"I should figure out a way to reclaim my Sea Calming Divine Pearl," Zhang Chen thought of his own treasured Sea Calming Divine Pearl. The Divine Lady within that pearl had been hiding in the sculpture, stealing Incense Faith. Now, since there was no more Incense Faith left within the Yellow Heaven Dao, she had nothing to steal. It was time for a conversation.
With this thought in mind, Zhang Chen used an Invisibility Rune and made his way to the backyard.
Currently, there were no powerful figures in the Daoist Temple; all the experts had gone to the Two Realms Passage to absorb mysterious elements. Therefore, Zhang Chen wasn’t afraid of being detected by the disciples in the temple.
Zhang Chen arrived in the backyard before the Divine Position of the Water God of the Miluo River. Just as he stood before the sculpture, the Sea Calming Divine Pearl automatically flew out, hovering before Zhang Chen. As he reached out to examine it, the pearl suddenly appeared in Zhang Chen’s Spiritual World, settling into the azure lotus flower.
The azure lotus, after Zhang Chen ascended two realms and cultivated magical power for five hundred years, changed wondrously as countless azure lotus filaments were born.
The filaments were slender, formed by countless runes and Taoist rhymes, giving off a sense of profound mystery.
Zhang Chen was astonished to see the Sea Calming Divine Pearl willingly entering his Spiritual World. As he was about to carefully examine it, a stream of water-blue light revolved within the pearl, revealing a phantom figure.
The figure: high-piled cloud-like hair, delicate linked brows. Lips bright like red, teeth pure inside. Eyes clear, full of expressiveness, and cheeks smooth, giving an air of authority. Her elegant form outstanding, tranquil yet leisurely. Gentle charm transcends words, a beauty of unparalleled attire, embodying a portrait.
It was the Divine Lady who had swallowed the Divine Position of the Miluo River Water God. She stood within Zhang Chen’s base of magical power, her gaze revealing a hint of disbelief at the flow of power within Zhang Chen.
"Who are you, senior?" Zhang Chen, noticing the figure within his Spiritual World, became instantly wary.
"Incredible."
The woman did not reply but sighed softly before her form vanished back into the Sea Calming Divine Pearl.
Seeing this, Zhang Chen was stunned. He stretched out his hand to summon the Sea Calming Divine Pearl. The azure blue pearl appeared in his palm.
The Sea Calming Divine Pearl was something Zhang Chen nurtured, so he was acutely aware of everything within it, leaving nothing unnoticed.
"Hmm?" Zhang Chen sensed a human figure residing within the pearl, siphoning some of his magical power to stabilize its form.
"Interesting." Zhang Chen mused over the pearl, lost in contemplation.
Undoubtedly, this outsider intended to linger within the Sea Calming Divine Pearl, relying on it to absorb his magical power to repair and stabilize their form.
Yet, for some reason, Zhang Chen felt an inexplicable bond between them, as if the woman were a family member, willing to provide her with magical power.
He tried to discern the truth. The Divine Lady had previously depended on Incense Power while housed within the sculpture to restore her form. But as the Incense dried up, her soul body became unstable, leaving her to rely on his power to stabilize herself.
"Why am I so willing to give to her?"
A flash of doubt crossed Zhang Chen’s mind.
He was most puzzled by the fact that although she was taking his creation power, he felt no anger—rather, it seemed natural?
"Perhaps it has something to do with that red thread of the Thousand Thousand Knots," Zhang Chen pondered, putting away the Sea Calming Divine Pearl and glancing at his left ring finger.
Finding no answers after a long look, Zhang Chen, still perplexed, called upon the Great Freedom Celestial Demon.
"Kid, I’m busy with big matters. Why are you summoning me?" The Great Freedom Celestial Demon appeared impatiently out of the void.
Zhang Chen explained the issue with binding the Thousand Thousand Knots, and the Great Freedom Celestial Demon looked at him with a peculiar expression. Zhang Chen felt unnerved under the demon’s gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I see that your Red Luan Star is stirring, meaning you’re in for quite a creation. You’ve married a Divine Lady as your wife," the Great Freedom Celestial Demon chuckled strangely.
Perplexed, Zhang Chen asked, "What do you mean?"
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon replied, "Kid, do you know what the red thread represents? What the Thousand Thousand Knots signify?"
"If I knew, why would I ask you?" Zhang Chen retorted, feeling the demon was talking nonsense.
"The red thread is ’A Thread Connects a Thousand Miles of Destiny,’" the Great Freedom Celestial Demon explained. "Typically, a red thread signifies just a marriage, whether it’s the first, second, or third. However, the Thousand Thousand Knots signify that no matter the trials faced, no reincarnation nor transformation of stars and seas can sever the bond—even in death, it remains."
Zhang Chen was startled, an ominous feeling surfacing, prompting him to urge, "Speak plainly."
"In simple terms, she will be your wife. Alive, she’s yours, dead, she’s your ghost. Even if her soul scatters, she will be by your side. Your bond cannot be broken!" The Great Freedom Celestial Demon inspected Zhang Chen, full of expectation. "You’re fortunate to have formed a bond with an Ancient Divine Lady. Let me see who this Divine Lady is."
Speechless, Zhang Chen thought to himself that he hadn’t even been married, yet suddenly he had a wife?
No wonder she could manipulate the Sea Calming Divine Pearl; it must have been through the power of fate.
Yet, he hadn’t even fallen in love, so how did he end up inexplicably bound to a woman?
Zhang Chen deeply wanted to proclaim, "I want to love freely!"
Facing the hopeful Great Freedom Celestial Demon, Zhang Chen was upfront, summoning the Sea Calming Divine Pearl and placing it in the demon’s hand. "Do you recognize this woman?"
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon took the pearl and, after a brief inspection, exclaimed incredulously, "Isn’t this the Old Osmanthus?"
"Old Osmanthus?" Zhang Chen was stunned, not understanding what the demon meant.
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon stared intently at the Sea Calming Divine Pearl, seemingly in disbelief, afraid of making a mistake. After scrutinizing it from all angles, he looked at Zhang Chen with strange eyes, "Kid, you’re in trouble! This person is married."
"What? A married person is my wife now?" Zhang Chen was shocked, his mind in turmoil. He, an unblemished young man, would not want someone already married!
"Calm down! Although she’s married, it’s merely a title. Long ago, there was a Heavenly Marriage, but it was merely a matter of contesting fate—not as sordid as you imagine. Although they are married, it’s solely to split fate’s influence. Besides, Innate Divine Spirits have no lust like mortals do," the Great Freedom Celestial Demon explained with scorn.
"But she’s still married! I don’t want it! Help me undo this pointless Thousand Thousand Knots," Zhang Chen demanded irritably, feeling on edge.
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon sized up Zhang Chen, "Do you truly not want it? This involves significant fate and causality. To achieve the Fruit Realm in the future, you must rely on this ’married’ status!"
Zhang Chen paused, "Who is this person that I must borrow her power?"
"Do you recall in the Mysterious Era when you absorbed a strand of Taiyin Essence? That was when the bond was formed," the Great Freedom Celestial Demon spoke with an eerie tone.
Stunned, Zhang Chen thought of that laurel tree, realizing how deeply rooted this cause and effect were from long ago.
"This is your cause and effect. You instigated it long before, resulting in the Divine Lady’s scheme," the Great Freedom Celestial Demon stated.
Zhang Chen sighed bitterly. "But you mentioned the Heavenly Marriage and her being married, what about that?"
"It was merely a contest over fate," the Great Freedom Celestial Demon explained.