down at the rapidly approaching earth, he bid the world what he thought to be his final farewell. After all, it appeared that despite having acquired Zeus's legacy and a second innate ability, his fate was sealed.

_______

At the same time, near the Sapphire lake, in the northeast part of the immortal cloud continent.

Near the stone, stood a maiden whose grace seemed to have been bestowed by the heavens themselves.

Clad in a diaphanous gown that cascaded like a waterfall of pastel silk, she moved with the serene poise of a drifting blossom.

Her attire, adorned with delicate floral patterns and cinched at the waist with a rose-tinted sash, fluttered gently in the tranquil breeze.

Dark tresses, adorned with clusters of small, ethereal flowers, tumbled over her shoulders like a midnight cascade.

Her presence was like a melody, harmonizing with the whisper of the waterfalls and the gentle lapping of the Sapphire lake's crystal-clear waters, rendering the scene surreal as if she had stepped out of a painter's most cherished dreamscape.

"Miss, you cannot continue to hide here to escape from your fiancé. It's time you face the sacred promise our clan leader has made." Another voice came, as a woman draped in a professional red gown announced her presence, her voice melodic. The golden patterns on her dress indicated her high status.

Her face was stern and regal as she addressed Long Lifen, the same woman who was wearing the long flowing gown.

Long Lifen's legs were elegantly elongated, beautifully concealed beneath the fabric. Her lips trembled as a voice even more beautiful than the last sounded, "Tell father that I never agreed to the vow he made without my consent. I, Lifen, won't become his bargaining chip."

"..."

Xu Lia fell silent, then spoke with hesitation, "Lifen, although I support you in every decision, continuing this way could tarnish the reputation of our Azure Dragon Sect. Are you certain you want to bring shame to our blood?" She questioned.

"..."

Long Lifen's face darkened, and when she spoke again, her voice was weaker and less majestic than before, yet laced with an undeniable steel. "I am not bringing shame to anyone; it's our father who keeps making decisions without consulting anyone! Last time it was my niece who suffered, and now me? How long will his decisions continue to haunt us?"

She paused, taking a deep breath to steady her voice. "He treats his family like chess pieces, moving us where he sees fit without a thought to our desires or our well-being. Enough is enough."

Turning her gaze sharply towards Xu Lia, she declared with finality, "Tell him that I—won't come to the ceremony until he comes to personally meet me!" Her voice echoed slightly in the open lake, showcasing her determination.

As she turned around, facing away from Xu Lia, her posture was rigid, a clear barrier signaling the end of the discussion.

"..."

"Sigh...Okay," Xu Lia sighed in resignation, her voice tinged with sadness.

She lingered for a moment, hoping for a change of heart, then slowly turned and walked away.

Puff...

After Xu Lia's shadow had disappeared, Long Lifen's pout dissolved, her face shifting through a complex dance of emotions—anger, sadness, determination. Alone now, she allowed herself a moment of contemplation.

"Why must it always be this way...?" she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible in the vastness of the place.

Long Lifen had never been particularly concerned about the prospect of marriage; it wasn't that she opposed it entirely, but her indifference stemmed from a deeper issue—her father's carelessness.

Just a few weeks ago, her father had casually dropped a bombshell.

Many centuries ago, in a moment filled by drunkenness, he had promised one of his sworn brothers that he would give his daughter's hand in marriage if his friend ever had a son.

At that time, he had been drunk and hadn't thought through the implications of such a promise.

Now, with the prospective groom's arrival, the situation had become starkly real.

When the groom actually came knocking, her father, in a typical attempt to escape the consequences of his thoughtless promise, fled into hiding, leaving Long Lifen to handle the fallout.

Long Lifen paced back and forth, her frustration bubbling as she recounted the story to herself. "He makes these ridiculous decisions without a second thought, and I'm left to clean up the mess," she muttered, her voice a mix of disbelief and irritation. "It's not the marriage that bothers me—it's his carelessness!"