As the powerful figures from various factions departed, the astonishing news from the Heavenly Court's Genius War spread with incredible speed across the thirty thousand states of the Central Heavenly Realm.
Simultaneously, the Heavenly Court announced that in seven days, the son of Heavenly Venerable Yuan Wu, Yuan Hong, would wed Lan Xueyi, a heavenly prodigy who had ascended from the lower realms, possessing the exceedingly rare Nine Deaths Spirit Phoenix physique. All the overlords of the Central Heavenly Realm, and even some reclusive Heavenly Venerable powerhouses, would attend to offer their congratulations.
The Heavenly Court was adorned with festive decorations, radiating joy and prosperity, adding a touch of worldly festivity to this celestial realm.
However, in stark contrast to the revelry throughout the Heavenly Court, Ling Fan, imprisoned beneath the plaza by Heavenly Venerable Yuan Wu, was utterly neglected, like a condemned prisoner awaiting execution after autumn.
Massive chains of order bound Ling Fan suspended in mid-air, his limbs and head stretched taut. Two chains pierced his clavicles, and even with Ling Fan's robust Nirvana Tribulation Body, blood continued to flow. As Ling Fan struggled, the chains erupted with countless Grand Dao talismans, unleashing terrifying sealing power that rendered him immobile. Heavenly Venerable Yuan Wu, in his cunning, had even severed all spiritual energy from the prison, preventing Ling Fan from cultivating and leaving him to await death. He was to await the wedding ceremony of Yuan Hong and Lan Xueyi, which would take place in seven days, right on the plaza, before his very eyes.
Heavenly Venerable Yuan Wu's scheme was undeniably insidious! Any normal man, witnessing his wife being forced to marry another before his eyes, would surely be unable to endure such humiliation and torment. Heavenly Venerable Yuan Wu intended to use this method to provoke Ling Fan into revealing his true identity.
However, even if Ling Fan could remain a coward and swallow this insult, his identity would be exposed the moment Heavenly Venerable Dao Yi returned from the Void God Realm. Ling Fan was aware of this, and thus, he was in a state of urgency.
...
On the other side, besides Ling Fan's suffering, another person in the Heavenly Court shared his torment: Lan Xueyi. Although Ling Fan had not admitted his identity, she, as the person closest to him, was almost certain that this "Fan Lin" was her husband, Ling Fan! The anguish she felt was no less than Ling Fan's, perhaps even more intense. She longed to end her life, to avoid being a burden to Ling Fan. Unfortunately, under the watchful eyes of Heavenly Venerable Yuan Wu, she could not even commit suicide. She could only endure the torment, second by second.
A clear, cold celestial moon ascended high into the sky. Lan Xueyi was imprisoned in a desolate palace, alone, her beautiful eyes locked in worry and pain, gazing longingly in the direction of Ling Fan's plaza.
"Lan Xueyi, you have long since recognized that this Fan Lin is your husband from the lower realm, the criminal who ascended to the Heavenly Realm before you and whom His Majesty Dao Yi personally sought to kill during his tribulation." Heavenly Venerable Yuan Wu's voice echoed out of nowhere in the empty palace.
Lan Xueyi's body trembled slightly. She silently withdrew her gaze, raising her head stubbornly, refusing to answer Heavenly Venerable Yuan Wu.
"Do you think the four of us Great Overlords are fools? This person is shrouded in too many mysteries; even the Void-Breaking Immortal Mirror of the Grand Void cannot see through him. Apart from the return of that person, I can think of no one else in this world who could possess such means."
"The reason I am not killing him now is not because I am truly uncertain of his identity or concerned about the opinions of the world. For Heavenly Venerable powerhouses like us, killing the wrong person is insignificant. What I care about is a divine artifact on his person. The four of us are hesitant to act rashly, fearing that if we kill him and this divine artifact disappears with him, it would be a loss outweighing the gain. Therefore, we are waiting for His Majesty Dao Yi to return."
"As long as His Majesty Dao Yi returns, with his immense capabilities, even if this Fan Lin is indeed the reincarnation of that person, he will be unable to stir any trouble in His Majesty Dao Yi's hands."
"I value you as the ancient and rare Nine Deaths Spirit Phoenix physique, with boundless potential, capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with us Great Overlords of the Heavenly Court in the future. Indeed, if you survive the eighth tribulation, you might even surpass us and reach the Great Heavenly Venerable realm, a realm we dare not even aspire to."
"Therefore, I am reluctant to kill you. As long as you are willing to sever ties with this person and remarry my son, I will strongly recommend you to His Majesty Dao Yi. Consider this carefully and do not bring ruin upon yourself."
Throughout the cold palace, Heavenly Venerable Yuan Wu's words resonated. Lan Xueyi bit her lip, remaining silent. However, her attitude was as clear as it could be. Seeing that he could not persuade Lan Xueyi, Heavenly Venerable Yuan Wu let out a cold snort and ceased his wasted efforts.
...
Just as Heavenly Venerable Yuan Wu was attempting to persuade Lan Xueyi to defect, in the sealed area of the plaza, Ling Fan was suppressed and bound by terrifying divine chains of order. He could not absorb even a trace of spiritual energy from his surroundings, and his own power was being gradually stripped away by these chains. His aura was on the verge of falling from the Emperor Venerable realm.
"Eight Directions Divine Martial Demon Suppressing Array, Yuan Wu, this is the ultimate Dao array I once taught you, and now you use it against me. Heh, you are very good, just like Dao Yi and Grand Void, you are all very good." Ling Fan, suspended in mid-air by the chains, his hair disheveled, let out a cold laugh.
"Unfortunately, this array can isolate all power, but it cannot isolate my Samsara Divine Cauldron!"
"You probably never imagined that I could directly absorb the Void God Qi from the Primordial Void God Realm through the Samsara Divine Cauldron." Ling Fan's smile grew colder.
Deep within the Samsara Divine Cauldron, the Samsara Disk, as vast as a star, slowly rotated. The sky seemed to have split open, and torrents of Void God Qi poured down like a chaotic waterfall. This time, Ling Fan did not use most of the Void God Qi to repair the Samsara Disk, but instead, he directly absorbed all of it into his own heaven, earth, and physical body.
Boom! Ling Fan's rapidly declining aura instantly reversed, beginning to surge at a visible rate. Void God Qi. This was the supreme power that only Heavenly Venerable powerhouses had the opportunity to come into contact with and absorb. What a spectacle it would be to have such a vast amount of Void God Qi poured into the body of someone in the Emperor Venerable realm!
Ling Fan's aura continued to surge. Suddenly, the chains swayed slightly, as if conveying some information. Ling Fan frowned slightly. This array was something he had taught Heavenly Venerable Yuan Wu in his previous life; how could he not know it? As long as there was any disturbance here, Heavenly Venerable Yuan Wu could sense it immediately.
However, there was one exception! That exception was Ling Fan. Ling Fan was the creator of this array, more familiar and knowledgeable than Heavenly Venerable Yuan Wu, so he immediately severed Heavenly Venerable Yuan Wu's connection with the array.
In a vast and boundless palace, Heavenly Venerable Yuan Wu, as majestic and imposing as an ancient deity, suddenly opened his eyes, which resembled two great suns of the Heavenly Realm.