Journey of the Fate Destroying Emperor
chapter-1270

'Maybe I should take time to create or find some devastating secret techniques that increase battle strength,' Wu Hong thought. Secret techniques are common in the cultivation world as they are usually ways for cultivators to drastically increase their strength by paying a price. They are typically used in desperate situations, and the most common methods are burning the blood, body, and soul to increase power.

Secret techniques become more important at the pinnacle of the Paragon Realm because they are the most widespread method of acquiring the title of Primal. Of course, people who become Primal through secret methods are at the bottom of the list. After all, you'll become weak after using this technique since you must pay a price, leaving yourself.

Wu Hong smiled wryly, knowing this method would not work. If she became weak after defeating him with a secret technique, wouldn't that leave her open to being bullied? Could it be that she had to immediately run and hide every time she beat him?

'I must heal my injuries to the point of returning to the Paragon Realm. Then, I'll enter the Dark Truth, and during the establishment of the Perfect Foundation, I can better heal myself when rewriting my [Existence].'

She had made up her mind. At this point, hesitating and delaying would only make the situation worse for her. Wu Hong suddenly felt a lot more relaxed after making that decision.

'It's been a while since I've been so motivated to improve. The feeling is not bad,' Wu Hong nodded. 'More importantly, I cannot let this bastard ride over me.' She smiled, feeling more confident than ever. Who was she? Empress Wu. She never feared or backed down from a challenge and was not about to do that now — even for her future husband.

'Wait a minute,' Wu Hong thought. 'When did I start thinking of him so intimately? This bastard is so smooth. I fell for his scheme without even noticing.' She looked back at their two meetings, and she had to admit, they got along so naturally as if they were two sides of the same coin.

'It's a good thing that we can get along so naturally. The path ahead is long, and it would be a nightmare if our personalities did not match. However, I still need to look at things more rationally,' Wu Hong thought. She took a moment to look at Wang Wei from a rational and objective point of view.

'We are compatible in our personalities, ambitions, and drives. He has the strength and talent to keep walking forward with me and be a support on this long journey of the Dao. He is not selfish and intimidated by my accomplishments and challenges me to be better than I believe I could be.

'Besides a few other minor things I need to check later on, there are only two main issues — trust and goals. So far, he's shown me that he's reliable and trustworthy, but enough to put my life in his hands?'

Wu Hong thought about this deeply. The fact that she's willing to enter the Dark Truth indicates a high level of trust, but she views it more as a calculated risk. She saw the benefits, spent many years deducing and calculating, and after meeting Wang Wei, she made the final push to it.

'In the lower dimension, Wang Wei entered the Dark Truth mostly based on the trust of that clone. But if our situation were reversed, could I so unquestioningly trust him?' Wu Hong asked, and she did not have to think long to know she would not. So, it's apparent that her trust in him is not that level, and she reckoned he does not trust her as much as he does that clone.

'That's fine. We can slowly get to know each other and increase our trust,' Wu Hong thought. Trust can be cultivated over time, so there is no need to make a big deal out of this issue for now. Of course, it will be something else if they cannot cultivate their trust to a certain level after years of trying. At that point, she hopes they can part amicably.

'Finally, it's the issue of goals,' Wu Hong continued. Wang Wei is obsessed with achieving absolute freedom, and she has her goals that she would not give up for anything. For people at their level of Dao Heart, it's impossible to give up their grand pursuit of the Dao for something that is both fleeting and eternal as love.

Here comes the issue: what should they do if their pursuit/goal clashes with their relationship? Should they give up their dream and focus on the relationship? Should one person sacrifice for the other? Or should they go their separate ways? Even worse, what if they have no choice but to become enemies?

As previously stated, with Wu Hong and Wang Wei's Dao Heart, they can't give up their goals, let alone sacrifice them for each other. So, they must come up with an agreement on how that would proceed.

'He previously had this conversation with that clone, but we must have it again,' Wu Hong thought. She always felt that the clone was a little too in love or too emotional, which is fair if she comes from the future and has known him for far longer. As such, that conversation was too easy by her standards.

These types of conversations are the kind that make or break a relationship. They can establish the foundation for a partnership that lasts for eternity, so there must be a much higher level of rationality than the clone used.

'It's good that we have a clear plan to proceed to the next stage of our relationship,' Wu Hong thought. She had certain expectations but kept them under control to avoid being too disappointed when they were not met. As she said to him before, she looked forward to him bringing more color to her slightly dull life, but she was also happy with continuing with how things were.

Wu Hong closed her eyes to focus on the sermon. Time passed, and the two did not speak much, with a few words in between. All the Tier 10 swiftly finished their sermon, and it was soon the turn of Tier 11. Six preached, but something occurred when Xun Junyao was about to choose the seventh. She paused with a deep frown, making people wonder what had happened.

'So close. Why couldn't he have waited?' Xun Junyao thought. She was about to choose Wang Wei's booth for the following sermon, but she received a message from one of her ladies that the special guest refused to wait any longer and demanded she see him.

Xun Junyao was not happy. She planned to learn what kind of person that fated love was through the sermon, and in the third part of the celebration, she would propose they play a game of Civilization Chess and choose three people to be her opponent, and Wang Wei would be the third. Now, everything was ruined.

'Why did I expect any better from these people?' Xun Junyao thought as she regained her composure.

"My deepest apologies, Fellow Daoists, but I must leave early."

"What?" People did not hide their shock and confusion.

"It's only temporary, but something urgent has come up," Xun Junyao explained. "Once I return, I promise to sing a wonderful piece for all of you as an apology."

"Lady Xun, there is no need to apologize. We understand."

"Yes, take all the time you need."

"It is your celebration, and we are guests, so we don't mind waiting."

These degenerates were happy. The last time any public record of Lady Xun's voice was recorded was when someone accidentally recorded a small part and sold it at an unknown auction. An Empyrean literally sold his sect to get it, turning over all lands, treasures, and resources, and even the disciples and elders became slaves. The terrifying part is this price was low due to the fact it was too late when the news spread.

"I'm glad you can all be so understanding, but I will keep my word." Xun Junyao said. "In the meantime, enjoy a dance from our palace's most talented lady.

She slowly left the stadium, giving these people one last gift. Once she was out of sight, the announcer — a beautiful middle-aged woman with a strict, no-nonsense appearance — awaited her.

"Is everything alright?" Xun Junyao asked.

"So far, we have found no issue."

"Very well," she nodded before heading to a secret room of the palace.

"Palace Lord, do you maybe want to change clothes?" the announcer reminded Xun Junyao, making her pause and look at her clothes.

'That would indeed make the guest feel more special,' she thought, and with a snap of her finger, her dress changed to a more casual, intimate, red and black. She also changed her hairstyle to be semi-formal.

"That's perfect. Let's go."

Second Floor:

Wang Wei squinted his eyes after seeing Xun Junyao's departure.

'Are things about to start, or is this just a small prelude?' He wanted to see what Xun Junyao was doing, but this palace was a potent treasure, and the formations were not a joke, rendering his powers useless.