Chapter 970: No Marriage Alliance for the Celestial Sect of Wonders!
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Lin Feng had met Xiao Zhener and her uncle Gu Peng when they came the rescue of Mount Yujing. After the war, Lin Feng spoke with her too, but only briefly. He was clear about her mastery level.
According to his estimates, if Xiao Zhener wished to ascend into the Immortal Soul stage, that’s possible. However, she still lacked cultivation and her chance of success was limited.
Lin Feng paused for a while and then started to smile. He looked at Xiao Yan and asked, "Did you give your Great Ice Moonlight Ruler to her?"
Xiao Yan smiled sheepishly as he waved his hands hurriedly at Lin Feng and said, "Master, I can’t use that item at all. Hence, I decided to give it to Zhener. However, she refused to take it. hence, after I communicated with the Ancient Lightning Jade Earring, I decided to give the Ancient Lightning Jade Earring to her."
The Ancient Lightning Jade Earring was born from the Grand Yin Barren Lightning. While it was made from Yin Lightning, it had its unique traits too. When Xiao Yan obtained it, he combined lightning and fire and increase its power. The Ancient Lightning Jade Earring’s powers became more diversified and the original soul of the magic treasure was naturally delighted.
However, to the Great Ice Moonlight Ruler, following Xiao Yan was akin to a punishment.
However, Xiao Zhener, who cultivated the Ancient Immortality Scripture was better able to cultivate the Great Ice Moonlight Ruler despite the difference in their types of cultivation.
Similarly, Xiao Zhener was able to carefully deduce the powers of the Great Ice Moonlight River and better understand herself through it.
Lin Feng laughed, "So that’s your exchange of dowry? The dowries are expensive indeed, with both being magic treasures."
Xiao Yan chuckled as a look of happiness flashed in his eyes.
Lin Feng’s lips twitched and he almost wanted to laugh. Speaking of it, the two treasure that Xiao Yan gave her, the Ancient Royal Sword and the Great Ice Moonlight River, both belonged to the Marquis of Jinghuan originally.
He recalled the saying, if a hero was poor, all he needed to do was to find his enemy. Doing so would make him wealthy.
Those who dared to compete for love with a hero were dumb indeed. All they could do was to give congratulatory gifts. With their friendship, the hero of our story would be better able to go after the girl that he liked.
As he cast these nonsensical thoughts out of his head, Lin Feng started to think carefully once more as he said in a low voice, "Zhener is trying for the Immortal Soul stage way earlier than I thought. Right now, we lack Starry Purplish Grass Pill. It will take too much time to wait for the Trāyastriṃśa Elixir of Creation to be completed. By then, we won’t be saving her much time."
"By the time we get another batch of Starry Purplish Grass Pill for the next batch of Trāyastriṃśa Elixir of Creation, I’m afraid Zhener may be in the Immortal Soul stage already."
When Xiao Yan heard that, he said, "Master, it’s…"
He was the one who cultivated the Trāyastriṃśa Elixir of Creation and he had also ingested it. He knew that it was the most valuable medicine in the Celestial Sect of Wonders.
While Yue Hongyan, Yang Qing, Li Yuanfang and Luo Qingwu could not use it just yet, they, as immediate disciples, only obtained one each.
Miao Shihao, Kang Nanhua, Jieyu and the other humans and demons in the sect were all in their Advanced Nascent Soul stage. They too did not get the pill.
While Xiao Yan and Xiao Zhener were in love, the two of them had yet to marry. In terms of belonging, Xiao Zhener could not be said to be a member of the Celestial Sect of Wonders. Hence, Xiao Yan could not give this rare medicine to Xiao Zhener.
Actually, to thank the Ancient Longevity World for their assistance during the Anti-Celestial Sect War, Lin Feng and Xiao Yan had decided to use the Trāyastriṃśa Elixir of Creation as gifts. After all, Xiao Zhener had spent quite some time in the Advanced Nascent Soul stage and she may need to use it.
After all, after she understood the value of the Trāyastriṃśa Elixir of Creation, she refused to accept it.
In Lin Feng’s eyes, that was because there was still some distance between her and the Immortal Soul stage. Hence, she was okay with not having it.
However, the situation was different now. Lin Feng seemed to know what Xiao Yan wanted to say. He waved his hand and said, "It’s fine. The last two pills are reserved for emergencies and special occasions. Xiao Yan, go and look for your Fourth Junior and give her Trāyastriṃśa Elixir of Creation to Zhener."
Xiao Yan’s lips trembled as he bowed to Lin Feng and said, "Thank you, master."
Lin Feng sent him to look for Yue Hongyan. In other sects, such an action would naturally earn the displeasure of the giver. To minimize conflict, the master would have to personally ask for the pill in his name and in the name of the sect.
However, despite the different personalities of the disciples of the sect, they were all very close with one another and hence, they did not mind.
When Xiao Yan reached the Blizzard Valley, he was both embarrassed and apologetic. However, he stated openly his intention.
Yue Hongyan did not hesitate and immediately gave her Trāyastriṃśa Elixir of Creation to Xiao Yan while poking fun at him.
Yang Qing, who was visiting at this moment, congratulated Xiao Yan too upon hearing the news.
Yang Qing, who hardly showed any sign of joy since the incident, smiled. His smile was like a gust of clear wing. In that instant, the happy, warm youth of the past returned.
If Yue Hongyan was the only one there, then Xiao Yan would have continued to joke around with her. However, faced with Yang Qing, he only smiled slightly and thanked him. He did not talk too much about his matter with Xiao Zhener for fear of making his junior sad.
Yang Qing was happy for him and he was naturally touched. However, he needed to take Yang Qing’s feelings into consideration too.
For Yang Qing, he would probably never see his lover Fang Ting ever again and that was a major source of heartache for him. That was the reason why Lin Feng asked Xiao Yan to take the Trāyastriṃśa Elixir of Creation from Yue Hongyan and not Yang Qing.
However, if Xiao Yan were to enter the Ancient Longevity World sneakily and leave right after passing the Trāyastriṃśa Elixir of Creation to Xiao Zhener, then that would be highly rude and impolite. In fact, it might even be viewed as a threatening action that had ill intentions.
If he were to go, he would go in the capacity of the Xuan Yan Holy Man, Xiao Yan, of the Celestial Sect of Wonders who was making a formal visit to the Ancient Longevity World.
However, Lin Feng stopped Xiao Yan. He shook his head and said, "The Great Void Sect had just visited them. If you go right afterwards, then they may perceive the relationship between you and Zhener as a political marriage."
Xiao Yan knew the implications. If he were to visit the Ancient Longevity World, it would be viewed as an interaction between the Celestial Sect of Wonders and the Ancient Longevity World even if he talked about nothing. This was due to his status as the eldest disciple of the Celestial Sect of Wonders.
Hence, instead of delivering the Trāyastriṃśa Elixir of Creation, it had to be brought along as a side-thought.
However, the nature of the thing would have changed completely.
The principle would be the same even if Zhu Yi or Wang Lin went. In fact, even if Lin Feng communicated to the Ancient Longevity World through a Voice-Projecting Crystal, it would be viewed in the same vein. The only way to avoid it was to not give the pill and instead, discuss things properly.
"Many people will view your marriage to her as such. That is an unavoidable reality because of your background and sect."
"Don’t pay attention to the words of others. I have seen how the two of you progressed from childhood sweetheart till today and I know that your love is true. However, if her parents misunderstand your intentions, then it will not be easy for you and Zhener."
When Lin Feng first began his rise, Shi Zongyue of the Great Qin Empire proposed a marriage between Shi Shaoqian and Yue Hongyan by the Sea of the Northern Wind during the Spiritual Conference of Huanghai. Lin Feng rejected it straightaway as he believed Yue Hongyan should decide these matters for herself.
Today, Shi Zongyue had never once brought the matter up. It was as if it had never existed.
Right now, Lin Feng would never consider marriage alliances. Everything should be decided by his disciples. All he did was to make sure that the person had no ulterior motive.
However, many people did try to ask him for his disciples’ hand. Not only did they go after Yue Hongyan or Luo Qingwu, some of them even asked for the hands of his second-generation disciples such as Dao Yuting, Li Xingfei and Zhuge Wanqiu.
It was not necessarily marriage. He had to deal with many requests for them to be paired up with others as ‘Daoist couple’. However, most of them was for marriage alliance. Naturally, he rejected all of them.
This appeared to be something normal in the Divine Lands. Other than the Great Thunderclap Temple, many other powers had to deal with similar issues, particularly during the reign of the Emperors of Man during the Antiquity Age.
Marriages between imperial households were common. While it was rarer between sects, as disciples tended to marry within their own sects, there were indeed marriages between disciples of different sects.
Marriage in the cultivation world had a stronger political meaning compared to marriage in the mortal world.
Of course, these marriages were much looser and more symbolic. While they may be allied today, it was just as likely for the alliance to fall apart.
The simplest example happened a long time ago. Before the rise of the Great Zhou Empire, an ancestor of Liang Pan, the Zhou Emperor then, sought to marry a princess from the Great Qin Empire. That was when the two empires co-existed the best.
Lin Feng could understand the special circumstances that gave rise to this. It was a method to deepen inter-sect relations.
However, regardless what other sects did, he never planned on doing something like that. Everything should be decided by the parties directly involved. Lin Feng never viewed himself as a defender of morality, but he would never interfere in the personal affairs of others.
Hence, regardless whether it was his immediate disciples or the other disciples in the Celestial Sect of Wonders, everyone could marry whomever they like. As long as the other party was sincere, then everything could be discussed. If his disciple was unwilling, then Lin Feng would not permit it even if the other party offered the Supreme Heavenly Mirror as dowry.
Lin Feng looked at Xiao Yan and said quietly, "Hence, you cannot go yourself this time. Instead, you can ask one of your disciples. I’ll ask Saros to protect them."
It had to be a successive disciple who could not be past the Aurous Core stage. That would mean that the Celestial Sect of Wonders did not plan on discussing anything with the Ancient Longevity World. Their only purpose was to pass an item over.
Xiao Yan looked at Lin Feng and said nothing for a long while. He bowed deeply and said, "I am touched by master’s love for me. However, since the Great Void Sect had already sent a delegation over, I fear that we may be losing out if we don’t do anything."
After many years of training, Xiao Yan was still direct, brave and straightforward. However, there was much he did not understand.
While the giving of the Trāyastriṃśa Elixir of Creation was an act of kindness, it completely changed in nature because of Xiao Yan’s personal affairs. The ties between the Celestial Sect of Wonders and the Ancient Longevity World was not something that a second-generation disciple could be responsible for,
This was especially so after the visit by the Great Void Sect. The Celestial Sect of Wonders could not possibly know what change in mindset the Ancient Longevity World may undergo after the visit.
Perhaps he may gradually accept Xiao Yan. However, Xiao Zhener’s father, as the leader of his family, would have to make decisions for the welfare of the entire Ancient Longevity World no matter how much he loved his daughter. That was a result of his position.