Human joys and sorrows do not interconnect

Bai Piaopiao and Su Jie watched with trembling hearts.

They knew Yi Feng's cultivation was extraordinary, but they never expected it to be this formidable!

Their eyes brimming with excitement, they landed beside Yi Feng.

"Yi Feng, you're unbelievably strong!"

"Who knew your power was so terrifying—defeating Gu Qingcheng in a single move!"

The two women were practically fangirling over him, their admiration evident.

Yet Yi Feng merely blinked, utterly unimpressed.

Why was Gu Qingcheng so weak?

He hadn’t even exerted any real effort, and yet the man had gone flying…

Lowering his gaze to his right hand, Yi Feng sighed softly.

"Ah..."

When he looked up again, the figure in the distant crater was undeniably Gu Qingcheng—disheveled but still caked in thick makeup, unmistakably the powdered pretty boy.

Defeating a so-called "Saint" in one strike—his power was monstrous.

Any bystander would’ve been left speechless.

No wonder the two women were so awestruck; the situation was downright absurd.

But Yi Feng felt no joy. Only a deepening sense of despair, as if fate had cruelly confirmed his worst fears.

While the women showered him with praise, he stood frozen, drenched in metaphorical cold water, utterly defeated.

Damn it all!

His Saint-level cultivation was undeniable—and ridiculously overpowered at that!

Screw this damn system!!!

If he was already this strong, why bother sending him on a suicide mission?!

Yi Feng remained motionless, the world’s noise grating on his ears.

Why?

How could he genuinely be a Saint? A single move had crushed Gu Qingcheng—what kind of sick joke was this?!

With this level of power, how was he supposed to die?!

He’d spent the entire night in denial, clinging to the faint hope that it was all a misunderstanding.

But then this pretty boy had shown up, shattering any remaining doubt.

He was a Saint—no question about it.

Totally screwed…

His hopes for life were gone.

Yi Feng fell into silence, his heart utterly chilled.

His despondent stance only deepened Bai Piaopiao and Su Jie’s admiration. Bai Piaopiao’s eyes sparkled like a starstruck fangirl.

Of course.

Yi Feng’s strength was immense—he’d already blocked Su Jie’s sword strike effortlessly. Defeating Gu Qingcheng was no cause for celebration.

As Su Jie had said, Yi Feng’s aspirations transcended the mundane.

He was just so… different.

Bai Piaopiao’s heart raced as she watched him, captivated by his silent, brooding demeanor. Even his aloofness felt uniquely cool, drawing her in.

Then—a ragged figure clawed its way out of the crater.

A hoarse, deranged shriek shattered the moment.

"This… can’t be! Impossible!"

The trio snapped back to reality, turning toward the source.

Gu Qingcheng stood with disheveled hair, his face twisted with venomous hatred.

Their eyes met.

His expression cycled between fury and humiliation, features contorting grotesquely.

"Bastard! BASTARD!!!"

"How dare you be a Saint?! I, Gu Qingcheng, have reigned for millennia—never have I suffered such disgrace! Bai Piaopiao, you wretched woman, you actually brought a Saint here to play the fool?!"

"I’ll bury every last one of you here! Your families! Your servants! Everyone connected to you will PAY FOR THIS HUMILIATION!!!"

A terrifying killing intent erupted, veins bulging across Gu Qingcheng’s forehead.

The murderous aura was no bluff—even Su Jie tensed, not out of fear for his power, but the sheer, unrelenting bloodlust.

This had escalated beyond repair.

Bai Piaopiao and Su Jie exchanged uneasy glances. Against the ancient clan backing Gu Qingcheng, even they couldn’t afford recklessness.

But before they could strategize, Yi Feng stepped forward.

To him, Gu Qingcheng’s ranting was a beacon of hope.

The man’s frenzied state, his overwhelming aura—surely he’d pull out some earth-shattering trump card now, right?

Please… don’t disappoint as a "Saint" of the ancient clans!

Yi Feng advanced steadily, a glint of anticipation in his eyes.

His calm demeanor stunned Bai Piaopiao and Su Jie—and made Gu Qingcheng’s face darken with grim resolve.

Gathering his Dao energy, Gu Qingcheng adopted a lethally serious expression for the first time in centuries.

"Fine. You’ve got nerve."

"In thousands of years, I’ve never fought at full strength. No one has pushed me this far. But provoking my killing intent will be your greatest regret."

"Open your eyes wide and witness the might of an ancient clan!!!"

Yi Feng nodded earnestly, excitement growing.

"Good! I’m watching!"

Gu Qingcheng’s eye twitched at the audacity.

Then—with a roar—he unleashed his full power, ascending into the sky.

The very heavens trembled as cosmic energy converged. Clouds churned, the earth quaked, and an oppressive aura blanketed the sacred realm.

His face now a grotesque mask of fury, Gu Qingcheng spread his arms wide. His effeminate eyes blazed with divine light, as though he’d transcended mortality.

"STARRY SKY ANNIHILATION!!!"

A voice like thunder echoed as Dao energy materialized into a colossal chessboard in the sky. Intersections formed luminous pieces, coalescing into a radiant sea of stars that illuminated the entire sacred ground.

Bai Piaopiao’s face tightened as she reinforced her defenses.

Su Jie gripped her sword, murmuring in awe,

"That wastrel’s talent is real. For all his debauchery, his mastery of the chess Dao is peerless—he’s harnessing the power of heaven and earth. Even I might struggle to counter this."

Bai Piaopiao’s anxiety spiked at her words. Yet when she glanced at Yi Feng, she froze.

He was… smiling.

Her heart skipped a beat. What kind of unshakable confidence was this?!

Su Jie, too, dropped her crossed arms in shock.

Just how strong was he to remain so composed?

Yi Feng’s depth was unfathomable—his poise was on another level entirely.

The two women could only watch, not daring to interfere.

As the radiant chessboard’s pressure bore down on the sacred realm—suppressing palaces, pavilions, and all living things—Gu Qingcheng sneered from on high, gazing at the ants below.

"Fools."

"Perish here with those two bitches! And know this—I’ll make sure your clans, your loved ones, everyone you’ve ever known BEGS FOR DEATH before joining you in hell!!!"

Finally, Yi Feng’s smile widened.

"So strong…"

If Gu Qingcheng was going all out, he might as well play along—put in a little effort to draw out the man’s full potential.

With that thought, Yi Feng adopted a casual stance, clenching his right fist.

To Gu Qingcheng, the motion was laughably amateurish. His lips curled in condescending pity, as though humoring a child’s feeble attempt.

"Have you given up in despair? When this Saint truly exerts himself, everyone else is but an ant..."

As that fist lashed out, Gu Qingcheng's smirk froze abruptly.

With the forward momentum of that punch, Gu Qingcheng's expression shifted rapidly. In the span of a mere instant, his face turned deathly pale.

In his eyes—

The moment that fist was unleashed, it seemed as though a colossal, sky-spanning phantom fist materialized, surging from the earth with terrifying might. Under its overwhelming force, even the heavens seemed ready to crumble into dust, and the blazing sun itself appeared to flee in frantic retreat!

Gu Qingcheng's face drained of color, his lips trembling uncontrollably—before he could even react—

BOOM!!!

The chessboard, formed from the very essence of the world's power, shattered like brittle kindling. The sky cleared, and all things returned to normal.

The once-boastful figure was swept away as if caught in a gale, plummeting like a shooting star. Every trace of his imposing aura vanished without a trace. The morning light spilled over the land once more, as though nothing had ever happened.

The sun rose anew, the skies pristine and bright.

One punch.

The chessboard manifestation, woven from the very fabric of heaven and earth, dispersed like mere dust.

This...

Could such power truly belong to a Saint?!