The Long Journey to Immortality

But now, with Han Lu, who is familiar to both parties, present, this problem is easily solved.

"Han Lu," Lü Zhi spoke first, greeting Han Lu, "It's such a pity you weren't there when we had our wedding banquet in Southern Xinjiang. I must have a good drink with you today."

Han Lu smiled and raised her empty wine glass, giving Wen Erya a wink out of the corner of her eye.

Han Lu congratulated him, saying, "Lu Zhi, I didn't expect you to get married to Yi Qiyan so soon. I wish you a happy marriage."

Wen Erya, who was standing to the side, understood immediately. She took out a bottle of fine wine prepared for Golden Core cultivators from the wine basket and poured it into Han Lu's wine glass.

This is also part of etiquette, just like how you usually drink beer but switch to a glass of liquor when toasting.

"Thank you, thank you. If it weren't for you and Wen Erya back then, I wouldn't have been able to win Qiyan's heart." Lü Zhi's expression was somewhat out of control. At this moment of extreme happiness in his life, he laughed particularly "boastfully".

Han Lu looked at Yi Qiyan and apologized, "Yi Qiyan, I'm sorry. I didn't expect you two to get married so soon. I came back late and missed your wedding in the southern border region. I'm so sorry."

Han Lu's words were merely a gesture, and Yi Qiyan certainly wouldn't hold a grudge at this moment.

Yi Qiyan couldn't help but recall the scene when she first met Han Lu. "It's okay, I'm just happy to see you here today."

"I know you don't like drinking alcohol. If you mind, tea is fine too."

"It's alright," Han Lu said, taking the wine glass from Wen Erya's hand. "On a day like your wedding, it would be too old-fashioned of me to insist on tea."

"Come on, let's have a drink together and wish Yi Qiyan and Lü Zhi a happy marriage and a long and happy life together."

Han Lu decisively raised her glass, gently joined the two of them, and drank the wine in one gulp.

After drinking the wine, it was time to present the congratulatory gift.

Han Lu took out the twin puppets she had obtained from the Immortal Pavilion's treasury.

Unsurprisingly, these two magical puppets, with their auspicious meanings, won the favor of Yi Qiyan and Lü Zhi.

After giving the puppet as a gift, Han Lu added the wish that you "have a son soon" and joked, "In the future, when you have children, you must ask me to be their first teacher."

"Definitely, definitely." Yi Qiyan and Lü Zhi both knew Han Lu's ability to teach her apprentices, and they readily agreed.

The twin puppets, which were originally being held by Yi Qiyan and Lü Zhi, were handed to Kong Qiaosheng.

The best man stored it in a specially prepared storage bag.

The emcee, standing to the side, used his spiritual power to write a line on a blank gift list, noting down the congratulatory gift given by Han Lu.

First it was Han Lu, then Lü Zhi's three old friends, and finally Xiao Ran, who was able to sit at such a close table because of Wen Erya.

Xiao Ran didn't actually have much of a relationship with Yi Qiyan and Lü Zhi; they only became acquainted during the preparation and organization of their wedding.

So when they were toasting, the atmosphere between the three of them became a little subdued.

The atmosphere had cooled down, but the gifts still had to be given.

While Han Lu was still considering having a child soon, Xiao Ran was already thinking about what Yi Qiyan and Lü Zhi's future child should play with.

A pair of spirit swords, no bigger than the palm of his hand and only of magical artifact grade, were the wedding gifts he prepared for the two of them.

"Although these two spirit swords are magical artifacts, they have no offensive power, making them perfect for children to practice sword control skills when they are learning to fly."

"It just so happens that your mentor, Fairy Han, is skilled in using spirit swords. These two spirit swords of mine will be the magic weapons that you two will use to enlighten your future children."

Xiao Ran's gift unexpectedly "collaborated" with Han Lu's gift, which added some value and fun to the otherwise rather simple gift.

Smiling, Yi Qiyan accepted the gift and, hand in hand, walked towards the next table with Lü Zhicai.

With the newlyweds gone, the five people at the table felt a sense of relief, realizing they had made a good start for toasting and giving gifts.

Gifts from close friends and family should not only be nice, but also have a meaningful message.

For guests with whom you have a slightly less close relationship, a single drink is sufficient.

However, the "strangers" attending the wedding this time were all well-known figures in Donghai, so naturally they wouldn't save money or lose face on such an occasion.

Even those who received less received a storage bag containing at least eighty-eight spirit stones.

Those who gave generously even brought out a low-grade spiritual artifact.

It was fortunate that Han Lu helped "assist" Xiao Ran's gift; otherwise, he would have loved to give her an extra big red envelope to patch up his gift.

The wedding banquet lasted for a full two hours from start to finish, with the first group of guests leaving only at sunset.

Han Lu naturally sat at the very end of the hall, and even followed the custom by accompanying the best man, bridesmaids, and Xiao Ran to the bridal chamber for a "refined" celebration.

[Author's Note] I went to see the Digimon movie yesterday, it was really nostalgic.

Chapter 1036 Trial of the Illusion

During the wedding night festivities, only Kong Qiaosheng, Wen Erya, Han Lu, and Xiao Ran were present.

Naturally, the group of acquaintances only made a small fuss and did not cause any big news or deliberately create trouble for the newlyweds who were still immersed in the happiness of marriage.

The four gathered in front of the "bridal chamber" and tacitly let Yi Qiyan in first, but kept Lü Zhi outside.

To enter, Lü Zhi must pass the tests of the four people.

If others' teasing of the newlyweds is considered a violent act, then the teasing of Han Lu and the other four Golden Core cultivators is a civilized act.

The first person to set the test was Kong Qiaosheng.

Of the four, he had the best relationship with Lü Zhi, so naturally the test he was given at this time was the simplest.

He only asked Lü Zhi to compose a poem on the theme of "Wedding Night," and did not require it to be original.

This was quite simple for Lü Zhi, who had received nearly ten years of education and was not drunk to the point of being incoherent.

Standing there, gazing at the tightly closed door to the bridal chamber, Lü Zhi felt a sense of poetry in his breath.

Controlling his slightly stammering tongue, Lü Zhi recited with intonation, "A moment of spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold, flowers have fragrance and the moon casts shadows, the sounds of singing and music from the pavilions are faint, and the courtyard with swings is deep in the night."

Upon hearing this, Kong Qiaosheng immediately stepped aside, signaling Lü Zhi to pass.

The second person to test Lü Zhi was the bridesmaid, Wen Erya.

Compared to Kong Qiaosheng's perfunctory approach, Wen Erya was more serious.

However, despite their seriousness, the challenges they presented were not difficult.

Wen Erya only made Lü Zhi, who had the cultivation of the Golden Core Realm, swear an oath by his inner demons.

"I swear here that I will take good care of Qiyan, and I promise to myself and my junior sister."

Although she wanted to add more restrictions to this vow, Wen Er Ya, who also had a sweetheart, understood that love is mutual.

Therefore, Wen Erya ultimately chose to stop there.

To avoid the situation where Yi Qiyan "changes her mind" in the end, turning the promise she "forced" Lü Zhi to make today into an obstacle to a good ending, and causing this well-intentioned matter to turn into a bad one.

Wen Erya had considered everything carefully, but Lu Zhi, who had just gotten married, failed to appreciate the special flavor of it while slightly tipsy.

Without hesitation, Lü Zhi swore an oath as if it were a broken record. He even took the initiative to go a step further on this oath, promising to love Yi Qiyan forever.

Having completed the test, Wen Er Ya also stepped aside to make way.

Now, only Xiao Ran and Han Lu are standing in the way of Lü Zhi and his new wife.

Among the four cultivators who were making a ruckus at the wedding night, Xiao Ran had the shallowest relationship with both the bride and groom.

If it were an "unruly" cultivator, they would definitely let loose and create trouble without any restraint at this time.

But Xiao Ran was a "sensible" cultivator who knew what was important and understood the role he should play at this time.

Going with the flow is fine; causing trouble at this time would make you a complete and annoying fool.

“Fellow Daoist Lü, we haven’t known each other for long. Why don’t you tell me about your first meeting with Fairy Yi and your thoughts here today, so that Fairy Yi in the bridal chamber can hear that you truly held her in your heart.”

With Xiao Ran setting the stage, Lü Zhi naturally opened up and loudly reminisced, so that the ears behind the wall could clearly hear just how much he loved her.

Although he was slightly tipsy, Lü Zhi still knew what he should and shouldn't say.

While maintaining sufficient honesty, he omitted the "selection of a concubine" part of his initial conversation with Kong Qiaosheng and changed it to the so-called love at first sight.

Kong Qiaosheng, who was standing to the side, breathed a sigh of relief after listening to Lü Zhi's description.

Although this matter is unlikely to ruin the marriage, it will certainly upset Wen Erya and Han Lu if it is brought up.

On such a joyous occasion, even the slightest imperfection can spoil the mood.

Putting aside the inappropriate opening, the subsequent developments were recounted verbatim by Lü Zhi.

Telling those saccharine love stories at this moment will not cause the slightest discomfort to the audience.

It even inspired Xiao Ran and Wen Er Ya, helping them understand what interesting things boyfriends and girlfriends could do together.

Everyone got what they wanted, and although no one made much of a comment after listening to Lü Zhi's intermittent story for a quarter of an hour.

But everyone, including Yi Qiyan who had already entered the bridal chamber, believed that Lü Zhi could pass this third test.

Xiao Ran praised, "Fellow Daoist Lü is a man of deep feelings. Your love with Fairy Yi is admirable. Please continue."

Xiao Ran stepped aside, and now only Han Lu was blocking Lü Zhi's way.

"Fairy Han," Lü Zhi said with a smile, "how do you plan to test me?"

After a moment of contemplation, Han Lu said, "I originally wanted to give you a riddle that Senior Fang Lin, an ancient cultivator, had solved as a test, but that overlaps with Fellow Daoist Kong's test."

"So, I changed my mind at the last minute."

"Do you remember when you first met Yi Qiyan more than twenty years ago, you walked through my illusion?"

Lu Zhi remembered that incident vividly. "Of course I remember. What, is Fairy Han going to use an illusion to test my love for Qiyan again today?"

"Very good, would you like to try again today?"

"Times have changed. In my opinion, you should gain new insights from it and make different choices in certain scenes than before."

Han Lu was ready to cast her illusion.

Lu Zhi asked, "Then, Fairy Han, how do I know if I've passed the test?"

Han Lu replied, "That's simple. As long as your performance in the illusion satisfies me and meets the vow you made to your inner demons, you'll pass the test."

“Alright,” Lü Zhi said, choosing to accept the test. “Please proceed.”

Since it was a spur-of-the-moment decision without prior preparation, Han Lu entered a semi-spiritual state when casting the illusion to ensure that the illusion was realistic enough to ensnare Lü Zhi.

A beam of five-colored light shot from Han Lu's eyes and struck Lü Zhi's head.

Lu Zhi, who was only slightly tipsy, immediately collapsed to the ground like a lump of mud, as if he had blacked out from drinking.