This guy is actually the Supreme Sword Physique

Ye Zhiqiu?

How could it be Ye Zhiqiu?

When Fang Yunxi heard this name, it felt somewhat familiar. After a moment of recollection, it finally dawned on him.

Wasn’t Ye Zhiqiu from the Ye family the very person Miss Cao had broken off the engagement with?

This kid actually dared to come to the Qingyun Sect? Could he be here to stir up trouble?

Holy shit!

Is he insane?

"Xiao Fang, do you know this guy?" Da Huang asked curiously.

"It’s the person I mentioned earlier—the one Miss Cao broke off the engagement with."

"Oh? The one who said 'Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river' and still managed to survive?"

"Yeah, yeah, that’s him."

"Holy shit, this… this is going to be a good show. Chen Chang'an’s choice of disciple is brilliant!"

Da Huang suddenly perked up. This was absolutely prime entertainment—the kind of grand spectacle it loved most.

Fang Yunxi gave Da Huang a helpless look. How was this brilliant?

Chen Chang'an had some history with Lu Qingyun, and now his newly accepted disciple also had unresolved grievances with the Qingyun Sect. Wasn’t this putting him in an awkward position, torn between two sides?

When Fang Yunxi voiced his thoughts, Da Huang shot him a disdainful glance and sneered, "You don’t understand a damn thing. Chen Chang'an isn’t the type to be torn between anything."

"Even if Lu Qingyun had a hundred times the courage, he wouldn’t dare lay a finger on Chen Chang'an. He’s got nothing to fear."

Fang Yunxi was deeply puzzled. Just what had Chen Chang'an done back then to make Lu Qingyun so utterly devoted—even reverent—toward him?

"Brother Huang, what exactly did Brother Chen do back then? Can you tell me?" Fang Yunxi asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

It wasn’t just Fang Yunxi who was curious—Gu Xian'er, standing nearby, was equally intrigued.

"Back then, there was a guy who had just stepped into the Emperor Realm. By sheer coincidence, he ended up crossing paths with Chen Chang'an."

"Chen Chang'an let him strike three moves. After those three moves, Chen Chang'an emerged completely unscathed. The guy got cold feet and surrendered on the spot. Chen Chang'an won without even fighting."

"Lu Qingyun witnessed it firsthand and was utterly awestruck."

Recalling this incident, Da Huang couldn’t help but chuckle. Chen Chang'an was just too good at putting on a show. Knowing full well his own limitations, he deliberately let the other guy attack first, feigning an air of invincibility.

Even though the guy had only just entered the Emperor Realm, he was still an Emperor. Three strikes, and Chen Chang'an didn’t have a scratch on him—who would dare provoke him further?

Everyone assumed Chen Chang'an was just easygoing, unwilling to stoop to their level. Little did they know, the truth was that Chen Chang'an simply couldn’t afford to strike back—doing so would expose him.

"This… this… Brother Chen’s strength is actually this monstrous?"

"Is he an Emperor-level powerhouse?"

"I… I actually have the honor of befriending an Emperor?"

Fang Yunxi suddenly felt like a whole new person. He was friends with an Emperor? He could call an Emperor his brother?

This was way too exhilarating!

"Unbelievable. Truly unbelievable."

"Brother Huang, who exactly was that unlucky Emperor who provoked Brother Chen back then?" Fang Yunxi pressed.

"Hmm, I think his name was… Feng Wuliang. Yeah, Feng Wuliang," Da Huang replied after a moment’s thought.

Feng Wuliang?

Hearing that name, Fang Yunxi’s heart skipped a beat.

"It was actually the renowned Carefree Wind Emperor, Feng Wuliang!"

"He broke through to the Emperor Realm five thousand years ago and has always preferred to roam freely, unbound by ties."

"Rumor has it that a thousand years ago, Feng Wuliang challenged another Emperor, but no one knows who won."

"Who would’ve thought Brother Chen had such history with Feng Wuliang?"

Fang Yunxi couldn’t help but marvel. The more he learned, the more mysterious and formidable Chen Chang'an seemed.

In fact, Fang Yunxi even began to suspect that Chen Chang'an might not just be some peak-level Emperor but rather a supreme powerhouse now idly amusing himself in the mortal world.

Damn it, what kind of heavenly luck did Ye Zhiqiu have to actually become the disciple of a peak-level Emperor?

Fang Yunxi glanced at Ye Zhiqiu in the distance, his eyes brimming with envy. This kind of opportunity—he wanted it too!

Naturally, Chen Chang'an overheard the conversation between Fang Yunxi and the others. However, even he hadn’t expected Ye Zhiqiu to have such a background.

Was his arrival at the Qingyun Sect truly for the purpose of settling scores?

If so, while the kid’s talent and comprehension were impressive, he was also a bit reckless!

"You’re the one Miss Cao broke off the engagement with?"

"You came to the Qingyun Sect with a purpose, didn’t you?" Chen Chang'an asked, eyeing Ye Zhiqiu.

"Indeed, I am the one Cao Jinxiu rejected."

"But my reason for coming to the Qingyun Sect is simply to prove myself—not to seek revenge."

Hearing this, Chen Chang'an found it rather interesting. Just to prove himself?

"Such a humiliation, and you’re not going to retaliate?" Chen Chang'an asked with a faint smile.

"Master, though I am young, I am not foolish."

"The Qingyun Sect and I have no enmity between us. Moreover, the Qingyun Sect has never bullied the weak and is renowned for its righteousness. It truly lives up to its reputation as a noble sect."

"At its core, this was merely a choice the Cao family made to curry favor with the Qingyun Sect."

"However, the broken engagement became widely known. I need to clear my name—and the Ye family’s."

"The Cao family’s rejection was their own blindness. I, Ye Zhiqiu, am inferior to no one."

"I want everyone to see—it’s not that I, Ye Zhiqiu, was unworthy of Cao Jinxiu, but that she was unworthy of me."

Hearing Ye Zhiqiu’s words, Chen Chang'an nodded approvingly. Good—he hadn’t let anger cloud his judgment.

After all, this matter had little to do with the Qingyun Sect, and the sect had never oppressed the Ye family. There was no need for a life-or-death feud.

This was also why Ye Zhiqiu dared to come to the Qingyun Sect alone.

He simply wanted to use the sect’s martial assembly to prove to everyone that he was second to none.

"Good. It’s excellent that you think this way."

"Since I’ve taken you as my disciple, you will naturally surpass all others."

"Though there are only a few days left, spend them training under me."

"On the day of the Qingyun Sect’s assembly, you, Ye Zhiqiu, will make your name known to all," Chen Chang'an said calmly.

"Thank you, Master."

"However, I have yet to ask—what is your esteemed name? Are you a member of the Qingyun Sect?"

Ye Zhiqiu wasn’t sure how he’d ended up bowing as a disciple, but he had a feeling—his choice wasn’t wrong.

Especially when he looked into Chen Chang'an’s eyes, he sensed an unfathomable depth, far beyond what appearances suggested.

"Chen Chang'an."

Chen Chang'an?

Ye Zhiqiu engraved the name deep in his heart. This was Chen Chang'an’s first time accepting a disciple—but it was also Ye Zhiqiu’s first time bowing to a master.

"As for the Qingyun Sect, there is some history between us, but I am not one of them."

"In time, you’ll understand."

"Go back and rest well today. I'll be waiting for you here first thing tomorrow morning," Chen Chang'an said with a faint smile.

"Yes, Master."

After Ye Zhiqiu left, Chen Chang'an stood up to head back, while Fang Yunxi and the others quickly gathered around him.

"Brother Chen, you really just took him as your disciple like that?"

"What about him impressed you so much?" Fang Yunxi asked curiously.

"Diligence, perseverance—I admire that in him."

"But the most crucial thing… didn’t any of you notice?" Chen Chang'an asked in return.

"Huh? Notice what? Is there some secret we missed?" Fang Yunxi looked puzzled.

Chen Chang'an gave Fang Yunxi a helpless glance. No matter what, the man was at the Undying Realm—couldn’t he be a little more observant?

"That boy is a Supreme Sword Physique. None of you sensed it?"

"What? He’s the legendary Supreme Sword Physique?"