Chapter 423: Grand Wedding, the Ring of Cause and Effect

The configuration of the Laniakea Supercluster has changed.

A few months ago, this place was still a pitch‑black hunting ground, each civilization kept its head tucked into its neck,

fearing that a louder breath would invite a devastating strike.

Now, this forest has been flattened.

The Yanhuang Civilization's ghost warships are like dutiful patrol guards,

circulating at high intensity across the major star domains twenty‑four hours a day.

The previously blustering, quick‑to‑call for genocide troublemaker civilizations are now each as obedient as quails.

After all, no one wants to experience having their doorstep welded shut by a dimensional weapon.

The new order was established unusually smoothly, so smoothly that it made people feel the previous chaos was an illusion.

And as all this fell into the right track,

a ship bearing no markings silently passed through the atmosphere and landed in the capital city of the blue planet in the Solar System.

……

In late autumn, the capital city had a high sky and light clouds.

Inside the National Guesthouse, large red lanterns hung high,

forming an extreme cyber‑punk visual contrast with the newest "Xingtian" class mecha responsible for security in mid‑air.

In the lounge.

The man who had once cleaved a high‑dimensional being ten light‑years away with a single slash was now standing before a full‑length mirror, constantly tidying his appearance.

This was his nineteenth time untying the bow tie and re‑tying it.

As an orphan, he had eaten at a hundred households and worn old clothes,

but never imagined he would one day don this purely handcrafted black tuxedo and stand at the very center of the spotlights.

"That's a bow tie, not an enemy's neck; don't tighten it so much."

A voice full of vigor teased from the doorway.

Old Luo, dressed in a crisp Zhongshan suit with that tacky yet festive big red flower pinned to his chest, strode in with long strides.

Following behind, Zhang Yunfeng held a thermos cup,

where the place that originally held goji berry tea now swirled with pale‑blue liquid.

"Luo Lao, Zhang Lao."

Qin Hao loosened his grip, turned with a hint of helplessness, "This is far more exhausting than sparring with the Overlord, makes my heart race."

"A racing heart is exactly right."

Zhang Yunfeng twisted open the thermos, took a sip with a look of bliss.

"The 'Life Dew' contributed by this photosynthetic civilization is just different; one sip and your waist doesn't ache, your legs don't hurt.

Back when I got married, I was so poor that even the wedding candies were bought on loan, unlike you, with countless civilizations lining up to send you gifts."

"Enough, stop bringing up those old anecdotes."

Old Luo cut off his old partner's rambling.

He stepped forward, reached out to straighten Qin Hao's slightly crooked collar.

After a short while, Luo stepped back, appraising Qin Hao from head to toe,

"Now you look spirited; according to the blue planet's calendar, you're already over a thousand years old, which is only possible now with advanced gene technology—back then that age would have already made you a spirit."

Qin Hao smiled, "A thousand years in the universe is just a newborn just weaned off milk."

"A newborn's fine, a newborn has prospects."

Luo patted Qin Hao's shoulder.

"The auspicious hour is near, don't keep the lady waiting. You know Old Qian's temper; normally he's scholarly and refined, but when he's angry he can snap your leg off."

Mentioning Academician Qian Bowen, Qin Hao instinctively touched his nose.

The physics titan has been irritable lately, probably because he feels the cabbage he raised with hard work is finally about to be trampled by a pig,

and the look he gives Qin Hao always carries a hint of "the desire to slash someone" that can't be hidden.

……

The wedding venue.

There are no holographic projections or other flimsy virtual stuff here.

Underfoot lies a red carpet woven from "Yun Jin Grass" shipped from the Zhinu star system,

and both sides of the aisle are lined with flowers air‑transported from various habitable planets; the air mixes thousands of exotic fragrances, and a single breath feels like the lungs have been washed.

The guest seats are a chaotic swarm of demons…

Oh no, a crowd of distinguished guests.

Besides Zhou Shaoqing, Cheng Haitang, Zhang Xianzhong and other big shots of the Yanhuang Civilization, there are also a large group of alien visitors of varied appearances.

In a corner, the Poison Liquid Civilization's Poison Flow was clearly drunk too much.

That thing was originally an amorphous liquid, now it has mimicked a human shape to blend in.

After overdrinking it can't control itself, sometimes turning into an "S",

sometimes into a "B",

now pulling Shuang Ge into a game of rock‑paper‑scissors, muttering a dialect no one understands.

Mao Xin Yang sat quietly beside them, holding a glass of plain water; those eyes, devoid of any emotional fluctuation,

rarely stayed fixed on the far end of the red carpet.

At the very front row of the main guest table.

Qian Yin's parents—Qian Jiancheng and Su Wan—sat upright and solemn.

Su Wan wore a well-tailored cheongsam, her hand occasionally pressing the corner of her eye.

Qian Jiancheng stood straight-backed, like a statue, only his slightly trembling fingers revealing the turmoil within.

Suddenly, a melodious tune sounded.

Not Wagner, but ancient bell music, heavy and solemn.

The grand doors slid slowly open to either side.

The entire venue fell silent instantly, even the Poison Flow that had turned into a "B" shape froze, forcibly twisting itself back into human form.

Qian Yin took her parents' hands and walked step by step.

She wasn't wearing a wedding dress.

She wore an improved version of a red xiuhe dress, with a phoenix embroidered in gold thread, which, under the influence of a micro force field,

slowly swayed, its feathers unfurling, radiant and dazzling.

She was as beautiful as a celestial maiden.

Qin Hao stood at the end of the red carpet, feeling his breath pause for a second.

The surrounding clamor, cheers, and salute gunfire all turned into background white noise at that moment.

On his retina, only that hint of red remained.

Qian Jiancheng and his wife brought their daughter to stand before Qin Hao.

This usually refined scholar, now looking at the son-in-law capable of crushing a star system with one hand, felt no fear.

He tightly gripped his daughter's hand, reluctant to let go.

Academician Qian Bowen stepped forward from the side, looking at Qin Hao and said:

"Qin kid, she's a scientist, her mind filled with the stars and seas, also a silly girl; if you dare let her suffer even a bit of injustice..."

"Grandpa, and Dad, Mom."

Qin Hao interrupted Qian Bowen's harsh words.

He reached out his hand, solemnly taking Qian Yin's hand, interlocking their fingers tightly.

"In this universe, as long as I'm still standing, nothing can make her furrow her brow—unless I die."

No flowery vows, just a plain sentence.

"I believe you can definitely do it; we entrust this child, Qian Jun, to you, and we feel completely at ease."

Su Wan spoke at this moment, her eyes full of relief.

And Qian Jiancheng said nothing more, merely patting Qin Hao on the shoulder, the meaning self-evident.

Next came the procedural steps.

The wedding's master of ceremonies was Cheng Haitang, also arranged by Qin Hao.

He has now become the director of the Yanhuang Civilization Safety Bureau, while the former director was transferred to another department.

"Groom, I heard you prepared a rather special gift? Bring it out and show it off, don't hide it."

Qin Hao nodded.

He released one hand, palm up and spread open.

He didn't pull out a velvet box, nor did he see a diamond the size of a pigeon's egg.

He merely moved his fingers slightly.

"Hum——"

Above his palm, a point of starlight gathered, quickly elongating, twisting, joining end to end, finally forming a ring.

But the material of this ring caused all the knowledgeable scientists present to suck in a cold breath.

It was neither metal nor gemstone, not even matter.

The ring's entire body showed a translucent glaze color, inside as if a miniature galaxy slowly flowed.

Staring at it for too long induces a strong dizzy sensation, as if one's soul were about to be sucked in.

"This is……"

Qian Yin widened her eyes.

As a top-tier scientist, she knew all too well the weight of this thing.

"The Causality Ring."

Qin Hao spoke softly, taking Qian Yin's hand and slowly pushing the ring onto her ring finger.

"I used a remnant strand of causality left over from slaying the Overlord, fused it with a micro-dimension spatial barrier, and made this."

The audience below fell into dead silence.

Zhou Shaoqing's wine cup in his hand "clacked" as it fell to the ground, shattering to pieces.

Making a ring out of causality?

Is this a proposal or an arms race?

Tossing this ring out would likely directly obliterate a star system, right?

"It's linked to my life source."

Qin Hao looked into Qian Yin's eyes, "As long as I'm alive, this ring can shield you from any harm. Even if a black hole erupts, even if dimensions descend."

"It's not just a ring, but also a beacon. No matter where I am in the universe, even if lost in higher-dimensional space, as long as it remains, I can instantly return to your side."

Qian Yin lowered her head, gazing at the ring on her finger, its starlight flowing.

This isn't just a ring.

This is Qin Hao having melted half of his fate into this tiny ring.

Tears unwillingly fell, landing on the ring and splashing tiny halos of light.

"You……"

Qian Yin sniffed, then broke into a smile through tears, "Not romantic at all, just hardcore tech—tacky, huh?"

"Tacky?"

Qin Hao asked back.

"So tacky."

Qian Yin gazed at Qin Hao with deep affection, "But I like it."

Boom—!

The salute cannons fired in unison.

Tens of thousands of warships stationed in near-Earth orbit fired simultaneously, and the splendid energy beams wove in space into a grand fireworks display covering half the Solar System.

That day, the entire Solar System shone as bright as daylight.

……

After the splendor faded, all returned to calm.

After the wedding, Qin Hao fulfilled his promise.

He and Qian Yin boarded the latest model private starship, Chasing Light,

They shielded all communication channels, dumped that mess onto the Yanhuang higher-ups, and began a destination-less interstellar trip.

They went to Centaurus, to see the unique triple sun hovering overhead.

The golden light baked the ground into glass, and the two roasted sweet potatoes at the edge of the lava.

They went to the Orion Nebula, shuttling through the colorful interstellar dust, admiring the scenery of newborn stars.

They even made a trip to the ruins of the mother planet of the Gus civilization, where they planted an Earth pine tree, not knowing if it would survive,

but the main point was the sense of ritual.

Along the way, there was no war, no killing, no scheming.

Only the two of them, and the endless sea of stars.

Years later.

Chasing Light was anchored in a strange, barren star field.

Outside the porthole was a red giant in its twilight, its dark-red glow somewhat bleak, like a huge eye about to close.

Soothing jazz played inside the cabin.

Qian Yin leaned against Qin Hao's embrace, her brows slightly furrowed.

"Qin Hao, don't you feel that some recent phenomena… are a bit strange?."

Qin Hao was peeling an orange; hearing this, his hand paused slightly:

"How strange?."

Qian Yin sat up straight and pointed at the holographic screen before her,

"Over the past month, I've been recording the physical constants along the way.."

"I've found that the Planck constant, in certain specific regions, exhibits an extremely tiny… fluctuation.."

"It's like…. "

"Just like an old display that occasionally shows dead pixels and noise.."

Qin Hao said nothing.

He handed the peeled orange to Qian Jun's lips, but his gaze drifted toward the deep, endless darkness.

He certainly knew what was going on.