Shu Han stood there dumbfounded. Erdan looked at him with an astonished expression and remarked, "Brother Big Head, it's not even time for drinking, and you're already drunk? You don't even know who you're marrying? Hurry up to the ancestral hall; it's time for the wedding ceremony!"

With that, Shu Han was ushered into the hall by Erdan.

Inside the hall, Shu Han focused his gaze and, to his astonishment, saw his parents. Their hair had grayed a bit, but they looked lively, smiling as they served tea to an elderly man in the center. Though the old man appeared frail, he radiated vitality, his eyes twinkling merrily at Shu Han. After exchanging a few words with the old man, Shu Han's parents broke into hearty laughter, touching their white beards as they conversed jovially.

Shu Han murmured, "Master..."

At that moment, a gentle and smiling beauty approached him. She began straightening his clothes and, with a mix of fondness and melancholy, chided, "Silly boy, you're getting married, and yet you still can't dress properly. I genuinely worry for your bride."

Shu Han looked at the radiant Mu Wan'er by his side. His younger sister held a baby, a handful of celebratory sweets in her grasp, grinning cheekily at Shu Han.

"Sister Wan'er, what is this?"

Mu Wan'er patted Shu Han's shoulder and said, "Today is your big day. Smile. Don't let your bride see that frown. Look, here she comes. Get ready for the ceremony!"

As Shu Han turned, a bride, shrouded in a red veil, gracefully approached him, surrounded by familiar faces. His mouth went dry, and he cautiously lifted her veil. Beneath it, the exquisitely made-up face of Shangguan Ruolin appeared. Already renowned for her unparalleled beauty, her wedding makeup rendered her even more breathtaking.

She glanced shyly at Shu Han, her eyes brimming with love, and teasingly whispered, "What are you doing? We haven't even begun the ceremony yet. Why the rush to unveil me?"

Seeing the radiant Shangguan Ruolin, his cheerful master and parents, the contented Mu Wan'er, the exuberant Erdan and Goudan, and even the Zhang Village's Madam Song and his son Gua, all gathered in the Shu Village's ancestral hall, Shu Han couldn't help but shed a tear.

Shangguan Ruolin gently wiped away his tears and softly embraced him, whispering, "Why the tears? On our happy day?"

Cradling Shangguan Ruolin's delicate cheek, Shu Han murmured, "It feels so real. I genuinely don't want to leave..."

Shangguan Ruolin giggled, "Fool, once we've completed the ceremony, you're mine. There's no escaping."

"But I must go."

She looked up, confused. "Where to?"

Holding her face tenderly, Shu Han replied, "I need to save you. Your sister is on her way here to kill us. We don't have much time."

"What nonsense are you spouting? Didn't she die at your hands three years ago?"

Shu Han closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, and suddenly, his eyes snapped open, revealing an aura that could discern the truth from illusion.

"Clear Bright Spiritual Eye!"

Under Shu Han's intense gaze, everything around began to fade. Erdan, Goudan, Mu Wan'er, his master, and his parents disappeared from his sight. Their vanishing tore at Shu Han's heart relentlessly.

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Upon seeing this, Shangguan Ruolin trembled in fear within his embrace, her voice shaky, "Shu Han, are you truly leaving me? Didn't you promise to always protect me?"

Shu Han looked down at her, her beauty amplified by the wedding makeup. Under the influence of the Clear Bright Spiritual Eye, Shangguan Ruolin, too, began to fade away. Sincerely, he uttered, "Forgive me, I promise to marry you in reality."

The illusion of Shangguan Ruolin, just before vanishing completely, showed a hopeful and contented smile, "Alright, I'll wait for you..."

All the illusions vanished under the illumination of the Clear Bright Spiritual Eye, revealing the true scenario.

Shu Han sighed deeply, the Shangguan Ruolin in his arms still cold to touch.

After spending a year together, enduring various challenges, and becoming inseparable, that indescribable feeling lingered. Having just confronted his deepest desires, Shu Han finally understood his feelings for Shangguan Ruolin.

He caressed her hair, whispering into her ear, "I understand now, Linlin. Though our statuses and capabilities greatly differ now, given time, I'll surmount all obstacles and make that vision come true."

Whoosh!

Shangguan Ruolin vanished from his embrace, retreating into a jade pendant. The danger was not over, and he couldn't risk her safety.

Focusing intently, Shu Han's Clear Bright Spiritual Eye scanned the Earth Goddess's Celestial Soil. His Eight-Direction Evil-Breaking Sword resonated in his hand, but the ginseng elder was nowhere in sight. A ghostly, aged voice came from behind, sending shivers down Shu Han's spine.

"Young man, how did you wake up?"

Whirling around, Shu Han saw, atop the cloud boat, that all individuals, except the Daoist Xiao, had turned into mummified husks.

A blood-red ginseng was rooted in the chest of Doaist Xiao, its tendrils rapidly draining his essence. However, Daoist Xiao had a smile on his lips, occasionally even laughing out loud, immersed in a dream, just like Shu Han had been moments ago.

A mouth appeared on the Blood Ginseng, chuckling, "Your pupil technique is interesting. How about you drift back to sleep for me? Your turn will come soon! Since you're so disobedient, let's gift you a nightmare!"

Whoosh!

A burst of bloody light surged forth. Shu Han, not daring to be careless, gathered all his spiritual consciousness as the Clear Bright Spiritual Eye emitted a radiant beam. This beam pierced directly through the bloody light, shining on the elderly ginseng, causing its body to convulse and fall off from the man named Xiao.

"Ahhhh! What kind of pupil technique is that?! It can actually break my illusory realm!"

Shu Han was elated. It seemed that the potion made from the millennium snow lotus truly had miraculous effects. In just one year, it had cultivated his Clear Bright Spiritual Eye to an incredibly high realm. Without hesitation, he directed a sword energy from the Eight-Direction Evil-Breaking Sword. Startled, the ginseng leaped off the cloud boat, swirling within the dense divine light of the Earth Goddess.

Transforming into human form, it panted heavily, "Impossible! My illusory blood light can trap even those at the Core Formation stage. You're merely at the Foundation Establishment stage. What kind of pupil technique is that?"

Seeing the fear in its eyes, Shu Han chuckled, "What I wished for has come true. Old man, I presume you are the legendary Millennium Illusory Dragon Crystal Ginseng! Conveniently, I have a spell that requires your assistance for cultivation."

"Ridiculous! It's always been me harvesting the essence of cultivators. When has a cultivator ever harvested me?"

Without another word, Shu Han shot out another radiant beam from his spiritual eye.

Having experienced the terror of that beam, the elderly ginseng quickly evaded, with Shu Han relentlessly pursuing it using his pupil technique.

However, the ginseng was exceedingly slippery, moving fluidly within the divine light of the Earth Goddess, making it impossible for Shu Han to catch. Therefore, Shu Han released the full might of his Eight-Direction Evil-Breaking Sword's sword wings, sending out a barrage of sword light. This barrage left the ginseng with no place to hide. Yet, when the sword light met the ginseng's protective blood light, they vanished without a trace.

"Hahaha, boy, the only thing that restricts me is your pupil technique. Don't get any strange ideas. I have been rooted in the Earth Goddess Celestial Soil for thousands of years. In terms of cultivation, I'm almost comparable to a ten-thousand-year-old spiritual herb. You can't capture me!"

Shu Han was unwilling to give up. If he could capture this ginseng, his Heaven-Earth Transformation technique would be imminent. However, as the ginseng said, he truly couldn't do anything to it. If he couldn't capture it, he should quickly leave, especially as Shangguan Ruotong was rushing over!

So, Shu Han gave a bow, "If that's the case, then I've disturbed your cultivation, senior. I will return another time to harvest you!"

The ginseng was taken aback, "Look at what this kid is saying! Wait a moment! Since we can't defeat each other, why not stay and make a deal?"

"A deal?"