"Goldwing, are you alright?" Evan Chu shouted, worry etched in his voice. He hadn't expected the Immortal Emperor's self-detonation to unleash such terrifying power, strong enough to injure them even thousands of miles away. That was truly monstrous.
"Boss, I'm fine! But I don't know about your junior. Should we go back and check on him?" Goldwing replied, his tone full of concern and camaraderie.
Blazefire Immortal Lord hadn't followed, so he must still be in Lumastream City. "Alright, let's go see how he's doing," Evan Chu said.
Goldwing flew at lightning speed, and in no time they were back at Lumastream City. The city had suffered heavy losses from Ray Lumen's self-detonation—buildings had collapsed, and the city walls were especially devastated.
Fortunately, the people on the ground were mostly unharmed. But when they saw Evan Chu riding atop the massive golden Goldwing, many were startled—he had just fought the City Lord, and now returned. After such a powerful self-detonation, many felt a sense of foreboding: the City Lord of Lumastream City was likely doomed.
Evan Chu quickly spotted Blazefire Immortal Lord, who was already striding over. As he approached, Blazefire exclaimed, "Evan! Did you really kill that guy? How could that be possible? He was a mid-stage Immortal Emperor! But you don't have a scratch on you—it's unbelievable!"
"His strength was real, but killing him was within my ability," Evan Chu replied coolly. "With the City Lord gone, I doubt the auction will even happen. Let's leave as soon as possible—I still want to visit Solarion Palace and take Luna away, just like I promised her."
Blazefire Immortal Lord's expression changed instantly. "Evan, bad news! I meant to tell you about Luna when I saw you, but after we talked, I got so worked up I forgot!"
Evan Chu's heart jolted. He asked anxiously, "Did something happen to Luna? Hurry up and tell me!"
"Looks like Luna is supposed to marry Logan Vaughn today. The invitations went out ages ago, and our Domain Lord didn't come—he went to Skyshade Hall for the wedding instead," Blazefire Immortal Lord said.
"Skyshade Hall? Are you saying Luna is at Skyshade Hall—with Logan Vaughn?" Evan Chu lost his composure. He'd locked Logan Vaughn inside Serena Frost's Tri-Mystic Tower, but now Logan was back—did something happen to Serena Frost too? Sweat broke out on Evan's forehead as panic surged.
"Blazefire, let's move! We're heading to Skyshade Hall. Goldwing doesn't know the way, so you lead!" Evan Chu ordered, voice urgent.
The two of them climbed onto Goldwing's back. "Goldwing, use your fastest speed and get us to Skyshade Hall—I won't let Luna marry Logan Vaughn. She's my woman!" Evan Chu declared, his voice cold and resolute.
"Understood, Boss!" Goldwing replied. With a flash of golden light, his wings spread hundreds of meters wide—a gigantic golden bird appeared over Lumastream City, streaking toward the horizon at breakneck speed.
At that moment, Evan Chu's heart was burning with anxiety—he wished he could reach Skyshade Hall immediately. Luna must have had no choice but to agree to marry Logan Vaughn. After all these years apart, she must have suffered so much.
"Evan, even if we ride my Celestial Vulture, it would take almost a whole day to get to Skyshade Hall. I'm worried we won't make it in time!" Blazefire Immortal Lord said, anxiety in his voice.
"Your Celestial Vulture can't compare to my Golden-Winged Roc. The vulture takes a day, but the Roc only needs three hours at most. Just make sure we're headed in the right direction," Evan Chu replied.
Blazefire Immortal Lord was so stunned by Evan Chu's words that he nearly fell off the Golden-Winged Roc. Of course, with a beast so enormous, even a few somersaults wouldn't matter.
"Is this the legendary Golden-Winged Roc—the fastest flying beast in the Immortal Realm? Boss, you actually made the Golden-Winged Roc your flying immortal beast? That's incredible!" Blazefire Immortal Lord blurted out, unable to contain his awe.
"Is it so strange? I've got plenty of secrets, but this isn't the time to talk about them. Just focus on getting the direction right—the Golden-Winged Roc can cross thousands of miles in the blink of an eye," Evan Chu reminded.
"Don't worry, Boss. I'm a late-stage Immortal Lord, after all—I can handle this much," Blazefire Immortal Lord said. From then on, he called Evan Chu 'Boss' from the heart, sincere and respectful.
Evan Chu and Blazefire Immortal Lord were racing desperately toward Skyshade Hall. Meanwhile, Skyshade Hall was decked out with lanterns and immortal music. Hector Vaughn sat atop the grand hall, welcoming guests from afar, his face radiant with joy.
Inside the grand hall, dozens of prominent figures from the Immortal Realm were seated. Zane Zuo of Coldshroud Imperial Palace and Nangong Ming of Martial Spirit Dominion sat together; a mysterious fairy from Dream Spirit Sanctuary and the Sect Master of Loveless Sword Tomb sat opposite. Xander Xuan and Hector Vaughn occupied the top seats.
Below them sat representatives of all the major powers and prominent clans. Hector Vaughn stood and addressed the crowd: "Thank you all for coming to the wedding of my son Logan Vaughn and Yvonne Xuan, daughter of Xander Xuan. After the ceremony, I'll make sure everyone is well entertained."
"You're too courteous, Lord Vaughn. It's our honor to attend Logan's wedding. Isn't it about time for the ceremony? I'm dying for a drink!" Zane Zuo joked as he stood up.
"There's still half an hour until the auspicious hour, but Logan and Luna can come to the hall and get ready. Their marriage has been my and Brother Xuan's wish for many years," Hector Vaughn said.
Right then, Luna was dressed in her bridal gown, but her face was covered in tears. Logan Vaughn had promised her the wedding would be delayed twenty years, but he suddenly broke his word and moved it up by several days.
Logan Vaughn wanted Evan Chu to arrive at Skyshade Hall only to find Luna already his bride—the blow would be far more satisfying than simply killing him. He wanted to see Evan Chu tormented, to vent his overwhelming hatred.
Of course, Luna refused, but Hector Vaughn directly took her mother hostage and forced her to comply. If she didn't agree, he'd kill her mother outright. Solarion Palace still existed, but was now just an empty shell.
"Evan, I'm sorry—I can't be your bride anymore. I'm sorry! For my mother's sake, I have no choice but to do this. I hope you can understand me, and forgive me for not keeping our promise!" Luna murmured to herself, tears falling like pearls from her face.
Soon, two maids came in and helped Luna out of her room and into the grand hall. Logan Vaughn wore a big red flower on his chest, and paired with Luna's phoenix coronet and red wedding dress, they looked like the perfect couple to outsiders.
After a while, an old officiant in the grand hall suddenly announced, "The auspicious hour has arrived! Bride and groom, please perform the wedding rites!"
In her heart, Luna desperately wished Evan Chu would appear at that moment. She knew it was almost impossible, but she couldn't help hoping.
For her mother's sake, Luna forced herself to kneel to Hector Vaughn and Xander Xuan, then to Heaven and Earth. But just as she was about to kneel as a couple, a voice filled with killing intent blasted into the hall: "She is my woman! No one can steal her from me!"
(Author's meta note about votes, recommendations, and tips—skipped as irrelevant to the novel's story.)