Chapter 96 The Ceremony of Daoist Couples

With a sharp "smack," the air vibrated slightly. Xiao Shuying, bearing the faint handprint on her left cheek, raised an eyebrow, unusually puzzled.

"Why did you say I was asking a question I already knew the answer to, Master?"

He used his spiritual energy to scan Su Yunyu's meridians but couldn't find anything wrong. Even the so-called backlash injury from the Ruthless Path had completely disappeared.

But seeing Su Yunyu's pale face, more fragile than porcelain, Xiao Shuying's brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and she anxiously grasped his hand, asking:

"What exactly is wrong?"

"..."

Su Yunyu was still thinking about the Pregnancy Pill, and her heart tightened, as if she was really about to be smitten.

But his hand was still being held tightly by the culprit, the inseparable contact making him increasingly anxious. A wave of nausea surged up again, and he couldn't help but pull his hand away, slapping the culprit with another slap.

"Don't touch me—"

With a soft thud, this time it wasn't the crisp sound of a slap, but the sound of something falling to the ground. It came from outside the door. Su Yunyu subconsciously looked over and unfortunately met Wenrenli's gaze, who had somehow walked to the door and was bending down to pick up the fan pendant.

"..."

"..."

The atmosphere instantly became strangely quiet. Su Yunyu awkwardly and quickly averted her gaze. Wenren Li, under Xiao Shuying's imposing glare, glanced at the two handprints on his face, then casually picked up the fan pendant and coughed.

"Junior brother, any conflicts can be resolved, but you can't resort to violence all the time."

As the sect leader, he was always very calm and composed, but he was quite surprised at this moment. Putting aside what could have angered his usually cold-hearted junior brother, the fact that Xiao Shuying could withstand two slaps without changing his expression was already strange enough.

As far as he knew, a figure had recently become the talk of the cultivation world. Rumor had it that at the Lantern Festival in Baiyujing, on the Sparrow Wings Pavilion founded by Feizunbuxia, a person descended with an aura that shook the three realms, directly overwhelming everyone so that they could not resist and could not even speak properly.

Among the many powerful figures on the pleasure boat, after being frightened and returning home, they inquired everywhere to find out which peerless master from the cultivation world it was. They learned that this person was dressed in black and had a flame mark between his eyebrows, making him look like someone from hell. This news spread throughout the entire Three Realms in just a few days.

Upon receiving the congratulatory invitation, Wenren Li rushed to the location mentioned inside, where he happened to run into Xiao Shuying. At that time, he was eager to see Su Yunyu and naturally didn't pay much attention, but now, looking at him...

Dressed in all black, with a flame pattern between his brows...

Wenrenli's lips twitched, and he looked at Su Yunyu with a hesitant gaze. At this moment, Su Yunyu's face was already red with anger.

The matter of the Pregnancy Elixir couldn't be discussed with Wenren, so because of her unspeakable resentment, Su Yunyu glared fiercely at Xiao Shuying, like an angry pufferfish, and was about to retort when Xiao Shuying chuckled softly:

"Uncle-Master, you are mistaken. I was in the wrong first, so it is only right that Master punishes me as he sees fit."

He took Su Yunyu's hand, blew on it, and spoke softly:

"Master, just don't hurt your hand."

"..."

Wenrenli's lips twitched again, feeling utterly helpless, so he coughed again and said:

"In that case, I'll go back and prepare for tonight's Daoist Couple Ceremony."

After saying this, he left in a hurry, almost straining his back, seemingly completely at ease handing Su Yunyu over to Xiao Shuying.

After everyone had left, Xiao Shuying turned to Su Yunyu, her gaze softening as she asked:

"Master, you just gave me quite a fright. If you feel unwell..."

Before he could finish speaking, Su Yunyu angrily interrupted him:

"You couldn't even guess why I'm not feeling well?"

For some reason, he was too embarrassed to ask directly if it was thanks to the Pregnancy Pill, so he only tried to get Xiao Shuying to understand something indirectly.

Unfortunately, upon hearing this, Xiao Shuying's expression turned solemn, as she assumed it was a test, and she silently began to carefully probe Su Yunyu's meridians with her spiritual energy.

Enraged, Su Yunyu immediately slapped away the spiritual energy he had probed into her, her voice hesitant and stuttering:

"Nausea, vomiting, what are these symptoms? You really don't know?"

"this……"

Xiao Shuying pondered for a moment, then, as if realizing something, said:

"Master, could it be that you are feeling anxious and unwell because of the Daoist Couple Ceremony tonight?"

"..."

Su Yunyu was so angry he was speechless. He clutched his chest and felt his vision blur; he almost fainted. Xiao Shuying quickly caught him and gently comforted him.

"If Master is really in a hurry, we can change the date."

"No," Su Yunyu gripped Xiao Shuying's wrist tightly, catching her breath before taking a deep breath and preparing herself mentally before speaking:

"The pregnancy pills you fed me..."

I only got halfway through the sentence before I couldn't bring myself to say the rest. After all, suspecting that I was pregnant was just too embarrassing.

Fortunately, Xiao Shuying suddenly understood something from his unfinished meaning. She was taken aback at first, then a smile appeared on her lips. At first, it was just a half-smile, but soon she laughed a few times and said:

"That was just something I used to scare my master; in reality, such a thing doesn't exist."

"..."

A bucket of cold water was poured over her, and it was unclear whether it extinguished the tension in her heart or reignited her anger at being deceived. In any case, Su Yunyu's face turned pale, and she couldn't help but speak sarcastically:

"Luckily it was fake, otherwise if I really had a child you would be gone, and then I would have to find someone else."

After she finished speaking, there was a moment of deathly silence. Xiao Shuying's eyes suddenly turned fierce. She pulled Su Yunyu into her arms and bit his thin lips, grabbing the back of his neck.

Since the words spoken by these thin lips are always unpleasant, then let them punish me severely.

"Hmm..."

Su Yunyu was breathless from the kiss. He tried to push Xiao Shuying away but was trapped in her chest. He couldn't breathe properly for a few breaths, so he kicked his leg and gasped for air before getting a brief rest.

"Ha..." Su Yunyu gasped for breath, her thin lips red from the kiss, yet she still deliberately provoked Xiao Shuying, raising her moist eyes to glare at her with a sarcastic tone:

"You better not be lying to me. Once you die and your life is over, I can go back and be with someone else."

"..." Xiao Shuying remained silent, but her eyes held a turbulent undercurrent, suppressing a storm, as she stared intently at Su Yunyu, making him feel uneasy, before finally smiling:

"Then I'll become a ghost and haunt Master. If you dare to find one, I'll kill it."

His smile was cold, obsessive, and morbid, but Su Yunyu felt a sense of satisfaction looking at his angry expression. These past few days, she had been completely under his thumb, while Xiao Shuying had always been in control. Now, the tables had turned.

but……

The next second, Su Yunyu was lifted up in a hug. Before she could react, she heard Xiao Shuying sneer in her ear:

"Since Master is so energetic, why don't you try on the wedding dress I bought?"

After saying that, she threw it onto the bed. Just as Su Yunyu was about to get up, she was covered by the bright red wedding dress. Before she could lift it, Xiao Shuying turned over and straddled her.

With a whoosh, the bed curtains seemed to be drawn, instantly cutting off the light. Accompanied by the whooshing sound of magic closing the doors and windows, Su Yunyu immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Wait, don't do this..."

Soon, his struggles turned into sobs, one after another, as if melting away with the rising bed curtains...

*

As night fell, the entire Tianxuan Sect was buzzing with excitement, the atmosphere exceptionally joyful.

Groups of disciples, in small groups, were either hanging red silk or lanterns, or adorning themselves with fresh flowers or preparing banquets.

Even the disciples who were engrossed in their seclusion and focused on their cultivation were dazed and confused as they emerged from their caves under the elder's earth-shattering bombardment, only to be stuffed with wedding cakes and pastries.

What happened?

"You didn't know? Our Immortal Venerable is going to form a Daoist couple!"

"Ah, Immortal Venerable, which Immortal Venerable has become a Daoist couple with whom?"

"Foolish me, of course it's our Phoenix Pool Immortal Venerable, renowned for both her cultivation and beauty! As for who she'll marry..."

The voices lowered, and the disciples seemed indignant when the topic came up. They had admired the immortal for so long, only to have him stolen away by that scoundrel Xiao Shuying!

Despite their jealousy and envy, under the command of Sect Leader Wenren Li, the entire sect was still busy. Even the old lady in charge of cooking at the Five Grains Hall was practically wielding her spatula until it was smoking.

When Xiao Shuying brought Su Yunyu to the Tianxuan Sect, almost everything in sight was festive red. Large red carpets covered the main square roads, and the four pillars were also wrapped with red ribbons. Lanterns hanging from the tree branches were half-hidden in the night and were more dazzling than the stars.

"..."

With music playing and drums blaring in his ears, Su Yunyu frowned. He used to enjoy these kinds of occasions, but he never imagined that one day he would be able to eat at his own table.

The bright red was quite glaring, making Su Yunyu feel anxious. He was becoming increasingly strange. He knew that as long as he endured and completed the Daoist partnership, Long Aotian would agree to die and disappear. But why did he become more and more agitated the closer he got to that hope?

The Beiming Palace was set up as the venue for the grand ceremony. Wenrenli quickly transformed the originally snow-covered palace into a bustling and vibrant place, with the wedding attire neatly arranged inside.

Standing before the half-person-high bronze mirror, Su Yunyu stretched out his arms, letting Xiao Shuying drape jingling ornaments over his body. Inside, red candles flickered, while outside, the relentless wind and snow whispered in his ear. Gazing at Xiao Shuying's soft profile in the candlelight, he offered a gentle reminder:

"Remember what you promised me."

He didn't ask how he died or how he perished, nor did he make a vow not to break it. He never dared to think too deeply about it, and only blindly grasped the possibilities given by Xiao Shuying.

Xiao Shuying paused in adjusting his collar, then looked up and saw Su Yunyu's cheeks flushed red by the candlelight, like pomegranate blossoms in full bloom on a spring night. Her gaze darkened slightly, and she whispered:

"That's natural."

The lamp wicks crackled and fell, while outside, the firelight blazed brightly, illuminating the magnificent Tianxuan Sect amidst swirling, vibrant clouds.

There are no complicated formalities for men to become Daoist partners. They simply recite vows to heaven and earth and pay homage to them, and that is the end of the ceremony.

The Crimson Phoenix flew across the sky carrying an open brocade pouch, showering down countless petals and treasures. These items were imbued with spiritual energy so that they did not fall into the mud.

The phoenix revealed its true form, its enormous wings spreading across half the sky as it flew, its tail feathers burning with flames, and sparks of phoenix fire falling down with each flap of its feathers.

These phoenix flames do not burn, yet they shine more eternally than ever-burning lamps. The disciples were all amazed and greatly shocked that this divine beast actually belonged to Xiao Shuying.

They held phoenix flames or caught the petals, and when Xiao Shuying led Su Yunyu by the hand across the steps, the collected petals scattered and flew out.

Su Yunyu raised her sleeve to cover herself, feeling somewhat embarrassed by the attention she was receiving from so many people. The disciples were clearly mesmerized by her gaze. Under the opaline-like thin purple sky, the immortal venerable, who usually wore white robes, was now covered in a scorching red.

As her robes trailed on the ground, lotus flowers embroidered with gold threads graced the red carpet. A tasseled fan with gold trim was tucked into her waist, jingling with each step. When the wind caressed her face, Su Yunyu's long hair flew in the wind, her face was fair, her lips were rouge-red, and her eyes were red at the corners, making her look like a living myth.

A gasp of surprise rose in the air. Su Yunyu felt a little shy and unconsciously curled up the hand that Xiao Shuying was holding. Then Xiao Shuying tightened his grip on her hand, and their fingers intertwined even more tightly.

The vows to Heaven and Earth, declaring their union as Daoist partners, were words Xiao Shuying had already secretly rehearsed countless times. He even remembered what size wedding dress Su Yunyu should wear during their intimate moments.

At the end of the road was the front of the Beiming Palace, with the Shen Tu Tree growing right next to it. They were going to worship the Heavenly Emperor and the Earthly Emperor under the tree. Xiao Shuying looked at Su Yunyu's face, which was as white and flawless as if bathed in lamplight. Even though she knew that this was only a temporary compromise, she could not hide her restlessness.

This was what he had longed for all his life. He had waited and yearned for it for so long, and he couldn't wait to possess this person...

Just as he was about to utter the oath, the clouds churned and lanterns surged in the distance, and a strange demonic aura transformed into a sharp blade, accompanied by a flippant yet cold voice:

"If the two of you were to become Daoist partners, wouldn't it be meaningless if I weren't present?"