Time flowed quietly.
Like water passing between one's fingers...
Before anyone realized it...
An entire year had gone by.
The Evergreen Family had changed.
New disciples had joined.
Some elders had advanced in cultivation.
Others had retired from their positions.
The estate itself seemed livelier than ever.
As for William...
His life had settled into a peaceful rhythm.
He was cultivating every morning.
He spent time learning the customs and history of the Evergreen Family.
Occasionally sparred with the family's younger generation.
And whenever he returned to Earth...
He always found time to visit Angela.
The two of them never tried to force their relationship.
Instead of this...
Gradually deepened through countless ordinary conversations.
Sometimes they wandered through forests.
Sometimes they simply drank tea together in silence.
Other times they discussed cultivation, philosophy, or the future.
Neither rushed the other.
Neither demanded impossible promises.
Trust slowly replaced unfamiliarity.
Respect gradually became affection.
And affection...
Quietly began transforming into love.
Another realization soon arrived.
Two years...
It had already been two years since Jack and Maria had left this world.
William still visited their graves whenever he returned to Earth.
The pain had not disappeared.
Perhaps it never would.
But it no longer consumed him every waking moment.
Instead...
Their memory had become something he wished to honor.
Rather than something from which he wished to escape.
Half a month before the wedding...
William made another journey to Earth.
This time...
He was not alone when he returned.
Victoria stood beside him.
As the two crossed the gates of the Evergreen Family...
Angela immediately welcomed them with a bright smile.
Victoria had already met many members of the family during previous visits.
Within only a few days...
She had become surprisingly close to several of them.
Especially Angela's parents.
Watching them together...
William quietly smiled.
He had worried that Victoria might feel lonely.
Instead...
She seemed happier than she had been in years.
Then...
The long-awaited celebration began.
Not the wedding itself.
But everything leading to it.
According to the traditions of the Evergreen Family...
The ceremony lasted several days.
The first two days were reserved entirely for receiving guests.
No formal rituals.
No vows.
Only hospitality.
Guest residences that had remained empty for years were reopened.
Entire districts of the family estate were prepared to welcome visitors.
Servants worked day and night.
Banquet halls were expanded.
Training grounds were converted into temporary reception areas.
Countless formations ensured every guest would enjoy complete comfort regardless of their cultivation or race.
Nothing was overlooked.
The first guests arrived shortly after sunrise.
Then another delegation.
Then another.
Before long...
The skies surrounding the Evergreen Family were filled with flying ships.
Ancient beasts pulling ceremonial carriages.
Floating palaces.
Golden warships.
Even spatial gates opened one after another.
Representatives from nearly every major power in the surrounding regions came personally.
Some came to congratulate the Evergreen Family.
Some came to strengthen old friendships.
Others wished to witness the marriage of the greatest genius of the younger generation with their own eyes.
Many also understood another truth.
From the moment William became a member of the Evergreen Family...
The balance of power had changed.
Ignoring that fact would have been foolish.
Thus...
One prestigious delegation after another entered the estate.
Great cultivation families.
Influential academies.
Powerful sects.
Merchant alliances whose wealth rivaled kingdoms.
Neutral organizations that rarely appeared in public.
Even several independent experts, who had not involved themselves in worldly affairs for centuries, emerged to offer their congratulations.
Every arrival was personally welcomed by Patriarch Manuel.
His warm smile never disappeared despite the exhausting schedule.
No guest felt neglected.
No visitor believed themselves treated as less important than another.
Andrew quietly observed everything from a distance.
He smiled to himself.
"As expected..."
"Manuel truly was born for this."
As evening approached...
The Evergreen Family shone more brilliantly than ever before.
Lanterns illuminated every street.
Music echoed gently across the valleys.
Laughter could be heard from every courtyard.
For most visitors...
This was a wedding celebration.
For others...
It was an opportunity to establish alliances with the family that now sheltered one of the most extraordinary prodigies of the current era.
But for William...
Standing alone upon one of the estate's highest terraces...
None of the political significance mattered.
His gaze quietly drifted across the countless lights below.
In two days...
His life would change once again.
Not through battle.
Not through cultivation.
But through a promise.
A promise he intended to uphold for the rest of his life.
As twilight settled over the Evergreen Family...
Another distinguished group arrived.
Unlike the previous delegations...
Their arrival immediately drew the attention of nearly every young cultivator present.
Ten familiar figures stepped through the main gates.
William smiled faintly.
"They're here."
The first to approach was Merito.
He looked at William for a long moment before extending his hand.
"I thought you'd disappear into secluded cultivation for another century."
William shook his hand.
"I considered it."
Merito laughed.
"I'm glad you didn't."
One after another...
The remaining participants of the Cosmic Tournament gathered around.
Maria approached with her usual composed expression.
"I came to congratulate you."
William nodded respectfully.
"Thank you."
Javier folded his arms.
"So..."
"The strongest genius of our generation is getting married before any of us."
A rare smile appeared on William's face.
"I didn't expect it either."
Mark looked around the enormous estate before whistling.
"I have to admit..."
"You chose a good family."
"They're far more peaceful than most."
Tiago crossed his arms.
"I still don't understand why you rejected becoming the heir of a supreme sect."
William calmly answered,
"I wanted a home."
Not another battlefield."
For a brief moment...
No one spoke.
Daniel smiled knowingly.
"That answer..."
"...sounds exactly like you."
Sarah walked toward Angela, who had just arrived beside William.
She smiled warmly.
"So you're the woman who managed to convince this cultivation fanatic to marry."
Angela smiled politely.
"I don't think anyone can convince William to do something he doesn't truly want."
Sarah laughed.
"I already like you."
Nearby...
Kashmir looked around with visible curiosity.
"So this is the place where our future champion intends to settle."
Vladimir chuckled.
"I doubt he'll actually stay still."
"Give him a few months."
"He'll probably disappear into some forbidden realm chasing another impossible breakthrough."
The group burst into laughter.
For the first time since the tournament had ended...
They were not rivals.
There was no arena.
No rankings.
No pressure.
Only ten young cultivators whose paths had crossed during the greatest tournament of their generation.
They spent the next several hours talking together.
Remembering memorable battles.
Laughing about misunderstandings from the tournament.
Arguing over which fight had been the hardest.
Even Javier eventually admitted...
"I still think our draw should have been decided by another match."
William smiled.
"So do I."
Merito shook his head.
"Absolutely not."
"I'd rather not experience another fight like that."
Everyone laughed once again.
Watching them from a distance...
Andrew smiled faintly.
"They've all changed."
Manuel nodded.
"The tournament produced more than powerful cultivators."
"It produced companions who understand one another better than most lifelong friends."
As night fell completely...
The ten former rivals quietly looked toward the brightly illuminated wedding estate.
Tomorrow...
They would no longer gather as contestants.
They would gather...
As honored guests at the wedding of one of their own.