Ao Tianyu stood high above, looking down at Fang Chen like a superior addressing an inferior.
He was arrogant and imperious, and his posture radiated an air of superiority that made Fang Chen deeply uncomfortable. *This guy is such a show-off,* he thought.
He even suspected Ao Tianyu had deliberately timed his appearance to make such a grand entrance. *Why didn't he show up earlier? Why now? Isn't this just a blatant display of arrogance?*
"I don't like being spoken down to," Fang Chen said, his face beaming with a radiant smile that was so bright it felt like a spring breeze.
Yet the crowd felt no such warmth; instead, they saw a smile hiding a dagger.
"What if I don't come down?" Ao Tianyu asked, folding his hands behind his back and continuing to gaze down at Fang Chen.
He wanted to see what this "strongest prodigy" was really made of.
Fang Chen had reached the Returning Void Realm at just twenty years old, earlier than Ao Tianyu himself had, which deeply unsettled him.
This was precisely why Ao Tianyu had come to the Heavenly Pride Assembly—clearly to confront Fang Chen.
This was all deliberate, a calculated move to put Fang Chen in his place.
"Truth be told, I can't stand people like you!"
"You refuse to listen when I try to reason with you. To assert your so-called authority, you dismiss others' words as wind in your ears."
"It's infuriating. Sometimes I really don't want to resort to violence against you."
Fang Chen sighed in frustration, then continued, "But sometimes... I do enjoy people like you."
"I enjoy the look of disbelief when you fail, and I relish your furious rage afterward."
As Fang Chen spoke, a terrifying power spread forth, silent and undetectable. Not a soul noticed—not even the powerhouses in the void.
By the time they sensed it, the power had erupted completely, detonating precisely where Ao Tianyu stood.
The phoenix formed from Phoenix Truefire exploded in a thunderous blast.
It was as if a hand had suddenly materialized in the void, crushing the Divine Fire Phoenix into dust.
The attack was so sudden that Ao Tianyu had no time to react.
By the time he realized it, the immense power had already erupted completely. An invisible force exploded, shattering the phoenix beneath his feet into pieces.
Though he didn't suffer the same fate as the Divine Fire Phoenix, Ao Tianyu was left utterly disheveled, his body torn to shreds.
He wasn't physically injured, but he looked utterly pathetic.
Fang Chen had already appeared in mid-air, a white light erupting to form a true dragon coiling around his body.
A powerful aura spread outward, exuding a terrifying presence like that of an supreme emperor or a celestial being descending to the mortal realm, looking down upon the world with disdain!
The roles of the two men seemed to have reversed. Ao Tianyu appeared utterly disheveled, while Fang Chen's aura was extraordinary, exuding the presence of one who would rule the world.
"Are you satisfied now?" Fang Chen asked, smiling down at Ao Tianyu.
He deeply disliked these arrogant show-offs. Ao Tianyu, Xiao Yunting, and Xue Jinglun were all the same—their hearts filled with pride, convinced of their own extraordinary talents, always believing themselves superior and looking down on others.
This is a characteristic of this book, and perhaps of many books.
Some books handle it stiffly, while others do it more naturally.
At that moment, the surroundings fell deathly silent, leaving only Fang Chen's calm words.
"Haha! Good and evil get their due! Only the Cloud Heaven Holy Son could subdue him!"
"Well done! I've long despised his arrogant demeanor!"
Gao Xiaoliang and Song Que felt a wave of satisfaction and burst into hearty laughter.
Ao Tianyu, who prided himself on being the foremost young genius of his generation, was insufferably arrogant and universally disliked.
The Demon Clan was even worse, celebrating prematurely before the competition had even concluded.
If they had held an advantage in the upcoming battle, their premature celebration might have been understandable.
But to celebrate before the final match had even begun was simply excessive.
"Is the Cloud Heaven Holy Son really that powerful?" Qin Linglong's eyes widened in disbelief.
Perhaps due to her initial negative impression, she had never liked Fang Chen, occasionally cursing him silently in her heart.
Qin Tianming had always believed that his imperial brother was the foremost of the three great Heavenly Talents of the human race, and its strongest.
Naturally, he hadn't taken Fang Chen seriously.
But Fang Chen's first move completely exceeded his expectations, actually managing to make Ao Tianyu suffer a loss.
This was something no ordinary Heavenly Talent could achieve, not even his imperial brother.
"Even I couldn't have made Ao Tianyu suffer so easily," Qin Tianming said, his gaze deep and his expression stiff, his voice cold as if he hadn't spoken in a long time.
Qin Tianming was unlike most Heavenly Talents, who were arrogant and self-important, looking down on all others.
In truth, his heart was clear and his mind remained calm.
If another Heavenly Talent proved stronger than him, he would readily admit it, never stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the truth.
This quality alone crushed many of his peers.
"Imperial brother, even you think so?" Qin Linglong was even more shocked to hear this.
She knew how exceptionally proud her imperial brother had always been.
It was rare to hear praise from his lips, let alone praise others or admit his own inferiority.
Little did she know, Qin Tianming's past behavior stemmed from encountering people and situations that truly failed to earn his respect, not from pride.
*Could Fang Chen really be this remarkable?*
*Even if he's talented, he's still a petty man who badmouths others behind their backs!*
Thinking of Fang Chen's backhanded remarks about her being love-struck and a spoiled brat, Qin Linglong seethed with anger.
Yet even she didn't realize that these very thoughts were fueling a growing curiosity about Fang Chen within her.
Hua Mengying, standing nearby, had been observing the situation all along.
When she noticed the shift in Qin Linglong's expression, culminating in a glint of curiosity in her eyes, she couldn't help but smile.
*Princess Linglong, if a woman becomes curious about a man, it can be fatal... especially if he's exceptionally outstanding. It's so easy to fall for someone like that.*
Hua Mengying thought to herself.
That was precisely why she had fallen for him.
"It seems Ao Tianyu, the Holy Son of the Phoenix Clan, isn't all that impressive after all."
"Agreed! He was still blown out of the sky by the Cloud Heaven Holy Son!"
"Haha, speaking of the Cloud Heaven Holy Son, his words were just perfect! I really wish he'd join our Nine Suns Holy Land!"
True Person Ziyang blurted out his true feelings.
"Ziyang, you're truly fearless. Aren't you afraid of death?" a Heaven Cloud Sect expert interjected.
*Doesn't this fool know who's protecting Fang Chen?*
"Why should I be afraid?"
"Wouldn't you rather the Cloud Heaven Holy Son join your Heaven Cloud Sect?"
"No way! After we return, I'll have a serious talk with our Holy Master and try to poach Fang Chen from the Cloud Heaven Holy Land!"
"At worst, our Holy Land will have one more Holy Son. Even if the Cloud Heaven Holy Son joins, I doubt our current Holy Son would mind."
As True Person Ziyang spoke, his eyes lit up.
He grew increasingly excited, practically itching to act immediately.
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)