The Divine Shrine of the Ye Family!!
As one terrifying aura after another descended, majestic spiritual energy surged into the heavens, causing the wind and clouds to churn and shake.
The nine branches of the Ye Family had nine ancestral elders, every single one of them at the Dao-Slaying Realm or above.
In fact!!
The foundation of any single branch of the Ye Family was no weaker than that of any ancient immortal sect or clan.
Yet, ever since the previous head of the Ye Family—Ye Xiao's father—had embarked on a journey across the heavens, the nine branches had never been able to choose a universally recognized master.
During this Divine Son Grand Ceremony, whoever could claim the position of Divine Son would undoubtedly restore the eternal prestige of the Ye Family.
"Hum."
At that very moment, starlight suddenly burst forth from the ancestral territory of the Ye Family, with star after star rising into the air to illuminate the heavens.
Among them, a young man clad in silver-white battle armor and bearing a stern expression strode forward, stepping across the river of stars with a brilliant, dazzling radiance.
Ye Xingchen, the Ninth Sequence of the Ye Family, possessed of the Star Dao Physique.
"Heh, Xingchen, it seems your cultivation has improved once again."
Before Ye Xingchen's feet even touched the ground, another gentle and modest laugh echoed from the distant hall.
Another young man, dressed in gray and holding a feathered fan, smiled and shook his head with an elegant and poised demeanor.
A faint trace of golden spiritual energy drifted around his body, morphing into rivers, mountains, the sun, and the moon, unfathomably profound.
Ye Ru, the Eighth Sequence of the Ye Family, born with a righteous aura that repelled all evil.
"Chirp!"
One after another, two more members of the Ye Family sequences appeared within the divine shrine, completely bringing the atmosphere of this realm to a boil.
One of them had the phantom of a great phoenix hovering above her head, possessing a delicate and exquisite beauty. This was Ye Qinghuang, the Seventh Sequence of the Ye Family, who carried the ancient phoenix bloodline.
The other was a gloomy-looking, emaciated young man whose arm radiated a dazzling, brilliant sacred glow.
Ye Hao, the Sixth Sequence of the Ye Family, born with sacred bones.
Every single one of these individuals commanded immense renown across the Holy Prefecture, standing far above the saint children of immortal sects and the successors of great teachings.
Yet within the Ye Family, they could only rank behind the sixth sequence.
"Hum."
Between heaven and earth, the sound of the Dao suddenly vibrated.
A blossom after a blossom of Great Dao divine lotuses slowly bloomed, overflowing with boundless divine radiance.
Ye Xiao, dressed in pristine white robes and possessing a gentle, jade-like demeanor, strode out from the depths of the Ye Family's ancestral territory.
In that instant, the heavens and earth fell silent, and all sounds died away.
As everyone looked at the youth with his hair tied in white and a peerless immortal visage, their eyes were filled with a thick mixture of awe and reverence.
Ye Xiao, the First Sequence of the Ye Family!!
As the most monstrous prodigy of the Ye Family, Ye Xiao had stepped onto the immortal path at age three, gathered his Spirit Palace Realm at ten, and by eighteen was already a supreme prodigy at the Soul Sea Ninth Layer.
His cultivation realm might not have been the highest among the Ye Family sequences, but his innate talent and speed of cultivation left the elders and ancestors of the Ye Family breathless with wonder.
"The Immortal Phoenix Ancient Dynasty, Empress Gu has arrived."
Simultaneously, a low shout rang out from outside the Ye Family grounds, accompanied by the reverberation of bells that dimmed the heavens and earth.
"Hmm?"
The gazes of the Ye Family members turned slightly cold as they raised their heads in unison, their eyes suddenly narrowing.
At that moment, they saw an incomparably stunning figure in red descending gracefully into their field of vision.
That fair, indifferent, immortal visage was breathtakingly exquisite.
With a phoenix coil hairdo, deep phoenix eyes, and a straight bridge of a nose, she carried a natural air of grace and nobility.
Gu Mingyue stood suspended in the void, her robes fluttering as her demeanor transcended the secular world, tinged with a slight, awe-inspiring imperial presence—independent and peerless in this world.
At this moment, her expression was extremely calm, yet her heart was stirred with boundless ripples.
Every single blade of grass and tree in the mountain and river palace before her was painfully familiar.
In her previous life, she had adored Ye Xiao, loving him to the very marrow of her bones, and had frequently visited the Ye Family.
Grandfather Ye Zhantian had been exceptionally kind to her, constantly bestowing her with spiritual treasures and divine materials, caring for her in every possible way.
Yet the Immortal Phoenix Ancient Dynasty was located in the Tianxuan Dao Prefecture, still falling somewhat short of the eternal foundation possessed by the Ye Family.
From beginning to end, Ye Xiao had treated her with extreme coldness.
The more it was like this, the harder Gu Mingyue cultivated, desperately hoping to win his approval.
Not only did this subservience fail to satisfy Ye Xiao, but it only made him detest her all the more.
Until the very last moment of her life did Gu Mingyue finally realize that this Divine Son of the Ye Family had simply been using her from start to finish.
He used her talent and her background to step, one step at a time, onto the pinnacle of the Holy Prefecture.
In the end, on the night of their grand wedding, Ye Xiao had even unleashed a demonic technique, devouring her physical body and soul entirely to achieve the pinnacle of the immortal path.
"Mingyue, why have you come?"
Just as Gu Mingyue was lost in her daze, Ye Xiao's figure suddenly appeared right before her, his tone as soft and gentle as when they first met.
"Hmm?"
For a brief fraction of a second, a trace of warmth bloomed in the depths of Gu Mingyue's heart.
Mingyue—what an intimate form of address, the approval she had once dreamed of.
Yet very quickly, this thought startled her into a cold sweat, and her expression gradually turned icy cold.
"I was passing by the Ye Family and came to see Grandpa Ye."
Before Gu Mingyue's voice could even fade away, she saw Ye Xiao suddenly reach out a hand and gently clasp her slender wrist.
"Hmm?"
In an instant, Gu Mingyue's entire body stiffened, and a flush of rosy mist rose across her delicate face.
In neither her past nor her present life had she ever had physical contact with any man.
Especially with Ye Xiao, who had always maintained an insurmountable distance between them.
Yet today, during the grand battle for the Ye Family Divine Son, with the elders of the nine branches and all the clansmen present, Ye Xiao had taken the initiative to reach out and hold her hand.
At this moment, Gu Mingyue felt a sense of utter unreality as she stared into Ye Xiao's deep, pitch-black Double Pupils, causing her Dao heart to tremble slightly.
Under the gaze of the multitudes, hand in hand.
This was the respect and approval she had longed for in vain during her previous life, as well as the deepest scar upon her Dao heart.
"Could it be... that he has discovered the secret within me?"
Gu Mingyue took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
Until she fully figured out Ye Xiao's true intentions, she could never easily trust this Divine Son of the Ye Family again.
Otherwise, her fate might very well end up even more wretched than in her previous life.
"Mingyue, I am so glad you could come."
Ye Xiao's expression was gentle, seemingly unaware of Gu Mingyue's abnormality, as he walked with her toward the divine shrine, stopping before the assembled elders and ancestors of the Ye Family—resembling a pair of divine companions that stirred envy in the hearts of all onlookers.
"Heh, Empress Mingyue."
Ye Zhantian nodded and chuckled, finally understanding why Ye Xiao had refused to break off the engagement.
With Gu Mingyue's beauty, she was truly worthy of being the number one beauty in the Three Thousand Dao Prefectures.
It was a pity her cultivation was now completely ruined; otherwise, she and Ye Xiao would indeed have been a match made in heaven.
"Family Head Ye, esteemed elders."
With a cold and aloof immortal expression, Gu Mingyue withdrew her hand from Ye Xiao's grasp without a trace, giving a slight bow as she spoke.
"Since Young Lord Ye Xiao has arrived, let the Divine Son battle commence."
Ye Qinghan, an elder of the Ye Family's second branch, stepped forward, his tone deep and low. "Young Lord Ye Xiao, you should understand the rules of the contest for the Divine Son."
"Mm."
Ye Xiao nodded lightly, no excessive ripples visible on his face.
The nine branches of the Ye Family had nine sequences.
To become the Divine Son of the Ye Family, one had to defeat the other eight sequences, or secure their submission and support.
"In that case, Young Lord Ye Xiao, please."
As Ye Qinghan retreated to the side, leaving the entire plaza of the main hall to Ye Xiao, every gaze in the Ye Family instantly landed upon the First Sequence.
Meanwhile, Ye Xiao's eyes swept one by one over Ye Xingchen, Ye Ru, and the others, a gentle and brilliant smile suddenly blooming across his clear, handsome face. "Fighting you one by one is far too dull. You might as well all come at me together."