Listening to the piercing suona music, watching Yuan Shi Tian Zun gently cover the bride’s special veil over her head, the Realm Walkers in attendance felt an inexplicable oddity surge within them. On one hand, they couldn’t decide whether the core of his technique lay in the red veil or in the device tucked inside his waistband playing music. On the other hand, the scene—male attendees, red veils, joyful music—was utterly strange. This speaker! It’s uninvitedly blasting music at every opportunity, completely stealing the spotlight… Zhang Yuanqing, now draped in the red veil, murmured under his breath with growing irritation. “Experience what it feels like to be a bride?” With her impassive amber vertical pupils reflecting that vivid crimson, she offered a strange, sarcastic remark: “You wanted to become my wife? No way—men aren’t my interest at all.” Zhang Yuanqing ignored the comment, steadying his mind and silently sensing the surroundings, waiting for the ghost bride’s appearance. When no response came from her, the Realm Walker’s gaze flickered briefly, then suddenly cracked the floor tiles beneath her feet, charging in unceremoniously—demonstrating a clear sense of urgency to neutralize any risk early, because giving an enemy time meant exposing oneself to danger. “Fizz… fizz…” Suddenly, amid the high-pitched suona, a hum of electrical current emerged, as if the signal had been disrupted. Arrived… Zhang Yuanqing sensed a powerful surge of cold, dense negative energy rising from behind him—a sensation that sent gooseflesh rippling down his spine yet made him hesitate to turn around. This was so familiar—exactly like when the ghost bride appeared at Jinshui Water Park earlier on! The experience was identical. The overwhelming wave of negative energy now enveloped the villa, and every official Realm Walker felt their souls trembling—their inner power being summoned? In Yuan Shi Tian Zun’s line of sight, she saw a thick, dark mist gathering behind the official Night Wandering Deity, bringing with it an eerie chill, strangeness, and fear. And gradually, a spectral figure in a vibrant red bridal gown began to emerge behind him. Crunch… crunch—the sharp sound of Yuan Shi Tian Zun’s feet against the floor—as she braked suddenly, forcing her steps to halt. A profound sense of unease surged within her. A terrifying spirit, an overwhelming one—indeed, a spirit beyond resistance—the pressure exerted by high-level negative entities was now palpable. Following instinct, Yuan Shi Tian Zun turned and fled without hesitation. She was a Wu Gu Master—not an Illusionist—and thus lacked the techniques to counter spiritual beings. Even more so, not against such a powerful entity. As she rushed toward the main entrance, just as her feet lifted, the door vanished—replaced by a dense expanse of dark mist. Within that mist, the ethereal figure in red bridal attire appeared and faded in and out. This… Yuan Shi Tian Zun felt her scalp prickle—she pivoted sharply, heading toward the stairs. But as she approached, thick layers of mist rose from the stairwell, and gradually, a pair of delicate red-laced shoes emerged, stepping down one by one along the staircase. A deep sense of despair surfaced in her eyes. What was she doing? To the officials’ eyes, Yuan Shi Tian Zun seemed possessed—now charging toward the door, now to the window, now to the stairs—only to falter and retreat each time, her face contorted with fear, her amber pupils wide with anxiety. Tang Guoqiang shivered violently; his limbs weakened as he managed to push himself away from Zhang Yuanqing’s side, moving like someone fleeing for their lives. Is this a case of ghost walls? Zhang Yuanqing raised his head slightly, using the narrow field of vision he had, observing Yuan Shi Tian Zun’s frenzied state—immediately concluding that the ghost bride had employed an illusion technique. As he thought about launching an attack to ease her condition, he found himself unable to move. “What’s going on? The note didn’t mention any restriction from the red veil…” Zhang Yuanqing felt both startled and puzzled—then suddenly, something pressed against his back. Like a block of ice—but unusually soft. The powerful surge of negative energy poured into him, merging with the Power of the Moon within his body. The sleeping little comic figure—awoke, curling up shivering, completely unaware of what had happened; now she felt as though she were in great peril. Eventually, Zhang Yuanqing realized he could move again—slowly stepping forward, each step deliberate and measured toward Yuan Shi Tian Zun. Yet the movement was not entirely under his control. The ghost bride was guiding his very body. Guan Ya, Qingteng, Bai Long, Li Dongze… everyone’s gaze shifted from Yuan Shi Tian Zun to Zhang Yuanqing as he advanced slowly. For a moment, there—a subtle impression—many saw a spectral figure in red bridal attire tightly pressed behind Yuan Shi Tian Zun, just behind him. This sight filled them with genuine fear. As Zhang Yuanqing approached, his gaze slipped past the edge of the veil, catching sight of a pair of pale, elegant hands extending from beneath it—reaching out to grasp his own. A sharp surge of cold energy gathered at her fingertips; Zhang Yuanqing watched in silence as his skin turned bluish-black, his arm muscles swelled, and veins wrapped tightly around his arms like dark threads. Sharp black fingernails extended from the tips of his fingers. That pair of elegant hands guided this spectral hand, now firmly pressing against Yuan Shi Tian Zun’s neck— Then… a thick layer of dark mist surged in all directions, each side now dotted with figures in red bridal gowns. Yuan Shi Tian Zun stared around anxiously, trying to escape—but every direction held one ghost figure, and no path was clear. Her heart pounded violently; her adrenaline soared—but instead of courage, only an overwhelming sense of terror remained. Her fierce nature—her boldness, her impatience, her decisiveness—all had vanished, leaving behind only fear and trembling. She knew she was being affected by something… yet the worst part? She understood it was abnormal—yet could not alter it. At that moment, ghost figures from every direction simultaneously extended their hands—each one in a richly embroidered red bridal gown, now revealing hands both pale and strong, veined with deep green veins. Yuan Shi Tian Zun had nowhere to retreat—watching helplessly as the spectral hands pressed firmly against her throat, then a wave of icy energy surged into her body, spreading rapidly, life swiftly fading away. … Zhang Yuanqing watched his spectral hand pressing upon Yuan Shi Tian Zun’s neck, and saw the brightness in his own amber pupils gradually dim—until finally, they extinguished. Within that towering, awkward frame, the spirit of the man began to shatter, then disperse. Ah! Dead… Zhang Yuanqing exhaled deeply—he now knew the battle was over, no more surprises ahead. No—not quite. There remained one creature—a humanoid snake—whose head and torso were still alive. As this thought formed in his mind, the ghost bride guided him to turn, and he stepped toward that great serpent. In the next moment, the snake’s eyes flickered between blurry and fierce; its soft body swayed weakly, unable to hold steady. Even it had been caught within the illusion. Zhang Yuanqing replicated his earlier action—pressing firmly on the serpent’s neck—to claim its life. Yet he noticed something strange—the very movement of his own body did not stop. The ghost bride remained in place, continuing to guide him toward the official Realm Walkers. The officials’ initial joy at seeing a new leader now deepened into alarm. Zhang Yuanqing observed the elegant, pale hands lifting his arm slightly—then hesitating briefly, shifting between White Dragon, Qingteng, and Guan Ya before finally choosing—guiding him step by step toward Guan Ya. “Mister Yuan Shi?” Guan Ya’s face paled, trembling as she stepped backward. Was she about to kill Guan Ya? No—stop… Zhang Yuanqing urgently tried to intervene—but her body remained unresponsive. The ghost bride must have a time limit—but the notes didn’t specify it. Zhang Yuanqing had no idea how long she would last. By the time the time expired, Guan Ya would surely be lifeless. As Guan Ya drew closer, Zhang Yuanqing’s thoughts raced—then suddenly conceived a plan. He transferred control of his movement to the little comic figure within him. Finally, under pressure, the little comic broke down and began sobbing loudly. With that, Zhang Yuanqing regained brief independence in motion—and immediately lifted his left hand, removing the veil covering his head. The powerful wave of negative energy rushed back into the void—returning the ghost bride to her Spirit Realm. At this moment, he stood only five or six steps from Guan Ya. Zhang Yuanqing sank heavily onto the ground, gasping for breath—his sense of exhaustion surged once more. Guan Ya’s white shirt was now drenched with sweat; her hair clung damply to her cheeks, her chest rising and falling steadily. As the dreadful cold energy dissolved, all officials breathed out deeply—relieved and joyful—thinking how truly impressive it was that a newcomer could already achieve such remarkable results at this early stage in their journey. One Wood Demon trembled as she extracted pills from her tactical backpack: “Take these detox capsules—they won’t eliminate toxins, but will ease your symptoms.” “Can you deliver them?” “I—I can’t move…” Qingteng the Captain’s brows knitted tightly: “Who else is still capable of movement? First gather the items upstairs—we’re currently only coughing and experiencing numbness—but we may not survive much longer.” Da Ji Ba staggered to her feet, attempting to climb up—only to collapse after a few steps, losing consciousness due to excessive blood loss. Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing lifted himself with effort: “I’ll go.” White Dragon released a long breath of relief and smiled weakly: “You truly are a reliable young man—no, a real man.” (Though if you’d just arrived ten seconds earlier, I’d have been quite annoyed… Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself.) Behind the scenes, Li Dongze offered: “The location should be on the second or third floor near the main entrance—the area where Yuan Shi Tian Zun had been engaged in combat. He must still be guarding the props.” Zhang Yuanqing nodded—then slowly, unsteadily climbed up the stairs. … All of them watched as he disappeared around the staircase corner. Li Dongze checked his wristwatch and smiled: “Thirty minutes have passed—the barrier has dissolved—we can now call for reinforcements.” Among the officials, only he maintained elegance, wearing a watch. Everyone else used their Smartphones to check time—having switched to flight mode before launching their operations. Then, with great force, the main entrance of the living room was violently kicked open—several fully equipped official Realm Walkers rushed in one after another. Next came Fu Qingyang, dressed in a white suit and wearing a short ponytail; he moved casually beside Ling Jun, who wore relaxed attire. Reinforcements arrived! Li Dongze and others felt both surprised and delighted. Ling Jun’s gaze swept over the fallen creatures—then smiled: “It seems we no longer need to assist—the money gentleman has excellent leadership among his captains.” Fu Qingyang glanced at Guan Ya, still unharmed, then toward the other captains—and relaxed slightly, smoothing out the sternness on his face.