Catherine thought about what Felicia said and eventually replied, "A dowry of one-and-a-half million dollars is nothing. It's not like we lack that kind of money. What's more important is building a relationship with the Horsfields. It would indeed be good if Diane marries into their family!""Yes! Exactly!" Felicia's eyes lit up. For the record, after Diane was kicked out of the Shanahan home, the money in Diane's bank card was all taken back by the Shanahans.Though Felicia, William, and Megan were still living with the Shanahans, they had been sidelined by Stanley.William was never a capable person to begin with, so he could only work in the company's warehouse. The salary was not very high to begin with, but Stanley slashed his salary and even came up with all sorts of reasons to deduct it even further. In the end, his pay was peanuts.Felicia did not work, so she spent her free time playing bridge with her friends.Megan, on the other hand, graduated from university only rec
Felicia's expression became exceedingly ugly. Those projects did not matter to her at all, and all she wanted was the dowry.The old lady looked at Felicia. "My dear Felicia, I'm not asking you to reject Edward immediately now, am I? You can drag it out a little longer while we figure out the relationship between Severin and Henry. If their relationship turns out to be very good and Severin can help us secure the Liberty City project, wouldn't you accept him as your son-in-law? If their relationship isn't all that impressive, then you can always try to persuade Diane to marry Edward. If she still won't listen, then there's nothing we can do about it.""I understand now."Felicia nodded and was roughly able to grasp the old lady's intentions.Megan thought for a while and then said, "Don't worry, Grandma. Diane was only stubborn back then because of her reluctance to part with her baby, not Severin. Now that we're willing to welcome her back home again, I'm sure she'll come back. Sh
"You son of a bitch! I can't believe you accepted that key! I think we should find a chance to return it!" Diane's brows furrowed as she walked on the street with Severin and Selene."Return it? Wouldn't it be rude to return it after I've already accepted it?" Severin frowned. "Don't get so worked up. It's just a house! He gave it to us so we could stay there, so that's what we'll do! We just so happen to need a house right now too, and my parents' house is also really run-down!""What do you mean 'it's just a house'? Do you know how valuable that house is? It's a villa in Dragon Lake Vista! Not even my grandmother could buy a unit there now that they're all sold out. The Shanahans couldn’t afford it last time, but when they finally had the means to buy one, no one was willing to sell! Living in this villa doesn't just prove that you're rich—it's more of a status symbol!" Diane immediately explained to Severin. "The Longhorns bought one that's the biggest out of all the others and ha
"The clothes here are expensive. Let's go someplace else!" Diane immediately urged when she saw Severin walking toward the entrance of the big shopping mall.Severin patted the bag he was carrying. "This bag is full of dough! What's there to worry about when we have a hundred and ninety thousand dollars here?"In response, Diane glared at him and rolled her eyes. "As much money as you have right now, it's still important to spend your money sensibly. Why do you have to act like someone who got rich overnight?"Severin smiled. "If I'm honest, I don't really care about my clothes, but things have changed now. I have a wife and a daughter, two people whom I mustn't let suffer. I've never bought you two clothes or gifts, so the least I can do is spend like there's no tomorrow on you two! It'll be just this once!""Pfftt!" His words amused her and she felt her heart warm slightly.Her life was undoubtedly difficult during the past five years and she had been the subject of everyone's d
"Go ahead! Buy whatever you want!" Severin said with a smile."Dad! Mom! Hurry up!" Selene was in a buoyant mood as she walked, and it was clear that her happiness was different than usual."I've never seen her so happy in a long time!" A smile appeared on Diane's face as she looked at Selene. The only reason she could persevere up until then was because of her daughter.Severin grinned. "That's because she saw her parents being all lovey-dovey with each other!""Quit it. When did I get lovey dovey with you?" Diane rolled her eyes at Severin and quickened her pace. Severin soon led the two of them into the shopping mall."Don't go to the second floor!" Diane stopped him in a panic when she saw him planning to go up to the second floor."What's wrong?" Severin frowned. "Doesn't the sign above say that the second floor is for women's clothing?"That was when Diane explained. "The stores on the first floor are cheaper. The most expensive ones are several hundred dollars. The second
After flashing a forced smile to Severin, she turned to a young assistant near her. "Hey, Bree, will you be all right if I handed these customers over to you? You need to make a good impression since you're new and all!""Oh, sure, Miss Debra!"The young female saleswoman nodded, and then said to Severin and Diane, "Sir, ma'am, good afternoon. These right here are all our new models. You have a good figure, ma'am, and I think a person of your grace should try them!"Debra walked to one side and chatted secretly with two of the more seasoned employees. "Bree's pretty dumb, isn't she? I didn't think she'd be brave enough to accept those customers after I said I'll pass them to her. She's wasting her time with them!"Another of the senior employees said, "How can someone who looks like a farmer be able to afford our clothes? That was mean of you to pass them over to Bree!""Tch. You can't blame me if she accepts them. Did you see how respectfully she's explaining the new models to th
Edward was fuming with anger, which was to be expected given that he had been waiting several years for Diane. Furthermore, her parents' attitude toward him the other day seemed to suggest that they were in favor of the marriage. It was hard for him not to get angry when he saw Diane shopping with other men.Diane walked out in the beautiful dress, and at this moment, she looked even more angelic after changing out of her food delivery uniform. Even Severin was mesmerized by the sight of her.There were hints of elegance in her beauty, yet her cold temperament was still very much prevalent in her characters. Furthermore, her womanly nature was even more pronounced then, which could perhaps be attributed to her being a mother!"How do I look? Does it look pretty on me?" Diane felt a little embarrassed when she found Severin staring at her, and her face blushed slightly as she posed him that question."It looks divine! How could it not look anything but beautiful on you? It's almost
At that moment, the woman next to Edward sneered and said, "Are you that clueless, Edward? Do you honestly think that this woman can endure loneliness? She's probably the kind of woman who pretends to be chaste but slept with a lot of men in reality. These people are very good at putting on a facade, you know. There's a word for these women—hypocrites!""To hell with you. I don't care if you want to demean me, but don't you dare say that about my woman!" Severin clenched his fist again after hearing that. "You deserve a spanking!""Edward, look! This loser here wants to hit me!" The woman immediately hid behind Edward, but ironically, her expression seemed to warn him not to lay a hand on her.However, Diane pulled Severin forcefully and shot him a look that signaled for him not to be impulsive.She then stepped forward and said, "Do you think I'm that kind of woman, Edward? Besides, you have a wife, and yet here you are shopping with another woman and telling me that you love me.
At that instant, Infernatur and Damnatur felt a sudden chill, as if an impending doom loomed on the horizon.Severin then said softly to them, "I'm gonna need you as a helping hand!"Infernatur and Damnatur recoiled as a horrifying realization dawned upon them."Have you taken that leap?" Infernatur's voice trembled with uncertainty.Severin remained silent and simply waved his hand gently. The 129,600 cosmic laws surged with boundless power, reducing the huge figures of Infernatur and Damnatur to dust.Within moments, two essences of pure primordial power flowed into Severin's inner world, while the desolate chaos sea crumbled and was consumed by his voracious appetite.Severin's form eventually began to fade until it became a flicker of light that vanished completely. His consciousness had been devoured entirely.Everything before him was empty and devoid of substance.An indefinite amount of time passed before Severin's voice echoed through the emptiness, "Chaos springs from
With a deft stroke of the bronze halberd, the path hovering above Severin shattered."This is a peculiar weapon," Severin recoiled in alarm, raising the Oculus Blade to defend himself "It has the ability to dismantle the great path!"Simultaneously, he utilized his space-time path to shield against potential assaults, especially any sneak attacks.Explosions reverberated, unleashing torrents of elemental energy and spatial turbulence throughout the chaotic sea. Time passed indeterminately amidst the chaos.For centuries, the trio engaged in combat, their auras undiminished by time's passage.Meanwhile, the four Dominus Nosters in the Celestial Realm waged war against the extraterrestrial intruders, reclaiming territories with unparalleled ferocity.Under the leadership of figures like Callide, the extraterrestrials were simply no match for them.The Southern, Western, and Devil Regions were reclaimed quickly, yet everyone from the Celestial Realm remained vigilant, for war conti
Outside the Heaven Palace, the few who had been appointed Dominus Noster along with a cohort of quasi-royal celestials were faced with the grim reality at hand.Clad in resplendent hues, Callide—who was their leader and carried the title Dominus Noster Arcanum—donned celestial attire woven from stars and the galaxy. With a regal bearing, she commanded from atop a cloud, "Follow me, my brethren! We shall vanquish the extraterrestrials in the Devil Realm!""At your command, Dominus Noster Arcanum!""Yes, Dominus Noster Arcanum!"With their resounding battle cries, streams of light surged across the Nine Heavens Ten Lands, converging upon the territories occupied by the extraterrestrials—they were the Devil Region, Southern Region, and the Western Region.Amidst the vibrant rainbow, a towering figure emerged, blotting out the sky and earth. Everyone recognized that figure as Severin, and knew that the battle against the quasi-celestial regents would soon begin.Adrian, who was alrea
Armin then spoke with a calm authority, "You cannot remain in this time and space, for you are from the future. It is time you return."As he uttered these words, Severin sensed an invisible force pushing against him and urging him to depart.Standing upon the river of time, he overlooked the tumult of the quasi-celestial regent conflict looming below. He mumbled Armin's counsel, "By receiving nourishment, shattering constraints, tearing open chaos, and reaching the other side…" As Severin pondered over those revelations for an indefinite amount of time, clarity dawned upon him like the sudden rising sun. "So that's the way!"By the time he snapped to his senses, he discovered that his primal spirit had traversed countless epochs in the river of time. "Did I spend that long in the river of time?" he asked himself. Fortunately, the duration he spent in the river of time was but a fleeting moment in the real world.Severin's resolve solidified. Though his brief discourse with Armin,
Severin could sense the mental connection between himself and the weapon, almost as if it was an extension of himself. Severin then raised his gaze to the celestial expanse beyond."I'm almost on Armin's level now that I've made a breakthrough to the rank of quasi-celestial sovereign. However, facing the extraterrestrials' quasi-celestial regents isn't going to be easy meat for me," he mused aloud.Armin was once the sovereign architect of the Imperial Court and the ruler of the Celestial Realm, yet even he found himself at the mercy of the attack of Heaven's Will. Even a mighty quasi-celestial sovereign was reduced to naught but dust.Severin felt the weight of the responsibility settle upon him. Confronting the two quasi-celestial regents would require him to transcend to the realm of celestial sovereign—a realm of which he had scant knowledge of.He understood the concept of the celestial sovereign only in the context of attaining liberation through enlightenment via the 3,000 p
In the vast expanse of the chaotic sea, occasional gusts of strong wind whipped up the formidable chaotic energy. A single whirlpool could claim the life of even a true immortal.Amidst that tumult, two colossal figures lay prone within the abyss. They emanated an aura of unparalleled power, commanding even the paths to heed their authority. The turbid breath exhaled in their slumber had the capacity to tear the fabric of the chaotic void, unveiling dreamlike cosmic chiliocosms.They were the progenitors of the extraterrestrial race, the alpha and omega of the enigmatic beings. Their names were Infernatur and Damnatur. To the uninitiated, and sometimes even to their own kind, it was widely believed that Infernatur and Damnatur were distinct entities. However, they were but facets of the same being.Infernatur could be deemed the primordial offspring of chaos itself, having borne witness to the most primitive and barbaric epochs of the Bleu Celestial Realm. Being born of chaos, he po
Heaven Palace could now boast four royal celestials, along with nearly 20 quasi-royal celestials and 5,000 true immortals. Those esteemed individuals once served the Longevity Alliance, Clear Wind Sect, Tri Celestial Island, and Ingeni Paradise. While their numbers paled in comparison to the 120,000 true immortals during the ancient Imperial Court's heyday, Severin was confident that he could revive that with time. After all, the new Imperial Court had only just been re-established, and there was still more work to do.Severin then addressed the assembly, "As you continue raising your attainment, you shall have to anticipate the looming threat of conflict with the extraterrestrials. Now that you have are bestowed with titles as the custodians of heaven and earth, it is our solemn duty to reciprocate the blessings bestowed upon us.""Yes, we shall!" echoed the resolute affirmation from the gathered immortals.Having concluded his address, Severin went to speak briefly with Diane and
In the Heaven Palace, Callide sensed that the aura emanating from Severin was simultaneously as vast the sky and ocean but as indiscernible as that of a mortal. Tremors of terror gripped her, as she knew that he had far surpassed the realm of a cultivator who had attained the perfect-stage royal celestial. It was no exaggeration to say that Severin could obliterate a royal celestial with a mere thought.Balke, Libra, and Creatia shared Callide's apprehension. To them, Severin embodied the very essence of the path—intangible, silent, abstruse, incomprehensible, and undetectable.As the imperial robe adorned Severin, Balke and the others bowed in reverence. "Long live the Celestial Sovereign!" they chanted in unison.A subtle wave of fortune floated toward the heavenly heart imprint as Severin acknowledged their worship with a satisfied smile. He raised his hand and lifted them effortlessly with an unseen force.With a thunderous voice that resonated in their ears, Severin proclaimed
The true immortals, quasi-royal celestials, and even the eminent royal celestials held their breath. Everyone observed in silence as Severin wielded the heavenly heart imprint.With each strand of luck infused into the heavenly heart imprint, Severin sensed his dominion over the Bleu Celestial Realm becoming stronger. He had the feeling that he could reshape the world with only a single thought.Once the destinies of tens of thousands of races were bound with the heavenly heart imprint, the golden tourmaline quivered violently and radiated an aura that could be felt across the Nine Heavens Ten Lands. Acknowledging the momentous occasion, Severin tapped his forehead and directed a fragment of his soul to command the heavenly heart imprint. The 3,000 great paths within him erupted from his being and materialized."Today shall be the day that I, Severin, rebuild the Imperial Court in the Nine Heavens! As wielder of the great path, the world shall be inscribed in me, and I shall embody