"Come on, brother! Sister Xiaoxue is probably already waiting!"
Bai Jingjing shouted, knocking on her brother Bai Yan's door.
A few seconds after the shout, the boy opened the door and looked wordlessly at his little white-haired sister standing in front of him.
"You... why are you acting like I'm the one who's late? You're the one who's been getting ready for hours! I was just waiting in my room." His mouth twitched slightly as he complained.
Jingjing just smiled and grabbed his hand.
"Brother, don't worry about such small things, let's go!" She laughed like a happy little girl and quickly pulled him out of the cave.
Bai Yan massaged his neck helplessly with his free hand and allowed himself to be dragged out.
As they exited the cave, they stepped onto their flying swords and headed toward a massive staircase that had suddenly appeared within the sect.
Arriving at the foot of the stairs, where a large crowd had gathered, the two landed and made their way to the front of the crowd, where, slightly separated, the other core disciples of the sect — like them — were waiting.
Xiao Ling, disciple of Bao Hui, stood calmly waiting for the ceremony to begin. At her side, the little girl Lin Xiaoxue observed with her large curious eyes the massive red staircase, the beautiful festive decorations adorning the place, and the crowd chatting noisily, bringing a joyful atmosphere.
Old Hui Lang waited calmly nearby, hands behind his back and chin slightly raised, as if he were a great and fearsome expert… which, technically, he was—just not within the sect. If he showed up in any city on that continent, he would be treated as a powerful old monster, and even among the Golden Core powers, he would still be considered of elder rank.
Only in the Infinite Dao Sect was he an old man not so different from the norm. After all, Foundation Establishment cultivators were not rare there.
Lastly, there was Cang Song, who was trying his best to minimize his presence. He kept glancing nervously at the crowd and toward the entrance, as if he couldn't wait for it all to end so he could flee.
'Damn... why is it always so hard to escape trouble,' the white-haired man of advanced age grumbled mentally, on the verge of tears.
When he received the invitation to the wedding of Long Aotian and Liu Rihai, his first thought was to decline. But he knew how problematic it would be to offend two core disciples, especially when one of them was Aotian, the god of trouble.
Refusing the friendly invitation and not showing up — when likely all the sect's disciples would be present — would be truly disrespectful, even more so given his identity as one of the only eight core disciples of the sect.
Thus, powerless, he came. But upon arriving, he stayed alert, glancing everywhere, waiting for the trouble to come.
If anyone asked him what kind of trouble he expected, he would undoubtedly reply, with a helpless expression:
"This is obviously one of those weddings where an enemy shows up at the perfect moment to start a war or a bloody conflict! Come on, weddings scream red flags!"
Bai Yan and his sister approached them, with Bai Jingjing immediately running to her dear friend Lin Xiaoxue the moment she saw her.
As for the boy, he went straight to Xiao Ling with a big smile.
"Senior Sister Xiao," he greeted politely, his face slightly red.
Xiao Ling looked at him and nodded back with a small smile.
"Junior Brother Bai," with a simple reply, she turned her face forward again, waiting for the ceremony to begin.
Bai Yan was left awkward after the initial greeting, not knowing what to say, his face still flushed.
After fulfilling his revenge and seeing his sister safe, he could finally move on with his life. And in his young heart, space for romance began to emerge as the burdens faded.
And his target was, obviously, the beautiful older sister with blue hair standing before him.
Unfortunately for him, Xiao Ling didn't seem to share the same thoughts or show any interest in romance.
Female cultivators, for the most part, preferred to focus on cultivation rather than pursue love. Especially considering that responsibilities like motherhood or managing household affairs would definitely hinder their progress. Meanwhile, most men, after "sowing fertile land," bore few responsibilities and offered little help — at most, becoming stern and distant fathers — which only left the women even more exhausted.
Thus, in the cultivation world, a curious scene emerged:
Most women didn't want to marry, and many male cultivators also preferred to focus on cultivation rather than seek relationships. As a result, the number of single cultivators was incredibly high.
While the disciples chatted among themselves, the time for the wedding finally arrived.
Suddenly, elders appeared at the sides of the staircase and waited calmly. Their presence silenced the crowd. At the front stood the majestic inner elders in their purple robes, and behind them, the stern outer elders in their red garments.
At the start of a long red carpet, which stretched from afar to the base of the staircase, two figures appeared hand in hand.
They were the protagonists of the day: Aotian and Rihai.
Aotian could feel her fingers tightening more firmly around his, sensing a rare nervousness coming from her.
But he wasn't doing much better either, his heart beating slightly faster as he glanced at her beautiful profile from the corner of his eye.
'This day really came. I'm getting married! I'm no longer a lonely single dog! Dad, Mom, sisters, who said I wouldn't get married because of my personality? Eat your words!'
Aotian roared internally, but his serious, handsome face, with deep black eyes, didn't reveal a hint of emotion.
Only Rihai knew he wasn't as calm as he looked. A small smile involuntarily appeared on her face as she looked at him.
But the smile soon faded, and her expression grew serious. Her gaze, like his, focused on the front of the staircase, where a figure appeared on the red carpet.
It was Tian Zhu, the sect leader, with his iconic black robes adorned with dragon patterns, and the officiant of the ceremony.
Upon his arrival, the crowd grew even more silent. Aotian and Rihai walked with firm steps toward him, following the red carpet.
Soft sounds of zither and flute echoed, intensifying the ethereal atmosphere of the occasion.
Aotian and Rihai, dressed in ceremonial red garments with golden details, approached Tian Zhu with confidence.
On Rihai's head, there were only ornaments—no red veil to obscure her vision, as in traditional ancient Chinese weddings.
Aotian had learned during a conversation with her about cultivator weddings that such veils, in mortal weddings, symbolized modesty and purity, and in a way, submission to the husband. The act of the groom unveiling the bride carried the symbolism of revealing her: once an outsider, now his wife, a new woman.
These meanings existed, but they did not apply among cultivators, where the relationship between man and woman did not involve notions of superiority. To take the woman's vision away would not be equal unless the man's was taken as well.
What they were performing now was not a mortal or traditional Chinese wedding, but rather a cultivator's wedding. Still, some elements were preserved, such as the predominance of red, symbolizing good fortune, happiness, and prosperity.
Aotian and Rihai arrived in front of Tian Zhu with serious expressions.
They let go of each other's hands, cupped their fists, and bowed first to Tian Zhu, then to the sect elders. Afterward, they straightened and joined hands once again.
Tian Zhu calmly observed the closing of the rites.
When they finished, it was time for him to speak. Aotian tried to ignore the slight awkwardness of technically presiding over his own wedding.
"Today, we are all gathered to witness the union of two souls, and the promise of walking eternally together through endless years."
The powerful, solemn, yet gentle voice of the sect leader echoed in everyone's ears via spiritual energy, carrying an imposing presence.
"Long Aotian, Liu Rihai. This commitment is eternal, and not even death can easily sever it. The cultivation path is often unfair and treacherous. You will not always be able to walk at the same pace. Marriage is joyful, but in the face of hardships, if you cannot grit your teeth and stay behind to help one another, then this will not be a true relationship, and in the end, you will find yourselves alone once more..."
Tian Zhu's previously indifferent gaze turned extremely serious, staring at the two who now held hands even tighter.
"Are you willing to prove—to everyone present, to yourselves, and above all, to each other—that you can persevere through the immortal path together?" Tian Zhu asked with a firm and grave voice.
Aotian and Rihai looked at each other with determination and nodded.
"We are willing!" they answered in unison.
Tian Zhu stared at them for a few more seconds before nodding.
"Good." With that, he stepped aside, revealing the long red staircase ahead of them, with 99 steps.
Aotian and Rihai stepped forward and stood before the first step.
They took a deep breath, raised their feet, and took the first step.
The step lit up, and a slight pressure fell upon them.
Hand in hand, they took the second step, and the process repeated: the step lit up, and the pressure increased.
With each step, the pressure mounted. By the 50th step, it was no longer negligible.
By the 70th, they began to feel tired, as if a mountain pressed on their backs.
By the 80th, they gritted their teeth, each advance requiring more effort.
But it was at the 90th that things changed.
The pressure on Rihai doubled, almost making her fall.
Aotian tightened his grip on her hand and embraced her, helping her step forward.
Once they moved ahead, the pressure on her eased—and then it was Aotian's turn to bear the doubled pressure, which made him feel as though he was being crushed.
Rihai embraced him and supported his step.
With each new step, the pressure intensified on one and decreased on the other, becoming more and more overwhelming.
It reminded him of the planning he had done with Rihai for the wedding and of what she had explained to him.
'…The Staircase of Sincerity, or the Trial of Love, as many call it, is meant to judge whether love can persevere through the difficulties of cultivating together. The first steps are easy, symbolizing how the beginning of the journey together is equally easy, but then the pressure increases until it becomes extremely hard on the 89th step, showing that hardships will come, and they must face them together.'
'And then, from the 90th onward, things change. Each one will bear greater pressure, while unable to abandon the other. It represents how, in cultivation, talent, opportunities, and other factors will arise, and while one may walk easily, the other might face great hardship—and the partner must not abandon them.'
Aotian and Rihai climbed to the 98th step, always helping each other. But upon reaching it, the pressure on both increased brutally, and they could hear their bones creaking.
'And finally, the 99th step is called the Step of Ascension. On the 98th step, the pressure will equalize again between both, but at a much higher intensity. In this step, if one abandons the other, the pressure becomes much lighter. But if they persist in taking the final step together, it will not be easy.'
The pressure was so crushing that it felt like they would die right there. Aotian could imagine many might give in at that moment and abandon their partner in the face of such a deadly force.
But not him. Not Rihai. They looked into each other's eyes and found strength in one another.
Together, supporting each other, they lifted their feet with difficulty and finally… touched the top of the staircase.
Zooom…
The staircase pulsed with light, glowing completely. Golden patterns of dragon and phoenix appeared across the vibrant red steps.
All the pressure vanished. Aotian and Rihai let out a breath of relief and nearly collapsed from the sudden absence of weight.
The two embraced tightly, still a bit weak, as they completed the final step.
Behind them, applause began to echo, followed by cheers and joyful shouts from the crowd.
Pre-arranged spiritual fireworks shot into the sky and exploded, making the atmosphere even more alive.
Aotian and Rihai looked at each other, smiling warmly and happily.
They were officially married.