“Wait… is that how the saying goes?” Han Lie blinked, momentarily stunned by the Saintess’s brazen interpretation of the idiom.

“Why wouldn’t it be? You said it yourself!” Bai Ling argued with righteous confidence, her cheeks flushed. Before Han Lie could correct her linguistic creativity, she threw herself into his arms, abandoning all reserve.

“…” Han Lie shook his head, a helpless smile playing on his lips. “Fine. But just once. We are still inside the ruins, and we cannot delay the second trial for too long.”

“Mhm!” Bai Ling nodded vigorously, though her slender jade fingers were already wandering with restless intent.

Her enthusiasm was infectious. Han Lie, rejuvenated and in his prime, felt his own fire rising to meet hers.

The two engaged in a vigorous, unrestrained battle of “cultivation” right there in the clearing. For several hours, the forest echoed with the sounds of their intimacy. Bai Ling, having fully opened her heart to him, was insatiable, her passion flowing like a broken dam. However, the looming threat of the ruins forced them to eventually stop, leaving the Saintess looking somewhat unfulfilled.

“Debauchery! Absolute debauchery!”

From a branch high above, Xiao Zi looked down with a gaze of utter disdain, clicking her tongue.

Hearing the beast’s commentary, Bai Ling buried her face in Han Lie’s chest, overcome with belated shame.

Han Lie casually flicked his wrist, tossing a Thousand Flower Pill into the air. It landed precisely in Xiao Zi’s open beak, silencing her.

“If you spout nonsense in front of the Saintess again, forget pills—you won’t even get spirit grass,” Han Lie threatened with a playful glint in his eye.

“Hmph, fine, I won’t say anything!” Xiao Zi chewed happily. With a bribe in hand, the beast knew better than to push its luck.

“Time to move.”

After a brief rest to tidy their robes, Han Lie, Bai Ling, and Xiao Zi set off again. They sped along the axis of the small world until the air ahead began to warp. A massive spatial vortex churned in the sky, signaling the entrance to the next trial.

Han Lie and Bai Ling exchanged a glance. Without hesitation, they shot into the swirling portal together.

Intense, blinding light assaulted them instantly. Han Lie was forced to close his eyes, but his grip on Bai Ling’s small hand tightened like a vice. He refused to be separated from her again.

Buzz!

A strange resonance vibrated through his skull. Han Lie’s consciousness wavered, his mind stretching and warping under an alien influence.

When the light finally faded, the sensation of falling vanished.

Han Lie opened his eyes. Instead of a ruin, a voice filled with joy and celestial blessings boomed around him:

“Congratulations to Ye Qingxuan and Han Lie! May the lovers finally unite! Today, witnessed by the Heavenly Dao, they officially become Dao Companions!”

“Oh oh oh!”

“Congratulations! A match made in heaven!”

“May you have a child soon and grow old together!”

The roar of a crowd washed over him. Han Lie stood frozen, his mind reeling.

“First bow to Heaven and Earth!”

“What are you dazing for?” A familiar, commanding voice whispered beside him.

Han Lie snapped back to reality. He looked down to find himself dressed in crimson wedding robes. His left hand was holding the hand of a woman in a magnificent red wedding dress, her face obscured by a red silk veil.

It was Ye Qingxuan.

Below the high platform, the Elders and Hall Masters of the Heavenly Void Sect stood in attendance, their faces plastered with bright, joyous smiles.

“Right…” Han Lie composed himself, a small smile touching his lips. He squeezed Ye Qingxuan’s hand and knelt.

Together, they bowed to Heaven and Earth.

“Second bow to the parents!”

“Husband and wife bow to each other!”

Under the witness of the sect and the heavens, Han Lie and Ye Qingxuan completed the sacred rituals.

“Kiss!”

“Kiss her!”

The crowd below erupted into a chant, the atmosphere thick with celebration. Han Lie turned to his bride, smiling gently at the figure before him. Slowly, he lifted the red silk veil.

Ye Qingxuan’s peerless face was revealed. Her eyes were lowered in a display of rare shyness, her lashes trembling slightly, her lips a luscious, inviting red. She looked not like the iron-fisted Sect Leader, but like a woman deeply in love.

Han Lie cupped her face in his hands and leaned in.

As their lips met, the hall exploded with thunderous cheers.

…

“Escort to the bridal chamber!”

Guided by the matchmaker, Han Lie carried Ye Qingxuan on his back, walking the path of red petals to their new bridal chamber. The festivities continued outside, but the world narrowed down to this single room.

It was late at night when the guests finally dispersed. Han Lie pushed open the door to the wedding chamber.

Ye Qingxuan sat on the edge of the bed, her posture elegant and regal. The candlelight danced across her features, making her look truly transcendent.

“Wife, I’m back,” Han Lie said, stepping forward to lift the veil he had replaced for the ceremony.

“Husband.”

Han Lie moved to push her back onto the bed, but Ye Qingxuan placed a hand on his chest, stopping him.

“The night is long; there is no need to rush,” she purred, her eyes gleaming with intelligence. “Do you remember how we got here?”

“Naturally,” Han Lie smiled, playing along with the illusion. “I recall when I was just a lowly Servant Disciple, sweeping the floors of your Violet Heaven Palace. And then…”

“Hehe. Through a series of coincidences, I awakened the Pure Yang Sacred Body, and that’s how…” She paused, shaking her head. “No. It wasn’t just coincidence. It was fate.”

“My wife speaks wisely,” Han Lie agreed warmly.

The memories of that time—the power imbalance, the risk, the secrecy—had long since faded into a shared history. If any variable had been different back then, if he had been too cowardly or she too ruthless, they would not be here now.

“Do you blame me for how things started?” Han Lie teased.

“Of course I blame you!” Ye Qingxuan’s eyes flashed with a dominant, playful light. She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a husky whisper. “So, today… I punish my husband to serve me well!”

“Hehe. No problem. I guarantee to serve my wife until she is thoroughly satisfied.”

Han Lie didn’t wait for another word. He pressed the Sect Leader down onto the crimson sheets.

The “night” in the illusion stretched on. Time lost its meaning. It became a marathon of ten days—a clash of titans where energy was exchanged and bodies were forged in the fires of dual cultivation. Han Lie, in his prime, met her demand for service with inexhaustible vigor.

Only when Ye Qingxuan was completely sated did the storm subside. Han Lie held her, resting briefly in the afterglow.

“Is my husband satisfied?” Ye Qingxuan asked, her face flushed and radiant.

“Hmm?”

“If you aren’t satisfied,” she traced a finger down his chest, “you can call someone else in.”

Han Lie looked at her, a comical expression of confusion on his face. “Who does my wife mean?”

“Have you forgotten?” Ye Qingxuan raised an eyebrow. “Chi Lian, Zhuo Hongyi, Su Mei, Qin Lan… and that little Bai Ling. Pick one. But I must remind you solemnly…”

She sat up slightly, her gaze turning sharp and regal—the Empress addressing her Consort.

“You promised me. After we became Dao Companions, your focus must remain on me.”

Han Lie blinked, the memory of his promise surfacing. Yes. In the Heavenly Void Sect, she was the Queen. She was the Main Wife. She would tolerate the others, provided her position as the sun in his solar system was never challenged.

“Wife, rest assured. I never break a promise,” Han Lie vowed.

“Good,” Ye Qingxuan smiled, satisfied with his submission. “Then, if you still have energy… call someone in. Or two. It matters not.”

Han Lie pondered for a moment, the nature of this dream trial allowing him to bend reality to his will.

“Hmm… then let Zhuo Hongyi and Su Mei come in.”