Chapter 3160: Chapter 3160: A Gracious Reward

It wasn't long before five hundred words were already put on the paper.

Zen gently placed the brush down and stored it in his space ring. He turned to Eastern Emperor Taiyi. “I have written down all that I have deciphered, Your Majesty.”

Eastern Emperor Taiyi beamed happily as he gazed at the output.

He still hadn't figured out how Zen could decipher Sanskrit words. He thought it was blind guessing, at first. However, Eastern Emperor Taiyi himself was proficient in deciphering Sanskrit words, and he knew one couldn't get this far just by guessing.

He had no doubt that with Zen's help, they would soon decipher the full text of the Truth Enlightenment. Eastern Emperor Taiyi was thrilled at the thought.

“If we can decipher the Truth Enlightenment completely, it will be a great boon to the Oneness Sky Palace,” Eastern Emperor Taiyi said, a bright smile on his face.

The Oneness Governors and other high-ranking officials nodded their heads in agreement, proud and excited of this development. None more so than Athemar.

He thought of how fortunate they were that Zen had joined the Sword Light Palace. Athemar had never imagined he would make such great contributions to the Oneness Sky Palace.

Given Zen's talent, he would probably prove even more valuable in the future. Athemar looked forward to seeing him accomplish more as time went by.

“It is my honor, Your Majesty,” Zen responded, modestly.

Eastern Emperor Taiyi turned his smile on Zen. “But there is another reason why I called you here today.”

At these words, Elvinia, who had been standing beside Zen, stared at the ground and began to blush shyly, a rare sight to see.

“How else may I help you, Your Majesty?” Zen asked, confused.

He had noticed that this occasion seemed unusually grand, but the thought had left his mind as he concentrated on his earlier task.

At this moment, a pleasant voice rang out, “Do you remember that I promised I would reward you graciously?”

Flamine walked out from the back of the palace.

She was dressed in fiery red silk, with fire phoenixes hanging at her cuffs and waist. She looked utterly regal and glamorous.

“Reward me graciously?”

Zen had to rack his brains before realizing what Flamine was talking about. He had forgotten all about it until she mentioned it again just now.

Back then, Zen and Elvinia were trapped in the Dark Region, facing mortal danger. Only after they were stuck in the light column were they able to leave the Other Shore and come back to the Source World. Even so, they were still in danger then.

Flamine had asked Zen then to protect her daughter, promising to reward him for her safe return.

In fact, Zen hadn't paid much attention to those words. By the time they left the Dark Region, Elvinia had already become a purified being, while Zen had obtained the Civilization Artifact, which was all the reward he wanted.

There was also the matter of Elvinia coming back with her Memory Flame in disarray, her intelligence temporarily degenerating to that of a child's. Flamine had been very upset about that and forgot the reward thing.

That she would now bring up it, however, came as a surprise.

“I do remember you saying something of the sort, Lady Flamine, but what reward will you give me?” Zen asked, carefully.

Flamine chuckled and looked at Elvinia. “The gracious reward is right by your side,” she pronounced.

Zen turned his startled eyes on Elvinia. Seeing her blush and fidget made him realize what was happening. “Lady Flamine, do you mean...?”

“I want Elvinia to marry you,” Flamine declared flatly.

Hearing this, Zen's heart dropped.

This was starting to look like a complicated mess.

“Would you take my daughter's hand in marriage?” Eastern Emperor Taiyi asked seriously.

The high-ranking officials flanking both sides of the hall turned to look at Zen expectantly.

They thought it would be a perfect match.

Although Zen was cultivating in the Oneness Sky Palace, he still joined them as an outsider, since he had the bloodline of the Nine Li race If he married Elvinia, he would truly be part of the Oneness Sky Palace. 𝘳Â₦𝐨BЁ𝙎

Zen straightened up, cupping one hand over the other in front of him respectfully. “Your Majesty, Lady Flamine, I already have a principal wife.”

Elvinia was the daughter of Eastern Emperor Taiyi. She couldn't compromise her status by being a concubine of Zen, could she?

But Zen had been together with Letitia for so long. Surely, he would never forgive himself if he suddenly gave her up for another.

“Of course I know that,” Flamine responded gracefully. “But once Elvinia marries you, she will have that status. She is, after all, my beloved daughter with Eastern Emperor Taiyi, and can settle for nothing less. Even your principal wife understands this, and has given her consent.”

Zen's eyebrows shot up at these words. “Tia has agreed to this, Lady Flamine? She said this personally?”

Zen had been so busy on the Other Shore of late that he had had no time to visit Letitia and the others at the Flow Sword Sect. He remembered, however, Elvinia telling him that Letitia would be taken to the Phoenix Palace.

Zen thought it was unusual, at the time, but he didn't worry too much about it. He knew Letitia would be safe in the Phoenix Palace, at least.

It dawned on Zen now why Letitia and Margaret had been brought here.

“Of course. It came directly from her,” Flamine said, nodding emphatically.

Zen glanced at Elvinia before speaking again. “May I see Tia, then?”

Zen indeed had plans to visit Letitia and the others now that he had also been summoned here to the Phoenix Palace. But the developments of this visit so far had been completely unexpected.

Flamine blinked slightly before regaining her composure. “They are cultivating in seclusion in the Heavenly Cultivation Palace. They have activated the Soul Fire Swirl. I'm afraid it's not appropriate to interrupt them at this moment.”

The Soul Fire Swirl was a kind of cultivation method in the Heavenly Cultivation Palace. Flamine wouldn't lie to Zen, would she?

On the other hand, Zen thought, she could very easily manipulate others into thinking what she wanted.

Elvinia almost looked pitiful by Zen's side, her wide eyes gazing at him hopefully.

She desperately wished he wouldn't let her down now. Today, her father had summoned all the high-ranking officials to the palace, supposedly for the deciphering of the Truth Enlightenment. However, his real purpose was to seal the marriage, in front of witnesses.

“You are overthinking this, Zen. This is a wonderful thing,” Athemar told him, gently.

“That's right! You seem to love each other. What else is there to consider?” another high-ranking official chimed in.

Zen barely glanced at them before responding to Flamine, “My apologies. I just cannot decide without consulting Letitia myself. Please excuse my leave.”

He turned around and walked out.

The high-ranking officials in the Phoenix Palace grew abuzz, turning to each other in astonishment and confusion.

The old man beside Eastern Emperor Taiyi, in particular, was seething. He had gone to countless life-and-death battles with Eastern Emperor Taiyi. The two of them were like brothers.

It angered him to see Zen daring to humiliate Eastern Emperor Taiyi like this.

“Stop, you brat!” the old man roared furiously.

A terrifying aura rushed from inside the hall, seemingly chasing after Zen. The guards in golden armor posted outside the hall trembled.

Zen continued to stride out purposefully even as this threat hounded him.