Chapter 101 - 100: Wedding
The day had finally arrived. The morning sun bathed the emerald valley in a brilliant light, completely illuminating the sprawling estate that had been transformed into an absolute sea of celebratory crimson.
It was a day that would be etched into the annals of the Zhao Province’s history: the wedding of a Nascent Soul expert, Lin Yuan, and his Dao Companion, Bai Qingyue.
The clouds above the valley had been deliberately parted, creating a clear passage through which a massive influx of guests could enter the estate. Because the invitations had been posted on the grand notice boards of both Azure Cloud City and the majestic capital, Sky Jade City, countless cultivators had made the pilgrimage.
The skies were painted with the glittering trails of hundreds of flying swords. Massive bronze cauldrons floated through the air, carrying elders from prominent sects. Majestic spirit beasts—soaring white cranes, multi-tailed wind foxes, and roaring sky-tigers—descended gracefully toward the outer courtyards, alongside opulent flying carts pulled by pegasi.
As the guests dismounted and were ushered into the expansive outer gardens, a frantic, buzzing wave of gossip and hushed murmurs swept through the crowds.
"It is truly a rare sight," an elderly Core Formation patriarch whispered to his disciples, stroking his long white beard. "A Nascent Soul expert holding a public wedding. Usually, monsters of that realm are so obsessed with severing their mortal ties and pursuing the Great Dao that they completely abandon earthly ceremonies."
"Look at this estate," a wealthy merchant from the Wang Clan’s rival faction muttered, his eyes wide as he took in the pavilions and the cascading waterfall. "This was the Wang Clan’s prized jewel! How did this man acquire it? He must have a terrifyingly strange relationship with the Wang Tianze to possess such a sanctuary."
"A relationship? Hah!" a rogue cultivator scoffed, leaning in close. "I heard from a reliable source in the capital that he didn’t buy this place. He took it. They say he fought Envoy Zhao Wuhen of the Cultivation Council to an absolute standstill, forcing the Wang Clan to bow their heads to him!"
Nearby, a younger, slightly arrogant cultivator from a lesser sect sneered quietly. "All this grandeur and power... and for what? I hear the bride he is marrying is a mortal cripple. The former Saintess of the Bai Clan whose meridians was completely shattered. To waste a Nascent Soul’s dual-cultivation potential on a useless—"
"Shut your mouth, you fool!" his sect elder violently hissed, viciously slapping the back of the young man’s head and looking around in panic. "Are you actively courting death?! Keep your voice down! Do you wish to anger a Nascent Soul expert on his wedding day? He could wipe our entire sect from the face of the Nine Provinces with a single wave of his sleeve!"
Standing tall at the grand entrance of the main pavilion was Bai Chen. Dressed in immaculate crimson robes, the cultivator acted as the primary host. He formally bowed and welcomed the endless stream of prominent sect leaders, dignitaries, and independent experts. He puffed his chest out with pride; witnessing all these arrogant, high-and-mighty figures acting with utmost respect and caution within his cousin’s home was deeply satisfying.
Suddenly, a delicate fragrance of blooming lotuses washed over the entrance.
Bai Chen looked up, and the breath was instantly stolen from his lungs. Descending from a white jade lotus artifact was a retinue of female cultivators dressed in flowing white and pale blue silks. At their center was Su Yin, the Saintess of the Pure Cloud Sect. Her beauty was absolutely radiant, her features possessing a cool, ethereal perfection that seemed entirely untouched by the mortal world.
For Bai Chen, it was a undeniable case of love at first sight. His heart hammered wildly against his ribs, and his mind went completely blank.
As the Saintess approached the entrance, Bai Chen scrambled to compose himself. He bowed a little too deeply, his face flushing a bright, embarrassed red. "W-Welcome! Welcome to the estate, Fairy Su Yin! I am Bai Chen... the brother-in-law of the groom! Please, allow me to personally escort you into the celebrations!"
Su Yin offered a polite, amused smile, her eyes twinkling slightly at the boy’s flustered earnestness. "Thank you, Young Master Bai. Lead the way."
Further inside the estate, the grand banquet was already underway. The sprawling courtyards were filled with hundreds of tables groaning under the weight of an immortal feast. Guests dined on roasted high-tier spirit beasts, thousand-year-old fruit, and cups overflowing with rich wine that warmed their meridians.
The atmosphere was jovial but heavily regulated by the underlying awe of the unseen host. Neither Lin Yuan nor Bai Qingyue was present at the banquet yet; the guests merely ate, drank, and enthusiastically discussed the impending ceremony.
Meanwhile, at the master pavilion’s bedroom.
Lin Yuan and Bai Qingyue stood before the massive mirror. Bai Qingyue was a vision of unparalleled, divine beauty in her crimson silk wedding dress. The golden phoenixes embroidered along her hemline seemed to dance in the light. Beside her stood Lin Yuan, clad in matching crimson Daoist robes interwoven with golden threads that perfectly mirrored hers. His long hair was tied up in a formal jade crown, highlighting his handsome features.
Lin Yuan looked at her reflection, his eyes overflowing with a affection. "Are you ready, my love?"
"With you, I am ready for anything," Bai Qingyue whispered, reaching out to grasp his hand.
Because of her physical limitations, Lin Yuan did not let her walk. He stepped forward, seamlessly sweeping her up into his arms in a bridal carry.
Zzzzt!
Space folded perfectly around them. They instantly vanished from the bedroom, bypassing the courtyards and materializing directly upon the elevated, flower-adorned altar at the absolute front of the grand main hall.
Lin Yuan gently set Bai Qingyue down upon a plush, crimson velvet cushion situated at the center of the dais, taking his place standing tall and unyielding beside her.
The moment Lin Yuan materialized, the entire loud banquet hall fell into an absolute, pin-drop silence. Thousands of eyes locked onto the groom.
Then, the silence shattered into a frantic, collective murmur of sheer disbelief. The high-level cultivators in the room, the Core Formation patriarchs and visiting sect elders, felt their souls tremble violently as they subconsciously sensed Lin Yuan’s aura. He had no intention of suppressing his cultivation; he allowed the full weight of his Dao to wash over the crowd.
"Late Stage!" An elder shrieked in a hushed whisper. "He is at the Late Stage of the Nascent Soul realm! That makes his cultivation completely equal to the Grand Overseer of the Cultivation Council in the entire Zhao Province! How is this possible?!"
Ignoring the terrified awe spreading through the crowd, the wedding ceremony officially commenced. An elderly and highly respected master of ceremonies stepped forward, his usually steady voice trembling slightly beneath the invisible weight of Lin Yuan’s presence.
He took a deep breath before raising his voice.
"First bow, to the Heavens and the Earth!"
Lin Yuan and Bai Qingyue turned toward the heavens and earth before bowing deeply in unison.
The surrounding guests watched in silence. For cultivators, this was not merely a ceremonial gesture. It was an acknowledgment of the laws that governed their existence and the Heaven and Earth that bore witness to their union.
"Second bow, to the Ancestors and the Great Dao!"
The two bowed once more.
This bow was an acknowledgment of the countless predecessors who had walked the path of cultivation before them, as well as the Great Dao that had brought their fates together.
The master of ceremonies raised his voice one final time.
"Third bow, to each other!"
Lin Yuan and Bai Qingyue slowly turned to face one another.
Their gazes met.
Without needing a single word, they bowed deeply at the same time, their movements perfectly synchronized.
In that moment, the ceremony was complete.
The karmic bond between husband and wife was formally sealed, witnessed by Heaven and Earth, the Great Dao, and everyone present.
Following the vows came the traditional gift-giving ceremony. One by one, the sect leaders and clan patriarchs approached the altar. They offered ornate spatial storage pouches and exquisite wooden boxes.
"The Mystic Water Sect gifts thirty thousand spirit stones and a pair of twin-spirit jade pendants!"
"The Iron Mountain Clan gifts a thousand-year-old Blood Ginseng and a defensive formation array plate!"
"The Cloud Mending Pavilion gifts fifty thousand spirit stones and a pair of Heavenly Cloud Jade bracelets!"
"The Golden Flame Sect gifts a three-thousand-year-old Vermilion Lotus and a Supreme-Grade Fire Spirit Pearl!"
"The Black Tortoise Clan gifts a set of Black Tortoise Armor and a thousand-year-old Spirit Gathering Formation!"
Just as the line of gift-bearers was beginning to thin out, the ambient spiritual qi in the grand hall suddenly halted. It was not a violent, oppressive crash of a domain, but a profound, absolute stillness, as if the physical world itself was holding its breath.
Without a sound, the fabric of space at the center of the aisle simply parted like a silk curtain.
A youthful-looking man stepped through the rift. He wore simple, unadorned robes and carried no weapons. Not even the slightest trace of his aura leaked from his body. To the eyes of an ordinary mortal, he looked completely mundane, like any other young man who could be found on the streets.
But the moment Lin Yuan’s eyes locked onto the man, his senses violently flared, ringing like an alarm bell within his Sea of Consciousness.
Even standing at the absolute peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, Lin Yuan could clearly sense the terrifying disparity between them. The chasm separating him from the man was like the distance between a shallow well and the boundless night sky. It was not merely a difference in cultivation, It was a qualitative leap.
Spirit Severing Realm! Lin Yuan thought, his muscles tensing imperceptibly. Such power and might under heaven truly does exist!
The man was Lord Zhao Shenming, the absolute ruler of the Zhao Province.
Lord Zhao Shenming stopped a few paces from the altar, his calm, starry eyes locking onto Lin Yuan. Internally, the Lord’s mind was churning with profound shock. Envoy Zhao Wuhen explicitly reported this youth as a terrifying, yet manageable Early Stage Nascent Soul Expert. Yet, standing before me is a man radiating the absolute peak of the Late Stage Nascent Soul realm! How could one cross such a chasm in a mere matter of days?
Despite his internal bewilderment, Lord Zhao Shenming maintained a perfectly placid smile. He stepped forward, retrieving a small box from his sleeve.
"I heard there was a dragon rising in my province," Lord Zhao Shenming spoke, his voice carrying no spiritual weight, yet echoing perfectly in the minds of everyone present. The crowd was paralyzed with awe, recognizing their ruler. "I came to bear witness. Congratulations on your union, Daoist Lin, and to your beautiful bride. May your Dao be long and your love eternal."
He carefully placed the box upon the gift table. Inside rested a single drop of highly condensed Origin Essence, a supreme and priceless treasure that would make even Soul Transformation cultivators tremble with desire.
"I accept your blessing, Lord Zhao," Lin Yuan replied evenly, offering a slight, measured nod of respect that perfectly walked the line between courtesy and unyielding sovereignty.
With the blessing of the highest power in the province officially bestowed, the final rites of the ceremony were concluded. As the cheers of the cultivators finally erupted, echoing through the valley and shaking the heavens themselves, Lin Yuan looked down at Bai Qingyue. She was smiling, radiant and completely unburdened, entirely safe within his absolute domain. The wedding had ended, but their legend was only just beginning.