Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal? Chapter 765: The Grand Wedding
Previously on Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal?...
The time of good fortune was upon them.
Bells rang out while incense cauldrons bubbled, and heavenly tunes echoed together.
With thousands of Moon Shadow Sect disciples watching alongside cultivators from numerous prominent sects gathered for the event, Li Qingran emerged gradually, aided by Yue Qianchi.
All the attendees were elders from sects, sect leaders, and core disciples.
Oddly enough, those renowned prodigies were absent; rumors held that they remained in closed-door cultivation, their thoughts undisturbed.
As soon as Li Qingran came into view, silence enveloped the whole plaza.
Everyone appeared to have their breaths taken by the sight of Li Qingran, glowing and alluring in her ornate robes.
She advanced gradually toward Chen Huaian upon the elevated stage, her gown fluttering, every stride as if blooming lotus flowers, her expression shy but filled with happiness, her beauty beyond words.
Chen Huaian observed his young apprentice, now his Dao Companion, approaching him steadily. In his gaze, nothing else existed anymore, just that elegant form clad in crimson.
His hands, always rock-steady when gripping a sword, shook just a bit.
Su Qinian proclaimed the rituals in a resounding tone:
"First bow to Heaven and Earth—give thanks to the Heavenly Dao as witness!"
The pair pivoted and offered deep bows to the vast, azure heavens.
"Second bow to the elders—express gratitude for the sect's nurturing grace!"
Since no immediate elders from the sect were present on either side, they bowed reverently to the ancestral plaques representing the Moon Shadow Sect's heritage.
"Dao Companions bow to each other—united in heart for this life, forever joined as one!"
Chen Huaian and Li Qingran turned to face one another, catching their clear images in each other's eyes. They exchanged smiles and bowed earnestly to one another.
Upon rising, the weight of the phoenix coronet made Li Qingran waver a touch. Chen Huaian swiftly extended his hand to firmly steady her arm.
This small gesture had been planned by Yue Qianchi and Mo Shumei for Li Qingran.
The goal was to test if the bridegroom paid close attention, if he could catch the bride's every motion.
After all, how could Li Qingran, a Nascent Soul cultivator, truly falter?
Likely only these two women in the sect would dare to plot against Chen Huaian in this way.
Witnessing the pair's tender moment, waves of warm, soft chuckles swept up from the crowd below.
Li Qingran's lovely cheeks burned brighter. Sensing the firm, warm palm at her waist, she cast a playful pout at Chen Huaian, only to receive an even softer grin in return.
"Ceremony complete—! Escort to the bridal chamber... uh, no, next is the banquet feast!" Su Qinian nearly misspoke and hastily fixed it.
Yet—
Right as Su Qinian finished speaking, an abrupt shift happened.
The heavens and earth shook!
Look, up in the Nine Heavens, where the Mountain Protection Array's brilliant light and the "Unified Heart Sun-Moon Formation"'s starry glow lit the sky, it turned deeply mysterious all at once.
A immense, endless, detached, and supreme intent arrived without sound. Even without shape or presence, it made the Divine Souls of all cultivators there—from Qi Refining novices to Chen Huaian in the Great Ascension Stage—quiver, stirring awe and a sense of being mere specks.
Soon, beams of golden light, formed entirely from laws, broke through the clouds, coming down like divine paths, exactly covering Chen Huaian and Li Qingran. Inside those beams, myriad tiny, arcane Dao Patterns fluttered like golden moths, releasing a refreshing, wondrous aroma. Inhaling it caused one's spiritual energy to surge excitedly, and cultivation barriers seemed to ease.
Heavenly melodies arose naturally in the sky, not tunes from the human realm, but the resonance of the Great Dao, profound and beyond words.
Shards of sparkling, radiant plumes, brimming with untainted heaven and earth spiritual energy, gently floated downward.
When they landed on the ground or a cultivator's form, they turned into soothing flows, blending inside, mending concealed wounds, and strengthening one's base.
"Hea... Heavenly Dao's blessing?!"
From the viewing areas, an experienced elder of a great sect jumped to his feet, his beard quivering, eyes wide with astonishment.
"It's truly the golden glow of laws! The resonance of the Great Dao! This... this marks the utmost level of celestial celebration!" Another veteran cultivator grew so thrilled he almost spilled his drink.
Every guest stood frozen, getting up sequentially, staring at this rare wonder unseen for ages. As that pristine heaven and earth spiritual energy washed over them, the quiet doubts they held about "master-disciple ties" and "age gaps" crumbled instantly and faded away under this grand, divine approval.
This wasn't some forbidden romance! This was a union fated by the heavens, acknowledged and graced with omens straight from the Heavenly Dao!
The golden beams and Dao Patterns endured for roughly ten breaths before fading away. The sky cleared up, and that fearsome Heavenly Dao intent withdrew like retreating waves.
Yet the refined spiritual energy filling the plaza and the awe in all hearts remained for quite a while.
"Master!" Li Qingran snuggled into Chen Huaian's embrace, her features alight with wonder and delight. "I... my cultivation has advanced to Nascent Soul Great Perfection! And... and, and the sword arts and inner techniques I struggled with earlier now feel clearer too!"
Chen Huaian: "..."
Were there truly so many gains?
But with such a magnificent Heavenly Dao blessing... why hadn't he received any at all?
Perhaps because his avatar's level was too advanced?
Gaining nothing felt like gaining zilch?!
Chen Huaian puzzled over it and settled on that explanation.
He had no idea that in the Upper Realm, White Sword, fresh from granting the Heavenly Dao blessing, let out a chilly scoff.
"You're already at Great Ascension Stage and still expect rewards?"
"Pairing you with a child of destiny is generous enough. Always scheming for more scraps."
Tu Shan Yue observed from nearby with longing gazes.
In her mind, she wondered: when would she and White Sword brother share a splendid wedding like this?
...
Long after the Heavenly Dao blessing vanished, Su Qinian recovered from his daze. His voice pitched higher with excitement as he bellowed: "The... the banquet feast begins!"
The plaza burst into cheers far more intense than earlier.
All lifted their glasses in cheers, their blessings laced with deep respect and awe for Chen Sword Master.
This day marked immense joy. No cultivator objected to letting the wine bring a gentle buzz.
Li Qingran couldn't handle much liquor. After a sip or two, pink hues bloomed on her face.
Her eyes misty, she rested against Chen Huaian.
The prior Heavenly Dao blessing had left her a bit stunned, but above all, she rejoiced in the heavens' approval.
An elder teased, his words carrying even greater deference: "Sect Master, with the Heavenly Dao bearing witness, you and the ancestor are indeed heaven's perfect pair!"
Li Qingran nodded in a haze, pulling at Chen Huaian's sleeve, murmuring sincerely yet softly: "Master, you must heed me from here on~ You're part of a family now, no more throwing your life into danger!"
Amid the crowd's hearty laughs, Chen Huaian yielded with a sigh: "Fine, I'll follow your lead." He looked up at the now serene sky, a spark of realization in his eyes.
As the feast hit its height, Li Ziping triggered the "Unified Heart Sun-Moon Formation." Sun and moon lights wove with brilliant stars, bathing the plaza in an illusory glow, as if echoing the earlier Heavenly Dao blessing.
Chen Huaian clasped Li Qingran's hand and led her to the formation's heart, gazing down at her. Li Qingran raised her head, stars dancing in her eyes, brimming with devotion.
"Qingran," his tone was deep, "for thousands, tens of thousands of years ahead, you and I shall journey side by side."
Li Qingran's beaming face shone like stars: "Mhm, wherever Master leads, I'll follow."
Surrounded by gleaming lights and hearty well-wishes.
He bent low and softly pressed his lips to her forehead.
The feast's merriment wound down only deep into the night.
Moonbeams poured forth, highlighting the pair's intertwined silhouettes.
Li Qingran laid her head on her master's shoulder, her gaze holding bliss and a faint, hard-to-spot sadness.
—She would soon head to the Small Thousand World.
No matter her thousand regrets.
For a long stretch ahead, could she even see her master anymore?