At the training field, hundreds of young members of the Ancient Divine Clan gathered in no time.
Ye Xuan sat on a stone platform in front of the crowd, engrossed in an ancient book he held.
Below, Gu Xin watched Ye Xuan silently.
On the sidelines, the Ancient Divine Clan leader was also observing Ye Xuan discreetly.
Suddenly, Ye Xuan set down his book and glanced at the crowd, asking, “Is everyone here?”
As soon as he spoke, a man rushed in hurriedly.
Ye Xuan looked at him. The man’s face paled, and he stammered, “I… I was delayed by something!”
A sword suddenly pierced through the man’s forehead, pinning him to the ground in the distance.
It didn’t kill him—just pinned him there.
The sight shocked the Ancient Divine Clan members, their faces turning grim.
This was too brutal!
Yet no one dared speak.
They knew this guy wasn’t just ruthless—he was bold enough to kill!
At that moment, everyone turned to see a young woman in a white dress, about seventeen or eighteen, running over. She looked delicate and frail. When she saw the pinned man, her face turned deathly pale.
Trembling, she looked at Ye Xuan, “I… I was delayed…”
Ye Xuan smiled faintly, “No worries, delays happen. Find a seat.”
The crowd froze in disbelief.
What was going on?
Hearing Ye Xuan’s words, the white-dressed woman sighed in relief, bowed deeply, and hurried to sit.
The pinned man stared in disbelief, “Wait… why? I’m late and get pinned, but she’s late and gets off free? Why?”
Ye Xuan glanced at him, saying calmly, “She’s a beauty.”
The pinned man’s expression froze.
The crowd: “…”
Ye Xuan looked at him, “Not convinced?”
The man hesitated, then said, “A little!”
Before he finished, another sword pierced his right shoulder!
*Boom!*
His body split open, blood spraying.
The crowd: “…”
Ye Xuan stared at him, “Any more questions?”
The man swallowed hard, “If you’re gonna play like this… I’ve got no questions!”
The crowd: “…”
Ye Xuan nodded, “Let’s continue the lesson. Today, I’ll teach you about ‘reality.’”
Reality!
The crowd watched Ye Xuan silently.
He scanned them, “Do you know what reality is?”
A young man suddenly spoke, “A guy gets crippled for being late, but a girl gets a pass. That’s reality!”
Ye Xuan looked at the speaker, who met his gaze with a hint of defiance.
Ye Xuan smiled, “What’s your name?”
The man replied firmly, “Gu Lin!”
Ye Xuan nodded, “Well said!”
He turned to Gu Xin, “You’re the Ancient Divine Clan’s top genius, right?”
Gu Xin met his gaze, “Yes!”
Ye Xuan smiled, “Do you know why your clan leader brought me here?”
Gu Xin stayed silent.
Ye Xuan looked at him, “I’ll tell you what reality is. You’re not good enough, so your clan leader brought me to replace you. That’s reality! After I arrived, you challenged me. I made my move, and you should’ve realized you’re no match for me. But you didn’t accept reality and kept pushing back. Let me tell you, if I hadn’t read a few more books and mellowed out, your grave would be three meters high by now!”
Gu Xin’s face darkened, glaring at Ye Xuan.
Ye Xuan sneered, “Still glaring? Tell me, can you beat me?”
Gu Xin snapped, “I can’t, but a warrior can be killed, not humiliated!”
Ye Xuan frowned, “Why do you think this is humiliation? Can’t beat me, so you back down. Is that hard?”
He glanced at the crowd, “Is it hard?”
Silence.
Gu Xin sneered, “A man can die, but his spine must stay straight!”
Ye Xuan looked at him, “Still not convinced? Let’s fight again!”
Gu Xin stood immediately, “Bring it!”
As soon as he spoke, a sword light flashed.
Gu Xin’s pupils shrank, his arms instinctively blocking.
*Boom!*
Before everyone’s eyes, Gu Xin’s body shattered. A sword pierced his soul, pinning it in spacetime.
The crowd: “…”
Ye Xuan looked at Gu Xin as his soul began to burn, fading bit by bit.
The crowd’s faces paled in shock.
Ye Xuan watched calmly.
Gu Xin glared at him, “If you’ve got the guts, kill me!”
Ye Xuan smiled, “You’re only saying that because you know your clan leader’s watching. You’re sure she won’t let me kill you, since you’re the clan’s top genius, their future!”
Gu Xin’s fists clenched, his eyes icy.
Ye Xuan chuckled, turning to the woman on the distant wall, “In this moment, I’m a bit jealous of my dad!”
The woman looked at him silently.
Ye Xuan added, “Jealous of what? That he has such an outstanding son like me!”
The Green Shirt Man: “…”
The crowd: “…”
The woman shifted her gaze to Gu Xin, her expression calm.
Gu Xin’s soul continued to fade, his fists still clenched.
Yet the woman showed no sign of speaking or intervening!
The Ancient Divine Clan members’ faces grew grim. Was the clan leader really going to let this outsider kill Gu Xin?
Ye Xuan sat cross-legged, resuming his reading.
If the woman spoke, he wouldn’t kill Gu Xin, but Gu Xin would be finished!
Why?
Because one must learn to know themselves. Without self-awareness, one becomes arrogant and lost.
Why was Gu Xin so bold? His confidence stemmed from the clan leader watching, certain she wouldn’t let him die.
If she spoke, Gu Xin’s arrogance would only grow.
The greatest misfortune in life, besides impotence, is failing to know yourself while alive.
Gu Xin’s soul grew fainter, and the clan leader showed no intent to speak. Ye Xuan didn’t stop either.
The crowd’s faces turned pale.
Was the clan abandoning Gu Xin?
Gu Xin himself began to panic.
Was the Ancient Divine Clan really giving up on him?
Just then, the clan leader spoke from afar, “In the Ancient Divine Clan, no one is indispensable except me!”
With that, she turned and left.
Hearing her, Gu Xin’s face turned deathly pale.
In that moment, he understood.
He truly understood!
Genius?
Prodigy?
Worthless!
Unless you’re prodigious enough to change the clan’s fate, what’s the point? If he were a demi-god now, would the clan abandon him?
No way!
In that moment, he saw himself clearly.
Gu Xin hurriedly looked at Ye Xuan, “I… I admit my mistake!”
Admit his mistake!
The Ancient Divine Clan members sighed in relief.
But Ye Xuan kept reading, showing no sign of stopping.
The clan members grew furious.
One man stood, shouting, “He’s admitted his fault. Are you really going to kill him? You—”
*Swish!*
A sword pierced his forehead!
He was pinned in distant spacetime!
Ye Xuan turned to another man in gray who’d stood, “Hm?”
The gray-clad man stammered, “I… I just sat too long, legs numb, just stretching, no other meaning!”
The crowd: “…”
Ye Xuan nodded, resuming his reading.
Gu Xin suddenly said, “Ten million cosmic veins! Spare my life, and I’ll give you ten million cosmic veins!”
Ye Xuan snapped his fingers.
*Snap!*
A sword flew out from Gu Xin’s soul.
Ye Xuan flicked his finger, and a pill floated to Gu Xin, “Soul-Nourishing Pill, worth ten million cosmic veins. Don’t say I’m extorting you—I, Ye Xuan, am not that kind of person!”
The crowd: “…”
Gu Xin glanced at Ye Xuan, took the pill without hesitation, and swallowed it. His soul began recovering rapidly.
Relieved, Gu Xin thought, *Finally, I won’t die!*
Ye Xuan looked at him. Gu Xin hesitated, then said, “Within an hour, my family will gather ten million cosmic veins!”
Ye Xuan nodded, “Good.”
He gestured, “Brother Gu Xin, please sit!”
The crowd’s expressions turned odd.
Damn!
Was this guy all about money equaling brotherhood?
Gu Xin glanced at Ye Xuan and sat.
Ye Xuan scanned the crowd, smiling, “Everyone, today’s lesson is about reality. We must know ourselves. If we don’t, disaster awaits!”
Just then, a voice rang from the sky, “Have you, sir, known yourself?”
A woman appeared not far from Ye Xuan. She wore purple battle armor, hands behind her back, with a refined face, phoenix-like brows, and starry eyes, exuding valor and composure.
Her long hair was tied high with a black ribbon, flowing like a ponytail to her hips.
Most striking was her chest…
Large!
Incredibly large!
The armor could barely contain it, as if it might burst.
The Ancient Divine Clan members’ faces changed upon seeing her.
Di Zhuang!
The top prodigy of the Emperor Desolate Divine Clan’s young generation!
Why was she here?
The crowd was puzzled.
Di Zhuang looked at Ye Xuan, “Do you know yourself?”
