In a corner of the wedding banquet.
There was a young man from the Zhang family, who looked not very old. His left hand was empty.
A large wet patch stained his chest, and shattered wine glasses and porcelain shards littered the floor beneath his feet. It was clear that in his extreme nervousness, he had dropped and broken a wine glass.
A moment later, in the banquet hall, all eyes were fixed on him.
Almost everyone present had a higher cultivation level and status than him.
Many of them were his relatives and elders. This young man had never experienced such a situation.
Instantly, he was at a loss, trembling all over, shaking like a sieve.
"Enough, why are you all panicking? I'm not dead yet!"
Old Master Zhang, looking at the incompetent Zhang family disciples in the face of adversity, felt a surge of anger. He took a deep breath and struck the ground heavily with the dragon-headed staff, a top-tier magic artifact, at the tip of his cane. He let out a low growl.
With this strike, the next second, a sound like muffled thunder echoed through the hall.
It instantly jolted everyone at the banquet back to reality from the sudden shock.
Then, Old Master Zhang waved his hand, stopping his son and grandson who had just reacted and were about to scold.
Old Master Zhang looked at Wu Tao, cupped his fists, and said in a deep voice, "Young brother, if the Zhang family has wronged you in any way before, you are welcome to come and seek retribution any time after today."
"But today is my grandson's wedding banquet. As they say, a wedding banquet cannot be disrupted, and to do so is a grave taboo."
"If you truly have a deep-seated hatred, young brother, you can have your way three days later, no matter what. For today, please give our Zhang family some face, and we can discuss everything later."
As soon as Old Master Zhang spoke, both the Zhang family members and the dozens of rogue cultivators present thought that the old patriarch of the Zhang family had made a very reasonable point.
After all, no matter how great the feud between two parties, one should not crash a wedding banquet on the day of the ceremony. This was against the unwritten rules of this world.
At the same time, the gazes of those in the banquet hall towards Wu Tao couldn't help but carry a hint of dissatisfaction.
However, if they were to force themselves to step forward and deal with Wu Tao, who was clearly not to be trifled with, they wouldn't dare, even if they had ten times the courage.
"After today?"
"Give your Zhang family some face?"
"Discuss everything later?"
Wu Tao heard this and stood rooted to the spot, sneering. He was not moved in the slightest, nor did he show any intention of leaving. Instead, he pressed forward step by step.
Although Old Master Zhang spoke with worldly wisdom and handled matters with great skill, Wu Tao was not here to be a guest today, nor was he here to embarrass them.
He had accepted a mission to kill someone.
He was a butcher, here to slaughter the entire Zhang family.
With a "crack,"
A token flew out of his hand and embedded itself directly in the ceiling of the hall.
On the two large characters "Taiyi" on the token, it was the mission token of the Taiyi Immortal Sect. It bore the sect's special insignia, which no cultivator in the Qingzhou region failed to recognize.
In the flickering candlelight of the wedding banquet, the words "Taiyi" gleamed, dazzling and radiant.
"The entire Zhang family colluded with demonic sects, deserving of death."
"Outer disciple of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, Wu Tao!"
"By imperial decree, I am here to exterminate the entire cultivating family of the Zhang clan!"
"Those not involved, do not bring ruin upon yourselves."
His demeanor was proud, his black hair wild, his hands clasped behind his back, he laughed arrogantly, disdainful and cold.
Wu Tao's round eyes swept across the hall, speaking coldly. Drop by drop, crimson blood flowed down the blade of the Zhanxian Demon Blood Saber.
Seeing such a terrifying sight, many people at the banquet turned pale with fright, while some involuntarily took several steps back. Not a single person dared to step forward.
One word at a time, one step at a time.
After uttering these four sentences, Wu Tao stood proudly in the center of the hall, his eyes filled with bone-chilling murderous intent, sweeping from the honored guests at the head of the table down to all the guests below.
The chilling intent to kill in his words was clearly and unmistakably displayed.
Sensing this incredibly strong killing intent, all the guests understood that if anyone dared to interfere, the person before them would surely show no mercy and would kill them all without hesitation!
In fact, within this banquet hall, no one would have the guts to openly defy the decree of the Taiyi Immortal Sect.
What kind of existence was the Taiyi Immortal Sect? They were the undisputed overlords of Qingzhou.
The banquet had not yet officially begun, and they were not even drunk. How could they do something as foolish as trying to stop them for the sake of the Zhang family, courting their own death?
At that, someone began to leave the hall.
This person was a middle-aged man who had been sitting at the head of the table, accepting tea from the newlyweds.
He stood up abruptly, first carefully examined the token, then looked at Wu Tao, and then cupped his fists, saying, "Li family of Hongkui Basin, greetings to the envoy of the Taiyi Immortal Sect."
"May I know..."
Wu Tao knew what this middle-aged man wanted to ask.
But Wu Tao had no interest in explaining to him. He simply waved his hand and replied, "The person in charge of the Li family, you don't need to say more. If you truly care about your own family, you should know what to do, shouldn't you? I don't need to teach you."
As he spoke, Wu Tao amusingly glanced at the bride, whose head was still covered by a red veil.
He continued, "Right now, this marriage is not yet consummated, is it? What happens next depends on your choice, Li family. Remember, the choices you make now will lead to vastly different outcomes in the end."
The person in charge of the Li family's expression changed upon hearing this, but he did not retaliate. He took a deep breath and, without even a moment's thought, stepped forward, pulled the bride up, and gestured behind him, walking straight out the door.
Following his actions, more than a dozen other people in the hall abruptly left.
They followed behind him, clearly being his relatives from the Li family, or rogue cultivators who, sensing trouble, had bolted.
The spacious banquet hall was suddenly left with more than half of its seats empty.
"Li family's in-laws, and you all..."
Seeing this, Old Master Zhang finally couldn't hold back. He suddenly stood up and said loudly in a trembling voice.
As for whether his intention was to reprimand or to implore them to stay, no one knew.
Before he could finish speaking, the reply from the person in charge of the Li family came from outside the door.
"Old Master Zhang, we, the Li family of Hongkui Basin, are not worthy of this marriage. Zhang Tong is not suitable for my daughter. Let this marriage be called off!"
Before leaving, the person in charge of the Li family also explained a few words to Wu Tao, "Thank you, Immortal Envoy Wu, for your magnanimity. If you have any free time, Immortal Envoy Wu, please visit the Li family of Hongkui Basin. Our entire Li family will be honored to welcome you."
"Our Li family has no connection with the Zhang family. We bid you farewell. Old Master Zhang, please do not see us off!"
Initially, his voice was loud and could be heard from not far outside the door. As he moved further away, the words "do not see us off" became almost inaudible.
This showed the speed of the Li family's escape, their fear, and their decisive actions...
"As expected of a family with over a hundred years of inheritance, such decisiveness is beyond ordinary people."
This person in charge of the Li family, seeing that the situation was unfavorable, immediately annulled the marriage and left, not even bothering to see the final outcome of their former in-laws, the Zhang family. He was decisive, sharp, and possessed the qualities of a formidable figure.
In fact, there was nothing to see. For a colossal entity like the Taiyi Immortal Sect, when it decided to deal with an insignificant cultivating family, were there any other possibilities?
Therefore, the Li family had no pressure whatsoever in breaking off the marriage.
They were not worried that the Zhang family would rise again in the future and settle scores with them, as they were certain that the Zhang family had no tomorrow and would be annihilated today.
As for the rogue cultivators who had come to attend the wedding banquet, they didn't even dare to make polite remarks. At most, they would cup their fists and immediately pull their friends, juniors, and other companions, rushing to leave one after another.
Some who had some distant relation to the Zhang family were muttering to themselves, wondering if they should sever ties with them once they returned home, divorce their spouses, kill those who deserved it, and in any case, avoid any connection with the Zhang family lest they be implicated.
Seeing this, Wu Tao shook his head.
Seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages was human nature. There was nothing to scorn about it.
He then looked at the Zhang family members who were still in the banquet hall, looking lost and terrified.
"This is the prestige of a top sect!"
Wu Tao looked at the empty banquet hall, his heart filled with emotion...
At this moment, in the hall, apart from the Zhang family members, there was not a single outsider.
Not one!
The name "Taiyi Immortal Sect" in the vast land of Qingzhou, spanning tens of millions of miles, was indeed terrifying, as heavy as divine will!