Chapter 328: Slaanesh's Blessing! God of Love? Or Lord of Pleasure

Chapter 328: Slaanesh’s Blessing! A God of Love? Or a Lord of Pleasure? The Prophecy of Master Sanruo!

Under the gaze of the multitude, Qin Feng was ushered to the most prominent, prestigious, and grand seat at the center of the wedding hall.

It was a throne carved from a single, massive "Heart of the Stars," encircled by nine purple-gold energy dragons that proclaimed his supreme status.

No one in the hall dared to dissent; it was as if this placement were the natural order of things.

Below his seat, arranged in strict hierarchical order, sat the Sovereign of Red Feather and a Marquis-level powerhouse, followed by other sovereign rulers of real power, and then luminaries of high renown in specialized fields, such as Master Sanruo.

The hierarchy was rigid, clear at a glance.

Once seated, Qin Feng swept his gaze across the hall, finally locking eyes with Master Sanruo, who sat in the front row of the VIP section.

The latter seemed to have been awaiting this moment, offering a subtle, imperceptible nod of respect.

The next instant, a gentle yet profound ripple of spiritual energy, carrying the weight of celestial secrets, bypassed space itself to resonate directly within the depths of Qin Feng’s consciousness:

"Brother Qin, it has been a long time.

I come not to offer congratulations, but for your sake alone.

I have grave matters to impart. May we speak in detail after the wedding concludes?"

A flicker of imperceptible turbulence stirred in the depths of Qin Feng’s eyes.

He remained composed, responding with a single word through his own spiritual energy: "Agreed."

After this brief exchange, he slowly closed his eyes, retracting all outward aura. He sat like a statue from the dawn of time, waiting in silence for the ceremony to begin.

It was as if the clamor, greed, and schemes of the outside world had nothing to do with him.

He had entered the game, yet he seemed to stand entirely above it.

...

While the world outside descended into revelry and agitation over Qin Feng’s arrival, a secret chamber deep beneath the Yaoguang Palace was filled with a cold, sinister atmosphere, a stark contrast to the festivities above.

The chamber was dark and damp; its walls were not adorned with gold or jade, but etched with countless twisted, eerie blood-red runes.

These runes formed a formidable isolation array, writhing on the walls like living things, exuding a heart-chilling aura of chaos from the darkest corners of the universe.

The air was thick with the faint scent of blood and decaying souls, a sharp contrast to the fragrance of nectar and celestial fruits enjoyed by the guests above.

In the center of the chamber, the Great Elder of the Linglu Universe Kingdom stood in respectful attendance.

Gone was the dignity and gravity of a pillar of the state; in their place was a twisted greed and a fanaticism that reached into his very marrow.

He spoke to the deep shadows before him, his voice sharp and grating with extreme agitation:

"My Lord, everything is prepared!

Following your instructions, I have spent hundreds of thousands of years, using the legendary 'Seven Emotions and Six Desires Soul-Eroding Powder' as a catalyst, adding a trace every single day without fail to the 'Purple Gold Dragon Saliva Tea' he drinks. The most venomous roots have long been planted!"

"Now, the toxin is like a maggot in the bone, deep within his Dao seal and soul origin! I need only trigger it with the secret art, and he shall be annihilated in an instant, body and soul, without the slightest chance to resist!"

A silent ripple stirred in the shadows, and a figure slowly emerged.

He wore an archaic bronze mask, devoid of expression, save for two hollow, eye-like sockets that revealed only infinite coldness, deathly silence, and malice.

His voice, altered by some artifice, was raspy and low:

"Very good. However, my divine sense has swept the hall, and there are more Marquis-level powerhouses present today than anticipated.

Especially that newly ascended Sovereign of Red Feather; his foundation seems exceptionally solid. He may be difficult to handle."

"My Lord, rest assured!"

A grim, confident smile twisted the Great Elder’s face. "The moment I detonate the toxin, I can seize temporary control of the palace’s core through the soul-backdoor left by the Sovereign! I will immediately activate the 'Nine-Winding Yaoguang Marquis-Sealing Array'!"

He licked his lips greedily and continued: "Though my meager strength cannot unleash the full power of this array, merely activating it to trap those Marquises for a time... is enough! More than enough!"

"Heh... enough."

The creature in the bronze mask let out a satisfied chuckle, a sound seemingly imbued with a bewitching, demonic power that invigorated the Great Elder’s spirit.

He paced slowly, his hollow sockets "watching" the Great Elder, speaking in a tone filled with sanctity and temptation: "Great Elder, you must understand what a magnificent achievement your actions today represent."

"Qin Feng is a man burdened with the great fortune of the human race, a brilliant talent, an anomaly.

More importantly, he has embarked upon a 'God-Path' never before seen—a path of blasphemy!

His very existence is the greatest desecration to the Great God we serve!"

The masked creature’s voice turned suddenly fanatical: "Today, here, if we can successfully slay him and sacrifice his soul—wrapped in such great fortune—and his God-Path foundation to my Lord, this merit will earn the direct gaze and supreme blessing of the God!"

"When that divine grace descends, it will shatter the shackles of your bloodline and talent. To be named a King or an Emperor will no longer be a distant dream!

And you, as the key executor of this grand plan, have been promised by my Lord the title of 'Chaos Marquis,' elevating you in a single step to rule a Chaos God-Kingdom, becoming a true sovereign!"

"Cha... Chaos Marquis!!"

These four words struck the depths of the Great Elder’s soul like a bolt of creation-shattering lightning.

He trembled violently with excitement, his eyes blazing with horrific greed, his breath coming in ragged gasps like a broken bellows.

"Good! Good! Good!"

He repeated the word three times, appearing utterly deranged. "For the Great God! For immortal glory! I offer everything! My loyalty! My soul!"

After a brief lapse, he forced down his ecstasy, regaining a shred of reason. "But, my Lord, what of the most troublesome Sovereign of Tianxuan? His strength is unfathomable; he has been in seclusion for ages and is recognized as the strongest in this sector.

If he arrives, he will be the greatest variable in our plan."

"Rest easy."

The masked creature’s tone held a hint of disdain. "An old fossil like Tianxuan may seem detached, but he is greedier than anyone.

Our people have already lured him away with news of a newly discovered 'King-level ruin.'

He is likely deep within some chaotic star sector by now; he won't be escaping for a thousand or ten thousand years. He is not coming to this wedding."

Hearing this, the Great Elder breathed a sigh of relief, the last trace of anxiety vanishing. He asked one final question: "Then... when will Lord Xiegu arrive? Only with him here will I truly feel secure."

"Soon."

The masked creature said lightly. "Xiegu clashed with a human powerhouse recently and suffered some injuries, losing a portion of his origin.

To recover to his peak, he stopped to 'consume' a disobedient minor universe kingdom, refining the flesh and souls of its billions of inhabitants.

Now, not only has he healed, but his strength is even greater than before!"

He spoke of this as if it were a trivial matter.

"Calculating the time, he should be arriving shortly."

The masked creature concluded: "With the veteran intermediate Marquis Xiegu acting in person, our odds of success will be absolute.

He is, after all, a vital piece placed here by the Tianwu Universe Kingdom of the demon race. His notoriety is well-earned, his methods ruthless; he is the perfect tool to deal with Qin Feng."

"Heh heh... heh heh heh heh..."

Hearing this, the Great Elder could no longer suppress his ecstasy and triumph, emitting a bone-chilling, owl-like cackle. He could already see the glorious future ahead:

"Yes! Lord Xiegu’s strength is boundless; he is the peerless prodigy of the Tianwu clan!

In this sector, aside from that old immortal Tianxuan, no one is his match!

Once he arrives, combined with my 'Nine-Winding Yaoguang Marquis-Sealing Array,' a pincer attack from within and without—even that so-called 'Fierce God' Qin Feng shall be forced to bow his head and die, drinking the cup of regret here!"

"By then, I shall be the great Marquis of Chaos! These seven hundred human cosmic nations shall all become my fiefdom! My pasture! All living beings shall be but livestock kept in my pens! Hehehehe..."

Amidst the chilling, maniacal laughter, the figure of the bronze-masked entity dissolved into the shadows as silently as if it had never appeared, vanishing without a trace.

In the secret chamber, only the Grand Elder remained, bathed in the flickering, erratic glow of runes, lost in the solitary fantasy of his impending "glorious future," forged in blood and betrayal.

At this very moment, the grand wedding ceremony outside was about to officially commence.

...

Time drifted by in silence.

As a melody, ethereal and soul-cleansing, began to resonate, the lights within the Yaoguang Hall dimmed instantly, leaving only the celestial dome to radiate with a more brilliant, dazzling luster.

Billions of starlight beams converged into a path of light, stretching from the hall's entrance to the central dais.

The wedding had officially begun.

A sky full of multicolored floral rain manifested from thin air, each petal imbued with pure life energy and the laws of blessing, drifting slowly downward.

At the end of the path of light, two figures appeared, hand in hand.

The groom, "Lei," wore a crimson wedding robe stitched with threads of "Star Gold," embroidered with nine lifelike golden dragons that seemed to swim through a galaxy with every step he took.

He stood tall and straight, his features resolute, his brow etched with an indomitable tenacity.

The bride, "Ling Yao," princess of the Linglu Cosmic Nation, wore a crown of nine phoenixes facing the sun and a ceremonial cape, her face obscured by a hazy, spiritual glow that rendered her features indistinct, yet her graceful posture and innate nobility were enough to dim the stars themselves. The moment Lei stepped onto the path of light, his gaze began to scan the crowd with urgency.

When his eyes swept past countless powerhouses and finally locked onto the black-clad figure sitting calmly in the highest seat of honor, his body jolted violently; his eyes erupted with uncontrollable excitement, ecstasy, and a sense of supreme glory that reached deep into his marrow.

Qin Feng!

His benefactor!

His life's trajectory had been entirely reshaped by the man before him.

To have this mentor-like figure personally witness the most significant and glorious moment of his life was an honor that thrilled him far more than the wedding itself, or anything else he had ever achieved.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging emotions, and across the vast distance, under the gaze of the multitude, he bowed respectfully to Qin Feng—a profound gesture from the depths of his heart, devoid of any impurity.

This action stunned everyone present, and instantly, countless eyes converged upon Qin Feng, filled with inquiry and sudden realization.

Many were astonished.

It seemed the rumors of a connection between Qin Feng and Lei of the Chiyu Cosmic Nation were true!

Qin Feng’s face remained expressionless, save for a slight, almost imperceptible nod toward Lei, signaling him to proceed.

That simple nod brought Lei a sense of peace greater than the blessings of the entire universe.

He straightened up, tightened his grip on Ling Yao’s hand, and with a gaze of absolute determination, they walked together toward the dais.

The wedding proceeded according to ritual: the exchange of tokens—a pair of dragon and phoenix jade pendants crafted from "Unity Divine Stone"—and the drinking of the nuptial wine—a celestial nectar brewed from "Ten-Thousand-Year Star Marrow."

The couple received blessings from the Lord of Linglu and guests from all directions; everything appeared perfect and harmonious.

However, just as everyone believed this grand wedding was nearing its successful conclusion, the master of ceremonies took a deep breath and, in a tone of unprecedented solemnity, announced aloud:

"The final act of the wedding—the exchange of soul imprints!"

This short sentence struck like a primordial thunderbolt, crashing into the consciousness of every living being within the Yaoguang Hall.

The entire venue fell into a deathly silence.

Every guest—from the jovial nation lords to the calculating rogue cultivators, the inscrutable Master Sanruo, and even the ever-composed Qin Feng—wore an expression of utter, incredulous shock.

"Wh... what?!"

"Did I... did I hear that correctly? Soul imprint exchange?!"

The silence lasted less than a heartbeat before being drowned out by a tsunami of clamor.

The entire Yaoguang Hall seemed to have become a boiling kettle, erupting in total chaos.

"They're mad! They must be insane! This is the most horrifying thing since the birth of the universe!"

A Marquis-level nation lord stood up, losing his composure, his face filled with disbelief.

"Surrendering one's soul imprint to another? Do you realize what that means? It means your life and death, your foundation of the Dao, your very existence, rest entirely on the other's whim!

If they want you to perish, you wouldn't even have a chance to resist! This is handing over one's life, completely and utterly, into another's hands!"

"What level of trust is this? No, this transcends trust! This is an ultimate madness that gambles with the very meaning of their existence! Are they trying to prove their love is so unyielding? But the price is far too high!"

"Absurd! Utterly absurd! Even those legendary lovers who would die for one another would at most swear the highest-level soul oaths; never has anyone dared to directly exchange their core primordial imprints!"

The crowd buzzed with discussion, everyone stunned and left with blank minds by this scene that defied all logic and overturned their understanding.

The path of cultivation is inherently a selfish one.

Every being who treads this path values their own life and Dao above all else.

The act of handing over one's soul imprint, the very root of life, was no less shocking than a mortal king handing his nation's imperial seal and military command to the monarch of a rival state.

This was no longer trust; it was stupidity, a path to self-destruction!

Yet, amidst this ocean of noise, Lei and Ling Yao on the dais remained deaf to everything around them.

They had eyes only for each other.

They smiled, a smile filled with resolution and serenity.

Then, under the gaze of countless shocked onlookers, they slowly raised their hands, their fingertips touching their own foreheads.

Hum—

Two soft glows were slowly forced out from the depths of their brows.

One glow was brilliant gold, filled with masculinity and dominance—that was Lei’s soul imprint.

The other was moon-white, filled with femininity and agility—that was Ling Yao’s soul imprint.

These two imprints were the core of their very essence, containing all their memories, emotions, and insights into the Great Dao.

However, the moment these seemingly flawless soul imprints appeared, Qin Feng’s eyes, which had remained as still as water, instantly contracted into dangerous pinpricks!

His brow furrowed deeply.

With his current "Pure Black" quality of spiritual power, his perception was razor-sharp.

The other Marquis-level powerhouses, and even Master Sanruo, saw only the pure energy radiating from the imprints.

But in Qin Feng’s perceptual world, he caught a trace of something within the depths of those seemingly perfect imprints—a faint, obscure, yet inherently evil aura, filled with the essence of ultimate temptation and depravity!

That aura was perfectly fused with the power of the soul imprints themselves, like genetic code etched into the deepest marrow. Had his spiritual power not reached the unprecedented "Pure Black" realm, he would never have detected it!

And this aura, he was no stranger to it!

Though it was well-disguised and manifested differently, its core—a nature that fed on ultimate pleasure and depravity—was something Qin Feng would never forget:

It was the aura of the Chaos Evil God, Slaanesh, the "Lord of Pleasure"!

Almost simultaneously, Qin Feng’s gaze met Master Sanruo’s in the air.

He saw that Master Sanruo’s eyes, which seemed to perceive the ages, were filled with the same gravity and confusion.

An invisible wave of spiritual power completed the exchange in an instant.

Qin Feng: "It is the power of Slaanesh."

His intent was concise and absolute.

Master Sanruo replied, "Indeed."

A trace of astonishment colored his thoughts, "Furthermore, it is a form of power never before witnessed, nor recorded in any ancient tome.

It possesses no direct corruption, no outward manifestation of evil; instead... it feels like a higher order of... praise and recognition."

"Praise and recognition?"

A tempest raged within Qin Feng’s heart.

"Praise" and "recognition" for mere mortals?

Qin Feng’s consciousness stirred, instinctively sensing the severed head hanging at his waist, a trophy of his past.

It had once belonged to a devout follower of Slaanesh; should any kindred Slaaneshi power draw near, the skull would react with violent intensity, often emitting a shrill, harrowing shriek.

Yet, at this moment, the head remained utterly still, a silent, dead thing, as if it were nothing more than a common ornament.

Could even the soul-brand of the most fanatical zealot fail to recognize this power?

"What in the world is happening?"

Qin Feng was consumed by profound doubt.

Could this not be direct corruption, but rather a more sophisticated, clandestine form of "blessing"—one so subtle that even the disciples of Slaanesh could not comprehend it?

Upon the high platform, Lei and Ling Yao held their respective soul-marks, slowly moving to exchange them.

A flicker of murderous intent crossed Qin Feng’s eyes, only to be forcibly suppressed.

Something was wrong.

Everything about this scene reeked of an indescribable, uncanny dread.

If the power of Slaanesh had truly permeated to such a degree, then this wedding was likely a meticulously crafted trap, the opening act of a grand conspiracy.

He could easily interrupt the ritual by striking now, but he knew nothing of how this strange power functioned. A rash move might alert the enemy or trigger some far more terrifying contingency.

In a flash of lightning-quick thought, Qin Feng reached a decision.

Remain still for now, and observe the unfolding events.

He would see for himself what secrets lay hidden behind this so-called "exchange of soul-marks."

He would witness what manner of wicked fruit this "praise" from the Lord of Pleasure would ultimately bear!

Qin Feng’s gaze grew deep as an abyss, locked firmly upon the pair on the dais and the two soul-marks, radiating their eerie aura, as they drew closer to one another.

The guests, meanwhile, remained lost in the shock of this earth-shattering ceremony, entirely unaware that the consciousness of a terrifying dark god, capable of shaking the very foundations of the universe, had already quietly descended upon them all.

(End of Chapter)