<h4>Chapter 30: -30- Marriage</h4>
The next day, Ss was once again sitting in a lotus position meditating on the Dao, with Red on his left and Kai on his right, each in their beast forms.
Hours went by, and soon Ss was ready to get up, but first, he checked his status.
<strong><status></status></strong>
<strong>Name: Ss Armstrong</strong>
<strong>Race: Grim Reaper King (Divine Beast)</strong>
<strong>Innate Talent: Grim Reaper''s Eye</strong>
<strong>Qi Cultivation: Late Transcendent </strong>
<strong>Body Cultivation: Late Transcendent </strong>
<strong><dao></dao></strong>
<strong>[Path of Death: Lesser Dao of Rot (Minor Completion)]</strong>
<strong>[Path of Destruction: Lesser Dao of Crumbling (Minor Completion)]</strong>
<strong>[Path of the Scythe: Lesser Dao of Cleaving (Touched)]</strong>
''Same as always,'' Ss thought with a sigh. While he felt like he made progress every day, other than touching the lesser Dao of Cleaving in the Path of the Scythe several months ago, his Daos hadn''t crossed over to the next threshold.
"What''s wrong, boss?" Kai said as he opened his eyes upon hearing Ss''s sigh.
"Nothing, I just haven''t made any progress... this realm is too weak," Ss said.
"Well then, why don''t we get out of here? Let''s go challenge that pagoda and finally enter the wider world," Kai said with some enthusiasm.
Ss just sat there with a nk look on his face, unsure of what to do.
"What do you think, Red? Don''t you agree?" Kai looked to Red.
"I''ll do whatever it is you two decide," Red said without opening his eyes. He trained more and harder than both Ss and Kai, badly wanting to catch up with his two little brothers who were each much stronger than him. How was he, the big and first brother, supposed to take care of and protect them if he was always the weakest in the group? But he also knew that his dream of protecting them would likely stay a dream. He was amon beast, and they were both divine beasts. How could hepete with that?
"Come on, let''s go see Thea," Ss said as he stood up.
Both Red and Kai quickly flew and leaped onto his shoulders, and Ss walked out of the courtyard in search of Thea.
He soon found her in another courtyard after asking several maids of the estate where she was.
He saw her sitting there next to a tree. Her eyes were closed, and her plentiful chest slowly went up with each breath she took. He stood there for about five minutes just admiring her beauty, not wanting to disturb her, but she soon opened her eyes.
She smiled when she saw him. They had grown extremely close over the past two years to the point that they each felt love toward each other but had yet to say or express how they felt.
"Ss," Thea said as she stood up.
"How long have you waited?" she asked.
"Not long, I just got here," Ss said, which was both a lie and a truth. He had just gotten there, but at the same time, he had watched her for five minutes.
"Thea, you two should get married already so we can get out of this little ce," Kai said with a smirk.
<i>"Kai!"</i> Ss yelled as Thea began to blush.
"Ignore him..." Ss began, but he was quickly interrupted.
"No..." Thea said, her face growing even more red.
"He''s right. I think it''s time... My grandfather has been pushing me more each day, and I agree, it''s time we got out of here." Thea''s goal and dream were always to leave this inheritance realm, and she knew Ss felt the same way. Now all that was left was for the two of them to tie the knot, and then they could challenge the battle pagoda and get out of here.
"Really... are you sure?" Ss asked.
Thea paused in thought for a moment but soon nodded her head.
"Yes, I''m positive. Let''s get married," she said, this time with a little confidence.
Ss smiled at her confidence and nodded his head.
"Ok, let''s do it..."
***
The next several days were a blur. They all went by way too quick. Both the Redstone and Armstrong ns considered this the biggest event of thest several hundred years. It was not umon for there to be marriages between ns of the same region, but one with two generational talents such as Ss and Thea was beyond rare. Most of the time, when a talent was born, the n would make sure to keep it in the n. (I hate this, but this is how these types of novels go... but they do have millions of nsmen, so it shouldn''t be too hard to find two people that are very distantly rted... hopefully.)
Multiple events took ce, some in the Redstone n, others in the Armstrong n. Both Ss and Thea had each made the trip tens of times over thest couple of days, but soon it was all worth it when the day of the wedding came.
After a beautiful and traditional wedding, Ss and Thea were finally man and wife...
***
The night was calm, with the faint light of the moon filtering through the high windows of their private chamber. Thea''s hand rested softly in Ss''s as they entered the room, the door closing gently behind them. The hustle and excitement of the wedding day had faded into a peaceful quiet, leaving them alone for the first time as husband and wife.
Ss nced at Thea, his heart pounding not from nerves, but from the overwhelming love he felt for her. Her eyes met his, and she smiled—a mixture of excitement and vulnerability flickering across her face. The wedding had been everything they could have hoped for, but this moment felt even more significant, as if the weight of the world had narrowed to just the two of them.
Thea took a slow breath, ncing around the room that had been prepared for them. The air felt warm, scented faintly with the sweet fragrance of flowers left behind by the maids earlier. The bed was draped in fine linens, but it was the presence of Ss beside her that made her pulse quicken.
"You okay?" Ss asked softly, stepping closer, his thumb brushing against her hand.
Thea nodded, though she couldn''t hide the blush creeping up her cheeks. "A little nervous, I think. This is... new." Her voice was soft, but she smiled as she spoke, her gaze locked on his.
Ss smiled back, his own nerves soothed by the way she looked at him. "It''s new for both of us," he whispered, his voice gentle. "We don''t have to rush anything."
Thea took a step toward him, letting her fingers trail up his arm. The warmth of his skin through his sleeve feltforting, and her touch reassured them both. "I know. But I want this," she said, her voice steady now, filled with sincerity. "I want to be with you."
Ss''s breath hitched for a moment, and he gently cupped her face, his fingers tracing her jawline as he gazed into her eyes. "I love you, Thea," he said, the words carrying the full weight of his feelings. He had known it for so long, but speaking it aloud now felt like sealing a promise, something unbreakable between them.
Thea''s eyes softened, her heart swelling with emotion. "I love you too," she whispered, leaning into his touch.
The world around them seemed to fade as Ss leaned down, capturing her lips in a tender kiss. It was slow, deliberate, as if they were both savoring the moment. There was no rush, no pressure—only the deep connection they had built over years, now culminating in this one night.
Thea''s hands moved to his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her palms. Ss''s hands slid around her waist, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss but still keeping it gentle. There was a shared nervousness between them, but it wasced with excitement, curiosity, and above all, trust.
When they finally broke the kiss, their foreheads rested against each other, both of them breathing softly. Ss smiled down at her, his thumb brushing across her cheek. "We''ll take this one step at a time," he said quietly.
Thea nodded, her heart feeling full. "Together," she whispered back.
***
***
[A/n: I changed some of the ranks it now goes:
1. Mortal
2. Transcendent
3. Revolving Core
4. Golden Core]