Chapter 717: I Was Forced

Chapter 717: I Was ForcedShe could hardly say that her fiance was about to rape her, and a mysterious man crippled him as a result. She didn't know this man at all, and no one would believe her words—at the very least, she couldn't even believe what had happened, and she had witnessed everything!

Why would a stranger save her, join her on stage, and even marry her? And why did she swear this binding oath that would intertwine their lives for now and ever after?

While Li Qianlin was lost in her thoughts, Zhang Lie gripped her hand tightly and shielded her with his body. "Don't worry. I'm here."

He turned to the crowd and announced, "You've all heard, haven't you? My name is Zhang Lie!"

Duan Zisuan stood up in anger, and his two guards shot toward Zhang Lie like bolts of lightning.

As the shocked crowd watched on, their bodies rapidly grew, tearing their clothes and revealing their frightening true forms.

The guard on the left morphed into a four-meter tall baboon-like creature, whereas the guard on the right transformed into a five-meter tall giant seemingly clad in a tiger's pelt. Muscles bulged all over his body.

The two beastmen crashed into the bouquets arrayed all over the stage, sending a storm of petals into the air.

"Protect the guests!" Li Zongming shouted. The eastern guards rushed out from the perimeter and escorted the guests away.

The baboon-like guard howled and pounced toward Zhang Lie with such a fierce expression that even the guests watching from a distance gasped audibly.

"Scram!" Zhang Lie commanded. No one saw what he had done, but the next moment, the fierce baboon's entire body turned charred black as he flew out into the distance like a bullet.

The tigerman, who had also pounced forward in an attempt to rescue Li Qianlin from Zhang Lie's grasp, stilled and scrabbled to stop his forward momentum.

Suddenly, punch after punch rained down from the heavens, causing so much destruction it seemed as though the stage of the wedding had been the birthplace of a disaster.

Amidst the sudden bursts of genetic energy, the guests instinctively shielded themselves as Zhang Lie brought Li Qianlin soaring into the air. In the middle of his leap, he morphed into a bolt of golden lightning, carrying Li Qianlin with him as he flew off into the distance.

He was so quick that no one was able to catch up to him, not that many dared to do so after his display of strength.

The carriages and steeds were struck the most badly by the punches that suddenly rained down from the heavens. The superior- and peak-grade lifeforms were sent flying, and the carriages themselves had all been overturned.

The lifeforms trembled as they cowered on the ground, even more frightened than if they had encountered a disaster-grade lifeform.

The wedding was a wreck; what should have been a glorious ceremony that would be remembered for a generation had, in just a matter of minutes, been reduced to nothing but rubble.

The bolt of golden lightning, carrying Li Qianlin, fled thousands of meters away in an instant. Just as they left the territory of Mt. Yun, however, a golden barrier suddenly flashed into existence before Zhang Lie.

Zhang Lie was forced to halt in front of that barrier, still carrying Li Qianlin by her waist.

On the other side of the barrier was the hostess of the ceremony, Dong Mingxing.

Many knew of Dong Mingxing's beauty and talents, but few were aware of her true strength in cultivation. In fact, though few knew it, she was even stronger than Duan Gen.

Dong Mingxing blocked Zhang Lie's path. By then, she had changed into a suit of golden armor for combat.

"Qianqian, just what are you doing?" Dong Mingxing called out, exasperated. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the NøᴠᴇlFire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Li Qianlin chuckled. "Would you believe me if I said I were kidnapped?"

Dong Mingxing gaped at her. She had sworn her vows with perfect sincerity—or the will of the world wouldn't have marked the bride and groom! She didn't know just what had happened to cause Li Qianlin to ruin her own wedding, but her priority had to be to save her at any cost.

"Leave Qianqian behind, or die!" Dong Mingxing shouted coldly.

"Move aside!" At least toward Li Qianlin's friend, Zhang Lie would be a little more courteous.

"I'll let you go as long as you leave Qianqian behind. This is your only chance to live: none among my generation is my equal." Dong Mingxing was confident in her strength and ability.

Zhang Lie had no intention of repeating himself. He shook his head forcefully, then flung a punch straight at Dong Mingxing.

Dong Mingxing sniffed as she deflected the punch with her spear. "Don't you understand?"

"Hah! Even a king of the realm wouldn't be able to stop me, Zhang Lie, from leaving. But you're Qianqian's friend, and I don't want to hurt you." Zhang Lie shrugged.

"Hm?" Dong Mingxing suddenly sensed something from the periphery of her vision—a huge shadow had appeared out of thin air, a red glow emanating from its back. With a crisp snap, her spear was broken in two. A huge force flung her far into the distance.

Where Dong Mingxing had stood was now a red genetic lifeform, about twenty or thirty meters tall, whose carapace shone a lustrous rose red, as though it were made of precious gems. The protrusions emanating from its carapace were red at their base and turned to a purple-golden hue by their tips. Blood-red lightning crackled in the skies, causing the lifeform's carapace to glow even more brightly.

As though it had survived countless battlefields, the lifeform's eyes were filled with killing intent. Its arms were like a reaper's scythes, and wings fluttered so quickly they were almost invisible on its back. The lightning grew more and more intense.

"That, that's—"

Dong Mingxing had stabilized herself in the air, but her eyes were filled with shock. The lifeform that had suddenly appeared in front of her was none other than Red Comet.

"A fifth-level beast...!"

A legendary fifth-level beast was rare even in the worlds of east and west, and only a king of the realm of a large world would be able to command them.

Even a king of the realm of a medium-sized world had no such capability.

Dong Mingxing suddenly thought she understood what was happening. Indeed, only a king of the realm would be so daring, so strong, as to snatch away a bride on the eve of this momentous wedding! Who else would dare to destroy a historical marriage between two worlds? Who else would be able to control a fifth-level beast?

It was apparent that this king was, for some reason or another, unwilling to see the worlds of east and west forge an alliance.

By then, Zhang Lie, whose departure had been deterred by Dong Mingxing, saw the disaster-grade steed that the king of the west commanded rise into the air.

It shot straight toward Red Comet, who flashed away like a bolt of lightning, but it was still unable to extricate itself from the other lifeform's hot pursuit...