Before the dao companion ceremony, Liuguang Sect’s steward specially sent a flying communication talisman to Huan Zong, asking whether he was preparing for a low-key luxurious dao companion ceremony or one so extravagant it would make everyone in the entire cultivation world green with envy.
Originally, the steward hadn’t planned to be nosy and ask this question. After all, with Martial Uncle Zhongxi’s personality, naturally he couldn’t possibly be like those ostentatious male cultivators who, when holding a dao companion ceremony, couldn’t wait to flaunt their wealth to the entire cultivation world.
Who knew that what was just a routine inquiry received an answer completely different from his expectations. Not only did Martial Uncle Zhongxi request a grand affair, he wanted it conducted splendidly and magnificently. Even Senior Lin Hu, who attended him, had specially rushed back and taken out quite a few good things from Martial Uncle Zhongxi’s private treasury, making the entire celebratory dao companion ceremony procession resplendent with gold and jade, imposing in momentum—nearly unmatched in close to a thousand years.
“Never would have thought that Liuguang Sect, always putting on aloof airs, would be so terrifying when flaunting their wealth.” Qingfeng Sect disciples hid in a corner of Yunhua Sect reaching out to catch falling red envelopes. The contents of these red envelopes weren’t like those Yuxiao Sect gave out on New Year’s Eve—always discount coupons and such—but actual spirit stones, gemstones, talismans, or medicinal herbs.
“Low-key people are even more intimidating when they go high-profile.”
The Qingfeng Sect disciples who grabbed red envelopes were all smiles. Not only them, even some major sect disciples were sneakily using techniques to pick up red envelopes that had fallen to the ground, losing their usual composure.
Hearing female cultivators around her saying things about how well-matched Zhenren Zhongxi and Miss Kong Hou were, Lingyue looked up at the flying female cultivators dancing in the sky and revealed a smile. For the next five hundred years, or even a thousand years, those who had witnessed this dao companion ceremony probably wouldn’t forget today’s scene.
Opening her palm, she caught a falling red brocade pouch. Embroidered on the pouch were the four characters “Never Apart.” Opening the pouch, inside were nine spirit stones.
Symbolizing longevity?
She placed the nine spirit stones into her storage ring, then turned her head to see Zhaohan Sect’s Lingbo in the distance bending down to pick up red envelopes, her movements much faster than several male cultivators. She froze, stunned. In her memory, that Lingbo who when going out required maidservants to scatter flower petals to clear her path, who at all times loved to put on airs and compete with women in beauty, was actually lifting her skirt hem here to fight people for red envelopes?
Noticing Lingyue’s attention, Lingbo turned to face away from Lingyue, using her gaze to intimidate male cultivators who dared compete with her for red envelopes, bending down to pick them up.
It wasn’t that she liked taking petty advantages, just that this person Kong Hou’s luck was too miraculous. Grabbing a few more red envelopes related to her definitely wouldn’t be a loss.
The ceremonial procession flew past the main gate, past the front hall, crossed other mountain peaks, and arrived at Qiyue Peak.
Huan Zong wore wedding garments, riding on the lead flying pegasus. Kong Hou standing on the stone steps raised her head, her gaze entangling with his.
Huan Zong smiled at Kong Hou, sweeping his sleeve to use a small technique Kong Hou had once used for him.
Twinkling light became countless flowers in the air. These petals slowly drifted down. The entire Qiyue Peak was so beautiful it seemed like a dream.
Back then, Kong Hou had walked on the street, smiling as she told him she would perform a magic trick for him.
Now, he could perform many, many magic tricks for her every day.
“So beautiful…” The senior sisters accompanying Kong Hou looked up at the “petals” floating down from the air, their eyes revealing envy. Linghui turned her head to smile at Kong Hou: “I was originally worried that Zhenren Zhongxi’s personality was a bit dull, that your lively personality together with his would make you suffer grievances. Now today, I know I worried needlessly for so many days.”
Even the most taciturn person would become different before their beloved. Making the person one likes happy—this was an instinct that didn’t need teaching. This instinct was imprinted in one’s bones, imprinted in one’s blood. As long as one met that right person, it came naturally.
“How could I suffer grievances? Besides not being able to give birth to children, Huan Zong basically knows how to do everything.” Kong Hou wore a smile filled with happiness. “He can refine beautiful flowing immortal dresses and hairpins, and accompanies me traveling everywhere.”
“The things I fantasized about in my childhood have all been realized one by one with him.” Kong Hou laughed softly, turning her head to look at Linghui. “So Senior Sister, you don’t need to worry. I’ll live very well.”
“I originally thought that since your cultivation is the same as Zhenren Zhongxi’s, if Zhenren Zhongxi made you unhappy, you could at least fight him to a draw. Who knew his cultivation would suddenly whoosh upward? Now you’re no longer his match.” Linghui was half-joking, half-serious. “However, don’t worry. If he dares treat you badly, we can call on the three elders to help.”
“Alright.” Kong Hou nodded. “I’m someone with backing.”
Huan Zong descended from the flying pegasus’s back, walking step by step through the air to stand before Kong Hou. Between him and Kong Hou were only a few steps.
Kong Hou was on the steps, he below the steps.
Behind him were Liuguang Sect disciples dressed neatly. Beside Kong Hou were Yunhua Sect’s senior sisters.
Clearly countless people were present here, yet in their eyes was only each other.
Huan Zong extended his hand before Kong Hou. Kong Hou placed her hand in his palm, two hands clasping tightly together.
“Just now outside they scattered so many red envelopes, but I didn’t catch a single one.” Kong Hou remembered that in her first few years at Yunhua Sect, every New Year’s Eve she would run down the mountain with Second Senior Brother to catch red envelopes, then the two would happily divide them equally.
“I saved the biggest one for you.” Huan Zong pulled out nine brocade pouches. These nine pouches differed from those scattered earlier—these were storage fine pouches inscribed with talisman patterns. Though small in appearance, they could actually hold many things.
Kong Hou accepted them with a beaming smile: “I just love big red envelopes.”
“What you like, how could I give to others?” Huan Zong looked at the phoenix crown atop Kong Hou’s head. “Are you satisfied with this kind of dao companion ceremony?”
“Satisfied.” Kong Hou looked at the petals that hadn’t yet dispersed in the sky. “I like it very much.”
What low-key and simple—she didn’t want that at all. She wanted the entire cultivation world to know that the man she loved had held the most luxurious dao companion ceremony in a thousand years for her, had devoted much effort for her.
A dao companion ceremony only happened once in a lifetime. What was the point of being simple and low-key?
Who said she loved beauty and had a bit of vanity? She was still a good female cultivator.
“As long as you like it.” Huan Zong felt somewhat regretful. “It’s just a pity that some disciples from the sect went to garrison other sects, otherwise I could have made the ceremony even more lively.”
“It doesn’t matter. This kind of spectacle is already enough to make many men and women hate us to death.” Kong Hou held Huan Zong’s hand, her features picturesque. “From now on, whenever someone holds a dao companion ceremony, they’ll think of our dao companion ceremony. Just thinking about it… makes me so happy.”
“You.” Huan Zong smiled and walked with Kong Hou to the mountain peak’s edge.
“Please bring forth the Phoenix Harmony Carriage.”
Liuguang Sect disciples uniformly brought out their flying swords. The flying swords formed a bridge flashing with brilliant light before the two. Seeing this, Yunhua Sect’s senior sisters also brought out their own flying magical treasures.
In the clouds, eight flying pegasi pulled an incomparably magnificent phoenix carriage that stopped at the far end of the sword bridge.
Huan Zong was first to step onto the bridge formed by flying swords, then turned to look at Kong Hou. Kong Hou smiled at him and followed onto it.
Wind rose. The trailing silk on Kong Hou’s body fluttered and danced. Her steps paused slightly as she turned to look at the Yunhua Sect senior sisters behind her. The senior sisters smiled at her. Some senior sisters even used techniques around the sword bridge to create illusions of dancing dragons and phoenixes.
“Walk forward, don’t look back.” Linghui smiled. “We’re right behind you. Don’t be afraid.”
Kong Hou showed them a big smile, saying softly: “I’m not afraid.”
In this life, she had met the best master, the best senior brothers, the best fellow sect members, and the best… Huan Zong. Therefore, she feared nothing.
At Yunhua Sect’s main hall, guests all waited outside the main door for this pair of lovers to appear. Someone spotted the flying pegasi pulling a carriage from afar and couldn’t help but exclaim: “Could that be the Phoenix Harmony Carriage?”
The Phoenix Harmony Carriage wasn’t just auspicious in name—this carriage had belonged to a certain Liuguang Sect senior who had already ascended. Legend said that anyone who rode this carriage would have good fortune brought to them. Since this senior had ascended, they thought the Phoenix Harmony Carriage had already been taken to the immortal realm. They never imagined it was still at Liuguang Sect, hidden away all this time.
To successfully conduct this dao companion ceremony, Liuguang Sect had taken out such treasured possessions from the bottom of their chests. It seemed Jin Yue was very satisfied with his disciple’s marriage.
Almost everything Liuguang Sect brought out could make the cultivation world gape. And Yunhua Sect, as if not wanting their own disciple to be looked down upon, had placed items rarely seen as good things in the main hall.
The behavior of two major sects simultaneously bringing honor to their juniors gave the guests present tremendous shock. They knew Liuguang Sect had many good things, but they never imagined that Yunhua Sect, who usually kept a low profile, also had such deep foundations. What exactly made them think that Yunhua Sect could only rank near the bottom among the ten major sects?
The Phoenix Harmony Carriage descended amid everyone’s anticipatory gazes. The newlyweds in magnificent wedding garments emerged from the carriage.
What did it mean to be a match made in heaven with outstanding appearances? They always used such phrases to praise others, but today, these two phrases could only be considered stating facts.
Zhongxi, always in white robes, wore bright red wedding garments. His entire person was tinged with joyous celebration. That handsome face made quite a few female cultivators unable to resist looking several more times. Kong Hou, wearing a phoenix crown with her long dress trailing on the ground, was even more delicate than flowers. The two standing together were truly as well-matched as could be.
Observant people noticed that certain sect elders who usually didn’t show their faces had appeared in the crowd, while several elders from Liuguang Sect and Yunhua Sect were nowhere to be seen, their whereabouts unknown.
“Bow to the Heavenly Dao. Receive the Heavenly Dao’s protection. May you two ascend together hand in hand, reaching the immortal realm early.”
Kong Hou and Huan Zong stood outside the hall doors, bowing deeply to the sky.
“Enter the hall doors, bow to the ancestors.”
On the offering table inside the hall were emblems representing Yunhua Sect and Liuguang Sect. This bow was to express gratitude for the contributions of past generations of seniors and their teaching of juniors.
“Husband and wife bow to each other. First kowtow, roam together with heaven and earth. Second kowtow, love until white-haired. Third kowtow, accompany each other forever.”
After the kowtows ended, Kong Hou and Huan Zong forced out a drop of heart’s blood from their fingertips. This was the most important part of the dao companion ceremony—forming the Unity Contract.
Only after forming the Unity Contract could they be considered dao companions recognized by the Heavenly Dao.
The two’s heart blood converged together, finally dividing in two and flying into their brows. Red clouds gathered in the sky, spiritual energy churned—this was the Heavenly Dao acknowledging their dao companionship.
“The ceremony is complete.”
Boom!
Yunhua Sect’s Elder Shujiu climbed up from the ground, patting the dust off his body: “The dao companion ceremony is complete?”
Everyone: “…”
Elder Shujiu coughed dryly: “The evil cultivators have finally attacked.” Not letting the evil cultivators ruin his grand-disciple’s dao companion ceremony—they had already worked very hard.
Everyone: “…”
Finally?