The rippling air turned into an all-too-familiar cut, making the people below the platform yelp in surprise. Even the Heavenly Emperor couldn’t care less about what was going on with the wedding. He stared in horror at what was clearly a portal like only fallen gods could create them and waved at the guards.

Before anyone could take charge, the portal opened fully and a man in a dark robe stepped through, his expression frosty.

Jing He and Qiu Ling took a look at that unchanging face, exchanged a glance, and then both knelt down at once.

“Supreme Sovereign.” Qiu Ling tightly squeezed his lover’s hand, feeling a little on edge. Tian seemed to be on their side but suddenly having him appear right before their wedding ceremony was still unexpected. He wasn’t entirely sure if this was a good thing or not.

His voice broke through the panic below though, making everyone quiet down. The worry of being faced with a fallen god was replaced by the dread of apparently facing the person who had cursed all of them. Even though it had been a long time since then and none of them had personally done anything to offend the Supreme Sovereign, that didn’t mean that this wasn’t something none of them would ever choose to encounter.

Nobody knew how to deal with this but they all knew that now was the time to be careful and not make a wrong move. Seeing as the crown prince of the Nine Heavens and the dragon king recognized the person at once and didn’t seem panicked in the least, many people decided to follow their example and knelt down first. With them starting, the rest followed suit, quietly thinking that showing some humility could never be a wrong move.

Tian glanced at the crowd with little interest and then at the Heavenly Emperor behind him with faint distaste in his eyes. He waved his hand but then turned back to the couple in front of him, ignoring everyone else. “I am pleased to see the two of you take this step.”

Naturally, he had always thought that one way or another, they would end up as a couple. After all, he had felt his son’s rebirth drawing closer. Still, when he left Jing He to consult the Spring of Fate, there was no telling how things would turn out in the end. It could have very well been that he would make the wrong choice, setting the two of them further back.

Even if they overcame that renewed barrier in the future, he still didn’t want to wait for that. No, he’d rather they got married earlier and proceeded to strengthen their bond as a couple. That way, they might welcome their child just a little earlier and his Xing would return to his side earlier as well.

Everyone else held their breath, their minds churning. It sounded as if the Supreme Sovereign was well aware of what was happening in the immortal realms. It was … not that easy to say whether they should be happy about that or feel frightened.

Qiu Ling and Jing He showed no odd reaction though and simply lowered their heads in acknowledgment. They naturally understood the true meaning behind Tian’s words but no matter what, this person being on their side was only to their advantage.

Jing He even relaxed now that Tian stood in front of them. With the Supreme Sovereign appearing and saying that he welcomed this union … could his father really say anything? He thought of this and couldn’t help but raise his head, looking past Tian’s figure at the top of the staircase.

His mother had knelt down with everyone else and judging by the looks of it, she had also pulled her husband down to his knees. Even now, she was holding onto his sleeve while his father was just staring with wide eyes. His lips moved as if he wanted to say it but no sound could be heard. It seemed that seeing the Supreme Sovereign for real and realizing that Qiu Ling had been saying the truth all along had shocked him quite badly.

Jing He lowered his gaze again, feeling calm. Now, there was no longer any doubt that they would manage to hold this ceremony today. Soon enough, Qiu Ling would finally become his husband and he would follow him back to the dragon realm. At that time, nobody could separate them any longer.

Tian looked at the two people and then reached out, grasping Jing He’s chin and tilting his head up. “Your family doesn’t seem to learn from its past mistakes.”

Jing He requited his gaze, frozen stiff. He had just been glad about his presence but Tian’s words made him worried again. Starting with scolding his family … didn’t seem like a very promising start.

As usual, Tian seemed oblivious to his plight, or more accurately, he clearly didn’t care and simply carried on as intended. “You have given me hope though. You truly care about the people around you, even if that has made your own life difficult at times. Now, you are ready to face the future with your husband against all odds. This feeling … I understand it very well.”

Jing He blinked, unsure if he should thank him for those words or simply keep quiet.

Next to him, Qiu Ling noticed his state and squeezed his hand. They had nothing to fear when it concerned Tian. He couldn’t say that right now but he could try to reassure him quietly.

Jing He felt his fiance’s warmth and took a deep breath. Yes, he shouldn’t panic now. Tian disliked his family. That had long since been the case. As for him, personally, he had no special feelings, apart from a faint expectation of what he could do for him in the future. Of course, he would only help them at this point and not cause further issues.

Indeed, Tian took another look around, making sure that everyone listened well. “Such deep feelings should be rewarded so I will preside over this ceremony … and give you a blessing of my own.”