Arriving before the boudoir doors, the female cultivators inside did not make things too difficult for Li Guanqi.
Naturally, it might have been because Li Guanqi had been exceedingly generous...
Or perhaps it was because they all hailed from various sects and clans whose powers dared not offend him.
As the doors slowly parted, an indescribable mix of anticipation and nervousness surged in Li Guanqi's heart.
As the entrance opened wide, he looked with great tension toward the woman seated upon the bed inside.
For a moment, the entire world seemed to stand still.
Meng Wanshu sat with quiet elegance upon the bed, arrayed in a phoenix coronet and bridal robes radiating iridescent splendor.
She looked like the most breathtaking ray of dawn light, dazzling and magnificent.
Li Guanqi's heart seemed to skip a beat. Gazing upon the beloved right before him, he found himself unable to move his feet.
Seeing this from behind, Ye Feng reached out and gave him a push.
Li Guanqi stumbled across the threshold, drawing a chorus of light laughter from the maidens inside.
"It seems even our Lord Sword Venerable gets nervous when he's the groom."
Li Guanqi smiled faintly and walked slowly toward the figure on the bed.
Meng Wanshu's countenance was faintly visible beneath the layers of red veil, lending her an air of mystery and a beauty beyond compare.
She too sensed Li Guanqi's gaze, and her heart grew all the more shy.
Clutching the hem of her skirt, she felt a little at a loss.
Spurred on by the crowd's playful cheers, Li Guanqi dropped to one knee, took Meng Wanshu's hand, and spoke softly.
"Wanshu, I've come to marry you!"
"Will you come with me?"
Just those two short sentences brought tears streaming down Meng Wanshu's face.
She nodded vigorously, the veil atop her head trembling slightly.
Amid the crowd's cheers, Li Guanqi smiled and took her slender, sweat-dampened jade hand.
Standing shoulder to shoulder, they bowed slightly amid the blessings of everyone present.
Outside the door, Meng Jiangchu's eyes were red as he nodded repeatedly.
Beside him, Li Guilan could not help covering her face in tears, her gaze filled with reluctant parting and tender blessings.
Li Guanqi took a deep breath and laughed aloud toward Ye Feng and the others.
"Back to the sect!"
Gu Li and Tang Ru produced a red carpet, instantly unrolling a thousand-zhang swath across the ground!
The music of pipes and strings pierced the heavens, accompanied by the clatter of gongs and drums and the roar of firecrackers!
Holding Meng Wanshu's hand, Li Guanqi stepped onto the red carpet beside her.
At the end of the carpet, nine flood dragons bowed low with heads lowered, and attendants gently drew back the curtain of the massive red carriage.
The two walked slowly, for this moment carried extraordinary significance for both of them.
Yet just then, Li Guanqi and Meng Wanshu stopped in unison and slowly turned around!
Right before all the guests, the two knelt and prostrated themselves before Meng Jiangchu and Li Guilan in full ceremonial kowtow!
Her voice choked with emotion, Meng Wanshu spoke softly.
"Your daughter Wanshu thanks Father and Mother for the grace of raising me."
"May Father and Mother take good care of your health, and enjoy blessing, longevity, and peace."
Li Guanqi performed the ceremonial bow as well.
From his side, Ye Feng brought out the spiritual tea prepared in advance. Li Guanqi presented the tea and said,
"Father, Mother, please rest assured. I swear that I will treat Wanshu well, protect her, cherish her, and no matter what happens, stand steadfastly before her!"
"Please drink tea."
Li Guanqi had not saved the tea ceremony for their return to the Great Xia Sword Sect.
He felt that this was the most fitting moment.
Meng Jiangchu wiped his eyes with his sleeve and took the tea alongside Li Guilan, nodding incessantly through reddened eyes.
"Good, good, good."
"You rascal had better take good care of Wanshu for me!"
"If she suffers even the slightest grievance, just see if I don't give you a thrashing!"
Li Guanqi nodded solemnly.
"I certainly won't give you reason to thrash me."
Li Guilan pulled both of them up from the floor, embracing them tightly in her warm, strong arms.
"Live well together, do you hear me? Now that you're married, you're family."
"You must support each other, look after each other, and understand each other."
"As the old saying goes, couples fight at the head of the bed and make up at the foot. If anything comes up, make sure to talk it through. Don't bottle it up inside."
Both nodded firmly. Li Guanqi felt the woman beside him trembling slightly, soft sobs reaching his ears.
Li Guilan's voice softened with emotion as she murmured,
"You're both good children, and Guanqi is someone I watched grow up."
"Mother believes you will live wonderful lives together."
"Alright, the auspicious hour is upon us. Go on back."
Li Guanqi nodded heavily. Reaching out to hold Meng Wanshu by the shoulder, he gently patted her back to comfort her.
"Don't cry, Wanshu. It's not as if we're never coming back. We're so close—we can visit whenever we want."
Meng Wanshu nodded through her tears. "Then we... must... come back often."
Li Guanqi smiled and nodded.
Holding hands, the two saluted the guests in all directions and finally stepped into the carriage together!
Immortal cranes cried out as the bridal procession set off once more.
Meanwhile, the Great Xia Sword Sect was already bustling with deafening clamor and extraordinary jubilation.
When the nine flood dragons roared low and galloped through the clouds, the entire Great Xia Sword Sect erupted into boiling excitement!
Rosy clouds filled the heavens and earth, and celebratory music echoed to the skies.
Tens of thousands of Great Xia Sword Sect disciples lined both sides in formation, the hum of swords ringing out everywhere.
Tens of thousands of visiting cultivators took to the skies one after another.
"Congratulations to the Sword Venerable on his grand wedding!"
"Congratulations to the Sword Venerable on his grand wedding!"
"Congratulations to the Sword Venerable on his grand wedding!"
Resounding congratulations rose and fell like waves.
Yet right at that moment, intense spatial ripples suddenly surged across the heavens and earth.
A colossal teleportation array materialized in an instant!
From within the array, an elderly man in splendid white robes walked out slowly.
The moment he appeared, he seemed to become the center of heaven and earth. All eyes turned toward him involuntarily.
"Who is that? What terrifying pressure and commanding aura!"
"I've never seen this senior before! Could he be from an Ancient Clan?"
"No... there is no such figure among the Ancient Clans, nor has the Ethereal Immortal Domain ever heard of him!"
Just then, several elderly figures on the viewing platform stood up one after another!
A slight wisp of their immense Tribulation Transcendence realm pressure leaked out, striking terror into everyone's hearts!
"Ah! Aren't those the ancestors of the imperial clans from the Ethereal Immortal Domain?"
"Indeed, the imperial clan ancestors of the Ethereal Immortal Domain came out of seclusion for this. The Sword Venerable's stature is truly immense."
The leaders of many top clans and sects were inwardly shaken.
To see several ancestors of the imperial clans today was already a rare privilege.
Yet none expected that at this moment, those ancestors would walk up before the white-robed elder.
Then, before the eyes of the crowd, those imperial clan ancestors, who usually sat high above everyone else...
...actually dropped to their knees before the old man, one after another!
"Ah! They... why are they kneeling?!"
The crowd erupted in an uproar, sharp gasps of cold air echoing all around.
Yet while everyone was reeling in utter shock...
...those imperial clan ancestors kowtowed in formal bow and shouted in deep, booming voices:
"We... pay respects to Lord Realm Lord!"
"We pay respects to Lord Realm Lord!"
"We pay respects to Lord Realm Lord!"
"We pay respects to Lord Realm Lord!"
Su Xuan waved his hand in irritation.
A formidable force swept through the area, instantly knocking the elderly men flying back over a hundred zhang.
Su Xuan frowned and muttered in annoyance,
"Can't you see what day it is? Showing off here of all places—get lost, all of you."
With that, Su Xuan clasped his hands behind his back and looked toward the distant dragon carriage with a broad smile.
The teleportation array flashed with light, and an old man carrying a wine gourd slowly stepped out.
The old man stood behind Su Xuan as naturally as could be.
Immediately following, four incomparably formidable auras subtly radiated outward.
Three men and one woman emerged slowly from the array. Bowing slightly to Su Xuan and the wine-gourd elder, they made their way toward the prearranged viewing area.
The array continued to shimmer with radiance as cultivator after cultivator emerged, each brimming with smiles.
Yet to the observing cultivators, it felt as though the sky had collapsed...
Mahayana realm cultivators, of whom finding even one in an entire province was rare, numbered over a hundred here!
As for Tribulation Transcendence realm mighty figures, there were several dozen!
Finally, someone guessed which power they belonged to!
The name of a mysterious and powerful realm surfaced in everyone's minds:
"The Seventh Domain!"
As the dragon carriage descended upon the Great Xia Sword Sect, Su Xuan spoke with a smile:
"Today, this old man shall preside over the wedding of these two juniors."
As his words fell, Li Guanqi, clad in his crimson wedding robes, slowly stepped forth, leading the woman in her phoenix coronet and bridal robes toward the high platform.
Chapter 1521