The Youth Has Gone Mad

"Father!" Li Zifeng was more excited than he had ever been. Yanhuang Academy had always been his dream, and now he was only one step away from it.

"You've performed well." Li Yanfeng patted his shoulder. He wasn't one for many words, but every word he spoke carried significant weight.

"It's all thanks to your excellent guidance, Father," Li Zifeng quickly replied.

Now was the moment to reveal the results. Under the gaze of the entire city, Li Yanfeng faced the crowd and formally declared, "I hereby announce that Li Zifeng shall be established as the Heir Apparent and the successor to Lihuo City."

"Zifeng, even with today's achievements, you must not become arrogant or complacent. In the future, be cautious in your words and actions, and take each step deliberately," Li Yanfeng's eyes held a rare glint of pride.

This declaration was enough to shake everyone present to their core. It signified that the City Lord had completely abandoned the former Heir Apparent. It also meant that Li Tianming, who had won everything here four years ago, would now disappear without a trace, as if dead.

"Congratulations, City Lord, congratulations, Heir Apparent! Double happiness! And with the Yanhuang Token, it's triple happiness!" Zhao Ding, the commander of the City Guard, stood up on Tingfeng Tower and led the congratulations.

Everyone was looking at Li Yanfeng. No one noticed a young man in white suddenly stand up in a corner and walk towards Tingfeng Platform!

Tingfeng Platform wasn't far, and the young man in white moved with incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, he leaped onto the platform.

No one was foolish enough to interrupt Li Yanfeng and his son's joyous occasion at this moment, so no one stopped him. By the time they realized what was happening, it was already too late.

"Li Tianming..."

When people clearly saw the young man's face, they were stunned, their voices trembling.

After all, this young man, the stain on Lihuo City's reputation, should not have appeared here, especially at such a critical moment when he had been stripped of his title as Heir Apparent and his brother had just inherited it!

More importantly, today was City Lord Li Yanfeng's wedding day. On this joyous occasion, someone like him, a mere rat in the street, had walked to the center of attention. To put it bluntly, it was like a pile of dung being thrown onto Tingfeng Platform.

Instantly, the low murmurs of discussion swirled around like flies.

"What is he doing here? Doesn't he have any brains?"

"What decent thing can you expect from someone like him?"

"The City Lord must be furious, especially since it's his wedding day. Fortunately, Li Tianming's sickly mother didn't come."

"Someone should go up and drag him away quickly."

In the eyes of the crowd, Li Tianming seemed to have become someone who had lost his mind from grief after being stripped of his title.

However, they had underestimated Li Tianming.

He wasn't here for the title of Heir Apparent today. He had no attachment to that position or to Lihuo City as a whole.

As he raised his head, Li Yanfeng had already turned around. He narrowed his eyes, and the next moment, a terrifying aura pressed down on Li Tianming.

Li Yanfeng in front of him seemed to transform into a colossal beast that blotted out the sky, looking down at him with cold indifference.

If this were just over ten days ago, Li Tianming would likely have collapsed to the ground, unable to even move.

But now, he was the Beast Master of a Primordial Chaos Beast. Even under such a powerful aura suppression, no matter how strong the opponent was, his bloodline's nobility allowed him to hold his ground. Even if the path ahead was like wading through a swamp, he persevered and walked right up to Li Yanfeng!

"Are you insane?! Guards, quickly drag him down! Even beggars don't come to a place like this." Li Zifeng's face darkened. He was on the verge of obtaining the Yanhuang Token, and being interrupted now naturally put him in a bad mood.

Hearing Li Zifeng's command, many guards immediately stepped forward, including Ma Chaoyuan, who was sweating profusely, as he was on duty at the gate today.

However, Li Yanfeng waved his hand, signaling the guards to retreat. He valued his reputation above all else, and dragging Li Tianming away would be too unsightly.

Despite Li Yanfeng's seemingly gentle demeanor, Li Tianming understood him. The gentler he appeared, the more annoyed he was by Li Tianming's presence at that moment.

"You should be resting and recuperating. Why are you here? Zifeng has such a promising future. As his elder brother, you could choose to support him." As Li Yanfeng spoke, all other sounds in the venue faded into a whisper.

At least in front of so many people, he couldn't show any favoritism.

"Zifeng is indeed talented in cultivation, stronger than I was back then. However, before he obtains the Yanhuang Token, I want to give him one more trial," Li Tianming's tone was calm. He was not, as people imagined, losing his mind and becoming hysterical.

They were conversing as equals, with undercurrents of tension, but at least they hadn't completely lost face, making the situation awkward and a laughingstock.

Today was a joyous occasion, and appearances were paramount. On Tingfeng Tower, there were guests from other cities, from Yandu, and even from the Thunder Venerable Mansion.

"Li Tianming, what kind of joke are you playing? You're a piece of trash, and you want to give me a trial?" Li Zifeng was agitated. Being interrupted by a pile of dung during his moment of glory was a terrible experience.

"It's a joyous occasion, so speak with some decorum. Are you so afraid that you're worried you won't pass my trial?" Li Tianming asked with a smile.

Honestly, it was hard to imagine them conversing with such composure. Given the contrast in their situations, Li Zifeng should have been the one speaking calmly, and Li Tianming the one weeping.

"Stop messing around and go back to rest." When Li Yanfeng said this, it clearly indicated he was losing patience. His expression was gentle, but his eyes were dangerous.

This was a warning. If Li Tianming continued to cause trouble, he would have to lose some face, especially since Li Tianming's identity was special. If he decided to go all out, he could still embarrass Li Yanfeng.

He hadn't expected this mother and son to be so tactless. He had already given them a chance to leave peacefully.

"I'm not joking. I'm not yet twenty years old, and I still meet the participation criteria for the final selection of Yanhuang Academy. The rules do not state that I cannot obtain the Yanhuang Token again today, even though I received it four years ago!" Li Tianming met Li Yanfeng's dangerous gaze directly and stated his true intention clearly and firmly in front of everyone!

This statement caused a stir, followed, of course, by scornful laughter.

"This child has been through so much that he's completely lost his mind," said Zhao Ding, the commander of the City Guard.

"He must have lost his senses. Your people actually let him in; this is going to be a big problem," said Gao Qingyuan, a senior scholar from Lihuo Academy.

"I suspect he wants to die and get revenge on the City Lord."

"What an ungrateful wretch. Has he forgotten who raised him? The matter with Yanhuang Academy was his own doing, drugging someone and committing beastly acts. Who can he blame but himself?"

Amidst the murmurs, people felt that Li Tianming had achieved his goal; he had indeed made Li Yanfeng look somewhat embarrassed at that moment.

Everyone knew how much Li Yanfeng valued his reputation!

The only one who could laugh was Li Zifeng. He froze for a moment after hearing Li Tianming's words, then burst into laughter, "Brother Tianming, are you trying to challenge me as a mortal so I can kill you, allowing you to die with some honor?"

"Do you dare to accept my challenge?" Li Tianming asked.

"Of course, I have no problem with that. However, you're not a child anymore, so no throwing tantrums on the Tingfeng Platform after you lose!" Li Zifeng knew the current situation was a bit awkward; his father wasn't handling this matter well.

So, after speaking, he quickly said to Li Yanfeng, "Father, don't worry, I won't kill him. Let me defeat him symbolically and then drag him away. It's more appropriate for me to deal with him since he's targeting me."

He believed that this approach would help alleviate his father's burden. After all, if his father or someone else dragged Li Tianming away, it would give outsiders the impression of "unfairness."

"Be mindful of the limits," Li Yanfeng said, naturally not wanting this trouble to escalate. Given the difference in their strength, Li Zifeng was more than capable of easily subduing and knocking him out before taking him away.

His companion beast was dead, and its vital energy was almost depleted. How could a mortal defeat a Beast Master at the Seventh Level of Beast Vein Realm!

After speaking, he didn't even glance at Li Tianming again. He leaped directly onto the Tingfeng Tower and smiled at the guests, saying, "Everyone, I apologize for the embarrassment. You've all heard about my son's behavior; it's truly a family shame we shouldn't air."

"City Lord Li, you don't need to feel awkward. After all, every family has its own difficulties. This child doesn't understand your good intentions and is causing trouble. We parents have done our best," said a prominent figure from Yandu.

"Fortunately, Zifeng is still promising. My lord, let Zifeng handle it. He will teach Tianming the wisdom of turning back from the brink," said Madam Mo, Li Yanfeng's second wife.

As for Madam Huang, she knew Li Tianming had recovered some strength, but since it wasn't mentioned initially, she couldn't say anything now.

"Liu Qing?" After Li Yanfeng sat down, he noticed his new wife was watching the Tingfeng Platform with considerable interest.

"Brother Feng, looking at your eldest son, even though he's rumored to have lost his companion beast, his demeanor and conversation don't seem so unbearable," Liu Qing said, her beautiful eyes shimmering.

"He's just putting on a brave face; I know him," Li Yanfeng thought, feeling a surge of magma-like anger in his abdomen. His fiery temper was merely hidden beneath his gentle and refined exterior.

"Brother Feng, there's no need to get angry. Just treat it like watching a play. Everyone knows what this child has done, and no one will judge you for it," Liu Qing said tenderly.

"You understand me best," Li Yanfeng said, narrowing his eyes as he watched the scene unfold.

As expected, these two sons were now locked in a fierce confrontation.