Chen Yang spoke these words while imagining all the possible reactions from the boy in front of him. However, he was confident that he had said nothing wrong. Thinking that his cultivation was superior, he merely lowered his head slightly and made a humble gesture.

I’m not breaking the rules? What can you do about it?

Chen Yang thought to himself.

Yet, he received no reply for a long time. His gaze soon landed on Li Zhouwei’s face. His dark pupils shifted towards the boy’s narrow eyes, revealing a somber look of scrutiny. He neither bowed nor saluted, even carrying a slightly condescending air.

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

As his gaze met the eyes of the heir before him, his mind suddenly went blank. All the sinister arrogance in his heart seemed to be laid bare. He muttered inwardly,

I’m in trouble

.

In an instant, Li Zhouwei suddenly stepped forward. Chen Yang only felt a tightness in his throat as a pair of hands, swift as lightning, shot up along his neck and clamped down on his throat.

"You—!" exclaimed Chen Yang.

He had never expected Li Zhouwei to erupt so suddenly. Yet, the boy pounced like a ferocious beast, with overwhelming force. In an instant, Chen Yang lost his balance and fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

Bang!

Chen Yang’s head slammed hard against the stone floor, so hard that stars burst before his eyes. The impact was anything but light. If not for his cultivation at the fourth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm, he would have likely lost consciousness from the blow.

A surge of fury burned up his throat. His hands clawed at the air as several spells surfaced in his mind, but he suppressed his rage. Only then did he realize that his opponent had already straddled him, pressing down on his chest. His arms were pinned to the sides, making it impossible to form any spell gestures.

Chen Yang could hardly breathe and panic surged in his heart as his casting posture was restricted. However, he was no ordinary person. He quickly came up with a countermeasure and began prying off Li Zhouwei’s hand.

His cultivation is much lower than mine! As long as I activate my mana, I can immediately turn the tables on him!

Just as this thought arose, Li Zhouwei decisively released his grip. Freeing his hands, he grabbed the inkstone from the table and smashed it onto Chen Yang’s forehead without hesitation. As the black ink splattered, a red-black bruise immediately spread across his forehead and his eyebrows twitched in fury.

"To hell with you," said Chen Yang.

The strike made Chen Yang’s hands loosen their grip. However, with his cultivation at the fourth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm, he only felt momentarily dizzy before quickly regaining clarity. His suppressed contempt and rage finally broke free. He grabbed onto Li Zhouwei’s clothing, attempting to pull him up.

Chen Yang was no ordinary child. The Chen Family had accumulated many sword arts and techniques over the past hundred years. While their techniques at the Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment Realm could not compare to the direct descendants of the Li Family, their techniques at the Embryonic Breathing Realm were certainly formidable. An azure glow had already begun to flicker in Chen Yang's hands.

Clang.

But once again, Li Zhouwei caught him off guard. A chilling clang of cold iron rang out as the table was kicked over. Li Zhouwei had already drawn the long halberd hidden beneath it.

The azure glow in Chen Yang’s hands froze mid-air. The gleaming tip of the halberd was pressed directly against his throat. The frigid metal sent a chill through his body, making his hair stand on end. His seething rage quickly dissipated and was swallowed back down.

Damn it… Who the hell keeps a halberd under a table? It’s not even a personal sword! Is he constantly on guard against assassins or what?!

But there was no time to dwell on it. A sharp pain pricked his throat, forcing Chen Yang to step back slowly. His eyes met those dark golden irises that were utterly devoid of emotion. For a moment, the only sound in the courtyard was the slow scuffing of their boots against the ground.

Li Zhouwei remained silent, his gaze calm as he steadily forced Chen Yang into a corner. Only then did he finally speak his first words, "Do not look at me with those eyes."

Chen Yang hesitated for a moment before instinctively smoothing his expression. In an instant, all traces of cunning, contempt, and calculated judgment vanished without a trace.

But he suddenly felt Li Zhouwei’s grip tighten further. The halberd pressed forward with force. Chen Yang’s mind reeled in disbelief as he screamed internally,

Is he insane?!

Thud.

The halberd plunged viciously into the wooden wall behind him. Fear crashed through Chen Yang like a landslide. Cold sweat dripped down his face, his legs giving out beneath him as he collapsed to his knees. He lowered his head, only for the man before him to lift his chin once more.

He was forced to meet those dark golden eyes. Within them, strange ring-like shapes expanded and contracted, like black halos sinking and rising in molten gold.

Only when Li Zhouwei saw the terror he desired in Chen Yang’s eyes did he finally release his grip. Chen Yang slumped weakly before him, barely managing to prop himself up. Through his blurry vision, he vaguely made out three figures standing silently at the entrance of the courtyard.

One was clad in dark golden armor, broad-shouldered and imposing. Another was dressed in flowing white robes with a sword strapped to his back. Neither of them spoke, they simply watched in silence. Only an old man hurried forward, setting the overturned table upright as he asked, "What happened here?!"

Chen Yang’s blood, mixed with ink, dripped slowly from Li Zhouwei’s forearm. The boy clasped his hands and replied, "Sir, it was nothing more than playful roughhousing."

Li Xuanxuan sighed, waved his hand, and called for the white ape waiting outside the courtyard. He spoke in a low voice, "Take him away and use the Meditation Spell to calm him. The child has been frightened, he will need time to recover."

Chen Yang was lifted and carried out of the courtyard by the white ape. Li Xuanxuan frowned at the mess before casually casting a few spells. Using mana, he restored the disordered objects to their proper places before finally sitting down.

Once Li Xuanfeng had taken his seat, Li Xijun, with a faint smile on his lips, also sat down and began brewing tea. He spoke softly, "This Chen Family boy… is rather interesting."

Li Xuanfeng merely observed Li Zhouwei carefully and said casually, "He has a fierce look."

Li Xuanxuan remained silent, but Li Xijun showed no sign of concern. He chuckled and said, "He's more cunning than cautious, talented but arrogant, and unwilling to succumb to others.. Though his innate ability is extraordinary, enough to carve out a legacy in this era. His arrogance will be his downfall sooner or later."

As Li Xijun spoke, Li Xuanxuan gave a slight nod. Meanwhile, Li Zhouwei, sitting quietly to the side, blinked. He seemed to understand the underlying message and silently accepted it.

"One can only hope that setbacks will teach him to change." Li Xuanfeng shifted his cup and said in a low voice, "People like him don’t change. Just like Jianixi back then, sharp in all matters, undefeated in every battle. But when the moment of reckoning came, he still met his end."

Li Xuanxuan pondered for a long while before finally speaking, his voice soft, "Only our heir can keep this Chen Family boy in check."

Li Xuanxuan’s words eased the concerns of the others. He smiled, gently patting Li Zhouwei as he spoke, "In less than two years, you've already condensed the Radiant Lure Chakra and reached the second stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm."

Li Xuanfeng had been carefully observing him for a long while before finally saying, "I’ve been traveling between the southern border and the Eastern Sea these past days, paying close attention to various matters. Let me explain them to you clearly."

He paused for a moment before continuing in a low voice, "First is the matter of Bright Yang. In the past, the Bright Yang Dao Lineage was rare with only a few remaining inheritors on a few offshore islands. But due to the Eastern Fire incident, Bright Yang Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators has now emerged both inland and overseas. It is gradually becoming known to more people."

"This Foundation Establishment Realm is highly beneficial for descendants, yet cultivators who practice it tend to grow increasingly fierce in temperament. They were either becoming more domineering or more stubborn, due to the influence of the Immortal Foundation Realm."

Li Xijun frowned slightly, recalling Li Ximing from the mountain. Li Xuanfeng continued saying, "In the balance of Yin and Yang, Bright Yang corresponds to Veiled Yin. Dao lineages complement and counteract each other, you must be mindful of this."

"In the northwest, Wu State borders the Western Sea, with a region known as Jizhong. There lies the Chen State, also called the Kingdom of Daughters, where cultivation follows the path of Veiled Yin. Though they rarely interact with the outside world nowadays, one must remain vigilant."