Immortal Ancient City.
Today was the wedding of Immortal Ancient Yuan, heir of the Immortal Ancient Clan, and the Third Young Lady of the Mysterious Realm, Li Xue. The entire city was filled with joy, red lanterns adorned the city walls, and firecrackers echoed incessantly, creating a lively atmosphere.
Though they had transcended mortal customs, such formalities and ceremonies remained essential.
Their union signified an alliance between the Mysterious Realm and Immortal Ancient City, a common political marriage among major powers, nothing unusual.
Immortal Ancient Mansion.
The mansion was festooned with decorations, brimming with festivity.
At the entrance, a man and a woman greeted guests, Immortal Ancient Yuan and Li Xue, a strikingly handsome couple.
Two paths led into the mansion, each with its purpose: one for ordinary guests, the other for elite guests from top-tier factions. These guests brought lavish gifts, publicly announced to honour their prestige. Though beyond mortal concerns, powerful factions cared deeply about face, even more than ordinary households.
“Great Elder of the Hill Realm arrives!” a loud voice rang out.
An elder in ornate robes approached, the second-in-command of the Hill Realm. The leader hadn’t come, as Immortal Ancient Yao was the next heir, so the elder’s presence was already a great honour.
Seeing him, Immortal Ancient Yuan bowed slightly, “Uncle Ming!”
The elder smiled, “Congratulations, young man!” He opened his palm, and a small box floated to an attendant elder, who opened it and exclaimed, “Hill Realm’s gift: one sacred-grade immortal artifact, valued at three million cosmic veins!”
A sacred-grade immortal artifact, worth three million cosmic veins!
The crowd buzzed with excitement. Three million cosmic veins was no small sum, even for a clan like the Immortal Ancient, and for ordinary cultivators, it was an unimaginable fortune.
Immortal Ancient Yuan beamed, bowing deeply, “Thank you, Uncle Ming!” The elder nodded and entered the inner hall.
Three million! Immortal Ancient Yuan couldn’t stop smiling, his father had promised that all gifts would be his, meaning this wedding would make him immensely wealthy.
The attendant elder’s voice rang again, “Great Elder of the Mountain Realm arrives… gift: one sacred-grade immortal artifact, valued at three million cosmic veins…”
Another three million! Spectators looked on with envy. Being born into such a family was truly a skill!
“Great Elder of the Cloud Realm arrives, gift: one sacred-grade immortal artifact, valued at three million cosmic veins…”
“Young Lord of Eternal City, Lin Xiao, arrives, gift: one sacred-grade immortal artifact, valued at three million cosmic veins…”
“Lord of the Cloud Realm, Li Lan, arrives!”
Li Lan! The crowd froze, he was Li Xue’s father.
A middle-aged man approached, and Immortal Ancient Yuan bowed respectfully, “Father-in-law!”
Li Lan nodded, “Treat my daughter well, don’t let her down!” He opened his palm, and a storage ring floated to the attendant elder, who gasped, “Cloud Realm’s gift: five sacred-grade immortal artifacts, valued at fifteen million, plus ten million cosmic veins!”
Twenty-five million cosmic veins! The crowd erupted.
Clearly, this was the dowry.
Immortal Ancient Yuan bowed deeply, thrilled, “Thank you, Father-in-law!”
Li Lan nodded, smiling at Li Xue, “Do you like it?”
Li Xue nodded faintly, her expression calm.
Li Lan sighed inwardly, knowing his daughter didn’t like Immortal Ancient Yuan, but the Cloud Realm needed this alliance. In great clans, marriage was rarely a personal choice. Though reluctant, he’d chosen this for her, prioritizing family interests.
He glanced at Li Xue, sighed again, and entered the inner hall.
Li Xue trembled slightly, her expression dimming. She lowered her head, silent, resigned to her fate.
The mansion grew busier and livelier.
Immortal Ancient Yuan glanced around, whispering, “Why hasn’t the Yan Clan arrived?”
He was eager for their arrival, the Yan Clan was a wealthy merchant family, and with Yan Bianyue pursuing Immortal Ancient Yao, their gift would surely be extravagant.
As he spoke, a carriage approached, not the Yan Clan’s, but Ye Xuan’s.
Out of respect, Ye Xuan alighted a dozen paces away, drawing attention.
Dressed simply in a white robe under a cyan coat, with a shell-less pen at his waist, Ye Xuan walked calmly, exuding a scholarly air. To many, however, he seemed shabby, especially his plain carriage.
Ignoring the gazes, Ye Xuan approached Immortal Ancient Yuan and Li Xue, smiling, “Congratulations, both of you!” He offered a cloth bag, “A small token, hardly worthy.”
Immortal Ancient Yuan eyed Ye Xuan without taking the bag, his expression odd.
He knew Ye Xuan through his sister, who was usually cold to men but treated Ye Xuan differently. Seeing him now, he was deeply disappointed by Ye Xuan’s plain appearance, from his carriage to the bare pen at his waist.
What kind of pen was that? Couldn’t he afford a sheath?
And that gift, in such an ordinary cloth bag, what could it possibly contain?
Immortal Ancient Yuan sighed, even his sister could misjudge.
Then, the attendant elder announced, “Young Lord of Tianyan City, Yan Bianyue, arrives!”
Yan Bianyue approached, glancing at Ye Xuan’s bag and chuckling, “Young Master Ye, your gift isn’t a book, is it? No offence, just curious!”
Ye Xuan nodded, smiling, “It is.”
“Haha!” Yan Bianyue laughed unrestrainedly.
The crowd’s expressions turned strange. A book? How could anyone give such a gift?
Immortal Ancient Yuan’s face darkened, feeling insulted.
Yan Bianyue opened his palm, and a storage ring floated to the attendant, who exclaimed, “Yan Clan of Yan City’s gift: ten million cosmic veins!”
Ten million! The crowd was stunned, second only to the Li family’s dowry.
As expected of the Yan Clan, true tycoons!
Immortal Ancient Yuan bowed, thrilled, “Brother Yan, thank you!”
Yan Bianyue grinned, “We’re brothers, no need for thanks. I’ll head in, let’s chat later!” He glanced at Ye Xuan before leaving, having waited for Ye Xuan to appear to seize this chance to show off, and he’d succeeded.
After Yan Bianyue left, Immortal Ancient Yuan’s smile faded. Ye Xuan blinked, “Brother Yuan, do you think my gift’s too humble?”
“Of course not!” Immortal Ancient Yuan said flatly.
Ye Xuan smiled, about to take it back, when Li Xue took the bag, “Thank you, Young Master Ye!”
Ye Xuan looked at her, and she bowed slightly, “All guests are equal, please enter.”
Surprised but not dwelling on it, Ye Xuan smiled, “Alright!” and headed to the inner hall.
Immortal Ancient Yuan hesitated, then said, “Xue’er, this Ye Xuan… never mind, it’s a joyous day, I won’t ruin it.”
Li Xue’s expression dimmed. This wasn’t her ideal husband, but as a daughter of a great clan, she had no say in her marriage, not even Immortal Ancient Yao did.
Inside the hall, dozens of prominent figures from the Universe of Gods had gathered. At the central table, Ye Xuan saw a familiar face, not Immortal Ancient Yao, but her mother, whose icy gaze showed her displeasure with his presence.
A middle-aged man beside her, Immortal Ancient Tong, clan leader, asked, “He’s Ye Xuan?”
The woman nodded.
Immortal Ancient Tong studied Ye Xuan, frowning, “Is his aura concealed?”
“He’s just an ordinary person, a scholar with some book learning,” she said calmly.
Immortal Ancient Tong chuckled, “Don’t worry, he and Yao’er are from different worlds.”
The woman shook her head, “I’m still concerned…” Her eyes flashed coldly, “I hope he knows his place, or I’ll have to make him disappear forever.”
Immortal Ancient Tong glanced at Ye Xuan, “He seems poised, but his strength is weak, and he lacks background. He’s not in Yao’er’s world.” He shook his head, “Ignore him, don’t neglect our guests.”
After a moment, the woman said, “Before Yao’er appears, make him leave.”
Immortal Ancient Tong considered, then agreed, “Very well.”
She signalled a white-robed elder, who nodded and approached Ye Xuan, who was searching for a seat in a corner.
Seeing the elder, Ye Xuan paused, “Senior?”
The elder hesitated, then said, “Young Master Ye, you’re not welcome here.”
Ye Xuan froze, “You’re driving me away?”
The elder nodded, “Please leave.”
Ye Xuan blinked, scanning the hall but not seeing Immortal Ancient Yao.
The elder repeated, “Please.”
After a moment’s silence, Ye Xuan nodded, “I won’t return to Immortal Ancient City.” He turned and left.
His voice wasn’t hidden, and though soft, everyone in the hall, being extraordinary figures, heard clearly.
At the main table, Yan Bianyue laughed, “This Young Master Ye has quite a temper!”
As Immortal Ancient Yao entered and heard him, she frowned, scanning the hall. Not seeing Ye Xuan, her face turned cold. She looked at the white-robed elder, “What happened?”
The elder hesitated.
Yan Bianyue turned to Immortal Ancient Yuan, “Brother Yuan, was Young Master Ye’s gift a book?”
Immortal Ancient Yuan nodded, “Yes.”
Yan Bianyue laughed, “How intriguing… I’m curious what book it was. I bet everyone is too. Brother Yuan, mind showing us?”
Immortal Ancient Yuan hesitated, then looked at Li Xue. She glanced at the crowd, hesitated, and opened the bag. Seeing the four characters on the ancient text, her pupils shrank, and she trembled, “This…”
The crowd frowned.
Li Lan, Lord of the Cloud Realm, approached, and upon seeing the characters, his face changed. He took the text, flipped through it, and stammered, “Bloody hell… it’s real… this is the *Divine Path Codex*!”
*Divine Path Codex*! The hall fell silent.
Everyone stood, staring at the book, but their divine senses couldn’t penetrate it. From Li Lan’s expression, it was undoubtedly genuine.
Immortal Ancient Tong and his wife hurried over, and upon seeing the contents, they froze, confirming its authenticity.
Yan Bianyue, seeing the *Divine Path Codex*, was petrified.
Immortal Ancient Yao glared at the white-robed elder, “Where is he?”
The elder hesitated, “He… he was driven away by Madam.”
The crowd’s minds went blank.
Immortal Ancient Yao’s beautiful face turned deathly pale.
