Let me explain, it's not what you think.

On both sides of the abyss, dozens of cultivators stood silently, watching as Lu Chen led four stunningly beautiful female cultivators at the Tribulation Transcending stage across the battlefield.

The old man in the gray robe opened his mouth, but couldn't close it.

The three masked female cultivators looked at each other, none of them able to speak, but when they looked at Lu Chen, their faces were full of curiosity.

"Sister, this man... he's so domineering!"

"I like domineering men."

"I just don't know if he'll actually hit people, I really like hitting people..."

"..."

As for the rogue cultivators, they stared wide-eyed, forgetting even to breathe.

Lin Tian stood there, watching Lu Chen's back, and remained silent for a long time before turning to Li Fei, who was kneeling on the ground and had not yet recovered, and said something.

"Brother, I take back what I said. He's not the first, he's the only one!"

……

Lu Chen led the four women through a maze of twists and turns, finally stopping in a corner on the outskirts of the abyss.

This place is surrounded by rocks on three sides and faces a cliff on the other, with thick fog overhead, making it a secluded spot where one can barely speak.

He then released his grip, took a step back, creating some distance between himself and the four women, and then tried to say something, only to find that he didn't know what to say.

Zhou Qingxuan, Yun Chuxue, Dan Linglong, and Ao Qian all stared at him, each with a different expression.

Lu Chen felt a chill run down his spine from their stares, coughed lightly, and forced himself to start a conversation.

"Um... how did you know I was here? The Valley of Ten Thousand Spirits is so big, how did you find me so accurately?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingxuan gave a soft humph: "Someone sent me a message. It said that you were getting very close to a woman surnamed Yun in the core area of ​​the valley, and that you even had a daughter with you."

"What a coincidence," Yun Chuxue replied casually, "I received the same message."

"Me too." Dan Linglong blinked.

"Me too!" Ao Qian said, hands on her hips, her tone self-righteous.

"And it was even expedited!"

Lu Chen's expression changed after hearing this.

He knew almost without even thinking who did it!

They must be remnants of the Joyful Union Sect! They know the sect is going to disband, so they're using their information to make one last profit!!

Thinking of this, Lu Chen gritted his teeth and silently made a mental note.

I'll remember this grudge.

"Alright, now that everyone's here." He took a deep breath, trying to adopt a serious demeanor.

"Can we have a proper talk? You are both very important figures in your respective factions. We can't keep arguing like this every time. It doesn't sound good if word gets out."

"Then tell me, how do you want to negotiate?" Zhou Qingxuan raised an eyebrow at him.

"I……"

Lu Chen paused for a moment, then suddenly realized that the problem was more difficult than he had thought.

He genuinely didn't know how to talk to them.

The feud between the four women was not formed overnight; each had their own reasons and their own stance, and none of them were willing to back down even an inch.

If he sides with any of them, the other three will immediately turn against him!

If he tries to smooth things over, none of the four people will buy it.

He suddenly missed his wives in the Jade Realm. At least the women there, though they also fought for power, at least followed the rules and regulations of the family.

He remained silent for a long while, then finally sighed and looked at the four women seriously.

"How about this, I'll talk to each of you individually first. One-on-one, so we can clear things up face to face. You can scold me or make demands, I'll listen."

One-on-one duels are his forte; he needs to take down these four women one by one.

The four women exchanged glances, seemingly surprised by the suggestion, yet also finding it amusing.

"Can."

"So, who wants to go first?"

The four women spoke at the same time: "Me."

Another silence followed.

Then Zhou Qingxuan took a step forward, and although the other three women were reluctant, they didn't argue anymore.

After all, she was indeed the first one, and she was just one step away from marrying Lu Chen.

Zhou Qingxuan glanced back at them, a slight smile playing on her lips, then turned to Lu Chen, her phoenix eyes filled with a hint of smugness.

"Then I'll start."

As Zhou Qingxuan spoke, she raised her hand and set up a light golden soundproof barrier, then added a light-blocking array, completely isolating this corner from the outside world.

Inside the barrier, all was so quiet that only the two of them could hear their breathing.

Then she turned around and faced Lu Chen.

The arrogant and self-possessed demeanor she had displayed in front of everyone vanished in an instant.

She rushed forward and threw herself into Lu Chen's arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and burying her face in his chest.

The force was so great that Lu Chen staggered half a step, his back hitting the stone wall behind him.

"My husband," she murmured against his chest.

"You bastard, do you know how long I've been looking for you?!"

Lu Chen looked down at her and could see the back of her head buried in his arms and the slightly trembling phoenix hairpin.

He didn't say anything, but simply raised his hand and placed it on her back.

Zhou Qingxuan's shoulders twitched slightly, then quickly lowered again.

She was the Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty, ruling the Central Plains for over two thousand years, and never shed a tear in public.

But as she nestled in his arms, the tremor in her voice was impossible to hide.

"That day in the capital was my fault. I should have protected you, but there were too many of them, and I couldn't defeat them, so I had to send you away."

Her fingers gripped the fabric of his shirt tightly.

"Later, I sent countless people to look for you. The Dan Clan offered a bounty, the Yaochi Clan offered a bounty, the Sea Clan offered a bounty—I put up bounties everywhere I could, just in case something happened to you! But you, without a word, ran off to this Ten Thousand Spirits Immortal Valley, and with another woman!! Do you know how angry I was when I heard about it? I almost turned the entire imperial city upside down!"

As Lu Chen listened, he gently patted her back with his palm.

"I know, I know everything."

Zhou Qingxuan lifted her head from his embrace, her phoenix eyes glistening with tears and reddening at the corners, showing no trace of her previous arrogant demeanor.

She looked up at him, her lips pursed, as if she was holding back something.

Looking at her like this, Lu Chen felt a slight pang in his heart.

He lowered his head and kissed her.

The kiss came suddenly, but it wasn't fierce.

He pressed his lips to hers, as if soothing a phoenix whose feathers had been ruffled.

Zhou Qingxuan's body stiffened for a moment in his arms, then went limp.

She raised her hand, climbed onto his shoulder, and dug her fingertips into his fabric, as if she had grasped something lost and found again.

Soon, her breathing became erratic, her heart raced, and all the composure and pride that belonged to the empress vanished at that moment.

She was just a woman, a woman waiting for her husband to come home.

After a long while, Lu Chen released her.

Zhou Qingxuan's forehead rested against his chin, her breath coming in ragged gasps, and a blush spread from her cheekbones to her ears.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but Lu Chen pressed his thumb to her lips.

"No need to say anything," he said in a low voice.

"I will marry you. I will make up for this marriage in a grand and glorious way. You are my woman, Lu Chen's woman, and no one can change that."

Zhou Qingxuan stared at him blankly, her eyes reddening again.

She turned her head away, blinked quickly twice to force back the moisture in the corner of her eyes, then turned back and punched him hard in the chest, her tone fierce.

"That's more like it! If you dare not marry me, I'll tie you up and take you back to the capital, making you wash my feet every day."

Lu Chen couldn't help but chuckle.