Hearing Tian Yan’s words, the man froze for a moment before snarling, “You’re insulting me!”
Tian Yan cast him a disdainful glance, then turned to the old man in front of her, “Are we fighting or not?”
As she spoke, her right hand slowly clenched, ready to strike! But it depended on this old man—fighting wasn’t allowed here. Though her temper was fiery, that didn’t mean she lacked sense.
The old man’s expression darkened at her words.
Fight?
Honestly, he wasn’t confident!
Tian Yan might be new to Daylit City, but her reputation was already significant. She’d challenged a powerhouse on the Divine List upon arrival—and won! Now, she ranked sixteenth on the list!
That was an impressive standing!
Beside her, the man opened his mouth to speak again, but Tian Yan whipped her head around. In an instant, her hand shot out and seized his throat.
The old man’s face changed drastically, “Tian Yan, what are you doing?!”
A glint of ferocity flashed in Tian Yan’s eyes, “What am I doing? You old fossil, your little whelp has harassed me time and again. Instead of reining him in, you bring him here to argue with me? Damn it, if you won’t teach your son properly, I’ll kill him for you—go make another one!”
With that, her right hand tightened sharply.
*Boom!*
The man disintegrated into nothingness!
Erased on the spot!
Ye Xuan’s eyelid twitched. Damn, this woman’s temper was as explosive as ever!
Seeing his son obliterated, the old man’s face twisted with rage. He was about to act when a white-robed young man appeared in the room, chuckling, “Elder Yue!”
The old man glanced at the youth, his brows furrowing, a hint of wariness in his eyes.
The young man smiled, “Elder Yue, if you want to fight, please take it to the Life-and-Death Arena with Miss Tian Yan. This isn’t the place for it!”
The old man snapped, “Didn’t you see her strike first?”
The youth grinned, “If you can instantly kill Miss Tian Yan, no problem—after all, an instant kill wouldn’t cause any collateral damage!”
The old man’s face turned uglier still. He shot Tian Yan a cold glare, “You just wait!”
With that, he stormed off.
The young man turned to Tian Yan, “Miss Tian Yan, next time, please don’t act here. Thank you!”
He left with a smile.
Tian Yan sat back down and resumed drinking.
Ye Xuan looked at her, “Who was that old guy?”
Tian Yan replied coolly, “An elder in Daylit City. He’s got some authority, but his strength’s nothing special.”
Ye Xuan asked gravely, “Won’t he try to make trouble for you after this?”
Tian Yan’s expression remained calm, “If he dares, I’ll kill him!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Tian Yan turned to look out the window, speaking softly, “King of Connections, I know you like keeping a low profile, playing the pig to eat the tiger—and there’s nothing wrong with that. But in this place, you’d better be direct. The law of the jungle here is stark naked! If you’re not assertive, you’ll have a lot of people stepping on you.”
With that, she drained her wine bowl and stood, “I’m off!”
She took two steps, then paused and turned to Shen Tong, “Didn’t you want to join Daylit City? Coming or not?”
Shen Tong glanced at Ye Xuan, who gave a slight nod.
Shen Tong stood and followed Tian Yan out.
After they left, Ye Xuan finished the wine in his bowl and was about to leave when the white-robed young man returned.
Ye Xuan looked at him, “And you are?”
The youth smiled, “Mu Chen, the owner of this tavern!”
Ye Xuan grinned, “Something on your mind?”
Mu Chen sat across from him, opened his palm, and produced a bottle of wine. He poured Ye Xuan a bowl, “Try this!”
Ye Xuan didn’t hesitate, downing it in one go. As it hit his stomach, a terrifying surge of energy erupted within him—but it was quickly absorbed by his body!
Ye Xuan blinked, “What’s this?”
Mu Chen chuckled, “Ten-Thousand-Year Brew. Only two jars exist in all of Daylit City.”
Ye Xuan smiled, “If you’ve got something to say, just say it!”
Mu Chen shook his head, “No ulterior motives—just wanted to get to know you!”
Ye Xuan studied him, silent.
Mu Chen suddenly opened his palm again, revealing two wooden plaques—one black, one white.
He explained, “These are identity tokens. One’s for Daylit City, the other’s for Eternal Night City. With them, you can freely enter both cities, and they’ll offer you some conveniences!”
Ye Xuan laughed, “I don’t quite get why you’re doing this!”
Mu Chen smiled, “You’re no ordinary person. I just want to forge a good connection—nothing more.”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, “Mind if I ask something?”
Mu Chen nodded, “Go ahead!”
Ye Xuan asked, “Who’s the most prodigious talent of Daylit City’s younger generation?”
Mu Chen glanced at him, “Tian Chen!”
Ye Xuan smiled, “Can you tell me about him?”
Mu Chen considered, then asked, “You know about the Divine List?”
Ye Xuan nodded, “Tian Yan mentioned it earlier! What, is he number one?”
Mu Chen chuckled, “No!”
Ye Xuan frowned, “Then what?”
Mu Chen said softly, “He’s not first, but he defeated the one who was. And he went from Mind Mastery to Manifested Freedom in less than a year.”
Manifested Freedom!
Ye Xuan’s expression remained calm as he smiled, “He’s already at Manifested Freedom?”
Mu Chen nodded, “He and Eternal Night’s Defier are the most monstrous geniuses of this era. Records show that in both Daylit and Eternal Night’s histories, their level of talent is unprecedented. Now that the Defier’s returned to Eternal Night, those two are bound to clash eventually—maybe even sparking a war between Daylit and Eternal Night.”
Ye Xuan nodded slightly, “Got it!”
He downed another bowl of wine, then said, “Farewell!”
With that, he stood and left, though as he did, he cast a glance to his right.
Mu Chen didn’t try to stop him.
After Ye Xuan departed, a woman appeared and sat across from Mu Chen, “He noticed me!”
Mu Chen smiled faintly, “Is that surprising?”
The woman looked at him, “Brother, why befriend him?”
Mu Chen turned to her, “Little sister, what do you think of him?”
She hesitated, then shook her head, “He’s just a Circle Breaker—nothing extraordinary stands out!”
Mu Chen murmured, “He’s extraordinary in every way!”
She looked puzzled, and Mu Chen smiled, “First, you know Tian Yan’s personality—she’s cold to everyone. But her attitude toward this guy? It’s different. Not quite respect, but at least polite. Second, when Elder Yue came to confront Tian Yan, he stood there watching without a trace of fear or unease. What does that mean? He didn’t take Elder Yue seriously at all!”
He took a sip from his bowl and continued, “Third, did you see that kid beside him? That boy’s at Dao Clarity. He’s clearly from somewhere else—someone who’d be a top-tier prodigy wherever he’s from. Yet he shows this guy genuine respect, not the fake kind! A prodigy like that only respects someone even more exceptional. Fourth… when I said I wanted to befriend him and forge a good connection, he wasn’t the least bit surprised or off-put. Why? Because to him, that’s perfectly normal.”
His expression grew solemn, “And finally, he asked me who the most prodigious talent in Daylit City is. Normal people don’t ask that—only top-tier prodigies do, because they’re only interested in their peers. Like how Tian Chen only cares about the Defier. And when I mentioned the Defier and Tian Chen, did you see his face? Calm, with a smile—a smile of interest. He’s intrigued by Tian Chen!”
The woman’s expression turned grave.
Mu Chen chuckled, “This is a top genius from another world!”
She said gravely, “Brother, how can a genius from another world compare to Tian Chen or the Defier? That’s…”
Mu Chen shook his head, “Little sister, how vast is the universe? How small are Daylit and Eternal Night in comparison? Even Tian Chen and the Defier wouldn’t dare claim they’re the greatest prodigies in all existence!”
She fell silent, then asked, “Then why not pull him into Daylit City?”
Mu Chen said softly, “Dragging someone in like that is foolish! Mu Jin, tell the city to give Tian Yan and that new Dao Clarity kid who just joined some leeway.”
She nodded, “Got it!”
With that, she stood and left.
Mu Chen gazed out the window, lost in thought.
—
After leaving the tavern, Ye Xuan exited Daylit City. He hadn’t gone far when his brows furrowed.
The space before him trembled, and an old man appeared—Elder Yue from the tavern!
Ye Xuan looked at him with a smile, “Sir, have you got the wrong person?”
Elder Yue fixed his gaze on him, “No mistake—I’m here for you!”
Ye Xuan blinked, puzzled, “What do you want with me?”
Elder Yue sneered, “Aren’t you with Tian Yan?”
Ye Xuan paused, then laughed, “Tian Yan killed your son—you should take it up with her. This has nothing to do with me. Coming after me doesn’t make sense!”
Elder Yue stared at him coldly, “You’re weaker!”
Ye Xuan froze for a moment. The next instant, his left thumb flicked lightly.
*Whoosh!*
Before Elder Yue could react, a sword pierced straight through his brow.
Elder Yue stared at Ye Xuan in disbelief, “This… you…”
Ye Xuan smiled faintly, “Did you all really think I was some pushover?”
