Chapter 279: Extra (16)
When Lu Li and the others returned to Earth Star, they followed the guidance of the Wood Clan elders to select an auspicious burial site.
On the day Lu Li reinterred his parents, all the children came together to pay their respects. As they were preparing to leave, the little sparrow Xue You transformed into a mystical black bird, circling above them and letting out ethereal, melodic songs.
Lu Li froze in place, staring at his parents’ gravestone with a dazed expression.
As the black bird sang, two faint figures began to emerge from the gravestone, visible only to Lu Li.
He stumbled forward, his gaze locked on the faces of the apparitions, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face.
“Dad… Mom…” he murmured.
The man and woman stood side by side, their eyes brimming with love and guilt as they looked at him. They approached Lu Li and embraced him, their touch as light as the wind.
After a long moment, they stepped back, smiling through their tears, and waved farewell to their son.
Hand in hand, they turned toward the black bird and walked toward it, their figures gradually dissolving into points of light that merged with the Earth.
Lu Li stood there in stunned silence, tears flowing freely, but for the first time in years, a smile appeared on his face.
His parents’ souls had returned to the Earth, and they could finally rest in peace.
He knew, too, that he could never part with this land—not only because it was his home but also because it was his roots.
Back on Earth Star, life resumed its peaceful rhythm.
However, some changes began to unfold. For instance, apart from Lu Jiao’s water cultivation sect, other children started establishing their own sects and accepting disciples.
Unlike the others, Lu Li entrusted the operations of his sect to Mu Yuncheng. His goal was to bring all humans with Golden Monkey bloodlines from across the galaxy to Earth Star.
Regardless of whether they were adults or children, Lu Li was willing to cover their living expenses on Earth Star. Moreover, he offered to teach them the art of Spirit Control, provided they agreed to contribute to the development of the planet.
In his own way, he hoped to prevent tragedies like his father’s from happening again.
The other children were less methodical.
During the past decade and the two years on the battlefield, the orphanage had taken in many Beastblood children with promising potential. If they showed aptitude and willingness, Lang Ze and the others would take them under their wing.
About six months later, Su Ci and A-Yan, who had been traveling, finally returned.
Upon hearing the news, all the children—no matter how busy—rushed back to the orphanage to see the two figures they had missed so dearly.
Over the years, the children had grown up, but these two deities remained exactly as they had been when the children first met them—youthful and stunningly beautiful.
Before the children could fully savor the reunion, Su Ci and A-Yan announced shocking news:
They were getting married.
The children froze in place, staring in disbelief at A-Yan’s radiant smile and the slight curve of Su Ci’s lips. Though their minds struggled to process this revelation, their instincts led them to clap enthusiastically.
Su Su and Brother A-Yan were getting married!
Wow!
Once they fully grasped the news, their eyes sparkled with excitement as they looked at Su Ci and A-Yan. Only Lang Ze muttered in confusion, “Can two men even get married?”
“Su Su and Brother A-Yan are deities—it’s different,” Little Li Hua explained.
“Oh, that makes sense!” Lang Ze nodded, enlightened.
Beside him, Rong Heng appeared thoughtful.
Regardless of the shock and surprise, all the children ultimately gave their heartfelt blessings to Su Ci and A-Yan.
With a smile, A-Yan extended invitations to all of them to attend the wedding.
During their decade-long journey through the cultivation world—thanks to the different time flow between worlds, only three years had passed on Earth Star—A-Yan had not only indulged Su Ci’s culinary cravings but also meticulously planned their wedding.
Although Su Ci didn’t think the fuss was necessary, A-Yan was adamant.
Day after day, with endless patience, A-Yan discussed every detail with Su Ci and brought their plans to life. If the results weren’t satisfactory, he would start over. This process took nearly a decade.
For the two deities, whose lives were eternal, ten years was but the blink of an eye.
A-Yan loved it, and Su Ci, though initially indifferent, eventually came to enjoy the process.
Deciding whom to invite was another long discussion. In addition to Su Ci’s first master, Bai Mei Dao Ren, and Little Su Su, they considered inviting other figures from Su Ci’s past.
Some were still in their infancy, while others were nearing the end of their lives. After much deliberation, Su Ci decided to invite as many as possible. If Bai Mei Dao Ren was to serve as the officiant, why not make the event truly unforgettable?
*
The Cultivation Era.
A significant event was underway.
The dual rulers of Earth Star City were to be wed. Invitations had been sent far and wide, across both the human and demon realms. From Daoist elders who had lived for millennia to infants only a few months old, the guest list seemed utterly random.
Nevertheless, no one declined.
Even a reclusive monk, who had failed repeatedly to break through to the next realm, left his closed-door meditation to attend the ceremony after receiving an invitation.
The cultivation world was shaken to its core.
Earth Star City, a place that had only been established seven or eight years ago, was previously unremarkable. Its two city lords were mostly known for their obsession with food, and little else was said about them.
But when they finally made their presence known, it was like thunder on a clear day, stunning the entire cultivation realm.
Anticipation for their wedding ran high. Even though most people hadn’t been invited to attend in person, they eagerly awaited the live broadcast. After all, the magical tools for live streaming in the cultivation world were highly advanced.
As the invited cultivators entered Earth Star City, they were captivated by the lush spiritual plants flourishing everywhere. These precious specimens, which normally took extraordinary effort and resources to cultivate, grew abundantly throughout the city. The branches were laden with vibrant, glowing fruits.
Apart from the spiritual plants, the most striking feature was the pair of round-headed puppets leading the guests. One of them was particularly chatty, almost too much so, and it answered every inquiry with ease. Strangely, there was no trace of an artifact spirit within them.
Once all the guests were seated, they were greeted with a scene unlike any they had ever encountered.
At the head table sat an elegant golden-haired, golden-eyed child, his extraordinary heritage evident at a glance. Beside him were a pale blue water orb, a thick book labeled Work Manual, an ancient and imposing sword, a sturdy little mountain, and even a solitary door.
The aura radiating from these objects revealed them to be spiritual beings, all invited as honored guests of the two city lords.
The peculiarities of Earth Star City left even the most seasoned cultivators awestruck, their wide eyes betraying a lifetime’s worth of unfulfilled curiosity.
Meanwhile, the children who had traveled from a distant parallel world were equally dumbfounded.
They had never imagined a place of such breathtaking beauty existed.
When A-Yan casually mentioned that this was what Earth Star had looked like tens of millions of years ago, the children were left speechless.
The two gods had brought them through time and space to a parallel world from tens of millions of years ago!
“Will our Earth Star ever become like this again?” Lang Ze asked, his voice filled with wonder.
The other children turned their eager gazes toward A-Yan and Su Ci.
“If you wish for it and work toward it, perhaps one day it could happen,” Su Ci replied. “But it would take a very, very long time.”
“We don’t care how long it takes!”
The children’s determination burned in their eyes, igniting their spirits with newfound fervor.
Watching them, Su Ci’s expression softened, a rare moment of tender warmth gracing his face.
“Alright, then. This is your promise.”
“Su Su, it’s time,” A-Yan reminded him gently.
Su Ci nodded, instructing the chatty puppets to escort the children to the banquet. He and A-Yan departed to make final preparations.
A-Yan personally dressed Su Ci in his wedding robes.
The robes were crafted by their own hands, with years spent gathering the materials. Surprisingly, Su Ci, who was usually indifferent to tedious tasks, never once complained during the process.
“You look beautiful today, Su,” A-Yan murmured, his voice laced with affection.
He combed and styled Su Ci’s hair, his movements gentle yet meticulous. Though they followed ancient customs for their wedding, they only adhered to the traditions they liked, discarding the rest.
Su Ci glanced at their reflections in the mirror. He had never imagined himself dressed in wedding robes, standing beside someone as they prepared to wed.
His lips curved into a soft smile, brimming with quiet contentment.
A-Yan, unable to resist, leaned down to place a tender kiss on Su Ci’s cheek. Taking his beloved’s hand, they turned toward an ancient door that materialized before them.
Hand in hand, they stepped through the door and returned to their original world.
A-Yan, as the spirit of the Heavenly Dao, needed to merge with the world’s rules, and their bond required formalization in their native realm.
“Su, do you vow to be my partner, to never abandon or betray me, to love me eternally, and to remain by my side for all time?”
“I do,” Su Ci replied without hesitation.
As their vows echoed through the air, the world itself seemed to rejoice. Miraculous phenomena unfolded across Earth Star, their beauty extending even beyond the cosmos.
Su Lu and Zhou Zhou, drawn by the extraordinary spectacle, arrived to witness the event.
While the curious Zhou Zhou looked on in amazement, Su Lu let out a deep breath. If not for Zhou Zhou’s constant companionship sharpening his patience, his face might have been a storm of exasperation.
Through gritted teeth, he muttered, “These lunatics…”
When the ritual concluded and the bond was sealed, Su Ci and A-Yan returned to the cultivation era.
Bai Mei Dao Ren greeted them with a broad smile.
Over the past decade, Su Ci and A-Yan had often visited him, bringing delicacies and engaging in profound discussions about the Dao. Their relationship had deepened considerably.
Now, seeing them adorned in matching crimson wedding robes, radiating joy and elegance, he couldn’t help but acknowledge that they were indeed a match made in heaven.
The guests, still reeling from shock, quickly realized that everything they had witnessed was just the prelude.
As the wedding ceremony commenced, legendary creatures of lore arrived to offer their blessings, and the skies erupted in radiant hues. Phenomena of unparalleled beauty appeared, as if the very heavens were celebrating this union.
Some cultivators, who had been stuck at bottlenecks for centuries, found enlightenment in the midst of these extraordinary sights, breaking through their limitations on the spot.
This day was not only Su Ci and A-Yan’s joyous occasion but also the happiest day in Little Su Su’s existence.
For on this day, he made countless new friends, including one particularly special companion—a nascent spirit, barely aware, still in its infancy.
Zhou Ge Ge explained that this was the embryonic form of a new Heavenly Dao spirit. He even taught Little Su Su how to communicate with it, guiding it toward maturation.
Little Su Su was overjoyed. He shared everything with his new friend and eagerly awaited the day it would fully awaken.
The birth of this consciousness astonished even Su Ci and A-Yan.
If A-Yan had been born from Su Ci’s sorrow, then this world’s Heavenly Dao spirit had been sparked by Little Su Su’s unbridled joy during the wedding.
As A-Yan marveled at the serendipity of it all, Su Ci gently embraced him, his eyes sparkling with affection.
“Isn’t this wonderful?” he said. “With you here, I am truly happy.”
A-Yan paused, then smiled deeply in return.
“It is my greatest honor.”
He leaned down and kissed his beloved.
The End.
