Identity Exposed

On the Jade Stone Plaza, Fa Ma, Jia Xingtian, and the others stared at Yang Chen's departing back in utter disbelief.

Earlier, Jia Xingtian, Fa Ma, and the others had all assumed that once Yun Leng forcibly activated the Yunlan Sect's protective formation—the Cloud Smoke Sun-Covering Formation—a world-shaking battle would ensue.

But who could have imagined such an outcome? Who could have imagined it? Who could have imagined it?

Staring at the silver mark between Yang Chen's brows that resembled an eye, Jia Xingtian's gaze narrowed slightly as he said gravely to Fa Ma beside him.

"Old Fa Ma, did you notice it just now? That special eye!"

"Yes. He probably hadn't even used his full strength with that energy just now. However, with his current strength, it seems he still can't fully wield that mysterious eye."

As an alchemist, Fa Ma's senses were naturally far sharper than Jia Xingtian's. When Yang Chen had used that mysterious eye earlier, the energy within his body had clearly been operating under an immense burden. He was evidently nearing the limit of what he could perfectly control.

It was precisely because of this that Fa Ma became even more wary. If Yang Chen went all out and unleashed the power of that mysterious eye, he would likely be able to fight a Dou Zong expert.

Nalan Jie and Mu Chen, standing nearby, felt their hearts tighten at those words. Amid their shock, they also felt a faint hint of secret delight. If he were merely pressing down on them, they naturally would not feel comfortable. But if he stood above everyone, then it was neither wholly good nor wholly bad news for them.

Only Mittel Tengshan had his white brows tightly furrowed. No one knew what he was thinking, but his expression was especially grim.

Yang Chen swept his gaze across the plaza. Every Yunlan Sect disciple caught in his gaze lowered their proud heads in unspoken unison. Finally, his eyes settled on Yun Leng, whose face was filled with unwillingness and hesitation.

"Out of consideration for Miss Yun, I will not pursue today's matter. But if there is a next time, I will personally flatten your Cloud Mist Mountain!"

"Flatten your Cloud Mist Mountain!"

The final words, bolstered by fighting qi, rolled like thunder through the heavens, echoing above Cloud Mist Mountain and leaving the eardrums of every Yunlan Sect disciple aching.

Yun Yun, standing behind Yang Chen, bit her lip lightly with a complicated expression. Her eyes flickered as she stared at the imposing, proud figure before her, as tall and steadfast as a mountain.

A young maiden's heart was always poetic. Though Yun Yun had long passed the innocent, carefree age of Nalan Yanran, she had not experienced much of the world, and her heart remained just as simple and pure.

Her experience as the Yunlan Sect's leader told her that his words, "out of consideration for Miss Yun," were most likely mere courtesy. Yet her pure heart could not help but let her imagination wander.

Perhaps he truly had spared the Yunlan Sect because of her?

Unaware of her thoughts, Yang Chen flicked his sleeve after speaking. Without the slightest hesitation, he turned, stepped into the air, and flew toward the outskirts of Cloud Mist Mountain. This sight shocked every Yunlan Sect disciple.

Yun Leng looked as though he had seen a ghost, and a wave of lingering fear rose in his heart. Even if he summoned the old sect leader, it might not have made any difference against someone of that strength.

"Walking through the air? A Dou Zong expert?"

Nalan Jie cried out in shock. Yet the next moment, Fa Ma, whose face still bore traces of astonishment, gently shook his head and said solemnly.

"No, he isn't walking through the air. There are fluctuations of fighting qi beneath his feet."

"It is wind-attributed fighting qi. He is drawing upon the wind-attributed fighting qi between heaven and earth, gathering it beneath his feet to support himself, thereby achieving something close to walking through the air."

As a wind-attributed Dou Huang, Yun Yun saw things even more clearly than Fa Ma and Jia Xingtian. In fact, merely witnessing this move had already stirred something within her, allowing her to find a direction for her own cultivation.

For that reason, Yun Yun was even more amazed by his astonishing talent. To possess the insights of most wind-attributed Dou Zong experts while still in the Dou Wang realm was truly unimaginable.

"However, to be able to teach such a peerless monster, the force behind him and his master must surely be top experts capable of dominating the entire Fighting Qi Continent."

As Yun Yun spoke, she could not help glancing at Yun Leng. What had happened today had truly enraged even Yun Yun, who was ordinarily so mild-tempered.

In the past, these elders had relied on their seniority and the fact that they had once taught her, treating her as sect leader with little respect in private. That had been bad enough. Today, they had even directly ignored the orders of their sect leader.

"Great Elder Yun Leng, should you not give this sect leader an explanation for what happened today?"

Thinking of the misunderstanding he had caused earlier, Yun Yun's expression turned cold. Seeing this, Jia Xingtian, standing not far away, gained a few more hints of a smile.

As the royal family's guardian, Jia Xingtian had always regarded the Yunlan Sect as a grave threat. Seeing internal strife within the Yunlan Sect was naturally excellent news to him.

"Sect Leader, I would like to ask you the same. When that man humiliated our Yunlan Sect, not only did you stand idly by, you even tried to help an outsider stop Elder Gu He. Is the Yunlan Sect still in your heart, Sect Leader? Are you not afraid that such conduct will chill Elder Gu He's heart?"

Once Yun Leng learned that Yang Chen was not a Dou Zong expert, he became brazen again. He even took the initiative to drag Gu He into the matter.

Yun Yun had always regarded Gu He as a friend. But today, Gu He had even sided with Yun Leng, insisting on acting despite her attempts to stop him. This angered Yun Yun somewhat, yet with her character being consistently gentle, she merely sighed and said.

"Gu He, I have always considered you a good friend. You were indeed impulsive just now. Had Young Master Yang been unwilling to let the matter go, a great disaster might have occurred today."

Gu He opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. He neither apologized to Yun Yun nor questioned her. Yet the man who had always stood by Yun Yun's side now displayed such an attitude, which already revealed much.

A cold smile rose at the corner of Yun Leng's mouth as he said in a deep voice.

"I hope that in the future, Sect Leader will place the Yunlan Sect's greater interests first. Do not ruin the sect's important affairs over personal feelings!"

Yun Yun's willow brows knit together. She wanted to refute him, but in the end, she said nothing and merely sighed inwardly.

However, at that moment, Mittel Tengshan, who had remained silent all along, suddenly cried out in shock, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

"His surname is Yang? He has a Heavenly Eye between his brows? Hiss, he is actually the orphan left behind by the Yang Clan back then!"

The Yang Clan's orphan?

After those four words entered everyone's ears, the younger disciples naturally looked utterly confused. But after Yun Leng, Nalan Jie, Jia Xingtian, and the others racked their memories, their faces all filled with sudden realization.

"You mean he is the orphan of Yang Tianlin from the imperial capital's Yang Clan?"

After learning of Yang Chen's background, Jia Xingtian, Fa Ma, and the others immediately turned strange looks toward Nalan Jie. Mu Chen was even suppressing a smile as he said.

"If I remember correctly, Yang Tianlin's daughter seemed to have married Xiao Lin's only son back then, right? Then wouldn't he be the uncle of Xiao Yan from the Xiao Family?"

Nalan Jie first looked stunned, but in the blink of an eye, his face darkened with storm clouds. Without saying a word, he left Cloud Mist Mountain directly.

Mittel Tengshan's expression was also somewhat strange. He had not expected that his casual remark earlier had actually hit the mark. Heh, that man really had come to stand up for the Xiao Family.