The Wind Clan’s prized daughter was as proud as a celestial phoenix, tilting her flawless and translucent little chin upward, her beautiful hair drifting in the wind, five-colored radiance wreathing her form — standing high and unreachable, as though she stood above the clouds and looked down upon all below.

Ye Fan, for his part, was entirely calm — as though he stood outside of it all — watching everything quietly with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, saying nothing.

Upon seeing his demeanor, the hearts of the Wind Clan’s people gave an involuntary lurch. One of the elders spoke to Feng Huang: “You have just arrived at the divine city. Go rest — say no more.”

Feng Huang understood his meaning. She tilted her beautiful chin upward and glanced at Ye Fan, saying: “My future is something I can see for myself. I will not bind it to any single person — not even the Holy Body.”

The five-colored divine robe billowed around her. She moved with elegant and graceful steps, walking away lightly, leaving behind a faint lingering fragrance. The several elders’ expressions carried a trace of awkwardness, their brows lightly furrowed.

Feng Huang’s arrival spread rapidly throughout the divine city. Even the details of her very first meeting with Ye Fan were transmitted out without the slightest omission.

“Just as the legends said — the Wind Clan’s prized daughter has absolutely no wish to be betrothed to the Holy Body. This is going to be quite the spectacle.”

“This breathtaking and luminous prized daughter truly has a character of her own. She would not even look at the Holy Body who broke the curse — one wonders if in a thousand years, looking back on this moment, she will still carry such arrogance.”

“It was always known this would happen. Feng Huang — who is she? A daughter of Heaven favored above all others in this generation. The reason the Wind Clan has taken so long to reach a decision is precisely because they feared she would firmly refuse, and even their own Holy Lord was unwilling to compel her.”

“The Wind Clan’s prized daughter is rejecting the Holy Body — this is truly extraordinary news…”

Every last detail spread throughout the divine city without a trace left out, and countless people were discussing it. More than a few were adding fuel to the fire, eager to see the flames rise higher.

It had to be said — Feng Huang’s radiant name spread across the Eastern Desolation, and her charm was immense. She had a vast number of admirers, who naturally supported her decision and all rallied to build her momentum.

Ye Fan took no notice of any of it — he cared not in the slightest. He had come from the far shore of the starry sky, and a so-called marriage alliance of this kind naturally meant nothing to him.

What did it matter if the other party was the Eastern Desolation’s foremost prized daughter? It was not as though he had never encountered the most breathtaking of beauties in the world — she was likely on par with An Miaoyi.

Since his arrival in this world where the strong held dominion, Ye Fan had always maintained a transcendent attitude toward matters of the heart. He had never actively gone in search of that long-missed “stirring of the soul.”

In the days that followed, Feng Huang was neither particularly conspicuous nor particularly low-key. She often gathered with close friends, among whom were included many of her suitors.

Talk of her did not cease. People knew she was making her stance clear — firmly refusing the betrothal — which gave the Wind Clan’s elders considerable headache.

Shortly after, she went on to meet with various holy sons in succession. Although there had been contact between them in the past, had it not been for this prospective marriage alliance, she would not have gone out so frequently.

Most surprising of all was when Feng Huang and the young Golden-Winged Little Peng King met alone together, causing a tremendous stir. Cultivators in the divine city began to talk once more.

The young Golden-Winged Little Peng King, the Holy Son of Yao Guang, and the Ji Family’s Divine King Body were spoken of together as among the most powerful young experts of the Eastern Desolation today, standing at the absolute pinnacle.

Years before, Feng Huang had fought him once, with neither able to gain the upper hand — matched evenly, shaking the entire central region of the Eastern Desolation — and from that battle a certain degree of acquaintance had formed between them.

The grudge between the young Golden-Winged Little Peng King and Ye Fan was deep. On the night of the full moon, had the elder Peng King not held him back, there would certainly have been a world-shaking battle.

Feng Huang choosing at this moment to meet alone with the young Golden-Winged Little Peng King — the implications were unavoidable, and the matter instantly became the focal topic within the divine city.

“The Wind Clan’s prized daughter has truly made up her mind — even if forced into the marriage alliance, great turbulence will follow.”

“Feng Huang is making her position clear — by associating with the Holy Body’s greatest enemy, she shows she has no wish to be betrothed to him.”

“Anyway, the Wind Clan has not made any formal decision. Even if the whole matter comes to nothing, there is no loss. One might say only that the Wind Clan’s prized daughter won on her own.”

Gossip and rumors flew through the outside world. Ye Fan dismissed it all with a smile, giving it no mind — he paid no attention to any of what Feng Huang was doing. He had no need to do anything at all.

When many people learned of his attitude, they were all astonished, privately sighing to themselves — the Holy Body truly was transcendent, seeming to stand among them and yet apart from them, merely watching the scene unfold.

After Ye Fan made his attitude clear, the talk grew even greater — because both individuals were extraordinary, and each bore such a peculiar demeanor, sparking endless discussion among the many cultivators.

The Peerless Divine King was soon to depart. He had told Ye Fan to go out and move about freely without concern. It seemed as though he sensed his days were numbered — he wished to kill a few more people who harbored ill intent lurking in the shadows.

As Ye Fan moved about outside, it naturally drew attention — yet no one dared make a move. All feared the Peerless Divine King’s thunder-like strike descending upon them, and in his final days no one wished to stir up trouble.

During these past several days, Ye Fan had been attending banquets together with Tu Fei, Li Heishui, and the Great Black Dog. There were many gatherings, and he had not turned down the olive branches extended by the various sects. He spent his days surrounded by people.

It was evident that the name “Holy Body” outshone even Feng Huang and drew even more discussion. Among the younger generation, very few could contend with him. A Holy Body on the path to Great Completion was worth forging connections with and paying attention to.

It could be said that wherever Ye Fan passed, the whole world seemed to know him. There was no one who did not greet him, no one who did not recognize him — and in particular, many among the younger generation regarded him with a mix of awe and dread.

The ancient noble families of source arts retreated to a distance, not a single one showing their face within the divine city. Wu Ziming, Li Chongtian, and others who were hostile to Ye Fan became exceedingly low-key as well, rarely appearing.

Imperceptibly, Ye Fan had established a kind of awe-inspiring presence. Even the holy sons regarded him with wariness, keeping their distance and avoiding him wherever possible — if they need not meet, they would not.

Even the young Golden-Winged Little Peng King was suppressing his anger, following the elder Peng King’s orders — starting no conflicts, staying out of sight.

Ye Fan went out and about, met with endless warmth and enthusiasm — yet he was not arrogant in the least, treating everyone with proper courtesy in return. When he saw those who were his adversaries, he provoked nothing either, giving a nod as he passed.

“Pu!”

A stream of fresh blood sprayed from Ye Fan’s mouth — scarlet red tinged with faint gold, staining his robes crimson, a shocking sight to behold.

“What has happened?!” Pang Bo leapt to his feet, his thick brows arching sharply, sweeping his gaze across all directions.

“Little Ye, what is wrong?” Tu Fei and Li Heishui were equally alarmed.

Among those attending this gathering were Demon Moon Hollow, the Jade Pool Holy Maiden, the Dao Yi Holy Maiden, the Great Xia Imperial Prince, the white-robed little nun, and many other elite figures of the younger generation. Not a single one of them had expected Ye Fan to suddenly cough up blood and fall backward to the ground.

“Stand back!” Pang Bo paid no mind to anything else — he waved everyone away, gathered Ye Fan in his arms, and carefully examined him. The white robe was stained through with fresh scarlet blossoms of blood. Ye Fan lay motionless with his eyes closed, his face somewhat pale — a deeply troubling sight.

The Holy Body had encountered a problem — collapsing at a feast. News of this spread through the divine city in an instant, setting off a great upheaval!

The scent of medicine drifted outward. Ye Fan’s chamber held dozens of varieties of medicinal pills — all of them precious and rare. Several of the Wind Clan’s elders stepped forward one by one, examined his injuries, and all knitted their brows.

“How could this be?”

“Of course — I understand now. It was the Great Dao that injured him. The Peerless Divine King — peerless and unrivaled — used divine blood to help him sever cause and effect, and used the Divine Song to erase the Innate Dao Diagram. Yet…”

“The innate Great Dao did not destroy his foundation in the Dao — but it severed his life’s source, leaving a wound that cannot heal. He has less than half a year to live.”

The Wind Clan’s several elders rendered a precise judgment and all raised their heads to sigh toward the heavens. This outcome left them profoundly disappointed.

“The curse of over a hundred thousand years was broken — cultivation could finally begin — and a near-Great Emperor’s birth was about to be witnessed. Yet there are only half a year left to live…”

“This is a wound left by the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. Even a mature divine medicine might be incapable of saving him.”

Their expressions shifted and changed in succession. The Wind Clan had expended three million jin of source stones for this — and had even been on the verge of a marriage alliance — yet in the end, this was what they were left with. It was difficult to bear.

The Holy Body was about to fall. This news was no less than a tsunami, shaking the divine city and spreading to every corner of the world, startling all the great powers.

The divine city in particular erupted in clamor. Every cultivator was discussing it — no one had expected such a sudden and extraordinary turn of events.

“The will of Heaven and Earth cannot be defied. Even with the curse broken, the life could not be preserved — it was all fated from the beginning.”

“A life of great flourishing come to nothing in the end — who could have anticipated such an outcome.”

“Less than half a year of lifespan left — what can be accomplished? A pity, a lament — the Peerless Divine King’s painstaking efforts all for nothing.”

“The Holy Body at its initial completion already held the younger generation in awe — yet this is how it ends, fading into nothing, walking toward the end of a life.”

No one was not shaken. This outcome was too unexpected. No one had seen it coming.

“Wait — could this be a ruse deliberately set up by the Peerless Divine King? To prevent Ye Fan from being assassinated in the dark, he devised this scheme to keep him hidden away.”

Those quick-witted of mind formed this conjecture in an instant, putting forth an astonishing theory.

This explanation gained widespread agreement the moment it was voiced. Many believed it was an elaborate scheme — deliberately released as a smokescreen to cloud the eyes of the world.

Yet before long, someone confirmed it: the injuries were real — not feigned. The Great Dao of Heaven and Earth had severed Ye Fan’s life’s source, and healing had become next to impossible.

The Wind Clan’s people let out a long sigh — yet could do nothing.

Two great cultivators from the Jiang Family also arrived. They too were helpless, and even the Peerless Divine King furrowed his brows.

Wounds left by the Great Dao were difficult to undo by human effort. Since ancient times, those who had been severed by the Great Dao had almost never survived.

Powerful figures from the many great powers all came forward, showing their concern and examining Ye Fan’s injuries. They left behind not a few spirit pills before departing — their primary purpose, of course, was to confirm whether the news was true.

Those from the Central Continent who had come to observe the ceremony and had not yet departed also called in succession. After carefully examining Ye Fan’s injuries, they left behind some spirit medicines and then went on their way.

The news was confirmed as true, verified by the many great sects. The outside world fell into an uproar — some gloating, some sympathetic…

Ye Fan regained consciousness. He sat in a daze for a long, long time, his mind blank — he had not expected things to turn out this way.

The night sky — its starlight like water. He and Pang Bo lay side by side on their backs atop the roof, gazing toward the far shore of the starry sky.

“If I die, you must find a way to go back no matter what — don’t stay too long.”

“Ye Fan, don’t say such things. You will be fine — you will absolutely survive. We will go back together.”

“Help me look after my father and mother.”

“Don’t say these things — my heart feels like it’s about to burst.”

…

Only half a year of life — and that was the most optimistic estimate. In all likelihood it might not even be a hundred days. Even if one’s battle power held the younger generation in awe, it carried not the slightest meaning any longer.

In the days that followed, Ye Fan’s residence fell quiet — barely a visitor to be seen. Many who had once been so warm and enthusiastic now turned cold and indifferent.

All the splendor had faded away. What was left was cold and desolate — only the withering bleakness of autumn remained.

The warmth and coldness of human relations, the fickleness of the world — it was all far too obvious, far too real.