"So it was all your pretense. Your goal was to form a marriage alliance with me?"
Seeing Haotian Zhenjun's expression, Yuan Che understood immediately.
Although she had met few people and wasn't very cunning,
that didn't mean she was a naive simpleton.
"You should rest well. Before long, you will be my wife."
Haotian Zhenjun didn't say much more and turned to leave.
Yuan Che sat down blankly.
She thought it over and quickly understood.
Why Haotian Zhenjun had always been so attentive to her.
Was he truly good to her, or did he want to gain the appreciation of Eastern Hua Emperor?
It was easy to imagine, if Haotian Zhenjun became the Immortal Court's son-in-law,
plus his own talent,
if Eastern Hua Emperor nurtured him further, wouldn't he be qualified to become the Lord of the Immortal Court in the future?
Compared to that,
Jun Xiaoyao, whom she had only recently met, was sincere towards her.
He asked for nothing from Yuan Che.
He was carefree and enjoyed life, and he wouldn't care about status, position, or being the Lord of the Immortal Court.
"Yu Lang…"
Yuan Che's eyes reddened slightly.
Time passed day by day.
Yuan Che stayed in Qionghua Palace.
Unlike before, there were many guards outside Qionghua Palace.
They were all people sent by Haotian Zhenjun.
Yuan Che did not step out.
"Yu Lang, he should have left by now."
Yuan Che didn't expect Jun Xiaoyao to bravely stand up.
She also didn't want Jun Xiaoyao to stand up.
Because this marriage was ordered by her father, the Lord of the Immortal Court, Eastern Hua Emperor.
Who in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths would dare to say "no" to the Lord of the Immortal Court?
"Now, I only hope that Yu Lang remains as carefree and unrestrained as before, and that he… never met me."
Yuan Che's heart had become desolate.
As time went on,
the day of the Ten Thousand Immortals Banquet arrived.
And this day was also Yuan Che's birthday banquet.
It was also the wedding banquet.
Eastern Hua Emperor was also going to act on this day to try and suppress the great sin power within her.
Originally, this should have been a day for Yuan Che to be happy.
Because she finally had the possibility of getting rid of misfortune and inauspiciousness.
But she was expressionless.
Her heart was like withered peach blossoms.
"Yuan Che, are you ready?"
Haotian Zhenjun arrived, gentle and elegant, as always.
If Yuan Che hadn't seen through Haotian Zhenjun's true nature, she would probably still be foolishly deceived by him.
Now, her attitude was extremely cold.
Haotian Zhenjun didn't care, as his goal was almost achieved.
The Ten Thousand Immortals Banquet was held in Lingxiao Palace.
Though called a palace, its interior was as vast as a Small World.
Looking around, powerful cultivators and mighty figures from various Immortal Court factions entered in a continuous stream.
The entire space was magnificent and resplendent.
Stars adorned the dome.
The sun and moon hung high, casting their light.
Maidens resembling celestial women and immortal consorts, holding jade plates, moved to and fro.
In the Void Realm, jade tables floated, all crafted from divine Origin.
The prosperity of the Ancient Immortal Court was indeed unimaginable.
Looking around, tens of thousands of Immortal Court members gathered here.
This was truly a Ten Thousand Immortals Banquet.
And on the high seats, figures shone even brighter than the sun and moon on the dome.
They were some of the Emperor-level figures of the Immortal Court.
And in the central position,
there was an extremely blurry figure.
His form was indistinct, completely unseeable, almost like a shadow.
He did not emit any terrifyingly oppressive aura.
Both substantial and ethereal, he seemed to transcend everything, like a figure from myth.
This extremely blurry figure was precisely the last monarch of the Ancient Immortal Court, Eastern Hua Emperor.
Everyone present knew what Eastern Hua Emperor was going to do.
He was going to help his daughter suppress the great sin.
This sin was very special; it seemed to be connected to the Immortal Court's Luck, making it very troublesome.
Otherwise, if it were ordinary sin, with Eastern Hua Emperor's strength, he could erase it with a single thought.
And at this moment, the main figures arrived.
Haotian Zhenjun, Yuan Che, and others entered.
Haotian Zhenjun had a faint smile, composed and calm.
Yuan Che, however, was expressionless, like an exquisite doll.
Beautiful, yet without Life Qi.
She hadn't thought of making a scene to annul the marriage.
Because that would disgrace her father, Eastern Hua Emperor.
Although it was Eastern Hua Emperor who had kept her in Qionghua Palace all this time,
she could feel Eastern Hua Emperor's deep paternal love for her.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to help her.
"Today is my daughter Yuan Che's birthday. Thank you all for coming."
Eastern Hua Emperor spoke, his voice ethereal, as if it could spread throughout the Three Thousand Worlds.
"Not at all, Emperor is too kind!"
"Yes, I specially brought a Star Sea Bright Pearl as a birthday gift for the princess."
"I also present a Painting of Rivers and Mountains…"
Next, there was naturally a round of flattery and congratulations.
Although these powerful cultivators and mighty figures all appeared very enthusiastic,
no one dared to truly approach Yuan Che.
"Alright, thank you all for your gifts. Today, there are two more matters."
"First, is to resolve the great sin within my daughter."
"Second, is the marriage between my daughter and Haotian Zhenjun."
As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar.
Although a small number of people already knew, the vast majority were still extremely surprised.
"Two Fellow Daoists, I hope you can assist," Eastern Hua Emperor said.
Beside him sat two blurry figures.
In terms of aura, they were not much weaker than Eastern Hua Emperor.
"Not at all, Emperor is too kind."
These two simultaneously made a move, and two vast Origins emerged.
One was suffused with the Qi of Taiji and Two Polarities, where the Two Polarities generate Four Symbols, Four Symbols evolve Eight Trigrams, and Eight Trigrams give birth to all things—this was the power of cosmic evolution and creation!
The other carried the aura of the Mother of All Things, seemingly capable of molding clay into humans, mending the heavens, and controlling the supreme power of life creation!
Everyone present, upon seeing these two Origins, gasped in unison.
Everyone knew that these were the most precious Origins in the world.
Yuan Che was placed on a jade platform, lying flat on it.
Eastern Hua Emperor made a move, his power immeasurable.
His idea was to integrate the power of these two great Origins, Xi Huang and Wa Huang, into Yuan Che's Physical Body.
Not only to suppress the great sin power,
but also potentially to forge an unprecedented Dual Emperor Body for Yuan Che!
Of course, Eastern Hua Emperor had never tried this before.
This was also the only method at this stage.
After all, finding someone who could transfer the great sin was almost impossible.
Under the gaze of everyone.
Eastern Hua Emperor, with supreme power, pressed the two masses of Origin into Yuan Che's Physical Body.
If an ordinary person were to receive such an empowerment, their Physical Body and Primordial Spirit would explode directly.
But Eastern Hua Emperor was no ordinary person; his methods were heaven-defying, and he naturally had a way to integrate them.
However, at this moment,
a terrifying sin power emerged.
That terrifying energy carried various resentments, curses, bloodlust, and killing intent.
It seemed to be the epitome of those beings once suppressed by the Immortal Court.
In fact, the larger the force, the greater the sin backlash it suffered.
The saying that prosperity inevitably leads to decline is based on this principle.
How many forces can exist eternally in the world?
The terrifying great sin power within Yuan Che,
caused the faces of tens of thousands of Immortal Court powerhouses and mighty figures present to change.
Some couldn't help but feel shocked, secretly thinking,
"Could it be that even our Immortal Court, in its prime, will have a day of collapse?"
This kind of great sin was definitely not a good omen.
And indeed, facts proved that the Ancient Immortal Court later disappeared.
Only after the Ancient Immortal Court disappeared did the Immortal Court, composed of various Immortal Lineages, emerge.
However, that Immortal Court also split during the Two Worlds War.
Finally forming the current Nine Great Immortal Lineages.
And now, all eyes were on the scene.
After an unknown amount of time, Eastern Hua Emperor sighed, as if weary.
Everyone knew.
This method had also failed.