Chapter 372: Husband And Wife [PART 3]
Grand Elder Feng Wuying used his qi to ensure that his voice was heard clearly across the courtyard.
"We gather here today to witness the union of Grand Elder Xiang Yu and Sect Master Li Yao of the Azure Cloud Sect. May heaven and earth bear witness to their vows."
He gestured toward the sky with both hands. "First bow, to Heaven and Earth, source of all spiritual energy and the foundation of cultivation!"
The couple bowed deeply toward the heavens, their movements perfectly synchronized.
"Second bow, to our respected elders Elder Huang Fengqi and Elder Guo Shantian, who have guided and protected you on your cultivation journey!"
Elder Huang and Elder Guo stepped forward, standing side by side with warm smiles on their faces. Elder Huang’s eyes glistened with unshed tears of joy, while Elder Guo nodded approvingly at his disciples.
"Xiang Yu," Elder Huang began, her voice carrying clearly across the silent courtyard. "When you first came to our sect, you were just a mortal with no spiritual roots. But your determination and kindness showed us that true strength comes from the heart, not from cultivation level."
Elder Guo nodded and continued, "Li Yao, you have grown from a talented but reckless young disciple into a leader worthy of respect. Your love for each other has made you both stronger."
"Together, you have faced dangers that would terrify even experienced cultivators," Elder Huang said, her voice growing emotional. "You have protected each other and our sect with courage and wisdom. May your union bring strength to each other and prosperity to our Azure Cloud Sect."
The couple bowed deeply to their masters with genuine respect and gratitude.
"Third bow, to each other, as cultivation partners bound by choice and affection!"
Xiang Yu and Li Yao turned to face each other, their love-filled eyes meeting.
In that moment, the rest of the world seemed to fade away. There were no political concerns, no threats from enemies, no worries about cultivation - there was only the two of them and the love they shared.
...
Grand Elder Feng Wuying raised his hands toward the sky.
"By the authority granted to me as elder of you both, and with heaven and earth as witnesses, I pronounce you husband and wife!"
"You may kiss your bride," Feng Wuying said with a warm smile.
Xiang Yu gently cupped Li Yao’s face in his hands and leaned down to kiss her tenderly.
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause, disciples throwing flower petals into the air while the elders nodded approvingly.
...
The gift-giving ceremony began right after the vows.
Visiting cultivators presented cultivation resources, rare herbs, and precious treasures. Each one tried to outdo the others to show respect to the powerful couple.
Those from the central continent who had come to judge the Azure Cloud Sect’s strength seemed convinced as they didn’t hold back at all with their gifts. Though for Xiang Yu, this was all worthless stuff - could it even compare to a single one of his spatial rings?
Even so, he kept smiling throughout as this was tradition.
As the afternoon turned into evening, the celebration continued with storytelling and light sparring demonstrations for entertainment. Although it was just casual sparring between disciples, Xiang Yu had arranged for the sect’s top genius disciples to participate, showing off their sect’s foundation.
As encouragement, he had promised gifts for those who performed best. Xiang Yu smiled as he watched the demonstrations, nodding in approval. They didn’t disappoint him in the slightest.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on his left side. "What is it?" he asked.
Li Yao looked at him with a pout. "Stop acting like master and pay attention to your wife," she said.
Xiang Yu smiled, thinking to himself that he was indeed getting old. Being so focused on preserving the sect’s image, he had even forgotten to give his wife attention. "I’m sorry, I’ll pay more attention to you from now on," he whispered. Then, moving closer to her ear, "especially tonight," he said, causing her to blush deeply.
After the demonstrations came a feast.
Xiang Yu had prepared a magnificent meal using his cooking clone for all the guests present. Guests of different levels received different grades of spirit food, from ninth grade up to third grade.
As Xiang Yu was about to sit at the couple’s assigned table, he felt the space around him shift. He found himself inside his new house, standing before the bed with Li Yao hugging him from behind.
"Are you so impatient?" he asked with a smile.
"Won’t the guests think we’re bad hosts for not keeping them company?" he asked.
Li Yao didn’t respond and pushed him onto the bed.
He rolled onto his back to face her. She climbed up the bed and held down his hands with hers. "I don’t care about the guests. It’s MY wedding," she said.
Xiang Yu looked at her. "So, what now?" he asked.
She looked at him. The more she stared at him, the more her earlier confidence wavered.
"What do I do now?"
[Don’t ask me, idiot]
"Umm... well..." she stuttered.
Xiang Yu smiled. He used his power and flipped her below him.
Now he was the one looming over her, holding her hands tightly. "Senior brother..." she began, but Xiang Yu shook his head.
"Don’t you mean, husband?" he asked as he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips.
"Husband..." she called after their lips parted. She then blushed and looked to the side.
"You always call me your husband, why are you so embarrassed now?" he asked, guiding her face to look directly into his eyes.
"Husband, I-I’m ready," she said.
Xiang Yu’s clothes started shifting, becoming much more fluid and sinking back into him. "Husband, you..." she was shocked when she saw his new body.
"What do you think?" he asked.
"It’s beautiful, I love it," she said, running her hand across his body. Her hand slowly dropped until it reached a certain point.
"But there is something else I love even more."
...
Author’s Corner
You have no idea how many times I’ve written and rewritten this Chapter.
Don’t worry, I’ll do a time skip immediately in next Chapter. I don’t think I’m cut out for this.