Chapter 356: The Grand Ceremony Concludes, Marriage Looms Once More
“Is it… over?”
The demons and ghosts sitting cross-legged below the platform exchanged uncertain glances.
But their expressions quickly turned serious, realizing that it wasn’t that simple.
—Thump!
A figure, wreathed in green smoke, suddenly fell, crashing to the ground and sending dust and debris flying.
Huangfu Zhong’s body seemed to be regenerating, using some secret technique, several weapon-like artifacts beside him shattered and covered in dust, as if he had exhausted all his methods to barely cling to life.
“Cough!”
He coughed violently, half-kneeling on the ground, his hair disheveled, no longer the handsome and elegant figure from before.
Clutching his aching chest, his face contorted in disbelief, his hands trembling slightly: “How is this possible, even our Eastern Emperor’s Sect’s secret techniques…”
This move should have been enough to severely injure even a peak Savage Realm great demon!
Not to mention the many Yin treasures he carried with him, which shouldn’t have been damaged even by repeated attacks from Savage Realm demons and ghosts.
But now—
“As expected of a Savage Realm great demon, you’re quite resilient.”
Lin Tianlu reached out and said indifferently: “Do you have any other tricks? Or… were those just empty boasts?”
Huangfu Zhong struggled to his feet, his face twitching at Lin Tianlu’s words, his eyes filled with a sinister and ruthless glint.
“It seems we must settle this here and now.”
“You can’t escape.”
Lin Tianlu’s gaze narrowed: “Letting a vicious demon like you escape would be a disaster.”
“Heh… Ha, hahahaha!”
But Huangfu Zhong suddenly burst into laughter: “Interesting, truly interesting!”
Then, he glared at Lin Tianlu with a determined and sinister look and said slowly and deliberately: “Since you want to fight, then let’s fight to the death!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he condensed a spear of Yin energy, its tip flashing as he charged towards Lin Tianlu. A strange mark appeared on his forehead, and as he roared, a demonic shadow enveloped him, attacking with overwhelming force!
Lin Tianlu calmly assumed a fighting stance, his energy focused, unfazed by the massive, pitch-black demonic shadow, his breathing steady and even.
“You… are going to die!!”
Huangfu Zhong grinned ferociously, his mouth splitting open like a bottomless abyss, three strange lights suddenly flashing from his forehead, mouth, and chest, a terrifying and overwhelming aura erupting.
“—Three Primordial Souls, Annihilation and Return to One!”
A brilliant light exploded, a destructive power surging before him, and as he thrust his spear forward, the roaring and surging demonic might, concentrated into a single point, shot towards Lin Tianlu!
“Hu!”
Lin Tianlu exhaled softly and struck out with his palm, his expression cold and resolute.
“It ends here.”
Crack!
The soul-destroying spear was caught by his bare hand. With a squeeze of his fingers, it shattered into pieces.
And the terrifying demonic might, no matter how fiercely it surged, was instantly crushed by the power of his palm. The countless chilling and sinister souls surrounding Huangfu Zhong vanished, revealing his figure amidst the torrent of energy.
His body was also shattered by the impact, his arms broken, as he was sent flying backward pathetically.
But at this moment, he laughed madly, a glint in his eyes: “You… will die!”
“Hmm?”
A sword, seemingly formed from condensed air, materialized in the void, its body crystal-clear like jade, an exquisite work of art.
“Thirty-Six Fate Star Cursed Tools, refined into a sacred artifact by me, you will surely die!”
A flash of sword light, and the sword struck Lin Tianlu’s forehead.
Huangfu Zhong, barely managing to reconstruct his body with Yin energy, landed back on the ground, grinning as he looked up at the platform.
But his triumphant and crazed smile instantly froze.
“—This… is your trump card?”
A calm and indifferent voice echoed again.
Lin Tianlu casually moved the jade sword away from his forehead. With a slight exertion of force, cracks appeared on the blade, almost shattering it.
“Pfft!!”
Huangfu Zhong clutched his chest, his eyes wide with pain, a pained roar escaping his lips, his face turning pale.
How… how was this possible!
A Fate Star Cursed Tool, passed down from the Emperor’s Sect, how could it be so easily crushed?!
This attack should have been enough to kill even a peak Savage Realm demon or ghost, even injuring a Nightmare Realm being. But this scholar… had effortlessly blocked it?!
He wasn’t at the Nightmare Realm…
This person, this person was even stronger than that!
“Are you… trying to escape?”
A calm voice echoed like thunder beside his ear.
Huangfu Zhong’s face was blank for a moment.
Then, an indescribable rage and humiliation surged through him, and he roared, spreading his arms, two black, flame-patterned spears materializing.
“I will fight to the death!”
Lin Tianlu nodded slightly, assuming a fighting stance again: “At least you have some courage.”
Huangfu Zhong, his face ferocious, leaped into the air with his spears, thrusting forward with a roar.
But at this moment, his figure froze in mid-air, and a faint red light flickered on the tip of his outstretched spear.
Lin Tianlu felt a warmth spreading through his body. His thoughts stirring, he casually waved his hand.
Then, streaks of red light intertwined and swirled in mid-air, forming a beautiful and seductive figure. She landed gracefully, her gold-embroidered boots lightly tapping the spear tip.
“Ugh?!” Huangfu Zhong’s expression changed drastically. He felt a terrifying pressure instantly enveloping his soul, and he fell from the sky, landing on one knee on the platform with a thud.
And the spear in his hand was completely pinned under her delicate boots, unable to move!
“Who are—”
He looked up, about to roar, but his eyes widened in shock as he saw her face clearly.
She was dressed in a magnificent feathered robe like a celestial garment, adorned with swirling gold and red phoenix patterns, as if reborn from fire, majestic and sacred. Gold hairpins and jade ornaments adorned her hair, a red mist-like veil draped over her arms, her hands clasped before her, her demeanor dignified and elegant, like a celestial being, or a queen or empress.
Her red hair flowed freely, her beautiful and otherworldly face bare, her phoenix eyes cold and condescending, a natural and noble aura radiating from her, making Huangfu Zhong’s face turn pale as he instinctively lowered his head and knelt down, his pupils constricting and trembling.
An elegant and clear female voice echoed: “For a descendant of the Eastern Domain to have fallen to such a state, truly pathetic.”
But Huangfu Zhong’s heart was filled with shock and terror.
This woman… she knew the origins of his Eastern Emperor’s Sect?!
“Harming the innocent and slaughtering indiscriminately, leave your life here.”
“Who… who in this world can kill me?!”
Huangfu Zhong suppressed his fear and roared, standing up abruptly. He dispersed the spear pinned under her feet and materialized countless shadowy spears, his eyes wide with fury as he was about to counterattack.
Whoosh!
A ball of fire suddenly ignited in the woman’s palm, seemingly sculpted into a red lotus, shimmering with a brilliant and translucent luster.
“Obsessed and delusional, driven by madness, you’ve lost the calmness and composure of a descendant of the Eastern Domain the moment you attacked.”
The countless spears floating around them instantly burned and dissipated, leaving only the stunned Huangfu Zhong standing there, frozen in place.
“Now——”
The red-haired woman slowly extended her hand, the flames flickering within the heart of the red lotus in her palm, her lips parting slightly: “Your life… ends here.”
“…Ha, hahaha…”
This move was unavoidable.
Huangfu Zhong brushed back his disheveled hair and chuckled miserably: “I didn’t expect that after centuries of cultivation, decades of dominating this realm, I would meet such an end, such a ridiculous and laughable death, truly a joke.”
The red-haired woman’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and with a flick of her finger, the fire lotus flew towards him.
But at this moment, Huangfu Zhong suddenly grinned ferociously: “Even if I die, you won’t escape from this place!!”
As soon as he finished speaking, his body exploded into countless fragments.
Not incinerated by flames, but self-destruction!
And countless ghostly shadows instantly spread, the torrent of Yin energy within him erupting uncontrollably.
“He actually self-destructed?!”
The red-haired woman’s face showed a look of surprise, her expression darkening slightly.
She was about to unleash her flames when her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly glanced at the thousands of mortals shrouded in the formation, her movements stopping abruptly.
To completely annihilate such a large amount of uncontrolled Yin energy, her flames would inevitably harm these innocent people. But if she didn’t control it, the force of the explosion would be enough to turn the entire Qingcheng into a living hell, a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood!
“Let me handle this.”
Lin Tianlu quietly walked forward, smiling faintly as he placed his hand on her shoulder, an endless stream of spiritual energy surging into her body.
The red-haired beauty felt a warmth spreading through her, an unparalleled power filling her, as if she were enveloped in a warm embrace.
Her face slightly flushed, she waved her sleeve, and specks of light scattered like mist, instantly annihilating the spreading Yin energy, without a trace.
Lin Tianlu whispered: “Miss Chi, why did you suddenly appear?”
“That practitioner was a descendant of an ancient clan. I had to see for myself.”
Chi Lingyuan slowly lowered her hand and sighed softly: “I didn’t expect their lineage to continue to this day.”
At the same time, the demons and ghosts who had been stunned by the impact also felt a warmth spreading through their bodies, the oppressive and unpleasant sensation dissipating, and they stood up again.
“Good job, boy, thank you for your help!”
“There’s no need to be so polite, seniors.”
Lin Tianlu smiled and cupped his hands: “The safety of the people here is also thanks to your efforts, elders, maintaining the protective formation, preventing any casualties in this conflict.”
Looking around, the people were still frozen in place, their expressions dazed.
But there was no doubt that the shockwave from the battle had been completely blocked by their techniques. Not only were they unharmed, but not a single person had even stumbled or fallen, it was clear that this conflict had been “planned” from the very beginning.
The old masters and experts looked at the red-haired woman beside Lin Tianlu with surprise and uncertainty.
“But who is this young lady…?”
“My name is Chi Lingyuan, of the Chihuang Clan.”
Chi Lingyuan smiled faintly, her hands clasped before her, and bowed slightly: “Thank you for your help.”
The demons and ghosts were all surprised.
They had never heard of the Chihuang Clan, there were truly phoenixes in this world?!
“Grandson-in-law, I didn’t expect you to have such a…”
Hua Yanxing, his clothes slightly disheveled, walked over from behind, looking at Chi Lingyuan with astonishment and surprise.
This woman’s aura was truly extraordinary.
Regardless of her cultivation level, just her appearance and demeanor alone were on par with the current Empress… no, her dignified and noble aura was even more impressive!
“Yanxing!”
An old man below the platform suddenly said in a deep voice: “Our formation is about to collapse, we have one last move to make.”
Hua Yanxing quickly came back to his senses: “Grandson-in-law, be prepared.”
Lin Tianlu, who had already anticipated this, nodded slightly and looked at the beautiful phoenix woman beside him: “Miss Chi, you’re…”
“Since you’re about to get engaged, sir, I naturally have to offer my blessings.” Chi Lingyuan smiled faintly, gathering her hair: “And I originally wanted to help. But you ended up taking care of everything, how embarrassing. I have to make up for it now.”
Saying this, she formed a hand seal, her graceful figure instantly transforming into a streak of red light, soaring into the sky.
…
The massive barrier that had almost enveloped the entire Qingcheng was lifted almost simultaneously, and the people, who had been immobilized, came back to their senses, looking around in a daze: “W-What happened?! It seemed like a strange person suddenly appeared…”
“Look at the platform!!”
They all cried out in alarm, pointing. The strange man from before was leaping into the air with a spear in his hand, thrusting forward with incredible speed and power, like a meteor, aiming straight for Hua Yanxing on the platform.
The guards’ eyes widened as they rushed forward, the officials and scholars reaching out in shock, but the spear was too fast, seemingly about to kill the unsuspecting old Prince!
Until—
Lin Tianlu appeared before him, kicking the spear away with one foot and sending the handsome man flying backward with a palm strike.
In an instant, the hundred or so demons, ghosts, and old masters below the platform rushed forward from all directions, wielding their weapons, and pinned the attacker to the ground.
“Th-The Prince is alright…”
Many officials in the pavilion collapsed onto their seats, their faces covered in sweat, clutching their chests and gasping for breath.
The members of the Hua family were terrified, some even almost fainting.
And the thousands of people below the platform finally calmed down, staring at the figure standing on the platform, murmuring in amazement: “This Master Lin… is truly incredible!”
“He saved the old General’s life?”
“That assassin’s aura was terrifying, far surpassing ordinary Azure Spirit Realm martial artists. Even those experts below the platform barely reacted in time, could he be a Five Meridian Grandmaster?!”
“Such impressive skills, and so young, who in the martial world can compare to him?!”
Exclamations and discussions grew louder, the tension from the sudden incident dissipating.
After the “assassin” was captured, Hua Yanxing smiled gently, his hands behind his back, and said in a loud voice: “As you all have seen, my grandson-in-law possesses extraordinary martial arts skills, and he even saved my life just now. Is there anyone who still objects to this hero?!”
Silence fell upon the crowd below, no one daring to speak.
Hua Yanxing nodded with satisfaction, picked up the marriage contract and the sword, and handed them to Lin Tianlu with a kind smile, whispering: “Good job, boy, you’ve helped our Hua family and Qingcheng overcome this crisis, it seems Shuya didn’t misjudge you.”
“You flatter me, Your Highness.”
Lin Tianlu cupped his hands and chuckled awkwardly: “This… staged performance was a bit embarrassing.”
That assassin had just been an illusion, imitating Huangfu Zhong’s appearance and movements.
“You did save my life, I won’t forget that.”
Hua Yanxing raised an eyebrow and grinned.
Then, focusing his energy, he spoke in a loud and booming voice that could be heard for hundreds of zhang: “Today is an auspicious day, our Hua family and the Lin family are now united by marriage! My granddaughter, Hua Shuya, is betrothed to this talented young man! The wedding will be held soon!”
After a moment of silence, cheers and applause erupted from the crowd below.
“—Eh?!”
But someone suddenly cried out, pointing towards the sky: “L-Look at the sky!”
“What’s happening… How… how could there be such a phenomenon?!”
People looked up, their faces filled with shock and awe.
A phantom-like image of a phoenix soared through the sky, its wings spread wide, its clear cry echoing, as if scattering light and sunlight upon the world. A scene straight out of myths and legends, making everyone in Qingcheng bow down in worship.
Looking at the light scattering upon Qingcheng, seemingly within reach, yet also dreamlike and illusory.
Until a murmur suddenly arose from the crowd:
“An auspicious omen, a sacred beast has appeared, this is a blessing from heaven, protecting our Qingcheng!”
“Yes, yes! A gift from heaven… This Qingyang Grand Ceremony is truly blessed!”
“This marriage is surely blessed by the gods, a great fortune for our Qingcheng!”
The initial whispers quickly spread like ripples in water, echoing and amplifying, until they merged into a single voice.
A moment later, cheers and praises erupted like a tidal wave, as if the entire Qingcheng was trembling.
“…”
Lin Tianlu took the marriage contract and the sword from the old Prince and looked towards the pavilion, seeing Hua Shuya standing by the railing, silently wiping away tears.
Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other.
The countless cheers and praises seemed distant and silent, only the sweet and warm affection between them remained.
…
The Qingyang Grand Ceremony continued smoothly.
Although this ceremony had been a desperate measure to defend against the demons and ghosts, now that the villains had been eliminated, it could proceed safely without any further worries.
And the lively and festive atmosphere enveloped Qingcheng for the entire day, the streets and alleys filled with talk of the incredible events that had transpired.
Some speculated about Lin Tianlu’s background, others imagined the love story between him and Hua Shuya, and some wondered if he, now connected to the Zhengyang Prince’s Mansion, would rise to prominence and wealth. Whether the name Lin Tianlu would one day resound throughout the land, just like Prince Zhengyang, shocking the court and the world.
This night was destined to be an unforgettable one for Qingcheng.
…
The next morning, as dawn broke.
Lin Tianlu got dressed, opened the door, and stepped into the corridor, taking a deep breath, a contented look on his face.
The Qingyang Grand Ceremony had ended last night, and the excitement in Qingcheng had subsided. At least this part of the mansion was as quiet and peaceful as ever, no one coming to disturb them.
After all, this was Mother Tan’s residence.
He had heard that many people in the mansion had wanted to come and inquire last night, but Mother Tan had stopped them. It seemed that even now, no one dared to visit Princess Anqing’s residence so early in the morning, making it even more peaceful.
“Did you sleep well last night, Young Master?”
“Hmm?”
Lin Tianlu turned his head slightly and saw Lan’er standing outside the door.
“I slept very well, but you’re up early, Miss.”
“I have to serve Her Highness and the others, so naturally, I have to wake up early.”
Lan’er blinked her eyes and whispered: “Should I go in and attend to the two Madams?”
“Ah… they went to the next room and slept with Shuya last night.” Lin Tianlu chuckled awkwardly: “They have some private matters to discuss amongst themselves.”
“I understand.”
Lan’er raised her right hand slightly, gesturing towards the pavilion in the courtyard: “Her Highness is waiting for you in the pavilion, Young Master, please go and see her. She might have some instructions for you.”
“Alright.”
Lin Tianlu straightened his clothes and walked briskly towards the pavilion.
But glancing over from afar, he couldn’t help but look slightly surprised.
Two figures were sitting in the pavilion: Mother Tan and Chi Lingyuan.
Although Mother Tan had taken off her gorgeous attire, the simple and elegant dress still outlined her graceful figure. She sat with her legs crossed, her elegant and dignified demeanor incredibly charming.
“You’re up so early, Tianlu?”
She put down her teacup and asked curiously: “You didn’t sleep with Ruoyu and the others last night?”
Lin Tianlu was about to speak, then he chuckled awkwardly: “I just got engaged to Shuya yesterday, and now, in Mother Tan’s courtyard, with Ruoyu and Yishi…”
Mother Tan couldn’t help but cover her mouth with a chuckle: “I’m not that old-fashioned. You three are newlyweds, it would be too harsh to make you sleep separately.”
“It’s still… not quite proper.”
Lin Tianlu coughed lightly, changing the subject, and looked at the red-haired beauty sitting opposite Mother Tan.
Chi Lingyuan had also taken off her magnificent feathered robe and was wearing a simple and elegant high-waisted skirt, but her voluptuous figure and ample bosom were still incredibly alluring, a wild and untamed beauty.
She leaned lazily against the table, her chin resting on her hand, a soft and seductive smile on her face, her eyes like a spring morning, a playful glint within.
“How did you and Miss Chi…”
“We just happened to meet in the courtyard.”
Mother Tan smiled faintly, gathering her hair: “I saw this young lady emerge from your body yesterday, Tianlu, and I figured you two must have a special connection, so we sat down and chatted for a while.”
She sighed with emotion:
“Seeing her transform into a phoenix with my own eyes was truly shocking. But after chatting with her for a while, I realized how knowledgeable and straightforward she is.”
Chi Lingyuan blinked her beautiful eyes and said softly: “You flatter me, Mother Tan, I just talked a bit more because I’m older. You’re the one who’s truly thoughtful and knows how to take care of Tianlu.”
“Uh—”
Lin Tianlu chuckled: “Why are you talking about me?”
“Naturally, we have to talk about you now.”
Mother Tan looked back at him meaningfully: “Since your engagement with Shuya has been announced, there’s no need to hide it anymore. Miss Chi and I just discussed your wedding date.”
“Oh? Have you chosen an auspicious date?”
“Of course.” The smile on Chi Lingyuan’s lips seemed a bit strange.
And Mother Tan quickly smiled gently:
“Tomorrow. You two will get married tomorrow.”
“…Huh?”
Lin Tianlu was stunned.
