# Chapter 423: Removing the Shackles
Ye Fan bore great Dao wounds, with at most half a year of life remaining. Even though he had broken the curse and dominated the younger generation, he was naturally no longer a target worth recruiting.
"Regarding the marriage alliance..." The Peerless Divine King sat at the head, his hair white as snow, his eyes dim, but his heroic bearing undiminished, making it impossible to discern his true condition.
The Wind Clan Sacred Lord sat below, unmoving, his black hair flowing loose, his eyes deep and profound, possessing an intangible authority, yet not overly restrained before the Divine King.
"This girl Fenghuang is too willful. She refuses to agree to death, and we have no way to deal with it. This child has been spoiled by us."
"I understand." The White-Robed Divine King nodded, then coughed lightly, traces of blood appearing on a square of white silk, bright and startling.
"Alas, no one expected such a thing to happen." Wind Clan Sacred Lord Feng Jingyun spoke.
"This is not your fault. Ye Fan is like me—precarious, living from day to day, with no future to speak of. If he were to be betrothed to the Wind Clan's bright pearl, it would indeed be inappropriate." The White-Robed Divine King wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his expression somewhat desolate.
The White-Robed Divine King had existed in the world for five thousand years. When his Battle Saint Art was unleashed, all the heroes of the world submitted. He had personally stepped forward to facilitate a marriage alliance between the two clans, yet in the end, it came to nothing.
Though it damaged his prestige, the Divine King did not dwell on it. Reality was what it was; saying more would only invite humiliation. It was better to let the matter pass as if nothing had happened.
After all, he had politely declined the Peerless Divine King. Wind Clan Sacred Lord Feng Jingyun was somewhat nervous inside. Although he had blamed it on Fenghuang's willfulness, who couldn't see through such an excuse?
"Greetings to the Divine King!" Ye Fan took in everything, entered to perform a grand bow, then paid his respects to the Wind Clan Sacred Lord.
Wind Clan Sacred Lord Feng Jingyun relaxed inwardly, changed the subject, and looked at Ye Fan, saying, "Heaven never seals off all exits. There will surely be a way to resolve this. Do not despair."
Ye Fan smiled, bright and radiant. His heart knot had been untied; he was no longer gloomy. Revealing a mouthful of gleaming teeth, he said, "Heaven wants to take me, but I truly don't want to go. I won't let it have its way."
"Good!" The Peerless Divine King nodded.
The Wind Clan Sacred Lord smiled and said, "A young man should be like this—full of vitality. I believe your future is not limited to this. You've even broken a curse that lasted over a hundred thousand years. Is there anything more difficult than that?"
This was naturally just polite talk. At this point, he could only say words of encouragement. The engagement was impossible. Fortunately, nothing had ever been confirmed, so there was no breach of promise.
Ye Fan smiled, expressed his thanks, then bid farewell to the Divine King, saying he would travel far away.
"Leave in two days. That child with the Supreme Yin Constitution has been clamoring to see you and will arrive tomorrow." The Divine King spoke thus.
Little Tingting was coming. Ye Fan nodded in agreement.
"Divine Immortality Pills are supreme healing treasures. Every Great Emperor cultivated one kind—they are the rarest immortal delicacies in the world. If you could find one, it would certainly be of great use for your injured body. What you lack is only the ancient primordial heaven and earth." The Peerless Divine King spoke.
This was the result of his contemplation over many days. For Ye Fan to heal his Dao wounds, he would need to nourish himself with a Divine Immortality Pill in the primordial heaven and earth of ancient times to fully recover.
"The primordial heaven and earth..." The Wind Clan Sacred Lord was greatly startled.
"In the vast Eastern Wasteland, only seven places still retain the law power of the primordial heaven and earth, which can nourish the Sacred Body." The White-Robed Divine King said.
"Could it be the seven Forbidden Zones of Life?!" The Wind Clan Sacred Lord was shaken, his face filled with shock.
"Unfortunately, aside from the Great Emperors, no one can survive for even a few months within the Forbidden Zones." The Peerless Divine King sighed.
The Sacred Body was the darling of heaven and earth before the Primordial Era. In those times, the laws of the Great Dao had not changed, making them very suitable for their growth. According to the Divine King's speculation, only by healing in such a region with a Divine Immortality Pill could recovery be achieved.
Ye Fan's mind suddenly became clear. He clenched his fists. His life was finally in his own hands. He could gamble on a chance, rather than simply resigning to fate.
When he walked out of the great hall, he saw Feng Lie and his group. These people now looked at him with strange eyes. One rather attractive woman chuckled lightly, "I'll go tell the young lady. He's finally been dealt with."
Hearing these words, Ye Fan turned and looked at her, saying, "There was never any relationship. Why is this necessary?"
"Naturally, there could never be a relationship. Hmph!" This young woman was Fenghuang's maid. Last time, she and more than ten others, including Feng Lie, had all been humiliated by Ye Fan.
Beside her, someone else snorted coldly, "Three million catties of Source—even thrown into water, it would make a sound. But in the end, it was all wasted."
"Yes, truly a waste. Such an astronomical sum only built a porcelain doll with only half a year of life. Such extravagant squandering."
"This constitution just doesn't work. In the end, everything comes to nothing. It cost our clan so much Source."
More than ten young men and women, all Fenghuang's cousins and such, some of whom had been humiliated by Ye Fan, now saw him in such a state and spoke coldly.
Ye Fan swept his gaze over them and said, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I might have forgotten. Three million catties of Source is indeed no small amount. If I don't die, I will personally go to the Wind Clan to repay it."
"Young man, saying such things makes me lose face. Do not mention it again!" The Wind Clan Sacred Lord walked out, his face dark as he scolded these young people. "So lacking in manners. Return to the clan and immediately go into seclusion."
These people were all afraid of the Wind Clan Sacred Lord. They all lowered their heads, not daring to say more, until Feng Jingyun had gone far away before raising them again.
Someone muttered, "Easy to say. He's about to die. How can he repay it?"
"Exactly. In less than half a year, he'll be a rotting corpse. What repayment is there to speak of?"
Ye Fan couldn't be bothered to argue with them. He merely revealed a faint smile at the corner of his mouth and said, "I will live for ten thousand years. By then, all the Holy Lands will probably be troubled by how long my life is."
Not far away, a graceful figure approached. Fenghuang wore a five-colored rainbow garment—she was the Wind Clan's bright pearl. Her slender jade body was wreathed in colorful clouds, dazzling and moving.
Her legendary peerless immortal countenance was hidden behind a five-colored phoenix mask. It was clearly a secret treasure, impossible to see through, flowing with light and color.
"Young lady, I was just about to tell you the good news," the maid from before chuckled lightly.
Fenghuang was as haughty as ever, as if standing atop the clouds. She raised her crystalline, snow-white little chin and swept a cold glance at Ye Fan. "Take good care of your injuries."
Ye Fan smiled, said nothing, and turned to leave.
If he didn't die, he might indeed meet these people again soon. The Wind Clan was located in the central region of the Eastern Wasteland. One of the seven Forbidden Zones of Life, Immortal Mountain, was in that area. After resolving his own problems, he would inevitably have to go there.
That night, Ye Fan clearly stated that he would go seek a Divine Immortality Pill and gamble against heaven for a chance at life.
Pang Bo firmly opposed it, believing it was too dangerous and would surely be a journey of nine deaths and one life. He wanted to seize the Green Emperor's heart to extend Ye Fan's life.
However, Ye Fan's resolve was set and could no longer be changed.
Since things had come to this point, opposition was useless. The few of them began to discuss where would be most suitable.
"Actually, there is a Divine Immortality Pill in Purple Mountain, personally planted by Emperor Wu Shi. But unfortunately, we can't enter anymore." Black Emperor was vexed. He had been cursing all day, unable to understand why such a thing had happened.
"How does this dead dog know so much? Did he escape from inside?" Li Heishui was suspicious.
"Could it be... the world is beginning to change again?" The big black dog looked fervently at the sky, laughed foolishly, and ignored the suspicious glances of the others.
Now, no one had time to care about these things. They were all discussing where to go.
Li Heishui believed they absolutely could not go to the seven Forbidden Zones of Life. Even ancient sages entered but never came out. It was impossible to stay there for months to heal.
Tu Fei felt that the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest was worth considering. After all, they had personally seen a True Dragon Divine Medicine there. Apart from that, it would be hard to find one anywhere else in the world.
"Actually, I made my decision long ago. You all thought I was collecting Divine Source stone skin to enter Purple Mountain. That was never the case."
Ye Fan spread out a sketch map of the Eastern Wasteland and pointed to one end. "I will go there."
"No, absolutely not. This place cannot be entered. It's too dangerous."
"Even if several Holy Lands joined forces to attack, they couldn't raise a single ripple. It's a true death ground. No one can come out alive."
Tu Fei and Li Heishui strongly opposed.
The next day, Little Tingting crossed the void with members of the Jiang Family. She wore a purple dress, was as delicate as a carved porcelain doll, but her big eyes were filled with tears.
As soon as she saw Ye Fan, she rushed over. "Big Brother..."
She had already learned everything about Ye Fan. Heartbroken, tears continuously rolled down, wetting Ye Fan's clothes, her eyes red from crying.
"Big Brother, please don't let anything happen to you." She wailed loudly, extremely sorrowful.
"Tingting, be good. Don't cry. I'll be fine." Ye Fan crouched down and gently comforted her.
"Big Brother, Tingting has Supreme Yin True Blood. I've read ancient texts—it can save people's lives..." Little Tingting wiped her tears while sobbing, trying to cut open her own fair little wrist to release her Supreme Yin True Blood.
Ye Fan quickly stopped her, tapped her nose, and smiled. "Don't worry. Before long, I'll be perfectly fine."
"Really?" Little Tingting's long eyelashes were adorned with crystalline teardrops, her little face full of disbelief.
"Have I ever lied to you? Don't cry, or you'll turn into a little kitten." Ye Fan helped her wipe away her tears, patted her head, and smiled.
"When will I be able to see you again?" Little Tingting still didn't believe him. Every time her big eyes blinked, teardrops would roll down.
"It won't be too long." As Ye Fan said this, the Primordial Qi Cauldron appeared, hovering above his head, letting down ten thousand strands of Mysterious Yellow Qi, thread by thread, creating a hazy scene.
"Hiss!"
Everyone drew in cold breaths. Many wanted to pounce, and if not for the Peerless Divine King being present, a bloody battle would have been unavoidable.
"Ah!" Little Tingting was also startled.
"Do you like it?" Ye Fan asked her. Then he stood up and faced the members of the Jiang Family. "I am temporarily lending this cauldron to Little Tingting."
Everyone understood his meaning. His life or death was uncertain. If he couldn't return, the cauldron would be given to the Jiang Clan's little princess. If he could recover, he would take it back in the future.
No one believed he could return from the dead. The eyes of various powerful experts burned with greed. Such a heaven-defying sacred treasure, given away just like that, and to the Jiang Clan's little princess—it was essentially giving it to the Jiang Family.
Ye Fan had originally wanted to leave the cauldron to Pang Bo, but he feared it would bring disaster upon him, so he didn't do that. He had experienced too much himself.
The reason the Holy Lands had been hunting him was mainly related to the Primordial Qi Cauldron. He didn't want Pang Bo to follow in his footsteps. He secretly gave the Phoenix Blood Red Gold to Pang Bo.
It was also a peerless sacred treasure, but no one knew of the Phoenix Blood Red Gold's existence, so it wouldn't bring calamity to Pang Bo.
"I'll keep it for you. In the future, we'll forge a super Extreme Weapon. The more types of sacred materials, the better." Pang Bo said this as he accepted it.
With the cauldron entrusted to Little Tingting and protected by the Jiang Family, there was no need to worry about outsiders coveting it. This also allowed Ye Fan to completely free himself. When his strength was sufficient, he could retrieve it.
Now, with little life left and his supreme treasure given away, the major powers had no reason to keep staring at him. This could be called breaking the deadlock and removing the shackles.
Many young people of the Wind Clan were dissatisfied, feeling that Ye Fan had shown favoritism and ignored the Wind Clan.
"Actually, you still have hope of living. If you sever your Four Extremes cultivation, although your injuries won't heal, they won't worsen either."
A divine physician from the Eastern Wasteland said this. He had been summoned by the Peerless Divine King. He himself possessed Saint Lord-rank cultivation, and his medical skills were rare in the world.
"Is that so? Then I will certainly choose to continue living." Ye Fan smiled. If he could gamble on a future from his distant journey, this would be a good excuse to cover it up.
The Divine King left, silently. No one knew where he went. Disappearing with him were Little Tingting and the Primordial Qi Cauldron.
He did not return to the Jiang Family, leaving a great suspense for the world!
Everyone had already deduced that he had little life left and wouldn't live much longer. But why had he taken that little girl away?
Some speculated that this was the Divine King's final deterrent measure—deliberately leaving an unsolved mystery so that the world could not know whether he was alive or dead.
Without a definite answer, it was like a sword that had not yet fallen, keeping everyone's hearts hanging. This was an intangible deterrent.
As Ye Fan was about to leave, he carefully toured Divine City. Wherever he passed, the younger generation was extremely wary, afraid he would engage in a final frenzy.
"Damn it, the Sacred Body is coming. Run quickly! He has no chance of living anymore. He's probably looking for Saint Son-level figures to massacre."
"Let's go. It's best to leave Divine City first. Haven't you seen? All the Holy Maidens and Holy Sons have already fled, nowhere to be seen."
"It's said that even Golden Wing Little Peng King has left, returning to the central region of the Eastern Wasteland."
"Fenghuang and the others have also left, returning to the central region."
Wherever Ye Fan passed, it was like a deserted street. Everyone feared that in his final days of little life, he would challenge others. No one dared to confront him; all retreated.
Unfortunately, everyone guessed wrong. Ye Fan did not challenge anyone.
After Black Emperor carved an extremely complex and profound Domain Gate array pattern, Ye Fan chose to bid farewell to Divine City and depart.
Yao Yuekong, the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi, the Great Xia Prince, the White-Robed Little Nun, and others came to see him off. Then some more people arrived.
Ye Fan saw An Miaoyi among the crowd. She was peerlessly elegant, untouched by worldly dust, quietly gazing at him, her eyes very clear.
"Swish"
Ye Fan raised his hand and offered the "Immortal Conch," sending it flying toward An Miaoyi. It was a rare treasure cut from Immortal Sound Stone. If nourished by immortal qi, it could become a supreme immortal scripture.
"Farewell!"
Ye Fan stepped onto the Dark Jade Platform and vanished in an instant, crossing the void and departing.