The prelude to the wedding had begun. The master of ceremonies was saying something on stage, while the Nangong family's experts were scattered throughout the venue, monitoring all guests and preventing Long Xiao's appearance.
Long Xiao stood in the distant crowd, watching the wedding ceremony unfold on stage. He couldn't make a move until Luan Jiping appeared.
Soon, the bride and groom arrived. Long Xiao slowly began to move forward, preparing to act.
Luan Jiping was escorted to the stage by two Luan family members. She scanned the crowd, torn between hoping for Long Xiao's appearance and fearing it.
With her inner conflict, Luan Jiping couldn't find Long Xiao and was overwhelmed by a sense of loss, feeling like crying.
Long Xiao's figure lingered in her mind, and past memories resurfaced.
Seeing Luan Jiping's haggard appearance, Long Xiao felt a pang in his heart. Although he couldn't marry Luan Jiping or give her anything, he couldn't stand by and watch her fall into a pit of fire.
The wedding proceeded normally. Luan Jiping tightly clutched a dagger hidden in her clothes. This dagger was her last resort; the moment the wedding was completed, she intended to end her own life with it.
Soon, it was time for the ring exchange. The master of ceremonies asked, "Ms. Luan Jiping, do you agree to marry Mr. Nangong Tianming?"
Before Luan Jiping could respond, a clear voice boomed, "She does not."
Long Xiao's voice wasn't loud, but amplified by the power of the five elements, everyone present heard it clearly.
A dozen Nangong family experts rushed towards Long Xiao, who slowly walked towards Luan Jiping, as if the surrounding chaos was of no concern to him.
"Kill him!"
Someone shouted, and over a dozen long swords were swung towards Long Xiao's head.
Long Xiao's footsteps didn't falter. He swung his right hand and roared, "Get lost!"
A wave of energy spread outwards, snapping the dozen long swords and exploding the bodies of the Nangong family experts. Long Xiao walked through the bloody mist, continuing forward.
His eyes remained fixed on Luan Jiping; he didn't even glance at anything else around him.
Upon seeing Long Xiao's arrival, Nangong Ming's face finally broke into a smile. He had been worried that Long Xiao wouldn't show up, as all his plans would be in vain if he didn't.
As Long Xiao approached Luan Jiping, a large number of mysterious figures appeared in Funiu Town. They all carried long sabers and wore masks, moving swiftly. Their destination was the Nangong Manor.
Old Dao Xiao watched Long Xiao ascend the stage and chuckled softly, "The show is about to begin."
Mei Ling nodded and said, "Master, should we find a suitable spot and watch while we eat?"
Old Dao Xiao nodded, pointing to the VIP platform. "That's a good vantage point for the show. Let's go."
Long Xiao walked unhurriedly towards Luan Jiping. The Nangong family experts surrounded him, preparing to attack.
Nangong Ming waved his hand, and all the Nangong family experts stopped, watching Long Xiao with wary eyes.
Long Xiao continued his unhurried approach. He didn't seem eager to reach Luan Jiping; he appeared to be waiting for something.
Luan Jiping looked at Long Xiao, a smile gracing her lips, a smile as warm as a spring breeze.
"Brother, you really came."
"Sister, I can't possibly watch you walk into a burning pyre. Let's go." Long Xiao reached Luan Jiping and said.
Luan Jiping nodded. Long Xiao turned to face the audience below the stage and loudly declared, "Today, I, Long Xiao, will be taking Ms. Luan away from here. Does anyone have an objection?"
A single person challenging the Nangong family earned Long Xiao the admiration of everyone present.
"I do." A burly man, wielding a saber over a meter long, walked onto the stage.
"My name is Nangong..."
"Your name is irrelevant. The dead don't need names."
The moment Long Xiao finished speaking, he moved like a wisp of smoke towards the burly man.
The burly man brandished his saber, his entire body enveloped in a white light. Both Long Xiao and the burly man disappeared within the white glow of the saber.
With a bang, the burly man was sent flying into the crowd. The meter-long saber was now in Long Xiao's hand.
The burly man collapsed motionless upon landing, with no screams or blood. Everything was eerily silent.
Holding the saber horizontally, Long Xiao roared, "Who else dares?"
Nangong Jindong stepped forward slowly, a smile on his face. "Long Xiao, so arrogant. You dare to barge into our Nangong family."
"Nangong Jindong, less nonsense. If you want to fight, fight. If you want to beg for mercy, do it quickly."
Nangong Jindong assumed a boxing stance and said, "Alright, then let's skip the pleasantries."
Nangong Jindong, at the peak of the Earth Realm, was known as 'Invincible Iron Fist' and had encountered no opponents in Mianyang City.
As he watched Nangong Jindong's attacking fists, Long Xiao swung his saber directly downwards.
Though this move appeared direct and brutal, it contained hundreds of variations, making it impossible to defend against.
Seeing Long Xiao's move, Nangong Ming hastily shouted, "Jindong, you're no match for him, retreat quickly!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Nangong Jindong's arms were severed. He stumbled back two steps, and Long Xiao's saber followed, his head flying off.
Killing a Great Perfection Earth Realm expert in a single move, the Nangong family finally understood why Long Xiao dared to trespass alone.
Two short, old men ascended the stage and attacked Long Xiao without a word. They wielded no weapons, their fists charging forward with speed and ferocity.
Long Xiao's saber transformed into streaks of white light, striking at the two. Hundreds of exchanges later, the outcome remained undecided.
Luan Jiping, dagger in hand, watched Long Xiao anxiously. If Long Xiao were to be killed, she would immediately take her own life.
Nangong Ming sat in his chair, adopting a posture of observing a play. He knew the real performance hadn't begun; this was merely an overture.
Long Xiao was not in immediate danger. His backers wouldn't act until then. If the Long family didn't intervene, the Nangong family would have no reason to provoke them.
The trap was set. The Long family members who had arrived in Funiu Town were all under surveillance by the Nangong family. They had no intention of letting any of them leave Funiu Town.
Long Zhenhai sat below the stage, watching Long Xiao's fight with interest.
He was in charge of the Heavenly Dragon Guard. This matter shouldn't have concerned him, but he had received a call from the Long family elder, Long Tiankui. He had to come and ensure Long Xiao's safe return.
About ten meters from Long Zhenhai, Old Cui sat with his legs crossed, also watching the spectacle.
Upon learning that this was a scheme targeting the Long family, he had ordered the Dark Dragon Guard to remain silent, to only intervene if Long Xiao's life was in danger.
The two elders were becoming impatient with their inability to gain an advantage. Long Xiao's saber moved with an elusive brilliance, leaving them no openings.
Long Xiao was also growing anxious. These two elders were likely Great Perfection Earth Realm experts, on par with his own strength. The Nangong family had many such individuals. If they came at him one by one, he would either be beaten to death or exhausted.
Xiao Ming stood below the stage. Seeing Long Xiao entangled with the two elders, he turned and whispered, "Go to the kitchen and get some soybeans, quickly."
Several disciples of the Fierce Saber Sect turned and ran. Their unusual behavior was noticed by some Nangong family members, who pursued them.
The Fierce Saber Sect disciples rushed into the kitchen and emerged with several bowls of soybeans. The pursuing Nangong family members were bewildered, unsure of their intentions.
"What are you doing with soybeans?" a Nangong family bodyguard asked.
The leading Fierce Saber Sect disciple, carrying a bowl of soybeans, smiled and said, "Our chef wants to eat stir-fried soybeans. He has a habit of craving them while watching a show."
The Nangong family members found it strange, but they couldn't fathom any danger from a few bowls of soybeans, so none of them acted. They followed the Fierce Saber Sect disciples back to the scene.
"Young Master, the soybeans are here," the Fierce Saber Sect disciples announced.
Xiao Ming pointed at Long Xiao and the two fighting on the stage. "Throw them up."
No one knew why he wanted them to throw soybeans.
As the Fierce Saber Sect disciples threw the soybeans towards Long Xiao and the others, a strange phenomenon occurred: all the soybeans did not fall to the ground but instead floated in mid-air.