Nuwa departed from the Yao Race headquarters and ascended toward the heavens. She hesitated momentarily between the Sun Star and the Taiyin Star before steering her course toward the latter.
She was well-acquainted with the Moon Palace Fairies from the Great Desolation; they had shared a few encounters and had briefly crossed paths during the three lectures at the Zixiao Palace.
Before long, Nuwa arrived at the Taiyin Star. Upon this primordial star, a terrifying Aura drifted through the void, its pressure grand and imposing.
Gazing from afar amidst the endless sea of stars, it stood out as one of the most dazzling and brilliant celestial bodies in existence.
As she drew near, Nuwa immediately felt a bone-deep, limpid chill washing over her.
"Xi He, Chang Xi, Fellow Daoists, Nuwa comes to visit!"
She slightly released her Aura, her Dao-sound ringing out clearly across the frost-laden firmament. The Taiyin Star was so massive that from a close distance, one could see no horizon.
After the voice rang out, it seemed to sink into a vast ocean, failing to stir even a ripple for several heartbeats.
A short while later, two ethereal figures flew out—one tall and one short, one elder and one younger.
With heads like the cicada and brows like the silkworm, their skin was as smooth as jade and fragrant as incense; each possessed a peerless beauty that rivaled the other.
"Fellow Daoist Nuwa, what brings you to our distant star? Please, come inside!"
The Moon Palace Fairies of the Great Desolation spoke with beaming smiles, inviting Nuwa into their domain. As the current Master of the Yao Race and a Quasi-Saint powerhouse, Nuwa's sudden visit was quite an unexpected surprise for them.
"Little sisters, it has been a long time. How have you been lately?"
Nuwa stepped onto the Taiyin Star alongside them, asking casually as if they were merely engaging in idle small talk.
As she spoke, a trace of helplessness flickered across the jade-like faces of the Moon Palace Goddesses.
"Everything is well enough, yet our cultivation has been stagnant for far too long. It brings us no small amount of worry."
Xi He spoke with a touch of bitterness. Ever since the conclusion of the third lecture at Zixiao Palace, they had remained in deep seclusion. Their cultivation had long ago reached the Perfection of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm, yet they remained unable to break through to the status of Quasi-Saint, finding themselves utterly stuck at the threshold.
On the path of Cultivation, once one encounters an obstacle, it is easy to fall into a dead end of thought, making it difficult to find a way out for a very long time.
"You two have yet to break through to the Quasi-Saint Realm?"
Nuwa asked with genuine surprise. This was not a mock; she was truly astonished.
One had to consider that the Lords of the Sun Star, the Three Crows, who shared a similar celestial origin, had long ago become invincible across the Great Desolation.
How was it that the Goddesses of the Moon remained unable to even cross the threshold of a Quasi-Saint?
It defied logic.
Xi He offered a helpless smile. "Perhaps we were simply too greedy. We attempted to explore other methods of becoming a Quasi-Saint, and thus wasted a great deal of time."
Her inspiration had actually come from the battle at the Three Immortals Island tens of thousands of years ago. At that time, rumors were rampant that the Golden Crow Ling Xiao was so powerful precisely because he practiced the Path of Laws.
Naturally, this was no secret; any expert with a discerning eye could see the truth of it.
In that era, the Moon Palace Fairies had also been momentarily possessed by the idea of Attaining Sainthood through Laws. They spent ten thousand years in trial, only to realize it was beyond them. By the time they returned to the Method of Slaying the Three Corpses, they found themselves unable to manifest their first corpse in a short span of time.
Thus, the sisters were caught in a trap—knowing a little of everything but mastering nothing. This caused their breakthrough to be delayed indefinitely, as if they had fallen into a mire from which they could not easily extricate themselves.
Hearing this, Nuwa smiled and said, "From my own experience in breaking through, only that which fits oneself is best. Sometimes, one simply needs a touch of Opportunity."
"It seems my visit today is quite timely. I have an Opportunity that might be able to help you."
She did not beat around the bush, speaking with directness. The benefits of the Heavenly Marriage might be exactly what the Goddesses needed to break through to the Quasi-Saint Realm.
"Sister, what Opportunity is it?" Chang Xi asked, her eyes bright and her teeth like white jade, her voice full of delight.
Over these years, her mind had been pushed to the brink of frustration by her stagnant cultivation.
Watching experts of the same generation break through one after another while they remained at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal stage—how could she not be anxious?
Xi He shot her sister a warning glance and then smiled at Nuwa. "Sister, let us discuss this further inside!"
Nuwa nodded, and the three women entered the Guanghan Palace. Once spiritual springs and celestial fruits were laid out, Xi He slowly spoke.
"Sister, regarding the Opportunity you mentioned... could you explain the details to us?"
Though her heart was filled with hope, she also harbored doubts. She knew Nuwa had likely come specifically for this purpose.
But what kind of Opportunity would require Nuwa to make the trip personally?
To simply run all this way to gift an Opportunity for no reason?
Xi He believed her friendship with Nuwa had not yet reached such a profound level. She was not as "sweet and naive" as Chang Xi; if Nuwa brought an Opportunity, there was undoubtedly a request attached. She had to understand the terms clearly.
Nuwa offered a serene smile and spoke without a shred of concealment. "Little sisters, I shall not hide it from you. I have come today regarding the matter of the Heavenly Marriage."
"The Heavenly Marriage?" The Moon Palace Fairies' expressions shifted; for a moment, they did not grasp the meaning of the term.
"Indeed. The union of Yin and Yang is the fundamental principle of the Great Dao. To harmonize the Yin and Yang, establish the three bonds, and follow the will of Heaven—this is a matter of immense Karma."
Nuwa's jade-like face remained peaceful as she continued.
"Sister, you mean..." Xi He's gaze froze for a moment before she realized the implication. Her eyes drifted, almost instinctively, toward the direction of the Sun Star.
As a being of great cultivation, she felt a faint, karmic resonance the moment the words were spoken.
Chang Xi, however, remained confused, silently pondering the words.
Nuwa's face carried a smile as she nodded. "Exactly as you suspect. The union of the Moon and the Sun can validate the Heavenly Marriage, bringing with it massive Karma. At that time, breaking through to the Quasi-Saint Realm will no longer be a difficult task for you."
"Is this not a peerless Opportunity?"
"Ah... Sister, you mean you want us to... with the Lords of the Sun Star... do that?"
Finally, Chang Xi realized the meaning. She let out a startled cry, then began to tug at the corner of her robes, acting coy and falling into a spiral of self-imagined romantic scenarios.
Xi He's face was covered in black lines. She reached out and gave her sister a sharp flick on the forehead. This foolish sister of mine, always losing face for me in front of outsiders.
Then, she looked back at Nuwa, her gaze flickering with a mixture of doubt and uncertainty. "Sister, is this matter not a bit... inappropriate?"
Seeing this, Nuwa smiled inwardly. Xi He had not rejected the proposal outright; it seemed she, too, harbored such thoughts.
"Little sister, as they say: solitary Yin cannot sprout, and solitary Yang cannot grow. The tempering of Yin and Yang is the absolute truth of heaven and earth."
At this point, Nuwa produced the Red Marriage Globe and continued. "I presume you recognize this object. It was personally bestowed by the Dao Ancestor to validate the marriages of Heaven, Earth, and Man."
"Not long ago, I felt a karmic resonance. If I use it to validate the Heavenly Marriage, there will be massive Karma. The Sun and Moon are the most perfect choice. For you, it is also a source of great Karma and immense benefits."
She was perfectly candid, presenting the Red Marriage Globe without a single secret. After all, this was an honorable and auspicious matter that benefited both sides; there was nothing shameful about it.
"Once the Heavenly Marriage is validated, I believe your breakthrough to the Quasi-Saint Realm will be a simple matter of course."
Nuwa stowed the Red Marriage Globe and added one final point.
Xi He fell into silence. Her lips wanted to refuse, yet her heart was unwilling to let the chance slip away.
"Sister... have you already visited the Sun Star?"
she suddenly asked, as if recalling a vital detail.
Nuwa shook her head slightly. "Not yet."
"However, as long as you agree, I believe the Three Crows will not refuse."
She spoke with a face as radiant as a flower, her confidence unshakable.
Xi He nodded, her gaze shifting with an unreadable emotion as she asked a pointed question.
"There are three Suns, but only two Moons. How exactly should we be paired?"