When Chen Yang was still the Zhennan Prince, people all across the nation speculated about the personal combat ability of the Nine Gates Admiral, wondering how it measured up beyond his skill at leading troops.
In the time that passed, the former Nine Gates Admiral had been promoted to the War God of the State.
Seventeenth rank, Emperor of the Firmament.
This level of strength undoubtedly made him the most prominent young talent of the era. When the truth was unveiled, the entire world was in an uproar.
It turned out that this young prodigy's personal combat ability stood at the absolute pinnacle. Most crucially, he wasn't even thirty years old!
In this vast nation, there were many brave and skilled warriors, but a top-tier prodigy like him was rarer than a phoenix feather.
For a time, it wasn't just the common folk who were in shock. Even the four major Martial Districts, excluding Hanyun Valley, were in a commotion, especially the Chenlong Martial District, which had never conceded defeat.
A pall of dismay settled over them, and countless people were left with lingering fears. They even had to make changes to Han Shaobai's funeral arrangements.
"Did you see that? That's the supreme style of my Boss!" In a nearby teahouse, Jingnan Prince Liu Wu stood with his hands behind his back, his face flushed with excitement. He stood tall and proud as if sharing in the glory.
"Tsk, tsk, unimaginable, truly unimaginable."
Beside him, Wu Xing was dumbstruck for a long moment. After snapping back to reality, he nodded repeatedly in admiration, his face already covered in a broad smile. Even someone like him, who had lived for decades, had never seen such a monstrous prodigy.
Relief, exhilaration, and regret flickered across his face. The regret, of course, was due to Chen Yang relinquishing his position as Supreme Martial Commander.
Whether for the Elders' Court or for such a vast country, his departure was a tremendous loss.
"That guy... he's simply not human."
"Just imagine, if he were still the Supreme Martial Commander, who would dare to challenge his might across the vast expanse of our nation's borders?"
Countless people were overcome with emotion.
At this level, he could already be called a Venerable One, only a single step away from the Sacred Realm. With such combat prowess, if such an individual were guarding the nation's gates, who would dare to offend them?
It was a great pity he was no longer in that position.
Moreover, the current Chen Yang had to face the combined oppression of the four great imperial families. Even with Chen Jinnan's help, how could just two people possibly resist? The heritage of the imperial families was far beyond an ordinary person's imagination. No matter how strong one's individual power was, it could not shake such colossal entities.
WHOOSH...
At this moment, the only sound on the field was the howling of the wind.
A group of royals had come explicitly to mock him and kick him while he was down. Now, however, they were tensely silent, subconsciously stepping back and not daring to speak.
The situation had now devolved into an internal affair of the Chen Clan. To be precise, it could be seen as a continuation of the internal strife from twenty-eight years ago.
"To think this guy grew to this point while living on his own, without any resources from the Chen Family... If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, who would believe it?"
"Given more time, wouldn't stepping into the Sacred Realm be a matter of course for him?"
As the members of the other imperial families reflected, they also felt a sense of relief. They were relieved that Chen Yang and the current Chen Family were mortal enemies; otherwise, their own families would be in for a very difficult time. How could they not feel anxious watching another family's tower rise to such heights?
Chen Yang's peers were so envious their eyes turned red. At twenty-seven or twenty-eight, in the prime of their lives, the difference in their talent and strength was as vast as heaven and earth.
While they were still competing amongst themselves, he was already a step ahead, ready to lock horns with the older generation of powerhouses.
Many sighed in dismay.
Chen Lirong's palm was pierced. It was a serious injury, and blood spread freely from the wound. He staggered back several steps, each footfall cracking the ground and spreading a spiderweb of fissures.
Chen Lirong quickly hid his hand behind his back, forcibly staunching the bleeding. His expression fluctuated unpredictably, making for quite a spectacle. He would never have dreamed that this young man could be so formidable.
Why did he wait until Chen Jinnan had left the field before showing himself? I thought I could easily crush him, but...
SHIING.
A golden gleam flashed and then vanished in the blink of an eye.
Chen Yang, clad in full armor and wielding a long spear, slowly lifted his eyelids. His movements were deliberate, like an old tortoise taking a stroll. Yet this very motion was like a slumbering, iron-clad War God, immersed in stillness for countless ages, suddenly reviving to its full vitality.
As his eyes opened, that same golden gleam burst forth from his pupils, as brilliant as the two most dazzling stars in the vast universe.
Born extraordinary, with a gaze that is peerless.
When I open my eyes, my light shatters mountains and rivers.
HISS!
Chen Lirong staggered back several more steps, his heart pounding wildly. The scene before him reminded him of the Chen Family's Inner Court's legendary Demon Monarch, Chen Hua.
In his youth, did Chen Hua possess such an extraordinary aura? The most critical thing is, this Chen Yang before me shows no signs of awakening the Chen Family's unique Bloodline Power.
He took a sharp breath, his eyes wide with shock.
"My son, Chen Yang, is nothing like that useless Chen Xiao of yours. And you, a bully who scorns everyone else... utterly laughable," Chen Jinnan spoke, his tone filled with merciless mockery. The corner of his mouth curled up slightly, showing the deep, innate pride he felt for having such a son.
To have a son like this was enough for one lifetime.
"You..." Chen Lirong's mouth twitched. To be ridiculed so publicly was the height of shame, especially when his own son lay bleeding on the ground while the other man's son stood like a golden-armored War God, magnificent and imposing.
"No matter how strong he is, he'll never win my approval in this life! Nor will he gain the recognition and acceptance of the entire Chen Clan!" Chen Lirong bit out.
"Who are you that I should seek your approval? And what does the Chen Clan have to do with me?" Chen Yang flicked his long spear, his tone as unhurried and indifferent as the wind.
Chen Lirong flew into a rage. These words were utterly defiant! Not only did the boy disregard him, an elder, but he also showed contempt for the Chen Clan, the very source of his bloodline?
What arrogance!
"Boy, you're forgetting your roots! Do you really think you're somebody?" Chen Lirong scolded sharply, using the tone of an elder lecturing a junior.
Chen Yang laughed, glancing at the fallen Chen Xiao. "You've never acknowledged my identity. You've always seen me as the descendant of a criminal, someone you'd rather see dead."
"So, why should I hold your Chen Clan in any regard?"
"And another thing... have you forgotten the massacre from twenty-eight years ago?"
Chen Lirong was rendered speechless.
"So you want to kill me while also using the Chen Clan's authority to pressure me? You're trying to have it both ways, thinking I'm that easy to bully?"
Chen Lirong was speechless once more. This sharp retort left him red-faced. He tried several times to form a rebuttal but found himself unable to speak.
"You sharp-tongued brat! As your elder, I can't be bothered to argue with you," Chen Lirong huffed, giving himself an out.
However, Chen Yang's eyes suddenly narrowed. "Elder?"
His tone was cold, carrying a supreme pressure that caused Chen Lirong's expression to change drastically. He could clearly feel the intense killing intent and fury erupting from Chen Yang.
"Make it clear. Whose elder are you?"
Chen Lirong's face twisted, but he dared not speak.
"Hmm?" Chen Yang pressed. Chen Lirong's expression contorted, but he remained furiously silent.
Off to the side, Chen Jinnan's mouth twisted into a half-smile, clearly relishing the spectacle.
WHOOSH.
The next second, Chen Yang moved. A golden gleam appeared, racing across his armor with the speed of a fleeting sword. It flowed into his spear as he slashed down.
The air tore, and the world trembled.
A visible wave of overwhelming pressure swept out, descending from the sky to suppress Chen Lirong.
"You..."
Feeling deeply humiliated, Chen Lirong retreated a step and raised his right hand. A massive palm imprint blotted out the sky, its power astonishing. He frantically unleashed the full might of his peak sixteenth-stage power.
Chen Yang paid it no mind and swung his arm.
The spear struck like thunder, its deafening roar like that of mountains collapsing and the earth splitting asunder.
A strike that arced like the heavens, utterly peerless and unmatched.