Blue light swept through the white clouds, churning and forming a massive vortex.

Suddenly, an overwhelming pressure poured out from the Teleportation Array. A man emerged from the vortex—Fan Ru.

The moment Fan Ru appeared, he had the entire situation under his control. The Celestial Heart Ancestor’s expression froze. ’A Sect Leader Level expert, and one I don’t even recognize!’

"Kiddo, what on earth happened that made you call for me in such a rush?" Fan Ru asked, completely ignoring everyone else present.

"Sect Leader Fan, I have indeed run into a bit of trouble. It’s..."

Fan Ru smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "No need to explain. Just tell me who provoked you, and we’ll annihilate them. Problem solved."

The entire Celestial Heart Castle was now under the pressure of a Great Perfection expert. Those with weaker cultivation were forced to the ground, unable to even stand.

Yang Yingtian struggled desperately against the pressure, his face flushed. ’This is a Sect Leader Level expert... Wang Meng...’

"Senior, I believe there’s been a misunderstanding..." the Celestial Heart Ancestor managed to force out, one word at a time. The others were so crushed by the pressure they couldn’t speak at all. As for the disciples, they had long since been reduced to a stupor. Yang Molong had to summon every ounce of his strength just to resist the oppressive might.

"Shut up!" Fan Ru shot a cool glance at Yang Yingtian. In his eyes, the ancestor of a mere Small Thousand Realm was nothing but scum, someone he could crush at will. What’s more, this man wasn’t even qualified to enter the Great Yuan Realm, meaning Fan Ru could kill him as he pleased without any consequences.

"Sect Leader Fan, if you’ll just wait a moment," Wang Meng said with a smile, turning to face the Celestial Heart Ancestor.

"Celestial Heart Ancestor, I’m doing this for Ying’Er’s sake. You’ve been merciless, but I know she would be heartbroken if I truly destroyed Celestial Heart Castle. However, I have absolutely no ties to you people. You probably heard what I said earlier quite clearly. Now, I’m giving you a choice."

Wang Meng said.

Before Yang Yingtian could answer, another vortex materialized in the sky. The aura it emanated was even more terrifying, and another figure emerged, one who seemed even more formidable than Fan Ru.

It was the City Lord of Snow Moon City, Yang Jian!

Yang Jian paused for a moment upon seeing Fan Ru. "Kid, what’s going on? You summoned all of us. Are you planning to destroy the entire Four Directions Small Thousand World?"

Yang Yingtian and Yang Molong’s faces turned ashen, as if they’d just swallowed poison. ’What kind of people are these? They speak so casually of destroying a Small Thousand Realm!’ Not only was this newcomer a Great Perfection expert, but he was probably among the absolute strongest even at that level.

Wang Meng scratched his head in embarrassment. "City Lord Yang, my apologies. All of you seniors are important people, and I was afraid you might be busy, so I sent out a few extra requests."

Fan Ru gave a wry smile. "I also thought something terrible had happened and rushed right over. This kid... making us waste our energy on such a trivial matter."

Yang Jian glanced from Yang Ying to Wang Meng, and his expression showed he understood everything. "This child values his relationships. A rare quality among our kind, indeed. I’ll tell the others not to come."

Yang Yingtian’s face was deathly pale. ’I’ve really stirred up a hornet’s nest this time.’ Wang Meng could casually summon two Great Perfection experts to back him up, with more on the way... With a lineup like this, forget about a mere Celestial Heart Castle; they could level the entire Four Directions Small Thousand World.

In that instant, Yang Yingtian understood. Wang Meng hadn’t been bluffing. He had genuinely spared their lives only for Yang Ying’s sake. Otherwise, destroying Celestial Heart Castle would have been as easy as saying the word.

Yang Ying was completely speechless. The man Wang Meng had become was someone she could no longer fully comprehend.

Yang Yingtian sighed. "Wang Meng, I agree to all of your conditions."

In that moment, Yang Yingtian seemed to have aged many years.

Yang Jian glanced coolly at Yang Yingtian. "I am Yang Jian, the City Lord of Snow Moon City. Although you are not qualified to join the Star Alliance, you should have heard of me."

Yang Yingtian lowered his head. "Greetings, Senior. I have."

Only the most powerful among the Sect Leaders could serve as a City Lord. It was a world so far beyond his reach that Yang Yingtian had never even dared to dream of it.

The others were truly scared witless. They couldn’t understand a word of the conversation, but they felt a boundless terror.

"Good. Wang Meng is a junior to us. Don’t make his visit home an unpleasant one," Yang Jian said coolly.

Yang Yingtian nodded hastily. "I understand, I understand. Please rest assured, Seniors."

Fan Ru chuckled. "You kid, making such a big fuss over such a small thing."

"Sect Leader Fan, this is a big deal to me. Thank you both, Seniors."

"Haha, just come and visit us when you have time, kid."

"Farewell, Seniors."

The sky once again blazed with light. Fan Ru and Yang Jian stepped into the Teleportation Array and vanished in an instant. It took a long while for the sky to return to normal.

Yang Yingtian personally escorted Yang Qingzi out and swore that he would never provoke the mother and daughter again, vowing to give them a wide berth whenever he saw them.

This incident completely shattered all of Yang Yingtian’s ambitions. The so-called Eight Great Castles Alliance? It was nothing in the face of the Great Yuan Realm.

He didn’t know how Wang Meng had done it, but it was clear that the young man now possessed heaven-defying power.

Yang Yingtian was filled with regret. ’Why did it have to turn out like this?’

’This Wang Meng could have been Celestial Heart Castle’s greatest patron. But now?’

Reunited, Yang Ying and her mother embraced and wept with joy.

Yang Xi, having recovered from his daze, cried out, "Ancestor, you must stand up for me!"

SLAP...

A single slap sent Yang Xi’s teeth flying. "From this day forward, you are no longer a member of Celestial Heart Castle!"

Yang Yingtian declared, his expression a mask of disappointment. There was no other choice. ’Does he really think this will be over just by releasing Yang Qingzi?’

He knew things were never that simple. As long as Wang Meng wasn’t satisfied, this matter would never truly be over.

In truth, Wang Meng couldn’t care less about these small fries. "Castle Lord Yang, remember this well. If there is even the slightest mishap in the future, whether intentional or not, Celestial Heart Castle—and the rest of the Eight Great Castles—will cease to exist."

His words were spoken softly, yet no one dared to question them. The Celestial Heart Ancestor could only nod in submission. Yang Molong’s heart was in turmoil as he stared blankly at Wang Meng. He, too, finally understood. ’We were so insistent on breaking them up, all for an alliance with Long Family Castle. But the situation has changed. Why couldn’t we have been more flexible?’

Yang Qingzi was also completely bewildered by the turn of events. When the Celestial Heart Ancestor had first unleashed his power, she had fallen into despair. She had been hoping that, on account of their blood ties, the Ancestor would stay out of the matter. Who could have expected him to personally attack Wang Meng? The sudden reversal had far surpassed her wildest imagination. Even when the disciples came to escort her out, she was still in a daze.

Seeing the Ancestor, a man she had looked up to her entire life, bowing his head before Wang Meng, Yang Qingzi could only let out a deep sigh.

The first time she had met this young man, Yang Qingzi had felt at ease. That, combined with Yang Ying’s affection for him and her own disappointment in the Yang Family, was why she had supported their relationship. Who could have known that Wang Meng truly possessed the power for a Reversal of Heaven and Earth?

After this incident, forget Celestial Heart Castle—no one in the entire Four Directions Small Thousand World would dare to provoke this mother and daughter.

The arrival of two Great Perfection experts in the Four Directions Small Thousand World was an unimaginable event for such a sealed-off realm. News travels fast, especially news of this magnitude. Before long, it had spread to every sect and school. The ripple effects were far greater than Wang Meng had anticipated. The Sect Leaders of every major power issued a strict, standing order: their disciples were forbidden from provoking Yang Ying and Yang Qingzi. No matter what the two did, no one was to retaliate, on pain of being branded a traitor to their sect.

But that is a story for another time.

As she sat in the Flying Boat, the more Yang Qingzi looked at Wang Meng, the more she liked him. The young man was capable and decisive, yet he had a kind heart. He could have easily destroyed Celestial Heart Castle, but that would have left her and Yang Ying burdened with guilt. Although she had been taken hostage, she hadn’t been mistreated upon her return to the castle and was still shown respect. The main culprit, Long Xi, had been expelled. Given the circumstances, Long Family Castle certainly wouldn’t dare take him in. Besides, the arrogant brat had made Long Qing suffer for years; nursing a deep grudge, Long Qing would never give him an opportunity to compete for power.

’What goes around, comes around,’ Yang Qingzi sighed to herself.

Sanmao was very happy and felt quite majestic. It thought the Four Directions Small Thousand World was much more fun than the Cultivation Academy. Here, it could run and fly wherever it wanted and see all sorts of interesting things. Most importantly, it could practice its punches. Back at the Cultivation Academy, people were always pinching it.

"Wang Meng, what kind of Spirit Beast is this? It seems so intelligent. It can even talk."

Yang Qingzi asked.

"Hehe, this little guy is named Sanmao. I’m not sure if you could call it a Spirit Beast. It’s a life form born from the Sea of Fire Consciousness, from the Fire God Little Thousand World. Don’t let its goofy looks fool you; its strength is unfathomable."

Wang Meng laughed. The little guy didn’t have much physical strength; it couldn’t even knock around a defenseless Long Xi. But if it unleashed its Flame Magic, that was another story entirely.

Hearing its master’s praise, Sanmao immediately puffed out its round belly in pride. The flame on its head swayed back and forth, looking as comical as could be. It didn’t look like an expert in the slightest.

Yang Qingzi couldn’t help but sigh. "I can barely understand the things you talk about anymore. The younger generation is truly formidable."

"Mother, Wang Meng is an exception. You wouldn’t find another one like him in the entire Holy Hall."

"Hehe, you don’t need to sing his praises for him. In this entire world, who else could command the presence of two Great Perfection Sect Leaders?"

Yang Qingzi smiled faintly. She could finally set her heart at ease. Yang Ying was so beautiful that she had always worried it would bring disaster upon the two of them. But now, Wang Meng truly possessed the strength to protect Little Ying.

Wang Meng felt a little embarrassed. "It’s all thanks to the seniors’ favor."

「Inside the Holy Hall.」Zhao Guang had admitted his mistakes. His attitude was sincere, so he was released. He kept an extremely low profile afterward, acting remarkably obedient. He handed over all the affairs of Dao Guang Hall to Gongsun Wuqing, seemingly preparing for a complete handover.

Gongsun Wuqing didn’t press his advantage. Besides, Zhao Guang was a member of the Zhao Family, after all. As long as he wasn’t causing trouble, it was fine.

Gongsun Wuqing was filled with emotion. There was a time when he had thought he could catch up to Wang Meng, but now, he could only look up in awe. Still, his heart was full of warmth. He had witnessed a miracle firsthand, and he hoped to see Wang Meng go even further and bring greater glory to the Holy Hall. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.com to vote with your recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)