Chapter 1558: The Grand Wedding

The Imperial Pagoda flew away with immense and boundless power, its majestic aura resonating with the Great Dao. Ye Fan and his companions did not stop it, nor did the Ji family use the Great Emperor's array patterns to block its departure.

It was not yet time to completely break with the Imperial Lord. Leaving a pagoda behind would be useless; it couldn't prevent him from achieving enlightenment, and what was destined to happen would eventually come.

What was most lacking now was time. Whether it was Ye Fan, the Holy Prince, or Ji Zi, all had the potential to become future supremes. As long as they matured, they might possess the strength to contend.

This period of time might not need to be excessively long. For those truly intent on embarking on that path, time was never an obstacle to their progress, nor a stumbling block.

Above Ye Fan's head, the bronze cauldron floated, its primordial energy of all things cascading down, fully displaying its vast and boundless imperial might. Now that he had become a Great Saint, just like the old Human Demon Patriarch back then, he could activate this incomplete immortal artifact, allowing it to unleash peerless pressure.

As for the brown-haired Great Saint, his knees had already cracked under the pressure, unable to bear such power. He knelt down, utterly incapable of resisting the imperial might. If he dared to endure any longer, he would undoubtedly turn to dust.

"Read the letter!" Ye Fan said indifferently and mercilessly.

This person had attempted to use his influence to oppress Ye Fan, seeking to humiliate him and force him into a desperate situation. Naturally, Ye Fan had no intention of being lenient; he would confront him directly.

The letter still glowed with precious radiance, emanating wisps of auspicious light. It bore the imprinted Dao principles of someone on the verge of achieving enlightenment, making it formidable even without murderous intent.

Without the protection of the Imperial Pagoda and with the imperial artifact no longer aiding him, the brown-haired Great Saint, despite being a mere messenger, trembled as he held the letter, feeling as if his body would tear apart.

"Don't... don't be so overbearing!" he stammered, laboriously lifting his head to meet Ye Fan's gaze.

However, the bronze cauldron floating before him swept out a wisp of oppressive power, instantly making him tremble. His face turned pale, and he was unable to utter another word.

"Who is being overbearing? You brazenly tried to humiliate me and leverage your influence at my engagement ceremony. You are not worthy!" Ye Fan said coldly.

With a rumble, imperial might permeated the air. Ye Fan's voice, accompanied by the resonating hum of the bronze cauldron, became vast and boundless, as if a Great Emperor was scolding, looking down upon a kneeling prisoner.

Only two paths lay before the brown-haired Great Saint: submission or utter destruction. He was trembling involuntarily, his body losing control due to the Great Emperor's oppressive power. Even his primordial spirit could not withstand it, feeling as though it faced a primordial beast poised to devour him.

At this point, his instincts betrayed his consciousness. The deepest parts of his soul trembled, utterly terrified by the fluctuations emanating from an artifact left behind by an ancient Great Emperor.

The brown-haired Great Saint knelt there, trembling as he extended his hands to open the letter. At that moment, an even more intense light flowed out, pushing him to the verge of collapse.

The overwhelming aura of someone about to achieve enlightenment exacerbated his plight. His body shook like chaff, and he slumped, trembling uncontrollably, looking utterly pathetic.

The place was silent. This was a Great Saint, yet beneath the imperial artifact and before the imprint of an enlightened being, he was nothing. There was not even a sliver of possibility for resistance.

Driven by instinct, the brown-haired Great Saint unfolded the letter. With a trembling, intermittent voice, he began to read its contents. As he had mentioned earlier, the letter was an invitation to recruit Ye Fan, albeit a relatively respectful one.

Everyone held their breath; the place was utterly silent at this outcome. Earlier, the brown-haired Great Saint had sought to leverage his power, standing proudly and imperiously, ordering Ye Fan to accept the decree. Yet, in the end, he was kneeling here, reading the letter to the Human Sacred Body himself. It was truly lamentable and pathetic.

Such an event had actually unfolded: a Great Saint kneeling on the ground, submissive at the feet of the Human Sacred Body, holding the letter with both hands and reading it word by word.

This sight was shocking and left everyone speechless. This person deserved no sympathy; his initial arrogance and condescending demeanor had led directly to his current subjugated state. It was entirely his own doing!

However, the stark contrast between his previous and current state was so immense that it created a sense of time displacement and spatial distortion.

For a patriarch of a major sect to be in such a state was truly pitiable!

"Who told you to be so arrogant? Now you're going to get a spanking, aren't you?" the Divine Child mumbled nearby, his chubby face betraying a 'I-told-you-so' expression. He added, "Don't you know that Great Villain Ye is really nasty? Even I, the Heavenly Emperor, usually don't dare to provoke him. You're far from being able to."

Everyone was speechless, almost bursting into laughter. The chubby little boy, barely knee-high, was trying so hard to act like a wise old man, which was simply hilarious.

Ye Fan put away the damaged Myriad Things Origin Cauldron, not even sparing a glance for the brown-haired Great Saint prostrating on the ground. He utterly ignored him, treating him as if he didn't exist.

This was undisguised contempt, treating him as nothing, truly viewing him as a mere messenger-servant, rather than a powerful patriarch capable of dominating a region.

The Holy Prince also put away his black immortal iron staff, all its auspicious glow and immortal light receding back into his body. Ji Zi had also long since put away the Void Mirror, allowing the area to return to tranquility.

Dongfang Ye, Li Heishui, and others all burst into laughter. Why go through all that? If the brown-haired Great Saint hadn't harbored ill intentions and acted aggressively earlier, this outcome would never have occurred.

All the guests attending the engagement ceremony had witnessed Ye Fan's dominance firsthand. Those with malicious intentions were utterly intimidated, forcing a Great Saint to kneel and read a letter—this was truly astonishing.

The heroes of the ancient races were all awestruck. They had already experienced Ye Fan's methods a century or two ago; even before he became a Saint, he had stirred up the world. Not to mention now, as a Great Saint, he could roam freely, looking down on all races! The more they understood his past, the more their hearts trembled, deepening their fear.

As for the foreign Saints, they were all self-aware. In such a setting, none of them would dare to speak rashly, let alone attempt any illicit actions.

The brown-haired Great Saint shakily rose from the ground and placed the letter on the table. His face was exceptionally pale. The humiliation he suffered today left him seething with extreme indignation, and a deeply venomous glint flickered in his eyes.

He trembled, only straightening his back after moving away from the letter. His face alternated between blue and white; he wished he could smash his head on the ground and end his life then and there. However, even an ant clings to life, let alone a patriarch of a major region. Naturally, he was unwilling to give up.

Slowly, he calmed down and spoke expressionlessly, "May I leave now?"

"You may." Ye Fan waved his hand, dismissing him.

The brown-haired Great Saint cast a deep gaze, his heart filled with rage, yet he knew he was no match. With the green bronze cauldron in Ye Fan's hand, he would never have even the slightest chance of revenge.

Finally, he swept his gaze across the Divine Child, Little Nannan, Li Heishui, Little Sparrow, Huahua, and the others, the deepest depths of his eyes containing cruel and chilling killing intent.

No matter how well he concealed it, how could he escape the Holy Prince's Fiery Golden Eyes? And it was even less possible to hide it from Ye Fan's Origin Heavenly Eye. Immediately, both men's faces darkened.

"How dare you, rogue! You still haven't given up. We spared your life, yet you show no remorse and still harbor malicious intentions," the Holy Prince reprimanded.

Ye Fan acted a step ahead, unwilling for the Holy Prince to incur any karma with the Imperial Lord of the Divine Court. The green bronze cauldron within him glowed, causing his palm to unleash imperial might. With a flick of his finger, a thin ray of light shot out, directly striking the brown-haired Great Saint.

"Ah..." he shrieked, his body convulsing, his face drenched in cold sweat. He appeared to be in extreme agony.

"You severed my Dao foundation?" the brown-haired Great Saint cried out in agony, his expression ashen and horribly disfigured.

"You can harbor resentment, but you must conceal it well. If I discover you intend harm to my disciples, friends, or anyone else, and I were to let you continue to wreak havoc, that would truly be an affront to heavenly principles."

"How cruel you are!" the brown-haired Great Saint exclaimed, almost in despair.

"I didn't completely sever your foundation, but you won't be a Great Saint in this lifetime." Ye Fan spoke lightly, but to the brown-haired Great Saint, his words struck like a thunderclap. His face deathly pale, he stumbled away.

The unexpected incident concluded, but the hearts of the onlookers remained unsettled. The Imperial Lord of the Divine Court was on the verge of achieving enlightenment, set to become another supreme Great Emperor through the ages!

The letter lay on the table. It continued to glow, dazzling and brilliant, with wisps of imperial aura, making it almost impossible for anyone to approach.

At this moment, the Divine King in white stepped forward. He delicately picked up the letter with his slender fingers, holding it in his hand, and carefully read each word. Then he asked Ye Fan if he wished to reply, and Ye Fan nodded.

A clanging sound rang out, and brilliant light erupted. Word after word appeared at the Divine King's fingertips, imprinted onto the letter, which he then handed to Ye Fan for review.

"Thank you, Senior," Ye Fan expressed his gratitude. Only the Divine King possessed such profound skill, capable of inscribing an imprint next to an imperial pattern, demonstrating a power that defied the heavens. Anyone else would surely need to rely on an imperial artifact.

With a soft whoosh, the letter flew up and merged into the retreating brown-haired Great Saint's body, causing him to tremble momentarily. He then fled towards the horizon without looking back.

The engagement ceremony resumed, now in perfect harmony. No one dared to cause trouble anymore. Two successive incidents, one involving someone from a forbidden life zone and another from a future Great Emperor's lineage, had both ended in disgrace, naturally deterring any further provocations.

"The heavens and earth are on the verge of collapse, and the immortal gate is about to appear. This world is destined for great changes. In this chaotic era, before the greatest upheaval in ages begins, I propose we simply convert this engagement ceremony into a wedding ceremony," suggested Divine King Jiang Taixu.

His brilliance was renowned, and he could fully act as Ye Fan's elder. After he proposed this, the Ji family agreed after a brief consideration.

The world was about to undergo a complete transformation. In this terrifying era, many unforeseen changes could occur, and anything was possible. It was better to complete the marriage sooner rather than later.

Although the decision was made rather quickly, with the Divine King in white and the Ji family elders making the arrangements, everyone was delighted and expressed their agreement.

The Ji family residence immediately became lively. Various exquisite delicacies were laid out, and jars of divine wine, emitting a fragrance that wafted for miles, made mouths water with just a sniff.

The atmosphere instantly grew vibrant. People exchanged toasts and conversed cheerfully. All the foreign Saints and the powerful figures from the Big Dipper Starfield were gathered together.

Nearly all Holy Lands were present, and important figures from many immortal inheritances arrived to offer their congratulations.

"Brother Ye, congratulations to you both!" A beautiful maiden stepped forward, ethereal and refined, with natural charm and a captivating glow. It was Weiwei, the new Holy Lord of Yaoguang.

Ye Fan expressed his thanks, filled with endless emotion. When they first arrived in the Big Dipper Starfield, Weiwei was the first person they met. She led them from the forest outside the Primeval Forbidden Zone to inhabited areas, and later they joined the Spiritual Void Cavern Heaven. Weiwei, however, was chosen and sent to Yaoguang at that time, and now she had become its master!

Rumor had it that she had almost completely reshaped Yaoguang, rewriting everything and eradicating all "old orders." She had become a formidable female sovereign, full of spirit and determination!

A mysterious aura surrounded her.

"Haha... Brother Ye, this is truly a joyous occasion, congratulations!" Emperor Xia Yiming of Great Xia stepped forward, followed by his sister Xia Yilin.

"Congratulations to you too. I heard you had a son and was just about to send my well wishes," Ye Fan said with a smile. Then he playfully teased the former little nun in white, asking her when she would marry. The still pure Xia Yilin glared at him with wide eyes and waved her small fist at him.

Next, Holy Lord Feng Huang of the Wind Clan approached and said, "Congratulations!"