Unperturbed by honor or disgrace, watching the flowers bloom and wither in the courtyard.

Indifferent to coming or going, gazing at the clouds rolling and unfolding in the sky.

With leisurely elegance, a pot of tea.

And with a flick of a finger, a Twelfth-Rank Fist Master perished completely.

At first glance, the nonchalance emanating from Chen Yang seemed dismissive, but it was ultimately a display of supreme confidence and absolute self-assurance. It didn't matter if he faced the Martial Association or a massive crowd; he would simply enjoy his tea and kill as he pleased.

HUM!

Liu Ruyan was utterly shaken. Her heart, which had been placid for years, was suddenly battered by towering waves that swept over her Divine Spirit, threatening to tear it to shreds. As the Martial Association President's Chief Disciple, she was exceptionally worldly and had seen countless formidable young talents who dominated their generation. Yet, none of them were anything like the man before her now. He had no pretense, no arrogance, not even anything particularly remarkable about him.

However, it was as if the entire universe rested in the palm of his hand, and all the people of the world were his to command. He was like a god standing at the absolute summit, commanding the mountains and rivers, looking down upon all creation.

"This..." Liu Ruyan sucked in a sharp breath. Her beautiful face could no longer maintain its previous cold indifference as her eyes grew vigilant, locked onto Chen Yang.

GULP.

The remaining Martial Association disciples on the floor couldn't help but swallow hard. Gone was their earlier arrogance and audacity; now, every single one of them was tense, their limbs trembling. The sight of him killing Nine-Bag Elder Wu Lan with a flick of his finger had thoroughly terrified them.

"Miss Liu!" Another Nine-Bag Elder, Yan Rui, shielded Liu Ruyan with one arm while looking at her. Their eyes met, and in that single glance, they understood each other's intentions.

Then, BOOM!

The two of them shot forward almost simultaneously. The air roiled violently, letting out a series of piercing shrieks as it oscillated between destruction and restoration.

CRACK...

The floor beneath them took the brunt of the force, fracturing into a web of cracks. The surrounding walls soon followed, crumbling under the impact of their auras. Windows shattered one after another, raining down shards of glass.

「Downstairs.」

"What in the world is happening up there?!"

"I didn't hear an explosion, but the walls are cracking!"

"I bet it's Liu Ruyan! She's making her move!"

Watching the falling glass and cracking walls, the hearts of the onlookers trembled. Every one of them tilted their heads up, their gazes fixed on the second floor, not daring to blink. No one wanted to miss a single frame of this confrontation.

The combined might of two top-tier Twelfth-Rank Fist Masters was far greater than a simple sum of their parts. Their aura and attack power increased exponentially. Yan Rui threw a devastating punch, its force like a drumbeat. At some unknown point, a short sword had appeared in Liu Ruyan's hand. The blade's sharp, cold glint was visible to the naked eye as it lunged toward Chen Yang's heart from an exceedingly tricky angle.

A punch and a sword, perfectly synchronized.

"Die!" Yan Rui roared, his face contorted in a ferocious snarl.

Chen Yang simply shook his head. He picked up the cup of tea he had poured for Liu Ruyan and gently flicked its contents toward Yan Rui.

HISS!

The amber-colored tea formed an arrow in midair, effortlessly penetrating Yan Rui's punch. As horror filled the man's face, the tea pierced his chest. Yan Rui was thrown back five or six meters before collapsing onto the floor. His pupils instantly dilated, and his head slumped forward, all signs of life gone.

As for Liu Ruyan's sword, it was easily caught between two of Chen Yang's fingers. His index and middle finger pinched the blade, rendering it completely immobile, no matter how hard she strained.

Chen Yang set the teacup down, refilled it, and said faintly, "The tea has gone cold. Allow me to pour you another cup, Miss Ruyan."

Liu Ruyan: "..."

Everyone: "..."

They were all dumbfounded. This was a coordinated attack by two top-tier Twelfth-Rank masters! And one of them was killed by a splash of tea?

Who… Who was this person?!

Every last one of them was chilled to the bone, their courage utterly shattered. How could they possibly fight against such overwhelming strength?

Liu Ruyan's face flushed crimson, and she was drenched in sweat. She had squeezed out every last drop of her strength, her teeth nearly cracking from how hard she was clenching them, yet she still couldn't budge her sword from his two fingers.

How… how is this possible?

Liu Ruyan was on the verge of collapse. The feeling of powerlessness, of giving her all to no effect whatsoever, made her feel like she was about to vomit blood.

DING!

With a light flick of his fingers, Chen Yang shattered the short sword into several pieces.

Liu Ruyan stumbled back several steps, her face turning deathly pale. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that she, the Chief Disciple of the Martial Association President, would be utterly powerless against someone her own age.

HUFF, HUFF.

She gasped for breath, her entire body trembling as if she'd been electrocuted.

Chen Yang casually toyed with a piece of the broken sword's tip and beckoned to her again. "Miss Liu, please, sit down. Have some tea."

Just as Liu Ruyan hesitated, a voice suddenly broke the tense silence. "Miss Ruyan, is there anything you need help with?"

Many people turned to look and saw a young man with a face as pale as paper being pushed in by a nurse. He was in a wheelchair and had a smile on his face, seemingly in a good mood.

Liu Ruyan spared him only a brief glance before ignoring him. In her current situation, only her master's arrival could possibly turn the tables.

Hm? As he drew closer, the young man saw Chen Yang, and his eyes abruptly constricted. "It's… it's you!"

Who else could this newcomer be but Chen Ke? He had only come to watch the spectacle, to see what kind of person dared to openly challenge the Martial Association, curious if they had three heads and six arms. He never expected to see Chen Yang here! This… this…

At Chen Ke's shout, Liu Ruyan instantly understood. The person the Chen Family wanted to kill was the same person the Martial Association was trying to kill. Just two days ago at the hotel, she had even accepted Chen Ke's request to help him eliminate his enemy. And now…

Heh! Life truly is unpredictable.

Chen Yang, however, just smiled. This fellow had used the near-suicidal Blood Shadow Escape to barely get away, only to reappear right in front of him today. It was quite amusing.

By now, Chen Ke had noticed Yan Rui's body on the floor. Wu Lan was also nowhere to be seen, while Liu Ruyan stood there, pale as a ghost. He wasn't blind; how could he not grasp the situation?

"Quick! Push me away! Now!" Chen Ke's eyes looked ready to pop from their sockets as he desperately urged the nurse. "Hurry!"

"Since you're already here, don't be in such a rush to leave," Yang Hu said, standing up. He waved the nurse away. "You can go. This has nothing to do with you."

The nurse had never witnessed such a scene. She didn't dare linger for a second longer. Abandoning the wheelchair, she turned and fled.

"You..." Chen Ke's face turned green. He cursed furiously before turning to Chen Yang. "Chen… Chen Yang, we're family, aren't we? I'll tell you the secret of the Ancestral Sword if you spare my life. How about it?"

"I already know it," Chen Yang replied flatly.

Chen Ke: "..."

How could he not guess? It must have been that girl, Chen Mengyao!

HUFF, HUFF.

Chen Ke took a few deep breaths, asking with mental and physical exhaustion, "Who… who in the world are you?" He refused to believe an ordinary person could have grown to such a terrifying level of power.

Liu Ruyan also stared at Chen Yang, waiting for his answer.

Yang Hu glanced at them both and said, "You can address him as the Governor. Or you can call him the Zhennan Prince."

Chen Ke: "..."

Liu Ruyan: "..."

Everyone: "..."

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