Wang Wei opened his eyes, looking at his wife snuggling in his arm. Last night, she was vulnerable, so they held each other tightly while sleeping. Although they did not speak, it was enough to have each other's comfort and warmth.
"How are you feeling?"
"Much better," replied Wu Hong with a smile, making Wang Wei dazed. Her pure white sleeping gown and brilliant smile granted her a more pure, ethereal, and soft aura he had never experienced before. And it was enchanting.
"You're beautiful," he said, kissing her forehead.
"Aren't I always beautiful?"
"Yes, but today, you're radiant."
"Thank you, and you're not so bad yourself," replied Wu Hong, lightly tapping his face.
"Not bad? You should know anywhere I go, I can eat soft rice with this face."
(AN: Eating soft rice is a Chinese saying when a man uses his handsomeness to rely on his wife for financial stability or other forms of power or authority.)
"And I can easily get a sugar daddy with a snap of my finger. What are you getting at?" she replied, making Wang Wei's mouth twitch.
"Fine, you win."
"That's right. You're my boy toy: don't forget your status."
"Yes, my queen."
"You catch on very quick. Very well," said Wu Hong. "I will give you a present."
"Really?"
Wu Hong nodded before a white worm-like creature with grey stripes appeared in her palm.
"What is it?" asked Wang Wei after rapidly checking his memory and not finding the relevant information.
"A Fate Gu from the Gu Worm World," said Wu Hong. "I sent a clone to use their system to cultivate it using the River of Fate."
"Wang Wei took it as he sensed the power of fate emanating from this tiny creature, and he was astonished by how much power it contained.
"I prepared this for you during Gu Xuan's trial in case you hit the 4-Root level and could not achieve 5-Root. A way to achieve Fate Baptism through the Fate Gu. But now, it's not that useful."
"Not necessarily." Wang Wei could tell after refining this Gu, and with his Fate Palace Baptism, his strength will increase from a Dao Ancestor who controlled 4.99% to 4.999%--maybe even more. The 0.009% might not make a difference to the 5% of the Great Emperor Realm. But when encountering someone else with 5-Root strength, the difference will be between heaven and Earth.
"Thank you," he said, kissing her on the cheek. This small Gu is a perfect manifestation of his powerful luck and destiny. If he did not have the idea of using the Fate Palace to complete the Nine Extremity Foundation, the Fate Gu would become the perfect boost he needed to succeed.
"We are husband and wife: there is no need for words of gratitude."
"Sometimes I feel I don't deserve you," said Wang Wei with a sigh.
"I sometimes feel the same way about you," she replied. "Let's not get too sappy and emotional. I have a feeling you wanted to ask me something yesterday."
"Oh, right. It almost slipped my mind. Do you know an Emperor Jia?"
"Who?"
"Emperor Jia from the Spirit Genesis Sect," replied Wang Wei before explaining everything that occurred yesterday in the trial, including the Spirit Genesis Sect from the Battle Spirit Sect.
Wu Hong frowned after hearing him. "I understand how he could influence the record of every Heavenly Dao in the lower dimension. But to even affect True Heavenly Dao? That should not be possible–even on the tiniest scale."
"Really?"
"Most Heaven Will World's Heavenly Dao is on par with Third or Second Class Emperors. However, True Heavenly Dao's power equals Half-step Detachment. So, how could it easily be influenced?"
Wu Hong knew Paragons ruled the world and did as they pleased, but only because True Heavenly Dao was cruel and indifferent. It does not care whether Paragons slaughter all life in the world or rule over them with an iron fist. Besides reinforcing specific rules, everything else did not matter. After all, none of them were capable of destroying the entire Eternal Ascension World.
It did not even care about the current situation of Seven Moons and 2 Suns. The only reason it helped Wang Wei by sealing the lower dimension is due to Supreme Unity. Wang Wei's actions could lead to the latter's downfall, allowing Heavenly Dao to regain its freedom and power so it can continue doing its job.
If Wang Wei were in danger of dying, it would not save him. It would try to find another person to replace him.
"If you told me a Paragon did this, I would still be suspicious, let alone a Great Emperor," said Wu Hong.
"So, you don't know this Emperor Jia?" asked Wang Wei with a frown.
"No. I've met the Boundless Paragon from the Spirit Genesis Sect. He had top strength–albeit not peak like myself and some of your ancestors. As for this Emperor Jia, never heard of him."
"There are a few possibilities for this," Wang Wei thought out loud. "Emperor Jia immediately entered Primordial Chaos after ascending. If you consider the possibility he is a reincarnated Paragon like the Human Emperor, this choice made sense."
"The other is he is staying in the lower dimension, plotting something," added Wu Hong. "And whatever it is, it should be major."
There are many other possible explanations for the latter's disappearance, such as mysteriously dying and entering Limbo or accident being sealed in a dangerous place in the lower or upper dimension. However, these two possibilities are the most likely they can deduce based on the given information.
"According to the Star Lord Mountain information, Emperor Jia proved the Dao roughly during the Incense Era, so before your time," continued Wang Wei. "This means he should have become a Paragon by the time of the Second Origin Battle or the Ultimate Battle. Yet, you don't know him."
"Either he hid and did not participate, or he did it secretly," added Wu Hong. "Either option indicates he is suspicious."
"Indeed. And if he's been hiding in the Endless Void for so long, I don't know how much strength he has."
"With the time constraint, his Grand Dao Source percentage should not be high." Regarding cultivation time in the Immortal Stages, the Incense Era was not that long ago. "However, you could never view such a genius with a normal lens. So, you can't underestimate him."
Wang Wei nodded, "If he is still in the lower dimension, he and the Spirit Genesis Sect might be a threat on par with the Corpse Selling Sect–maybe even worse." After all, he might be dealing with a reincarnated Paragon.
"Well, good luck," said Wu Hong with a sinister smile that displayed she was enjoying his misfortune.
"Are you making fun of me? Today, I will show you who is the man in this relationship." He put the Fate Gu away before going in for a Yin-Yang Harmony battle; he was confident.
Wang Wei walked out of his mansion, hunching over and one hand on his waist. He ignored the weird look the maids gave him as he slowly walked out.
'That woman broke my waist.'
All his life, he has always been proud of his fleshly body. After all, except one person, no one in his generation could compare with him. But even that person, he would one day surpass. However, today, his wife broke his pride by breaking his waist.
His mighty fleshly body succumbed to the terror of that woman.
'How vindictive,' he complained as he felt the Duyi Realm inside his waist that was preventing him from healing. No matter what he tried, he could not remove it.
'That's what I get for being too cocky.' Wang Wei grunted before exploding his body and instantly recondensing it; there was no hesitation in his action.
"Much better," he muttered as he straightened his waist. He moved around as he felt his body was lighter. However, he swore he could still feel the pain.
'Psychological trauma?' He was speechless. After walking out of the mansion, Wu Hong was already waiting for him.
"How are you feeling?"
"I"m not talking to you," said Wang Wei. "For the next year, I will give you the silence treatment."
'It's not my fault you wanted to court death," she shrugged.
"You know how fragile my ego is; you could have gone easier on me. Hmph. Anyway, I'm not talking to you."
"We are about to go see mother-in-law," she reminded.
"Fine, I won't talk to you after we meet her."
Wu Hong laughed as they flew to meet Yu Yan. She did not believe he could last this long. Wang Wei felt taunted, so he reaffirmed his result: no matter what, he would last a year. No, at least six months. Maybe, three.
'Yes. Three months it is,' he thought.
He had breakfast with his mother and chatted until the afternoon before heading to Tianwei Peak to deal with Sect Master affairs. As soon as he arrived, the Elders handed him a bunch of documents and talismans to review and make decisions.
He looked into their eyes and could tell they would not let him leave until he dealt with all these issues.
