Immortal Divine Tribulation

Chapter 196: Who Dares to Touch Her

“Who could it be?” Tian Fan felt a bit puzzled, struggling to think of which friend it might be.

“Just go take a look and you’ll know. Look at that silly face of yours.”

Zi Ying, who was beside the Little Phoenix, lifted her head and said this while tidying up the Little Phoenix’s feathers. The Shangguan Brothers and the messenger guard nearby couldn’t help but chuckle, leaving Tian Fan standing awkwardly to the side.

When they arrived at the main hall, the young man the guard mentioned had already woken up, anxiously pacing back and forth in the grand hall. Hearing footsteps approaching, he rushed to the door.

“It’s you!” Seeing the man, Tian Fan was somewhat surprised. He hadn’t expected this person to find his way here; indeed, he was an acquaintance.

“Tian Fan, young hero, it’s so good to see you! Please, I beg you, save my lady!”

Upon seeing Tian Fan enter, the young man immediately showed a look of joy, ignoring the others beside him and disregarding his own injuries that hadn’t fully healed. He suddenly knelt down in front of Tian Fan with a thud.

“What are you doing! Get up! What’s going on?”

Tian Fan asked, while at the same time, the little dragon on Zi Ying’s shoulder blinked its eyes, staring at the young man and saying, “He’s one of the people who was with Qiu Qiu.”

Tian Fan quickly helped the young man up. He truly hadn’t expected someone from Murong Qiu’s side to come looking for him. He remembered that this person was called Mu Yi. At that time, he knew Tian Fan had come to the Shangguan Clan, but why he was looking for him was still a mystery.

“Yes, don’t be so agitated. Take your time and explain.” On the other side, Zi Ying stood beside Tian Fan and spoke gently.

Looking at Zi Ying’s stunning beauty, Mu Yi was clearly taken aback and involuntarily asked, “Who are you?”

“Zi Ying, my name is Zi Ying!”

Her words snapped Mu Yi back to reality. Looking at Tian Fan, a look of blessing appeared in his eyes: “Congratulations!”

Although he said this, his face was filled with sorrow as he continued, “My lady doesn’t want to marry, but she can’t resist. Her father can’t go against the Elder Council’s decision. Please, save her!”

The young man was very agitated, his voice choked with emotion. He and another person were servants of the Murong family, assigned to Murong Qiu’s household from a young age, serving in ordinary menial roles. They were considered very lowly individuals, and originally, neither had any hope for their future simply because they were servants.

But they were lucky because they met Murong Qiu, who treated no one as a servant and regarded them as equals, never making things difficult for any of her subordinates.

“The hierarchy in the Murong family is very strict. My lady has always been very lonely, without playmates or freedom…”

Within the entire family, although Murong Qiu held a noble status, she had lost much: friends, freedom—none of these belonged to her. When she proposed to be friends with Mu Yi and the other servant, it genuinely shocked them. They repeatedly said they couldn’t dare, as they felt they had no right to be friends with the young lady of this family; even speaking to her required them to tread carefully.

“I’ll be your friend!”

At that time, Murong Qiu was seven years old, and Mu Yi was nine. With the innocence of children, seeing the sadness in the young lady’s eyes, he boldly declared this. Eventually, eight-year-old Mu Yi joined in, and in that moment, the three innocent children laughed together.

After that, they treated each other as master and servant in front of outsiders, but secretly, they were the truest of friends. Murong Qiu secretly taught the two martial arts, allowing ordinary lowly servants to attain the cultivation level of the Cloud Heaven Realm.

“My lady is very kind, but she is also very pitiful…”

Murong Qiu’s father was a direct descendant of this family, extremely powerful, having already reached the peak of the Mixed Element Realm. However, no matter how strong he was, he couldn’t go against the Elder Council’s opinions; the entire family was controlled by the Elder Council.

“To help my lady escape from marriage, my brother… he died, but we have no regrets…” Mu Yi’s face was filled with hatred, tears streaming down his eyes.

After the incident with the Soaring Dragon Dynasty, the Supreme Elder of the Murong family and Murong Fu had both recovered. In a corner, they cornered the two of them. To cover Murong Qiu’s escape, Mu Yi’s brother died at the hands of Murong Fu, leaving no trace of his body. In the end, Murong Qiu had no choice but to return to the family with the two elders, tears streaming down her face.

Mu Yi couldn’t bear to see her in such pain, but what could he do? Who could stand against an ancient martial arts family? Just when he was nearly in despair, he thought of Tian Fan. He rushed into the Soaring Dragon Dynasty like a madman; only Tian Fan could help him now.

Fortunately, Long Yuyun recognized him as his brother’s friend and said nothing, personally leading him to the Teleportation Array of the Soaring Dragon Dynasty. Originally, he wanted to treat Mu Yi’s injuries before letting him leave, but Mu Yi was too anxious and had no time to delay. Murong Qiu’s lifelong happiness rested entirely in his hands, and he feared she might lose hope.

He had exhausted his last breath to reach the Shangguan Clan’s gate, relying solely on a single belief to get here. After saying one sentence, he fainted. Thankfully, Shangguan Yuntian’s cultivation level was astonishing, pulling him back from the brink of death.

“My brother is dead, shattered by Murong Fu. My lady has been taken away. Please, I beg you, save her! If she is forced to marry into the Divine Brilliance Dynasty, she won’t be able to survive.”

Mu Yi choked on his words. He had witnessed his childhood friend being torn apart by Murong Fu, watching Murong Qiu being forcibly taken away, and tears streamed down his face like a grown man.

Murong Qiu didn’t want to marry into the Divine Brilliance Dynasty. As a young woman, who wouldn’t want to have a true love of their own? Who wouldn’t want to be with the one they loved? But how could she resist? Even her father had compromised; for the family’s growth, she could only become a pawn under political interests.

Mu Yi’s emotions were very agitated; his wounds had reopened, blood flowing down and staining the ground, but he seemed unfazed, gripping Tian Fan’s shoulder as if holding onto a faint glimmer of light in the darkness, pleading for him to save her.

“How despicable!”

Zi Ying said angrily, her delicate body trembling with rage. She truly hadn’t expected a family to treat their own kin as mere tools.

“We’ll go bring her back!”

Tian Fan’s gaze was icy as he infused Mu Yi with Five Elements Divine Power. Murong Qiu’s plight resonated deeply with him.

That afternoon, the group stepped into the Teleportation Array leading to the Southern Domain. This time, the Shangguan Clan’s people didn’t stop Zi Ying, as the Divine Dragon was by their side.

The Southern Domain of the Divine Martial Continent was far less vibrant than other regions; even the desolate Northern Domain was more lively. It was filled with endless wastelands, rarely seeing any forests.

However, this area was rich in ancient legends. It was said that in those distant years, this place was once a vast ocean, full of life and abundant resources, but it was flattened by a single palm, leading to the current state.

People everywhere scoffed at this. Some things would forever remain legends. If someone could truly flatten the earth with a single palm, wouldn’t that be defying the heavens? What could possibly stop this world? Thus, it was merely a topic of conversation over meals.

“Oh, Southern Domain, here I come!” The little golden dragon flew up, mimicking the tone, causing a group of people to chuckle lightly.

Mu Yi seemed a bit distracted. After all, he was a friend he had grown up with, a brother in arms. At this moment, he had no mood for laughter. Looking at the others, he managed a forced smile. Tian Fan could empathize with his feelings and patted his shoulder, saying, “Don’t worry, everything will be fine!”

Zi Ying also comforted him, and even the little dragon and Little Phoenix chimed in. Mu Yi nodded at them, then transformed into a beam of light, flying towards the center at breakneck speed.

In the central region of the Southern Domain, the entire area was desolate, but it was filled with a majestic aura, and for good reason: this was the home of the ancient martial arts Murong family.

Today, many powerful cultivators had gathered here because the descendants of the ancient martial arts Murong family and the Divine Brilliance Dynasty were to be wed, marking a super event in the Southern Domain.

Due to the large number of attendees and the need for a witness, the Murong family’s mountain gate was open to the public. Outside the magnificent palace, a group of armored soldiers patrolled the perimeter. Although it was a wedding, necessary defenses were still required.

In the grand arena at the center of the Murong family, everywhere was filled with festive decorations, orchids everywhere, golden and resplendent, exuding a sacred and peaceful atmosphere. The entire venue was enveloped in a faint golden aura, radiating majesty and purity.

At the top of the Sacred Altar sat several elders, quietly conversing with one another. Each exuded an aura that could shake the soul, with a faint pressure permeating the air. This was entirely a natural aura, not deliberately released, causing those who arrived to reveal expressions of astonished solemnity.

“Ah, the Murong family and Divine Brilliance are becoming in-laws; this land is completely theirs now!” A voice of lament arose from the crowd.

“Otherwise, I heard the Murong family is only after a divine weapon; it’s merely a transaction.”

“Really? A divine weapon! The Divine Brilliance Dynasty is so bold? A divine weapon as a betrothal gift!”

Someone exclaimed, knowing what a divine weapon meant. It was worth more than an Immortal Ascension Expert, and three Immortal Ascension Experts couldn’t compare to a single divine weapon.

Suddenly, the sound of horns echoed continuously, and all the cultivators curiously gazed at the central golden Sacred Altar. Murong Fu slowly descended onto the altar, the divine light surrounding him gradually fading. With a faint smile on his face, he spoke loudly:

“Today is the wedding day of our Murong family’s most beautiful little princess, Murong Qiu, and the youngest outstanding prince of the Divine Brilliance Dynasty, Shen Yinan. On behalf of the Murong family, I extend my sincere gratitude to all the friends who have come to witness.”

As soon as his words fell, loud applause erupted from below, many cultivators hurriedly returning the gesture. As an elder of the ancient martial arts family, his status was extremely high, and it was rare for someone to speak such words, whether sincerely or not; at least he had done a good job in terms of face-saving.

“Now, let us invite our groom, His Highness Shen Yinan, to enter!”

As Murong Fu’s words fell, brilliant divine lights shot up on both sides of the altar. On the left side, an old man stepped out, followed by a relatively young man whose hawk-like eyes scanned the surroundings.

“Where are the beautiful ladies? Where are they?”

Such a voice drew many cultivators’ surprised gazes. In the center of the venue stood a frail-looking man, his complexion sallow, as if he had smoked opium, clearly showing signs of inner emptiness.

“Ha ha, Your Highness Shen Yinan, please wait a moment. The bride will be out shortly!”

Murong Fu smiled and said, then looked to the other side, “Now, let us invite the most beautiful bride to make her entrance.”

On the other side, a middle-aged man in green led a woman dressed in red out. A wave of gasps erupted from the crowd. Although Murong Qiu had a blank expression, her eyes were vacant, and she looked extremely haggard, devoid of any vitality, her celestial beauty could not be concealed.

The middle-aged man was Murong Qiu’s father. Seeing his daughter like this, he felt quite pained, but despite this, he couldn’t stop it; he couldn’t stop it. The family’s interests outweighed everything.

“My beauty, my beauty!” Shen Yinan exclaimed, walking forward with a lewd smile, drooling.

The middle-aged man’s expression darkened, looking pale, but he still gently pushed Murong Qiu forward.

“Father, take care!”

On the Sacred Altar, Murong Qiu’s eyes filled with deep sorrow as she slowly knelt down, heavily bowing three times to the middle-aged man, tears streaming down her beautiful cheeks.

The middle-aged man’s face turned pale, unable to bear to look, turning his face away.

“Heh heh, go on, second miss; your future husband is over there!” Murong Fu said with a barely audible sinister smile.

Murong Qiu looked up at the sky, her eyes filled with sorrow and despair, watching the lewd man approaching her, tears continuously sliding down her jade-like face. Was her life really ending like this?

The sound of celestial music played, enchanting many people. On the Sacred Altar, several elders clinked their jade cups filled with sheep fat wine, the union was about to be completed. The crowd from the Divine Brilliance Dynasty surrounded Shen Yinan as he walked towards Murong Qiu, who was laughing heartily, rubbing his hands together.

“Who dares to touch her!”

Suddenly, a loud shout came from afar, shaking countless cultivators’ blood and energy, causing them to look up in shock. At the same time, a golden sword light descended from the sky, tearing through space and landing at Shen Yinan’s feet as he rushed forward.