Main Ceremony Hall. Mu Household.
The Engagement Ceremony had reached a climax as the two involved parties finished exchanging papers, vows, and keepsakes. After following through with the final series of traditional steps, the emcee loudly pronounced. "Then, with the heavens as my witness, I pronounce the two of you, fiancé and fiancée!"
The instant his words landed a burst of clamorous shouts and congratulations resounded within the grand hall.
The two Sovereigns, having silently arrived to witness this scene, remarked to each other.
"Such a beautiful daughter-in-law."
"Your son is quite good too."
The two of them then compressed their respective powers and sent forth a shower of sparkles. Shimmering light specks fell atop the couple, announcing to the world that the two Sovereigns had blessed this union. The clamour within the hall instantly rose in volume.
Having done their part, the two of them vanished once more and arrived in the sky outside. Appreciating the scenic sight of the Mu Household, the Heaven Gazing Fairy said, "I see that you have spared no expense to host this event."
Wearing a smile, Patriarch Mu replied, "Naturally. The Eldest Young Master of the Mu Household is getting engaged. All the heroes of the world are attending this event. How can I allow my family to seem lacking in their eyes?"
The Heaven Gazing Fairy nodded her head. While she said nothing, her actions revealed that she was satisfied with Patriarch Mu's arrangement. After all, while Feng Tianfei was not her daughter or blood relative, she was still her personal disciple and successor. As her teacher, she did not wish for her sole disciple's most important event to seem lacking.
Just as the two Sovereigns were about to flash away, the Heaven Gazing Fairy suddenly paused. Her eyes then narrowed as she carefully scanned under her.
Witnessing her strange reaction, Patriarch Mu asked, "What's the matter?"
"Who did the arrangement for the flora and fauna down below?" The Heaven Gazing Fairy replied with a question of her own.
"Why?" asked Patriarch Mu, his brows furrowing. He then scanned the lands underneath and found nothing strange.
"They've done an excellent job," praised Heaven Gazing Fairy. "A very, very excellent job."
At her sudden, uncharacteristic praise, Patriarch Mu felt his breath get caught up in his throat. His eyes glazed over for an instant before returning to normal. "Oh," he said, forcing himself to maintain normality. "They were completed by my Second, Fourth, and Sixth wives." He then showed a smile.
While he did his utmost to hide the strangeness in his actions and tone, the Heaven Gazing Fairy was no mere novice. As an expert who was long-lived and far stronger than Patriarch Mu, she instantly caught onto his forced cover. While a question appeared within her mind, she did not voice it out.
After all, why did it matter to her who performed the arrangement and why Patriarch Mu felt awkward about it? As a guest, she had performed her duty of praising her host for their attention to detail.
"You are blessed to have such talented individuals around you."
"That, I am."
"Let us go now and wait for the children to come to seek our blessings."
The two of them flashed once more and disappeared from the sky.
---
"Please give us your blessings Lord Sovereigns." In a different place, Yuelong and Tianfei kowtowed before Sovereign Mu and Sovereign Heaven Gazing Fairy and sought their blessings.
The two elders calmly received their kowtows before responding. "Get up. You have our blessings." The couple promptly obeyed.
Heaven Gazing Fairy carefully evaluated her disciple and Eldest Young Master of the Mu Household before nodding her head and saying, "What was previously a verbal promise made on a moonlit night twenty years ago has now been partly realized. Starting from today, the two of you are engaged to each other."
"What follows next is obviously marriage. However, that will only happen next year; after the two of you have both reached twenty-one years of age."
Taking a deep breath, she continued. "While the two of you have known each other since childhood, the lives that you have led thus far have been mostly independent. Henceforth, this will change." She then turned to look at Patriarch Mu.
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Receiving the cue, he explained to the confused couple. "In a bid to improve the cooperation between our two factions, whilst helping the two of you solidify your relationship, Sovereign Fairy and I have come to an agreement."
"In one week, the two of you will leave for the South Aislu Continent. Upon arrival, you shall promptly take charge of your respective factions, cooperate with each other's forces, and attain victory in the war for unification. This is your mission!"
"Currently, the South Aislu Continent is filled with bloodshed and turmoil," said the Heaven Gazing Fairy. "However, it is also rife with opportunity. It is a land filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons; heroes whose talents and wits aren't any less than your own. An excellent training ground for the two of you to sharpen your talents."
"Your mission in the South Aislu Continent shall also be the first showcase of the power born from the alliance of two Sovereign forces. So, remember! Failure is not permitted!" Patriarch Mu harshly stated. "The world is watching."
"Have the two of you understood?"
Yuelong and Tianfei immediately bowed their heads and said, "Junior understands and obeys!"
"Good."
And with that, the tense atmosphere was immediately broken. The Heaven Gazing Fairy's aura grew more relaxed and natural while Patriarch Mu leisurely reclined into his seat. A playful smile appeared on his face as he quietly commented, "Take care to be safe and use protection. I don't know about the two of you but I sure am not yet ready to become a grandparent."
Yuelong's face blushed at his father's blatant insinuation while Tianfei awkwardly chuckled.
"No coitus until marriage," the Heaven Gazing Fairy suddenly declared. She then levelled a heavy glare at Yuelong.
His face paling from the pressure, Yuelong immediately nodded his head. "Junior understands! Junior shall keep in line!"
"Was that necessary?" Patriarch Mu frowned.
"Tianfei's cultivation has yet to reach 'Great Success.' Were she to engage in coitus now, her foundation and life would be severely threatened," Heaven Gazing Fairy indifferently said. "She should reach the required level in a year. After that, I have no opinions."
Hearing her explanation, Patriarch Mu pondered for a while before shrugging his shoulders. "Well, you heard her. Wait a year, I guess." He then kept quiet.
No one spoke and the air within the room remained awkward. After a few minutes of silence, Heaven Gazing Fairy spoke up once again.
"Son of the Heavens, how has your progress been so far?"
Realizing the meaning behind her question, Yuelong wore a difficult smile on his face and cautiously answered, "Progress has been... decent. I've had a few new realizations but nothing yet that is substantial."
Tianfei interrupted. "Yuelong was planning to show me his latest research results after the ceremony."
Heaven Gazing Fairy nodded her head at her disciple's words. "The difficulty in creating a brand-new Path all by oneself is not something that non-Stars like me can estimate. I'm certain that you will have to face a great many troubles. However, as your senior in the world of cultivation, perhaps I can offer you some advice."
After pausing for a moment, she sincerely advised. "Do not be too hasty and let go of yourself. What is destined to come will eventually come. Just remember; you are a Star!"
"A Star is not merely a title bestowed upon you by other men. A Star is a mark bestowed upon you by the Heavens. Being a Star is akin to having the Heavens as your supporter. You will be aided by it, shaped by it, polished by it, and eventually, you will realize your destiny; creating a brand-new Path" She finished.
A long silence followed before Yuelong eventually asked with a small voice, "Lord Sovereign, you are the leader of the Heavenly Spirit Tower. The Heavenly Spirit Tower holds the most complete recorded history of this world. Could you please tell me how long it usually takes for a Star to establish a Path?"
At his question, Heaven Gazing Fairy pondered for a moment before replying, "The Heavenly Spirit Tower holds the most complete record of history starting from the Year 019 NCE. In other words, it possesses 716 years worth of this world and mankind's history."
"In the last 716 years, there have been a total of 107 stars; each one exceptional and possessing a monstrous talent. You are the 108th, the latest in a long line of geniuses."
"According to the records left behind by my predecessors; the quickest Star to establish a Path, did so when he was eleven years old."
At that revelation, Yuelong and Tianfei both inhaled a long breath. An eleven-year-old Path Ancestor; what sort of a monster was this kid!!
Not paying any attention to their shocked feelings, she continued, "The slowest Star to establish a Path was the 47th Star; he was twenty-five when he made this achievement."
Twenty-five! It was an age when one could barely be considered a full-fledged adult. And yet, the slowest of Stars had already become a Path Ancestor at this age!
At this time, Patriarch Mu let out a chuckle and added, "I established the [Fortune Path] when I was twenty-two. I heard that I was average amongst the Stars."
"Indeed," Heaven Gazing Fairy attested to his words. "However, you are also amongst the only seven people to reach the Sovereign realm as a Star. None amongst the other hundred ever reached this level."
Hearing all these facts, Yuelong's face had long since become bloodless and pale. He opened and closed his sweaty palms as his mind replayed the two Sovereign's words.
'Twenty-five and he had already established a Path. I'm already twenty and yet I have no idea where to begin!!' This was Yuelong's deepest secret and greatest worry.
Establish a brand-new Path? He did not even know where to begin!
"I-I see," Yuelong hoarsely said.
Noticing his bloodless face, the Heaven Gazing Fairy immediately understood that this young Star was feeling immense pressure after hearing the achievements of his predecessors. Worried about his mental state, she kindly advised. "Do not burden yourself with worries. As I said earlier; what is destined to come will eventually come. The Heavens will arrange everything for you. Just be patient and do as you normally do."
A thought suddenly occurred to her causing her to add. "Who knows? Perhaps your legend will begin in the South Aislu Continent." Diamonds are born under pressure. Perhaps, the South Aislu Continent will act as a catalyst to spur this young Star.
Yuelong noncommittally nodded his head. He then asked the elders to be excused and left the chamber. Tianfei followed after him.
After waiting until both children had left out of their sight, Patriarch Mu suddenly straightened up. A solemn look coloured his face as he threw an accusative glance at the Heaven Gazing Fairy.
"Fairy, do you mind explaining it to me?" he coldly asked.
Knowing that this was bound to happen, Heaven Gazing Fairy resignedly sighed inwardly and faced the Patriarch.
"Explain what, Patriarch Mu?"