Chapter 588: Soul Lifespan Revealed
"That might not be the case—he's only at the first level of the Immortal Lord Realm," Madam Su scoffed softly, recalling the youth's face and his calm, unwavering demeanor.
Su Zhenyuan looked surprised. "What about his soul lifespan?"
"That…" Madam Su hesitated. She realized she had completely overlooked it—she had intended to measure his soul lifespan in the Jingwei Hall but, after observing him, felt it unnecessary. "Even if his soul lifespan is a thousand years and his talent outstanding, he still falls short compared to our three daughters," she added with a trace of dissatisfaction.
Seeing his wife's slight pout, Su Zhenyuan's eyes softened with tenderness. He pulled her gently into his embrace.
Though they had been married for tens of thousands of years and had a son and daughter together, their love remained deep. Madam Su, dignified and noble, still showed the playful innocence she had when they first met—something he adored deeply.
"If you didn't check, then we should at least measure it now," Su Zhenyuan said gently. "Regardless, for someone to possess a marriage contract bestowed by an Imperial Monarch is no trivial matter. This is our ancestor's promise, and as his descendants, we must uphold it."
"Very well," Madam Su sighed, relenting.
…
Later, back in the main hall, Madam Su received Yaoqin's report and summoned her immediately.
Yaoqin entered, startled to see the patriarch Su Zhenyuan already home. She quickly knelt and bowed.
Su Zhenyuan nodded slightly, while Madam Su motioned for her to rise. "What is it?" she asked.
Yaoqin lifted her head, cautiously glancing at Su Zhenyuan, then relayed Li Hao's request to meet Madam Su from the Small Guest Garden.
Madam Su's eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a cold smile. "He can't even wait a single day before growing restless?"
Su Zhenyuan caught something in her tone. "Is this the same boy who came with the marriage contract?" he asked.
"Yes," Madam Su replied coldly. "I worried he might be coveting our family's grandeur, so I had him stay in the Small Guest Garden. Yet he's already impatient—clearly he came prepared. After arriving on Gusu Emperor Star, it wouldn't take long to learn of our clan's power and prestige."
Su Zhenyuan nodded; it was only natural for any newcomer to Gusu Emperor Star to learn of the Su Clan's influence.
Yet he felt no ill will toward the boy—curiosity and awe were simply human nature. "It's just as well. Since I've returned, it's proper I meet him personally for such an important matter. Bring him here," he ordered Yaoqin.
Seeing Madam Su give a subtle nod, Yaoqin quickly bowed in agreement.
Soon, Yaoqin returned to Haiyue Hall, her face frosty as she escorted Li Hao back.
Li Hao followed Yaoqin deep into the Su Clan's inner estate, entering a vast, towering main hall.
Though no guards stood visible on either side, Li Hao could sense hidden Immortal King auras locking onto him. The oppressive presence made every hair on his body stand on end.
Inside, besides Madam Su, a tall, imposing man sat beside her—a middle-aged man with a handsome yet stern face. His aura was restrained, radiating a subtle killing intent beneath a calm, scholarly demeanor, like a blade sheathed in jade.
"Master, I've brought him," Yaoqin announced, kneeling.
Li Hao immediately realized the man's identity and bowed low. "Greetings, Clan Master," he said respectfully.
"Kneel," Yaoqin hissed sharply when Li Hao merely bowed instead of kneeling.
Li Hao ignored her. As a disciple of an immortal Emperor, he bowed only to the heavens.
Su Zhenyuan noted this but instead of anger, a faint smile appeared in his eyes. For someone at the first level of the Immortal Lord Realm to remain unbowed beneath his natural aura proved his remarkable composure—and only a disciple of an immortal Emperor would dare act so.
He knew that for an Emperor's disciple to kneel before others would insult the Emperor himself.
"It's fine. So you are Haotian?" Su Zhenyuan asked calmly. His tone revealed no emotion, but his presence radiated an effortless authority that would terrify most.
Though his gaze was milder than Madam Su's cold stare, his sheer presence was even more oppressive. Anyone else would have been trembling uncontrollably under such pressure.
Li Hao sensed the faint trace of imperial might lingering on Su Zhenyuan. His heart grew tense, but recalling the far stronger aura of the Supreme's avatar he had faced, he remained calm. His Dao heart steady, he answered evenly, "Yes."
"Was the marriage contract given to you by your master?" Su Zhenyuan asked, his eyes sharp. He had examined the contract earlier and knew it wasn't fake—the paper itself still carried the residual aura of an Imperial Monarch.
"No, not my master," Li Hao replied, shaking his head. A complicated look flickered in his eyes as he thought of the Daoyuan Immortal Emperor, his heart full of gratitude.
"Oh?" Su Zhenyuan's brows rose slightly. If not his master, was the boy the Emperor's descendant? "Are you his child?"
"Also no," Li Hao said quietly. "I have not yet formally apprenticed myself to that senior. He gave me the contract… simply to help me."
"Oh?" Su Zhenyuan's surprise deepened. Neither disciple nor descendant—yet the boy still received such a treasure? But he caught Li Hao's words: "not yet apprenticed"—which suggested he might join the Emperor in the future.
"What is your relationship with that Emperor?" he asked.
Li Hao fell silent, unsure how to explain. After all, they'd only met once—barely strangers. Yet it was precisely this stranger who had saved him at his most desperate moment.
"Answer him," Madam Su snapped, her eyes narrowing.
Seeing Li Hao's conflicted expression, Su Zhenyuan paused, then let it drop. He raised his hand, tearing a slit in the air. A pitch-black mirror slipped out, floating before them.
"Little brother, let us check your soul lifespan," he said kindly.
As he spoke, a dark light shot from the mirror, enveloping Li Hao.
Madam Su's lips curved into a faint, mocking smile as she fixed her gaze on the mirror.
At first, the black mirror reflected nothing. But as the dark beam washed over Li Hao, his image appeared clearly.
Cultivation Realm: Immortal Lord Realm, first level.
Soul Lifespan: 96 years.
As their eyes landed on the soul lifespan displayed, Madam Su's cold smile froze instantly.
Yaoqin, kneeling nearby, had been sneaking glances. Now her cherry lips parted in shock, eyes widening as if she'd seen a ghost.
"Hmm?"
When Su Zhenyuan saw the soul lifespan displayed, his expression froze, momentarily stunned. But as the Su Clan's current patriarch, he quickly composed himself, snapping his gaze back to Li Hao.
Immortal Lord Realm, first level—he had sensed that already. But a soul lifespan of only ninety-six years?!
Impossible!
Su Zhenyuan found it hard to believe. Even with reincarnation, a soul's lifespan couldn't simply be erased. For someone born just ninety-six years ago to reach the Immortal Lord Realm was unthinkable.
Could he be an innate chaotic being? Or carry the bloodline of an Emperor? Born already at the Saint Realm?
His mind churned with speculation, but he soon calmed. In this moment, he understood the marriage contract was no mistake, nor was it something the youth had obtained by chance. The Imperial Monarch must have deliberately bestowed it upon this boy—and it made perfect sense!
Moreover, this wasn't just about giving the boy the support of the Su Clan; in the future, the Su Clan could gain strength through him too.
The greater the clan, the more they valued powerful alliances—this was why noble families arranged marriages.
A marriage of equals was worth more than countless years of solitary cultivation. Choosing wrongly could spell decline, forcing noble daughters to marry beneath them or sons to wed into struggling houses—either way risking the family's fall. And once a noble house slipped, it could take three generations to claw back their former status.
If that was true for mortal dynasties, it was even more crucial for immortal clans, where bloodline strength itself could fade with decline.
'A soul lifespan under a century, yet already an Immortal Lord—this talent surpasses even what an immortal Emperor would expect of a personal disciple!' Su Zhenyuan thought, his eyes brightening. If his daughters could find such a match, the next generation of the Su Clan would be extraordinary, capable of pacifying the Northern Region's turmoil and firmly securing their place—building a fortress of stars to safeguard the human race.
"Impossible," Madam Su murmured, finally recovering. Her face was filled with disbelief, though she knew the soul mirror could not lie—especially with her husband controlling it directly.
The marriage contract… this shocking talent… together, they actually made sense.
A strange emotion flickered in her heart. Thankfully, even if she'd looked down on the boy inwardly, she'd kept her demeanor courteous, never treating him with open disdain.
"Did you come here alone?" Su Zhenyuan asked, his expression now warm as he looked at Li Hao.
Li Hao nodded, but his mind flashed with images of friends in the Southern Region—those who had fought for him, like the Da Meng Master, the Da Meng Clan, and allies like Gu Yan and Yue Xi.
Yet now, he had no power to protect anyone. Before that Supreme, even with his Dao Source Immortal Seal, he was as insignificant as dust.
"As it is our ancestor's promise, the Su Clan shall honor it," Su Zhenyuan said gently. "Tomorrow, I'll summon my daughters home. They remain unmarried. If you and one find affection, you could even marry immediately if you wish."
Hearing this, Madam Su rolled her eyes. Her husband was too carefree about such matters. Marriage was no trifling affair; it needed formal proposals, matchmakers, elaborate dowries, and an auspicious date announced to the noble families across Gusu Emperor Star.
Even if the boy brought no bride price, the Su Clan's own preparations for their daughters' weddings must be impeccable.
Yet Li Hao was moved by the clan leader's sincerity. He cupped his hands respectfully. "Clan Master, I already have someone in mind. I hope you will approve!"
His voice was steady, but his heart raced.
He'd never planned to marry Ying Xiaoxiao—but she had braved time and space to reach him. He only wished to stay by her side, to be there when she awakened. Without leveraging this marriage contract, he might never even get that chance.
"Oh?" Su Zhenyuan was surprised but quickly realized it was natural. His daughters' fame spread far and wide. Of course someone coming with a marriage contract would already have a chosen match. He smiled. "Then tell me: which one do you wish to marry?"
"Miss Su Muqing," Li Hao said softly, head bowed.
The hall fell utterly silent.
It was so quiet that a pin drop would have echoed. Time itself seemed to freeze.
Li Hao's heart thudded heavily. Raising his eyes, he saw Su Zhenyuan's look of slight astonishment—and Madam Su's face twisted with furious disbelief.
"Impossible!" Madam Su snapped as soon as he looked up. "Muqing already has a marriage agreement! No matter how great your talent, you can never marry her!"
Li Hao felt his heart sink, his raised hands lowering slowly.
Su Zhenyuan's eyes darkened with thought. "Your name is Haotian, yes? Then let me call you Little Hao. Surely you know Muqing has been promised to the Lin Clan. Your affection for her is admirable, but this marriage…"
Li Hao's heart dropped further. "Clan Master, no matter the price, if it's within my power, I will pay it—please grant me this match!" His voice was earnest, his eyes unwavering.
"You insolent child!" Madam Su's voice trembled with anger. Her pale hand slammed onto her dragonwood armrest. "Muqing is a true phoenix among women. Do you truly think a marriage contract alone gives you the right to wed her? Are you threatening our Su Clan?"
Li Hao remained silent; he knew he had no power to threaten them.
Su Zhenyuan sighed deeply. He knew the marriage contract did specify that the most talented daughter would be the intended bride. By that measure, Li Hao's request was legitimate. But…
Madam Su's words weren't wrong either. Muqing had been promised to Lin Clan's heir since childhood. The two were childhood sweethearts, emotionally bonded. As a father, he couldn't bear to tear them apart, regardless of politics.
"Little Hao, have you seen my other three daughters?" Su Zhenyuan asked gently.
Li Hao shook his head. "I came to the Su Clan for her alone," he answered quietly.
"You arrogant fool!" Madam Su hissed, eyes blazing. "Do you think you can claim Muqing with a scrap of paper? Do you believe you can threaten us?"
Li Hao stayed silent, knowing he lacked any leverage.
Su Zhenyuan felt torn. Looking at the boy's quiet but stubborn face, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly. That Imperial Monarch truly had sharp eyes. It was likely Muqing's brilliance had reached the Emperor's ears, prompting him to bring out the old contract.
It was a point of pride—but also a looming danger.
"Then how about this," Su Zhenyuan said kindly. "First meet my other three daughters. Perhaps your heart may change afterward."
He kept his tone warm, unwilling to offend a boy tied to an Emperor, yet deeply aware of the complex predicament the ancient contract had now created.