The wedding quietly arrived under countless watching eyes.
Although it was a highly anticipated event in Cangxuan Heaven and the all-heaven, the wedding was rather simple. Only the imperial palace had been sealed off, while only a few of Zhou Yuan’s good friends and some of Great Zhou’s important ministers had been invited.
Under the night sky, the Great Zhou imperial palace seemed to submerge in a sea of red and happiness. Red candles could be found everywhere along lanterns and beautifully colored banners, while the sound of drums spread to the entire city.
Countless people in the city curiously looked towards the imperial palace. The wedding should already be in progress at this time.
In one of the halls of the palace, guests were gathered on both sides of the red carpet as they stared in amazement at the beautiful pair that was walking along it.
Of course, more of the amazement was focused on the bride.
Yaoayao wore a long red dress with a phoenix crown atop her head and a rose-tinted cape flowing down her back. The bright red brought out even more of her beauty, and her usually uninterested eyes were glowing with a dazzling splendor that outshone even the stars.
The face already so beautiful that it could cause the downfall of nations was currently blushing slightly like a bud that was about to blossom. In this moment, even the many well-travelled and knowledgeable people in the hall had their breaths taken away.
Such a beauty was truly without equal.
“Sniff sniff, she’s so beautiful.” Zuoqiu Qingyu’s eyes were shining. If not for Luluo forcefully holding her back, she would have already dashed forward.
In all the time they knew her, Yaoyao had always been aloof and indifferent. Hence, it had been impossible for them to even imagine her with the mannerisms of an ordinary young girl. This was undoubtedly the most full of life they had ever seen Yaoyao be.
She was like an immortal fairy that had descended upon the mortal realm.
“Sister Qingyu, if you go up now, you will be beaten to death by them,” warned Luluo.
Zuoqiu Qingyu grasped her chest in pain and said, “What a waste, such a beautiful swan is being eaten by a toad.”
Luluo’s jet-black eyes widened as she said, “I don’t think Zhou Yuan is a toad. He’s looking very handsome as well today, and at this level, outer appearance becomes superficial.”
Zuoqiu Qingyu could not rebut and shifted her gaze to take a glance of Zhou Yuan. Although he did not have looks that would take away one’s breath like Yaoyao, he gave off a deep and calm aura like a bottomless pool or a tall mountain. As a Saint expert and the highest authority in Cangxuan Heaven, he made others involuntarily feel a slight pressure.
The young companion they had become acquainted with long ago in the Saint Remains Domain was now a big shot in the all-heaven.
As she sighed, she turned her head towards Li Chunjun and Zhen Xu and said in a dissatisfied tone, “Such a joyous occasion, but one of you has a wooden face, while the other is expressionless. Aren’t you two being a little rude?”
Ning Zhan could not help but snigger at her remark.
Zhen Xun helplessly massaged his pale and gloomy face as he tried to force out a smile.
Li Chunjun, on the other hand, seemed to have not heard her remark. His black cloth wrapped eyes stared at Zhou Yuan’s and Yaoyao’s direction and he hesitated for a moment before saying, “I don’t know why but I keep feeling a hidden sombre air from them.”
“Pui pui, children’s words carry no harm, children’s words carry no harm.” Luluo hurriedly placed her hand across Li Chunjun’s mouth.
Li Chunjun, “......”
At another side, the Cangxuan Sect group headed by Chu Qing and Li Qingchan were gathered together as they watched the newlyweds walk across the red carpet.
Li Qingchan’s red lips opened slightly as she said, “When they first arrived in the Cangxuan Sect, I was unable to comprehend why such an amazing young lady like Yaoyao would have such a close relationship with Zhou Yuan.”
“I couldn’t understand either.” Ye Ge smiled bitterly as he nodded in agreement. He had been smitten by Yaoyao at first sight. Unfortunately for him, Yaoyao did not even give him a second glance and instead placed all of her attention on Zhou Yuan. This had made him rather dejected for a time.
Li Qingchan chuckled. Although her rather distant character was somewhat similar to Yaoyao’s, it was actually a kind of facade she put on, while Yaoyao’s coldness was due to being apathetic.
“In the past, I had felt indignant for Yaoyao. After all, Zhou Yuan had honestly looked like a burden who was holding her back.
“However, I now see that I was unable to see as far as her.” Li Qingchan sighed.
The group around her nodded. Li Qingchan was not the only one who had such thoughts. Who among them would have ever imagined back then that Zhou Yuan would become the master of Cangxuan Heaven in the future?
While they were reminiscing, the bald Chu Qing, whose head seemed to shoot off strings of light under the illumination of the candles in the hall, said in a deeply worried voice that was also full of pity, “Nothing else can be said about junior brother Zhou Yuan’s capability, but why has he chosen to give up everything just like this? He’s still so young and yet he’s going to take a wife? Troublesome creatures like women should never be touched!”
The atmosphere around him instantly turned cold. Black lines appeared on Li Qingchan, Ye Ge, Kong Sheng and the others’ foreheads as they glared at him and said in perfect unison, “You’d better shut up!”
There was a jovial atmosphere in the hall, the laughing and chatting seemingly never ending as gaze after gaze converged on Zhou Yuan and Yaoyao.
The two held hands as they walked across the carpet, answering every familiar face coming to wish them well with a smile.
Three figures were seated at the end of the carpet.
They were Zhou Qing, Qin Yu and Cang Yuan, who were representing the elders of both parties.
After several complicated rites, Zhou Yuan and Yaoyao bowed before the trio. The newlyweds looked at each other, their faces reflected in the other’s eyes as if wanting to carve this scene in the deepest recesses of their hearts.
In the end, neither party spoke as they received cups of tea and offered them to the three elders.
Zhou Qing’s and Qin Yu’s faces were filled with smiles, unable to conceal the joy in their eyes as they received the tea cups and downed it in a single go.
Cang Yuan also received a cup of tea as he gazed at the pair in front of him. Although there was a slight smile on his elderly face, there was also a concealed sliver of sadness in his eyes.
“As your master and elder, I wish both of you long and peaceful lives, and may things always go your way.” Cang Yuan slowly said before finishing his tea as well.
Zhou Yuan and Yaoyao bowed again.
Bang!
Countless fireworks shot upwards from the palace as the sound of drums spread across the city.
...
Red candles gently swayed in the bridal chamber.
Zhou Yuan and Yaoyao were lying on the wide and spacious bridal bed. After a long string of rites, the two had finally reached the bridal chamber segment.
After dismissing the servants, however, all the couple did was silently lie on the bed as if enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.
After a long time, Zhou Yuan finally turned his head to gaze at the flawless face beside him and said, “It was very troublesome, wasn’t it?”
Yaoyao pursed her lips and laughed softly. “But I did like it a lot.”
She grasped Zhou Yuan’s hand, their fingers tightly clasping together as she said, “Zhou Yuan, I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you everything about the God Annihilation Curse Poison earlier.
“I just wanted to spend some quality time with you while I still could.”
Zhou Yuan shook his head. He was silent for a long time before he said, “How much longer?”
“Soon, very soon,” mumbled Yaoyao.
They were naturally referring to the eruption of the curse poison in Yaoyao’s body. Once it finally erupted, the divinity in her body would enter a state of self-preservation, causing Yaoyao to fall into a sealed state for a time. When the seal was lifted, Yaoyao’s divinity would have completely awakened.
When that happened, she would be the third god.
Yaoyao suddenly flipped her body, pressing it onto Zhou Yuan’s chest. Her black hair gently floated onto Zhou Yuan’s face as a never before seen flirtatious blush appeared on her face. She softly said, “I want to give myself to you while I still can.”
Zhou Yuan shook his head. “I don’t want to rush things. Moreover, this isn’t a true farewell. Do you really believe we won’t have any chances at all in the future?”
Yaoyao stared at Zhou Yuan’s face. Tears suddenly gathered in her clear eyes, flowing down her cheek and splashing onto his face.
This was the first time Zhou Yuan had seen Yaoyao cry.
In that instant, he felt a heart-rendering pain. He forced himself to smile as he reached out to brush away her tears.
“I’m sorry, Zhou Yuan. All I can give you are these fake feelings.”
Zhou Yuan sat up. He cupped Yaoyao’s face with both hands as he said in a somewhat hoarse voice, “Yaoyao, I am not someone who easily gives up. I will not give up no matter what you become and will always stay by your side. I promise that you will always see me whenever you lift your head.
“That’s why, I also wish that you will not give up either.”
Crystal-clear tears fell from Yaoyao’s face. There was a never before seen frailness in her at this moment.
The girl who could remain unfazed even if the sky fell finally looked like any other ordinary girl.
In the end, she stopped her tears as a smile blossomed on her flawless face. “Zhou Yuan, I want you to lift my bridal veil.”
She wanted a complete ceremony.
Under that red bridal veil was a beautiful face that would make the red candles dim in comparison.
As Zhou Yuan’s hand reached forward, he found that he was faintly trembling. One must know that he had never panicked this much even when facing the Sacred Race’s prime saints previously.
He slowly lifted the red bridal veil and gazed at the beautiful, tear-streaked face, before lowering his head to plant a deep kiss on those red lips.
Yaoyao responded with never before seen passion.
Runes suddenly began to appear on her body, each filled with vast and ancient undulations.
The runes slowly spread like a ripple, encasing her body like amber wherever they passed.
Zhou Yuan’s eyes were tightly shut, his body trembling as he felt the tenderness on his lips. In the darkness, he seemed to see a scene from long ago, where a nervous and hopeful boy, who had yet to unlock his eight meridian channels, arrived at an unknown domain from his ancestral shrine.
In the strange domain, a slim girl in blue leaned against the trunk of a tree as a pair of bright eyes silently observed him.
Their story had started from this very first meeting.
Tears rolled down from the corners of Zhou Yuan’s eyes as he felt the soft lips suddenly grow ice-cold.
Tremendous sorrow surged out from the depths of his heart, roaring like an injured animal.
Zhou Yuan slowly opened his eyes and gazed at Yaoyao as a howl of pain reverberated through his throat.
Yaoyao seemed to be encased in some kind of amber-like crystal. A mysterious aura that made even Saint experts shiver flowed its surface.
Zhou Yuan reached out towards Yaoyao’s crystal covered face.
Upon contact, the mysterious power instantly ripped apart Zhou Yuan’s flesh, causing blood to flow down the amber-like layer. However, Zhou Yuan did not even flinch, because the pain from his palm was not even a millionth of the pain in his heart.
“Yaoyao, I will not give up...I will wait for you...I’ll keep waiting for you.
“I will wait until you remember again.”
Tuntun, who had been silently lying on the bridal chamber roof released a howl filled with sadness before amber-like crystal also began to grow on its body. The crystal ultimately covered it completely, making it appear like a statue from a distance.
Of the boy, girl and beast that had met long ago, only a single lonely figure now remained.
