Library of Heaven's Path Chapter 2267 - Side Story 2: Luo Qiqi
Previously on Library of Heaven's Path...
Pilipala! Pilipala!
High above the Sky of Freedom, a majestic mountain drifted where bursts of festive firecrackers boomed through the sky, proclaiming a grand celebration.
Rumored experts, seldom glimpsed by most, rushed to converge on this peak. Grinning broadly, they voiced their blessings and delivered impressive wedding presents.
It marked the grand union of Great Sovereign Zhang Xuan and God Monarch Lingxi!
Meant to be a private event for the Firmament's top two powerhouses, limited to intimate companions, word somehow leaked out. Within mere hours, throngs of guests swarmed the mountain.
“From the Cloud Dragon Monarch of the Sky of Cloud Dragon, a Golden Dragon Scale Robe and three liters of Golden Dragon Blood!”
“From the Deathless Monarch of the Sky of Spirit Origin, three Deathless Phantasmagoric Feathers and five liters of Deathless Celestial Phoenix Blood!”
“From God Monarch Fumeng of the Sky of Adamant Gold, three Tiger Fang and two Tiger Tails...”
Fairy Linglong stared in disbelief at the catalog of gifts from the God Monarchs.
These treasures drove countless powerhouses to madness, sparking conflicts even among God Monarchs.
Here, though, they served as mere wedding tokens!
The remaining eight God Monarchs had spared no expense.
“From the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, three Monarch Origin Pills and two God Monarch realm swords...”
The further Fairy Linglong scanned the list, the more she sensed the God Monarchs had lost their minds.
Priceless as the Golden Dragon Scale Robe and Deathless Phantasmagoric Feathers were, Kong shi’s offerings of Monarch Origin Pills and God Monarch realm swords elevated them far beyond. Such artifacts benefited even God Monarchs!
Employed wisely, they could forge another God Monarch realm powerhouse.
Even for the Heaven Subjugation Monarch, assembling another batch would prove arduous, yet he bestowed them freely as gifts.
Fairy Linglong yearned to grab that elder and demand if his wits remained intact.
“Without doubt, this stands as the most opulent wedding since the Firmament's inception. God Monarch Lingxi truly possesses keen vision, spotting a priceless jewel among the lower world's masses...” Fairy Linglong shook her head with a sigh.
One of the original God Monarchs born with the Firmament, she had transcended concerns of life and death long ago. Her lifelong solitude stemmed from finding no worthy match.
She had deemed it impossible for any man to win her over, yet within a mere fifty years, two titans had emerged in succession.
Particularly Zhang Xuan.
Their initial encounter saw him as a mere high-tier Celestial God, yet a mere ten days later, he dominated the entire Firmament.
Recalling the clash with Vicious still made her clutch her chest in gratitude.
Without this youth's ascent, the Firmament could have perished.
As a lady, she envied God Monarch Lingxi's foresight in recognizing his promise and standing by him. With such insight, she might have escaped her solitude...
“Such a shame for this poor girl...”
Her thoughts turned to the damsel she had rescued from spatial chaos years back, prompting a heavy sigh.
Anyone with sight could see the depth of the girl's devotion to Zhang Xuan. She poured her heart into him, yet received nothing back.
Even after eons, Fairy Linglong felt deep pity for her.
Catching Fairy Linglong's look, Luo Qiqi offered a smile. “I’m fine.”
Her assurance rang hollow, her gaze brimming with profound grief and pain.
She understood Zhang Xuan held no romantic feelings for her, yet she plunged ever deeper into her unrequited passion.
“Let him go. I’ll find you a finer match, one who cherishes you truly,” Fairy Linglong urged.
“A finer match?” Luo Qiqi shook her head with a helpless smile, staring forward as she sighed. “After knowing the greatest, no one else measures up.”
Zhang Xuan's brilliance dimmed all others for her, no matter their merits.
Seeing her words fall on deaf ears, Fairy Linglong shook her head in frustration. “You’re squandering your life on Zhang Xuan!”
Zhang Xuan had ensnared her like a potent toxin; no reasoning pierced through.
While Fairy Linglong pondered deeply, space ahead rippled, and two youths materialized before them.
The leader boasted pale skin and striking features, outshining even Zhang Xuan in handsomeness.
His companion exuded a chilling edge, his form subtly channeling a formidable Sword Intent.
“The ancestor of the Sky of Heavenly Sword?” Fairy Linglong's eyes narrowed in astonishment.
As a Nine God Monarch, she grasped the enigmas of the elusive Sky of Heavenly Sword. The Heavenly Sword God Monarch wielded great might, but his mentor loomed even mightier, possibly surpassing God Monarch Lingxi.
That mentor remained a shadowy legend in the Firmament, unseen by nearly all God Monarchs.
Rumors depicted him as a youth barely past twenty.
Yet, his Sword Intent surpassing the Heavenly Sword God Monarch's revealed his identity plainly.
More shocking still, this figure rivaling God Monarch Lingxi deferred to another handsome youth. Who was this leader?
Ignoring Fairy Linglong's bewilderment, the handsome youth approached the puzzled Luo Qiqi with a grin. “I never imagined the primordial energy from my Firmament's forging would form an artifact and awaken sentience...”
“Firmament's forging? Primordial energy?” Fairy Linglong's teeth chattered as realization dawned.
“You bear the earth's aura, which I harnessed to anchor the Firmament's space long ago. During the crisis fifty years past, you plummeted to the mortal realm as the Dimension Silencer... Welcome home,” the handsome youth continued.
Seeing Luo Qiqi's unease, he smiled gently and laid his hand on hers.
Hong long!
Instantly, Luo Qiqi's cultivation erupted. A unique bond linked her to the Firmament's Nine Skies, bestowing command over spatial laws.
“This...” Luo Qiqi's eyes bulged in amazement.
A fleeting touch from the handsome youth had amplified her power thousandsfold!
She could now overpower even Fairy Linglong with ease!
“Am I... God Monarch?” Luo Qiqi whispered, scarcely believing it.
New God Monarchs rarely arose in the Firmament. The Heaven Subjugation Monarch and Zhang shi succeeded thanks to heaven fragments, plus their genius and resolve.
She had contributed nothing, yet this simple contact granted her vast might...
Was this a dream?
“More precisely, you oversee the Firmament's Space. Not quite a God Monarch, but few of them could defeat you,” the handsome youth smiled.
“Then... why no cultivation ordeal?” Luo Qiqi still doubted her fortune.
God Monarch breakthroughs provoked heavenly wrath and tribulations. Hers should too—yet nothing stirred.
The handsome youth chuckled lightly. “I embody the heavens. Since I granted your breakthrough, what need for an ordeal?”
“Heavens?” Luo Qiqi's eyes widened further.
“Do you wish to wed Zhang Xuan?” the handsome youth inquired abruptly.
“I...” Luo Qiqi stiffened, at a loss for words.
“Say yes if you do, no if not. No reason to waver or feel shy about your heart's desire,” he encouraged with a casual wave.
“I... want to!” Luo Qiqi declared, her resolve firming. “I dream of it constantly!”
Releasing her long-buried truth eased the strain from her features.
“Hahaha, such a spirited girl!” The handsome youth roared with laughter. “Very well, he’ll marry you too!”
“This...” Luo Qiqi's eyes sparkled briefly, then dimmed as she shook her head. “But... Zhang shi doesn’t love me, and I won’t ruin things between him and Luo shi. Their union came after such trials...”
She had seen Zhang Xuan's ordeals to unite with Luo Ruoxin; she refused to sever that hard-won bond.
“That concerns you?” The handsome youth laughed heartily, pointing ahead. “Just glance over there...”
Luo Qiqi looked up to see a loving pair descending from above. The groom shone in scarlet robes, more dashing than ever. The bride blushed delicately on her porcelain skin, like a bashful maiden.
The world's focus converged on this duo.
Zhang Xuan and Nie Lingxi, of course!
As Luo Qiqi marveled at their perfect harmony, Nie Lingxi glanced her way and called, “Qiqi, come here!”
Hu!
The handsome youth snapped his fingers, whisking Luo Qiqi to Zhang Xuan and Nie Lingxi's side.
Nie Lingxi regarded her briefly, then waved gracefully. A splendid red gown and ornate tiara draped Luo Qiqi, transforming her into a radiant bride.
“God Monarch Lingxi, I... I...” Luo Qiqi's eyes welled with tears, her frame quivering.
Events unfolded so swiftly, she could hardly accept their reality.
“You’ve sacrificed endlessly for Zhang Xuan. The Library of Heaven’s Path once dulled his emotions toward others. Now, with his emotional transcendence, how could he let you languish?” Nie Lingxi said with a soft laugh.
“But...” Luo Qiqi remained dazed.
Joy arrived too abruptly for her to grasp.
She glanced at the youth, meeting his affectionate gaze. “Qiqi, are you willing?”
“I am...” Luo Qiqi ducked her head, murmuring shyly like a mosquito's hum. “... willing.”
How could she refuse? This dream haunted her since the Master Teacher Continent!
His departure from her wedding had seemed a final farewell, dooming their paths to part. Never had she envisioned this love reciprocated.
“That’s what counts,” Zhang Xuan smiled warmly.
He faced the assembly, proclaiming with booming laughter, “Today, we shall be married!”
His proclamation resounded across the Firmament, met by countless clasped fists and blessings.
Zhang Xuan reached for Nie Lingxi and Luo Qiqi. “Shall we?”
The trio soared skyward, vanishing beyond the world's edge.
Below, Luo Xuanqing dropped his gripped axe with a relieved exhale, his face no longer twisted in fury.
“Now that’s proper...”
—
Author’s Note: Planned as a strict one-on-one tale, yet readers tagged me wishing better for Luo Qiqi. Thus, this side story offers her fitting closure.