"If you keep running your mouth, believe it or not, I'll slap you too."
The words came out of Yang Cheng's mouth as casually as if he were saying, "Nice weather today."
But to everyone else in the room, it was like a thunderclap exploding right in their ears.
Silence. A deathly, suffocating silence.
Every gaze in the hall turned toward Yang Cheng, eyes wide with disbelief.
Wang Taiyuan—who was he? He was the eldest son of the Wang family from the Horn Constellation Realm. Born noble, gifted beyond compare, a true prodigy among the younger generation!
Even in the Horn Constellation Realm's highest circles, there were barely any who dared to speak to him in such a tone.
Yet this youth—a native from the Wasteland Realm—had just said he would slap him?
He must be insane. Completely insane!
Wang Bingrou covered her lips with a light smile, though her eyes glittered with venom. She deliberately turned to Chu Xianyin and said softly, "Miss Chu, your friend certainly has courage. Does he not know who Young Master Wang is? How dare he insult him like that?"
Her words sounded mild, but every syllable was a trap.
She was forcing Chu Xianyin to take a stance—either side with Wang Taiyuan and condemn Yang Cheng, or openly offend the Wang family.
Chu Xianyin's heart raced faster, her palms slick with cold sweat.
But when she looked at Yang Cheng's upright back, remembering who he was—his terrifying strength, his calm defiance, the way he had helped her break through her zither Dao bottleneck—her panic strangely began to fade.
She said nothing, merely lowered her gaze slightly, silently acknowledging her connection with Yang Cheng.
That silence, in Wang Taiyuan's eyes, was nothing short of open defiance.
"Good. Very good!" Wang Taiyuan's anger turned to laughter, his voice cold and sharp like a poisoned blade. His gaze bored into Yang Cheng's face. "Chu Xianyin, for a worthless insect who doesn't know his place, you dare to go against me?"
He stepped forward, the air around him suddenly surging. A heavy wave of oppressive power—belonging to an Insight God realm cultivator—pressed down toward Yang Cheng.
"Insect," he spat, his tone dripping with disdain. "Do you even understand what you just said? For that one sentence alone, I could cripple you here and now, and no one would dare say a word in protest!"
Yang Cheng didn't even lift his eyelids. His tone stayed calm and faint. "Oh? Go ahead and try. If you do, I promise you'll end up ten times worse than that Gong Yi just now."
"Arrogant fool!"
A purple-robed youth behind Wang Taiyuan barked in anger. He was a collateral member of the Wang clan, one who always followed Wang Taiyuan's lead. Seeing this situation, he immediately jumped in. "Young Master Wang, why waste words on such trash? I say cripple his cultivation and throw him out to feed the dogs. That way he'll know what kind of people he can't afford to offend!"
The other nobles instantly joined in, one after another:
"Exactly! A filthy native from the Wasteland Realm dares act so arrogantly before Young Master Wang? He's sick of living!"
"Cripple him! Let him learn the difference between high and low—some stray mutt isn't worthy of standing beside Young Master Wang!"
Xu Letian and the others trembled, their legs nearly giving out. Fortunately, they knew who Yang Cheng truly was, and that alone kept them from collapsing entirely.
Wang Taiyuan raised his hand, quieting the uproar behind him. His lips curled into a cruel smile. "Crippling you would only dirty my hands. For Miss Chu's sake, I'll show mercy."
He paused, his voice dripping with mockery. "Now, you and your companions—get on your knees and crawl out of here. Do that, and I'll pretend today never happened."
To make Yang Cheng and his companions crawl out—that wasn't punishment. It was humiliation to the bone.
Xu Letian's face flushed red with anger, but before he could speak, Yang Cheng shot him a single glance, silencing him instantly.
Yang Cheng met Wang Taiyuan's eyes directly, his expression calm, emotionless—like someone watching a fool perform tricks for his amusement.
Just as the air between them grew so tense it could snap, two voices were suddenly heard coming from the entrance of the banquet hall.
"Ning Yuan, are you sure this Yang Cheng is really as powerful as you said?"
The speaker was a woman, her voice clear and pleasant, laced with curiosity. She wore a pale moon-white gown, her face bright and elegant, her bearing noble and composed. This was none other than Wang Taiyuan's elder sister, the Wang family's legitimate daughter—Wang Qiushuang.
Ning Yuan gave a bitter smile, though his tone carried deep respect. "Miss Wang, you may not know. Back at Jinbian Lake, Yang Cheng destroyed the grand formation of the formation master Qin Mingcheng with just a flick of his finger. That kind of power was simply divine. You must understand—Qin Mingcheng isn't just anyone. He's a god-level formation master ranked among the very best even in the Horn Constellation Realm, yet Yang Cheng crushed him effortlessly. That level of talent is downright terrifying."
He paused, then continued, "Now that the opportunities in the Wasteland Realm have opened up, figures like Yang Cheng have become targets of recruitment for all major powers. Countless people are trying to befriend him. Of course, given Miss Wang's noble identity, if you were to take the initiative to meet him, it might turn into a valuable connection."
Wang Qiushuang arched an eyebrow, a faint smile touching her lips. "I am indeed quite interested in meeting him."
As the two spoke, they entered the banquet hall, glancing around casually. When Ning Yuan's gaze landed on the young man surrounded by the crowd, his steps suddenly stopped. His pupils contracted sharply as he exclaimed, "Prince Yang!"
Prince Yang?
Who?
Most of those present looked confused, but a few who had been following recent events in the Wasteland Realm immediately turned pale.
The most sensational piece of news in recent days was that the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty—Yang Cheng—had slain Qin Mingcheng at Jinbian Lake.
Could it be…
Everyone instinctively turned toward Yang Cheng, the contempt in their eyes fading away, replaced by shock and uncertainty.
Wang Taiyuan frowned and looked toward the entrance. "Sister, Ning Yuan, do you two know him?"
Wang Qiushuang ignored him. She stepped forward quickly, bowed slightly with her hands cupped, and said with a warm smile, "I did not expect to see Prince Yang here. I am Wang Qiushuang of the Wang family. I pay my respects to Your Highness."
Her respectful demeanor left everyone in the hall utterly dumbfounded.
The legitimate daughter of the Wang family—showing such deference to a youth from the Wasteland Realm?
Wang Taiyuan frowned harder. "Sister, what Prince Yang? What are you—"
"Silence!" Wang Qiushuang snapped, her glare cutting sharp as a knife. Her tone was cold and stern. "Do you even know who Prince Yang is? Who are you to act so arrogantly before him?"
Ning Yuan quickly stepped forward as well, cupping his hands in salute toward Yang Cheng. His expression showed clear unease and awe. "Prince Yang, what a coincidence. Miss Wang and I were just speaking of you moments ago. I didn't expect we would meet so soon."
The moment played out, and the hall erupted into chaos.
Gong Yi, still lying on the floor with half his face swollen beyond recognition, heard the words "Prince Yang" and his pupils instantly dilated. A mouthful of blood nearly burst from his throat again.
He finally understood who he had provoked.
This was the man who had easily slain Qin Mingcheng—someone whose strength defied comprehension. Compared to him, Gong Yi wasn't even worthy of being called a "small fry."
Lu Lingyi stood at the edge of the crowd, her legs trembling so hard she nearly collapsed.
She stared blankly at Yang Cheng, who was now being addressed with respect by both Wang Qiushuang and Ning Yuan. The memory of her earlier flattery toward Gong Yi and the wrong choices she'd made burned in her chest. Her face stung as if slapped by fire. Regret gnawed at her heart like a venomous serpent.
She finally realized she hadn't just overlooked a rough gem—she had cast aside a mountain towering above the clouds.
Even Wang Qiushuang, a legitimate daughter of the mighty Wang clan, treated Yang Cheng with such respect. That alone revealed how high his standing truly was.
And yet, she—who had known Yang Cheng for several months and had even heard fragments of his deeds—had failed to truly understand the greatness standing before her.