Chapter 155: The Wedding Ceremony

The Cyan Cloud Sword had pierced through the young Water Ghost’s chest.

Every time it struggled, it inflicted immense damage upon itself.

Even so, while enduring the two Five Emperors Mother Coins and the wounds from the Cyan Cloud Sword, the young Water Ghost still fought to escape the Ancient Mirror’s vortex.

But the space within the coffin was limited. Having dragged Lu Bai inside, it was fated to be unable to escape the reach of the Ancient Mirror.

The two were still locked in a struggle, neither willing to yield.

’If I had reached the Innate Realm, my Blood Qi would be stronger, the Ancient Mirror’s power would be greater, and I could even activate the Cyan Cloud Sword’s other Blood Prohibitions. I would have subdued this young Water Ghost long ago!’

But as things stood, they were trapped in a stalemate.

With the river water churning all around him, Lu Bai couldn’t use the Silent Shock Secret Technique.

’But I can still use the Dragon Elephant Suppression Stele!’

Lu Bai raised his left palm, preparing to unleash the Secret Technique and deliver the final blow to the young Water Ghost.

But then, the young Water Ghost suddenly stopped struggling. A complex mix of emotions flashed through its eyes.

It was as if a great weight had been lifted, yet there was also a hint of regret, reluctance, and concern.

The young Water Ghost ceased its resistance, instantly transforming into a spectral light that shot into the Ancient Mirror.

"Wangjiang Tower..."

At the final moment, the young Water Ghost’s voice echoed in Lu Bai’s mind once more.

Then, there was only silence.

Inside the Ancient Mirror, another Soul Light appeared.

And it was a Level 3 Soul Light!

While Lu Bai and the young Water Ghost battled inside the coffin, the situation outside was undergoing a drastic transformation.

The very instant Lu Bai activated the Ancient Mirror, the fog formed by the Red and White Collision Evil rapidly dispersed, as if it had been spooked.

The collision evil had been silently broken the moment the Ancient Mirror’s vortex appeared.

Sensing that something was amiss, the Ghost Bride snatched He Liangzhi onto the bridal sedan. The wedding procession abruptly changed direction and fled into the distance.

As soon as the Red and White Collision Evil was broken, Ah Ming felt the pressure on its body suddenly lighten.

"COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!"

Ah Ming let out another crow.

The light of dawn broke through.

TSSSSSS!

Unable to withstand it, the Ghost Souls and malevolent spirits of the funeral procession began to billow with thick smoke, their forms dimming significantly.

Just then, the Ghost Souls and malevolent spirits of the funeral procession seemed to sense something. They suddenly dropped the coffin and fled in all directions.

Ah Ming wanted to pursue them but was too worried about Lu Bai in the coffin.

The Black Dog kept its eyes fixed on the coffin.

BOOM!

The coffin lid was blasted open from within by a tremendous force, and a tall, burly figure leaped out of the water.

Lu Bai, Cyan Cloud Sword in hand, scanned his surroundings.

Seeing that the Black Dog and Ah Ming were unharmed, he felt a wave of relief.

Then, his eyes lit up as he noticed the fleeing souls.

But his attention was quickly drawn to the Ghost Bride’s retreating wedding procession, a splash of crimson nearly vanishing into the darkness.

Lu Bai hesitated for a moment but still gave chase in the Ghost Bride’s direction.

’First things first. I have to save He Liangzhi.’

"Ah Mo, Ah Ming, follow me."

Lu Bai called out. Wielding his Cyan Cloud Sword and activating his Eye of Illusion, he broke into a full sprint.

The wedding procession moved with incredible speed.

Even at full tilt, Lu Bai could only just barely keep them in sight.

Fortunately, the wedding procession was so ostentatiously festive that its splash of crimson was a conspicuous beacon in the night.

After chasing for what felt like an eternity, Lu Bai was growing exhausted, panting and barely able to keep going.

Suddenly, he broke through the forest, and the view before him opened up!

In the distance, sitting in a clearing, was a brightly lit manor.

Its towering vermilion gates were flanked by two enormous, festive red lanterns, their soft glow pushing back the surrounding darkness.

From within the manor came the faint sounds of music and feasting, a stark and jarring contrast to the deathly silent forest.

The wedding procession had carried the red bridal sedan into this manor and vanished.

Lu Bai caught his breath, steadied himself, and continued his pursuit.

In the blink of an eye, he stood before the manor.

Lu Bai looked up.

He saw a plaque with two words written on it—Renyi Manor.

The manor was real.

Even without his Eye of Illusion, Lu Bai could still see it.

Anxious to save He Liangzhi, Lu Bai didn’t have time for a careful inspection. He kicked open the vermilion gates and charged in, sword at the ready.

The instant he crossed the threshold, the scene around him changed dramatically.

The darkness, the sinister wind, and the eerie gloom from outside vanished without a trace.

Inside, it was a completely different world—joyous and festive, adorned with lanterns and streamers, and teeming with guests.

The crowd was dressed in fine clothes, their faces beaming with genuine smiles as they toasted one another, laughing and chatting merrily.

The air was thick with the aroma of wine, meat, and celebratory firecrackers.

Suonas and gongs played a relentlessly cheerful wedding tune.

Lu Bai focused his Eye of Illusion and scanned the scene.

’Hmm?’

Lu Bai frowned.

Under the gaze of his Eye of Illusion, nothing had changed.

Nor was there any trace of Ghost Qi.

’This means these people are real, not Ghost Souls or malevolent spirits.’

Lu Bai glanced down at the Black Dog and Ah Ming.

The Black Dog showed no reaction.

Ah Ming, however, looked dazed and stood as still as a statue.

But the strange thing was, despite how he had barged in, no one in the manor seemed to see him.

The feeling was utterly bizarre, as if Lu Bai and everything in the manor existed in a different time.

Lu Bai continued deeper into the manor.

"First bow, to Heaven and Earth!"

Just then, a voice rang out from the main hall ahead.

The guests cheered wildly, the atmosphere reaching a fever pitch.

Lu Bai’s heart clenched. A realization dawned on him, and he quickened his pace, rushing toward the main hall.

"Second bow, to the elders!"

Just as Lu Bai burst into the hall, the second call rang out.

Lu Bai’s eyes locked onto the scene. Red candles burned brightly in the hall, and a giant "double happiness" character was pasted on the center wall.

A groom, dressed in a bright red wedding robe with a silk flower pinned to his chest, was being helped up by two smiling Maids, preparing for the final bow to his bride.

That groom was none other than He Liangzhi, the man abducted by the Ghost Bride!

A stiff smile was plastered on He Liangzhi’s face. His body seemed to move against his will, a puppet manipulated by the two Maids.

His eyes, however, were darting about frantically.

Upon seeing Lu Bai, his expression turned to one of utter ecstasy.

’Thank goodness Lu Bai gave me that Copper Coin.’

’Otherwise, I would have lost consciousness long ago, completely at their mercy!’

’At least now, I’m still awake. I can still signal Lu Bai.’

At that moment, the Ghost Bride stood opposite He Liangzhi, adorned in a phoenix crown and wedding veil, her face still concealed.

’If they complete that final bow, the ritual to return her soul to a borrowed body will be complete!’

"Bow to your spouse!"

The third call echoed.

Just as the two Maids were about to force He Liangzhi to his knees for the final bow...

Without a word, Lu Bai strode forward and raised his Cyan Cloud Sword. With a slight tremor, the blade hummed and vibrated, unleashing two concentric halos of blood-red light.

A cold glint of light flashed!

SHLICK!

The longsword plunged into the Ghost Bride’s chest.

The veil slid gently to the floor, revealing a face of otherworldly beauty, as if exquisitely carved from ice and jade.

The young woman’s skin was fairer than snow, her lips a rich vermilion, and her eyes seemed to be wreathed in a gentle mist.

Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, accentuating her long, slender neck. In the candlelight, her body seemed to be enveloped in a hazy, eerie glow. Her glistening eyes were filled with a dazed innocence.

These two conflicting auras—the sinister and the pure—intertwined in her, creating a uniquely bewitching beauty.

The young woman turned her head and offered Lu Bai a faint smile.