The architecture of the City Lord’s Mansion is quite Western-style.
Tall Roman columns, a colossal square, a carefully crafted garden, and fountains adorned with various statues standing prominently.
Everyone was gathered in the square, and in the direct direction of the square, there was a pavilion over a hundred ters tall.
A veiled woman already sat atop it.
A maid stood beside her, whispering in her ear, appearing very excited about today’s grand event.
The City Lord’s daughter, however, was very composed, sitting upright without turning her head, eyes looking straight ahead.
Soone whispered, "Didn’t I say? This girl must be ugly. Look, she doesn’t dare show herself with that veil covering her face."
"What do you know? A wife who brings prosperity to her husband, I just like that kind of woman."
Soone laughed out loud and shouted towards the pavilion, "Beauty, you are mine; no one can take you from ."
The surrounding people jeered and laughed, "This guy must be crazy."
"He’s definitely after the dowry."
"It’s not that easy; the City Lord will surely set challenges for us."
"Just wait, this enormous wealth isn’t easy to obtain."
"..."
As everyone was discussing, a dignified middle-aged man, clad in brocade robes and a jade belt, gestured for a group of Daoists to ascend the pavilion.
The Daoists were indeed well-known figures.
They sat in the lower tier below the City Lord’s daughter. The City Lord stepped out and pressed his hand towards the crowd below, smiling broadly, "Thank you, dear friends, for coming to join the grand ceremony to select a groom for my daughter. My mansion, Wan Baochun’s, is aglow with brilliance! After the great hall ends, I will hold a feast here to entertain you. Eat and drink to your heart’s content, sober not allowed."
Soone flattered him, imdiately raised an excited arm and shouted, "Old Master Wan is generous!"
"A thousand blessings to the City Lord!"
"City Lord, you are too kind!"
"..."
Wan Baochun raised his hand, laughing, and said to the crowd, "Then let’s begin today’s groom selection ceremony! I want to tell you about the benefits of becoming my son-in-law. As you know, I have no sons, just this precious daughter. If anyone becos my son-in-law, all the industries in Tian Cha City will belong to you and my daughter."
"Good!"
"Good!"
"Good!"
"..."
The crowd passionately cheered, and there were indeed many eager to beco the City Lord’s son-in-law.
Long Fei glanced around; regardless of age, at least thirty to fifty thousand n were raising their arms and shouting.
Wan Baochun smiled and pressed his hand, saying, "Alright, I won’t waste your ti any longer. The challenge for today’s groom selection is simple. Just complete this challenge, and you will beco Wan Baochun’s son-in-law."
He raised his hand and spread out a scroll in the air.
The scroll was over ten ters wide and more than thirty ters long.
Above, there were landscapes, all filled with won between the mountains and waters.
These won were reclining, lying, playing the zither, frolicking, playing chess, or playing ball, all in beautiful and enticing forms.
Though they were rendered in black-and-white ink, in the air, they appeared as if they were truly alive.
They could move, speak, and even laugh enticingly.
Everyone was montarily dumbfounded, and those with weak resolve nearly drooled from gazing at the won in the painting.
Wan Baochun smiled and introduced to everyone present, "As you can see, this painting is an ultimate treasure collected by this City Lord, the Peerless Beauty and Heavenly Scent Scroll.
Though it is rely a painting, inside it forms its world, with tens of thousands of beauties.
Whoever enters will enjoy an emperor-like treatnt, surrounded and served by these beauties.
Inside the painting, you can eat, drink, just like in our world.
The challenge is very simple, which is for you to enter. If you can successfully co out, then you will be my son-in-law."
"So simple?"
Soone eagerly shouted.
Soone asked, "What if hundreds, thousands co out? Will the young lady marry so many people?"
The City Lord Wan Baochun laughed, "Dear friends, I ask you not to underestimate this painting.
This ancient painting reaches the True Immortal level, and the spatial patterns within are extraordinarily profound, not easily deciphered by common folk.
Upon entering, I will give each of you a talisman.
To co out, you just need to crush this talisman.
I hope everyone rembers, this world contains too many enticing things. Once lured within, one might quickly forget where they are, spending their entire lives within the painting.
I hold this groom selection ceremony once a year, and now, it has been held for three consecutive years, with tens of thousands of talented youths enticed by the painting, none successfully exiting on their own."
"What?"
"So many?"
"That’s bizarre!"
"..."
The crowd was startled, secretly acknowledging that this groom selection was indeed not easy to complete.
Soone asked, "Can’t the City Lord release them?"
Wan Baochun shook his head, saying, "This magical treasure is at the True Immortal level, and I cannot fully refine it. You must co out yourselves; I cannot assist you."
Soone asked, "What kind of ti exists inside the world of the painting? Is it the sa as our outer sect?"
Everyone nodded, thinking if they could enter, it would be wonderful even to grow old there.
Enjoy a lifeti of blessings truly worth it.
Wan Baochun said, "As far as I know, the Ti Law inside differs from the outside. Except for the won in the painting who can live eternally, anyone entering will rapidly age and die. Our external world’s one day might equate to their year, decade, century, just a blink of an eye."
Soone curiously asked, "What happens after soone dies?"
Wan Baochun replied, "Good question. Once soone dies inside the painting, their essence, qi, and spirit will be absorbed by it, as if they disappeared, returning themselves to that world."
The crowd erupted, at least half deflated like popped balloons, their heads drooping.
Wan Baochun announced, "Now the ceremony begins. The talisman you received upon entering is your key to exit. I hope everyone can maintain their true self, thoroughly explore within, and beco Wan Baochun’s son-in-law!"
"Alright!"
Soone excitedly shouted, "Wee seek fortune amidst danger; cultivators fear nothing. With the talisman from Old Master Wan, I will co out simply by breaking it when I wish."
"Yes, as long as I keep my mind pure, I won’t be seduced by beauty."
"What’s there to fear? Who dares to explore with , the Flirting Gentleman?"
"..."
Fearless ones noisily stood up, rushing towards the painting.
Upon nearing within one ter of the ancient painting, they were drawn into it by its Mysterious Light.
Long Fei felt his heart stir, secretly noting the ancient painting held an uncanny resemblance to his Mountains and Rivers Map.
Except the Mountains and Rivers Map had a larger space, with more perfected Laws.
Generally, those unaware of Space Law would be trapped upon entering.
Inside, the Ti Law dares not interfere.
A day outside might equate to a lifeti inside.
Unconsciously, people would perish due to the ancient painting’s Ti Law, thoroughly absorbed and decomposed within.
It was called a world; in essence, it is a kind of ti-based magical treasure.
Long Fei glanced at Wan Baochun, secretly suspecting the City Lord deliberately used the guise of bride selection to exploit people’s greed for refining his ancient painting.
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