Jiang Yi returned to the wedding celebration disappointed. Yin Ruobing and Zhan Tianlei had already been led to a seat. The two of them were led to be seated behind a huge golden stage. Yin Ruobing did not look too unhappy. Instead, she looked every part the dutiful wife. This made Jiang Yi feel even more awful inside.
He initially came to the Divine Sonar Valley feeling motivated and excited. He kept imagining meeting the Sonar Thearch and thinking about how to get Tang Yan and Tang Xue out of their predicament. Now, not only did he fail to meet the Sonar Thearch, but he also had to witness a very unsettling scene. This made him feel like he was sitting on needles throughout the entire ceremony. He could not wait for the entire celebration to end.
The elders of the Chen Clan and other clans kept coming forward to offer drinks to Tang Ming. However, Jiang Yi sat behind Tang Ming like a wooden block, not bothering to even get to his feet. On seeing that Jiang Yi was in a bad mood, Tang Ming did not blame him. Instead, he told the other commanders of the Tang Clan not to stand up and not to drink alcohol either, so that Jiang Yi would not stand out.
“What’s the matter, Yi San?”
Once he got the opportunity, Tang Ming sent a voice transmission to Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi smiled bitterly and shook his head as he responded, “It’s nothing. Older Brother Ming, you don’t have to bother about me.”
From afar, Tang Ming glanced at Yin Ruobing. He seemed to have guessed something as he patted Jiang Yi on the shoulder and sent another comforting voice transmission: “Brother, let it go. The Nine Thearch Clans have very strict rules. You will not have a happy ending. It’s better to rip the plaster off now than to let the wound fester. There is an entire forest for you out there anyway.”
Jiang Yi, Yi Chan, and Yin Ruobing were stuck in such a mess that their story was spread throughout the continent. It was no surprise that Tang Ming knew what Jiang Yi was upset about. The fact that Emperor Yin accepted Zhan Tianlei’s marriage proposal showed that he did not want Yin Ruobing to hang on to Jiang Yi either.
“I understand.”
Jiang Yi nodded. His expression turned cold again. He did not want to think about things anymore. He kept silent for the rest of the time, waiting for the wedding ceremony to begin.
The scene felt much livelier because of the arrival of Zhan Tianlei and Yin Ruobing. Elders from countless clans went up to them to offer toasts of congratulations. Many of them also approached Tang Ming to try and build good relations. The sound of chatter and laughter filled the air. In the big space in the center, there were music and dance performances. The weather was nice that day as well: there was a light breeze. It was turning out to be quite a pleasant ceremony.
One hour later, the bride and groom finally appeared. The Great Young Master of the Chen Clan knew that Zhan Tianlei and Yin Ruobing were here. He felt especially proud of himself, and it showed on his flushed face and vibrant aura. The bride was a lady from the Yin Clan. Naturally, she carried herself well. In terms of poise—however, she was not better than Yin Ruobing. Things like poise could not be nurtured in just one or two days. It was a natural thing. Otherwise, it would still take one year to build up.
The celebration was peaking. The Great Young Master of the Chen Clan had quite good relations. He was quite talented as well. At just twenty-eight years old, he was a peak-stage Heaven Monarch. Although he was only three-star in terms of skill, Jiang Y heard that he had good musical and dance talents. Yin Thearch himself also imparted his skills to the Great Young Master so that he had realized the second stage of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. Jiang Yi guessed that even a four- or five-star martial artist would not be able to fight this skill. The Great Young Master was well on his way to becoming the second Yin Thearch.
Jiang Yi’s impression of the Great Young Master Chen Chen of the Chen Clan was pretty good. Perhaps it was because this man had been studying music and dance for many years—there was a certain gentle quality about him. He was extremely polite to everyone he spoke to, and he was well-mannered as well. It made people feel very comfortable around him. However, because of how the Sonar Thearch treated him, Jiang Yi felt no motivation to make friends with the Great Young Master. Since the Sonar Thearch refused to help him, Jiang Yi saw little meaning in forging good relations with the Chen Clan.
The wedding was about to begin. The Family Head of the Chen Clan and another authoritative elder stood up to host the ceremony. They completed one round of the formalities. Then, it was time for the guests to present their gifts one by one.
Each clan prepared lavish gifts. Even if they were not interested in showing their respect for the Sonar Thearch, they knew that they had to show their respect for the Yin Clan. Their gifts thoroughly impressed Jiang Yi. Even the lousiest gift was a pseudo-divine artifact. There were several spirit-connected cardinal treasures and several other strange gadgets, herbs, and the like.
The Tang Clan’s gift was prepared a long time ago. It was a token made of platinum and Rainbow-Colored Armor. The platinum command token was the best token that would allow anyone who had it a free ride on the Heaven Fate Ship. It would also allow anyone who has it to enter the Tang Clan’s secret cultivation rooms in any of the major cities for half the price. This platinum command token alone was worth several billion celestial stones.
“Fifth Sister, I wish you a blissful marriage.”
Yin Ruobing finally spoke. Many people turned to look at her. The entire place quieted down as they tried to see what Yin Ruobing’s gift was.
Yin Ruobing retrieved a jade bottle and handed it to a female servant beside her. “Fifth Sister, Ruobing has nothing valuable to offer you as a gift for your wedding. I shall give you this Ambrosia that I just obtained not long ago.”
“Ambrosia?”
Many people sucked in a deep breath. This thing was a priceless treasure. Just one drop of it was worth billions of celestial stones. The price of such Ambrosia was sky-high in black markets. There was just not enough supply to meet the endless demand. This was because the Ambrosia was one of the five main treasures for maintaining one’s good looks. The ladies in every clan yearned for such a wine. It was said that just one drop of it could maintain one’s youth for at least thirty years. How much was this entire bottle of Ambrosia that Yin Ruobing was giving to her cousin?
“Thank you, Ninth Sister. This is the best present that I’ve received so far.”
The bride immediately broke into a huge grin. She was a lady of the Yin Clan, but she was still much further off in status compared to Yin Ruobing. Normally, she would not have the right to obtain a drink like this.
“Haha!”
Zhan Tianlei, who was seated beside Yin Ruobing, suddenly stood up and laughed. “Ruobing is giving you such an exquisite gift. Of course, Tianlei cannot be too pitiful. Brother Chen, a year ago, I made a trip to Pan Thearch’s ancient ruins. I found an ancient artifact among the ruins. I’m not used to it either so I’ll give it to Brother Chen instead.”
Buzz!
The ring in Zhan Tianlei’s hand lit up. An ancient and almighty zither appeared in his hands. This ancient zither had mysterious patterns atop it. Its aura felt formidable. With one look, people could tell that this was no ordinary artifact.
Chen Chen smiled uncontrollably. He could not take his eyes off the zither. When he saw the word ‘Pan’ written on the ancient zither, his entire body stiffened. With a shock, he said, “This is the ancient zither that Pan Thearch used? Brother Tianlei, this gift is way too expensive. Chen Chen cannot accept it.”
“Pan Thearch’s ancient zither?”
Many people tried to steal a glance at the zither. Pan Thearch was an ancient formidable artist who was just as famous as the Fire God. Although the Pan Thearch’s famous technique was not the Divine Sound Heaven Skill, an ancient zither belonging to him would undoubtedly be a mighty artifact.
“Hahaha.”
Zhan Tianlei waved his hand casually and caused the ancient zither to fly toward Chen Chen. Smiling, he said, “Precious swords belong to their rightful heroes. I am no good at music or dance. Pan Thearch’s ancient zither would be useless in my household; it will only be used to collect dust. I heard that Brother Chen is very good at both music and dance. If you think that this gift is too expensive, then return something to me. Play a song for me using that ancient zither now. How about that?”
“Alright!”
Many people clapped and cheered on witnessing Zhan Tianlei’s generosity. He did not even hesitate to give a gift this valuable. Zhan Tianlei was really showing the Sonar Thearch a lot of respect this time. Even if he did not bring a gift, everyone was sure that the Chen Clan would still be grateful for his presence. The fact that he was willing to give such a valuable gift to Chen Chen showed how big this man’s heart really was.
“The disciples of the Zhan Clan are extraordinary indeed. I will play a song for you then.”
An elderly voice sounded among the crowd. That voice seemed to have some sort of mysterious power. Upon hearing it, everybody’s souls stilled and calmed down significantly.
“Sonar Thearch!”
Jiang Yi’s eyes brightened. Many people stood up and headed toward the east to greet him respectfully. Most of them looked extremely excited. The Sonar Thearch would play a song for them? This was a god-given opportunity for most of them. If they could realize a thing or two, that would mean that would be a huge benefit to them.
The Sonar Thearch spoke once again, causing many people to be so excited that they shivered, “I have been keeping myself in isolation for the past tens of years just to focus my mind on studying music and dance. I wrote a song at that time. This song is not divine, but it is a product of my years of research. Together with my Divine Sound Heaven Skill, you might be able to realize a thing or two. If that happens, consider it that we have a good fate. In the future, you would be invited to come in and out of my Divine Sonar Valley freely.”