As the mournful suona wailed and the Primordial Heavenly Venerable placed the bridal red veil over his head, an indescribable sense of unease washed over the Spirit Realm Walkers present.
On one hand, they couldn't discern whether the core of his technique lay in the red veil itself or the device playing music from his pouch.
On the other hand, the combination of a young man, a red veil, and wedding music was simply too bizarre.
Damn this broken speaker! Playing music at the wrong time again, stealing all my thunder, Zhang Yuanqing grumbled inwardly, his annoyance growing as he donned the red veil.
"Trying to experience what it's like to be a bride?" Unbridled's amber-colored vertical pupils reflected the vivid crimson, his expression twisted with mockery. "So you want to be my bride? No way. I'm not interested in men."
Zhang Yuanqing ignored him, focusing his mind and silently sensing his surroundings, waiting for the Ghost Bride to appear.
Seeing his taunts ignored, Unbridled's eyes flickered. He suddenly shattered the floor tiles beneath him and launched a dishonorable sneak attack.
He didn't know what tricks this kid had up his sleeve, but any risk had to be eliminated preemptively. Giving an enemy time was giving them an advantage.
Buzz... Suddenly, an electrical interference crackled through the piercing suona music, as if the signal was being disrupted.
He's here, Zhang Yuanqing sensed. A vast, overwhelming surge of yin energy erupted from the Void behind him, raising the hairs on his neck. Yet he dared not turn around.
The sensation was all too familiar. It was exactly like the moment the Ghost Bride appeared at Jinshui Amusement Park—the experience was identical.
The oppressive yin energy enveloped the villa, sending shivers down the souls of the Official Walkers present. What has he summoned?
Through Unbridled's vision, he saw a dense, pitch-black mist surging toward the Nightwalker from behind, bringing with it an icy chill, an eerie dread, and a palpable sense of terror. In the gloom, the shadowy figure of a ghost in a vivid crimson wedding dress materialized behind the Nightwalker.
Screech! Unbridled's feet skidded sharply against the floor as he slammed to a halt, forcing himself to stop.
An indescribable terror exploded in his heart.
A terrifying Vengeful Spirit. A powerful Vengeful Spirit. An unstoppable Vengeful Spirit. He sensed the overwhelming pressure of a high-level yin creature. Instinct took over, and Unbridled whirled around and fled without hesitation.
He was a Witchcraft Master, not an Illusion Master, lacking the means to confront spectral entities—especially one of this caliber.
Unbridled charged toward the main gate, but as soon as he took a step, he froze. The gate had vanished, replaced by a thick, oppressive black mist.
Within the mist, a ghostly figure in a red bridal gown flickered in and out of view.
This... Unbridled's scalp tingled with dread. He spun around and bolted toward the staircase.
But a dense, swirling mist surged up the stairs. Within the swirling mist, a pair of delicate feet in embroidered red shoes descended step by step.
Despair flooded Unbridled's eyes.
What... what is he doing? To the Official Walkers watching, Unbridled appeared possessed, lunging at the gate one moment, then the windows, then the staircase.
Each time, he recoiled in terror, his grotesque insectoid face twisted in fear, his amber vertical pupils darting wildly.
Tang Guoqiang shuddered violently. His limbs heavy and unresponsive, he desperately crawled away from Zhang Yuanqing, fleeing as if his life depended on it.
A ghost wall? Zhang Yuanqing tilted his head slightly, using his limited vision to observe Unbridled's frantic movements. He immediately realized the Ghost Bride was using Illusion.
Just as he was considering seizing the opportunity to deliver a finishing blow and bleed Unbridled dry, he suddenly found himself unable to move.
What's going on? The notes didn't say the Red Veil would restrict my movements, Zhang Yuanqing thought, both startled and suspicious. Just then, he felt something press against his back.
It was as cold as ice, yet strangely soft.
A torrent of Yin energy surged into his body, merging with the Lunar Power within him.
The sleeping Little Goofball jolted awake, curling up and trembling. The Infant Spirit had no idea what was happening; it had simply woken up to find itself in immense danger.
Finally, Zhang Yuanqing realized he could move again. He took slow, deliberate steps toward Unbridled.
But none of this was under his control.
The Ghost Bride was manipulating his body.
Guan Ya, Green Vine, White Dragon, Li Dongze, and the others shifted their gazes from Unbridled to the slowly advancing Zhang Yuanqing.
Perhaps it was an illusion, but for a fleeting moment, they saw a chilling ghostly figure in a red wedding dress clinging tightly to Primordial's back.
The sight of that spectral figure filled them with primal fear.
As Zhang Yuanqing reached Unbridled, his gaze, peering through the lower edge of the Red Veil, caught sight of a pair of pale, delicate hands reaching out from his sleeves to grasp his own.
Bone-chilling yin energy converged in his palm. Zhang Yuanqing watched helplessly as his hand turned a ghastly blue-black, the muscles in his arm bulged, and pitch-black veins coiled around it like writhing serpents.
Sharp, jet-black claws extended from his fingertips.
That pale, delicate hand guided the ghostly hand, which clamped down on Unbridled's neck.
A sinister mist enveloped them, and ghostly figures in crimson wedding gowns materialized from all directions. Unbridled frantically scanned his surroundings, desperate to escape, but there was no way out. A ghostly figure blocked every path.
His heart pounded violently, adrenaline surging through his veins, but instead of courage, it brought only overwhelming terror.
His ferocity, rage, ruthlessness, and decisiveness had inexplicably vanished, leaving only fear and trembling.
Unbridled knew he was under some kind of influence, but the despair lay in knowing this was unnatural yet being powerless to change it.
At that moment, the ghostly figures extended their hands in unison. Beneath their resplendent crimson gowns, gnarled, blue-black hands with bulging veins reached out.
Cornered, Unbridled watched helplessly as the ghostly hands closed around his throat. In the next instant, icy yin energy invaded his body, spreading rapidly and extinguishing his life force.
Zhang Yuanqing watched as the light in Unbridled's vertical pupils gradually dimmed beneath his ghostly claws, until it finally extinguished.
Within that towering, grotesque body, the soul rapidly shattered and dissipated.
Huff. Zhang Yuanqing exhaled in relief. At that moment, he finally felt certain the battle was over, with no more surprises to come.
No, wait. Just as the thought flashed through his mind, the Ghost Bride seized control of him, turning him toward the human-headed serpent.
In the next instant, the Great Serpent's fierce eyes flickered between glazed and ferocious, its limp body writhing weakly.
It too had fallen under the Illusion.
Zhang Yuanqing repeated the process, gripping the serpent's neck and extinguishing its life.
But Zhang Yuanqing realized his movements hadn't stopped, nor had the Ghost Bride released him. Instead, she manipulated him to turn toward the Official Walkers.
The Official Walkers, who had just begun to feel a surge of joy, suddenly felt a chill run down their spines.
Zhang Yuanqing noticed the delicate, pale hands gripping his arm twitching slightly, hesitating between White Dragon, Green Vine, and Guan Ya.
After a few seconds, she seemed to make her choice, manipulating Zhang Yuanqing to walk step by step toward Guan Ya.
"Y-Yuan, Primordial?" Veteran Driver's face turned deathly pale as she frantically backed away.
She's going to kill Guan Ya? No, stop! Zhang Yuanqing panicked, but his body remained completely unresponsive.
The Ghost Bride likely had a time limit, but the item description provided no indication of how long she would remain. If he waited for her to disappear, Guan Ya would surely be dead by then.
As Guan Ya drew closer, Zhang Yuanqing's mind raced. Suddenly, he had an idea: he transferred control of his body to the Little Goofball within him.
Inside him, the Little Goofball finally succumbed to the pressure and burst into tears.
This granted Zhang Yuanqing a brief window of control. He immediately raised his left hand and yanked off the item covering his head.
The overwhelming yin energy rapidly retreated into the Void, and the Ghost Bride reluctantly returned to the Spirit Realm.
By then, he was only five or six steps away from Guan Ya.
Zhang Yuanqing collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath as the familiar wave of exhaustion washed over him.
Guan Ya's white shirt was soaked with sweat, her damp hair clinging to her cheeks, her chest heaving.
As the terrifying Yin energy dissipated, the Official Walkers simultaneously exhaled in relief and joy. No wonder he cleared two S-Rank Nightwalker missions consecutively, they thought. Even as a newcomer, he's already extraordinary.
A Wood Spirit, trembling, retrieved an Antidote Pill from his tactical backpack. "Take this quickly," he said. "It won't eliminate the toxin, but it will alleviate the symptoms."
"Can you bring it over?"
"I... I can't move."
Captain Green Vine frowned deeply. "Who can still move? First, retrieve the props from upstairs. We're only coughing and paralyzed now, but we could drop dead any minute."
Big Muscle staggered to his feet, intending to climb the stairs, but collapsed after a few steps, unconscious from blood loss.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing braced his exhausted body and volunteered, "I'll go."
White Dragon sighed in relief, managing a weak smile. "You're truly a reliable boy—no, man."
If you'd said that just ten seconds earlier, the Ghost Bride wouldn't have tolerated you, Zhang Yuanqing muttered inwardly.
Operations Commander Li Dongze prompted from behind the scenes:
"He should be on the second floor, near the main entrance, in the second or third room. Unbridled has been fighting there the whole time; he's probably guarding the artifact."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded and staggered up the stairs.
The group watched him disappear around the corner. Li Dongze glanced at his wristwatch, his face lighting up. "Thirty minutes are up. The Barrier has dissipated. We can call for backup now."
Among the Official Walkers present, only Li Dongze maintained an air of elegance and wore a watch. The others relied on their phones for time, which had been set to Flight Mode before the operation began.
Just then, the living room door was kicked open, and a dozen fully armed Official Walkers streamed in.
Behind them came Fu Qingyang, dressed in a white suit with a short ponytail, accompanied by the casually dressed Ling Jun.
Backup has arrived? Li Dongze and the others were both surprised and relieved.
Ling Jun's gaze swept over the fallen Gu Beasts. "Looks like we're not needed after all," he said with a smile. "Money Young Master, your captains are quite capable."
Fu Qingyang glanced at the uninjured Guan Ya, then at the other captains, his stern expression softening slightly.