Taiyin Star Lord appeared beside Qing Ling, smiling, "Boy, since you have obtained my Taiyin Great Dao, do not forget the favor of our Taiyin lineage in the future."
Qing Ling asked back, "Senior, who are you?"
"Me?" Taiyin Star Lord was taken aback by the question. After a moment's pause, he chuckled, "Good boy, it's understandable you don't recognize me. I am Taiyin Star Lord, in charge of the Yin and Shao Yin energies. Chang'e and Changxi, whom you saw earlier, were born from the materialized Taiyin and Shao Yin energies."
Qing Ling bowed respectfully, "Thank you, Senior, for your clarification. I will surely not forget the kindness of Taiyin."
Although comprehending the Great Dao of light and time was perilous, without Taiyin Star Lord's permission to enter Taiyin, he wouldn't have been able to obtain this branch of Osmanthus.
Taiyin Star Lord said with a smile, "I assume you are eager to comprehend the secrets of the Hongluan Star. I shall not keep you. Feel free to visit Taiyin when you have leisure."
Qing Ling thanked Taiyin Star Lord and turned to leave the Moon Star, stepping into the Hongluan Star.
He inserted the branch of Osmanthus in his palm into the desolate land of the Hongluan Star.
The Osmanthus branch burrowed into the earth, its roots delving deep into the soil, growing rapidly. It transformed from a withered branch into a sapling, then into a towering ancient tree.
The towering ancient tree’s leaves were lush and verdant. The red-robed youth stood beneath its branches, looking up at the tree, and smiled helplessly, "There are so many powerful beings in the world, why did you choose me? I am destined not to be a good proponent of the Dao."
As his words fell, the red thread hanging from his waist gently lifted. Nine red threads spontaneously gathered his scattered black hair.
Entwining, coiling, tying, knotting, the nine threads intertwined to tie his hair. Strands of red silk were mixed with his falling hair, black hair and red threads swaying gently in the wind.
Qing Ling smiled, "Alas, since it is your destiny, how can I refuse?"
Mitian Suo, his innate spiritual treasure, a top-grade treasure, had ascended to the supreme-grade realm due to the Dao of Marriage.
The red threads floated up. Though silent, they could still feel its joy.
Qing Ling pointed a finger, and the red threads flew out from his fingertip, twining among the leaves of the Osmanthus tree, hanging down, countless, infinite.
The Hongluan Star stirred, its red light illuminating the moon. Wherever the moon shone, there appeared the threads of destiny!
Qing Ling's voice boomed across the Primordial World.
"I am the Lord of the Hongluan Star, in charge of the world's Dao of Marriage. Wherever the moon shines, there is a thread of destiny. A single red thread connects across the vastness of the world. If there is love, one may form a Dao companion and seek the Great Dao together.
From this path onward, the 'three treasures' of 'Dao, wealth, and land' are now added to a fourth: Dao, companion, wealth, and land!
If you meet true lovers across the world, you may make vows under the moon. I, your Lord, will bear witness, and a single thread of destiny shall bind you for three lifetimes!"
The voice of the Dao resonated throughout the heavens and earth. In the unseen realms, infinite red threads extended from the Osmanthus tree on the Hongluan Star, connecting to countless sentient beings.
Simultaneously, many powerful beings frowned. The concept of marriage was beneath them; their Dao was too lofty for companionship.
On Mount Yujing, Hongjun's divine will shattered the red thread that reached for him.
On Mount Sumeru, Luohu's black lotus spun beneath his feet, crushing the red thread reaching for him.
Dragon Ancestor, Phoenix Ancestor, Yin Yang Old Ancestor, Qiankun Old Ancestor, Yang Mei Old Ancestor... one by one, great beings unhesitatingly crushed the red threads, severing their destinies.
Mitian Suo felt utterly wronged, not daring to reach out to those powerful beings.
Qing Ling smiled helplessly, holding a thread in his hand, "Those great figures are not to be trifled with. There are countless sentient beings in the world. Go and connect with those whose hearts truly desire it."
On Qilin Cliff, the two Qilin ancestors did not break free from the red thread. They allowed a wisp of red thread to connect their ring fingers. Their feelings intertwined, they looked at each other, their eyes full of tenderness.
On Mount Qinglong, the Azure Dragon grasped the red thread. Having once been the God of Spring, he naturally felt a connection to these threads of affection.
"Heh~ I wonder which great being has emerged! So it's you, boy."
Among the stars, the Heavenly Dao was not apparent, and all Daos were detached. Only the Great Dao of the stars prevailed. Therefore, people only knew that a Lord of the Hongluan Star had appeared in the world, in charge of marriage, an old figure under the moon, also known as the Matchmaker.
This "old figure" was not an elder in the common sense, but rather the most respected and ancient person in the Dao of Marriage.
Since the Dao of Marriage originated after him, he was the oldest person in the Dao of Marriage.
Qing Ling looked at the tree full of red threads and felt a headache coming on. The Dao of Marriage involved luck and destiny, but he was an outsider. To carefully match couple after couple would be too mentally draining.
He knew that if he accidentally connected the wrong two marriage lines, enemies might become lovers.
If he accidentally touched a third red thread, it might lead to a love triangle.
Even worse, if he used the wrong types of red threads, a snake cultivator might be matched with an eagle cultivator, only to be swallowed by their beloved in a fit of anger.
Or, if two identical threads crossed, even two male dragons might fall in love, or two female phoenixes might spend their lives together.
Since he had become the Lord of the Hongluan Star, he naturally had to bear the responsibility. If the beings of the world harbored too much resentment towards him, he would have to bear this resentment. A backlash of marriage might cause him to experience all sorts of melodramatic relationships.
However, controlling marriage was akin to influencing one of the great forces of heaven and earth, and a means of controlling the destinies of all beings. For the future, there were many possibilities for planning.
Qing Ling's divine sense projected onto the red threads. Many threads on the Osmanthus tree had already intertwined.
Above the East Sea, amidst the proximate paths, on a lone island, a maiden in white and a youth in black knelt on the ground, pointing to the moon and swearing, "Now, under the Matchmaker's gaze, I (Qi/Yu) vow to become a Dao companion with (Yu/Qi), and even if the seas dry up and the rocks crumble, my love will never regret it!"
As this oath was uttered, under the moon, a divine being in red descended on a beam of light. His appearance was as beautiful as the bright moon. He smiled leisurely and said, "Congratulations to you two on forming your marriage bond. Under the Osmanthus tree, your love is sealed for three lifetimes. I, the Matchmaker, shall be your witness!"
With that, he pointed a finger, and a thread from his waist flew out, connecting the ring fingers of the two, intertwining and disappearing.
The couple's expressions were filled with joy. They had merely tried their luck, never expecting the Matchmaker himself to bear witness!
The divine being in red disappeared under the moon, and fragments of osmanthus petals drifted down, carrying a fragrance that extended far and lingered with deep affection.
In the southwestern wilderness, a couple pointed to the moon and swore to the moon to solemnize their marriage, and a divine being appeared under the moon...
Innumerable sentient beings throughout the world who had found love became Dao companions, all seeking the Matchmaker's witness, connected by a single thread of destiny. From then on, even at opposite ends of the world, their hearts would be as one, their thoughts intertwined.
Concurrently, bits and pieces of faith from the world's marriages converged on Qing Ling on the Hongluan Star.
Qing Ling's primordial spirit trembled, his divine sense differentiating. Using the Osmanthus as his body, his divided spirit as his soul, and the faith as his flesh and blood, he forged a Dharma body of marriage.
This Dharma body was not a body for three lifetimes. It was merely an embodiment of the Dao of Marriage. The true Lord of the Dao of Marriage remained Qing Ling. This embodiment was merely a tool for infinitely repeating the process of witnessing vows.
Qing Ling could not remain on the Hongluan Star for long, as he had more important matters to attend to.
After accepting the destiny of the Hongluan Star Lord, he gained a more direct and profound understanding of the world's fortunes. Qing Ling keenly sensed that the world's changes were not far off.