IPC Chapter 14: Wedding (Part 2)

Interstellar Power Couple

Translator: Vemmy

Quality Check: Lala, Leslie

Editor: Chesh

First Published on Chaleuria

Chapter 14: Wedding (Part 2)

Although there should’ve been four pairs of parents for the newly weds present at the wedding, both of Lei Jue’s parents had passed away. So when the wedding officiant invited the parents to go up, there were only three pairs. Only the Xiao Zhicheng couple stood on Xiao Lingyu and Lei Jue’s side. However, the EQ of someone who could direct a wedding at a location like this would surely not be low. Quite cleverly, he had the two generations stand facing each other and took this opportunity to invite the Lei Jianying couple to the center. Thus, Xiao Lingyu came to stand opposite to Yu Fenglai while Feng Gu stood across from Lei Jianyin; Lei Jue and Lei Haige then stood across from Xiao Ling Yu and Feng Gu’s parents respectively. It looked as if every pair of newlyweds were allocated three parents.

The next segment was the gifting of engagement gems.

The wedding formalities here were very different from any that Lei Jue had seen before, especially those of ability users. The newlyweds with abilities must stand before the God of Nature and the wedding officiant, with family and friends as witness as they first offered their partner their token of engagement. This token wasn’t a ring, but rather a gemstone that the ability user had to obtain through their own powers from a certain ravine upon reaching adulthood.

Lei Jue had only seen this in an online wedding guide for ability users before, so he knew that every gemstone was unique; the colors could be erratic, and the quality varied greatly.

At this time, the wedding officiant stood in front of an incomparably huge statue of God with his back to it. He raised his hands at the crowd, motioning for silence.

The idol stood at at least twenty meters tall, with a crown of flames above its head. It wore a rippling cape, and in its hand it held a massive golden sword, engraved with lightning symbols. Rugged ground lay below its feet, while a chubby boy with a green sprout growing on his head sat on his shoulder. Coalescing the five main natural elements into a single being, this was Casweir’s most revered and respected one—the God of Nature, Lord Lyniel.

Lei Jue directly faced the idol, while also directly facing the wedding officiant.

“Great god of nature, Lord Lyniel—” the wedding officiant spoke, “we give you our thanks for bestowing us with this mysterious power. Today, I will abide by your heavenly will and preside over the weddings of these two pairs of newlyweds—Mr. Feng Gu and Mr. Lei Haige, and Mr. Xiao Lingyu and Mr. Lei Jue. With your witness, may they become two of the world’s most blessed and happy couples, may they receive the courage to overcome all obstacles, and may they never forget their original sentiments no matter what opposition they may face.

Now, may we invite our two grooms to present their engagement gems to their most adored significant other.”

As soon as the wedding officiant spoke these words, Feng Gu’s father, Feng Qingyuan, was unhappy. Lei Jianying was also dissatisfied! How could they use the word “groom” at this time? Clearly, it should’ve been “element ability user”!

Feng Gu was displeased as well, having originally hoped that when the wedding officiant said “element ability user”, everyone would watch as Xiao Lingyu became a joke; but the wedding officiant was clearly a professional, having done things this way instead

At this moment, however, no matter what thoughts they had, they could not voice their complaints.

Taking out a light blue stone about the size of a dove egg from the box his brother had handed over, Feng Gu set it in Lei Haige’s hand and smiled. “Haige, this represents my simple, yet sincere feelings for you. I hope you will hold it dear.”

Lei Haige beamed as he accepted the limpid and flawless Polar-Oceanic Sapphire Ice, thanking him with a rare trace of bashfulness.

It was as if the limelight that had been stolen away earlier was reclaimed!

The guests erupted into applause. Many of the younger ones were extremely envious, hoping that they would also receive a stone like this in the future.

Holding the gem, Lei Haige looked towards Lei Jue. In actuality, he was quite skeptical of whether Xiao Lingyu even prepared anything like this.

Lei Jue glanced at Xiao Lingyu. He had to admit that his initial thoughts were about the same as Lei Haige’s, but when he saw Xiao Lingshu walk over with a similar wooden box, he knew that it had probably been prepared.

At this time, Xiao Lingyu opened the box and took out a rather heavy-looking metallic black rock. The rock was approximately twice the size of Feng Gu’s, and actually didn’t look very special, kind of like a glowing coal briquette. However, as soon as this dark and swarthy rock was taken out, the surrounding people were immediately astounded. 

“Abyssal Comet Fire?”

“Heavens! It’s that legendary Abyssal Comet Fire, rumoured to be the dream of every person that is to be wed to an ability user?”

The rarest stone in the Devotion Stone Ravine! Although unremarkable to the eye, it heats up when in the cold, cools when in the heat, and is even luminous in the dark! It was simply the most extraordinary and outlandish gem of Casweir! 

Out of all the people present, even those of older age and more distinguished positions couldn’t help but take a few more glances!

Wasn’t it said that the thing had all but vanished?!

“Because the North Ling District is immersed in winter for half of the year, I had sought this out when I was little to give to my lover when I grow up. I hope that, when he’s cold, he can use this to keep warm.” Xiao Lingyu placed the stone in Lei Jue’s hand, saying, “Little Jue, it now belongs to you.”

“…Thank you.” It was cold to the touch when Lei Jue received it. He was a bit dazed as he had also seen this kind of stone when he looked through the guide. Although it had just been an image, and the rock in the image was a lot smaller and of lower quality than the one in his hand, it had still been extremely coveted by groups of people who acted as if they itched to jump into the photon computer and devour it. Looking again at the expressions of the people nearby, or in other words, looking at Lei Haige’s expression of envy, jealousy, and hatred, he knew this must definitely be a treasure.

In truth, Feng Gu’s piece of Polar-Oceanic Sapphire Ice was also a treasure, basically second only to the Abyssal Comet Fire. It was cold to the touch, and in a place like the Central District where three quarters of the year was comparatively warm, it was not a bad choice as something to hold and toy with. It would’ve been fine without the comparison; however, once you compared them it became a completely different matter!

Lei Haige felt that the object that had been cool in his hand just a moment ago was now practically barbed. 

The wedding officiant spoke at this time, “With the two grooms’ pure sincerity, Lord Lyniel will definitely give you his blessings.”

Feng Gu smiled with difficulty. “Having retrieved it myself despite the dangers, it’s natural that Lord Lyniel would give his blessings.”

Wasn’t the unspoken implication that, if the risk wasn’t personally taken to retrieve it, they would not be able to receive the blessings?

What the fuck do you mean, Feng Gu? Little Five had indisputably gone through life-threatening danger before finally obtaining it and narrowly escaping with his life!

The Xiao Family members, especially, were extremely displeased.

However, out of the people present, it wasn’t just a single person who had such doubts. There was simply no way that anyone could believe that the Xiao Lingyu, who didn’t have an elemental ability, could rely on his own strength to obtain the Abyssal Comet Fire—most of them just didn’t dare to ask.

The atmosphere was a bit strange, and a few people couldn’t help but think about the public’s opinion towards Xiao Lingyu. In the eyes of the public, he was licentious, fickle, thoughtless, and uncouth… 

Would this kind of person go to such a dangerous place to retrieve Abyssal Comet Fire for their true love? Furthermore, does this kind of person even know what true love is?

Admittedly, the wedding officiant didn’t have the leisure to think about these things, because after the engagement gems were exchanged it was time to give the others’ parents the gifts of gratitude.

A trace of worry flashed through the wedding officiant’s eyes. Actually, all of the people present felt that it was not suitable for Xiao Lingyu and Lei Jue to hold their wedding here, and he was no exception. Although the Xiao Family once had the strongest lineage of metal element ability users on Casweir, everyone knew that Xiao Lingyu had not inherited his father’s ability at all.

Generally speaking, the gifts of gratitude given by element ability users to their in-laws were displays of their abilities, through which they pledge to the other’s parents to always properly protect their other half. However, Xiao Lingyu… what ability would he use to make this vow?

The wedding officiant inwardly sighed. “Newlyweds, please stand and face your parents.

“The great god of nature, Lord Lyneil, bestowed you with this mysterious power, but it was your mother and father who granted you the much more precious gift of life. In your childhood years, they protected you, loved you, and gave you guidance. In your youth, they took great pains to educate and advise you, leading you towards radiance. And today, you have come of age and have found the one that you want to spend the rest of your life with. Now, still full of love, they yield the largest stage to you. 

“They are the people who love you the most and wish the hardest to see you happy.

“Now, newlyweds, please present the parents of your loved ones a heartfelt gift, showing your gratitude to them for allowing you to find the lover you want to spend the rest of your life with.”

It was as if Feng Gu and Lei Haige had waited too long for this moment. As soon as the wedding officiant had finished speaking, Lei Haige retrieved two cases from his cousin, both of which held extremely precious medicinal herbs, the kind which were invaluable to the point of being unattainable through regular means; the Lei Family had invested a lot of effort in order to get them. The herbs could bring longevity to those who are healthy or extend the lives of those who are ill.

As expected, when Feng Qingyuan and his wife saw them, they were extremely pleased and praised Lei Haige for his thoughtfulness.

Lei Haige responded, “As long as Mom and Dad like it.”

At this moment, Feng Gu glanced at Xiao Lingyu before turning to Lei Jianying and Yu Fenglai. “Mom, Dad, thank you for entrusting me with Haige. You two love him so much, so I will gift the two of you peace of mind.” After speaking, he reached out his right hand and wiggled his fingers in a very natural manner, as if sensing the flow of air. Soon, however, following his movements, more and more moisture condensed in his hand, ultimately forming a water screen that protected Lei Haige in its centre! Following that, he lightly flicked his fingers and the water screen transformed into a huge heart shape, encasing Lei Haige in its core!

By coincidence, the morning sunlight shone on the center of this heart of water, illuminating it with brilliant and vibrant colours.

“Mom, look! It’s like a rainbow!” a child loudly shouted.

“Good, good, good!” Seeming as if he had suddenly snapped out of it, Lei Jianying repeated the word “good” a few times. He clapped his hands as he spoke, tone filled with pride.

Yu Fenglai was also extremely pleased, looking at Feng Gu as she said with a smile, “From now on, you have to live blissfully with Haige.”

“Rest assured, I most definitely will.” Feng Gu looked towards Xiao Lingyu and Lei Jue, speaking as if they were extremely close with each other, “Lingyu and Little Jue, did you not prepare anything?”

“It can’t be, right?” A young voice called out from the crowd, “Even if Lei Jue’s parents aren’t here anymore, aren’t his aunt and uncle still here?”

“We all know about Lingyu’s ability, there’s no need to display it.” Lei Jianying spoke, “An S-rank physique would naturally protect Little Jue well.”

“Thank you for understanding, Uncle Lei, I really didn’t prepare anything.” Xiao Lingyu was quite unperturbed, calm to the point of indifference. 

“Was it that you didn’t prepare anything, or didn’t have anything to prepare?” Feng Tao asked. “Isn’t that a bit too impolite?”

“Shut your mouth! This is not your place to speak!” Feng Qingyuan berated angrily before speaking to Xiao Zhicheng, “Marshal Xiao, don’t lower yourself to his level, this child has been insensible since young and I will definitely discipline him when we go home!”

“General Feng is exaggerating.” Although Xiao Zhicheng inwardly felt uncomfortable, he didn’t show it on the surface. The Xiao Family’s situation would only get worse; if he and his wife couldn’t even tolerate such a small slight, they wouldn’t be standing here. It was just that, as parents, they couldn’t help but feel pained when they see their son wronged. However, the family members knew that Little Five did indeed have the qualifications to stand here for this wedding.

“Mom, wasn’t it said that only elemental ability users were allowed to hold weddings here?” A child curiously looked at their mother, pointing at Xiao Lingyu and Lei Jue. “Which one of them is an elemental ability user?”

“This…“ The child’s mother awkwardly looked at Xiao Lingyu and Lei Jue, and could only respond with the perfunctory answer that every parent knew: “You’ll understand when you’ve grown up!”

“Little Jue, do you have anything you want to give us?” Luo Yuling ignored the gossiping as much as possible, an amiable smile on her lips as she asked. She knew that her son had helped Lei Jue prepare one.

“Me?” Lei Jue smiled. “Yup.” He prepared himself mentally and changed his form of address temporarily. “Dad, can I hold your hand for a moment?”

“Hand? Why?” Despite asking this, Xiao Zhicheng still extended his hand, evidently trusting Lei Jue.

Lei Jue looked towards Xiao Lingyu. “Actually, I also don’t know if it’ll succeed, but…we’ll only know if we try it first.” After speaking, he gripped Xiao Zhicheng’s hand before relaxing his body, closing his eyes as he visualized healing the other…

At first, no one knew what was going on; they didn’t understand what it was that Lei Jue wanted to do. However, once they saw countless ribbons of faint green light winding around Xiao Zhicheng like vines, they understood what this almost surreally beautiful newlywed wanted to do.

Wasn’t he said to be a plant type ability user? Why did no one mention that this child was actually a wood element ability user!

Everyone present looked on as Xiao Zhicheng’s complexion rapidly became rosy. They were practically on the verge of bellowing in disbelief.

Whatever happened to ‘trustworthy information’?

Especially Lei Jianying and Yu Fenglai, whose eyeballs had almost bulged out of their sockets. As soon as they thought about how they had personally gifted such an element ability user—one that was on the level of a national treasure—to the Xiao Family, they felt so much regret that they wanted to reverse time to a month ago! Although the current Lei Jue couldn’t completely cure Xiao Zhicheng, the wood element ability was the only one out of all abilities that could endlessly improve its rank! What if the youngster, Lei Jue, cultivated to S-rank one day?! There wasn’t an S-rank wood element user on the entirety of Casweir!

Feng Gu subconsciously took a step back. He too did not dare to believe this. He no longer knew how to describe this kind of feeling, like something he threw away had landed in someone else’s hands and become a priceless treasure.

Looking at Feng Gu’s expression of shock and clear regret, Lei Haige was so furious that he was just shy of spewing blood.

The sound of whispering was getting louder. About three minutes passed like this before Lei Jue slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the results of his own work, his eyes tinged with mischievous happiness. Smiling, he said, “This is my gift. Mom, Dad, do you like it?”

“I like it, I do.” Luo Yuling was so delighted that she almost cried. Although the Xiao family didn’t pull Lei Jue from the Lei family for their gain, he was actually a wood element ability user! How could this not make people happy! Didn’t this mean that her husband would have an even higher chance of being cured?

Xiao Zhicheng was also quite gratified as he patted Lei Jue’s shoulder, but what he thought more about was that, in the future, this child would have the chance to reach new and greater heights.

The other siblings of the Xiao Family all gave Lei Jue a thumbs-up. Xiao Lingyu, on the other hand, got over his mild surprise before leaning over to whisper in Lei Jue’s ears, “Baby, you’re awesome!”

Lei Jue lightly coughed. “Of course.”

At this time, there was a rather elderly wood element ability user in the audience with a doubtful expression. Why did she feel that this child didn’t seem to be just a pure wood element ability user?