Discussing the Dao with Hong Ling, a Sky-High Price, Wedding Night, and Spirit Pills as Betrothal Gifts

The ceremony officially began!

Though the highlight of such a ceremony had never been the ceremony itself, but what came before it.

The proper formalities still had to be observed.

Soft songs accompanied graceful dancing, while celestial music drifted through the air.

Cups passed back and forth as guests exchanged insights.

And so, time flowed by.

From beginning to end, Luo Chen conducted himself with composure and grace. Nothing about him suggested he had come from the ranks of unaffiliated cultivators.

For that, Sima Hui Niang and the others deserved some credit.

Having attended others' Core Formation Ceremonies many times, they were well acquainted with the customs and etiquette.

With the Heartless Immortal's guidance as well, Luo Chen managed to avoid any breach of decorum.

He remained unhurried, as steady as Mount Tai.

But in the end, someone could not hold back.

"I have long heard that Fellow Daoist Luo Chen was unrivaled in combat even at Foundation Establishment, and was quietly regarded as the number one Foundation Establishment cultivator in Jade Cauldron."

"Now that you've formed your core, have your combat techniques improved?"

At those words,

the lively atmosphere fell silent.

Every gaze turned toward the woman dressed in red.

Hong Ling, a Golden Core Sword Cultivator of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect!

Luo Chen had known this would happen. Whenever someone advanced to a new realm, there was bound to be a person who tested their strength at the ensuing ceremony.

It was also a way to decide whether that person had the strength to stand among them as a fellow cultivator.

In such exchanges, victory and defeat did not matter all that much.

After all, it was only natural for someone who had just advanced to be unfamiliar with the techniques of their new realm.

But a