36: Chapter 36: Ouyang Liuli's Background

In the Central Region, besides the three major top powers, there are also the four great families, which are renowned top-tier forces in the Central Region.

Among them, the Ouyang Family and the Sima Family have been on good terms for generations, having intermarried many times and formed an alliance to face the outside world together.

However, an intermarriage 20 years ago not only caused their alliance to break but also made the relationship between the two families even worse.

Twenty years ago, the two families originally intended for the Ouyang Family's Young Miss, Ouyang Liuli, to marry the Sima Family's eldest young Revered Master, Sima Buren, to solidify the relationship between the two great families.

Yet, the day before the wedding, Ouyang Liuli inexplicably disappeared.

The Sima Family suspected that the Ouyang Family was behind it, but they had no evidence.

At first, the two families searched together for several days, but several months passed, and she was not found.

The two families began to blame each other; the Sima Family suspected that the Ouyang Family had deliberately caused trouble, not wanting to marry Ouyang Liuli off to their own playboy young Revered Master.

After all, although Sima Buren had Heaven-Defying Cultivation Aptitude, his reputation for being a playboy was well-known.

Meanwhile, the Ouyang Family accused the Sima Family of not putting in any real effort to search for their Young Miss, as Sima Buren himself had never personally led a team to search for Ouyang Liuli.

Since then, the relationship between the two families has become increasingly hostile, and over the years, they have secretly caused each other many problems.

At this moment, the main hall of the Ouyang Family was filled with high-ranking members of the Ouyang Family.

Sitting in the main seat at the very top was Ouyang Liuli's father, Ouyang Yide, who was looking at the crowd with a grave expression.

Ouyang Yide turned his head to look at Ouyang Liuli, who was sitting to his lower left, and said softly, "Liuli, that is how things stand. Originally, with our Ouyang Family's strength, we would not fear the Sima Family, but a few years ago, our Old Ancestor attempted to break through to the Human Immortal Realm but failed to overcome the Heart Demon. Not only did the Breakthrough fail, but due to the interference of the Heart Demon, his Realm also dropped from Mahayana Peak to Mahayana Late Stage."

Hearing this, Ouyang Liuli's expression changed; she knew what this meant. Her Family had lost its strongest member, and their strength had significantly declined.

Ouyang Yide continued, "Furthermore, the Sima Family's Old Ancestor now possesses the cultivation of Mahayana Peak, posing a huge threat to us. What's worse, according to our secret investigations, the Sima Family seems to have colluded with a certain major power recently, very likely one of the three major powers."

Ouyang Yide was filled with helplessness and worry. Originally, if they were only facing the Sima Family, even if it meant risking everything, he would never agree to let his precious daughter marry Sima Buren as a concubine. However, the situation had now become complicated, involving the three major powers, so he had to consider it carefully. After all, these top Cultivators of the Central Region all knew that behind the three major powers existed true Immortals. The slightest carelessness could lead to a catastrophe.

Ouyang Liuli had not cared about the Sima Family, as she was already at the Mahayana Late Stage, and her combat power was even capable of fighting against a Mahayana Peak Cultivator. But upon hearing that the three major powers might be helping the Sima Family, her expression also became somewhat grave.

"Father, do not worry. My cultivation is already at the Mahayana Late Stage; there is no need to fear the Sima Family's Old Ancestor. As for the power behind the Sima Family, I will have my Revered Master step in to resolve it when the time comes."

Previously, in front of many Family Elders and her father, Ouyang Liuli had revealed her cultivation aura, which was approaching the Mahayana Peak, and explained that she had suddenly disappeared because she had been taken as a Disciple by a reclusive expert, adding that her Revered Master was also an Immortal powerhouse.

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked, especially the Family Elders. They had originally thought that Ouyang Liuli was at most at the Body Integration Stage, but now they discovered that she had actually reached the Mahayana Late Stage and could even fight against a Mahayana Peak Cultivator! This was simply a miracle! And when they learned that Ouyang Liuli's Revered Master was an Immortal powerhouse, they were even more stunned, unable to close their mouths in shock.

One must know that Immortals are the most top-tier existences in the entire Cultivation World, possessing incomparably powerful strength and Divine Abilities, capable of easily destroying a nation or a Sect. If Ouyang Liuli truly had such a Revered Master, then the Ouyang Family would receive tremendous benefits.

Not only that, in order to make the Family believe her, Ouyang Liuli also demonstrated some Immortal techniques and Divine Abilities she had learned from Cao Yang, claiming they were taught by her Revered Master. In truth, only Ouyang Liuli knew that these were the Immortal Stealth Technique her Disciple had passed to her, not something taught by any Revered Master.

In the eyes of the Ouyang Family's high-ranking members, these Immortal techniques and Divine Abilities were extremely profound and mysterious, leaving them in awe after witnessing them.

Seeing Ouyang Liuli's performance, the members of the Ouyang Family felt very proud and relieved. They felt that Ouyang Liuli had become the pride and hope of the Family, and they believed that under her protection, the Family would surely move toward prosperity.

"Young Miss is right. Now that Young Miss's Revered Master is also an Immortal, we do not need to fear the people behind the Sima Family. Presumably, the three major powers will not easily make an enemy of an Immortal powerhouse." The Grand Elder on the right side also spoke up.

His voice was full of firmness and confidence, as if he saw hope for the future. Everyone present nodded in agreement; they all knew that the current Ouyang Family was no longer the Family that could be bullied at will.

"I agree with the Grand Elder's view. The Sima Family is truly going too far!" another Elder said angrily. "They should look at their own young Revered Master's character; being a playboy is one thing, but after Young Miss disappeared, he actually married a loose woman as his main wife, and now they demand that our Ouyang Family marry Young Miss to him as a concubine. This is simply outrageous!"

Listening to the Elder's words, a wave of anger surged in everyone's hearts. The Sima Family's behavior was truly too despicable and intolerable.

After Ouyang Liuli disappeared, Sima Buren not only did not lead anyone to search for her whereabouts but instead frequented Baihua Tower as usual. What was even more infuriating was that he married a top courtesan from Baihua Tower shortly after. This action was undoubtedly a provocation to the Ouyang Family and an insult to Ouyang Liuli.

Although it was said that this top courtesan was indeed beautiful, marrying a woman from a brothel still caused many people to point fingers at Sima Buren. The Sima Family, however, remained silent and did not care about the outside gossip; it was said that the Sima Family head merely gave his son a scolding.

Ouyang Yide looked at the reactions of the Elders in the Family and nodded with satisfaction. Before Ouyang Liuli returned to the Ouyang Family, only a few Elders supported him in the stance that Ouyang Liuli must not be married to the Sima Family as a concubine under any circumstances, while the majority had remained silent.

Even the Grand Elder had only criticized the Sima Family on the surface, without explicitly supporting him in rejecting the Sima Family's shameless demand.

Now that his precious daughter had taken an Immortal as her Revered Master, he thought these silent Elders should no longer have any worries.

After all, he himself had been extremely worried about facing the three major powers, so it was understandable that the Elders had some concerns, especially since no one had opposed him.