Chapter 27: Bound by Fate

At Ji Yue’s words, Gu Yuan finally opened his eyes and looked toward the enormous tree.

The intricate Array Formation surrounding it had finally been completed. Countless lines and inscriptions covered the ground, all converging toward the enormous trunk at the center.

A whole year.

He had never imagined that preparing for a ceremony would take this long.

"It took you longer than I expected."

Ji Yan’s voice came from beside him, expressing the same thought.

"Yes. Setting up the Three Lives Covenant Array proved more difficult than I anticipated with my current cultivation." Ji Yue sighed softly.

Gu Yuan stood up and walked over with Ji Yan.

"So, we can finally perform this sacred ceremony?"

"Yes."

Ji Yue turned toward him.

"Are you ready?"

There was barely any attempt to hide the anticipation in her voice.

Gu Yuan didn’t hesitate.

"Yes."

One year. For an entire year, he had lived with the knowledge that this day would eventually come. During that time, he had thought about it more times than he could count, weighing the risks, the benefits, and everything he knew about the twins.

And in the end, he had arrived at the same conclusion he had reached before.

He would go through with it.

He would become their Dao companion.

"Good."

A smile appeared on Ji Yue’s face.

The relief and happiness in her eyes were difficult to conceal now. She had waited for this moment for far longer than Gu Yuan had, and after an entire year of preparing the formation, seeing him agree without hesitation seemed to finally allow her to relax.

She walked toward him and gently placed a finger against his forehead.

"I’ve sent the information regarding the activation of the formation and the oath directly into your mind. Take your time to go through it. If anything is unclear, ask me before we begin."

Gu Yuan closed his eyes and quickly went through the information she had given him.

The activation method was surprisingly straightforward. The oath was also clearly laid out, along with the role each of them would play during the ceremony.

After a moment, he opened his eyes and shook his head.

"No need. I understand everything."

"Good."

Ji Yue smiled and nodded.

The three of them then moved toward the center of the formation.

At the heart of the array were three circles. The largest stood in the middle, while two slightly smaller circles were positioned on either side of it.

Gu Yuan stepped into the central circle.

Ji Yue and Ji Yan each took one of the other two.

For a moment, the three of them simply stood there.

Then Ji Yue raised her hand.

Spiritual power surged from her body and poured into the formation.

The inscriptions carved into the ground lit up one after another, beginning beneath her feet before spreading outward like waves across a lake. Lines of light traveled along the intricate patterns, connecting the three circles and eventually converging toward the enormous tree.

The Twin Seasons Tree trembled.

Its enormous branches swayed despite the absence of wind, and the two halves of its canopy seemed to react at the same time. The green side became increasingly vibrant, while the autumn-colored half seemed to glow with a deep, warm radiance.

Gu Yuan could feel an immense force gathering around him.

Following the instructions Ji Yue had given him, he circulated his spiritual power and carefully sent it into the formation.

The moment his power entered the array, the light beneath his feet intensified.

Ji Yan did the same.

The three sources of spiritual power gradually connected, forming a complete cycle around the tree.

The ground trembled. The air itself seemed to become heavier, and an ancient, profound aura slowly spread throughout the clearing.

Several minutes passed before the trembling gradually subsided.

The countless inscriptions covering the ground settled into a steady glow.

Ji Yue slowly lowered her hand, and a faint smile appeared on her lips as she looked toward the enormous tree.

"The array has been activated. The Cause and Effect Tree has also successfully been bound to the formation."

Then her gaze returned to Gu Yuan.

The anticipation she had been suppressing for so long was now impossible to hide. Her eyes were fixed on him, almost as though she were afraid that if she looked away for even a moment, this moment might disappear.

Her voice softened.

"Please... begin."

Gu Yuan took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. His eyes moved between Ji Yue and Ji Yan for a few seconds before he finally spoke.

"I, Gu Yuan, once sought only a quiet path."

He decided to be honest.

"Yet fate brought me to you."

Whether it truly was fate or some kind of elaborate scheme, he could no longer say.

"Today, I do not accept this bond simply because it was destined."

Yes. It was not simply because of fate. In many ways, he had been compelled.

"I accept it because I choose it."

Even so, it remained his choice.

"From this life onward, and through every life after... I, Gu Yuan, shall walk this path with you both."

The moment his final words fell, something appeared within the formation.

Between the four points formed by Gu Yuan, Ji Yue, Ji Yan, and the enormous Cause and Effect Tree, a strange scroll slowly materialized in the air.

It floated precisely at the center of them all.

The scroll did not seem to be made from any ordinary material. Its surface resembled white jade and silk woven together, yet it was neither. An ethereal radiance flowed through it, and an ancient aura that Gu Yuan could not comprehend spread from its surface.

Then, writing began to appear.

The characters were unlike anything Gu Yuan had ever seen.

He couldn’t understand a single one of them.

Yet somehow, he knew that every word he had spoken was being recorded.

"Heaven, Earth, and the Great Dao bear witness to my vow."

The moment Gu Yuan finished, Ji Yue immediately began.

"I, Ji Xingyue, the Myriad Fate Empress, swear upon my Dao. From this day onward, I recognize you as my other half."

Ji Xingyue? Gu Yuan blinked.

Wasn’t she Ji Yue? And what was this Myriad Fate Empress?

Had she obtained such a grand title without his knowledge?

Gu Yuan was still trying to process it when Ji Yue continued, seemingly oblivious to his reaction.

"I have witnessed countless fates, seen countless possibilities, and walked countless paths."

Her gaze shifted briefly toward her sister before returning to Gu Yuan.

"Yet among them all... this is the path I choose."

Her voice remained soft, yet every word carried absolute weight.

"Even if my memories fade and reincarnation separates us, no Heaven, no Earth, and no fate shall keep me from returning to your side."

Gu Yuan couldn’t help but feel the weight behind those words.

How heavy...

Ji Yue’s vow was far more serious than he thought.

Then Ji Yan spoke.

"I, Ji Huangyan, the Annihilation Empress, make the same vow."

She did not elaborate at first, merely stating her true name and title. After a brief glance toward Ji Yue, however, she seemed to feel it was insufficient. Turning her golden eyes back to Gu Yuan, she added in a steady voice.

"Everything can be destroyed. But this bond cannot."

"My path shall forever remain beside yours."

The moment Ji Yan’s final words settled, the Grand Dao scroll finished recording everything. With a soft glow, it slowly rolled itself shut and remained suspended between the four points of the formation.

Ji Yue watched it for a moment before a bright smile appeared on her face.

"Now, only the final step remains... the exchange of blood."

As soon as she said those words, the formation beneath their feet began to change.

The circles beneath Gu Yuan and Ji Yue slowly expanded until their boundaries touched, and then, as though responding to some invisible command, the two circles merged into one.

Ji Yue immediately moved toward him.

She bit down lightly on her tongue, drawing blood into her mouth, and when she reached Gu Yuan, she rose onto her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Before he could react, she pressed her lips against his, and gently parted his lips before biting his tongue as well. Their blood mixed as she deepened the contact, her tongue moving against his.

Gu Yuan remained calm.

There was no reason for him to become flustered. This was part of the ceremony, after all, and he could clearly feel the formation reacting to it.

The instant their blood mixed, the array flared with a brighter light.

At the same time, the enormous Cause and Effect Tree trembled. Its massive form gradually began to shrink as its essence was drawn out and refined by the formation. Threads of that refined essence flowed from the tree toward Gu Yuan and Ji Yue, entering their bodies.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a ring of gray light had appeared around Ji Yue’s neck, resembling a choker. Though he could not see his own neck, he felt the same strange power taking shape around it.

His was incomplete, however, appearing to be only half of the ring.

So this was the mark of the ceremony? Gu Yuan quietly took note of it.

The exchange itself didn’t last long, and before long, the formation finished refining that portion of the Cause and Effect Tree.

Yet Ji Yue didn’t immediately pull away.

Her tongue continued to move against his. Inexperienced as she clearly was, she compensated with pure passion. By this point it was no longer blood being exchanged, but something far more intimate.

Her flushed face filled his vision. Gu Yuan allowed her to continue as she pleased, though at the back of his mind a few quiet questions surfaced.

Was the exchange of blood really necessary to be done like this? And why a choker of all things? Both details felt somewhat unnatural for such a solemn ceremony.

Still, there was little point questioning it now.

Eventually, Ji Yue finally pulled away. She lightly licked her lips with the tip of her tongue, a soft, satisfied smile on her face.

"Well... that went better than I expected."

Gu Yuan looked at her without replying.

He wasn’t sure whether she was talking about the ceremony or the kiss.

Before he could ask, the formation changed again.

The fused circle separated, returning Ji Yue to her original position. This time, Gu Yuan’s circle merged with Ji Yan’s instead.

Deciding to take the initiative, Gu Yuan stepped forward. He placed a hand around Ji Yan’s waist and slowly lowered his head.

Ji Yan offered her lips without resistance.

The same process that Ji Yue had initiated earlier was now carried out by him. Their blood mixed, and Gu Yuan immediately felt the array refining the remaining half of the Cause and Effect Tree. The incomplete choker of light around his neck finished forming, while a complete one appeared around Ji Yan’s throat.

The necessary exchange had already been completed. A few seconds would have been enough. Sensing Ji Yan’s tongue beginning to retreat, however, Gu Yuan noticed a fleeting, unexpectedly shy reaction from her.

He chose to indulge it... slightly.

He drew her body more firmly against his and gently caught her retreating tongue, teasing it. No matter how she tried to pull back within the small space of her mouth, it remained caught. He continued the light provocation until he felt her body soften against him. Only then did he finally draw away.

Ji Yan remained dazed for a few seconds before quickly gathering herself. She wiped her lips with her sleeve. Seeing the faint playful look in Gu Yuan’s eyes, she glared at him once, then snorted and decided not to lower herself to his level.

Gu Yuan couldn’t help but smile before returning to his original position.

High above them, the rolled-up scroll that had continued hovering in the air began to turn increasingly illusory. Incomprehensible characters still shimmered across its surface.

Then, with a sudden burst of light that illuminated the entire clearing like a pillar connecting heaven and earth, the scroll vanished completely.

With Heaven and Earth as their witness, the sacred ceremony was finally complete.

From this moment onward, the three of them were bound as Dao companions.