Chapter 400: Marriage Alliance

The return of the Divine King caused a tremendous stir, drawing the attention of countless major powers and the gaze of people everywhere. Indeed, the world's eyes were fixed on this event.

People couldn't recall the last time such a grand spectacle had occurred—a single individual's cultivation progress attracting worldwide attention and becoming the focal point for everyone.

The various Holy Sons and Daughters felt an inexplicable unease. They were all favored by heaven, surrounded by admirers wherever they went, yet they could not compare to Ye Fan, who was now stirring up the entire world.

"He's merely attempting to reach the Four-Pole Realm. I succeeded in that five years ago."

"With the protection of a peerless Divine King, the treatment is certainly different; everyone has to pay attention."

"In my opinion, he might not succeed in breaking through. If he fails, it will be a monumental setback, and we'll see how he recovers."

There were all sorts of reactions. While many major powers sought to recruit Ye Fan, a few individuals inevitably spoke ill of him, pointing fingers and making veiled insults behind his back. The ancient Source Technique families were particularly resentful. With the backing of the peerless Divine King, they knew they would never obtain the Heaven Source Scripture in this lifetime, fueling their indignation.

Having come so far, Ye Fan naturally had his share of enemies. Individuals like Li Yishui, Wu Ziming, and Li Chongtian certainly didn't wish for his advancement and mocked him behind his back.

"Even if he succeeds in breaking through, can he defeat the Golden-Winged Little Peng King, who is like a god or demon? Can he contend with Yaoguang Holy Son, a talent of his generation?"

"That's true. He might be beaten to death as soon as he enters the Four-Pole Realm."

"Exactly. The top figures of the younger generation have already been honing their skills in the Four-Pole Realm for several years. How can he possibly compete with them?"

"Perhaps on his very first day in the Four-Pole Realm, he'll be suppressed by Xia Jiuyou and taken away to be refined into medicine. If that happens, even the Divine King would lose face."

The Divine City was abuzz with activity, and all parties observed closely. From the Eastern Wasteland and Central Plains, emissaries from various transcendent great powers arrived in the Divine City, solely to witness the Holy Body's breakthrough. Everyone was quietly awaiting that moment.

However, after the Divine King's return, there was no announcement or message, which left many cultivators puzzled. Time slowly passed. On the fifth day, there was finally a development, but it had nothing to do with Ye Fan's progress toward the Four-Pole Realm. Instead, another matter caused an uproar throughout the city:

A marriage alliance!

The Ancient Desolate Family — the Feng family — was an incredibly ancient lineage on this land, almost certainly the longest-standing surname in the Eastern Wasteland, and immensely prosperous. The news that a prominent daughter of the Feng family was to be engaged to Ye Fan shocked everyone. Many cultivators were dumbfounded, completely bewildered.

It was all too sudden. Such a development occurring just as Ye Fan was about to attempt his breakthrough was beyond everyone's expectations.

"How could this be?" This was the unanimous question, and no one knew why it was happening. It was truly astonishing.

"Heavens, it's one of the Feng clan's most precious princesses! It's too sudden. Why is this happening?"

"She is a direct granddaughter of the Feng Clan Holy Lord, deeply favored and famed for her beauty. Not only disciples from Holy Lands, but even members of the Immortal Dynasties from the Central Plains have sought her hand in marriage."

"It's truly astonishing that a jewel of the Feng clan is to marry the Holy Body. I imagine many young cultivators will be cursing him now."

"Quite a few probably want to kill the Holy Body. A daughter of the Feng clan is no ordinary person; it's simply unfair!"

On that day, news spread rapidly, astonishing the entire world. No one had anticipated such an abrupt turn of events.

As one of the focal points, Ye Fan himself was dumbfounded and then found himself between laughter and tears, as he had received no word from the Feng clan and initially thought it was merely a rumor. However, shortly after, Jiang Shen appeared and informed him that the rumor was not unfounded.

Ye Fan was instantly petrified, finding it somewhat unbelievable. Everything was so sudden that he felt it was too surreal.

"It hasn't been finalized. In the coming days, members of the Feng clan will come to meet you, hoping you'll meet their expectations."

"Divine King, why is this happening?" Ye Fan asked, puzzled.

"Others may not know, but you and I do. You are half my disciple…" The White-Clothed Divine King said little more, but it was enough for Ye Fan to understand the underlying reasons.

In a sense, this was a marriage alliance between the Jiang and Feng families, and also a form of protection from the Divine King for Ye Fan, ensuring his safety in the future.

Ye Fan's heart trembled. Was the Divine King truly not long for this world?

Marriage alliances between Holy Lands were rare because they involved the inheritance of each lineage, and the marriage of core disciples could lead to numerous hidden dangers. Furthermore, if two Holy Lands formed an alliance, how would other Holy Lands react? In the past, major wars had erupted for such reasons, so transcendent lineages had always been extremely cautious.

This time, the Jiang family was in a precarious situation. With the Divine King's revival, many Holy Lord-level figures had arrived to kill him, clearly involving several Holy Lands. They needed to break this stalemate. The subtleties of this situation needed no elaboration. What exactly was involved in Ye Fan's engagement to the Feng clan's daughter was difficult for ordinary people to grasp. Few knew whether it was a compromise or a genuine alliance.

Clearly, the presence of the peerless Divine King played a significant deterrent role and was the direct cause of this arrangement; otherwise, it would have been utterly impossible.

Ye Fan couldn't truly comprehend the complex relationships between the various Holy Lands, but he knew that Divine King Jiang would not harm him. Marriage alliances between transcendent great powers were rare, and this time, it was being done indirectly through him.

"Your body is certainly fine. I have pondered and analyzed this for a long time, and logically, you should be able to break into the Four-Pole Realm. However, this world has changed, filled with uncertainties, and all possibilities must be considered. If you truly fail, even if I am gone, with the Jiang and Feng families supporting you, your life will not be in danger."

"Divine King…" Ye Fan was deeply moved. This solitary and profound peerless Divine King had truly shown him great kindness, and he did not want any harm to befall the Divine King.

"I have a divine medicine seed! You'll be fine!"

"Divine medicines are almost extinct. Each plant is unique, and while the mature parts can be harvested, destroying the roots would be an incalculable loss. A Holy Body appears once every ten thousand years, but there is only one Kirin Divine Medicine in the world. It is more precious than I am," the White-Clothed Divine King said with self-deprecation.

"Immortal divine medicines are meant to save lives. Divine King, you shouldn't think that way."

"I am not an inflexible person. You don't need to say more; I understand my own condition. Besides, I might not die so easily." Although he said this, he coughed up streaks of blood at that moment, a truly shocking sight.

Ye Fan fell silent, knowing he couldn't dissuade him. The Divine King's physical injuries were minor, but his spiritual wounds were severe. His display of the "Sigh of the Deities" made it hard to imagine the price he had paid. Furthermore, the sorrowful passing of Fairy Caiyun was a heavy blow to him. Perhaps this was also a difficult hurdle for him to overcome. Whether he no longer wished to live alone or for some other reason, outsiders could not know.

"So there's no actual marriage alliance yet, just talk of one."

"I knew it! How could the Feng clan's peerless gem possibly marry a Holy Body whose future is so uncertain?"

"The Feng clan's most precious princess possesses extraordinary talent and unparalleled beauty. Given her status, this marriage could never succeed."

"The peerless Divine King will eventually reach the end of his lifespan. His current condition is already dire, so he can't protect the Holy Body indefinitely. The Feng clan would never marry off their brilliant jewel."

Many people offered such evaluations after learning the details.

"Little Ye Zi, can this really happen? If you truly get engaged to the Feng clan princess, even if something happens to the Divine King, you won't have to worry about your future," Tu Fei said.

Li Heishui also nodded, believing it to be a rare opportunity. This world was simply that realistic: one needed to rely on external forces before truly growing strong oneself.

Soon, various rumors emerged. It was said that Jiang Yun had also approached the Ji family, but was politely rejected. The Ji family's Holy Lord immediately took their "Little Moon" daughter and protected her within the clan, fearing that the Divine King might appear in person. There were also rumors that the White-Clothed Divine King had once visited the Zifu Holy Land, expressing his desire to cultivate a Congenital Holy Body Dao Fetus. The Zifu Holy Lord was startled and, despite his fear, still gritted his teeth and refused.

Two days later, members of the Feng clan appeared in the Divine City, and the news leaked, causing a huge sensation.

"So you're the Holy Body? What makes you think you can marry my sister? What part of you is worthy of her?" a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy sneered repeatedly.

Ye Fan hadn't expected the Feng clan members to arrive so quickly, or to be so hostile. At that moment, he was in the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, and the others had come directly to him. The Drunken Immortal Pavilion floated amidst the clouds, forming its own vast, self-contained space with four distinct garden landscapes, evoking the different seasons.

At this moment, Ye Fan, Li Heishui, Tu Fei, and others were in the autumn garden, surrounded by palaces and vast stretches of gardens, where various fruits emitted a fragrant aroma in the late autumn.

"What part of you is worthy of my sister?!" The purple-robed youth looked down on Ye Fan, speaking with extreme disrespect, clearly not taking him seriously.

Ye Fan put down his wine cup, stood up from behind the stone table, glanced at the youth, and said, "You can say those words to your Holy Lord."

"You're quite composed. Let me warn you, surnamed Ye, don't harbor any delusional thoughts. Even if the peerless Divine King intervenes, my sister will not stoop to marry you!" The purple-robed youth spoke aggressively, his eyes filled with disdain.

Tu Fei and Li Heishui both stood up. The Black Sovereign also stealthily shuffled his paws, preparing to strike, as the youth's tone was unbearable.

Ye Fan waved his hand, stopping them. He didn't show anger; instead, he smiled and said, "I have no particular thoughts on the matter. But if the Feng clan's Holy Lord insists on marrying your sister to me, there's nothing I can do. You've come to the wrong person."

The purple-robed youth, named Feng Lie, swept a contemptuous glance at Ye Fan upon hearing this. "You don't need to discuss our clan's Holy Lord. I just want you to publicly declare that you are unworthy of my sister!"

"A perfected Holy Body can contend with a Great Emperor. Your Feng clan is simply too arrogant!" Tu Fei couldn't help but interject.

"A perfected Holy Body? Do you really think he can reach that realm? Don't dream!" Feng Lie sneered repeatedly.

Li Heishui scoffed, "It seems the Feng clan has truly spoiled you. However, every aristocratic family has troublesome youngsters like you. I'll take the liberty of teaching you a lesson on behalf of your elders."

"You, of all people?!" The purple-robed youth Feng Lie sneered.

"How audacious!" Just then, over a dozen more young people emerged from a nearby palace, filing into the garden. Their identities were clearly extraordinary. They stood in front of Feng Lie, coldly scanning Ye Fan and Li Heishui. The commotion naturally alerted the occupants of many other palaces. Numerous people stepped out and looked in their direction.

Upon seeing Ye Fan and recognizing the Feng clan members, everyone showed surprise. Then, they all flocked towards the scene, quickly surrounding the garden.

Feng Lie declared haughtily, "My sister is a talent of her generation. Even the Golden-Winged Little Peng King could only fight her to a draw. You are utterly unworthy of her!"

"My cousin is astonishingly brilliant. At thirteen, she created a divine art. Never mind that you can't enter the Four-Pole Realm; even if you did, what good would it do?" another person spoke up.

"Do you really think you're Yaoguang Holy Son? Stop deluding yourself!" a young girl scoffed.

Tu Fei clicked his tongue and muttered, "None of these prospective in-laws of yours are easy to deal with. Are they testing you, or genuinely humiliating you? This situation looks grim."

"What should we do, Little Ye Zi?" Li Heishui also asked in a low voice.

Ye Fan sneered and said, "What can we do? Suppress those who need suppressing, and fight those who need fighting!"