Chapter 1076: Wedding

Upon witnessing this scene, everyone present was wide-eyed in disbelief. Was this a competition or flirting?

Yu Yanluo let out a soft hmph. "That vixen!"

She had always known of this woman's notorious reputation, but she never expected her to be so... uninhibited and wild.

Zu An also stiffened, though it was his eyes that straightened. He thought he was supposed to be the one flirting with young women; how had he ended up being flirted with today?

While he was a womanizer, his tastes weren't *that* extreme.

Both were ghostly figures, but the courtesan Nan Xun from the capital was clearly far more beautiful. This Paper Bride, however, exuded a terrifying ghastly aura, just like the Chinese horror movies he used to watch in his previous life.

Hmm, could it be because Nan Xun was formerly Prince Qi's concubine...?

Despite his mind wandering, he flashed to the side, dodging. "Miss Paper, I'm a bit introverted and slow to warm up. How about we chat first and get to know each other?"

Seeing that he didn't let her kiss him, Yu Yanluo nodded with satisfaction. However, a sudden inexplicable displeasure arose in her heart at the thought of him flirting with this woman.

Jian Taiding cursed him inwardly for being shameless. "You, introverted? Slow to warm up?"

You've only been at the Duke's mansion for a few days, and even my sisters-in-law's bodies have become your shape. How is that slow?

Rage points from Jian Taiding +236+236+236...

Seeing him dodge, the Paper Bride lightly tapped her finger and giggled, "Naughty~"

As she spoke, her speed dramatically increased, leaving only streaks of red shadows and making the scene eerily ghostly.

Zu An's speed was equally fast. The two fought swiftly, exchanging over a dozen moves in no time.

The opponent's strength was peculiar. To call her a Grandmaster seemed inaccurate, as she lacked the precognitive spiritual insight typical of one. Yet, if she was only ninth-grade, her speed and power far surpassed that level.

"Oh, you heartless man! All I wanted was a kiss, why are you so cruel?" In the middle of their fight, their palms met, and the Paper Bride quickly leaped backward, widening the distance between them, speaking with a touch of resentment.

Yu Yanluo, listening nearby, felt goosebumps rise on her skin. With a slight frown, she decided to help Zu An.

But the Night Elf, who leaped through shadows, was truly annoying.

After fighting for so long, she finally had an idea. With a few casual strokes of her brush, a delicate lantern swiftly materialized in the sky.

"You've tried that several times; it's useless," the Night Elf sneered. During their previous exchanges, she had indeed drawn lanterns to counter him.

But no matter how bright a light, shadows will always exist. Otherwise, how could there be the saying, "darkness under the lamp"?

His body flickered, and he merged into the shadows once more.

He reappeared behind and to the side of Yu Yanluo, grinning menacingly as he thrust his sword towards her shapely backside. Although he wasn't interested in women, he saw no harm in a bit of fun.

However, the smile on his face quickly froze. He suddenly found himself unable to move, half of his body trapped in the shadow, the other half unable to emerge.

"What's happening?" he exclaimed, his soul nearly leaping out of him.

At that moment, a fragrant breeze swept past as Yu Yanluo appeared by his side, her slender fingers pressing on one of his vital acupoints.

The Night Elf spat out a mouthful of blood and immediately weakened, clearly suffering a severe injury.

Yu Yanluo didn't just seal his acupoints; she also took the opportunity to incapacitate one of their combatants.

As the head of a major clan, she naturally wouldn't rely on their opponent's adherence to a truce for their safety.

If conflicts resumed later, having one less enemy would always be beneficial.

Kong Qing frowned, clearly thinking her attack was too heavy-handed. However, his subordinate had also fought fiercely, and his last move was rather underhanded, so he couldn't really complain about the lesson learned.

In comparison, he was more concerned with the slowly rotating lantern above. His eyes narrowed. "The Changxin Palace Lamp of the Demonic Sect Leader?"

As he spoke, the lantern gradually vanished, and Yu Yanluo's face was pale. "No, it's just an imitation I drew. It's incomparable to the real Changxin Palace Lamp."

Kong Qing was greatly astonished. "Madam, your ability to make these divine artifacts real by drawing them is truly miraculous. It makes me want to learn painting too!"

Yu Yanluo smiled faintly, then discreetly wiped a trace of blood from the corner of her mouth when no one was looking. Clearly, she couldn't simply draw anything she pleased; manifesting such powerful divine artifacts came with significant backlash.

If she drew a few more, her soul might be completely annihilated.

Of course, she couldn't tell her opponents any of this. With the current uncertain situation, it was better to make them hesitant to act.

Her gaze quickly shifted to Zu An, concerned he might be injured by the Paper Bride, and she remained ready to intervene at any moment.

The Paper Bride's movements were truly bizarre. Coupled with her vibrant red wedding dress, the eerie red blur as she darted around easily dazzled onlookers, causing an unconscious sense of dizziness.

Fortunately, Zu An's movements were also swift, and he always managed to precisely evade her sharp attacks.

Jian Taiding watched anxiously, wishing he could fight in her place. However, he was severely injured and unable to act, so he could only offer advice:

"Get behind her! Get behind her!"

"Give him a slide tackle! Attack his lower body!"

The useless Cang Wolf King couldn't be relied upon; the only hope left was this Paper Bride.

He carefully observed her moves. This woman's cultivation level was strange, certainly not that of an ordinary ninth-grade peak.

It seemed... as if she had fallen from the Grandmaster realm?

However, her current displayed combat power was not inferior to his own at his peak. Moreover, her body was enveloped in a ghostly aura, which could easily corrode enemies after prolonged engagement.

In such a state, an opponent could at most unleash seventy to eighty percent of their cultivation. With her gaining strength and them losing it, they would be even less able to defeat her.

Not to mention her legendary, unfathomable techniques.

Thinking of this, he finally felt a sense of relief. Zu An had finally met his match.

"Paper Bride, drain this guy dry! After we return to Cloudtop City, I'll send you ten... no, a hundred strong men as a token of my gratitude."

Unfortunately, he was severely injured and couldn't transmit his thoughts telepathically. Should he just say it aloud...?

Too many people were watching; he needed to save face.

Just as he was growing exceptionally anxious, the Paper Bride suddenly shrieked, then rapidly distanced herself from Zu An.

She was frantically shaking her hand, as if something searing hot were on it.

Jian Taiding was stunned. What happened?

This wasn't what he expected at all. Instead of Zu An being corroded by her ghostly aura, it looked more like the Paper Bride was being corroded by something from Zu An.

Kong Qing was also perplexed. He knew the Paper Bride's cultivation level very well; it should have been more than enough to deal with Zu An. Otherwise, he wouldn't have confidently made that bet earlier.

But why, in a palm clash that genuinely tested their true cultivation and allowed for no deception, was it the Paper Bride who suffered a disadvantage?

The Paper Bride's screams didn't stop. Her palm was first charred black, then began to smoke, and then flames erupted from her hand.

The flames grew rapidly with the wind, quickly spreading across her entire body, igniting a raging inferno.

The color of the flames was also unusual; it was a ghastly green.

In what felt like the blink of an eye, the Paper Bride was reduced to a pile of ashes.

Jian Taiding was dumbfounded. One moment he was confident the Paper Bride had the upper hand, and the next she was burned to ashes?

At this point, he couldn't help but question his years of cultivation. How could he have been wrong so many times in a row? Was his title as Grandmaster merely picked up off the street?

Yu Yanluo also turned her face away slightly, unable to bear the sight. Although the Paper Bride was alluring, dying such a miserable death felt a bit excessive.

Only Kong Qing remained calm. Zu An also looked in another direction, where a small ice platform stood.

At that moment, a spine-chilling giggle echoed from that direction. "My dear young master, how could you be so cruel? I showed you mercy at every turn, yet you were so ruthless towards me."

After speaking, a woman in a red wedding dress appeared on the ice platform, sitting there, her embroidered shoes gently swaying in the air.

Zu An smiled. "Didn't you want to test our respective strengths just now? Naturally, I had to gauge your depths as well. How could I do that without going all out?"

He had just used the Primordial Genesis Scripture. After reaching its second level, his True Qi had a restraining effect on all ghostly and evil entities.

In various secret realms he had encountered many evil beings before, so he was already experienced.

Feeling that the Paper Wedding Dress was entirely imbued with a ghostly aura, he tried infusing it with Primordial Qi. Sure enough, upon contact, her body melted away as quickly as lingering snow beneath the blazing sun.

However, it now seemed that what he had just fought was merely a paper puppet.

The Paper Wedding Dress immediately broke into a wide smile. "Oh, young master, your words are as sweet as honey. I like it."

Yu Yanluo, standing nearby, frowned. Why did their conversation sound so strange?

"Oh, I can't resist! Sister simply *must* kiss your sweet lips today." The Paper Bride waved her wedding dress, and the surroundings instantly transformed.

The previously cold, snowy ice cave vanished, replaced by tall red lanterns hanging everywhere and red celebratory cloths draped all around!