Chapter 419: Unchaining the Shackles

Ye Fan bore the scars of the Grand Dao, with at most half a year of life remaining. Even though he had broken the curse and stood preeminent among the younger generation, he was naturally no longer considered a desirable person to win over.

"Regarding the marriage alliance..." the Peerless Divine King began. He sat enthroned above, his hair as white as snow and his eyes dim, yet his heroic bearing remained undiminished, making it impossible to discern the true condition of his body.

The Holy Lord of the Feng Clan sat below him, remaining imperturbable. His black hair cascaded down, his eyes were deep, and he exuded an invisible majesty, not appearing overly reserved even in the Divine King's presence.

"That girl, Feng Huang, is too willful," he said. "She vehemently refuses, and we are helpless. We have spoiled this child."

"I understand," the White-Clad Divine King nodded, then coughed lightly. Faint traces of blood, vivid and startling, appeared on a white silk handkerchief.

"Alas, no one expected such a thing to happen," said Feng Jingyun, the Holy Lord of the Feng Clan.

"This is not your fault," said the White-Clad Divine King, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, his expression tinged with despondency. "Like me, Ye Fan is in a precarious state, living from day to day, with no future to speak of. It would indeed be inappropriate for him to become engaged to the Feng Clan's brightest pearl."

The White-Clad Divine King had existed for five millennia, and when his Battle Saint Method emerged, all heroes under heaven were awed into submission. He had personally stepped forward to facilitate the marriage alliance between the two clans, but in the end, it came to nothing.

Although it was a loss of face, the Divine King did not dwell on it. Given the reality, saying more would only bring further humiliation; it was better to simply let it go as if nothing had happened.

Having politely rejected the Peerless Divine King, Feng Jingyun, the Holy Lord of the Feng Clan, naturally felt a degree of nervousness. Although he had attributed it to Feng Huang's willfulness, who could not see through such an excuse?

"Greetings, Divine King!" Ye Fan, who had observed all this, entered and bowed deeply in salutation, then paid his respects to the Holy Lord of the Feng Clan.

Feng Jingyun, the Holy Lord of the Feng Clan, felt a slight easing of tension. Changing the subject, he looked at Ye Fan and said, "There is always a way out. There will certainly be a solution; you need not despair."

Ye Fan smiled, radiating sunshine and brilliance. His inner turmoil had resolved, and he was no longer melancholic. Revealing a set of sparkling teeth, he declared, "Heaven may want to take me, but I truly do not wish to go. I will not let it have its way."

"Good!" the Peerless Divine King nodded.

The Holy Lord of the Feng Clan smiled faintly and said, "Young people should be like this, full of vigor and vitality. I believe your future is not limited to this. You even broke a curse of over a hundred thousand years; is there anything more difficult than that?"

This was, of course, mere polite talk. At this point, he could only offer words of encouragement, as an engagement was out of the question. Fortunately, nothing had been formally decided before, so there was no broken promise to contend with.

Ye Fan smiled, expressing his gratitude, then bade farewell to the Divine King, stating his intention to travel far away.

"Depart in two days," the Divine King said. "The child with the Grand Yin constitution has been clamoring to see you and will arrive tomorrow."

Since Tingting was coming, Ye Fan nodded in agreement.

"Immortal Medicines are sacred healing artifacts; every Grand Emperor cultivates one, and they are truly rare treasures of the world," the Peerless Divine King stated. "If one could be found, it would certainly be of great use for your injuries. What is lacking is simply the Primordial World." This was the result of his thoughts over many days: for Ye Fan's Grand Dao scars to heal, he would need to nourish them with an Immortal Medicine in the Primordial World.

"The Primordial World..." the Holy Lord of the Feng Clan exclaimed in surprise.

"In the vast Eastern Desolation, only seven places still retain the power of the Primordial World's laws, capable of nourishing a Saint Body," said the White-Clad Divine King.

"Could it be the Seven Great Forbidden Zones of Life?!" The Holy Lord of the Feng Clan was visibly shaken, his face filled with astonishment.

"Alas, apart from Grand Emperors, no one can survive in a forbidden zone for more than a few months," the Peerless Divine King sighed. Saint Bodies were darlings of heaven and earth before the Desolate Ancient era. In those times, the laws of the Grand Dao remained unchanged, making them highly suitable for their growth. According to the Divine King's speculation, only by healing with an Immortal Medicine in such a region could Ye Fan fully recover.

Ye Fan's mind suddenly brightened. He clenched his fists, realizing his fate was finally in his own hands, and he could fight for it instead of submitting to destiny.

As he walked out of the grand hall, he saw Feng Lie and his companions. Their gazes were now strange. One of the rather attractive women chuckled softly, "I'll go tell Young Miss that he's finally been sent away."

Hearing these words, Ye Fan turned and glanced at her, saying, "There was never any relationship to begin with, so why the pretense?"

"Naturally, there could be no relationship! Hmph!" This girl was Feng Huang's maid; on a previous occasion, she and over a dozen others, including Feng Lie, had all been chastised by Ye Fan.

Nearby, someone else snorted coldly, saying, "A full three million catties of source stones! Even if you threw them into water, you'd hear a splash. But they were simply wasted."

"Indeed, what a waste! Such an astronomical sum, only to produce a porcelain figure with merely half a year of life remaining. What an extravagant squandering!"

"This constitution is simply no good. In the end, everything comes to nothing, causing our clan to lose so much source stone."

More than a dozen young men and women, all cousins of Feng Huang, some of whom had previously been chastised by Ye Fan, now spoke coldly upon seeing his predicament.

Ye Fan swept his gaze over them and said, "You remind me; I had almost forgotten. Three million catties of source stones are indeed not a small sum. If I don't die, I will personally go to the Feng Clan and repay it."

"Young man, what you're saying makes me lose face! Don't mention it again!" The Holy Lord of the Feng Clan walked out, his face stern, and reprimanded the young people, saying, "You have no manners! Return to the clan immediately and enter secluded cultivation."

These individuals greatly feared the Holy Lord of the Feng Clan. They all lowered their heads, daring not to say more, and only looked up once Feng Jingyun had departed.

Someone mumbled, "Easy to say, but he's almost dead. How will he repay it then?"

"Exactly. In less than half a year, he'll be a rotting corpse. What's there to repay?"

Ye Fan bothered not to argue with them. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips as he said, "I will live for ten thousand years. By then, all the Holy Lands will probably have a headache from my exceedingly long life."

Not far away, a graceful figure glided over. Feng Huang, adorned in a multicolored ethereal robe, was indeed the Feng Clan's brightest pearl. Her slender, jade-like body was encircled by shimmering iridescent light, dazzling and captivating. Her legendary peerless immortal face was concealed by a multicolored phoenix mask. It was clearly a secret treasure, impossible to see through, and shimmered with radiant colors.

"Young Miss, I was just about to tell you the good news," the maid who had spoken earlier chuckled softly.

Feng Huang, as haughty as ever, as if standing among the clouds, lifted her pristine, snow-white chin and cast a faint glance at Ye Fan, saying, "Take good care of your injuries."

Ye Fan smiled, said nothing, and turned to leave. If he did not die, he might indeed meet these people again soon. The Feng Clan was located in the central region of the Eastern Desolation, and the Undying Mountain, one of the Seven Great Forbidden Zones of Life, was in that very area. If he resolved his own problems, he would certainly have to visit that place.

That evening, Ye Fan explicitly stated his intention to seek an Immortal Medicine and fight against fate.

Pang Bo vehemently opposed this, believing it too dangerous—a gamble with nine deaths for one life. He wanted to seize the Azure Emperor's Heart to extend Ye Fan's life. However, Ye Fan's resolve was firm and could no longer be swayed. With things having reached this point, further dissuasion was useless. The few of them began to discuss the most suitable location.

"Actually, there's an Immortal Medicine in the Purple Mountain, planted personally by Grand Emperor Wu Shi," Black Emperor lamented. "Unfortunately, we can't get in now. I've been cursing all day, unable to understand why such a thing happened."

"How does this wretched dog know so much?" Li Heishui wondered. "Did it escape from inside?"

"Could it be... that heaven and earth are changing again?" The big black dog's eyes burned with fervor. It gazed at the sky and began to chuckle foolishly, ignoring their suspicious glances.

At the moment, no one paid attention to these remarks; they were all discussing where to go.

Li Heishui believed they absolutely could not go to the Seven Great Forbidden Zones of Life. Ancient sages had entered them and never returned; it was impossible to stay there for months to heal.

Tu Fei thought the Myriad Dragon Nest was worth considering, as he had personally witnessed a True Dragon Immortal Medicine there. Aside from that, it would be almost impossible to find another in the world.

"Actually, I've had a decision for a long time," Ye Fan revealed. "I've been collecting Divine Source Stone Skins, but you've always thought I intended to enter the Purple Mountain. That's not the case at all." Ye Fan spread out a rough map of the Eastern Desolation, pointed to one end, and said, "I am going there."

"No, absolutely not! You cannot enter that place; it's too dangerous!"

"Even if several Holy Lands joined forces to attack it, they wouldn't even make a ripple. It is a genuine dead end; it's impossible for anyone to come out alive."

Tu Fei and Li Heishui strongly objected.

The next day, Little Tingting arrived with members of the Jiang family, having traversed the void. She wore a purple outfit, crafted like a delicate porcelain doll, but her large eyes were brimming with tears. As soon as she saw Ye Fan, she rushed over, calling, "Big Brother..." She had already learned everything about Ye Fan and was heartbroken. Tears streamed down, soaking Ye Fan's collar, and her big eyes were red from crying.

"Big Brother, please don't let anything happen to you!" she sobbed, deeply saddened.

"Good girl, Tingting, don't cry. I'll be fine," Ye Fan said, squatting down and gently comforting her.

"Big Brother," Little Tingting sobbed, wiping away tears, "Tingting has Grand Yin True Blood. I've read ancient texts; it can save lives..." She then tried to cut open her pristine little wrist to release the Grand Yin True Blood.

Ye Fan quickly stopped her, playfully flicked her nose, and smiled, "Don't worry, I'll be perfectly fine very soon."

"Really?" Little Tingting asked, crystal tears clinging to her long eyelashes, her small face filled with disbelief.

"When have I ever lied to you?" Ye Fan said, wiping away her tears and patting her head with a chuckle. "Don't cry anymore, or you'll turn into a little mess!"

"Then when will I see you again?" Little Tingting still didn't believe him; every time her big eyes fluttered, tears rolled down.

"Not too far away," Ye Fan said. As he spoke, the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron appeared, hovering above his head, letting fall countless strands of primordial profound yellow energy, creating a hazy shroud.

A gasp! Everyone gasped, and many wanted to rush forward. If not for the Peerless Divine King's presence, a bloody battle would have been inevitable.

"Oh!" Little Tingting was also startled.

"Do you like it?" Ye Fan asked her. He then stood up and said to the Jiang family members, "I will temporarily lend this cauldron to Little Tingting." Everyone understood his meaning: his life was uncertain. If he did not return, the cauldron would be given to Little Tingting of the Jiang clan; if he could revive, he would retrieve it in the future.

No one believed he could return reborn. The eyes of other powerful individuals were blazing with covetousness, as such a heaven-defying sacred artifact was being given away so casually. Benefiting Little Tingting meant benefiting the Jiang family.

Ye Fan had originally intended to keep this cauldron for Pang Bo. However, fearing it would invite deadly trouble for Pang Bo, he did not do so, having personally experienced too much himself. The reason the various Holy Lands pursued him was primarily related to the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron. He did not want Pang Bo to follow in his footsteps, so he secretly gave him the Phoenix Blood Crimson Gold. It was also a peerless sacred artifact, but no one knew of the Phoenix Blood Crimson Gold's existence, so it would not bring disaster upon Pang Bo.

"I'll keep it for you," Pang Bo said when he accepted it. "In the future, we'll forge a super ultimate weapon; the more types of sacred artifacts, the better."

With the cauldron entrusted to Little Tingting and under the protection of the Jiang family, there was no need to worry about external covetousness. This also completely freed Ye Fan, allowing him to retrieve it when his strength was sufficient. Now, with his life dwindling and his ultimate treasure given away, the major powers no longer needed to target him. It could be said that he had broken free from a stalemate and unlocked his shackles.

Many young people from the Feng Clan were displeased, feeling that Ye Fan was showing favoritism, not considering the Feng Clan, and had ignored them.

"Actually, you still have a sliver of hope to live," a renowned physician from the Eastern Desolation stated. This physician had been invited by the Peerless Divine King himself, possessed Saint Lord-level cultivation, and his medical skills were rarely seen in the world. "If you sever your Four Extremities cultivation, while your injuries won't fully heal, they also won't worsen."

"Is that so?" Ye Fan smiled. "Then I will definitely choose to continue living." If this journey far away allowed him to fight for a future, it would be an excellent excuse to conceal his true intentions.

The Divine King departed, silently and without a trace. No one knew where he had gone, and Little Tingting and the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron vanished with him. He did not return to the Jiang family, leaving a huge mystery for the world! Everyone had already speculated that his life was short, and he wouldn't live much longer. But why did he take the little girl with him? Some surmised that this was the Divine King's final deterrent tactic, deliberately leaving an unsolved mystery. Not knowing his fate, and with no definitive answer, it was like an unfallen sword, keeping everyone's hearts in suspense—an invisible deterrent.

As Ye Fan was about to depart, he carefully toured the Divine City. Wherever he passed, the younger generation was extremely apprehensive, fearing he would embark on a final rampage.

"Damn it, the Saint Body is here! Run quickly! What chance does he have of living? He's probably going to slaughter some Saint-level figures!"

"Hurry, it's best to leave the Divine City first. Haven't you seen? All the Saintesses and Saint Sons have fled; they've long disappeared."

"It's said that the Golden-Winged Little Peng King has also left, returning to the eastern region of the Eastern Desolation."

"Feng Huang and others have also left, returning to the central region."

Wherever Ye Fan passed, the streets became silent, as if deserted. Everyone feared that in his final days, with little life left, he would challenge them. No one dared to confront him, and they all retreated.

Unfortunately, everyone had guessed wrong; Ye Fan challenged no one.

After Black Emperor finished engraving the profound and intricate Dao patterns for a super spatial gate, Ye Fan chose to bid farewell to the Divine City and depart.

Demon Moon Sky, the Saintess of Jade Lake, the Grand Xia Prince, the White-Clad Little Nun, and others came to bid him farewell. Subsequently, more people arrived. Ye Fan saw An Miaoyi among the crowd. She was peerlessly beautiful, untouched by worldly airs, gazing silently at him.

With a flick of his hand, Ye Fan conjured 'Immortal Exquisiteness' and sent it flying towards An Miaoyi. It was a rare treasure cut from an Immortal Sound Stone, capable of becoming a supreme immortal scripture if nourished by immortal qi.

"Farewell!"

Ye Fan stepped onto the Profound Jade Platform and instantly vanished, traversing the void. He left the Northern Region and embarked on a new journey. Of course, the people he had known would not be forgotten; their paths would continue to intertwine.