"You!"
The Deputy Palace Master of Yunling Palace glared at Chen Chang'an with fury.
At that moment, Hua Wulei, the Heavenly Sword Emperor, and others also turned their gazes toward him.
Being stared down by so many powerful figures with such hostility sent a shiver down the Deputy Palace Master’s spine.
Damn it, how could I forget Chen Chang'an has so many allies?
"Chen Chang'an, you’re just relying on numbers to bully the few!"
"Exactly. I am using numbers to bully you. Got a problem with that?"
"You—"
The Deputy Palace Master never expected Chen Chang'an to be so brazen.
How shameless can one be?
Openly ganging up on someone?
Does he have no dignity?
"Fine. You have the numbers. Yunling Palace won’t stoop to your level."
"Oh? Not stooping to my level?"
Chen Chang'an smirked. "So, if you had the numbers, you’d be fine with it?"
"At the very least, Yunling Palace would never resort to such underhanded tactics."
"We disdain such behavior."
Hearing this, Gu Xian'er and the others' expressions turned icy.
The Deputy Palace Master hadn’t expected his words to provoke so many.
What’s so great about Chen Chang'an that they’d defend him like this?
"Look at you all, with those scary expressions. You’ll frighten the poor man."
"Let’s keep it civil, shall we?" Chen Chang'an chuckled, signaling for everyone to calm down.
Then, he glanced at the Deputy Palace Master and grinned. "Honestly, dealing with you doesn’t even require this many people."
"This one’s enough."
This one?
When Chen Chang'an pointed at Da Huang, the Deputy Palace Master’s face darkened.
What an insult!
"You’re joking. Are you saying the Deputy Palace Master of Yunling Palace is inferior to a dog?"
"Even if it’s a demon beast, so what? I—"
BAM!
Before he could finish, Da Huang lunged forward and smacked him away with a single paw.
"Damn right you’re inferior to a dog. Got a problem with that?" Da Huang sneered.
"Deputy Palace Master!"
"Are you alright, Deputy Palace Master?"
The Yunling Palace disciples rushed over in panic.
"How… how is this possible?"
The Deputy Palace Master lay sprawled on the ground, his worldview shattered.
"I… I lost to a dog?"
He was an Emperor-level expert! Not yet at the peak, but still far beyond the reach of ordinary Emperors.
Yet this mangy mutt had struck him down effortlessly.
Not just him—everyone present was stunned.
They’d all noticed Da Huang by Chen Chang'an’s side but dismissed him as a mere pet, perhaps trained to speak as a novelty.
Who could’ve guessed this unremarkable, slightly sleazy-looking dog was so terrifyingly strong?
Very few had witnessed Da Huang’s true power—only those who’d followed Chen Chang'an for a long time.
After all, Da Huang spent most of his time lazing around, avoiding work whenever possible.
"Unbelievable. Even Chen Chang'an’s dog is this strong?"
"Holy hell, how powerful must Chen Chang'an himself be?"
"Obviously. You think just anyone becomes the Palace Master of Luoshen Palace or the Heavenly Sword Emperor’s master?"
"Don’t forget, even someone as formidable as Gu Tianyuan gets called ‘Little Gu’ by him."
"Hiss—"
"Terrifying."
"Absolutely terrifying!"
The crowd stared at Chen Chang'an with growing awe, the air thick with sharp intakes of breath.
This wasn’t just a lesson for Yunling Palace—it was a warning to everyone else: stay in line, or you’re next.
Sure enough, after this spectacle, the crowd became far more subdued. If not for the sheer number of people, many would’ve backed away to avoid drawing Chen Chang'an’s attention.
The testing continued, but few results stood out. Some qualified, but their combat ratings failed to impress.
"Hah! I passed! Eight stars—my combat power is eight stars!"
"Ugh, only seven. Normally I’d be thrilled, but now…"
"Don’t sweat it. Seven’s still great—better than most. No point comparing yourself to those freaks; you’ll just go mad."
"True. Seven stars is proof enough of my strength."
"Nine stars! Someone just scored nine stars over there!"
"Seems the later it gets, the more monsters show up."
"Whoa! What’s happening? Look over there!"
Suddenly, a dazzling golden light erupted, drawing all eyes.
Chen Chang'an noticed it too. The radiance matched—even surpassed—what Gu Xian'er and Gu Fengyao had produced.
The two women frowned. Another prodigy?
Who? Chen Yunxuan? Ye Zhiqiu?
Though they were all at the foot of Taihua Peak, the area was vast, crowded, and dotted with testing monuments.
The newcomer was far from Chen Chang'an’s group, but distance didn’t hinder his perception.
"Ah, it’s that kid," Chen Chang'an said lightly.
"You know him? Is it Chen Yunxuan or Ye Zhiqiu?" Gu Xian'er asked curiously.
"Neither. It’s Li Qiye."
"Let’s go see the show."
Li Qiye?
The fifth-ranked Li Qiye? He’s here?
By now, a crowd had gathered around Li Qiye’s testing monument, buzzing with excitement.
Another once-in-a-generation talent?
"Anyone recognize him?"
"Nope."
"Is that Chen Yunxuan?"
"Doesn’t look like him."
"Maybe Ye Zhiqiu?"
"Definitely not. Ye Zhiqiu always carries a sword, and this guy doesn’t have one. His vibe’s all wrong for a swordsman anyway."
"If he’s not Chen Yunxuan or Ye Zhiqiu, who is he? Another dark horse?"
"Given his age… could it be Li Qiye, ranked fifth on the Human Rankings?"
"Li Qiye? No way. When the rankings ended, he was only at the ninth level of the Divine Transformation Realm."
"Even with rewards, he’d only reach the first or second level of the Hollow Void Realm."
"But his cultivation now… Emperor Realm, first level?"
"In just over two and a half years since the rankings, he jumped that far?"
"Don’t forget, Li Qiye’s a year younger than Chen Yunxuan and rose to prominence a year later."
"If he’d started earlier, his strength might’ve rivaled Chen Yunxuan’s."
"Quiet! The golden light’s fading!"