Tusita Palace’s plaza:
Most of the deities and immortals had left; only Laozi, Long Zhanguo, Gu Hai, Siddhārtha, and Jesus remained.
“The Supreme Wa does not remember the past? She only remembers that she is Xiaorou?” Long Zhanguo looked at Gu Hai with interest.
“Perhaps something happened as she traveled between the two immortal firmaments?” Gu Hai shook his head.
“Perhaps the Supreme Wa felt downhearted and is intentionally recusing herself, letting Xiaorou’s will take over?” Long Zhanguo sighed.
“Mister Gu, do you agree?” Laozi looked at Gu Hai.
“Agree? But it is not fair to them. Who knows when I can return after I leave? I might even never return,” Gu Hai said with a frown.
“If you wish to return, you will, eventually. Does it matter whether you return late or early? One requires something to look forward to. If you just leave them be, that would be even more unfair to them.” Jesus shook his head.
“I can tell that Xiaorou’s feelings for you are heartfelt. There is nothing else mixed in with it,” Siddhārtha said with a smile.
“Don’t monks consider the world an illusion, not getting affected by lust and passion? Why would you…” Gu Hai looked at Siddhārtha with a strange expression.
“One can let go only after having loved. We can become monks because we once had families. I have walked this path. How can I not know?” Siddhārtha smiled.
[TL Note: Another word for monk in Chinese is “person who left his family.” The verb for “becoming a monk” literally translates to “leaving family.” So the line above means that one can leave one’s family only because one had a family in the first place.]
Gu Hai nodded. “I know that. However, I am unable to let go of the Six Paths Immortal Firmament’s matter, so…”
“Then, all the more you need to treasure yourself, to protect yourself, so you can return to see them. You have to live for their sake,” Laozi said.
Gu Hai turned his head to look at Laozi.
These words from Laozi were the point of saying this. He hoped to use the two women to leave emotional fetters tying Gu Hai to Earth. However, it did not matter whether Laozi said that or not. Either way, Gu Hai would not stop worrying about the two.
“Gu Hai, debts of feelings and passions are hard to repay. If you care, then do your best. Don’t copy what I did with Murong Yan. I only knew how to treasure her after I lost her.” Long Zhanguo looked at Gu Hai.
Gu Hai nodded.
“I’ve helped you ask already,” Laozi said with a smile.
“Huh?” Gu Hai frowned as he looked at Laozi.
“I have already taken Zang Yulian as my disciple. What is wrong with the master asking on the disciple’s behalf? She is willing. As for Xiaorou, she is willing too.” Laozi looked at Gu Hai.
“Mister Laozi, did you have to do that?” Gu Hai said with a bitter smile.
“Stop being so fussy. The two ladies already agreed. To think that you are not embarrassed to put on such a pretense?” Long Zhanguo frowned.
Gu Hai took a deep breath and nodded. “I’m not pretending. I agree to this matter. However, I will have to trouble everyone to help me protect them until I return.”
“Don’t worry. The times of the two immortal firmaments do not match in any recognizable pattern. You might return the next day after leaving today,” Laozi said with a smile.
“Based on the time you left Earth, you had left for fifty years, but only five years passed on Earth. If that is the pattern, then you only have five Earth years to grow, at best, as the Six Paths Immortal will awaken in fifty years. By then, everything will be clear.” Long Zhanguo nodded.
“Don’t worry,” Jesus and Siddhārtha said.
“Since that is the case, make your preparations. We will hold a grand wedding for you at the Rising Heaven Throne Hall,” Laozi said seriously.
“Excellent!” Gu Hai nodded.
——
Three days later, in the Rising Heaven Throne Hall of Earth’s Immortal Realm:
At this moment, the Rising Heaven Throne Hall was decorated in bright colors and lamps radiant with multicolored lights. Countless immortals, buddhas, arhats, and angels headed for the Rising Heaven Throne Hall to offer their blessings at a grand wedding.
Yue Lao served as the master of ceremony. Flower deities scattered countless flower petals from the sky.
[TL Note: Yue Lao, which is literally translated as “old moon”—or “old man under the moon” in its full form—is a god of marriage and love in Chinese mythology. As the name suggests, he appears as an old man under the moon. It is said that he ties a red thread to connect a man and a woman, tying their destinies together. Here is the Wikipedia entry on Yue Lao: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yue_Lao.]
Gu Hai was dressed in the groom’s costume, and his two veiled brides stood at his sides.
Long Zhanguo, Laozi, Jesus, and Siddhārtha sat at the front, serving as wedding officiators.
The veiled Xiaorou had a silly grin on her face. As the many deities and buddhas congratulated her, she felt like she was dreaming.
The other red-veiled woman, Zang Yulian, blushed red like she was drunk. She lowered her head from embarrassment.
“Congratulations! Congratulations, Mister Gu!”
“Congratulations, Mister Gu, Miss Xiaorou, and Miss Zang, on tying the knot!”
“Congratulations! Congratulations!”
Countless blessings and congratulations rang out. The Three Pure Ones, Gautama, Jesus, Mary, Brahma, Vishnu, and many other deities and buddhas came to offer their congratulations and blessings.
[TL Note: Mary likely refers to Jesus’s mother in the Bible. There are a few other Marys mentioned in the Bible who also held significance; however, the most venerated one of them is Jesus’s mother, who conceived Jesus as a virgin. Brahma and Vishnu are two of the three chief deities in Hinduism, the third one being Shiva. Here are the Wikipedia entries for these characters: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_mother_of_Jesus, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahma, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu.]
“The auspicious time has arrived. First, bow to the immortal firmament to give thanks to the immortal firmament for your birth!” Yue Lao called out loudly.
Gu Hai and his two brides bowed to heaven and earth.
“The second bow to your friends and family for delivering their blessings!”
The three bowed to Long Zhanguo, Laozi, Jesus, Siddhārtha, and the other leaders of the immortals, deities, and buddhas.
“Husband and wives, bow to each other. May the newlyweds be blessed and have children early. May your marriage last forever!” Yue Lao called out.
Gu Hai bowed gravely to the two women.
“The ceremony is complete. Send them into the nuptial chamber!”
As immortals and deities played music, the three were quickly sent into the nuptial chamber.
Creak!
The doors to the nuptial chamber closed.
[TL Note: The wedding ceremony described above is a very simplified and altered version of a traditional wedding ceremony. The full ceremony involves many other traditions, like offering tea to one’s parents and picking the bride up from her home in a bridal sedan/palanquin. The three bows exist but for slightly different things; this bit was likely altered to fit the story better. The first bow should be to heaven and earth, and the second to the family elders. The third bow is the same, to each other.]
Outside, Laozi and the others hosted a massive banquet. There were donut peaches, ginseng fruit, bodhi fruit, fortune fruit, and many other kinds of holy fruits, divine fruits, and immortal fruits.
All the immortals and deities celebrated.
——
In the nuptial chamber:
Gu Hai unveiled the two women.
“Benefactor!” Xiaorou greeted somewhat excitedly while feeling a little embarrassed.
“You are still addressing me as Benefactor?” Gu Hai smiled.
“Husband!” Xiaorou said with slightly misty eyes.
Gu Hai looked at Zang Yulian. At this moment, Zang Yulian appeared very embarrassed, squirming slightly.
“Hus…Husband!” Zang Yulian greeted, feeling some anticipation amid her embarrassment.
Ever since she got over her mental block, she stopped rejecting her feelings for Gu Hai. These feelings kept growing, becoming a towering tree in her heart. However, she never expressed them. All her feelings came bursting out, now that they were about to part.
“My wives!” Gu Hai said with warmth in his eyes—as well as some guilt.
Zang Yulian never forgot that time their souls interacted. How could Gu Hai forget it? That was why Gu Hai did not hesitate when Zang Yulian no longer objected to it.
However, he had been avoiding Xiaorou’s feelings previously because of his love for Chen Xianer. He only figured his feelings out when Xiaorou died, feeling regret too late. After that, he became more liberal in his thoughts.
——
Countless guests participated in the banquet outside.
There are some who pricked their ears up, listening for sounds from the nuptial chamber.
Among them, Nezha and some other young ones were the most excited.
“Husband, love me!”
Gasp!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sounds from Gu Hai’s nuptial chamber suddenly got isolated from the world. Even so, Nezha and the others still excitedly tried to listen.
“Hey? Why is there no sound?” Nezha frowned.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a beam of white light covered Gu Hai’s nuptial chamber, preventing everyone outside from listening in.
“Ah? Salutations, Bodhisattva Guanyin!” Nezha and the others immediately greeted respectfully.
“Eavesdropping is rude,” Bodhisattva Guanyin said with a smile.
“Yes!” Those deities and immortals showed bitter expressions.
Laozi and the others sat in the center of the banquet, waiting.
The banquet continued for three days. Even so, the three in the nuptial chamber still did not come out.
The immortals and deities waited patiently until the sixth day.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud sound reverberated, and a gale rushed out of the nuptial chamber and shattered Bodhisattva Guanyin’s sound isolation barrier.
A strong aura immediately spread out.
“This is?” Many of the deities and immortals appeared confused.
“Gu Hai broke through?” Long Zhanguo’s expression changed.
Rumble…!
The image of an enormous yellow palace soared into the sky above the nuptial chamber.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The large palace continuously grew larger.
“The middle heavenly palace? The palace of beneficence?” Long Zhanguo’s expression changed.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
As the image soared, it seemed to contain a huge yellow figure compacted inside.
“Gu Hai’s earthly soul? Indeed, the slaughter in the Asura Path Secret Realm allowed it to grow to the largest extent.” Some anticipation flashed in Long Zhanguo’s eyes.
“Middle heavenly palace? This is the cultivation of the earthly soul, right? Cultivating the earthly soul requires beneficence,” Jesus said with a frown.
“Should we lend him some?” Siddhārtha asked with a frown.
However, Laozi shook his head. “There’s no need. He has as much as we do.”
“Oh?” Long Zhanguo looked at Laozi.
“Xiaorou has fused with Nuwa’s blood. Nuwa once fixed the sky and sacrificed herself for the immortal firmament. The innate nature of the immortal firmament gave her plenty of beneficence, even attributing Fuxi’s beneficence to Nuwa. So, there is no need to worry about that. In regard to beneficence, she might even have more than all of us combined. After Nuwa died, her beneficence remained in her blood. Since Xiaorou used it to revive, all the beneficence is in her hands. If Gu Hai needs beneficence, providing some would be very easy,” Laozi said with a smile.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The middle heavenly palace continuously grew larger and taller, causing all the immortals and deities to goggle.
“Bodhisattva Guanyin, how big is your middle heavenly palace?” Nezha looked at the gigantic middle heavenly palace in shock.
“When I just broke through, I only had a three-hundred-thirty-three-centimeter-tall palace and a seventeen-centimeter-tall earthly soul,” Bodhisattva Guanyin said, shaking her head in admiration.
“What about now?”
“A one-hundred-meter-tall middle heavenly palace and a thirty-three-meter-tall earthly soul.” Bodhisattva Guanyin sighed, as Gu Hai’s middle heavenly palace had already reached one hundred sixty-seven meters in height and was still growing.
Xiaorou’s voice rang out. “Husband, I have beneficence. You can use that for your breakthrough!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Gu Hai’s middle heavenly palace grew increasingly larger and stopped only when it was three hundred thirty-three meters tall. As for Gu Hai’s earthly soul, it had grown wildly, reaching two hundred thirteen meters [sixty-four zhangs] tall.
Buzz!
Gu Hai’s earthly soul shone with a bright, golden light that seemed to illuminate the world instantly.
“A one-hundred-sixty-three-meter-tall mortal soul and a two-hundred-thirteen-meter-tall earthly soul? They are both perfect spiritual souls. He reached the peak of perfection again.” Long Zhanguo smiled bitterly.
“When others cultivate in the Middle Heavenly Palace Realm, it is like filling a pond. With the accumulations of Gu Hai’s earthly soul, it would be like a sea. How long will he take to fill it up?” Nezha gazed at Gu Hai’s earthly soul with bewilderment.
Laozi and the others also appeared worried. Most people cultivated slowly, first reaching the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm, then going back to strengthen their mortal soul and earthly soul. However, Gu Hai reached that point in one go. He would have great difficulty progressing further.
“There’s no need to worry about him. We had the same worries when he cultivated his mortal soul. However, he reached consummation of the mortal soul in less than a year.” Long Zhanguo shook his head.
“Alright.” Everyone sighed as they nodded, still somewhat worried.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the middle heavenly palace and earthly soul retracted, returning to the nuptial chamber.
“Husband, how is it?” Zang Yulian’s voice came from the nuptial chamber.
“The Middle Heavenly Palace’s first layer. I have broken through. Many thanks, my wives!” Gu Hai’s voice came from the nuptial chamber.
Zang Yulian’s voice rang out. “I don’t know why, but…I also broke through to the Middle Heavenly Palace Realm. Furthermore, I returned to the peak of the Middle Heavenly Palace Realm, just one step away from the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm.”
Xiaorou’s voice followed. “I…I seemed to have reached the Upper Heavenly Palace Realm.”
“Your coital cultivation technique?” Zang Yulian’s voice contained some surprise.
Second last chapter of the month. Extra chapter to adjust for the end of month.
