After catching up with his younger brother, Rui made his way into the main hall.
The clan had already decorated everything according to tradition. Every step inside the hall was filled with cherry blossom petals, while countless runic talismans were placed all around, signifying the strength and wealth of the clan.
Every clan member wore robes that were decorated with different patterns, with the elders wearing robes engraved with countless runes.
Rui greeted all of his clan members as he passed by and made his way to the center of the hall, where an altar was laid.
The altar was on a higher elevation than the rest of the floor, with a runic array engraved on top of it. Two luxury pillows rested on top of a handmade table right in front of it.
This was the place Rui and Jane would sit throughout the entire ceremony, at the center of everyone.
Rui silently climbed the altar and sat cross-legged on his designated pillow. As soon as he sat down, a cooling energy rushed through his body, clearing his mind of all unimportant thoughts and emotions.
All of this was thanks to the array engraved on the altar, giving a similar effect to his [Clarity] skill.
Seeing his clan members preparing everything for the wedding, Rui couldn’t help but smile, warmth spreading through his body.
Since it would take a while before the ceremony would begin, he closed his eyes and began meditating.
----------------------------------------
While Rui waited for the ceremony to begin, underground, the five ancestors were going through an ordeal.
The five of them stood on guard, their auras churning to unbelievable heights, their bodies in a synchronized formation that would output an attack similar to that of an eighth-rank rune master.
In front of them were a young man and a woman.
The young man wore robes that could only be called luxurious. The figures of countless dragons could be seen moving through them, while intimidating runic energy came out of them.
As for the young woman, she was in plain white robes, with the only luxurious adornment on her body being the ornaments on her hair.
“Tch, such a waste... to think these talents had to rot away in a remote place like this!”
Said the young man while clicking his tongue, annoyance evident in his voice.
The five elders stood on guard, but a feeling of familiarity made them not attack. They found the situation unbelievable. The first ancestor, Guang Chen, was the most confused, since the young man seemed to possess the same rune as them.
Although at the start they were prepared to attack, as soon as they noticed the rune on the young man’s forehead, they hesitated.
“Who are you, and how dare you intrude into our sacred grounds?!”
Asked Guang Chen, a hint of doubt appearing on his face. He was the grandson of Guang Ren, so he knew more things than the others, like the appearance of his ancestor’s father.
However, he was having doubts, since it had already been more than a thousand years. How could someone maintain their youth to such an extent, even as an eighth-rank rune master?
The youth he was referring to wasn’t the exterior appearance, but rather the vitality and energy. The young man’s true vitality energy was on the same level as a newborn. This was impossible unless one had transcended mortal limits.
Guang Chen also followed this train of thought and came to a realization.
“Lower your weapons and remove your killing intent!”
He shouted, his figure lowering slightly in fear.
If his thoughts were correct, the young man in front of them was the father of their ancestor, which meant he was his great-grandfather.
The other ancestors were confused by his action at first, but not even a second later, they followed suit.
The young man couldn’t help but smile at their sudden change in attitude.
“Truly admirable. I must say my son taught his branch quite well."
He said as his aura rose exponentially, making all five ancestors kneel under the pressure.
“Although you brats understood that I’m not someone you can handle, you still didn’t put the proper respect behind your actions!”
He shouted, a hint of wrath appearing on his face, while his red eyes shone in the color of blood. His runic energy began running rampant, as if ready to devour all of them at any second.
However, without any warning, the energy disappeared, like it was never there.
“HAHAHAHAHA, I’m just joking!”
He said while laughing hysterically, breaking his previous intimidating image like it was nothing.
The young woman next to him couldn’t help but sigh in disbelief.
“Darling, can you please act seriously for once?”
She grumbled, pinching his cheek while he screamed for her to let go.
The five ancestors stood there in stupor, not knowing how to handle the situation.
----------------------------------------
Time slowly ticked by as the invited guests arrived one by one.
As the clan was in quite a high position, especially as the right hand of the empire’s royal family, many high-ranking individuals had arrived.
Of course, those who came were the ones who had a connection with them, not some random clans of the empire or corrupt officials.
The guests were simply invited in and guided towards their designated spot, not causing any commotion by announcing their presence.
It was a solemn atmosphere that was full of respect and seriousness.
However, that was not always the case, since some of the individuals entering the hall required more attention than others.
Just like a gust of wind, a figure appeared at the entrance of the hall, clad in long white robes.
The figure belonged to a man with long white hair and beard. Despite his long facial hair, his appearance was youthful, creating a strange contrast. The Ansuz rune shone brightly on his forehead, while his eyes were different from normal, containing two pupils in each eye instead of one.
As soon as he appeared at the entrance, two elders appeared before him and silently escorted him to his area, while the other guests couldn’t help but glance in his direction.
The man was escorted towards the area where most of the clan elders were located. As soon as he approached, Rui’s grandfather, Guang Tian, came over to greet him with respect.
“We apologize for the absence of the grand elder, Sage. Some important matters have transpired, and she’s needed elsewhere.”
He said this, bowing slightly in respect.
“That’s fine. I came here to take some time off anyway, so you don’t have to pressure yourself with anything. I’m surprised by the fact that the Empress didn’t come though.”
Responded the man, a small chuckle escaping his mouth. The man was none other than the Sage, Peng Liliang.
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After his interaction with Guang Tian, he exchanged some words with the elders present, taking his seat close to Guang Zhe’s designated seat.
From this, one could tell that the relationship between the sage and the Guang family was unique.
The sage was older than the current Illusive empire, which meant that he was older than even the Illusive emperor. He had gone through a lot, but his cultivation rank had long stagnated to the seventh rank. He was currently over 4000 years old and was reaching the limits of his lifespan.
If he couldn’t achieve a breakthrough in the next hundred years, his death was guaranteed.
Peng Liliang knew this well, but he couldn’t go against nature, especially without any fortuitous encounter.
Sage Liliang sat leisurely on his seat, his face resting on his hand, while he observed the interior of the hall. He had already seen through everything inside the hall when he first entered, so this glance was done with purely curiosity.
He hadn’t really interacted with the new Ansuz rune master, despite wanting to for the longest time.
He didn’t need to exert his force, as his spiritual sense could naturally look at Rui’s figure from thousands of miles away.
‘Quite a handsome lad with a great temperament. I see he has already entered the rune core stage and stabilized. His core also seems a bit different, although I don’t know in what way. His whole vibe reminds me of my old friend...'
The Sage thought to himself, a regretful expression appearing on his face while his eyes burned in rage.
‘That fucking demon.”
He ground his teeth in anger but soon calmed his agitated heart down.
‘Zhang Yun, please stay strong a bit longer. I’ll make sure to find a way to remove that wretched thing.’
He thought with determination.
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The village near the Guang clan was in an uproar as countless carriages came rushing over to ‘that’ estate.
They were afraid of the clan, cursing them and making scary stories about them to scare children.
On one of the carriages, a middle-aged man smoking from a weirdly-shaped ornate pipe glanced at the panicked villagers with scorn.
Releasing the smoke from his mouth, he glanced towards the back of his carriage and couldn’t help but complain.
“Can’t these idiots see that there is an event going on at that manor? I mean, look at the lanterns and decor they put on the streets and outside their gate!”
He let out a few curses, grumbling to himself, causing the passengers he had brought to laugh.
Strangely, the passengers were three young ladies who were dressed in luxurious garments. Thankfully, the middle-aged man didn’t even spare them a glance, not caring in the least about their appearance, which made them feel more comfortable.
Soon, the carriage stopped right outside the estate, where the three young ladies descended, waving goodbye to the carriage driver, and made their way inside the estate.
The three ladies were Ning Yinin, Xiao Mofa and Huo Liang’s older sister, Huo Mei.
“From what I learned from these lasses, it seems that lad is getting married. Ah… so young and free. If only my useless son had married… He is already 35! I should scold him again when I get back. I bet he is drinking again.”
Complained the middle aged man, commanding his horses to move the carriage, his carriage itself not leaving any tracks behind, while the horses drawing it seemed to be transparent, as if they were just spirits.
Back at the capital city, Yu Lao, the bear like man that had helped Rui awaken his rune, began sneezing, with shivers down his spine.
“That damned old man! I bet he is cursing me again! I just broke through to the third rank, you geezer!”
----------------------------------------
While the guests were getting themselves settled, Rui’s cultivation slowly stopped, his mind becoming full of thoughts.
For some reason, he felt like he was having an out-of-body experience, and his life was flashing before his eyes.
Memories that he had forced himself to forget from his childhood, his life before reincarnation, and his life after reincarnation up to his current state. Everything seemed to be creating an image—an image he was piecing together like a puzzle.
He was happy with his current life; however, he realized one major flaw.
[You have entered a bizarre state]
[Your ‘mentality’ has been partially released]
[You have realized a fragment of ‘causation’]
Rui didn’t see the system prompts, as his mind was in a haze.
He had never done things the way he wanted. In fact, he had always gone with the flow. From a young age to even now. As a child, he peddled and stole to get by, but he wasn’t someone with a bad heart.
After he was free from poverty, he became ordinary and stopped aspiring for a better tomorrow. His cold-hearted exterior was only a facade he had deluded himself into believing.
Although he had some skills in management and business, he didn’t utilize them to their fullest once he transmigrated over. Up until he awakened, he was just an ordinary civilian who was slightly smarter than a normal kid, as if his transmigration had never happened.
However, everything changed once he awakened as a rune master and the system became active.
For some reason, he felt like his mental activity increased, and things that were previously foggy to him became extremely obvious. His clan was obviously unique, but for some reason he didn’t even think about it, even after having some suspicions at the start.
His talent was good, but it would have been nothing without the system.
Suddenly, a seed of doubt planted itself in Rui’s mind, growing into a towering tree in mere seconds. The runic energy in his body began running rampant, even though the array was trying its best to calm his emotions.
Countless doubts ran rampant in his mind, turning themselves into inner demons.
He felt controlled, like a puppet on a string. He felt insignificant, as if he were nothing but a pawn in a much grander scheme, and for some reason, his gut feeling told him his thoughts were right.
As the doubts surged within Rui's mind, he couldn't shake off the feeling that his entire existence was orchestrated and manipulated by unseen forces.
[User is undergoing a heart demon tribulation]
[User is undergoing a mental change]
He was subconsciously made to believe things and not question them. Even after regaining some of his previous wit from earth from the awakening, he felt like his mental faculties were seriously hampered.
This made him doubt his previous life and even his memories. Was he truly who he thought he was?
His eyes opened abruptly, the azure glow reflecting a turmoil within. The Ansuz rune on his forehead flickered, and the calm, serene atmosphere within the hall felt disturbed.
[Ansuz rune has been activated]
[User has entered enlightenment state]
The elders and clan members, sensing the disturbance, exchanged concerned glances. Rui's grandfather, Guang Tian, approached cautiously, his wise eyes showing a hint of worry.
"Rui, are you alright?"
He asked, his voice laced with concern.
Rui, however, was lost in the storm of his own thoughts. The doubt, the unease, and the feeling of being manipulated overwhelmed him. He rose from the altar, his movements slow and deliberate.
The guests observed in hushed tones as Rui walked toward the edge of the hall, his gaze fixed on the horizon beyond. His mind, like a tempest, continued to churn with unanswered questions.
The Ansuz rune on his forehead glowed ominously, reflecting the turmoil within. His mind became a battlefield where conflicting emotions clashed, leaving him grappling with the essence of his existence.
Rui closed his eyes again, entering into a surreal state. He found himself inside an empty void. The space around him seemed to ripple, and a spectral figure appeared before him.
[A fragment of █▐▐▀▀▀██▒█ has appeared]
[You have come into contact with a being of a higher level than the system]
[System warning]
[System functions shutting down due to variable]
Rui frowned, not expecting a situation like this to arise.
He couldn’t see the system prompts, but he still felt uneasy.
Since he was under the enlightenment state, his thoughts were clearer and his understanding of the situation was becoming greater, but he still couldn’t comprehend as to what was happening to him.
‘Who are you, or actually what are you? Are you the one behind this?’
Rui questioned, his voice echoing in the silent space within his mind.
The phantom spoke with a distorted voice, shaking its head in disappointment.
"You've always sought answers, but what if the truth is not what you expected? How many times do you have to repeat this cycle?"
Rui was taken aback by those words, not knowing how to react.
‘I don’t know what you are, but I won’t let you torment me any longer. I’ll make sure to get to the bottom of this.'
Rui blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, still unsure about the situation.
The phantom sneered, its form flickering as if resisting the resolve emanating from Rui.
‘Bold words, but can you defy the currents of fate? Some truths are better left undiscovered. I’m saying this for your own sake. Although it seems you’ve somewhat recovered from the mirage, you’re far from free.’
Rui frowned at those words, for some reason feeling like something was out of sorts once again.
He knew what he was currently going through. He realized that some higher power was manipulating his actions without his notice, which in turn created a mind demon inside him.
He had learned that a mind demon was intelligent, especially one that had consumed all the host's memories, but this mind demon was unique, as if it were something entirely different. Rui had suspicions that it wasn’t a mind demon at all.
‘Who are you?’
He couldn’t help but ask again, sweat covering his forehead.
He couldn’t tell the phantoms appearance, nor could he recognize its voice. To him, the whole situation was surreal.
‘It’s too soon for you to know. I’ll come find you again in the future.’
Said the Phantom, its figure disappearing from his sight, returning Rui’s mind back to reality, where he found himself staring into nothingness. His elders huddled around him in worry.
Rui blinked, the echoes of the phantom's words still resonating in his mind. He became acutely aware of the concerned gazes surrounding him. Guang Tian spoke with a mix of relief and worry.
"Rui, what happened? Are you alright?"
Rui took a deep breath, steadying himself. The doubts still lingered, but he chose to push them aside for the moment.
"I'm fine, Grandfather. Just a momentary lapse of focus. The wedding must proceed."
His words were composed, and his demeanor was collected. The elders exchanged glances, unsure of the underlying turbulence they couldn't perceive.
Rui returned to the altar, albeit with a newfound sense of determination. It felt like he had somehow broken one of the chains that bound his mind for the time being.
The guests continued to gather, their whispers and anticipatory murmurs filling the hall. The air, once tense, eased as the ceremony resumed its course.
The array underneath him began working once again, but Rui’s mind was already perfectly clear, causing him no difference.
‘I’m foolish.’
He thought to himself, knowing fully well that he couldn’t do anything about his situation. However, he knew a helper that could.
“Rai, please analyze my mental state and brain functions.”
He commanded, doing something he never thought he would have to do.
[System is currently offline]
[System rebooting in 23:58:55]
Rui’s eyes widened slightly, his gaze soon falling on the system windows he had missed while under his previous state.
His brows furrowed, not understanding anything. All he could do was wait at this point in time.
----------------------------------------
After a while, all the invited guests had arrived in the hall, with the grand elder also entering. All that was left was Jane’s entrance.
Since Jane was from Earth, she stood out as soon as she made her way into the room. Her lack of rune, despite having some sort of energy inside her body, made all the rune masters question her status.
She was clearly not from their region, as she possessed features usually seen on the central and western continents.
As she walked down the aisle, the soft rustle of her elegant white gown accentuated the silent tension in the hall.
Jane's eyes, a dark purple color, met Rui's with a reassuring glance. She had clearly gone through some mental preparations before coming. Although the two of them were officially married on earth, she knew she had to follow the traditions of the world in which she would reside from now on.
As Jane reached the altar, Rui stood to welcome her. The two exchanged a brief but meaningful gaze. Rui smiled gently, holding her hand gently while they both sat down on their designated pillows.
The ceremony proceeded with solemnity.
The marriage ceremony for the Guang Clan was done in a unique way. First, the couple had to consume an aphrodisiac without their mentality falling into lust.
Of course, this would be fundamentally flawed, especially since the drugs used were extremely potent. However, the ceremony was held on a specifically made altar that would calm down one's emotions.
This rule was handed down by their ancestors, as it would snuff out the true character of someone. The aphrodisiac was potent, but it also acted as a truth potion thanks to its special concoction. Paired with the mind-clearing array, it essentially revealed the true colors of a married couple.
Rui and Jane both extended their hands forward, grabbing an ornate goblet and drinking it simultaneously.
Soon, their faces turned slightly red before returning to normal in the next second. The two’s attitude didn’t change, as they solemnly stood still, waiting for the next step.
The next step was paying respects to the ancestor.
A photo of the ancestor would be placed on top of the altar, in front of them, where they would be signaled by the clan head to bow periodically.
The number of bows depended on one's direct connection to the clan, and since Rui was a direct descendant, he only had to bow three times as the grandson of the head.
His first bow was towards his clan.
His second bow was towards his ancestor.
And his third was on the sword immortal.
Jane, on the other hand, had to bow her head nine times.
Her first was to the parents of her spouse.
Her second was to the grandparents of her spouse.
Her third was to the elders of the clan.
Her fourth was to the Grand Elder of the clan.
Her fifth was to the land she would be married in.
Her sixth would be the sky above her.
Her seventh would be to her own parents, as a goodbye.
Her eighth would be to the ancestor of her spouse.
And her ninth would be to the sword immortal.
Most clan members didn’t know what the Sword Immortal was, except for a few who had heard rumors. Even the current clan elder didn’t know what it meant, but it had become a tradition long before she was born.
Some might think that this situation would be humiliating, but it all came down to respect. From now on, she will join the clan as an official household member.
Finally, after bowing, they would ask for their ancestors acceptance of the marriage. Although the ancestor was long dead, they still asked for his word.
Rui and Jane bowed their heads once more.
“Ancestor, we beseech your acceptance of this marriage!”
The two of them shouted at the same time, knowing fully well that no answer was to come.
“I agree to this marriage.”
However, at that moment, a man's voice could be heard, prompting everyone to raise their heads and stare in disbelief.
Standing next to the framed picture stood a handsome young man with flowing black hair and piercing red eyes, the symbol of a sword shining red on his forehead.
A mischievous smile could be seen playing on his lips, while the dragons on his robes began moving about, ready to cause a ruckus.