Chapter 575: Husband...

"I don't want an Ascension realm bought with your life!"

Within the room, the woman's voice drifted, gentle yet resolute.

Xiao Mo looked at Gui Junmeng's earnest, stubborn face, his lips parting slightly as though to explain something, then slowly closing again.

"Junmeng, I'm sorry..." Xiao Mo said at last.

Hearing Xiao Mo's apology, Gui Junmeng lowered her head gently, her heart softening at once, feeling that her own words and tone just now had perhaps been a little too harsh.

"Xiao Mo... actually, there's no need for you to apologize to me."

A deep flicker of self-reproach passed through Gui Junmeng's eyes, her voice low and soft.

"These past few days I really have been somewhat angry with you, but in my heart, I understand too, that everything you've done was truly for my sake. I shouldn't have kept avoiding you, shouldn't have made things difficult for you."

"And..."

Gui Junmeng raised her head, a faint blush rising to her cheeks, like the first peach blossoms of spring.

"These past few days, I've thought it through myself as well. Whether or not you've ever liked me, what does that really matter? My feelings for you will never change."

"Lastly..."

As she spoke, Gui Junmeng slowly lowered her head once more, her voice soft as though afraid of disturbing something delicate.

"Xiao Mo, do you remember? You once said, that I am not Jingci..."

"But Xiao Mo..." Gui Junmeng bit her lip lightly, gazing deeply at him, his image filling her clear fox eyes. "Jingci and I look exactly alike, our figures are exactly alike as well... if it's possible... could you also think of me as her..."

Looking into Gui Junmeng's clear eyes, tinged with a note of pleading, Xiao Mo could not help but pause for a moment, taken aback.

Without quite realizing it, Xiao Mo slowly reached out and gently stroked Gui Junmeng's long, flowing hair, a tender smile spreading across his lips. "Junmeng, you are not Jingci, and you don't need to become her either. You are simply you, and in this world, there is a woman named Gui Junmeng, who is truly... wonderful..."

Hearing Xiao Mo's words, a faint joy, like a spring stream, quietly began to flow through Gui Junmeng's heart.

Her cheeks flushed a light shade of pink, like the evening glow reflected on pure white paper.

"I... I'll go now... you... you rest well..." Gui Junmeng gently withdrew her small hand from Xiao Mo's palm, lowering her eyes shyly, and turned to leave.

This time, Xiao Mo did not hold her back.

He knew that things between himself and Junmeng had, at last, eased somewhat.

However, just as Gui Junmeng was about to walk out of the room, she suddenly stopped, turned back, and looked earnestly at Xiao Mo. "Xiao Mo... actually, this world having you in it, that's what's better..."

"So... please don't do anything so foolish again, all right? Can you promise me that?"

Xiao Mo looked into those clear, water-like fox eyes, his heart stirring faintly, then nodded with a smile. "All right... I promise you."

Hearing Xiao Mo's answer, the corners of Gui Junmeng's lips curved upward, blooming into a faint, sweet smile.

She turned and walked toward the door, her loose Daoist robe brushing gently across the threshold, her steps light, as though treading on clouds.

After Gui Junmeng left, Xiao Mo slowly drew back his gaze, turning to look out the window.

"It seems... I've promised quite a few things..."

"But the things I've promised... it seems I can't actually keep any of them..."

He gave a faint smile, shaking his head gently, that smile carrying a trace of barely noticeable self-mockery.

Half an hour later, Xiao Mo rose, walked slowly out of the room, and made his way alone to Liu Shui's courtyard.

He reached out and knocked gently on the door.

"Sir?"

Liu Shui opened the door, and seeing young master Xiao standing at her doorstep, she was rather surprised.

Sir had always been so mindful of propriety, rarely coming to find her so late at night, unless it was truly something important.

"My apologies for disturbing you so late at night, Sister Liu Shui." Xiao Mo gave a respectful bow, his tone gentle yet solemn. "There's a small matter I'd like to ask for your help with. Would you be willing to hear me out, Sister Liu Shui?"

Half a month passed quietly by.

Ever since that conversation between Gui Junmeng and Xiao Mo, she no longer avoided him as she had before.

The two of them returned to their former closeness, even growing closer than before.

Xiao Mo continued his dual cultivation with Gui Junmeng as well, accompanying her morning and night.

However, for the time being, Xiao Mo and Gui Junmeng still remained at the level of exchanging spiritual energy alone.

In truth, Gui Junmeng had now reached the Immortal realm, and Xiao Mo had entered the middle stage of the Jade Simplicity realm, both of them fully qualified now to undertake dual cultivation at the level of soul and spirit.

It was only that the final step of their wedding ceremony had never been properly completed.

Though their great paths had drawn very close to one another, they still remained somewhat apart, never having truly merged.

To undertake soul-level dual cultivation now would yield a noticeably weaker effect, for the first instance of soul-level dual cultivation was of the utmost importance.

By rights, Xiao Mo ought to have long since completed that final step of the wedding ceremony with Gui Junmeng.

However, because Xiao Mo's injuries had not yet healed at the time, when he could barely even get out of bed, the matter had been set aside for the time being.

Later, once Xiao Mo's injuries had improved somewhat, a bout of friction had arisen between him and Gui Junmeng instead and with Daoist Master Yun Xi having gone to the Human Alliance and not yet returned, the matter had continued to be delayed.

Of course, the main reason was still that Xiao Mo had never brought it up himself and Gui Junmeng, being a young woman, naturally found it even less appropriate to raise the matter first.

After all, though soul-level union did not involve direct physical contact, according to what the texts recorded, the sensations brought about by soul-level union were almost indistinguishable from physical union and in fact, because it touched directly upon the level of the soul, the experience might well be even more exquisite and refined.

Gui Junmeng thought to herself, if she were to bring up the matter herself, wouldn't that plainly reveal just how eagerly she anticipated soul-level union? That would be far too forward of her...

"Junmeng!"

One evening, with the glow of sunset not yet fully faded, Senior Sister Lin came to the outside of Gui Junmeng's courtyard with a few junior sisters, waving her arm from a distance.

"Senior and junior sisters, is something the matter?"

Gui Junmeng, who had been meditating with her eyes closed, slowly opened her eyes, asking with puzzlement.

"Stop cultivating for now, come inside with us quickly!"

Without waiting for Gui Junmeng to refuse, Senior Sister Lin, along with the other junior sisters, pulled Gui Junmeng into her chamber.

"Senior Sister Lin... wait..."

Before Gui Junmeng could even finish speaking, Senior Sister Lin had already deftly untied the sash at her waist.

That loose Daoist robe slid silently down along her fair, smooth skin, pooling around her ankles.

Every time Senior Sister Lin and the others saw Gui Junmeng's flawless, delicate body, they could not help feeling a flicker of envy in their hearts.

After all, Junmeng's body was simply too perfect, like a finely carved work of art, without the slightest blemish but tonight, they seemed to have no time to spare for admiring it closely.

"Quickly, get Junmeng dressed."

At Senior Sister Lin's command, the junior sisters rushed forward together, bustling about, layer by layer dressing Gui Junmeng in that vivid, festive red wedding garment.

Before long, Gui Junmeng was gently seated before the dressing mirror.

Her senior and junior sisters gathered around her, carefully painting a light rouge makeup onto her face, each stroke applied with the utmost delicacy, as though afraid that even the slightest misstep might mar that flawless face.

The better part of an hour later, Gui Junmeng, veiled beneath her red bridal covering, walked gracefully out of the room.

The red veil obscured her sight, everything around her growing hazy and indistinct and yet she could still clearly sense that Xiao Mo stood quietly before her.

By now, how could Gui Junmeng possibly fail to understand what was happening?

She lowered her head shyly, her heart filled with both anticipation and nervousness.

"Some time ago, I specially asked Sister Liu Shui to help calculate an auspicious date, and today happens to be the best day."

Xiao Mo said with a faint smile, stepping forward, his voice gentle.

"I had originally thought to wait until Daoist Master Yun Xi returned, but it seems the master won't be free to come back for a while yet, and I couldn't bear to make you wait any longer, Junmeng."

"Junmeng," Xiao Mo looked at her, his tone earnest and gentle, "would you be willing to complete with me that wedding ceremony left unfinished on that day?"

After a brief moment of silence, beneath the red veil, Gui Junmeng gave a gentle nod.

"Then let's begin right away! It's getting rather late, we mustn't delay the bridal chamber!" The moment Senior Sister Lin saw Gui Junmeng nod, she hurried forward joyfully to urge them on.

Xiao Mo reached out and took hold of the red silk sash in Gui Junmeng's hand, leading her back to the courtyard, already hung once more with red lanterns and red ribbons.

The large red characters on the windows and doors had also already been freshly pasted up again.

The moon's bright, clear light fell gently over the festive courtyard, and the leaves swaying softly in the breeze seemed to scatter that moonlight across the ground, casting the whole courtyard in a faint, silvery glow.

"First bow, to Heaven and Earth..." Senior Sister Lin's clear voice drifted softly through the quiet courtyard and the mountain forest beyond.

Xiao Mo and Gui Junmeng stood side by side, bowing deeply to Heaven and Earth.

"Second bow, to the honored elders..." Senior Sister Lin called out again.

The other senior and junior sisters quickly unfurled three scrolls, supporting them with spells so that they hovered steadily in midair. On those three scrolls were painted the portraits of Tushan Xinhua, Gui Ning, and Daoist Master Yun Xi.

Gently guided by Xiao Mo, Gui Junmeng turned and bowed respectfully before the three portraits.

At that very moment, far away, Tushan Xinhua, Gui Ning, and Daoist Master Yun Xi all felt a faint start.

They raised their heads, looking in the very same direction, and the corners of their mouths curved upward, without meaning to, into smiles of quiet comfort.

"Bow to each other, husband and wife..." Senior Sister Lin's voice grew even more joyful.

Xiao Mo and Gui Junmeng turned to face one another, bowing to each other solemnly.

"The rites are complete."

Senior Sister Lin looked at the newlywed couple with quiet satisfaction.

"To the bridal chamber..."

And at that very moment, two brilliant beams of light shot straight up from the mountain peak into the sky, breaking through the deep night, lighting up the entire heavens.

A rich resonance of the Dao rippled continuously through Seeking Immortals Temple, spreading outward, ring upon ring.

Ethereal strains of immortal music rang out softly across the heavens, delicate as silk threads, lingering on without end.

Three breaths later, the two beams of light slowly drew close, and at last merged into one.

From that moment on, the two of them's great paths had fused together, becoming one.

The night of the bridal chamber's candlelight.

Within the room, Gui Junmeng sat obediently upon the red bridal bed, her hands folded before her.

Beneath her red sleeves, her slender, jade-like fingers intertwined with one another, betraying the young woman's anticipation and nervousness.

Xiao Mo, holding the ruyi scale, stepped forward and gently lifted the red veil from atop Gui Junmeng's head.

His wife's lovely, delicate face was revealed before Xiao Mo's eyes, entirely unobscured.

Gui Junmeng raised her head slightly, glancing at Xiao Mo, then quickly lowered her eyes again, shy.

Xiao Mo lifted the cups of nuptial wine, seated himself at the head of the bed, and handed one cup to Gui Junmeng.

The two of them linked arms, tilted their heads back, and drank the wine in their cups in one go.

After setting down their cups, an air of tender intimacy quietly began to fill the room.

For a moment, neither of them knew how to begin and just as Xiao Mo was thinking of something to say to ease this delicate atmosphere.

Xiao Mo suddenly felt his sleeve being gently tugged.

Xiao Mo turned his head, and saw Gui Junmeng pressing her lips together, the candlelight and moonlight mingling gently, falling softly across her long, curved lashes.

"Before, we always joined through spiritual energy alone. Today... perhaps we could... go a step further..." Gui Junmeng said, her cheeks flushed red, speaking softly, word by word.

"Indeed." Xiao Mo replied, his tone carrying a note of nervousness as well. "Then, Junmeng, shall we try?"

"Mm..." Gui Junmeng nodded gently, her voice faint as a mosquito's hum.

The bed curtains were drawn, and Xiao Mo and Gui Junmeng each removed their outer robes, leaving only a thin inner garment.

The two of them sat cross-legged facing one another upon the bed, palms pressed together.

Warm spiritual energy flowed slowly from palm to palm, silently pouring into each other's bodies.

The next moment, Xiao Mo silently chanted an incantation in his mind, and the River of Yin and Yang gradually gathered around him, streams of black and white light swirling like rippling water, gently enveloping the two of them.

Right after, two wisps of spiritual light, one white and one black, leapt out from above their heads, transforming into two palm-sized Nascent Souls, each resembling Xiao Mo and Gui Junmeng exactly.

Xiao Mo's Nascent Soul stepped forward, reaching out to gently undo the fine sash at her waist.

Gui Junmeng's Nascent Soul lowered her head slightly, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush, nestling into the embrace of Xiao Mo's Nascent Soul, allowing his large hand to slowly wrap around her slender waist.

Upon the bed, Gui Junmeng's true body had already flushed deeply red, like a ripened strawberry, so vivid and lovely it seemed that the gentlest touch might draw forth its sweet juice.

The moment her Nascent Soul was touched by Xiao Mo, to Gui Junmeng it felt entirely indistinguishable from her own body being caressed by his hand. That delicate, vivid sensation spread inch by inch across her entire being.

The two Nascent Souls gazed deeply into one another, drawing slowly closer, their breaths mingling, their eyes entwined, weaving together a tender, lingering web.

"Mm..."

Gui Junmeng's rosy lips parted slightly, a soft murmur escaping her.

The woman's true body's breathing grew ever more rapid, her form tensing involuntarily, her chest trembling gently with each rising breath.

She raised her eyes slightly, her fox eyes shimmering with moisture, gazing at him timidly, her voice as faint as wind brushing across harp strings:

"Hus... husband..."

"Gently... gently..."