Ultimately, she picked Li Qiye and chose to marry Jian Ming - something resembling an autonomous decision.

Though both sides weren’t overly willing and it didn’t come from love, she was still the one making the decision. The same couldn’t be said about the marriage proposal and the battle stage.

“Smart and independent, creating your own path when there is none.” Li Qiye smiled.

The alternatives required her to accept the result. Resistance was futile regardless of the person. This included those whom she might dislike or even hate.

“Brother Jian, will you marry me?” She asked earnestly again.

“I…” Jian Ming had never thought that a girl would be proposing to him one day.

He liked Ye Tingrong and wanted to court her. Alas, happiness was coming too fast in this case so he wasn’t mentally prepared.

“I can’t take this anymore. Answer her already.” The daoist elbowed him again.

“What are you waiting for, Brother Jian? Seize the moment.” Paramount Scion urged.

“I’m, I’m…” Jian Ming was overwhelmed with emotions.

“It’s alright if you don’t want to, I won’t force...” Ye Tingrong said.

“No, no, I accept, I accept, it’s just that…” Jian Ming blurted out and couldn’t finish, blushing.

“Then it is decided!” The daoist interrupted him and clapped happily: “This is as good as it gets, talented groom and beautiful bride, a match made in heaven.”

Jian Ming’s face only grew redder after hearing this.

“A joyous occasion indeed, congratulations, Brother Jian, Miss Ye.” Paramount Scion happily wished them well.

“If there is no objection from either of you, it is finished.” Li Qiye stared at the two and smiled: “A marriage bestowed by me is final, no one will be able to change it. Let me ask one last time, are you willing to accept these fateful ties?”

Ye Tingrong took a deep breath and stared at Jian Ming. She solemnly nodded: “I accept.”

All eyes turned toward Jian Ming next, seemingly telling him to accept already.

Jian Ming’s hands trembled from excitement and nervousness. At first, he didn’t reveal his crush on Ye Tingrong and hesitated about proposing to Golden Gate. Now, a marriage was happening already.

“I accept as well.” He made up his mind and met her gaze. He then spoke with confidence “I, Jian Ming, will marry Ye Tingrong, protecting and loving her for a lifetime.”

The free-spirited Tingrong turned slightly red, showing off a rare feminine moment. She lowered her head; her eyebrows trembled just a bit.

After a while, she looked up and held his hands to say: “I, Ye Tingrong, will be your wife for the rest of my life.”

Jian Ming stared intensely at her face, seemingly wanting to remember this moment forever. This caused her to feel hot and lower her head again.

“Kiss her, kiss her, kiss her!” Paramount Scion and the daoist started shouting.

***

Meanwhile, other visitors had no idea about this marriage. They focused on the battle stage after hearing the news. Some were unhappy while others thought that it was a fair method…

“Aren’t people here to propose? Why is it a fighting competition now?” A member of a great power who traveled one hundred miles to be here became dissatisfied.

“It’s no problem. Golden Gate didn’t state its intention of finding a groom, everyone else came to propose out of their own volition. They can choose a battle stage instead.” An expert said.

“Isn’t it better this way?” A clan ancestor said: “Most had no chance of being chosen versus the behemoths for a marriage proposal. One out of True Immortal, Three Thousand Dao, or Divine Dragon Valley would have been chosen.”

“True, everyone has a fair chance on the battlefield.” Another agreed.

“While it is true that everyone can participate, the probability is still as low as before. Who has better disciples than the three behemoths? If one of their geniuses loses, another can join instead.” A last-gen cultivator remained pessimistic.

Many agreed with this assessment because their own young cultivators weren’t actually competitive.

“This is our chance to shine and become famous.” One genius was eager to try: “So what if we won’t be the last man standing? We still get to challenge other capable cultivators. No need to win the beauty in the end.”

Many ambitious youths agreed with this. Another said: “True, how often do this many heroes gather in the same place for a fighting competition?”