Chapter 1237 - A Marriage Alliance

“Don’t tell me that ancient hidden realm hides some kind of incredible good fortune?” asked Su Yi.

Those who placed in the top three at the Cold Mountain Night Banquet could enter an ancient hidden realm to cultivate.

Shang Qingping was the member of her family with the greatest hope of placing in the top three.

It wasn’t at all impossible that some of their competing factions would resort to underhanded means to ensure their geniuses' entrance to the hidden realm.

Shang Qingping said, “The ancient hidden realm is located in the heart of Cold Mountain. It contains the Violet Dome Star Realm’s most primordial chaos power. Cultivating there won’t just help you comprehend the Celestial Laws of the Violet Dome Star Realm; it’ll let your cultivation base undergo a rapid transformation.”

She then went on to explain that the ancient hidden realm was a treasure ground for proving one’s Dao and becoming a World King!

Over the years, at least half of those who placed in the top three at the Cold Mountain Night Banquet proved their Dao and broke into the World King Realm while cultivating in its ancient hidden realm!

“So, it’s good fortune great enough to let one challenge the World King Realm. No wonder,” murmured Meng Changyun.

Out amongst the stars, World Kings were peak existences, but they were also the rarest of the rare.

This was because proving one’s Dao and becoming a World King was far too difficult. It didn’t just require sufficient talent and foundations. It also required good fortune and the right opportunity!

Cruel though it was to say, fewer than one in a hundred Imperial Apex cultivators would step onto the Path of Heaven’s Ascension and become World Kings!

Thus, no Emperor would pass up on an opportunity to prove their Dao and ascend, no matter the cost!

Su Yi subtly inclined his head.

He’d presided over the Wilds for countless years in his past life. As glorious as he’d seemed, his cultivation had stagnated at the peak of Profound Unity.

He’d expended an enormous amount of time and effort into seeking out the Path of Heaven’s Ascension.

Now that he had the Temple Master’s memories and experiences, Su Yi understood on an even more visceral level that even out amongst the stars, not just any Profound Unity Emperor could reach the Path of Heaven’s Ascension!

When such an opportunity was placed before the seven great ancient clans of the Violet Dome Star Realm, the competition was sure to be incomparably brutal.

In the time that followed, Su Yi learned more about the Shang Family’s situation.

In the end, he sighed to himself. He’d understood a lot.

The Shang Family had declined!

When Shang Jianlou still lived, his family was the greatest ancient clan in the Violet Dome Star Realm! Furthermore, their connection to Shang Jianlou made the entire family famous throughout the hundred great star realms.

And whenever anyone discussed the Violet Dome Star Realm, they were sure to mention Shang Jianlou’s name!

But now...

The Shang Family was no longer the top faction of the Violet Dome Star Realm, and hadn’t been for a long time. Even though its foundations remained in place, its prestige was far from what it once was. It was still one of the star realm’s seven great ancient clans, but that’s all it was.

All of this was the result of Shang Jianlou’s death.

Simply put, the Shang Family’s name shook the stars thanks to Shang Jianlou’s prestige and declined upon his death!

No matter what, I’ve got to give that girl a hand this time.

Su Yi took out a jug of wine and silently took a sip.

Back then, he brought Shang Jianlou to the Nightmare Winds Belt’s Poisonous Wastes to prove his Dao and become a World King.

He’d also instructed Shang Jianlou’s cultivation of the Dao of the Sword.

Although they weren’t officially master and disciple, they’d bonded over this transmission of the Dao.

......

Two days later.

The treasure ship passed through the Nightmare Winds Belt and arrived in the depths of outer space! Outer space was boundlessly vast, home to over a hundred star realms and countless planes and worlds both big and small.

The Violet Dome Star Realm was just one of many.

It wasn’t the greatest, and it certainly wasn’t ranked amongst the top ten star realms.

But a long time ago, Shang Jianlou, a legendary sword cultivator famous throughout the stars, was born here.

......

There were transmission arrays linking all of the major star realms. Those who didn’t wish to make the arduous journey on foot could instead pay a sum of Star Vein Spirit Crystals to travel by transmission array.

However, doing so was incredibly expensive. Ordinary cultivators could in no way afford such a sum.

When Su Yi and company arrived in the depths of outer space, they took a transmission array directly to the Violet Dome Star Realm to save time.

“Young Leader, the family head told us to proceed directly to the Divine Cloud World.”

They’d only just arrived when Uncle Hong saw a message from their leader in the secret treasure he carried with him at all times.

Shang Qingping’s delicate eyebrows furrowed, and her face filled with anxiety.

Tomorrow night, the curtains would open on the Cold Mountain Night Banquet atop the Divine Cloud World’s Cold Mountain Peak.

And her injuries showed no sign of improvement.

If she participated in the Cold Mountain Night Banquet’s discussions of the Dao in her current state, she stood little chance of placing in the top three!

Shang Qingping sighed deeply. “Uncle Hong, send a message to my father. Ask if we have any Extreme Yang Immortal Dew in reserve, and if so, please have them send it to me as soon as possible.”

“Got it!” said Uncle Hong.

“You’ve yet to step into Profound Unity. Even if you place in the top three and enter that ancient hidden realm, you won’t have an opportunity to attempt a breakthrough into the World King Realm anytime soon. So what’s the rush?” Su Yi couldn’t help but ask.

It seemed that Shang Qingping attached enormous importance to this opportunity.

Shang QIngping shook her head. “It’s not about becoming a World King, but that I have to place in the top three.”

“Why?” Su Yi’s eyebrows rose.

Shang Qingping pursed her lips, a complicated look on her face. “It’s only by placing in the top three that I’ll be qualified... to marry into the ancient Lan Family and become their young family head’s... Dao partner...”

By the time she finished her sentence, her beautiful face looked utterly bleak.

Meng Changyun was stunned.

The lofty young mistress of the ancient Shang Family, a dazzling genius of her generation and proud daughter of heaven blessed with the heaven-defying Nine-Yin Profound Meridians was working so hard.... Just to get married?

This seemed unquestionably ludicrous.

Su Yi was surprised too. He couldn’t help but examine her closely. “Is someone... forcing you to do this?”

Shang Qingpring shook her head, pursed her lips, and remained silent. It seemed she was unwilling to discuss it.

“Do you think she’s just in this for her own personal benefit?” Yao Xue couldn’t help but interject. “No! She’s doing this to help her clan!”

“What do you mean?” asked Su Yi.

“Yao Xue, enough,” Shang Qingping objected.

Yao Xue’s eyes shone with doting affection. “Qingping, they’re going to the Cold Mountain Night Banquet anyway, and they’ll find out sooner or later. I can’t let them look down on you, nor can I let them think you’re doing to this to yourself just to use the Lan Family to climb to greater heights."

She then looked at Su Yi and revealed the truth.

It wasn’t complicated.

For the past thousand years, the Shang Family’s situation had worsened with each passing day. Their subordinate factions and territories were gradually being divided amongst the other ancient clans.

Worst of all, three hundred years ago, the Shang Family’s only remaining Oneness World King almost lost himself to madness and obsession while undergoing seclusion.

Although he survived in the end, he suffered incurable Dao Wounds!

This incident caused uproar throughout the Violet Dome Star Realm, and it severely damaged the Shang Family’s prestige, shaking their authority.

In the three hundred years that followed, their situation became much worse.

By now, never mind the other six ancient clans; even second-rate factions of the Violet Dome Star Realm disregarded the Shang Family!

A few years prior, the older-generation members of the family suggested a marriage alliance between Shang Qingping and the young master of the Lan Family.

That way, the two clans would be joined through marriage. That would help improve the Shang Family’s situation somewhat.

In truth, the Shang Family and Lan Family had always gotten along. The two clans interacted closely, and many of their descendants had already become Dao Partners.

Even so, the leader of the Shang Family vehemently opposed this suggestion. Their Oneness Ancestor objected too. He said that she had Nine-Yin Profound Meridians, and they couldn’t possibly let her marry into the Lan Family!

The proposal was officially put on hold, and no one had brought it up since.

But starting last year, the Shang Family faced a series of disasters. Their territories were swallowed up by hostile factions, and worse, they lost many of their experts, resulting in a massive blow to their vitality.

It was absolutely fair to say they were beset on all sides and in an extremely precarious situation.

Thus, Shang Qingping took the initiative to express her hope that she could alleviate the clan’s worries through a marriage alliance with the Lan Family!

In the end, not even her father, the leader of the family, could shake her determination. He could only agree.

Thus, the Shang Family sent an envoy to the ancient Lan Family to discuss the matter.

The Lan Family didn’t refuse, but they did say that if Shang Qingping wanted to become their young family head’s Dao Partner, she had to display talent and ability worthy of him at the Cold Mountain Night Banquet’s discussions of the Dao. That meant placing in the top three at the very least!

Only then would they be willing to discuss a marriage alliance with the Shang Family.

After understanding all this, Su Yi couldn’t help but sigh.

The Shang Family has actually fallen so far? Otherwise, how could they possibly pin their hopes of changing their situation on a marriage alliance?

I really would never have expected this.

“Hasn’t the relationship between the Lan and Shang Families always been good? Why have they made such a request in regards to your proposed marriage alliance? Are they deliberately making things difficult for you?” Meng Changyun couldn’t help but ask.

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

“No,” said Yao Xue. “The Lan Family’s slowly been distancing themselves from the Shang Family ever since the Shang Family began its decline.”

Meng Changyun instantly understood. Relationships between clans were bonds of mutual interest.

When the distance between their positions and strengths increased, it was impossible for them to retain their former closeness.

This was reality.

Su Yi disregarded this. Instead, he looked at Shang Qingping and said, “You want to help alleviate your clan’s worries and change their predicament. Your intentions are rare and precious, but... your choice of means, a marriage alliance, is decidedly unwise.”

Shang Qingping’s eyelashes fluttered, and she lowered her head silently.

Yao Xue, however, was displeased. “That’s easy for you to say! In the modern Violet Dome Star Realm, the Shang Family has no allies left. If there were any other method to help her clan, do you think Qingping would resort to lowering herself like this?”

Su Yi said casually, “Let me resolve this.”

“You?” Yao Xue was flabbergasted.

Shang Qingping had been silent this entire time, but now, she too looked stunned.

Uncle Hong, meanwhile, sighed and shook his head.