At Long Ling'er's words...
Countless gazes converged from every direction, turning in surprise toward the heroic woman in a plain green dress on the platform.
"Wh-what is she trying to do?"
"Is Miss Ling'er unhappy with the result?"
"Surely she isn't going to call off the marriage in public?"
"Probably not. That young man hardly looks like someone who needs decades to prove himself. The Dao Lord wouldn't want to let him go, either..."
The crowd whispered among themselves, speculation running wild.
However...
How could the Dragon Martial Dao Lord not understand his only daughter's temperament?
After a brief moment of surprise, he realized that Long Ling'er was serious!
"Nonsense!"
The Dragon Martial Dao Lord's brows knitted tightly.
He ignored Long Ling'er's request outright and continued addressing the cultivators below who had yet to disperse, his voice grave:
"Since no one objects, I hereby announce..."
"Wait!"
Refusing to back down, Long Ling'er stepped forward again and raised her voice, forcibly cutting her father off!
Empowered by her divine power, her voice even shook the platform!
"Ling'er!!"
At that moment, the beautiful woman standing before the elders' seats, her bearing incomparably noble, could no longer stand by.
She took an elegant half step forward.
Although her gracious smile remained, her lips moved slightly, and an anxious voice exploded beside Long Ling'er's ear:
"Have you lost your mind?!"
"Stand down! Stop being willful!!"
"Too many powerful figures from the Southern Region are gathered here, and spies from the other prefectures are watching!"
"On an occasion this important, you represent the dignity of the entire Dragon Martial Prefecture."
"Making a scene now won't just embarrass your father. It'll leave you with no way to back down gracefully!"
"Be good! Go back!"
Under ordinary circumstances, Long Ling'er might have taken the opportunity her mother's