Chapter 96 A Grand Wedding
One sentence made Jiang Cifeng, who was originally beaming with joy, turn somber.
He stood there for a moment, then said "okay" before turning and leaving.
Not long after Jiang Cifeng left, Su He and Qu Sui entered the room.
"That's great, Si Yao. I never thought that among all the sisters from our group, you would be the first to find your Daoist partner."
As Qu Sui spoke, her gaze remained fixed on the betrothal gifts filling the room.
Su He looked around and asked, "Where did Xiao Yezi go? He's your apprentice. How can it be that your apprentice has disappeared while his master is getting married?"
Before Si Yao could finish speaking, Qu Sui quickly gave her a meaningful look, "Su He, are you doing this on purpose? We can all see the subtle connection between her and her apprentice."
At this moment, Yu Ke outside the door chimed in, "That's right. Xiao Yezi must be unable to accept that the person she likes is about to marry someone else. She left Tianchen Island in a moment of despair and went traveling around."
At this point, Yu Ke poked her head out and asked Si Yao, who was sitting by the window, "Will he still be your apprentice? He won't sever ties with you as master and apprentice, will he?"
“It shouldn’t be that bad…” Qu Sui frowned. “Our Hehuan Sect shouldn’t have such a devoted lover.”
Si Yao suddenly laughed and waved her hand as usual, "Don't speculate wildly, Xiao Yezi did go on a trip off the island."
She slowly rose, a smile on her face. "A few days ago, this kid said he saw a legend about the ruins of a secret technique in an ancient book, and he was so anxious that he went to the direction of Ximang Mountain to find the way."
Yu Ke said, "No matter how eager you are to seek the Dao, you should wait until after you attend your wedding ceremony."
Qu Sui said, "Now that you mention it, it seems he really is heartbroken."
Si Yao's face froze, and she could hardly hide the bitterness in her heart. She continued, "As you all know, he has always been obsessed with cultivation."
Fearing that their continued analysis would upset her, Si Yao opened the exquisite box on the table beside her. "These are the magical artifacts and ornaments that Jiang Cifeng gave me. Please help me check their condition."
“Everything from Venerable Jiang is naturally good. Even if he doesn’t give me anything, I’d be willing to be his Daoist partner.” Qu Sui said as she moved closer.
Yu Ke rolled her eyes. "I knew you were just after his body."
Su He laughed twice, "Hey, this treasure is pretty good."
In an instant, the once empty room suddenly became lively, filled with the laughter of several women.
Si Yao finally saw the day she had been waiting for: her wedding ceremony with Jiang Cifeng.
Logically, their wedding ceremony should have been held at the Wind Sword Sect.
However, with the five factions now allied and the demons in turmoil, the wedding ceremony was ultimately held on Tianchen Island to prevent the demons from attacking Tianchen Island again.
Besides these reasons, Si Yao also wanted to finish as soon as possible and didn't want to delay for too long.
On this day, under a clear blue sky, prominent figures from all factions gathered in Tianchen Island Square.
The wedding ceremony of Jiang Cifeng and Si Yao was presided over by Xiao Shengyuan, the master of Tianchen Island.
Guests took their seats one after another, and disciples from various factions crowded the square, making it impossible to move.
"Welcome Venerable Tianqi, welcome Elder Siyao—"
Suddenly, a clear male voice rang out, and then two hundred sword servants of the Wind Sword Sect rose up from the ground and soared into the sky, their long swords simultaneously drawn three inches from their sheaths.
The sharp sword light crisscrossed and reflected in the air, eventually condensing into a huge dragon and phoenix auspicious totem in mid-air.
"Wow--"
The disciples watching the ceremony inside the arena exclaimed in amazement, truly a feast for the eyes.
The sky was filled with sword light, like a glittering galaxy or dazzling fireworks.
When Jiang Cifeng, dressed in wedding attire, and Si Yao, adorned in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, entered the venue together and walked towards the square, the entire audience gasped in surprise.
Some people marveled at the bride's beauty, while others envied her for having a Daoist partner like Jiang Cifeng in her life.
"Our Venerable One eventually found a Daoist partner. I originally thought he would never marry until the moment he ascended to immortality."
Among the disciples watching the ceremony, a junior disciple from the Wind Sword Sect couldn't help but whisper.
"That's what I thought too. When I first entered the sect, wasn't it said that the Venerable One cultivated the Path of Ruthlessness?"
"Sigh... Whether he is on the path of love or the path of indifference, he is still a man after all. Have you ever heard of the saying 'the hero's grave in the gentle embrace'? I think Elder Si Yao and the Venerable are a perfect match."
"Nonsense!" Song Yuening, her eyes red with anger, shouted from the Wind Sword Sect disciples. "Master must have had a reason for doing this. He definitely doesn't like that woman!"
"Hey? Yue Ning, you've changed so much in just a few days! You've lost so much weight!"
Life was bustling and noisy, but it was quickly drowned out by the music and rituals in the square. The melodious sounds of string and bamboo instruments reached the ears, and the people watching the excitement in the square unconsciously raised the corners of their lips, all waiting for the male and female protagonists of this ceremony to complete the ritual of becoming Daoist partners.
Unbeknownst to them, a male disciple from Tianchen Island was silently observing everything from the crowd.
He unconsciously gripped the longsword in his hand harder, the cold scabbard digging painfully into his palm, but he seemed unaware of the pain.
"The ceremony begins!"
As Xiao Shengyuan's voice rang out, Jiang Cifeng took Si Yao's hand.
She instinctively tried to avoid him, but Jiang Cifeng held her firmly.
"Si Yao, are you ready?"
Jiang Cifeng's voice lingered in her ears, and Si Yao suddenly panicked. She began to scan the square, trying to find that familiar figure in the crowd.
However, after searching for a long time, Si Yao's eyes became increasingly disappointed.
He didn't come.
He probably wouldn't come at a time like this.
While silently reciting the prayer, Si Yao heard Xiao Shengyuan loudly proclaim, "Please, the newlyweds, pay homage to Heaven and Earth."
Si Yao was taken aback. Jiang Cifeng gripped her hand tightly and whispered, "Are you still hesitating?"
Her eyes betrayed her hesitation; she was still somewhat undecided.
She hoped for a possibility, but quickly dismissed the idea.
Having already accepted Jiang Cifeng's marriage proposal, she had no choice but to proceed. On the wedding day, she had no reason to back out.
Let's just follow the path indicated by the Fate Stone. Anyway, as long as Jiang Cifeng ascends to immortality, she won't suffer any loss after separating from him.
"No!" Si Yao raised her head, stood up straight, and bowed to heaven and earth together with Jiang Cifeng.
"Alright, let's drink the nuptial wine!" Xiao Shengyuan looked at the newlyweds with satisfaction. "With this step completed, the ceremony is finished."
Is the ceremony finally about to end? Is it finally over?
Si Yao didn't know how long the process would take from the completion of the ceremony until Jiang Cifeng ascended to immortality.
She couldn't help but look at the huge crowd again, her disappointment deepening.
There was no longer any trace of that person's primordial spirit residing in her dantian, so she couldn't currently sense whether that person was there.
He didn't come, and he won't come.
Si Yao hinted at it repeatedly, and finally convinced herself.
When the nuptial wine was served, Jiang Cifeng's face lit up with joy. Just as he was about to reach for the cup, the clear blue sky suddenly darkened.
Thick, dark clouds rolled in from the horizon, abruptly ending the joyous atmosphere in the square. In addition to the salty, fishy smell of an impending downpour, the air was also filled with an inexplicable sense of malevolence.
"Boom!"
A thunderclap boomed, and a bolt of lightning struck squarely, shattering the nuptial cup between Si Yao and Jiang Cifeng.
The sound of the porcelain shattering was particularly crisp, and Jiang Cifeng looked up warily.
He had a premonition that the tribulation foretold by the Fate Stone was about to descend.
A fierce wind howled, and dark clouds swirled rapidly above Tianchen Island, forming a vortex like the gaping maw of an abyss.
A powerful pressure descended, and the cultivators on the plaza hurriedly formed arcs with their hands in an attempt to resist.
"Rumble—Rumble—"
Just then, six bolts of heavenly lightning struck down, directly hitting Jiang Cifeng in the center of the square.
They're here, they really are here.
Jiang Cifeng muttered to himself, standing ramrod straight. For over a thousand years, he had been waiting for this moment!
As expected, all six bolts of heavenly lightning struck Jiang Cifeng.
"This...this is..."
Xiao Shengyuan on the stage was momentarily stunned, until Jiang Cifeng accepted the six bolts of heavenly lightning one by one, then he suddenly realized, "Venerable Jiang... this is a tribulation!"
The words caused an uproar among the crowd in the square.
"What? Why is Venerable Tianqi being struck by heavenly lightning? It turns out he's undergoing tribulation?"
"Tribulation? What kind of tribulation? Is his cultivation about to advance to the next realm?"
"Master...you're finally..."
"Look! Six more bolts of heavenly lightning are about to strike!"
The crowd was in an uproar, and Si Yao, who was not far from Jiang Cifeng, witnessed everything.
As predicted by the Destiny Stone, the future was not much different.
She began to look forward to it; it seemed that it wouldn't be long before her marriage to Jiang Cifeng, a marriage of convenience, would end without even having begun.
It's fine as it is.
Si Yao calmly awaited what was to come.
One bolt of lightning after another struck down, and Jiang Cifeng, who had initially stood firm, began to sway before finally kneeling on the ground.
"boom--"
"The ninety-sixth bolt of heavenly lightning—"
"Is Venerable Jiang about to reach his limit?"
"But have you noticed that Venerable Jiang's cultivation level has jumped several levels in one go? If he continues to advance like this, will he ascend directly?"
"The power of the heavenly lightning increases with each passing moment, and Venerable Jiang..."
"Master, you must hold on. Once the ninety-nine heavenly lightning strikes are over, you will be able to attain immortality..."
Song Yuening, standing in the crowd, looked both worried and expectant.
By the time Jiang Cifeng received the ninety-eighth heavenly lightning bolt, his clothes were tattered, and he collapsed to the ground, as if in a deathly silence.
"Venerable Jiang!" Xiao Shengyuan wanted to step forward, but as a cultivator, he also understood that Jiang Cifeng was undergoing tribulation. If he went up and was struck by heavenly lightning, with his current cultivation level, he would be severely crippled if not killed.
Xiao Shengyuan stopped.
The ninety-ninth bolt of heavenly lightning began to approach.
"This...this..." Xiao Shengyuan was shocked. "The ninety-ninth heavenly lightning strike has the combined power of the previous ninety-eight strikes. Venerable Jiang, can you still withstand it?"
Upon hearing Xiao Shengyuan's description of the ninety-ninth heavenly lightning, the crowd erupted in uproar. Some began to dissuade Jiang Cifeng from stopping, while many high-ranking members of the five sects stood up and prepared to protect Jiang Cifeng.
But--
The ninety-ninth bolt of heavenly lightning was not aimed at Jiang Cifeng, but struck Si Yao instead!
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