Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 1429 A Princess of a Nation

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Xia Qingyun suddenly chuckled softly, her laughter carrying a hint of languor and a sharp insight into the ways of the world: "You little rascal! Back then, you were the most beautiful flower in the country, a golden branch and jade leaf, and you were honored with the Zhu Liang imperial surname, yet you became the daughter-in-law of the main branch of the Chen family."

She tapped the table lightly with her fingertips, her tone suddenly sharp: "You, a noble lady of the imperial family, are marrying a princess of the Chen family to the main branch of the Chen family. In the eyes of those high-ranking officials, isn't this a case of casting pearls before swine and damaging the dignity of the royal family?"

Xia Qingyun's words went straight to the point.

Zhu Qianqing met his gaze calmly, her demeanor serene as still water, yet her fingertips unconsciously brushed away non-existent dust from her shoulder—a courtly bearing etched into her very bones.

"Auntie, you flatter me." Her voice was calm, with clear enunciation honed by royal upbringing.

"Qianqing did not inherit the core martial soul of the royal family, but awakened the martial soul of her mother's clan. For this reason, my father specially allowed me to inherit my mother's surname as a sign of special favor. The palace rules also made an exception for this."

"Besides, although the Chen family was in decline in the past, it has recovered and is still a prestigious family. Yin Zu is a dragon and phoenix among the elite. How can there be any talk of 'marrying down'?"

Xia Qingyun suddenly chuckled and pointed at her with her jade finger: "That's right. We can't let you choose to marry a close relative of the royal family. Marrying into the Chen family is not bad either."

Zhu Qianqing smiled sweetly, her eyes flashing like a cat's pupils suddenly appearing in the darkness. "Moreover, now..."

"Besides, the Chen family's prestige is now at its zenith. Those who used to criticize us have probably changed their tune long ago, haven't they?"

Xia Qingyun picked up the conversation, her fingertips casually tracing the cool rim of the cup, "I'm starting to praise you, girl. You didn't just choose a perfect husband, but you also had the foresight to choose the right one to settle down with?"

Zhu Qianqing lowered her eyelashes slightly, a complex emotion flashing across her face before transforming into a deeper gentleness: "Auntie's eyes are sharp and insightful. Indeed, the elders in the clan are much more harmonious now."

Xia Qingyun's gaze suddenly turned deep, as if piercing through layers of palaces: "So... the royal family and the Zhennan Duke's Mansion... only let you and your daughter return, and want to keep Yinzu... firmly 'nailed' to the foreign legion?"

A single, cool remark reveals the invisible threads beneath that gentle demeanor.

A barely perceptible bitter ripple appeared on Zhu Qianqing's lips: "In the end, I couldn't escape your discerning eyes."

All the bitterness and sorrow are contained in a single whisper.

Inside the warm pavilion, the aroma of tea, the scent of wine, and the entanglements of family and country quietly permeated the air.

The sounds of shouting and clashing weapons outside the window could be faintly heard, but they seemed to be blocked by an invisible barrier.

Behind the marriage alliance between the royal bloodline and the top sect, the entangled power struggles and infighting among families and nations, like vines, spread silently, heavy enough to overwhelm the pine scent filling the room and permeate the already cooled spiritual tea.

……

Huaguang torn apart!

Swords flash and pierce the darkness!

A blinding white lightning bolt suddenly tore through the smoke, and a figure, imbued with the might of judgment, landed heavily in front of Chen Duling.

"Ninth Brother!" Chen Duling's heart trembled slightly, and his clear voice escaped his lips.

Amidst the wild dance of electric snakes, the tall and upright figure of the young man, as steadfast as a pine tree, was revealed—Chen Zhouzhao.

The Seven Kill Sword in his hand, spitting out residual white arcs of electricity, hummed and trembled. The lightning leaping on its blade was the same magnificent power that had just pierced through the Netherworld and melted the poisonous claws!

Uh, it's not the yellow arc of the Xili Sword, but white, after all, the Seven Kill Sword has the three attributes of metal, water, and spirit.

Dulling's heart trembled slightly, and his eyes reflected the terrifying lightning that was powerful enough to melt gold and iron.

That light… was pure divine punishment summoned by the sword! Thunder Breathing, Fifth Form – Heat Realm Thunder!

This was the secret she had never seen before.

The Chen family rules state that no one may practice breathing techniques until they reach the Soul Venerable level, so Chen Haoxuan and Chen Yunxiang naturally have no chance to use them.

Chen Zhouzhao turned around, a smirk playing on his lips, a smile tinged with youthful roguishness and a domineering fighting spirit. He casually twirled his sword: "Hey, Eleventh Sister! If you don't lend a hand soon, those two calves from Yunxiang Haoxuan will probably be drained of their marrow by these lumps of iron!"

"The three of you want to pick these eight steel-clad weapons? Just looking at them makes my back ache!"

Before the words were finished, another figure, as ethereal as a breeze, silently descended from mid-air, without disturbing a speck of dust.

Chen Jieqi!
His face was calm and serene, like a deep pool, while the menacing Seven Kill Sword in his hand swirled with an invisible aura.

He slightly raised the sword tip, his gaze as cold as a biting wind, aiming straight at the massive beast-headed gate that constantly spewed forth steel killing intent: "Let's go straight for the power."

The sound was soft, like ice shards falling to the ground, yet it clearly entered the deep doorway.

Chen Zhouzhao laughed loudly, crossed his arms and embraced his sword, and sneered loudly at the deep doorway: "Hey, foreman blacksmith inside! Stop dawdling!"

"Once we brothers have really taken all your junk apart and turned it into a pile of parts, it'll be too late for you to cry! Show us what you've got hidden treasures of yours, let us have a look!"

In the midst of their conversation, the two had already locked onto each other's battle auras—Chen Zhouzhao, the Dongming Sword, wielding the violent power of thunder and punishment! Chen Jieqi, the Yinyuan Sword, moving through the air invisibly!

…………

The darkness deep within the colossal gate with its beast-headed heads seemed to be ignited by these provocative words.

The cold, mechanical whirring suddenly became as dense as a sudden downpour hitting tiles.

"Buzz—! Buzz—!"

Eight more figures draped in coarse cloth tore through the shadows and entered the arena, standing shoulder to shoulder with the eight broken bodies that were still fighting earlier, making a total of sixteen beautiful figures.

The village girls, all with uniform, deathly still makeup, had their dark blue glass eyes gleaming with an even colder light, like a horde of gargoyles crawling out of hell!

What's even more chilling is its new model.

Numbered 19 and 20, their black bat-wing steel bones suddenly spread out from their sides, and their feet spewed out intense blue flames. Their bodies were tens of meters off the ground, suspended in the air like night owls.

As it circled and swooped down above the arena dome, the gaps in its steel wings scattered a dense rain of poisonous caltrops, creating clouds of putrid venom that sealed off the entire sky.
As it circled and swooped down, a torrential downpour of poisoned iron caltrops, as dense as locusts and gleaming with a chilling green light, poured down from the gaps in the steel wings and the exhaust vents of the joints, instantly weaving together a poisonous net that covered the arena!
Numbers 21 and 22 are the most mysterious!
They stand back to back, with a strange piece of black iron inlaid in the middle, flowing with silver and black light.

Visible magnetic field ripples undulate and twist around it, the air is ionized and emits a faint crackling sound, and light is bent accordingly.

This is by no means a melee puppet, but the core of manipulating the gravity of the battle!
The mechanical rage is rising again!

Sixteen beautiful figures stood in formation, their models mixed yet harmoniously unified.

Close up, they use seizing ropes and claws to tear through the wind, with magnetic poles twisting and pulling them; far away, they use rope darts to pierce the clouds and chain blades to split the sky, while in the sky, bat wings spew out streams of fire and swoop down, and poisonous caltrops blot out the sun.

A three-dimensional killing net, composed of steel gears, deadly energy, and absolute killing intent, descended without reservation upon the five young and arrogant Seven Kill Swordsmen in the arena.

Its overwhelming force seemed poised to crush the entire arena, along with the glory it carried, into dust and ashes.

(End of this chapter)