Crack!
The nearby lightning cage transformed into the final bolt of lightning, striking Liu Shiyu before disintegrating into nothingness.
"Xiao Yu, are you okay?"
Liu Tianxiang and his wife rushed over, faces full of concern. Mrs. Liu even helped Liu Shiyu up, letting her rest in her arms, filled with grief.
Liu Shiyu's body was still a little stiff, but her consciousness was very clear.
Her eyes were fixed on Xia Feng and the woman embracing, showing a look of resentment.
Damned Xia Feng, what exactly are you hiding?
Why do these top-grade prodigious women come all the way to throw themselves at you?
And that woman, absolutely shameless, hugging and embracing a stranger in public; she's surely not a good person otherwise.
She dared not speak these words aloud, lest she provoke the woman's wrath and suffer painful torment again.
However, she did not know that a dignified Martial Venerable is very sensitive to such resentful emotions.
When she stared at the woman with hateful, hostile eyes, the woman already noticed.
The woman released Xia Feng and turned her head to look at Liu Shiyu, a trace of surprise appearing in her beautiful eyes.
"Liu Shiyu? How did you become so miserable?"
After speaking, she turned her head again and glanced at the four women, Yu Siya, Lin Wanqing, Zhao Lingxuan, and Wang Yuwei, suddenly understanding.
Among the crowd on site, someone raised their own question.
"Haven't you noticed? Whether it's the Celestial Fox Saintess Yu Siya, Extreme Ice Saintess Lin Wanqing, the Li Huo Saintess Zhao Lingxuan, Purple Thunder Saintess Queen Yuwei, or this newly appeared prodigious woman, they all have two things in common."
Hearing this, someone curiously asked, "What do they have in common? They all know Xia Feng? They all call Xia Feng 'husband'?"
"That's one point."
The person whispered, "Another commonality is that they all know Liu Shiyu, they all know the Xia Family. Don't you find that strange?"
"It really is."
Upon hearing this, people nearby thought carefully and indeed found it to be the case.
These prodigious women appearing and recognizing Xia Feng was already remarkable. Even Xia Feng's parents, without any introduction, recognized them at a glance without a hint of unfamiliarity.
Most importantly, these prodigious women all knew Liu Shiyu, which is somewhat absurd.
At this time, the woman spoke again.
"Already miserable like this, a bit more won't matter, right?"
The woman looked at Liu Tianxiang and Mrs. Liu, calmly saying, "Please step aside a little."
"What do you intend to do to my daughter?"
Liu Tianxiang asked in a deep voice.
The woman coldly replied, "She deliberately withdrew from the engagement at the engagement banquet to humiliate my husband. I gave her a small lesson, not too much, right?"
Mrs. Liu lifted her head and roared angrily, "She's already been tormented like this by you, what more do you want?"
"Those things have nothing to do with me. My punishment hasn't even started yet."
The woman said calmly, "If you don't leave, you'll face the punishment together. Especially you, Liu Tianxiang. Uncle Xia once damaged his dantian to save you, stalling his cultivation. Yet you repaid kindness with enmity by publicly humiliating my husband and the Xia Family at the engagement banquet."
"I know about this."
Among the guests, someone friendly with the Xia Family said, filled with righteous indignation, "Ten years ago, Liu Tianxiang wanted to use a Realm-Breaking Pill to break through into the Martial King Realm but lacked a crucial medicinal ingredient. This ingredient was guarded by a Tier One Upper Grade Spirit Beast deep in the wasteland."
"A Tier One Upper Grade Spirit Beast? That's equivalent to a human Yellow Tier Ninth Layer Martial King." someone exclaimed.
The exotic beasts of the Celestial Essence Continent are ranked in power as Fierce Beast, Demon Beast, Spirit Beast, Celestial Beast, Sacred Beast, and Divine Beast, each divided into nine tiers.
Fierce Beasts are as strong as Martial Artists, while Spirit Beasts range between Martial King and Martial Venerable.
A Tier One Upper Grade Spirit Beast is nearly as strong, if not stronger, than a Yellow Tier Ninth Layer Martial King.
"Exactly!"
The person continued, "With Liu Tianxiang's strength, defeating a Tier One Upper Grade Spirit Beast was simply a pipe dream. So, he invited City Lord Xia, who was already a Yellow Tier Ninth Layer Martial King at the time, to help. The exact course of that battle is known only to the two of them. But after returning from the wasteland, City Lord Xia's dantian was damaged, and his cultivation has stagnated ever since. Liu Tianxiang, however, successfully had a Realm-Breaking Pill made and broke through to the Martial King Realm. Since then, the two families set down the engagement."
"From the previous conversation between City Lord Xia and Liu Tianxiang, it seems City Lord Xia saved Liu Tianxiang during the attack from the Tier One Upper Grade Spirit Beast." Someone recalled the conversation between Father Xia and Liu Tianxiang, easily deducing some details of the time.
"City Lord Xia saved Liu Tianxiang, resulting in damage to his own dantian, and now, ten years later, his cultivation has regressed to only an Eighth Layer Yellow Tier Martial King Realm."
"Liu Tianxiang owes his life to City Lord Xia, and his Martial King Realm cultivation was achieved with the help of City Lord Xia. To repay this with humiliation of the Xia Family by having his daughter publicly withdraw from the engagement at the ceremony is truly despicable."
The onlookers discussed fervently, their gazes towards Liu Tianxiang full of disdain.
Previously, some had felt a bit of sympathy for the Liu Family's plight, but after hearing this past and coupling it with today's actions, any sympathy vanished instantly.
Such an ungrateful person utterly deserves this.
Liu Tianxiang's face appeared exceedingly grim; agreeing to let his daughter withdraw in public was indeed meant to pressure the Xia Family and pave the way for the Liu Family to eventually become the City Lord of Xingyu City, preparing to take over the city.
He originally thought the plan was foolproof, but unexpectedly, several top-grade Saintesses appeared, not only ruining his plan but trampling on the dignity and face of the entire Liu Family.
The woman continued, "My husband and Uncle Xia are magnanimous and would not hold grudges against you. But I'm just a mere woman who can't swallow this insult."
As she finished speaking, her jade hand waved, an invisible Sword Intent enveloping Liu Shiyu and the couple Liu Tianxiang and Mrs. Liu.
The Sword Intent was invisible and intangible, yet could be keenly felt.
While not strong enough to be fatal, it perpetually assaulted their bodies and souls.
Terrible screams continuously emitted from the mouths of the three people.
Having just endured the torture of the lightning cage, Liu Shiyu, deep in the Sword Intent Domain, seemed very miserable, yet no one would sympathize with her.
After doing all this, the woman turned around, and when she looked at Xia Feng, her exquisite and pretty face once again bore a sweet and gentle smile.
"Husband!"
She called out softly, stretching out her hands, intending to embrace Xia Feng again.
"Miss! This is not suitable."
This time Xia Feng was prepared, quickly grabbing the woman's hands to prevent her from hugging him.
"What do you mean 'Miss,' call me 'wife.'"
The woman stomped her foot and said coquettishly.
Xia Feng chuckled dryly and did not respond.
Too many "wives" had arrived today.
Seeing this, the woman giggled and said, "I seem to have forgotten to introduce myself, husband. My name is Li Qingxue, Celestial Sword Sacred Land Saintess."