The Dao partner ceremony in the cultivation world was different from the mortal world. There was no need for chanting or many cumbersome procedures.
Jing Yue and Qin Yanzhi walked to the front of the main hall. With everyone as witness, they swore an oath to the heavens and signed a soul contract to stay together eternally, never to part.
However, at the moment when the soul contract was just formed, a dragon’s roar was heard.
The guests were shocked to find a fiery red dragon entrenched on the top of the hall. If the Bluecloud Summit hall wasn't spacious enough, the roof would have fallen under its weight already.
Dragon Ancestor Lei Jing who was sitting in the hall was even more terrified. Wasn't this his old rival Hong Yan?
What was going on? The dragon skeleton was revived back then, but it had flesh now? Could he still secure his position as Dragon Ancestor?
Most terrifyingly, he actually felt the aura of the ancient dragon race from Hong Yan, which made him want to kneel.
But the next moment, Hong Yan actually bowed his head to Jing Yue.
Jing Yue, “What are you doing?”
The giant dragon said, “It's not me. I can’t be bothered with you. That idiot Hong Shi insists on coming to congratulate you on your big day.”
Immediately, a childish voice came from the giant dragon, “Big day! Big day!”
Jing Yue laughed. Hong Shi had conveyed that idea to him before, saying that he wanted to turn smaller and attend his Dao partner ceremony. He thought Hong Shi just wanted to join in the fun and didn't expect the other party to have this intention.
As for Lei Jing, who was worried out of his mind, suddenly realized. Yes, how could he forget? No matter how powerful Hong Yan was, he couldn't escape Jing Yue's control, so how could he compete with him for the position?
As a result, Lei Jing looked at Jing Yue with more sincerity, and silently vowed—he would definitely send more gifts here when he returned to the Dragon Palace.
But while they were celebrating, someone was unhappy.
The blue phoenix always disliked the fact that the stinky dragon was hiding on Jing-jing's body all the time, stinking the place so much that he had to hold his breath all the time. But seeing that today was a good day for Jing-jing, and because the stinky dragon treated him very respectfully these days, he would bear with it for the time being.
He didn't expect the other party to dare to show off in front of everyone!
Hmph! He would not let it steal the limelight!
So, the guests who were still in shock heard another long screech. Everyone followed the sound and saw the young man who had been following Jing Yue growing wings on his back.
They had noticed this extremely handsome boy before, and many people secretly speculated about the relationship between the boy and Jing Yue. Was he Jing Yue's second disciple?
But when they saw him at this moment, even most people in Frostcloud Sect were shocked, obviously unaware of the boy’s origin.
Could humans grow wings? Was he Yao?
Impossible, how could Jing-laozu have anything to do with those creatures?
Their doubts were quickly answered. The boy's robe slowly turned into blue feathers, and his face gradually transformed. Within a few seconds, a blue phoenix appeared in front of everyone, and its body was still growing.
Jing Yue was startled. “Ji-ji, stop!”
But the blue phoenix was unwilling to listen. It was now time for him to show his magnificence in front of others and fight for the dignity of the phoenix race. He must not lose to the stinky dragon!
Boom!
With a loud crash, the hall shook slightly—the blue phoenix broke the roof of the hall.
But it wasn’t over yet. The golden rays of light pierced the clouds through the roof and reflected on his blue feathers like the tide of the ocean waves.
The blue phoenix soared into the blue sky facing the sun, and the shadow of its wings almost covered the entire Frostcloud Sect. Tremendous pressure fell, and everyone inside and outside the hall fell silent. Even Lei Jing was petrified.
Phoenix? Putting aside the dragon race, didn't the phoenix race die out during the catalyst? Where did Jing Yue get it?
In the sky, the blue phoenix basked in everyone’s attention. His size wasn’t the biggest yet or he’d scare everyone to death!
Hong Yan was indeed terrified. He dared not mess with the blue phoenix recently or disobeyed him in the slightest, becoming the other party’s ‘underling’ in every sense. Now that the blue phoenix had transformed into its original form again, when he recalled that he had bullied the other party in the past, he couldn’t control his fear, wishing he could shrink into a ball and disappear from the spot.
But Hong Shi didn’t share his fear. He even snatched control of the dragon's body and flew into the sky with the blue phoenix.
In the sky, even though the dragon and phoenix were quite different in size, this auspicious scene of the dancing dragon and phoenix left a lasting impression on everyone and also added a hint of legend to the Dao partner ceremony of Jing Yue and Qin Yanzhi.
It was a lively day, Jing Yue and Qin Yanzhi couldn’t avoid drinking amid everyone’s congratulations.
The wine in the cultivation world was not comparable to that of the mortal world. Both of them felt dizzy, their faces were like red clouds, and their smiles were like warm sunshine, different from the usual.
When the sun went down, the guests finally let the couple go.
Led by the disciples of Frostcloud Sect, Qin Yanzhi went to Sunset Summit first, but Jing Yue was held back by the blue phoenix, who was drunk.
At this moment, although the blue phoenix had returned to his human form, his wings were still exposed. He pulled Jing Yue to prevent him from leaving.
“Jing-jing! Are the wedding crashers here yet?”
Jing Yue, “What?”
“Jing-jing! When will you take Ji-ji to travel the world?”
Jing Yue, “Huh?”
“Jing-jing! Hooligan hasn’t stepped over Ji-ji’s body, so he cannot touch you!”
Jing Yue, “…”
“Jing-jing! Closed doors will be opened for the gentleman for the first time today, so don’t forget to tell me when the deed is done!”
(TN: The two lines came from different poetries and depict different events, so I can only translate the literal meaning to make some sense.)Jing Yue, “…”
Yi Ye, who was waiting at the side, couldn't stand the blue phoenix's drunken stupor. He reached out and knocked the back of his head heavily. With a loud crash, the blue phoenix fell to the ground and passed out.
Jing Yue looked up at the culprit and said calmly, “When he wakes up, I’m afraid he’s going to hate you for it.”
Yi Ye was unfazed. “So be it. We cannot delay Shizun’s auspicious hour any longer.”
With that said, Yi Ye took out a set of books and handed them to Jing Yue. “Shizun, the disciples put a lot of effort into collecting them. I hope you like it.”
Jing Yue took them and saw the title <Divine Art of Four Seas and Eight Desolations Supreme Dual Cultivation> written on them. He held back and didn’t refuse his disciple's ‘good intentions’ in the end but tucked the books in his arms.
When Jing Yue finally arrived at the main hall of Sunset Summit, he inexplicably remembered all the things he saw on the Bodhi Illuminating Wall in Three Realm Temple back then. Although the images were quite different from reality, the ending was the same.
He smiled, opened the door, and walked into the hall.
The hall was covered with red drapes, and Jing Yue didn't find Qin Yanzhi for a while.
He lifted the drapes and was about to walk inside when someone suddenly hugged him from behind.
“Yanzhi?” Jing Yue said softly.
“Mm.” Qin Yanzhi lowered his head slightly and buried his head on Jing Yue's shoulder. “You’re finally here.”
His tone carried a hint of reproach, and Jing Yue couldn't help laughing. “Your son refused to let me go. He said you’ll have to step over him if you want to touch me.”
Qin Yanzhi raised his head slightly and whispered in Jing Yue's ear, “That easy?”
Jing Yue chuckled lowly. The person behind him paused and kissed his ear with soft lips.
A ticklish feeling spread from his earlobe like a feather gently scratching his heart.
Jing Yue closed his eyes, feeling the outline of the other party's thin lips and his warm breath.
Delicate kisses fell from the earlobe to the cheek. Jing Yue instinctively tilted his head, and the kiss lingered on the corner of his mouth.
Perhaps it was because of the alcohol, but Jing Yue felt a little eager. He moved up to meet Qin Yanzhi’s lips and turned into a passionate kiss.
After a while, Qin Yanzhi ended the kiss first. “I have something for you.”
Jing Yue opened his eyes in a daze and saw Qin Yanzhi taking out a box from his arms, which looked familiar.
“This is…”
Qin Yanzhi, “This is the gift my family head prepared for you. Do you remember?”
Jing Yue was taken aback. “The gift for your future Dao partner?”
Qin Yanzhi, “Not the future. It already belongs to you.”
Jing Yue laughed and took the box. “What’s inside?”
Qin Yanzhi, “Why don’t you take a look?”
Jing Yue looked at him suspiciously, opened the box, and froze.
A scorching breath came from the box, and a pea-sized dark black flame burned quietly, but Jing Yue knew that this little bit of fire could raze Sunset Summit to the ground.
“It’s Tianyin essence fire!” Jing Yue was overjoyed. He had always wanted to find this fire and upgrade the Mini Canglan Sword completely. Unexpectedly, Qin Yanzhi had it.
Jing Yue complained, “What took you so long to give it to me?”
Qin Yanzhi should know how much he wanted this thing. Why didn't he give it to him earlier?
Qin Yanzhi said apologetically, “I just found out. I haven't opened it to take a look before. Besides, the old Patriarch once told me that the box only contains a strand of my fetal hair, so…”
Jing Yue closed the box but still couldn't restrain his excitement. He leaned forward and kissed Yanzhi before he carefully put the box into his Sumeru Ring.
Qin Yanzhi reached out to hug him, but Jing Yue said, “Wait, I have something for you too.”
Qin Yanzhi raised his eyebrows with interest. “Oh?”
Jing Yue stared at him for a long time and finally took out a jade token from the Sumeru Ring. He said, “I think this can be regarded as a return to the original owner.”
When Qin Yanzhi saw the jade token, he felt a burst of pain in his head, and the memory of his previous life came back again, the scenes as vivid as if everything happened yesterday.
Thousands of years ago, Jing Yuan handed the jade token to him personally. The other party inscribed the words on the jade token—sword from my heart. After Jing Yuan’s demise, he went into seclusion for 2,000 years. After coming out, he carved the following words on the jade token—I offer my body to the sword.
This jade token accompanied him in his previous life and never left his side.
Qin Yanzhi never expected that Jing Yue would give him the jade token at this very moment. It felt as if his past and present lives overlapped, and the regrets of his past life were fulfilled at this moment.
He slowly took the jade token, stared at the words inscribed on it, and suddenly hugged Jing Yue with such strength that seemed as if he wanted to embed Jing Yue into his body.
“Shizun…”
Qin Yanzhi murmured, that voice was full of complex and fiery emotions, which made Jing Yue's body go weak.
“I’m here.” Jing Yue hugged Qin Yanzhi back and comforted him, “Yanzhi, I'm always here.”
In the next moment, he felt a blur before his eyes, and he fell to the ground, crushed by Qin Yanzhi on top of him.
(TN: I just remembered that I've forgotten to update the author's notes and mini theaters previously, so as of the posting date of this chapter (3/Sep/23), all the extras from chapters 41-68 has been uploaded. These extra bits do not affect the main plot of the story, mainly for fun and gag.)
The Dao partner ceremony in the cultivation world was different from the mortal world. There was no need for chanting or many cumbersome procedures.
Jing Yue and Qin Yanzhi walked to the front of the main hall. With everyone as witness, they swore an oath to the heavens and signed a soul contract to stay together eternally, never to part.
However, at the moment when the soul contract was just formed, a dragon’s roar was heard.
The guests were shocked to find a fiery red dragon entrenched on the top of the hall. If the Bluecloud Summit hall wasn't spacious enough, the roof would have fallen under its weight already.
Dragon Ancestor Lei Jing who was sitting in the hall was even more terrified. Wasn't this his old rival Hong Yan?
What was going on? The dragon skeleton was revived back then, but it had flesh now? Could he still secure his position as Dragon Ancestor?
Most terrifyingly, he actually felt the aura of the ancient dragon race from Hong Yan, which made him want to kneel.
But the next moment, Hong Yan actually bowed his head to Jing Yue.
Jing Yue, “What are you doing?”
The giant dragon said, “It's not me. I can’t be bothered with you. That idiot Hong Shi insists on coming to congratulate you on your big day.”
Immediately, a childish voice came from the giant dragon, “Big day! Big day!”
Jing Yue laughed. Hong Shi had conveyed that idea to him before, saying that he wanted to turn smaller and attend his Dao partner ceremony. He thought Hong Shi just wanted to join in the fun and didn't expect the other party to have this intention.
As for Lei Jing, who was worried out of his mind, suddenly realized. Yes, how could he forget? No matter how powerful Hong Yan was, he couldn't escape Jing Yue's control, so how could he compete with him for the position?
As a result, Lei Jing looked at Jing Yue with more sincerity, and silently vowed—he would definitely send more gifts here when he returned to the Dragon Palace.
But while they were celebrating, someone was unhappy.
The blue phoenix always disliked the fact that the stinky dragon was hiding on Jing-jing's body all the time, stinking the place so much that he had to hold his breath all the time. But seeing that today was a good day for Jing-jing, and because the stinky dragon treated him very respectfully these days, he would bear with it for the time being.
He didn't expect the other party to dare to show off in front of everyone!
Hmph! He would not let it steal the limelight!
So, the guests who were still in shock heard another long screech. Everyone followed the sound and saw the young man who had been following Jing Yue growing wings on his back.
They had noticed this extremely handsome boy before, and many people secretly speculated about the relationship between the boy and Jing Yue. Was he Jing Yue's second disciple?
But when they saw him at this moment, even most people in Frostcloud Sect were shocked, obviously unaware of the boy’s origin.
Could humans grow wings? Was he Yao?
Impossible, how could Jing-laozu have anything to do with those creatures?
Their doubts were quickly answered. The boy's robe slowly turned into blue feathers, and his face gradually transformed. Within a few seconds, a blue phoenix appeared in front of everyone, and its body was still growing.
Jing Yue was startled. “Ji-ji, stop!”
But the blue phoenix was unwilling to listen. It was now time for him to show his magnificence in front of others and fight for the dignity of the phoenix race. He must not lose to the stinky dragon!
Boom!
With a loud crash, the hall shook slightly—the blue phoenix broke the roof of the hall.
But it wasn’t over yet. The golden rays of light pierced the clouds through the roof and reflected on his blue feathers like the tide of the ocean waves.
The blue phoenix soared into the blue sky facing the sun, and the shadow of its wings almost covered the entire Frostcloud Sect. Tremendous pressure fell, and everyone inside and outside the hall fell silent. Even Lei Jing was petrified.
Phoenix? Putting aside the dragon race, didn't the phoenix race die out during the catalyst? Where did Jing Yue get it?
In the sky, the blue phoenix basked in everyone’s attention. His size wasn’t the biggest yet or he’d scare everyone to death!
Hong Yan was indeed terrified. He dared not mess with the blue phoenix recently or disobeyed him in the slightest, becoming the other party’s ‘underling’ in every sense. Now that the blue phoenix had transformed into its original form again, when he recalled that he had bullied the other party in the past, he couldn’t control his fear, wishing he could shrink into a ball and disappear from the spot.
But Hong Shi didn’t share his fear. He even snatched control of the dragon's body and flew into the sky with the blue phoenix.
In the sky, even though the dragon and phoenix were quite different in size, this auspicious scene of the dancing dragon and phoenix left a lasting impression on everyone and also added a hint of legend to the Dao partner ceremony of Jing Yue and Qin Yanzhi.
It was a lively day, Jing Yue and Qin Yanzhi couldn’t avoid drinking amid everyone’s congratulations.
The wine in the cultivation world was not comparable to that of the mortal world. Both of them felt dizzy, their faces were like red clouds, and their smiles were like warm sunshine, different from the usual.
When the sun went down, the guests finally let the couple go.
Led by the disciples of Frostcloud Sect, Qin Yanzhi went to Sunset Summit first, but Jing Yue was held back by the blue phoenix, who was drunk.
At this moment, although the blue phoenix had returned to his human form, his wings were still exposed. He pulled Jing Yue to prevent him from leaving.
“Jing-jing! Are the wedding crashers here yet?”
Jing Yue, “What?”
“Jing-jing! When will you take Ji-ji to travel the world?”
Jing Yue, “Huh?”
“Jing-jing! Hooligan hasn’t stepped over Ji-ji’s body, so he cannot touch you!”
Jing Yue, “…”
“Jing-jing! Closed doors will be opened for the gentleman for the first time today, so don’t forget to tell me when the deed is done!”
(TN: The two lines came from different poetries and depict different events, so I can only translate the literal meaning to make some sense.)Jing Yue, “…”
Yi Ye, who was waiting at the side, couldn't stand the blue phoenix's drunken stupor. He reached out and knocked the back of his head heavily. With a loud crash, the blue phoenix fell to the ground and passed out.
Jing Yue looked up at the culprit and said calmly, “When he wakes up, I’m afraid he’s going to hate you for it.”
Yi Ye was unfazed. “So be it. We cannot delay Shizun’s auspicious hour any longer.”
With that said, Yi Ye took out a set of books and handed them to Jing Yue. “Shizun, the disciples put a lot of effort into collecting them. I hope you like it.”
Jing Yue took them and saw the title <Divine Art of Four Seas and Eight Desolations Supreme Dual Cultivation> written on them. He held back and didn’t refuse his disciple's ‘good intentions’ in the end but tucked the books in his arms.
When Jing Yue finally arrived at the main hall of Sunset Summit, he inexplicably remembered all the things he saw on the Bodhi Illuminating Wall in Three Realm Temple back then. Although the images were quite different from reality, the ending was the same.
He smiled, opened the door, and walked into the hall.
The hall was covered with red drapes, and Jing Yue didn't find Qin Yanzhi for a while.
He lifted the drapes and was about to walk inside when someone suddenly hugged him from behind.
“Yanzhi?” Jing Yue said softly.
“Mm.” Qin Yanzhi lowered his head slightly and buried his head on Jing Yue's shoulder. “You’re finally here.”
His tone carried a hint of reproach, and Jing Yue couldn't help laughing. “Your son refused to let me go. He said you’ll have to step over him if you want to touch me.”
Qin Yanzhi raised his head slightly and whispered in Jing Yue's ear, “That easy?”
Jing Yue chuckled lowly. The person behind him paused and kissed his ear with soft lips.
A ticklish feeling spread from his earlobe like a feather gently scratching his heart.
Jing Yue closed his eyes, feeling the outline of the other party's thin lips and his warm breath.
Delicate kisses fell from the earlobe to the cheek. Jing Yue instinctively tilted his head, and the kiss lingered on the corner of his mouth.
Perhaps it was because of the alcohol, but Jing Yue felt a little eager. He moved up to meet Qin Yanzhi’s lips and turned into a passionate kiss.
After a while, Qin Yanzhi ended the kiss first. “I have something for you.”
Jing Yue opened his eyes in a daze and saw Qin Yanzhi taking out a box from his arms, which looked familiar.
“This is…”
Qin Yanzhi, “This is the gift my family head prepared for you. Do you remember?”
Jing Yue was taken aback. “The gift for your future Dao partner?”
Qin Yanzhi, “Not the future. It already belongs to you.”
Jing Yue laughed and took the box. “What’s inside?”
Qin Yanzhi, “Why don’t you take a look?”
Jing Yue looked at him suspiciously, opened the box, and froze.
A scorching breath came from the box, and a pea-sized dark black flame burned quietly, but Jing Yue knew that this little bit of fire could raze Sunset Summit to the ground.
“It’s Tianyin essence fire!” Jing Yue was overjoyed. He had always wanted to find this fire and upgrade the Mini Canglan Sword completely. Unexpectedly, Qin Yanzhi had it.
Jing Yue complained, “What took you so long to give it to me?”
Qin Yanzhi should know how much he wanted this thing. Why didn't he give it to him earlier?
Qin Yanzhi said apologetically, “I just found out. I haven't opened it to take a look before. Besides, the old Patriarch once told me that the box only contains a strand of my fetal hair, so…”
Jing Yue closed the box but still couldn't restrain his excitement. He leaned forward and kissed Yanzhi before he carefully put the box into his Sumeru Ring.
Qin Yanzhi reached out to hug him, but Jing Yue said, “Wait, I have something for you too.”
Qin Yanzhi raised his eyebrows with interest. “Oh?”
Jing Yue stared at him for a long time and finally took out a jade token from the Sumeru Ring. He said, “I think this can be regarded as a return to the original owner.”
When Qin Yanzhi saw the jade token, he felt a burst of pain in his head, and the memory of his previous life came back again, the scenes as vivid as if everything happened yesterday.
Thousands of years ago, Jing Yuan handed the jade token to him personally. The other party inscribed the words on the jade token—sword from my heart. After Jing Yuan’s demise, he went into seclusion for 2,000 years. After coming out, he carved the following words on the jade token—I offer my body to the sword.
This jade token accompanied him in his previous life and never left his side.
Qin Yanzhi never expected that Jing Yue would give him the jade token at this very moment. It felt as if his past and present lives overlapped, and the regrets of his past life were fulfilled at this moment.
He slowly took the jade token, stared at the words inscribed on it, and suddenly hugged Jing Yue with such strength that seemed as if he wanted to embed Jing Yue into his body.
“Shizun…”
Qin Yanzhi murmured, that voice was full of complex and fiery emotions, which made Jing Yue's body go weak.
“I’m here.” Jing Yue hugged Qin Yanzhi back and comforted him, “Yanzhi, I'm always here.”
In the next moment, he felt a blur before his eyes, and he fell to the ground, crushed by Qin Yanzhi on top of him.
(TN: I just remembered that I've forgotten to update the author's notes and mini theaters previously, so as of the posting date of this chapter (3/Sep/23), all the extras from chapters 41-68 has been uploaded. These extra bits do not affect the main plot of the story, mainly for fun and gag.)
