Chapter 694: E's This Wave, Must Have Presence

"Zhao Gongming's wedding?"

On Kunlun Mountain, in Yuxu Palace, by the pavilion at the back mountain's flying waterfall.

Guangchengzi looked at the invitation in front of him, his eyes revealing a hint of hesitation.

In the pavilion, nine of the Twelve Golden Immortals were gathered, with Taiyi and Yuding absent as they were currently staying in Chentang Pass.

Chijingzi stroked his beard and said,

"The Jie Jiao is holding a wedding at this time—there must be some scheme involved."

Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun nodded in agreement and remarked,

"That's right. How could they proceed with a wedding right after the recent battle?

And Jinling Shengmu with Zhao Gongming?

Could it be that there's a rift between the outer and inner sects of Jie Jiao, and they want to use this wedding to forge a closer alliance between them?

If that's the case, we need to think this through carefully."

From the side, Yunzhongzi, who was not one of the Twelve Golden Immortals but had been quite active lately, couldn't help but stroke his beard and sigh softly.

He said,

"I've heard about the matter between Jinling and Gongming for some time. They kept their relationship secret before, but they've been Dao companions for many years.

This wedding might not involve any hidden agendas; it could just be to settle some personal matters before the great calamity."

Guangchengzi said,

"Let's not worry about why the wedding is happening for now.

The Jie Jiao sent this invitation with sincere wording. If we don't respond, it would undermine our teacher's reputation.

Do any of you fellow disciples have a plan?

If we send someone, how can they attend and return safely?"

The immortals were all stumped by this question.

The initial conflict between Chan Jiao and Jie Jiao had just ended, and the two sides were now completely at odds. Whoever went would seem like they were there to cause trouble.

The Jie Jiao had many members and was full of outspoken individuals, like Taiyi Zhenren. If words were exchanged and a fight broke out, not only would the attendee be in danger, but it would also make Chan Jiao look like they were deliberately stirring up trouble.

It was truly a dilemma.

Daoxing Tianzun chuckled and said,

"Senior brother, I have an idea."

"Speak up."

"Our Yuxu Palace has two disciples who are said to be closely tied to the great calamity—one is called Jiang Shang, and the other is Shen Bao. They've both made some progress in their cultivation. Shen Bao has already passed the Golden Immortal tribulation, and Jiang Shang…"

Daoxing Tianzun paused, puzzled,

"Has he become an immortal yet?"

"Not yet," Chijingzi couldn't help but cover his face with one hand. "I was tasked by our teacher to guide his practice. He's not exactly foolish—cough, well, I can't say he's foolish. He's a very particular kind of qi refiner.

You hardly encounter one in several yuan meetings. If you're not careful, he might suffer qi deviation, and if you let your guard down, he could accidentally pass a tribulation and achieve the Earth Immortal status.

It's really…"

"Ha!"

The slightly younger Lingbao Grand Mage slapped his thigh and laughed lightly, but seeing the serious expressions of his fellow disciples, he quickly shrank back and stopped laughing.

Wasn't that funny?

Huanglong Daoist said,

"I'll go. I didn't fight in the previous battle, so as long as I'm thick-skinned enough, I won't respond to whatever they say."

"This would truly be a thankless task."

"Not necessarily," Guangchengzi smiled. "Shidi Changgeng will certainly go too. With him there to look after you, Huanglong Shidi, you won't have much to worry about.

Besides, Jiang Shang has another identity, so he can go with you. The Jie Jiao won't trouble him."

Chijingzi added,

"And Shen Bao was a qi refiner from Jin'ao Island in his past life, so he can join as well."

"Very well, let's settle it like this," Guangchengzi said seriously. "Prepare a generous gift later, and have Huanglong Shidi, Shen Bao Shidi, and Jiang Shang Shidi go together to Jie Jiao to offer congratulations."

The immortals all nodded in agreement, finding it a good plan.

Not long after, Chijingzi and Huanglong Zhenren went to the back mountain to find Shen Bao and Jiang Shang.

Shen Bao was cultivating by the mountain stream, with a faint clear aura around him. His Dao rhythm was perfectly balanced, and there was no trace of demonic energy in his features. The white hair at his temples added to his air of immortal elegance.

To be precise, it was called hoary hair.

When Chijingzi explained the matter of going to Jie Jiao for the wedding, Shen Bao looked troubled, as he knew the war between Chan Jiao and Jie Jiao had already begun.

But after thinking it over, he agreed.

Though it felt like walking into a trap, perhaps he could play a role in promoting harmony among the three teachings, reminding everyone of old ties during future conflicts.

So, Chijingzi and Huanglong Zhenren went to find Jiang Shang.

Jiang Shang was in a corridor beside Yuxu Palace, discussing the Dao with several immortals who had joined Yuxu Palace only a few hundred years ago. He sat in a somewhat cornered spot, eyes closed in contemplation, pondering the ways of dreams and adaptation to new places.

He had dozed off.

Chijingzi and Huanglong Zhenren exchanged glances and smiled as they approached.

The immortals in discussion paused, and one quickly used immortal power to nudge Jiang Shang. He jolted awake.

Opening his eyes, still a bit dazed, he subconsciously cupped his hands and said with a smile,

"This poor Daoist once had thirty-two wives and concubines. How about we discuss the great path of human desires?"

Chijingzi and Huanglong Zhenren stopped in their tracks, black lines appearing on their foreheads.

There was the root of his qi deviation risk.

Who knows which Yuxu immortal chuckled, and soon the corridor echoed with waves of laughter, adding a touch of joy for the male immortals in Yuxu Palace.

Time flies like a galloping steed, and in the blink of an eye, a month and a half passed.

All those from Jie Jiao who needed to return to the Five Parts Continent had arrived, and news of Zhao Gongming and Jinling Shengmu's upcoming wedding spread far and wide.

Due to the great calamity's implications, Jie Jiao did not send invitations widely, to avoid drawing non-Jie Jiao immortals with connections to them into the calamity.

Apart from the invitation to Chan Jiao—to let them handle it as they saw fit—the Jie Jiao invitations were distributed to four factions.

First, naturally, the Heavenly Court.

Jie Jiao's senior brother, Duobao Daoist, formally sent invitations to Taibai Jinxing, Yue Lao, and a few other key deities to attend the wedding banquet.

Originally, an invitation was meant for a certain marshal of the Heavenly Court, but Jie Jiao wasn't sure how many incarnations Jade Emperor had gone through or if it was still the same one, so they decided not to send it to avoid awkwardness.

Second was the Immortal Alliance in the Three Thousand Worlds, where invitations went to all the vice alliance leaders, delivered by Lv Yue.

Lv Yue had worried that these vice leaders might not give face to Jie Jiao and had considered lacing the invitations with some exotic poison, with the antidote at the banquet.

But in the end, he chose to be a good immortal and abandoned that professional yet mad idea.

Half of the Immortal Alliance vice leaders agreed to come, while the other half cited prior commitments, as the Immortal Alliance was now one of the top powers in the Three Thousand Worlds and needed to be cautious.

The third group to receive invitations was the neighboring Dragon Clan.

However, the Dragon Clan had just endured the wounds from Chentang and was quite downcast, likely just sending a few hundred treasure chests without any major figures attending.

The fourth faction was unknown to outsiders.

Zhao Gongming invited the members of the Xiaoqiong Peak poker room, along with his mount and head chef, Bai Ze.

Those carefree days he spent lounging at Heichi Peak of Duixian Gate were still fresh in his memory, so this invitation was more personal.

But there was a slight risk involved.

Bai Ze was fine, being good at seeking fortune and avoiding disaster, and tough-skinned.

The issue was that Ling E was coming out of the mountains.

Zhao Gongming's invitation clearly listed Lan Ling E's name, and when she received it from her senior brother, she felt a bit uneasy.

"Senior brother, can I go?"

"If you want to, go ahead," Li Changshou said with a smile. "Don't overthink it. If you want to attend Gongming Ge's wedding, I'll take you along."

Ling E said thoughtfully,

"In that case, I won't go. You'll have to focus on other things."

"Come with me," Li Changshou said, gently pinching her cheek, making her pout in dissatisfaction.

He continued,

"Later, I'll go to Doushuai Palace and ask Laojun for some ink and brushes as a gift from Ren Jiao to Gongming Ge.

If anyone causes trouble at Gongming Ge's wedding, it'll be an enemy of Ren Jiao.

With Tongtian Shishu overseeing things, I won't need to worry about you."

"Really?"

Ling E tiptoed, her little hands flapping like tiny wings, as if she might fly away.

Li Changshou smiled and said,

"Just don't get stage fright. Bi You Palace will be full of great powers."

"Okay!"

Ling E agreed cheerfully, pointing a small hand at Li Changshou behind her.

"Senior brother, Lingli just got tossed by a cow!"

Li Changshou instinctively turned to look, but saw the spirit beast pen was quiet. As he turned back, he felt a light touch on his face.

By the time he fully turned around, Ling E had already turned into a streak of light and flown to the other end of Xiaoqiong Peak.

Li Changshou shook his head, hands clasped behind his back, and walked toward the pill room, pondering the ultimate improvement for heart fire burning.

On the day of Gongming and Jinling's wedding, Li Changshou changed into a clean Dao robe, using his original appearance with several extra seals to tone down his charm.

No particular reason—he wanted to show sincerity without stealing the spotlight from his old brother.

After all, the rules of the best man world in his previous life were to be presentable but not more handsome than the groom.

Xiong Lingli stayed home to guard the place, and Youqin Xuanya was out on a mission slaying demons, sadly missing this event.

As far as Li Changshou knew, his Ninth Shishu had gone to Bi You Palace early, under the guise of being Bai Ze's disciple.

She was helping in the kitchen.

She really wasn't afraid of being recognized, as the fame and traits of the Lintian Hall Saintess were already well-known throughout the Three Realms.

He understood the principles, but how could immortals possibly…

Cough, health, civilization, and promoting new trends.

"Ling E?"

Li Changshou called out, and a response came from her straw hut: "Senior brother, wait a moment. I'm not ready yet!"

When Li Changshou's immortal sense swept over, it was blocked by the aura of the Chaos Bell.

This Chaos Bell was quite bold.

He waited quietly for a while, then heard two soft chimes, and the restrictions set by the Chaos Bell slowly dissipated. The wooden door of Ling E's straw hut opened, and the carefully made-up little fairy hopped out.

Li Changshou couldn't help but smile.

Ling E had put a lot of thought into her outfit. Her dress was a common style, a long light green skirt with a white bodice embroidered with elegant orchids. A jade belt cinched her slender waist, highlighting her graceful figure.

Her light makeup was meticulously done, even her eyelashes curled just right.

Her skin was as fair as mutton fat jade, and her eyes outshone a hundred flowers.

Her light lips added a touch of fragrance, and her dark hair hung like poetry.

The jade hairpin across her hair was a gift from Yunxiao Jiejie, and the jade pendant around her neck was from her senior brother.

She first made a funny face at Li Changshou, then shyly approached with small steps, standing behind him to the side.

Li Changshou chuckled and said gently,

"I'll summon the cloud."

"Okay," Ling E replied, following behind Li Changshou, holding a small flower basket with a gift for Jinling inside.

They left Xiaoqiong Peak and passed Taibai Palace, naturally drawing many glances from immortals and gods along the way.

Those with insufficient cultivation couldn't see anything unusual.

But those with higher cultivation took one look at Ling E and their expressions changed dramatically, then they looked at Li Changshou with full admiration, their Dao hearts trembling.

Was this the depth of Taibai Jinxing's background?

They were intimidated.

Once out of the Heavenly Gate, Li Changshou calculated the time and felt it wouldn't do to arrive late, so he pointed a finger forward.

The universe collapsed inward layer by layer, forming a pathway of seven-colored light streams, leading straight to the skies above Jin'ao Island. There, rays of immortal light flowed slowly, with countless immortals already gathered.

This divine ability was something Suirenshi had used before.

Li Changshou, through his diligent study of escape techniques, had made a modest contribution to the Dao of Qiankun. After seeing it once and pondering it, he had roughly mastered it.

This could be considered a type of escape technique, which he named—Door-Opening Escape.

It was quite culturally rich, on par with his poetic style.

As soon as the senior brother and sister appeared, gazes from above and below Jin'ao Island turned toward them.

Above Jin'ao Island, four massive sword shadows hung faintly, the projections of the Zhuxian Four Swords slowly circling the island's perimeter.

Directly above, a cloud gate and a stretch of continuous palaces came into view, with Bi You Palace already filled with guests.

The wedding venue was divided into inner and outer areas, upper and lower levels, all in perfect order.

As soon as Li Changshou and Ling E arrived, Zhao Gongming, standing near the cloud gate, perked up.

Dressed in his wedding robes, he opened his arms and welcomed them with a burst of laughter.

"Ahahaha! I've been waiting for you, brother! I've been waiting!"

Li Changshou cupped his hands and smiled,

"Congratulations to you, old brother! Best wishes to you and Jinling Shijie on becoming a couple!"

Zhao Gongming laughed heartily, deliberately modulating his voice as he said loudly,

"Hahaha!

This perfect match is all thanks to your help, wise brother. Today's joy is largely due to the gifts you provided!"

Li Changshou was genuinely amused by Zhao Gongming, who winked at him. As they drew near, they clasped hands and shared a laugh full of delight.

Zhao Gongming said,

"Ling E, come… uh."

Ling E blinked, a bit puzzled by Zhao Gongming's reaction, but still curtsied and said softly,

"I wish Gongming Shige and Jinling Shijie a happy union, full of harmony and bliss."

"Hahaha!"

Zhao Gongming quickly suppressed his surprise, looked at Ling E with emotion, and said,

"Thank you, thank you. Please, come inside!"

With that, Zhao Gongming led the siblings into Bi You Palace, where a large crowd of immortals came forward to greet them, including Jie Jiao disciples and guests from various paths.

But when these guests took a closer look, their expressions uniformly froze for a moment, then turned to wariness, their eyes on Ling E filled with envy.

Ling E was a bit confused and tugged at her senior brother's sleeve, moving closer to him as she whispered,

"Senior brother, what's going on? Why are they all looking at me so strangely?"

Li Changshou said,

"...Put away the little bell hanging at your waist first."

"Oh, when did Sister Zhong come out!"

The Chaos Bell sent a wave of spiritual awareness, giggling in Ling E's heart.

Now, Ling E couldn't hide the "bell" at her waist, so she decided to wear it openly.

She was just the Chaos Bell's little bell-polishing assistant, after all, with no pressure about the treasure not matching her status.

As they were about to enter the main hall of Bi You Palace, a light laugh was heard, and Yunxiao arrived with Qiongxiao and Bixiao on clouds.

Yunxiao, who rarely dressed up, had applied delicate makeup today, not to enhance her beauty but to soften her usual cool demeanor, making herself seem more "ordinary" to avoid overshadowing the bride.

Even so, she was dazzling, and with a bit more earthly charm, she was even harder to look away from.

Her jade hairpin swayed gently, and her cloud-like hair was elegantly arranged.

Yunxiao slightly bowed to Li Changshou and said softly,

"I couldn't come out to welcome you."

Li Changshou returned the bow with a Dao salute and smiled,

"It's good to see you."

Yunxiao's eyes carried a hint of amusement as she nodded gently to Li Changshou, then took the initiative to pull Ling E aside.

Qiongxiao and Bixiao also bowed and greeted him sweetly as "sister's husband," and Li Changshou returned the courtesy with a smile, exchanging glances with Zhao Gongming.

Once the three sisters led Ling E away, a crowd of immortals surged forward.

Li Changshou greeted them one by one, without any airs, exchanging pleasantries with everyone as Zhao Gongming's brother and expressing thanks on his behalf.

He was giving Zhao Gongming full face.

A vice alliance leader from the Immortal Alliance joked,

"Star Lord, when will your wedding be?"

Li Changshou laughed,

"Not rushing, not rushing. That depends on when His Majesty the Jade Emperor grants me leave."

In a corner nearby, a certain Heavenly Court general sitting next to Yue Lao brightened up and was about to speak, but an unknown immortal force covered his mouth, making him glare around suspiciously.

In another corner, Huanglong Zhenren occasionally glanced toward the group of female immortals where Ling E was, spotting the little bell at her waist, and couldn't help sighing, nearly in tears.

This was too discouraging for dragons!

Just then, immortal music played, flowers scattered, and the Jie Jiao fairies led Ling E toward the hall entrance.

Qiongxiao called out,

"Our Jinling Shijie has arrived!"

Zhao Gongming instinctively grabbed Li Changshou's arm, his lips trembling, "Wh-what to do."

"What else? Hurry up! Help out on both sides!"

Li Changshou was both amused and exasperated, calling over Lv Yue, Qin Wan, Zhao Jiang, Wang Mo, Yang Sen, and other Jie Jiao immortals to push Zhao Gongming forward.

The group of male immortals bustled to the hall entrance and collectively shoved Zhao Gongming out.

The female immortals outside guided Jinling Shengmu forward gracefully.

The two naturally drew together, embracing in a full hug, Zhao Gongming's face flushing red.

From behind, Lv Yue burst into laughter, and the immortals joined in with jokes, congratulations, and teasing, their cheers echoing across Jin'ao Island and adding to the festive atmosphere.

Duobao Daoist appeared at the right moment, cleared his throat, and announced,

"The wedding begins! Please welcome our teacher!"

The immortals quickly fell silent and bowed toward the high platform in the hall.