"What!?"
"I... I got slapped?"
Ji Yuan covered his swollen cheek, staring at Xiao Chen in disbelief.
He was the young master of Jitian Prefecture, raised to believe in his superiority. Even Xuanwu Realm experts bowed their heads in his presence. And yet, he had just been slapped by a teenager his own age?
How dare he!
Rage surged within Ji Yuan. His teeth gnashed as he roared, "Ji Long, kill him! Tear him to pieces!"
"Yes, young master! Rest assured, I will make him suffer a fate worse than death."
Ji Long's voice was low and menacing as he turned his glare toward Xiao Chen. This boy was fast and ruthless—so fast that Ji Long hadn't even reacted before Ji Yuan was struck.
The realization infuriated him. "Brat, how dare you strike the young master? You must have a death wish."
As his words fell, powerful Xuan energy rippled around him, surging toward Xiao Chen like a violent tide.
"Level three of the Xuanwu Realm?"
Xiao Chen murmured, glancing at Ji Yuan.
A mere young master being protected by a level three Xuanwu Realm expert—Jitian Prefecture's power was evident. After all, Zhao Qian, the second-strongest expert in Tianyang Prefecture, was also at this level. Yet, Ji Long seemed even stronger.
"Oh? So you recognize the strength of a level three Xuanwu Realm expert? Are you afraid now?" Ji Yuan sneered. "An expert like him could kill you a thousand times over!"
Seeing what he assumed was fear in Xiao Chen's eyes, Ji Yuan felt emboldened. "Too late for regrets. Since you dared to slap me, you will die today!"
He smirked, his pain already forgotten in his twisted joy.
"Haha, level three of the Xuanwu Realm? Is that supposed to be impressive?"
Xiao Chen chuckled, his Xuan energy suddenly erupting without him even making a move.
"What?!"
Ji Long instinctively stepped back, shock flashing in his eyes. This boy had blocked his energy? Even a level nine Spirit Incarnation Realm expert would have been crushed under his attack.
"Are you surprised? The best is yet to come!" Xiao Chen grinned before vanishing from sight.
Ji Long's pupils shrank. "Oh no! Run! Young master, run!"
His voice was filled with fear. Without hesitation, he clenched his fists and unleashed his full strength.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A terrifying force erupted, blasting through the surroundings. Towering ancient trees exploded into splinters, the ground cracked, and shockwaves swept through the air.
But Xiao Chen remained unfazed. His expression was indifferent, almost mocking.
"What a cheap trick."
He stepped down forcefully.
Bam!
Countless shards of tree debris suddenly floated, shimmering with an unnatural glow as though imbued with life.
With a flick of his foot, the debris shot forward like a deadly storm.
Ji Long's powerful attack was obliterated in an instant.
"D*mn, I'm having the worst luck today!" Ji Long panicked. He didn't fear the tree debris itself, but in Xiao Chen's hands, it had become as lethal as divine weapons. His strongest attack had been effortlessly crushed!
"Please... spare me..."
Ji Long took a step forward, intending to beg for mercy. But before he could finish, the storm of debris engulfed him.
His body was riddled with holes in an instant.
Thud!
Ji Long collapsed, nothing more than a lifeless corpse.
It all happened in a heartbeat—so fast that Ji Yuan didn't even have time to react.
His mind was still processing Ji Long's warning to run when reality struck him like a thunderbolt.
Seeing Ji Long's corpse, his face turned deathly pale.
"Y-You killed Ji Long!" he shrieked, his voice breaking. His disbelief bordered on madness.
Ji Long had been a level three Xuanwu Realm expert. How could he have died so quickly?
More terrifying was that the one who killed him was a boy no older than himself!
Suddenly, Ji Yuan thought of something. He looked at Xiao Chen, his face drained of all color. "The formation plate... Did you blast open the gates of the Sky Thunder Clan?"
Xiao Chen sneered. "If I didn't, who else could have?"
Ji Yuan felt as if lightning had struck him.
He had assumed Xiao Chen acquired the formation plate by sheer luck. But no—he had taken it with his own strength!
"You... You can even blast open the gates of the Sky Thunder Clan? Your strength... is at least level five of the Xuanwu Realm!"
Ji Yuan's voice trembled with every word. The realization crushed him.
"Haha! You still have time to guess my strength? How kind-hearted of you." Xiao Chen sneered, looking down at Ji Yuan. "Earlier, you asked if I knew of Jitian Prefecture. Do you still think that matters?"
He took a step forward. "On the contrary... I now decide whether you live or die."
Ji Yuan's breath hitched. "I admit you're strong, but you can't kill me!"
He forced himself to calm down. "I concede my loss today. Let me go, and this matter ends here."
Xiao Chen scoffed. "Where does your confidence come from?"
With a casual motion, he raised his palm, ready to end Ji Yuan's life.
However—
Boom!
A terrifying force suddenly erupted, knocking Xiao Chen backward.
A vast, oppressive energy surged forth, carrying the weight of the heavens.
The sky darkened, the air thick with an overwhelming pressure.
Xiao Chen took three steps back, his expression solemn for the first time.
To be able to repel his attack—this person was not ordinary!
A deep, commanding voice echoed through the air. "Who dares touch my son?"
A powerful shockwave rippled outward, distorting the sky itself.
A man in green robes emerged, radiating profound light. Behind his head, a faint halo shimmered, making him appear both ethereal and majestic.
"Father!" Ji Yuan cried out in relief.
His fear turned to triumph. Laughing wildly, he pointed at Xiao Chen. "Haha! No matter how strong you are, you're dead today! My father is a Lingwu Realm expert!"