Chapter 585: Ancient Marriage Agreement
Li Hao swept his gaze across the scene and saw that the prosperity and grandeur here surpassed the previous King Star a hundredfold. In the sky, golden phoenix feathers shimmered and true dragons soared, rolling up layers of auspicious clouds. On the ground, magnificent palaces stood everywhere, each one ten times more majestic than any mortal emperor's palace. Even the roadside shops looked like grand halls, filled with goods that radiated divine brilliance—immortal treasures humming with the music of zithers and swords, the bustle dazzling beyond imagination.
"So this is an Emperor Star?" Li Hao's heart trembled. Thinking of the Su Clan, he asked the Black Tortoise Imperial Soul in his heart, "Are there Immortal Emperors on this Emperor Star?"
"There are," the Black Tortoise Imperial Soul replied, as if sensing Li Hao's worry. "But Immortal Emperors are in a semi-slumber most of the time. They don't fully awaken unless something major happens. The Supreme you saw before was only an avatar. Even my master, the Daoyuan Immortal Emperor, merely cast a projection rather than arriving in person. If their true bodies descended, the True Realm itself would collapse, and you would all be annihilated."
"An avatar?" Li Hao's pupils contracted slightly. That Supreme's presence alone was enough to suppress all the gathered kings with a single breath, forcing them to bow—and that was just an avatar?! Suddenly, he understood why Immortal Emperors were supreme and ultimate beings in the True Realm, worshipped and feared by all races.
Leaving the teleportation array, Li Hao stepped into the city before him and began inquiring about the Su Clan's location. Fortunately, the humans here spoke the same language as in the Southern Region, though their accent was different. Hearing Li Hao's speech, the locals assumed he came from a remote star on the Northern Region's outskirts. They gave him a few odd looks but, sensing his cultivation, quickly softened their expressions and gave him directions.
"The Su Clan is in Gusu City. You need to teleport there from here."
"Gusu City?" Li Hao's eyes flickered. Since both the star and the city were named Gusu, did that mean the Su Clan had an Immortal Emperor ancestor?
"I've heard they might, but what the situation is now, I don't know. I've been in the original True Realm for far too many years. Also, since this star has a slumbering Immortal Emperor, I'll be falling into a half-sleep as well. If you're in danger, I will manifest. Otherwise, you'll have to figure things out on your own," the Black Tortoise Imperial Soul said through a fading voice.
Li Hao heard the gradually weakening voice but felt no complaint. He quietly thanked the spirit in his heart and took out some immortal stones, heading into a roadside restaurant. The restaurant was as splendid as an imperial palace, filled with immortals clad in shimmering garments adorned with immortal treasures—clearly all people of wealth and power.
Li Hao found someone in the restaurant to ask about Gusu Emperor Star. Feeling Li Hao's Immortal Lord Realm aura, the man treated him with respect and patiently explained. Gusu Emperor Star was vast beyond measure, full of forbidden zones and cities or mountain ranges where flying overhead was banned. Those mountains contained private spiritual veins owned by powerful clans, while some cities had sacred taboos forbidding anyone from crossing above, as they housed ancient imperial statues or royal monuments. Any immortal above them would be considered blasphemous.
These were Gusu Emperor Star's local rules that everyone had to follow. Once he learned Li Hao was heading to the Su Clan, the man directed him to the nearest teleportation city. The area of Gusu Emperor Star dwarfed the entire heavens combined; even thirty-three small worlds together wouldn't match a tenth of its size.
Li Hao left the restaurant, heading to the teleportation site. Remembering the desperate, broken face's final words, he felt an urgent need to reach his goal. After three teleportations through three immortal cities, he finally arrived in Gusu City.
Before him rose a city even grander and more imposing, its streets paved with golden bricks. Beautiful zither music drifted through the air, resonating with the Dao. Anyone growing up here and hearing these sounds would easily comprehend the Dao if they had even the slightest talent. In the mortal world, reaching the Dao Comprehension Realm required exceptional aptitude and a thousand years of effort. Here, even teenagers could effortlessly step into that realm.
The Su Clan stood at the center of Gusu City, in the most bustling and splendid district. Its enormous imperial mansion sprawled like an entire mortal dynasty, with countless halls, pools of dragons and phoenixes, and a level of grandeur beyond compare.
In front of the mansion, Immortal Lord-level guards patrolled, their cold eyes scanning the passing crowds. Every immortal who walked by quickened their steps, holding their breath so as not to disturb even a speck of dust before the Su residence.
"Did you hear? The Su Clan is marrying into the Lin Clan. That True Fate Princess will wed the Lin Clan's True Fate Prince. Imagine how terrifying their children's bloodlines will be!"
"We have no choice. We humans in the Northern Region rely entirely on a few great clans. Otherwise, we'd have become livestock long ago. With demons so powerful, we can only huddle together to survive."
"I heard Su Muqing and that prince were childhood sweethearts. This is like a marriage made in heaven."
"Everyone knows that True Fate Princess is breathtakingly beautiful. I came from thousands of miles away just to catch a glimpse of her unmatched face."
"Of course. Ten years ago, I was lucky enough to see Miss Su from afar. In these ten years, every time I close my eyes, her image appears. I can never forget."
The street outside the mansion bustled with people murmuring to each other. Many stretched their necks to get a better view of the mansion but didn't dare release their divine senses. Passing by, Li Hao listened carefully and realized these people were staking out the entrance just to catch a glimpse of Miss Su.
He felt a bit amused; even immortals could be so obsessed with beauty. But the closer he walked to the mansion, the more he felt a crushing pressure. The Su Clan truly deserved its reputation as one of the Northern Region's great clans—its status here probably surpassed even the Yanchu royal family's standing in the Southern Region.
Farther from the mansion, the street buzzed with whispers, but closer to the entrance, it was clean and silent, no one daring to approach. So when the young man walked calmly forward, countless eyes turned his way. The patrolling Immortal Lords outside the mansion all fixed their sharp gazes on him.
Seeing his simple clothes, their eyes grew even more piercing.
"Who are you? What business brings you here?" one Immortal Lord asked calmly as he landed before Li Hao. His tone wasn't harsh—after all, many powerful or noble people visited the Su Clan, and one couldn't judge by appearances alone.
Thinking of Ying Xiaoxiao's words about the Northern Region Su Clan, Li Hao took a deep breath, feeling an inexplicable nervousness. He pulled out the ancient scroll from his spatial world. The Black Tortoise Imperial Soul had said this scroll, gifted by the Daoyuan Immortal Emperor, would let him obtain what he sought at the Su Clan, since the Immortal Emperor surely knew exactly what he needed.
He handed the ancient scroll to the Immortal Lord guard before him and said, "I am Haotian, here to visit the Su Clan. Please present this to the person in charge of the Su Clan."
The Immortal Lord's brows twitched slightly as he sensed the faint Dao aura emanating from the scroll—an aura so profound it made even him feel uneasy. He realized this young man was far from ordinary, immediately accepting the scroll and saying:
"Please follow me to the Guest Hall to wait," the Immortal Lord guard said, making an inviting gesture toward Li Hao.
Li Hao stepped into the mansion behind him, and the moment he crossed the threshold, it felt as if he had entered an immortal paradise. The immortal Power of heaven and earth around him grew ten times denser in an instant. The immortal Power on Gusu Emperor Star was already rich, like that of the Yanchu Imperial City, but within this mansion, it felt like a sacred land for immortals. The immortal Power flowed into his pores without him cultivating, slowly strengthening his cultivation just by breathing.
Soon, following a rainbow-like immortal path inside the mansion, Li Hao arrived at the Guest Hall to wait. Meanwhile, the Immortal Lord guard carried the ancient scroll deeper into the Su residence, entering a grand and ancient hall that radiated solemn magnificence.
After a series of reports and transfers, the ancient scroll finally reached the grand hall and was respectfully presented to a noblewoman. The noblewoman's attire was incomparably luxurious, the edges of her robes adorned with immortal treasure gems. Her skin was as fair as snow, her face a blend of purity, nobility, and commanding authority—few could withstand such beauty.
When her eyes fell upon the ancient scroll, her brows lifted slightly as she sensed a faint, deeply hidden imperial might emanating from it. Her heart filled with surprise; this indicated the scroll had once been held by an Immortal Emperor.
For something to have been held by an Immortal Emperor, how could it not be unimaginably precious?
She set aside her cup of immortal nectar, took the scroll in her fingers, and slowly unrolled it. Golden light burst forth from the scroll, and as it opened, ancient characters emerged, carrying a vast and timeless Dao intent—the writing clearly came from someone extraordinary.
As her gaze fell on the two words at the far right, her initially composed expression changed dramatically. Her fingers trembled, almost dropping the scroll. Few things could shake her like this—she wouldn't even blink if an Immortal King died before her, yet just these two words left her pale with shock.
She read line by line, and when she saw the dragon-phoenix seal at the bottom, circling and softly chirping with a joyful yet auspicious sound, a chill washed over her heart. Instead of feeling joy, a cold dread spread within her.
'How could this happen now?' Her eyes trembled, her lashes quivering in the shifting light. The two maids at her side exchanged glances, each seeing the shock and fear in the other's eyes.
What could possibly cause the lady to lose her composure like this?
After a long silence, she rolled up the ancient scroll, looked intently at the reporting guard, and asked, "Who delivered this scroll? What did they look like? Were there others?"
The guard, though not the Immortal Lord who first met Li Hao, served directly at the noblewoman's side and had already gathered the details as if he had witnessed them himself. He lowered his head respectfully and replied, "According to the gate guard's report, only one person came—a young man dressed simply. His soul lifespan did not reveal his age. He arrived alone, and his cultivation is at the first level of the Immortal Lord Realm."
"First level of the Immortal Lord Realm…" At these words, the noblewoman's brow arched slightly. 'A mere first-level Immortal Lord dares bring this ancestral ancient marriage agreement, thinking to climb into the Su Clan's ranks?' She fell into brief silence before saying, "Bring him to the Jingwei Hall."
"Yes."
…
Waiting in the Guest Hall, Li Hao soon saw the Immortal Lord guard return, treating him even more respectfully than before, bowing slightly as he gestured, "Honored guest, please. Madam requests your presence in the Jingwei Hall."
Li Hao let out a sigh of relief. It seemed the Black Tortoise Imperial Soul had been right—Daoyuan Immortal Emperor truly had paved the way for him. He silently thanked the Immortal Emperor again, rose, clasped his hands lightly, and followed the guard along the rainbow-like immortal path deeper into the mansion toward a hall even grander and more ornate.
Before long, Li Hao entered the hall. The maid at the door respectfully invited him inside and brewed tea for him. Sitting on a grand chair carved from millennia-old divine wood, Li Hao's eyes wandered around the splendid hall. The tea by his side released a gentle fragrance that eased his mind, but his thoughts were elsewhere—was he about to meet the reincarnated body Ying Xiaoxiao had spoken of?
Yet Ying Xiaoxiao had said it was still asleep—what did that mean? Was the reincarnation not yet born, or had it not awakened memories of Shimiaodi like Ying Xiaoxiao's early life?
As Li Hao pondered, several figures approached outside the door. Leading them was the noblewoman herself, her gaze frosty. When the maid beside her prepared to announce their arrival, she raised her hand to stop her, stepping silently to the doorway and peeking inside.
She saw the simply dressed young man sitting in the hall, eyes darting about nervously, hands clenching now and then, his gaze full of tension and expectation beneath his clear eyes.
A cold smirk curved the noblewoman's lips. He looked honest and sincere, but the eyes never lied. 'Has he already begun imagining the glory he'll enjoy by attaching himself to the Su Clan before I've even given him permission?'
She stepped forward purposefully this time, letting her footsteps sound.
Inside the hall, Li Hao instantly heard the approaching footsteps. He looked up to see a woman as stunning as a celestial fairy, radiating nobility with every step like lotus flowers blooming beneath her feet. What left Li Hao stunned was that her face and eyes bore a striking resemblance to Ying Xiaoxiao!
'How could this be?' His heart thudded wildly with shock. Could it really be…
Seeing the young man's dazed reaction, the noblewoman's serene face darkened, her brows knitting coldly. The maid beside her, long accustomed to the lady's moods, shouted sharply to snap Li Hao from his stupor, "How dare you be so rude as to stare directly at Madam!"
The maid's rebuke cut through the air like ice. Though she looked like a youthful beauty, there was a chilling authority about her gaze, exuding a natural aura of command that rivaled the patriarchs of minor clans.
Li Hao snapped out of his thoughts, but his heart still quivered. He instinctively rose and started, "You…"
The noblewoman's expression turned completely frosty. "You are the one who delivered the marriage agreement, here to claim marriage with my daughter?" she said coldly.
Li Hao's mind cleared instantly at her icy words. He stared in surprise. "Marriage agreement?"
Seeing his bewildered reaction, the noblewoman's eyes narrowed slightly in silent surprise, though she kept her tone level. "You mean you didn't know that was a marriage agreement?"
Li Hao's thoughts jumped to the ancient scroll, leaving him dumbfounded. He silently called out to the Black Tortoise Imperial Soul for answers, but no response came—his guide seemed truly asleep.
"I…" he began, but his voice trailed off. Before he could explain further, the noblewoman's eyes sharpened as she asked, "Then where did you get this marriage agreement from?"