In the blink of an eye, it was already the day before Chase Chu and Princess Serene's grand wedding. The entire Serene Nether City was festooned with lanterns and banners, overflowing with a festive, bustling atmosphere.
Now, with King Warren Lin and King Grant Gu's territories both occupied by King Victor Zhao and the Beast King, their respective forces continued to expand. Thanks to Evan Chu, Victor and the Beast King had become a true allied bloc—no one in the Netherworld could shake their position.
The City Lord’s Mansion in Serene Nether City was especially lively. Brilliant red wedding characters were already pasted across the gates, guests arriving from afar, and a massive martial field was being set up with banquet tables for a flowing feast.
The Beast King arrived at noon and was now trailing behind Evan Chu, wandering the mansion. "Young Master, I made a special effort to look up some ancient records about Sunstones after I returned. Maybe they’ll be useful to you."
"Any clues? Out with it!" Evan demanded eagerly.
"Evan, you’re investigating Sunstones? What’s going on here?" King Victor Zhao, standing nearby, asked Evan in confusion.
"So King Victor Zhao knows about Sunstones too? Why don’t you both share what you know—maybe it’ll help me out!" Evan said.
"Ancient texts say Sunstones are formed from the tears of the Golden Crow, containing immense fire-attribute energy. Even if someone obtains a Sunstone, they usually can’t absorb it unless most of the energy inside has already been depleted."
"Back then, the Golden Crow appeared at Flame Mountain in the far south. That place is one of the Netherworld’s deadliest regions—tens of thousands of miles without a soul in sight. You’ll want to be careful there," advised the Beast King.
"That’s right, I’ve heard about Sunstones too. An ancient alchemist once refined countless Sunstones using the Golden Crow’s tears, but those Sunstones were all inferior and couldn’t last more than ten days at most."
Legend has it the Golden Crow is an ancient, primordial beast—born from the sun itself. In the distant past, the Netherworld had both sun and moon, but for some reason they vanished. Ever since then, Netherworld natives have feared sunlight, while the Golden Crow can emit light just like the sun.
That’s why it’s so dangerous for us. The alchemist back then only caught a Golden Crow chick, so it wasn’t that big a threat—you need to keep that in mind," King Victor Zhao added.
Evan wasn’t an idiot—he understood exactly what they meant. But he wasn’t afraid of the Golden Crow; unless it could unleash some truly terrifying divine fire, ordinary flames were just energy supplements for him to absorb.
"If you want to defeat the Golden Crow, you’ll have to find the Heart of Frostflame—only its extreme cold can counter the Golden Crow’s overwhelming energy. The Golden Crow may be fierce, but it rarely leaves its territory and almost never shows up outside.
In all these countless years, no one’s ever seen a Golden Crow out in the open. Young Master, if you really want Sunstones, your first step is to get the Heart of Frostflame," the Beast King said.
"Got it. But all that will have to wait until Chase and Princess Serene’s wedding is done. You all can start preparing—the very first task is to go after the Heart of Frostflame," Evan said with a smile.
With that, the group headed toward the martial field. Both VIPs and regular guests had gathered there, since the actual wedding would be held tomorrow, but tonight everyone was invited to celebrate together and keep things simple.
By now, Evan had become the center of attention in the Netherworld. Everyone knew he’d personally slain King Warren Lin and King Grant Gu. Among the guests in Serene Nether City were confidants and family members of those two monarchs—naturally, they’d come looking to settle scores with Evan.
Evan had already made up his mind—if anyone tried to stir up trouble, he’d just grab them and toss them into the City Lord’s Mansion’s water dungeon and let them rot. That way, he wouldn’t spoil the festive mood; otherwise, he’d just kill them outright.
Everything passed peacefully in the festive atmosphere. No one caused trouble, which struck Evan as odd—clearly, those people were planning to make a move tomorrow and sabotage Chase and Princess Serene’s wedding.
The banquet was lively and raucous. As host, King Victor Zhao made sure to toast the guests, while Evan left early—accompanied by Princess Ivy and the Emerald Immortal Empress Jade.
Princess Serene, meanwhile, stayed in her boudoir, attended by a pretty maid. "Princess, tomorrow’s your big wedding day—are you nervous?" the maid teased.
"You little brat, even you’re going to make fun of me? Of course I’m nervous—this is a huge deal! After Dad wiped out King Warren Lin and King Grant Gu, their families are bound to come for revenge. I’m a little worried," Princess Serene said.
"Princess, you don’t need to worry. The City Lord and the Beast King are both here, and your top-tier expert of a dad is around too. No matter how many people show up, it won’t matter. You should just relax and be a bride—picture your wedding night instead!" the maid laughed.
That made Princess Serene’s face flush red. "Laney, are you asking for trouble? Should I have my future husband take your virginity first and ‘teach you a lesson’?"
"No, no, no! I still need to get married someday—if I lose it now, I might as well die! Please, Princess, have mercy!" Laney begged for forgiveness.
"Haha, I’m just joking. I’d never let my man do that with you. If it ever happens, it’ll be after the wedding, not before. You should just go to bed early," Princess Serene said with a laugh.
"Haha! Princess, you’re clearly lovestruck—thinking about your wedding night before you’re even married! I should tell the son-in-law ahead of time so he knows to get ready," Laney joked.
"You little brat, are you asking for trouble? Betraying me like this!" Princess Serene snapped.
Laney dashed out of the room, leaving Princess Serene alone at her dressing table, lost in a daze…
The night passed quickly. The next day was the official wedding day for Chase Chu and Princess Serene. Evan Chu and Princess Ivy were up early, along with the others. Today was his son’s wedding—starting now, he’d officially have a daughter-in-law, a huge change in status.
Inside the City Lord’s Mansion’s grand hall, many guests had already arrived. Only people of real status in the Netherworld could enter. Evan and King Victor Zhao sat at the top, with Princess Ivy and the Beast King seated beside them.
Evan was still a bit puzzled—he’d been in Serene Nether City so long, but had never seen King Victor Zhao’s wife, nor had Victor ever mentioned her. On such an important day, her absence could only mean one of two things.
Either she was still in secluded cultivation, or she’d long since passed away. Evan figured the second option was more likely.
Time flew by. Amid laughter and conversation, noon—the designated auspicious hour—arrived. The Beast King, assigned as the wedding’s officiant, swept his gaze over the crowd and announced, "The auspicious hour is here! Let the newlyweds enter the hall and bow in marriage!"