Tao Jinshui's expression shifted drastically. His already sharp eyes instantly became like knives, radiating a brilliant light.

He never could have imagined he would run into this person here!

HUFF. HUFF.

He took several deep breaths to steady the tumultuous thoughts in his heart before asking coldly, "Who exactly are you, and why must you oppose our Martial Association?"

Chen Yang smiled. "I just don't like your Martial Association. Is that reason enough?"

"Heh!" Tao Jinshui laughed. "Many people dislike our Martial Association. And what happens to them? They either bottle up their anger, too afraid to speak, or they end up in Hell to meet Yama. Do you think you can keep running wild?"

"Uncle Tao, why waste your breath on him!" Zou Wendong had no idea what they were talking about, nor did he care. Consumed with rage, he just wanted Chen Yang to die.

BOOM!

Chen Yang yanked his hand back again. Zou Wendong slammed into the wall and passed out cold.

"I will destroy your Martial Association," Chen Yang stated calmly.

"You..." Chen Yang's arrogance made Tao Jinshui's face turn livid, and he laughed from pure rage. "Who the hell do you think you are? You think you can destroy my Martial Association?"

"Our Martial Association is filled with masters! Our Association President is the towering Thirteenth-Order Thousand-Faced Yama, a titled prince! What could you possibly use to fight our Martial Association?"

Although Tao Jinshui was panicking, he wasn't overly afraid. As a Ninth-Order Fist Master, he was confident he could protect himself, even if he couldn't kill this arrogant man.

"A Thirteenth-Order Thousand-Faced Yama? Is that supposed to be impressive?"

Tao Jinshui immediately scoffed. Across the entire nation, a Thirteenth-Order practitioner might not be the absolute strongest, but they were certainly at the apex. Of course it's impressive!

However, before he could speak, the mocking expression on his face froze solid. It was instantly replaced by a look of extreme horror that spread rapidly across his features. In his line of sight, Chen Yang's thumb and forefinger crossed, and a faint golden light began to swirl between them.

"This... this..." Tao Jinshui's pupils contracted violently. His face paled at a visible rate, and his breathing seemed to stop altogether.

"Thir—Thirteenth-Order! You... you..."

Tao Jinshui couldn't believe his eyes. How is this possible? How old is this guy? Thirty at the absolute most! How could he possibly have entered the realm of the Thousand-Faced Yama?

THUD. THUD. THUD.

Tao Jinshui subconsciously staggered back several steps.

Chen Yang smiled calmly. "Like I said, the Thirteenth-Order is nothing special."

BUZZ!

In an instant, Tao Jinshui looked as if he had been struck by lightning. His body trembled uncontrollably, and he was completely crestfallen.

This... It's over! He knew that not only was he finished, but the Eight-Bag Elder who came to Lingjin City with him and all the Martial Association disciples were doomed! The branch they had just established in Lingjin City would be annihilated as well. Beyond that, the entire Martial Association was about to face a monumental crisis.

THUD!

At that thought, Tao Jinshui could no longer remain standing. He collapsed completely, falling heavily to his knees.

"Mercy, please have mercy!" Tao Jinshui trembled, begging pitifully. "From now on, I'll be your beast of burden! Just... just spare my life!"

When truly faced with life and death, even a King Kong of the Martial Association is no exception to mortal weakness. As long as one could live, things like face, dignity, beliefs, and integrity were worth less than nothing.

"I told you, I'm going to destroy the Martial Association," Chen Yang said with a serious smile, lightly pinching his crossed fingers together.

SNAP.

The crisp sound slowly echoed through the small private room. At the same time, a ripple spread through the air, expanding in all directions.

"NO! NO!" Tao Jinshui roared frantically, his eyes looking as if they would split open.

And then, with a muffled sound, he vanished completely into thin air.

Sun Yuli: "..."

Li Si: "..."

Their eyes widened in shock and terror.

What kind of technique was that? Although they had known Chen Yang for a long time, they had no detailed understanding of his true strength. The scene that had just unfolded was simply mind-boggling. A living, breathing person just vanished with a simple snap of the fingers?

Chen Yang dusted off his hands, turned to them, and smiled. "Let's go."

They hesitated for a beat before hurrying to catch up.

It was lunchtime, so after leaving the hotel, they found a nearby restaurant to eat.

While they were eating, Chen Yang asked, "Sisi, are you having a hard time at the company?"

"Not at all!" Li Si said with a cheerful smile. "Everything's fine, same as always."

In reality, she could fill a book with the grievances she suffered at the company. But she didn't want to keep bothering Chen Yang; the man had already helped her more than enough, and besides, he had already left this industry. Li Si wasn't the type of person who liked to trouble others. It was better to just bury her grievances deep in her heart.

Then, Li Si added, "After this concert tour is over, I think I'm going to leave the industry."

"Why?" Sun Yuli asked, astounded. "You're at the peak of your popularity right now, and you're so young. To retire at a time like this would be a huge loss."

Li Si brushed her bangs aside. "Maybe I'm just tired of it all. My original dream wasn't to be a star, you know. I wanted to be a music teacher and teach children how to sing and dance."

"But through some strange twist of fate, I ended up on this path instead." A faint smile touched Li Si's lips. "After I leave the industry, I think I'll go and pursue that dream."

"I support you," Chen Yang said with a smile. "You became a star and reached the very top. Stepping away at your peak is a fine choice. Most importantly, you're still young, so you can do the things you really want to do."

"Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking," Li Si said, looking at Chen Yang earnestly. "I've already missed out on a certain person; I don't want to also miss out on the dreams I've held in my heart for so long."

How could Chen Yang not understand the meaning behind her words? He just smiled awkwardly and said nothing more.

After the meal, Li Si asked, "Brother Yang, what university does your sister-in-law attend? I'd like to go see her."

"Lingjin University," Chen Yang advised. "But don't tell her I'm the one who sent you."

"Got it."

「Meanwhile.」

By Weiyang Lake at Lingjin University.

Fan Xiaoxian said enviously, "Xiaomo, did you hear? Tan Sitian was chosen by Star Dream Music Company to sing a duet with Li Si! They're going to start rehearsing in a few days."

Leaning against the railing with her chin in her hand, Qin Mo sounded unenthusiastic. "I heard."

"Ah, I'm so envious!"

Qin Mo fell silent.

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