The Zhang Family Arrives!

"Isn't Xiao Chen far too arrogant? Senior Sister Qingxuan is the Ninth Princess of Great Xia, while he's merely a Heaven-Jealous One—a cripple who won't live past twenty. What gives him the right to speak to Junior Sister Qingxuan like that?"

"Exactly! If Senior Sister Qingxuan would smile at me just once, I'd be willing to die for it. Xiao Chen truly doesn't know what's good for him!"

"Hah, he knows a bit of swordsmanship and suddenly doesn't know his own weight! No matter how skilled his swordsmanship is, isn't he still a short-lived ghost?"

Ye Qingxuan's several bootlicking junior brothers immediately grew displeased and began mocking him one after another.

Ye Qingxuan turned a deaf ear to her admirers' words. Her beautiful eyes remained fixed on Xiao Chen as she said proudly, "Xiao Chen, I'll give you one final chance. Apologize to me immediately, and promise that you will never speak to this woman again. Then perhaps I can give you a chance to reconcile with me."

She was extremely upset. Xiao Chen had liked her for so many years and treated her so well for so many years—what right did he have to change just like that?

Had he gotten her permission?

Meanwhile, Lin Qingxian was completely bewildered.

What did this have to do with her?

She had brought Xiao Chen here to kill demons, not to court romance!

"Ye Qingxuan, can't you understand? The bond between us has been severed. From this day forth, we part with peace on both sides, and there will be no further entanglements!"

Xiao Chen looked at Ye Qingxuan, his expression cold.

Ye Qingxuan stood frozen in place. Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar Xiao Chen before her, she felt as though she had suffered an immense grievance, and her eyes immediately reddened.

As the Xia Emperor's most beloved Ninth Princess, she had stood above all others from the moment she was born. Since childhood, she had always gotten whatever she wanted; there had never been anything she could not obtain.

Yet now, she had actually failed to win Xiao Chen's heart back!

This was simply unacceptable to her!

When Ye Qingxuan's many admirers saw this, they immediately flew into a rage.

In their eyes, Ye Qingxuan was like a fairy descended from heaven. How could they allow trash like Xiao Chen to humiliate her?

"Xiao Chen, apologize to Senior Sister Qingxuan immediately, or I definitely won't let you off!"

"As a man, how can you be so heartless? Do you have any humanity left?"

"Apologize! Kneel and apologize! Otherwise, you won't leave this place today!"

Several bootlickers shouted angrily.

"Since birth, Ye Qingxuan and I were childhood sweethearts, innocent companions. I treated her so well that I would have given up even my life for her. Yet when my dantian was shattered, she immediately changed her face and chose to leave me! Worse still, she bewitched my own younger brother into forcing me to break off the engagement. When I refused, he beat me until I was gravely injured and nearly killed!"

"Heh heh, this is the flawless goddess Ye Qingxuan in your eyes! She's more venomous than a poisonous snake. Am I not allowed to draw a clear line between us?"

Xiao Chen swept his gaze across them, a cold smile hanging on his lips.

As soon as these words were spoken—

Everyone's faces showed a trace of shock.

In particular, several female students of Zhenkun Academy even had a hint of anger in their eyes!

Ye Qingxuan had actually done such things to Xiao Chen?

This... was far too ruthless, wasn't it?

Though they did not know the full truth, they had heard some rumors. They knew that Xiao Chen had indeed treated Ye Qingxuan extremely well in the past, while Ye Qingxuan had chosen to return to the imperial capital after Xiao Chen's dantian was shattered.

However, they knew nothing about her bewitching Xiao Lingtian into forcing Xiao Chen to break off the engagement!

Now that they had heard it, they found it utterly horrifying!

She had an engagement with Xiao Chen, yet she hooked up with Xiao Lingtian to force Xiao Chen to annul it—and even had Xiao Chen beaten nearly to death!

That truly went too far!

One could imagine how despairing Xiao Chen must have been at the time!

Even Lin Qingxian cast Xiao Chen a pitying glance.

She had never expected that Xiao Chen had suffered such a tremendous setback in love. No wonder he was now so heartless toward Ye Qingxuan!

His heart had probably truly died, hadn't it?

"Xiao Chen, things aren't as you think! How could I possibly have let Xiao Lingtian hurt you? You've misunderstood me!"

Feeling everyone's strange gazes, Ye Qingxuan's expression changed drastically, and she hurriedly tried to explain.

At the time, she had merely told Xiao Lingtian that he absolutely had to make Xiao Chen break off the engagement. She had never expected Xiao Lingtian to be so ruthless as to nearly beat Xiao Chen to death!

"It doesn't matter anymore! Ye Qingxuan, I've already given up on you. I only want to tell you this: don't bother me again in the future, because I truly hate you."

Xiao Chen spoke calmly, and that breezy, indifferent manner once again lightly pierced Ye Qingxuan's heart.

You used to love me!

You used to love me so much!

But why were you now saying such heartless things to me?

How could you be so cruel, taking back all the kindness you once showed me without leaving even the slightest bit behind!

Didn't you know that hurt people deeply?

"Won't you even give me one last chance?"

Ye Qingxuan's face was streaked with tears, like pear blossoms drenched in rain.

"Opportunity? How could there be so many opportunities in this world? I gave you countless chances before, yet you never cherished any of them! At this point, what opportunity could you possibly have left?"

Xiao Chen refused without hesitation!

If he had not awakened the system and regained his talent, Ye Qingxuan probably would not even spare him another glance, would she?

More than ten years of affection might have been worth less than nothing in this woman's eyes!

How could he possibly give a woman like this another chance!

"Xiao Chen, are you really going to be this heartless?"

"I don't care what Senior Sister Qingxuan did to you before, but now, you must immediately kneel and apologize to him!"

"That's right! Right this instant—kneel down, kowtow, and apologize!"

Those lapdogs could no longer hold themselves back. To win Ye Qingxuan's favor, they sprang forward, drew the long sabers from their waists, and glared furiously at Xiao Chen!

With a casual sweep of his hand, Xiao Chen swung his sword. The three steel-forged curved sabers were sliced cleanly in two.

Looking at the broken blades in their hands, the men's expressions changed drastically.

"Xiao Chen, you..."

"I'm sorry, Young Master Chen. We misspoke. We'll leave at once!"

One of them still wanted to spit out a threat, but the other two immediately knocked him unconscious with their fists and dragged him away.

They had only recklessly come out to provoke Xiao Chen in a moment of impulse.

The instant their long sabers were cut apart, they sobered up completely.

The Xiao Chen before them was a sword cultivator with terrifying killing power!

He slaughtered Ironclad Wolf Demons as easily as slicing tofu—killing them would be even easier!

Furthermore, this man struck without mercy and likely would not care about their identities. He had even killed the Zhang Family's young master. If they continued to speak insolently, they would truly be courting death!

Just then, several sharp whistles tore through the air as five middle-aged men with terrifying auras suddenly appeared before Xiao Chen and the others.

The leading middle-aged man had a deep, powerful aura, with threads of frightening martial intent permeating his body. A long saber scar stretched across his face, running from his eyebrow all the way to the corner of his mouth and nearly cutting through his entire right cheek, making him look exceptionally vicious.

The scar-faced man coldly swept his gaze over Xiao Chen before turning his eyes toward Ye Qingxuan and the others. When he saw Ye Qingxuan, his gaze sharpened. He slowly walked over, gave a slight bow, and said, "Ninth Princess, may I ask whether you have seen my family's young master, Zhang Youzhi?"

"Huh? Isn't that Zhang Shiyi, the Zhang Family's chief guard? His Whirlwind Saber Technique has been honed to perfection and is terrifying beyond measure. I heard his cultivation reached the ninth level of the Martial Disciple Realm long ago, only a hair's breadth away from becoming a Martial Master!"

"He came looking for Zhang Youzhi at a time like this—doesn't that mean Xiao Chen is finished? There's no way a seventh-level Sword Disciple can defeat a ninth-level Martial Disciple! And Zhang Shiyi isn't an ordinary ninth-level Martial Disciple either—he's a Half-Step Martial Master!"

Some Zhenkun Academy students recognized the scar-faced man's background and could not help crying out in alarm.

Lin Qingxian's expression also shifted slightly when she saw Zhang Shiyi and the others, a trace of gravity flashing through her eyes.

One Half-Step Martial Master, and four eighth-level Martial Disciples!

This lineup was far too strong!

Yet Xiao Chen remained calm, not the least bit nervous.

Just moments ago, he had learned from the system that because he cultivated the Heaven-Defying Demon Slayer Art, his strength far surpassed that of ordinary people, allowing him to be invincible within the same realm.

But this invincibility within the same realm did not refer to the same minor level. It referred to the same major realm.

For example, Xiao Chen, at the first level of the Sword Disciple Realm, could kill someone at the ninth level of the Sword Disciple Realm. That level of combat power was truly outrageous.

Still, the Martial God Physique and the Heaven-Defying Demon Slayer Art existing within one person was something rarely seen even across the ages. With such combat power, it was not entirely inexplicable.

In other words, the current Xiao Chen had no rivals beneath the Martial Master Realm!

Zhang Shiyi and the others were nothing to fear!

"Leave now. Once they discover that Zhang Youzhi is dead, you may not be able to leave anymore!"

Lin Qingxian came to Xiao Chen's side and spoke in a low voice.

With the strength of just the two of them, they could never be a match for these five men!

At that moment, she felt Xiao Chen had been too impulsive earlier. If he had not killed Zhang Youzhi, how could they be facing this crisis now?