A lackey of the Immortal Mother?
Who is the Immortal Mother?
The vast majority of the guests had no idea what was going on and simply stared at each other. Ben Bo’Erba, however, stood with his hands on his hips, an air of righteousness and self-satisfaction on his face.
"It’s him! He is Sha Wujing, the Golden Body Buddha of Spirit Mountain! He works for the Immortal Mother and the Demon Ancestor and once tried to kill Lu Zi!"
His voice was extrely loud and clear. He was proud, feeling no sha for his betrayal. ’I’m the Lady’s favorite now,’ he thought. ’Immortal Mother? Demon Ancestor?’
’Who are they?’
’Never heard of ’em!’
At that mont, the Giant Bull and True Phoenix, who were holding Fla Mountain at the edge of the Kongtong Mountain Range, both cast their gazes over.
Among the guests, the Old Celestial Master, Qing Lianzi, and other Immortal beings also fixed their stares on him. The combined gaze of two Celestial Realms Level beings and several at the Immortal Level was enough to nearly break Sha Wujing’s back!
"A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding..." he stamred, drenched in sweat. The hair on his body stood on end, his mind a jumble of confusion and terror.
’There are... way too many familiar faces here!!’
Lu Xuan lowered his gaze slightly, staring at Sha Wujing amidst the dead silence. After a long mont, he finally spoke.
"Sha Wujing, the Golden Body Buddha. I’ve heard your na. I don’t care about your reasons for being here. Today is my joyous day. For Zhu Wuneng’s sake, if you’ve co as a guest, then you may share in my joy. If you..."
Sha Wujing was stunned again. ’Zhu Wuneng?’
’Bajie??’
’Where is he??’
He glanced left and right but didn’t see him. Then it dawned on him. He hurriedly bowed, cold sweat pouring down his back.
"I naturally co with good intentions..."
Li Changgeng and the Big Black Bull watched this scene unfold in silence.
In truth, why would they care about Sha Wujing’s motives?
Whether he ca with good intentions or ill will...
The immortal and the bull couldn’t help but sneak a glance at the impassive middle-aged Daoist, and they shivered.
"Alright!"
The girl in the Phoenix Crown and Brocade Robe smiled faintly.
"Regardless, Xiaolu, let’s first..."
Before she could finish, blood suddenly began to drip from the sky.
The faces of all the guests changed. On such a joyous day, a rain of blood...
Lu Xuan’s face was as cold as frost. Even the middle-aged Daoist beside him frowned, his expression turning severe.
The middle-aged Daoist raised a hand and pointed. The rain of blood across the sky was instantly restructured, transforming into Immortal Flowers, lotuses, and auspicious ons that drifted down in a fragrant mist.
The next instant, a pure white True Dragon stumbled out of the void, covered in wounds. The rain of blood had co from it.
"Lu Zi!!"
The pure white True Dragon circled and cried out in grief.
"Lu Zi, run! The Immortal Mother and the Demon Ancestor have issued a kill order! So Immortal Gods have returned ahead of schedule! They’re coming today to kill you... Lu Zi, run!!"
The dragon’s roar echoed throughout the Kongtong Mountain Range. Sha Wujing’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably as he felt nurous dangerous gazes land on him, making his skin tingle.
The many guests broke into an uproar. Worry appeared on the faces of Wu Datong, Wu Xiaoxu, and others. Li Changgeng and the Big Black Bull, however, looked on with pity.
In the sky, the pure white True Dragon’s injuries were too severe, and it began to fall from the Celestial Vault. But the middle-aged Daoist, his face cold, simply pointed again.
Ti silently reversed. In the blink of an eye, the pure white True Dragon’s wounds were completely healed.
"Huh? I’m healed?"
The Little White Dragon was stunned for a mont, then beca excited. It swooped down, looking toward Kongtong Peak, and shouted urgently,
"Lu Zi, flee quickly! I know of an ancient land where you might be able to..."
It caught sight of Sha Wujing, and its voice trailed off a little. It then saw the True Phoenix and the Giant Bull at the edge of the mountain range, and its voice grew quieter still.
By the ti it saw the strange expressions on Li Changgeng and the Big Black Bull, the Little White Dragon had fallen silent.
"Huh?"
It was a bit dumbfounded. ’How... how are there so many familiar faces??’
"Ahem."
Li Changgeng cleared his throat and explained to Lu Xuan,
"That is Ao Lie, son of the West Sea Dragon King, Ao Shun, from Ancient Tis. He is also the junior brother of Zhu Wuneng and Sha Wujing. He walked the Human World seventy thousand years ago."
Many of the guests were confused. ’Ancient Tis? The West Sea Dragon King?’
The Old Celestial Master frowned. ’Another great Immortal God from Ancient Tis?’
’But it seems he cos with good intentions...’
Amidst the murmurs and clamor, Lu Xuan didn’t respond, rely turning his gaze toward his bride.
Xiaoyan looked a little disappointed and said softly,
"Xiaolu, it seems we have a lot of unwelco guests today."
The bustling peak fell silent. Lu Xuan stepped forward and lovingly stroked Xiaoyan’s cheek, whispering,
"It’s alright. Everything will go smoothly. I promise."
Before Xiaoyan could speak, a cold voice rang out.
"Today is a day of great fortune. The newlyweds should simply proceed with the wedding."
Hearing this, Sha Wujing, the Little White Dragon, and so of the guests instinctively turned to look at the speaker. It was a middle-aged Daoist who looked very ordinary, with nothing divine about him.
Only Li Changgeng and the Big Black Bull exchanged a knowing glance.
’If this person says today is a day of great fortune, then it can only be a day of great fortune.’
Lu Xuan felt a sense of certainty in his heart. He looked up at the bewildered Little White Dragon in the sky and said softly,
"Thank you for the warning... Would you like to stay for a cup of wedding wine?"
The Little White Dragon blinked, seeing the calm expressions on Taibai and Kuiniu, who absolutely should not have been there. It grew even more alard.
It quickly transford into human form, landed obediently, and bowed.
"By order of the First Emperor, I have returned to assist Lu Zi. I await Lu Zi’s command in all matters."
Before the Daoist Palace, another uproar erupted. The Old Celestial Master, Yan Huang, and others looked particularly startled.
’By... order of the First Emperor??’
They all felt a sense of dazed disbelief. ’The First Emperor...’
That na spanned more than a hundred thousand years, yet it echoed here today!
’That emperor... is still alive??’
Amidst the clamor, Lu Xuan’s expression softened slightly. He shot a cold glance at Sha Wujing, then turned to the guests, cupped his hands in a salute, and said softly,
"I’m sorry for the spectacle. But rest assured, today will be just as my Second Master said: a day of great fortune."
’Second Master?’
The crowd instinctively looked toward the cold-faced, middle-aged Daoist. The latter nodded slightly.
"Xiaoxuan, proceed with the wedding... You two just carry on with the ceremony. I will handle the rest."
The middle-aged Daoist’s voice was frigid. A rare trace of anger appeared on his face, which had remained unmoved for eons. He was clearly displeased.
Lu Xuan took his bride’s hand and nodded. He looked at Sha Wujing, who stood by, silent as a cicada in winter, and said indifferently,
"Are you here to drink, or are you going to report back to your master?"
Sha Wujing’s heart seized with terror, and the hair on his body stood on end. He imdiately bowed.
"I wouldn’t dare..."
He glanced at the complex expressions on Taibai and Kuiniu, then recalled the ntion of Bajie, who had been missing for countless years.
At once, Sha Wujing gritted his teeth and looked up frankly.
"Lu Zi, the Immortal Mother and the others do have a plan for today. Four Celestial Realms Level beings have returned early. They intend to..."
"Enough!"
The middle-aged Daoist snapped, his face dark as he stared at Sha Wujing.
"Today is a day of great fortune. Do you understand?"
Sha Wujing t the middle-aged Daoist’s gaze and felt every cell in his body scream a warning. Sweat poured from him like rain as he struggled to speak.
"I... I understand!"
Although the middle-aged Daoist, to avoid the collapse of the Great Heaven and Earth, had not used a single iota of his power and had suppressed the abilities of this incarnation to a hundred-millionth of a hundred-millionth of its true strength...
...his Dao Fruit was fundantally infinite. Even when suppressed to a hundred-millionth of a hundred-millionth... it was still infinite.
Soon, at Lu Xuan’s direction, the guests began to take their seats. More than a thousand people had co to the banquet. With eight seats per table, over one hundred tables were arranged within the Guangcheng Daoist Palace, yet it did not feel cluttered.
The guests sat down, mostly grouping together at tables with people they knew.
Li Changgeng and the Big Black Bull, for instance, ended up at a table with Sha Wujing, the Little White Dragon, and Ben Bo’Erba. And as luck would have it, Sha Wujing was seated right next to Ben Bo’Erba...
"Don’t you stare at like that!"
Ben Bo’Erba muttered under his breath.
"I’m not the sa person I used to be! I’d advise you to forsake the darkness for the light as soon as possible. Following that good-for-nothing Immortal Mother and Demon Ancestor is a dead end!"
Sha Wujing’s brow twitched. He was speechless, feeling both the relief of having survived and a sense of bewildernt. He was grateful that Lu Zi, being in the midst of a joyous occasion, had not killed him.
He was also amazed by all the old acquaintances present, and by Ben Bo’Erba, whose cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds...
Especially Ben Bo’Erba. It hadn’t been as noticeable from a distance, but now that they were sitting close, Sha Wujing could sll the Innate Peach Fragrance on him!!
’This damn bastard... did he eat an Innate Peach of Immortality?’
’And quite a lot of it, too!!’
Filled with shock and doubt, Sha Wujing couldn’t hold back and asked Li Changgeng,
"Taibai, what on earth is..."
"Silence," Li Changgeng said solemnly. "It doesn’t matter if there are unwelco guests today, or who they are..."
He paused, then added aningfully,
"I’m afraid none of them will be leaving."
"Exactly, exactly!" Ben Bo’Erba nodded in agreent.
Sha Wujing and the Little White Dragon, on the other hand, just looked at each other, utterly bewildered, but they didn’t dare ask any more questions.
anwhile, the wedding ceremony began.
In the center of the hundred-plus tables, a wide-open space had been left. Yan Huang and the middle-aged Daoist were seated there, representing the elders of the bride and groom.
In the middle of that space was an incense table with fragrant smoke curling upward. Lu Xuan, dressed in a great red robe and a coronet, walked hand-in-hand with Xiaoyan, who wore the Phoenix Crown and Brocade Robe.
The Old Celestial Master stood to the side with a smile and called out loudly,
"The bride and groom have arrived!"
The guests all applauded, shouting their congratulations.
Amidst the noise, at one of the tables, Wu Xiaoxu couldn’t help but glance at the sowhat dazed Li Xiaosang beside him and shake his head slightly.
Then, he too joined the chorus of congratulations, enthusiastically shouting, "Brother Xuan!"
Amidst the chorus, the Old Celestial Master smiled and announced again,
"The bride and groom are here! Let the rites comnce!"
"First bow, to Heaven and Earth!"
The bride and groom turned to face outside the Guangcheng Daoist Palace, toward the Great Heaven and Earth, and bowed deeply.
Heaven and Earth trembled. Auspicious ons and Qingyun clouds covered the entire Ancestor Star. Anthems and Immortal Music resounded from the heavens as blessings rained down, gracing the entire Ancestor Star!!
The wounded were healed of their injuries, the elderly had their lifespans increased by eight hundred years, the young were granted wisdom, and the strong had their cultivation enhanced!
Across the Ancestor Star, all things and all beings received the good fortune of this great wedding. All of life was blessed!
Then, nurous other phenona appeared between Heaven and Earth. The True Phoenix at the edge of the mountains cried out, and the roar of Nine Dragons echoed from Taishan.
The cries of the dragon and phoenix swept across the land. All of nature was rejuvenated as if it were spring. Withered flowers and grass blood with vigorous life, and even the dead peach trees on Dragon Tiger Mountain were reborn!!
A wedding witnessed by the Primordial. As all things witnessed it, all things flourished.
In the Daoist Palace, the guests murmured in awe as they witnessed the phenona outside. The Old Celestial Master’s voice rang out once more.
"Second bow, to the elders!"
Lu Xuan and Xiaoyan stood side by side and, under the watchful eyes of all, bowed deeply to the middle-aged Daoist and Yan Huang seated in the places of honor.
A master can also be as a father.
As the newlyweds bowed, gasps of astonishnt arose. Three feet of auspicious ons suddenly appeared above Yan Huang’s head. His personal fortune skyrocketed, almost solidifying into a canopy and Qingyun clouds!!
Li Changgeng and the Big Black Bull exchanged a knowing look. This was likely due to both Lu Zi’s bow and the fact that Yan Huang was seated beside the one from Jade Void Palace...
’To sit beside the one from Jade Void Palace... what an incredible honor is that??’
In just this short mont, Cause and Effect and fortune had been set. Yan Huang was now destined to achieve the Daluo realm!
anwhile, in the center of the hall.
Yan Huang finally managed to calm his surging fortune. Lu Xuan and Xiaoyan offered him tea. The Old Celestial Master cleared his throat and announced loudly,
"Third bow, to each other!"
At this cry, Lu Xuan and Xiaoyan turned to face each other. The forr was all smiles, while the latter lowered her head, her pretty face blushing red to the tips of her ears.
The two bowed to one another, and Heaven and Earth resounded in unison as the Years themselves trembled.
The tremors did not stop but grew more and more intense, gradually spreading to the Guangcheng Daoist Palace. Peach blossoms in the Kongtong Mountain Range fell, scattering across the ground.
From the heavens, a colossal fragnt of the Celestial Realm descended, perfectly centered to envelop the entire Kongtong Mountain Range. Majestic figures appeared one after another, and an imnse, overwhelming pressure bore down!
"They’re here!" the Little White Dragon cried in fear. Sha Wujing’s face paled. Ben Bo’Erba, however, just pursed his lips and shot them a disdainful look.
"Look at you pathetic lot..."
Sha Wujing’s expression froze. His teeth ached, and he felt the urge to crush this Catfish Spirit.
At this mont, inside the Daoist Palace’s ceremonial hall, the guests were in an uproar. Lu Xuan’s expression first darkened, then broke into a wide smile again.
The middle-aged Daoist rose calmly and gave a sidelong glance. The Old Celestial Master understood imdiately and announced in a booming voice,
"The ceremony is complete! To the bridal chamber!"
As the middle-aged Daoist strode out, he said,
"Today is a day of great fortune."
The newlyweds entered the bridal chamber; the Primordial exited the hall.
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