Chapter 960: Proposing Marriage

Chapter 960: Proposing Marriage

The next day, before dawn, two figures had already departed from Hengyue Zong.

In the void above, Xingchen Daoshen remained silent, occasionally glancing at Ye Chen but always hesitating to speak. For some reason, although his true self had granted him freedom, he felt an unprecedented sense of unease, like a rootless leaf drifting in the wind or a lost child unable to find the way home.

"What is your greatest wish?" Ye Chen turned his head slightly, breaking the silence between them.

"Peace throughout the world."

"And then?" Ye Chen smiled at Xingchen Daoshen.

"Take her and wander the mortal world." Even the usually cheeky Xingchen Daoshen felt a bit embarrassed, scratching his head as he continued, "Once we've roamed the red dust, I'll find a secluded paradise and spend my days with her, hand in hand."

"How romantic!" Ye Chen chuckled and quickened his pace.

"It's all because of your influence." Xingchen Daoshen also smiled and caught up with a few strides.

By the time daylight broke and the morning light bathed all of South Chu, the two finally stopped at a spirit mountain shrouded in clouds and mist. This was Xingyue Gong. The entire spirit mountain was suspended with a expanse of stars, a kind of phenomenon and a powerful array. Each star seemed dreamlike and distant.

"The Holy Lord has arrived; we failed to welcome you properly—please forgive us." Though they hadn't appeared yet, their voices came first, as dozens of figures flew out from the spirit mountain. They were all female cultivators, and the one in the lead, dressed in green robes, was the Xingyue Gong master.

"Xingyue Qianbei, you're too kind. It's I who came uninvited."

"Please, Holy Lord, come in." The elders of Xingyue Gong stepped aside in unison, clearing a path.

"I appreciate the hospitality." Ye Chen smiled slightly and entered the spirit mountain.

The Holy Lord of Heaven Court has arrived!

This news spread throughout Xingyue Gong in an instant. Disciples who were diligently cultivating stopped their practice, and elders in seclusion hurried out. The entire Xingyue Gong was bustling with people. The identity of the Heaven Court Holy Lord was too noble, his reputation too grand. Every legend about him was like a myth in their eyes.

Ye Chen was the center of attention. Though he was the Holy Lord, he was humble and courteous, without any trace of authority. The female disciples of Xingyue Gong couldn't help but clasp their hands in admiration, gazing at him dreamily. He was a peerless hero—who wouldn't be moved?

But while they were moved, it remained just a beautiful dream.

Naturally, not everyone was focused on Ye Chen; some female disciples and elders looked at Xingchen Daoshen following behind him with strange expressions. Compared to Ye Chen, that guy seemed unrestrained and roguish, like a mischievous scoundrel.

When it came to Xingchen Daoshen, sometimes they were so annoyed they gritted their teeth. Back in North Chu, this shameless fellow had sneaked into Xingyue Gong multiple times and even kidnapped their holy maiden on more than one occasion.

But at other times, they were deeply grateful to him. When Xingyue Gong was besieged by Shixue Dian, he had stepped forward to hold off Huo Zun and escorted them all the way to South Chu's Heaven Court.

"He's unreliable, but he's still a peerless hero." One female disciple eventually smiled lightly.

"Too bad he's just the Holy Lord's Dao body." Another female disciple sighed softly.

"A Dao body?" A female disciple exclaimed in surprise. "Isn't he the Holy Lord's twin brother?"

"In the past, that was just to confuse people. The truth is, Ye Xingchen is Ye Chen's Dao body." An elder took a deep breath. "The Holy Lord is truly a figure of heaven and earth; even his Dao body is so powerful. Our era has long passed."

As they spoke, Ye Chen and Xingchen Daoshen had already been ushered into the grand hall of Xingyue Gong. As for that Xingchen Daoshen, he had slipped away to who knows where.

Xingyue Gong received Ye Chen with the most solemn ceremony, a supreme honor reserved for the Heaven Court Holy Lord.

"Qianbei, I'll get straight to the point." After a cup of tea, Ye Chen smiled at the Xingyue Gong master. "Ye Chen is here on behalf of Ye Xingchen to propose marriage. I hope Xingyue Gong will grant your blessing."

"Propose marriage?" Not only the elders in the hall but even the Xingyue Gong master furrowed her brows slightly. Ye Xingchen was Ye Chen's Dao body, something she already knew. As a Dao body, he wasn't truly free and would always be tied to and suppressed by his true self, with the constant risk of dissipation.

That was one issue; the second was the identity of the Xingyue holy maiden. She was the holy maiden of Xingyue Gong and, per their sect rules, forbidden from marrying for life.

Everyone frowned, everyone hesitated.

Xingyue Gong was not what it used to be in North Chu. After the siege by Shixue Dian, their forces had been greatly weakened. Moreover, they were now in South Chu, and Ye Chen was the ruler here—a factor that couldn't be ignored. If they offended the Heaven Court Holy Lord, he only needed a word, and Xingyue Gong could be wiped from Grand Chu.

"Holy Lord, this... this..." The Xingyue Gong master parted her lips but didn't dare utter a refusal.

"Ye Chen isn't one to use power to pressure others. Qianbei, feel free to speak your mind." Ye Chen smiled.

"Xingxing'er is our Xingyue Gong's holy maiden." The Xingyue Gong master finally mustered the courage to say it. "I'm sure the Holy Lord knows our sect rules: once chosen as holy maiden, she cannot marry."

"And then?" Ye Chen smiled.

"He's a Dao body." The Xingyue Gong master glanced at Xingchen Daoshen. "He could dissipate at any moment."

"What if he weren't a Dao body?"

"If he weren't a Dao body..."

"I've granted him his freedom." Ye Chen spoke slowly. "Now, he is a free person."

"This..." The Xingyue Gong master and the elders exchanged glances, seeing shock in each other's eyes. In that moment, everyone's gaze toward Ye Chen changed. Granting a Dao body freedom meant Ye Chen had essentially cut off a part of himself—just for a Dao body?

Little did they know, this self-inflicted wound could become the greatest obstacle on Ye Chen's cultivation path, an irreparable flaw. Was this the resolve of the Heaven Court Holy Lord?

"Qianbei, they are deeply in love, and Ye Chen comes with sincerity. I hope Xingyue Gong will allow this union." While they were still in shock, Ye Chen spoke, his gaze as the Holy Lord never more earnest.

"Holy Lord, may we discuss this among ourselves?"

"Of course." Ye Chen smiled, rising slightly and stepping out of the hall. "I'll take a walk around. Take your time, esteemed predecessors—there's no rush."

As soon as he left the hall, the Xingyue Gong master and the others felt their tense bodies relax, beads of cold sweat forming on their backs. Especially the Xingyue Gong master, who still felt dizzy. She couldn't fathom what had given her the courage to say those rejecting words—any one of them could have brought disaster upon Xingyue Gong.

Ye Chen wandered outside the hall, strolling through Xingyue Gong. Everywhere he went, he saw female disciples, and because of that, even the air carried a faint feminine fragrance.

"Greetings, Holy Lord!"

As he walked, a timid female voice rang out, making Ye Chen pause. Turning his head, he saw an ordinary-looking female disciple bowing to him from the side.

"Go on with your cultivation."

Ye Chen's words were as gentle as a spring breeze, deliberately restraining his aura. The female disciple smiled awkwardly, her cheeks flushing slightly. Once she realized, she quickly turned to leave.

Wait!

She had only taken two steps when Ye Chen's voice came from behind. Puzzled, the female disciple turned back in a hurry, but she didn't dare meet his eyes.

By now, Ye Chen's eyes had narrowed slightly as he looked at the female disciple—more precisely, at the jade pendant hanging from her waist. The pendant was irregularly shaped, like a fragment of jade, but its color was vibrant and flawless, crystal clear without any flaws.

"Holy... Holy Lord?"

The female disciple grew nervous under his gaze and called out subconsciously.

Ye Chen didn't reply. Instead, he reached into his robe and pulled out a crescent-shaped pendant. This pendant was something he had obtained after defeating Qi Yang years ago. At the time, he hadn't seen anything special about it, but he knew it was no ordinary item.

The reason he was staring at the female disciple's jade pendant was that it shared the same mysterious aura as the crescent pendant in his hand—or perhaps, they were two parts of the same whole.

Buzz!

The crescent pendant trembled, and so did the jade pendant on the female disciple, both emitting a divine glow.

"Hmm?" The female disciple exclaimed softly, surprised as she looked at the jade on her waist. "I've never seen you glow before."

"Where did you get this jade pendant?" Ye Chen put away the crescent pendant and smiled at the female disciple.

"I picked it up." The female disciple answered quickly. "It's quite strange—wearing it helps stabilize my mind."

"It does have that effect." Ye Chen murmured to himself. Over the years, he'd felt the same while carrying his, but he knew the true origin of the jade and the crescent pendant went beyond that.

"If the Holy Lord likes it, I can give it to you." The female disciple removed the jade pendant and offered it with both hands, her cheeks tinged with red.

"I won't take it for nothing." Ye Chen smiled, waving his hand to produce a spirit bead surrounded by purple divine light. "This is the Ding Shen Zhu, from the Xue Ling Laozu. It has the power to refine the soul."

"Ding Shen Zhu..." The female disciple's breathing quickened instantly. Though she was just an ordinary disciple of Xingyue Gong, she had heard of it. There were no more than nine such beads in all of Grand Chu, and its effects went far beyond mere soul refining—it was a priceless treasure.

"I'll trade with you." Ye Chen took the jade pendant and placed the Ding Shen Zhu in her hand.

"Holy Lord, you can't—this... this is too valuable."

"Take it." Ye Chen said with a light smile and turned to disappear.

After he left, the female disciple stood there, holding the Ding Shen Zhu shimmering with purple light, her heart pounding. It took her a long time to snap out of it—this was the highest-grade item she had ever seen since starting her cultivation path.

"Nian Wei, what are you staring at?" A female elder passed by and looked at her in astonishment.

"I..."

"Heavens, is that the Ding Shen Zhu?" The elder stared in shock at the spirit bead in the female disciple's hand.