"Pay respects to heaven and earth."
Within the festively decorated main hall, a woman from Blood Spider Valley, her face brimming with a forced smile, loudly proclaimed.
The preparations by Blood Spider Valley's young master for the marriage were meticulous, bringing along all the necessary personnel and items.
However, after the matchmaker's call, the Sixth Princess seemed as if she hadn't heard at all, standing there in a daze.
"Your Highness, Princess?"
Seeing this, the matchmaker quickly stepped forward to urge her.
Yet the Sixth Princess remained indifferent.
Under her red bridal veil, she was somewhat lost in thought.
She had imagined her wedding day many times, but never once did she feel such despair and humiliation as she did today.
"Your Highness, if you continue like this, our agreement will be void. You know that in our valley resides the Blood Demon Spider ancestor. If need be, I'll ask it to break the curse on you," the Blood Spider Valley's young master suddenly whispered to the Sixth Princess through her red veil, his tone chillingly different from before.
"I understand," the Sixth Princess replied indifferently.
Hearing this, the Blood Spider Valley's young master's lips curled into a smile.
He could tell from her tone that she had completely given up any thought of resistance.
He then nodded to the matchmaker who had been waiting.
The matchmaker, understanding the cue, smiled and nodded back, then loudly proclaimed again:
"Newlyweds, pay respects to heaven and earth."
She deliberately raised her pitch, letting the sound echo throughout Mandala Villa.
"Boom!"
Almost simultaneously with the sound, a violent explosion and a fierce blast of air surged toward the main hall, one after the other.
"Who dares to ruin my big day?!"
Sensing an incredibly strong and unusual aura rapidly approaching, the Blood Spider Valley's young master's eyes turned fierce as he coldly snorted.
"You lot, watch over the Princess. Everyone else, follow me!"
He glanced at the matchmaker and the female disciples of Blood Spider Valley by her side.
"Yes!"
They responded in unison.
The matchmaker even grabbed the Sixth Princess's arm.
"Is there anyone in Black Vulture Nation who dares to meddle in Blood Spider Valley's affairs? They must be tired of living!"
As he spoke, the Blood Spider Valley's young master, sword in hand, released his aura and soared out.
At that moment, the Sixth Princess, sensing something amiss outside, lifted her veil.
She struggled to break free from the matchmaker's grip, trying to look outside the hall.
"Your Highness, you must not go out."
The matchmaker's grip on the Sixth Princess's arm was like iron.
"I just want to look from the doorway. If you stop me, I won't go through with the wedding ceremony even if it kills me!"
The Sixth Princess glared at the matchmaker.
With no other choice, the matchmaker held onto her arm, standing with her at the entrance of the main hall.
"Bang!"
Just then, several disciples from Blood Spider Valley flew in from the courtyard entrance like arrows, ending up as a heap of broken bodies that thudded to the ground.
"Close the door, quickly!"
As everyone wondered what had happened, a group of Blood Spider Valley disciples, covered in wounds, rushed in frantically. Without regard for those outside, they shut the courtyard door tightly and had several Blood Demon Spiders seal it completely with their silk.
"What on earth is going on?"
The Blood Spider Valley's young master quickly approached them.
"Young master, it's terrifying, that youth is terrifying!"
A disciple from Blood Spider Valley replied, his voice trembling with sobs.
With a "bang," the young master kicked the disciple away and turned to another equally panicked disciple, "Speak!"
"Reporting to the young master, a youth has come outside."
The disciple stammered in reply.
"A youth? A single youth has frightened you to this extent?"
The Blood Spider Valley's young master raised his foot to kick again.
"No, no, listen to me, young master. This youth, he's no ordinary person. His swordsmanship is unparalleled. We stood no chance against him, like lambs to the slaughter!"
The disciple's voice was filled with fear.
"Bang!"
At that moment, the courtyard door trembled violently as if struck by something heavy.
"Uncle Ya!"
The Blood Spider Valley's young master looked up at the giant Blood Demon Spider above.
The spider descended from a silk thread with a "bang" and landed in the courtyard.
The other Blood Demon Spiders took up defensive positions on the web above.
In just a few moments, the entire courtyard of Mandala Villa was surrounded by Blood Demon Spiders and webs.
"Bang, bang!"
Then, a series of heavy thuds against the door, mixed with screams, rang out again.
"Young master, save us, save us!"
"Young master, let us in, let us in!"
Soon after, the pleading voices of Blood Spider Valley disciples came from outside.
But no one dared to move forward.
They could feel the powerful and unusual aura steadily approaching.
"Is the Sixth Princess within the courtyard?"
At that tense moment, a clear young voice came from outside the door.
The voice, in stark contrast to the powerful aura, seemed out of place.
"I am here!"
The Sixth Princess struggled and shouted.
Although she didn't know who was outside, judging by the way they dealt with the Blood Spider Valley disciples, she was certain that this person was a friend, not a foe.
"Silence her!"
The Blood Spider Valley's young master coldly snorted.
The matchmaker quickly sealed the Sixth Princess's acupoints, rendering her unable to speak.
"Shing!"
Just then, a piercing metallic resonance came from outside.
Then, everyone saw a series of bright flashes of a blade, like a whirlwind of snowflakes, piercing through the courtyard door.
"Boom!"
With a thunderous noise, the silk-reinforced courtyard door shattered.
Dust filled the air.
And in that cloud of dust, a youth holding a long saber, his hair tied in a chaos bun, wearing a green Daoist robe, walked into the courtyard with an unfazed expression.
Following behind him was a guard leading a horse.
Who else could these two be, if not Xu Taiping and Commander Cao?
"Young man, you dare to meddle in Blood Spider Valley's affairs?"
The Blood Spider Valley's young master's hand rested on his sword hilt, his gaze coldly fixed on Xu Taiping, while the giant Blood Demon Spider beside him was ready to pounce.
"Are you the young master of Blood Spider Valley?"
Xu Taiping glanced at the young master of Blood Spider Valley.
"What of it?"
The grip on the young master's sword hilt tightened slightly.
Despite the strong aura emanating from the youth before him, he stood beside a demonic king-level Blood Demon Spider, believing himself to be no weaker than his opponent.
Xu Taiping ignored the Blood Spider Valley's young master, instead looking past him directly at the girl in bridal attire standing at the entrance of the main hall.
"May I ask, are you the Sixth Princess?"
Xu Taiping addressed the girl.
Proofreader & Editor: Lotas