As Yan Luoluo and Ye Wuchen each slipped on that pair of rings, an invisible Law of the Heavenly Dao quietly descended.
At the base of both their left ring fingers, an extremely fine **red thread** simultaneously materialized, as delicate as a strand of silk, flickering faintly between visible and invisible.
This was proof of fated Dao companions, personally certified by the Heavenly Dao; it could neither be forged nor erased.
Yet, bizarrely...
Yan Luoluo lowered her head to inspect her own finger, then grabbed Ye Wuchen's hand, turning it over and over to check. "Strange, there's clearly nothing there?"
Ye Wuchen's gaze shifted slightly, his eyes falling upon her fingertips—that red thread was clearly visible in his sight, even glowing faintly with a golden light, manifesting the power of matrimony bestowed by the Heavenly Dao.
Yet he did not expose the truth, merely withdrawing his hand with a faint, almost imperceptible lift of his lips.
So that was how it was.
In the cultivation world, the red thread of fated Dao companions was not visible to everyone. Its manifestation followed two ironclad rules:
1. When the gap in cultivation was too vast, the red thread was only visible to the higher-tier cultivator (unless the higher-tier cultivator chose to conceal it entirely).
2. In moments of crisis, the red thread would forcibly manifest, teleporting the Dao companions to each other's side (this was the protection of the Heavenly Dao, impossible to resist).
And at this moment...
Ye Wuchen (Mahayana stage) could clearly see the red thread, while Yan Luoluo (Foundation Establishment stage) remained completely oblivious.
This was an information gap brought about by sheer cultivation suppression!
More crucially, neither of them was aware of an obscure piece of trivia in the cultivation world:
Artifacts forged by someone with a Hùndùn Spiritual Root would automatically identify and bind the fated matrimony of the creator and the wearer!
This was a rule of the Heavenly Dao dating back to the primordial era, but because those with Hùndùn Spiritual Root were exceedingly rare, and the conditions for forging "matrimony artifacts" were harsh, very few people knew of it.
Thus, with both parties entirely oblivious—
Ye Wuchen assumed his little disciple had deliberately forged "Dao companion rings," and was secretly pleased.
Yan Luoluo assumed these were merely ordinary storage rings, and was still fretting over how to conceal them.
The Heavenly Dao looked down upon the red threads on their hands and nodded in satisfaction. "Though this girl is dense, this deity has tied the knot tight enough—she isn't getting away."
Additionally, this pair of rings possessed other functions, though only one had been unlocked thus far:
1. Emotional resonance: When one party experienced drastic emotional fluctuations, the rings would grow slightly warm (Ye Wuchen had frequently felt his fingertips burning lately).
2. ... (Pending unlock)
—
Looking at the illusion of the twin lotus flowers hovering above her head that refused to dissipate, Yan Luoluo felt her head buzzing.
Why won't this damn thing fade away?!
If this kept up, the entire cultivation world would know that she and Ye Wuchen were wearing matching rings and had even triggered a heavenly phenomenon!
No, absolutely not!
She took a deep breath, abruptly raising her head to look at the spiritual beast squatting on her shoulder—**Jingzhe**, a **Thunder Spirit Finch** that was entirely purple with a trace of lightning patterns at the very tip of its tail.
"Jingzhe!" she hissed in a low voice, her gaze resolute. "Summon divine thunder to strike me! Right now! Immediately! At once! The fiercer, the better!"
Jingzhe tilted its little head. "Chirp?" (Are you serious?)
"Yes! The kind of divine thunder that can shake the entire Lingxiao Sect down to its foundations!" Yan Luoluo gritted her teeth. "Hurry!"
Jingzhe blinked its black-bean eyes, then suddenly beat its wings and took flight, its tiny body abruptly erupting with a dazzling flash of lightning—
"Kachaa—!!!"
A purple-golden divine thunderbolt a full **five meters thick**, carrying a world-destroying momentum, smashed directly down from the highest heavens!
Yan Luoluo: "..." (I think I went a bit overboard!)
In the blink of an eye, Ye Wuchen's gaze turned sharp. With a flick of his wide sleeve, a thick barrier of Spiritual Power instantly enveloped them both. The divine thunder crashed down with a deafening roar, blinding lightning exploding outward and shaking the entire Cave Abode until the ground trembled!
"Rumble—!!!"
When the lightning finally dissipated, Yan Luoluo cautiously opened her eyes to find that she and Ye Wuchen were completely unharmed, but...
Yan Luoluo's room had been reduced to a scorched ruin.
Ye Wuchen: "..."
Yan Luoluo: "..."
The two stared at each other in silence for a long moment.
Flapping its wings, Jingzhe fluttered back to rest on Yan Luoluo's shoulder, tilting its head. "Chirp?" (Was the effect alright?)
Yan Luoluo's mouth twitched, utterly lacking the heart to scold it—after all, this was what she had asked for, and she *did* ask for the "fiercest possible" divine thunder.
However...
She looked up at the sky and was gratified to find that the damn twin lotus illusion had finally been blasted away!
Now, everyone in the sect would simply assume she had triggered a heavenly phenomenon while refining pills or forging artifacts, which had drawn down divine thunder as punishment; they would never associate it with any Heavenly Dao-certified Dao companion contract!
Perfect!
Lowering her head, Ye Wuchen looked at the ring still adorning his finger, then glanced at Yan Luoluo's matching ring which remained completely unmoved. A sudden light chuckle escaped his lips. "Luoluo."
Yan Luoluo snapped to alertness. "W-what?"
"Next time you want to destroy the evidence," he said leisurely, brushing a nonexistent speck of dust from his sleeve, "remember to inform your Master beforehand so I can move my important belongings out."
Yan Luoluo: "..."
Oh no, why did Master seem even more pleased?!
Staring at the ring on her left ring finger that refused to come off no matter what, Yan Luoluo felt a fine layer of cold sweat break out on her forehead.
If others were to find out that she coveted her own Master's "physical body," she would likely be slapped with the charge of "betraying Master and destroying ancestors," hung from the sect's pillar of shame, and flogged in death for three hundred years!
Though...
She cast a stealthy glance at Ye Wuchen beside her.
Master was dressed in profound black, his hair bound by a silver crown; the matching ring on his slender finger caught the sunlight, gleaming with a restrained brilliance that made his entire person appear even more otherworldly and aloof.
Yan Luoluo: "..." (It really does look good... but is that the point?!)
She shook her head violently, casting the dangerous thought to the back of her mind.
Her top priority was to hide the evidence!
Fortunately, Xuanxiao Peak, where she resided, was the highest and most secluded mountain of the Lingxiao Sect, and the entire peak had been placed under restriction by Ye Wuchen—unless one's cultivation reached the Integration stage or above, it was utterly impossible to see the peak's summit, let alone enter it.
Yan Luoluo let out a breath of relief, but her nerves immediately tensed up again—
Low profile! She had to keep a low profile!
She instantly made her decision:
1. First, place a concealment Formation on the ring so outsiders couldn't tell she was wearing it.
2. If the concealment failed, she would urgently forge a batch of "storage rings exclusively for single cultivators" to muddy the waters!
Yan Luoluo's mind raced.
Most cultivators in the cultivation world **entered the Dao through the sword**, emphasizing the "unity of man and sword," with some even boldly proclaiming, "My sword is my Dao companion."
Yet, those capable of nurturing a **sword spirit** were exceedingly few; the vast majority of sword cultivators spent their entire lives clutching a cold sword, without even a "companion" to chat with.
Was this not a business opportunity?!
She could forge a batch of "exclusive storage rings for sword cultivators," featuring:
- Sword Qi nurturing: Embedded with sword intent stones inside the ring to assist cultivation.
- Sword Qi resonance: If the wearers of two rings possessed compatible sword intent, a faint resonance would be produced (though never enough to cause a grand spectacle like Heavenly Dao certification).
- Plain appearance: Resolutely avoiding any flashy spiritual light special effects—the more low-profile, the better!
That way, even if someone accidentally spotted the rings worn by her and her Master, she could righteous-indignantly declare:
"This is a newly developed auxiliary artifact for sword cultivators! Master is merely helping me test its performance!"
Perfect!
No sooner said than done, Yan Luoluo whipped out a talisman brush, preparing to carve a concealment Formation onto the ring.
However, just as she was halfway through, Ye Wuchen's voice drifted lazily from behind her:
"Luoluo, what are you doing?"
Yan Luoluo's hand shook, and the talisman brush dropped to the ground with a clatter.
"M-Master! I'm researching a new Formation!" she chuckled dryly, attempting to use her sleeve to cover the ring.
Lowering his gaze, Ye Wuchen's eyes fell upon the faint red thread flickering between her fingers, his lips curving upward. "Need help?"
Yan Luoluo: "..."No, no need!" (Staying far away from me *is* your biggest help!)
Chuckling softly, Ye Wuchen raised a hand to ruffle the top of her head, his tone dripping with profound meaning:
"Some things simply cannot be hidden."
Yan Luoluo: "..." (Master, your words have hidden depths!)
Hearing that profound remark from Ye Wuchen about how "some things simply cannot be hidden," Yan Luoluo's ear tips turned beet red. But ask her to give up concealment? Impossible!
"Master..." She tugged at Ye Wuchen's sleeve, her gaze drifting. "How about... you cast a blinding spell on the ring? Just make it look like an ordinary storage ring?"
Lowering his gaze to look at her, Ye Wuchen's eyes held a trace of unreadable amusement. "Why conceal it?"
"Because—" Yan Luoluo choked, unable to blurt out, "I'm afraid people will find out we're wearing couple rings!" Quick-witted, she improvised, "Because one shouldn't flaunt wealth! The materials used for this ring are too precious; I'm afraid of being targeted!"
With a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, Ye Wuchen watched her for a moment before dropping the subject, tapping his fingertip lightly against her ring. Amidst a swirl of silver light, the previously restrained and lustrous ring instantly turned a dusty grey, at first glance looking like cheap junk bought three for ten spiritual stones at a street stall.
Yan Luoluo: "..." (I think I went a bit too far?)
Still, it was better than being exposed!
To further muddy the waters, Yan Luoluo grabbed Ye Wuchen as he was about to leave. "Master, don't go! Help me forge artifacts!"
Ye Wuchen raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"I can't control the heat properly! The furnace will explode!" she stated righteously. "Besides, the spiritual stones we earn from selling them will be split fifty-fifty!"
Joking aside, getting the number one figure in the cultivation world to act as free labor—this transaction was an absolute steal!
Looking at his little disciple's sparkling eyes, Ye Wuchen chuckled. "Very well."
Inside the artifact-forging room, the spiritual flames burned day and night without rest.
- Day one:
- Yan Luoluo was responsible for carving Formations, while Ye Wuchen controlled the heat.
- As a result, she fell asleep halfway through carving, her head plunging straight toward the forging furnace before Ye Wuchen caught her by the collar.
- The Immortal Venerable sighed, simply letting her lean against his shoulder to sleep while he continued the forging with one hand.
- Day two:
- Yan Luoluo woke up to find herself covered in her Master's outer robe, while Ye Wuchen had already finished forging over a hundred rings by himself.
- "Master, you cheated! We agreed to do it together!"
- "Mm, which is why the rest is left to you." Ye Wuchen expressionlessly shoved a refreshing pill into her mouth.
Finally, four hours before the martial arts competition, the two of them completed:
- **Couple rings x300**:
- Plain in appearance, but concealing a "Yearning Formation"—the rings would automatically grow warm as a reminder if the Dao companions were separated by more than a hundred miles.
- Yan Luoluo insisted on adding this advertising slogan: "Never worry about your Dao companion getting lost again!"
- **Single rings x300**:
- Specially tailored for sword cultivators, containing a miniature sword graveyard space inside to nurture one's natal sword.
- Advertising slogan: "The sword is your Dao companion, but the ring helps you polish it!"
The moment the very last ring was finished, Yan Luoluo collapsed flat like a pancake, lacking the strength to even twitch her fingers.
"Master... the rest is up to you..." she muttered drowsily, collapsing onto the floor. "The packaging... the pricing... remember to put the deluxe version up for auction..."
Before she could finish her sentence, she was already fast asleep.
Shaking his head, Ye Wuchen scooped her up horizontally and carried her back to his bedchamber. As he turned around, he glanced at the "dusty grey" ring on his own finger and let out a sudden, soft laugh.
"You can hide the appearance, but you can't hide the karma."
The red thread tied by the Heavenly Dao was growing brighter and brighter, after all.