Tianlong's crimson eyes danced with barely concealed amusement as he watched Yu Xiang's violet gaze flicker with confusion. Her sharp mind, so accustomed to calculating every angle and possibility, was clearly struggling to process the casual way he'd mentioned marriage.

'So the ambitious little schemer is thrown off by something this simple,' he thought, internally smirking at how her usually composed facade was cracking. 'Interesting. She's not flustered like some innocent maiden - she's genuinely confused about why I'd marry when I could simply take what I want.'

Yu Xiang slowly stepped back from his embrace, her movements careful and measured as she tried to regain her composure. Her violet eyes blinked several times in rapid succession, pupils dilating slightly as her mind worked to process his words.

"Marriage," she repeated softly, almost to herself, her gaze never leaving his face. "You're... getting married."

It wasn't a question, but there was something in her tone - a note of bewilderment that made Tianlong's smile widen. She gave a small, formal bow, her eyes still fixed on him with that same confused intensity, as if trying to solve a puzzle that didn't quite make sense.

The golden light behind them finally began to fade as Zhao Chen's breakthrough stabilized. The young master slowly opened his bronze eyes, spiritual energy still crackling faintly around his form. He had indeed broken through to Peak Core Formation, his aura now radiating the dense power of his new cultivation level.

But instead of triumph, Chen's expression was twisted with frustration and dissatisfaction.

He clenched his chest with one hand, feeling the hollow ache where his sense of accomplishment should have been. Even with his master's help, even with this miraculous advancement, something felt... wrong.

'I should feel stronger,' he thought bitterly. 'I should feel like I could challenge anyone, conquer anything. But instead...'

It was as if something had brushed against his very luck itself, siphoning away the satisfaction and confidence that should have come with such a breakthrough. He didn't know what it was, couldn't identify the source, but the feeling left him deeply unsettled.

As his eyes focused on the scene before him - Emperor Tianlong standing casually with Yu Xiang still close enough to touch - Chen's jaw clenched with familiar anger.

He struggled to his feet, spiritual energy swirling around him as his newly stabilized cultivation base adjusted to its enhanced state. The urge to confront Tianlong burned in his chest, to demand answers for this feeling of violation he couldn't quite name.

But his master's warning echoed in his mind. His cultivation foundation, despite the successful breakthrough, was still settling. Any emotional turmoil or physical confrontation could destabilize everything he'd just gained.

Chen forced himself to swallow his words, standing rigidly as he observed the strange interaction between the Emperor and Yu Xiang.

There was something different in her expression - a confusion he'd never seen before, even when she was manipulating him with her false tears and declarations of love.

"Did you do something to her?" Chen asked abruptly, his voice carrying an edge of suspicion.

Tianlong raised an eyebrow, that infuriating smile never leaving his lips. "Of course I came here to give you both invitations to my marriage."

The words hit Chen like a physical blow, but not in the way Tianlong expected.

Instead of rage or jealousy, a slow smile spread across Chen's face - the kind of satisfied smirk that spoke of vindication rather than anger.

Tianlong couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at the reaction. 'Idiot. Does he think marriage means exclusivity? I can marry more than one woman. Why is he grinning like I'm somehow removed from competition?'

It was strange how the Son of Heaven could conceptualize forming his own harem without issue, yet seemed to assume that others were bound by different rules. The double standard was both amusing and telling.

"I will not come," Chen said with obvious satisfaction, crossing his arms over his chest. "You can leave."

But before Tianlong could respond, Yu Xiang lifted her head sharply, her confusion deepening into genuine curiosity.

She had remained silent through the exchange, her mind racing with questions she couldn't voice. 'He's marrying? Marrying whom?'

She had seen two women with him during their previous encounters - the gentle, vine-wielding woman with the maternal aura, and the ice-cold beauty with the massive... assets. Her analytical mind immediately began calculating possibilities.

'Maybe both?' The thought made her pulse quicken with an emotion she refused to examine too closely.

"Wait," Yu Xiang interrupted before Tianlong could respond to Chen's dismissal. "It's Zhao Chen who doesn't want to come. Emperor, pardon me for his way of speaking. I will attend."

She gave another formal bow, her violet eyes never leaving Tianlong's face. The confusion in her gaze had transformed into something sharper - a hunger for information that went beyond mere curiosity.

'Why would someone of his strength bother with marriage ceremonies?' she wondered. 'When he could simply claim any woman he desired, why make public declarations? Why bind himself with formal contracts when raw power could achieve the same results?'

The questions swirled in her mind, each one leading to more confusion rather than clarity.

As she pondered, she suddenly felt the warmth of his hand settling on her shoulder. The contact was casual, almost absent-minded, but it sent an electric shock through her entire body.

Her form flinched involuntarily at the unexpected touch - not from disgust or fear, but from sheer surprise at how her body responded to the simple contact.

She slowly lifted her head, violet eyes wide as she realized this was the first time he had touched her of his own accord, in such an intimate, possessive manner. His fingers rubbed gently against her shoulder through the silk of her robes, the touch both comforting and unsettling.

Normally, she would have yanked away any man's hand with violent disgust. She had perfected the art of avoiding unwanted contact, of maintaining the precise distance needed to manipulate without surrendering control.

But with Tianlong... she found herself frozen in place.

Perhaps it was because she knew he had no romantic interest in her. Perhaps it was the casual confidence with which he touched her, as if her consent was assumed rather than demanded. Or perhaps it was something deeper, something that bypassed her rational mind entirely.

"What are you doing behind her?" Chen's voice cut through the moment, sharp with suspicion and poorly concealed jealousy.

Tianlong's smile widened as he looked directly into Chen's bronze eyes, his hand still resting possessively on Yu Xiang's shoulder.

"I am just here to fulfill my promise to help her cultivate," he said smoothly, his tone carrying undertones that made Chen's eyes widen in shock.

"What?" Chen stammered, clearly not expecting such a direct answer.

Tianlong's crimson gaze returned to Yu Xiang, meeting her confused violet eyes with an intensity that made her breath catch. "I do not forget my promises, ever. And I did make one to you about helping you, didn't I?"

The reminder sent heat rushing through Yu Xiang's body as she recalled their previous encounter - the casual way he had offered her the breakthrough pill, the warmth in his voice when he'd called her beautiful, the strange hollow feeling that had followed her for weeks afterward.

"Let me help, okay?" His voice was gentle, almost tender, but there was something beneath it that made her pulse quicken.

She nodded wordlessly, unable to trust her voice, as his hands began to guide her movements with surprising gentleness.

His touch was firm but careful as he pressed against her knees, slowly encouraging her to sink down toward the stone platform.

The movement was gradual, controlled, as if he was savoring every moment of her lowering in front of him.

As Yu Xiang lowered herself to her knees in front of him, Tianlong kept his eyes locked on Zhao Chen's face.

The position was unmistakably suggestive - her kneeling form positioned perfectly at waist height, her violet eyes looking up at him with confusion and something deeper.

It was clearly preparation before a man made the woman ready to suck him off, to take his dick deep while uncaring of anyone else around, including their crush.

A wicked smirk spread across Tianlong's lips as he maintained eye contact with his grandson throughout the entire process.

With a visible smirk forming on Tianlong's face, eyes narrowed, the crimson and red hue within his pupil observed Zhao Chen.

Still not understanding—maybe because he was focused on cultivation—he was unaware of the ways of the world.

So as a grandfather, taking responsibility, Tianlong kept his eyes on him and asked Yu Xiang,

"So tell me, what do you see in front of you, Yu Xiang?"

His hand ruffled—more like massaged—her hair, while his grin widened when her words sank into Zhao Chen.

"Just your curled robe over thighs... Emperor."

'!' Zhao Chen's eyes widened.

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