Joining the nuptial cup into the void
On the day I was to die with Xie Jinhui, I got up early and braided my hair.
They listened to the suggestions from Yifeng Canal.
Today is my wedding day, and I wish to be forever united with Xie Jinhui.
And our bridal chamber and burial place is... the stove.
Thinking back on it carefully, from the moment we met, we were repeatedly practicing how to live and die together.
Turn into a grasshopper, squat like a mushroom...
Now that things have come to this, I am grateful for God's arrangement. I finally understand what it means to be willing and to follow one's husband's lead!
Today, though it is the day to respectfully send the Heavenly Emperor back to nothingness, the Fourteen Strings of the Immortal Realm are filled with a bright, festive, and lively scene.
But then one sees vibrant clouds and rosy shadows, heavenly fragrance wafting, and magnificent banners fluttering, accompanied by dancing rainbows.
I raised my hand and touched the air; it was cool. But my other hand felt warm and a sharp, stabbing pain.
Xie Jinhui drew a small crescent moon on my palm with his fingernail.
He said, "Does it hurt? Yes, it really hurts."
Heh, at this moment, he also felt a sense of desolation, as if in a dream, unreal, and empty inside.
I leaned against him, and sat for a while longer in the hazy dream of the gods. I casually picked up a clump of fragrant fresh mud, on which lay a trumpet-shaped red flower, a symbol of marriage.
Smiling, I handed him the flowers, letting him smell the fragrance of the flower stamens inside the trumpet. I then transformed into the trumpet and told him a secret from a dream.
"Xie Jinhui, we are getting married today!"
Speaking of my wedding attire, the Zhenning Pavilion in Beishang has already made all the necessary preparations.
After receiving the consent of the spirit parents, the news of their upcoming wedding was announced to the world.
The immortals knew in their hearts that the wedding was just a pretense.
Zhenning Pavilion sent a little fairy maid to respectfully request that I personally embroider the intertwined immortal power of Xie Jinhui and me on my wedding dress, as the wings of a phoenix.
I've never studied such a profound art as embroidery, and besides, it would take several hours to embroider those few decorative items.
It's not worth it. I'd rather snuggle in Xie Jinhui's arms and spend the rest of my life with him.
Xie Jinhui and I will handle the wedding dress ourselves. I remember he said a long time ago that he would give me a wedding dress.
Xie Jinhui did not cheat; the materials for the wedding dress were in Moxu Chenyuan.
I was drinking tea with Xie Jinhui in the little ice house. In any case, after sleeping in his bed, I felt much more at ease.
It's almost like I slept with his past; he's all mine.
However, the ice house was too cold. If Xie Jinhui hadn't been holding me the whole time, I would have been frozen solid.
My divine power couldn't even withstand a bed?
The wedding attire couldn't be delayed too long. Soon, the Rainbows, the Big Pool, and the group of Little Pool laborers who had just emerged from it wove hundreds of sets of fairy clothes made of silk and water for us to choose from.
In the end, we got greedy and decided to stack each of the fairy robes together.
This resulted in two sets of wedding dresses, one elaborate and the other simple, in any color.
The most noticeable feeling after wearing it is that I feel like I'm not wearing anything at all; it's extremely lightweight.
But as soon as he moved, the layers upon layers of clothing created a dizzying effect of light and shadow.
It's like seven-colored oil dripped onto the surface of water, creating dazzling and mesmerizing circles.
In every lap, Xie Jinhui's dreamlike figure could be seen.
It looks really confusing, but there are advantages to being confused.
The more blurred the image, the less people will remember how we were torn to ash by the flames.
All I remember is that today, the celestial realm married a couple, and the oil for the wedding feast lasted longer than any celebration.
To ignite the fire in Xie Jinhui's great furnace, one cannot choose a strategic location such as the Ziji Palace or the Tai Su Wu Nian Stone.
Xie Jinhui led me on a tour of the Fourteen Strings. The place we chose, Guixu, was above a desolate floating island next to the Ancient Temple, a place where no immortal traces could be found and no grass grew.
The place was spacious and unique, piled with withered branches and fallen leaves from the former Immortal Prison, and the remains of abandoned immortal artifacts.
It has a rotten smell, but it is flammable, explosive, and easily combustible.
Sure enough, when the appointed time arrived, before we were even there, the immortals arrived with mixed feelings.
The immortals had a clear division of labor. The Ministry of War was deployed throughout the immortal realm, just in case. As for what kind of "just in case"...
For example, if the captured Seven Desires put up a stubborn resistance and one or two escape, the Soul-Locking and Spirit-Imprisoning Barrier of the soldiers under the command of Emperor Zangli will be an inescapable trap for those Seven Desires.
There was also thunder from the Hall of Discipline, which covered the clouds between the lower realm and the Fourteen Strings.
At this moment, one must not ascend or descend to the mortal realm, lest one give the seven desires or evil spirits an opportunity to escape.
Dear elders of the immortal race, and the immortals with the most senior records, such as my master Tongtang Divine Lord, are all standing very close to me and Xie Jinhui.
If the fire fails to ignite and the stove leaks, Xie Jinhui and I will have failed miserably...
In the event of various unexpected situations affecting the Fourteen Strings, they can turn the tide immediately.
In short, all the deities who were supposed to come have arrived.
The immortals did not sit in order of rank as usual at the grand gathering, but instead followed their own nature, gathering in small groups, and eventually silently forming a sea of white.
Those who wear plain clothes do so in mourning.
Those who had not changed their clothes had an unyielding melancholy between their brows.
Looking around, each deity had a complex expression in their eyes, solemn and dignified, yet also compassionate and helpless.
Some of the senior immortals all closed their eyes and lowered their heads, their fingertips forming the meditation mantra or ancient protective mudra, and their bodies were surrounded by a faint precious light.
It wasn't for his own benefit, but rather to quietly shield some young immortals behind him whose Dao hearts were unstable and whose immortal bodies were trembling slightly.
The tranquility continued.
Until, a strange phenomenon appeared in the blue sky.
All the immortals focused their attention on the red-robed emperor in the corner of the sky.
I looked up too, and wow, what a sight!
If Xie Jinhui and I hadn't been wearing a unique pair of wedding attire, the bright red Yifengqu would have looked more like a groom.
His color was so beautiful that it made all the immortals forget their worries, and for a moment they were even mesmerized. He said something to me and Xie Jinhui.
"Congratulations on your wedding today!"
It is quite delightful; I am searching for the shadow that I long for in the White Wave Immortal Sea.
Needless to say, Mu Zhu and Chen Yi secretly hung themselves on their master.
Two little bugs, risking so much just to see me die?
Looking at the dilapidated stone platform on the left, the fairies of Zhenyan, who are delicate and gentle on the outside but fierce on the inside, ignored everyone's words and knelt on the ground together, wanting to see their master off on his journey in this manner.
Faced with the outcome in a moment, I think I was a bit too calm, too ruthless, too righteous, and fearless of death, which made me seem a bit dim-witted.
Actually, no. Even after going through the repeated life-and-death trials of the 100,000-year-old Guming Illusionary Realm, now that things are about to get serious, I just haven't woken up from my self-protective layer of believing that everything is an illusion.
There's a small void in my heart, which widens because I haven't seen the abyss.
And because I saw Qingting always standing with her back to me, outside the group of immortals, it began to feel real.
I think Emperor Zangli must be afraid that his son will cause trouble. Unless it's already a done deal, he would never let my eldest son come to see me.
As for Qingting, he once said he wouldn't be sad for me, but now, is his shrug and drooping shoulders wiping away tears?
It was only at this moment that I realized that I, the Goddess Yuan'e, was truly going to perish this time.
Don't ask me if I'm scared; when it comes down to it, I am.
Xie Jinhui held my cool fingertips, his expression calm and composed, like Su Ling's.
He turned his head to look at me, raised his hand, pointed to the point of Moxu Chenyuan under the clouds of Feikong Mountain, and said meaningfully.
“Yuanhe, if you’re scared, you can turn back. Look…”
As he spoke, he established a connection between my brow and the Moxu Chenyuan.
“Yuan’e, you have a way out. If you are willing, I will condense you into a speck of dust in the end and send you into the Moxu Dust Abyss to be sealed away.”
"Sent into the Abyss of No Return?" I looked into his eyes. "Does that mean I'll never be able to come out again?"
I can't even remember who Yuanhe is, or who I am.
It's like imprisoning me for eternity because of my fear and your reluctance to let me go?
Xie Jinhui nodded solemnly, "Yes."
I waved my hand, severing the wire, and mustered my courage to say, "Forget it, it sounds terrifying. I don't want that kind of work."
*
I really didn't expect Xie Jinhui's stove to be set up.
I thought he would absorb me, my seven desires, and all the spirits into his body, and cook us together in wine and stew heroes.
But in reality, the so-called furnace is actually a round, huge sphere of light that gradually spreads outwards from a point in his immortal body's dantian.
The sphere of light rapidly expanded, soon filling the sky above the abandoned floating island.
Xie Jinhui blew such big, round, and clear bubbles.
I shook my head up and down and left and right, and I felt relaxed and happy.
I had thought I would turn to ashes inside Xie Jinhui's body, but now, we can actually stand side by side until the very end.
Xie Jinhui said that the outer ring of barriers was Su Ling's true divine consciousness.
The man beside me is Xie Jinhui in every sense of the word.
My heart trembled, but I smiled slightly.
I thought to myself: We have no way out; we are already like dry wood burning in a furnace.
Come on, burn it!
Xie Jinhui and I exchanged a smile, and like dry wood meeting a raging fire, we embraced tightly.
Xie Jinhui picked up the plum blossom in his palm, and I picked up one from my own box.
We crossed our arms and fed each other.
"Yuan'e, if we eat the Plum Blossom from the Cross-Cup Plum, we're finished." Xie Jinhui teasedly kissed the fingers holding the plum.
I smiled and suddenly realized that in the vast barrier space between him and me, there was only silence, peace, no future, no immortals, nothing at all.
Only two plums were used as the wine for the couple's toast, and only one couple held a brief wedding ceremony.
We don't need a marriage certificate or contract; heaven and earth are our witnesses.
Between us, it wasn't a deep-rooted love, but rather a natural progression, like water dripping on stone.
"Well, mortals drink the nuptial wine before entering the bridal chamber. We eat the nuptial plum..." I rolled my eyes, thinking about how to phrase it.
"We enter the void."
I flicked my tongue and spat the kernel toward the barrier wall.
The plum pit made a very faint "click," like a door latch gently locking itself.
The sound was so faint that only the two of us could hear it.
From that day forward, no one in the world could separate us, and no one could bring us back.
In the silence, the sound seemed like a signal.
"Okay, okay!"
Immediately following was the sound of the seven older brothers clapping and congratulating them.
They rode on auspicious clouds, and from Xie Jinhui's brow and sea of consciousness, they floated out one by one, sparkling silver stars, and landed inside the barrier around us.
I was both surprised and excited: Wow, we eight siblings can finally get together again!
"Eighth Sister, Brother-in-law," they greeted with smiles.
I have no idea what kind of wine Xie Jinhui gave them; they all reeked of alcohol and swayed gracefully.
The seven older brothers patted Xie Jinhui on the shoulder in turn, expressing their unanimous belief that Xie Jinhui was a trustworthy brother-in-law.
They didn't offer blessings, nor did they give any instructions such as not to bully their sister, to be devoted to her, or to prevent her from suffering any injustice.
He said jokingly, "Where's your unexpected youngest son? Call him over so his uncles can see him."
My heart sank; I knew we had no time for pleasantries.
My brothers had made up their minds and wanted Xie Jinhui and me to stand up and summon all the spirits, including our grasshopper son.
I saw my eldest and third brothers set up a crisscrossing cage behind me, with golden pillars reaching into the sky, and then a large golden gate in front of the cage to conceal what was inside.
The door creaked and groaned, as if it were covered in golden embroidery. The second brother struck the hinge with his silent fist, and the door fell off.
He laughed and said, "Those seven desires want to run away? No way."
I opened my mouth, but no way!
The fourth brother sprinkled wine in front of the door, and the water flowed into seven floating paths, like ropes or a way home.
It's more like a drunkard venting his pent-up frustration with alcohol.
Fifth Brother rubbed the edge of the barrier, smearing patches of golden core power onto the wall. I felt that the substance not only increased the attraction but also had the stickiness to attract flies.
Soon, the barrier he had painted was no longer a pure, transparent color, but had turned a very light yellow.
I heard a well-organized voice giving instructions from mid-air.
Sixth Brother was suspended at the highest point, holding a booklet in his hand, and was arranging things for each of his brothers.
"Hurry up, everyone to your positions," he said.
Seventh Brother, on the other hand, had a leisurely life. A swing hung from the branch above his head, and he sat on his hair and flew into the sky, landing on the swaying path he was supposed to guard, just like his other brothers.
My brothers were all drunk, as drunk as shimmering golden leaves. They landed on the branches with barely a touch of lightness, yet they weighed down the branches of my heart, making them tremble again and again.
"Eighth Sister, look at our brothers' inescapable trap, those seven guys definitely won't get away."
The seven older brothers are shrewd and resourceful, and also very capable.
I gave two thumbs up and said "good" in turn.
The brothers' hearty laughter pierced through the barrier, attracting all the immortals to peer inside.
"These are the seven desires? The seven desires that the Holy Emperor Sheng Tiandi relinquished!"
"He seems so upright, how could he be a menace?"
"They are not the real menace; the real menace is yet to come."
"Hurry up and get rid of that scourge!"
"Alas, besides the scourge, the Heavenly Emperor and Empress are gone too..."
"Hey...hey...hey."
Immortals are prone to self-pity, but they are more uplifted by their brother's laughter.
As soon as his brothers spoke, Xie Jinhui immediately cooperated.
Two days ago, the spiritual consciousness of those spirit parents temporarily resided in the Spirit Gathering Pearl.
At this moment, the Spirit Gathering Pearl floated in the air again through Xie Jin's hand.
The bead, brimming with spiritual energy, was not heavy, but it had already developed cracks and was oozing a liquid-like light.
The gentle light and shadow of the divine senses, like rolling clouds, emerged in an instant.
Before long, the spiritual consciousness of various species almost filled half of the barrier space.
Xie Jinhui and I were already awestruck by the grand scene of all the world's creatures gathering together, but now it was the immortals' turn to shout and marvel.
The previous silence was broken by a low gasp of surprise from a fellow cultivator.
A young fairy covered her lips with her sleeve, tears welling in her eyes. It was unclear whether she was moved by the wondrous sight of all spirits appearing or by the impending separation.
Several celestial officials in charge of herbs and beasts subconsciously took half a step forward, their eyes filled with fascination and amazement at the many mythical creatures that had long been lost to legends, almost forgetting the cruel truth behind the scene before them.
The spirits stared at the group of immortals, their gazes blank but friendly.
The immortals whispered and pointed at each other, revealing a frivolous disrespect for the Creator.
An old star lord with white hair and beard, holding a dragon-headed staff, suddenly struck his staff heavily. Although no sound entered the barrier, it instantly silenced a small area around him.
He slowly shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the countless spiritual beings before finally settling on us.
His eyes were as deep as the ocean, a calm and enlightened gaze born from living countless years and witnessing countless changes in the world. He nodded slightly, as if to greet us.
What these spiritual entities are about to do will likely teach the immortals a good lesson.
Xie Jinhui joined my spiritual consciousness.
The spirits, whether headed or headless, were all nodding in various ways.
Whether they have hands or not, each pair of consciousnesses either hold hands or merge with each other.
Those with eyes closed their eyes, while those without eyes entered their hearts.
And so, all the divine consciousnesses, as one, with their innate love, spoke together towards the vast lower realm.
"Child, wake up."
In an instant, the voices of all things broke through all boundaries between heaven and earth; those voices were not commands or roars.
Instead, it's the gentle and loving voice of every parent in the early morning, outside the window of their sleeping child.
Outside the barrier, all whispers, all gasps of wonder and pity, came to an abrupt halt at that moment.
We wake the children up, get them out of bed, remind them who they are, and awaken them to break free from bondage.
"Child, wake up!" came another voice.
Behold, in every place where the seven desires lie dormant, where the children of spirits sleep, the children trembled slightly.
I knew the child would wake up because Xie Jinhui and I had gone back in time and tried once.
At this moment, my son, who died long ago in the snow like a grasshopper, stirred his antennae again.
His eyes opened, and he looked toward us, who were still invisible, following the sound.
At the same time, the spirits all awoke, still in a daze.
The spiritual parents remained unwavering, their voices now filled with tender affection and parental love.
"Child, come here!"
With this call, the spirits awoke completely.
I saw that the grasshopper son was still bound by the seven desires, which occupied his spiritual thread. He straightened his hind legs and spread his wings.
He was rushing toward us, and he and the other spirits responded simultaneously.
They rubbed their sleepy eyes and shouted excitedly, "Father, Mother!"
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