The next day did not arrive with thunder or revelation.
It arrived like any other.
The bell rang at dawn. Outer disciples stirred from their rooms, groaning softly as they prepared for another day of repetitive labor and slow cultivation. Nothing about the Azure River Sect suggested that history was about to quietly diverge.
Yet for Li Yuan, this day carried a weight heavier than any breakthrough.
He walked toward Herb Field Three with measured steps, his breathing steady. Each footstep felt deliberate, as if he were crossing an invisible boundary.
Chen Yue was already there again.
She stood at the edge of the field, not working this time. Her hands were folded in front of her, her gaze unfocused, as though she had been waiting.
When she saw Li Yuan, she straightened slightly.
"You came," she said.
"I said I would," Li Yuan replied.
They stood facing one another in the early morning mist. Dew clung to the leaves around them, glistening faintly in the soft light.
Chen Yue took a slow breath.
"I thought about what you said," she began. "All night."
Li Yuan did not interrupt.
"I don't know where your path leads," she continued. "And I don't know why you're so certain about the future. But I can tell one thing."
She met his eyes.
"You're not speaking on impulse."
Li Yuan nodded. "I wouldn't dare."
Silence followed.
Then Chen Yue said something unexpected.
"If I agree… this won't just be convenience, will it?"
Li Yuan answered without hesitation.
"No."
Her fingers tightened slightly.
"I don't want to be someone left behind again," she said quietly. "Not by fate. Not by people."
"You won't be," Li Yuan said.
The words were simple.
But they carried certainty.
Chen Yue studied him for a long time, searching his expression for doubt, hesitation, or false bravado. She found none.
Finally, she exhaled.
"Then I'll walk this path with you," she said. "Whatever it becomes."
Li Yuan felt something shift deep within him.
Not excitement.
Not triumph.
Responsibility.
He bowed slightly.
"Then I won't waste your trust."
---
They did not announce anything publicly.
In the Azure River Sect, outer disciples forming relationships was neither rare nor encouraged. As long as it did not interfere with cultivation or violate sect rules, it was largely ignored.
Which was exactly what Li Yuan wanted.
They registered their union quietly with the outer disciple administration—a simple process that involved recording their names and issuing a shared residence token.
No ceremony.
No witnesses.
No celebration.
Just ink on paper.
That night, as Li Yuan closed the door to their shared room, the system interface erupted into existence for the first time with unmistakable urgency.
---
[Eternal Progenitor System]
[Marriage Bond Established.]
[Evaluating Bloodline Foundation…]
[Compatibility confirmed.]
[Stability confirmed.]
[Calculating initial legacy trajectory…]
Li Yuan's heart slowed instead of racing.
He had expected this.
What he did not expect was the next line.
[Warning: Bloodline foundations are irreversible.]
Then—
[First Union Complete.]
[Bloodline officially established.]
A deep, resonant sensation spread through his body—not painful, not overwhelming, but profound. It was as if something abstract had taken root within him.
Not power.
Identity.
---
Chen Yue noticed his stillness.
"Are you alright?" she asked softly.
"Yes," Li Yuan said after a moment. "Better than ever."
He did not explain further.
He did not need to.
Outside the window, the moonlight bathed the outer disciple courtyard in silver.
Somewhere far beyond this mountain, empires would rise and fall. Worlds would burn. Civilizations would vanish into dust.
But none of that mattered yet.
Because something far more enduring had just begun.
---
[System Notice:]
Bloodline Founder: Li Yuan
Primary Consort: Chen Yue
Bloodline Status: Nascent
Descendants: 0
[First Descendant will activate Legacy Authority.]
---
Li Yuan closed his eyes.
The system fell silent again.
Waiting.
---