Bright moonlit night.

Ancheng Wharf, Viewing Pavilion.

A man sits at a table, with a pot of hot tea and a cup to drink.

Moonlight spills over, the mood leisurely and serene.

Yang Chen poured a cup of tea, took a sip, and said lightly, "Though tea may be delicious, if no one understands it, it's nothing more than a beverage, merely another flavor. If a person is not understood, they are like salted fish..."

Speaking, Yang Chen raised his head and looked at the bright, full moon in the sky.

Meng Po, standing next to him, frowned and said, "Master, are you sure it's just the two of us? The reason we got the information is definitely because they released it on purpose. This Second Young Master Yun I promised about is not simple at all. According to the martial artist realm classification in Ancheng, he has long surpassed the Martial Arts Realm. Now that he's out, he might have already become a Grandmaster! And he's reputed to be the youngest Grandmaster in hundreds of years!"

"Grandmaster?" Yang Chen sneered.

So what if he's a Grandmaster?

Doesn't the Xiang family have several Grandmasters too? Yet they were still beaten into submission by him!

Martial cultivators strengthen the body, break through physical limits, and strive for greater strength.

However, human potential is ultimately limited, and the path of martial arts also has its peak.

Those so-called Grandmasters already stand at the pinnacle of martial artists.

In Yang Chen's view, they are not worth a strike.

This level of strength is barely comparable to the Shangqing Sect geniuses he fought atop Flame Palace.

It's just that he has always overestimated these people.

However, the path of martial cultivation opened a window for Yang Chen's thinking.

Ordinary people training are like Jian Feng and the others; no matter how hard they train, reaching the body's limit is a challenge. If not for the cultivation techniques he gave them, they might remain at the human body's limit for life.

But if in the future, he teaches them to cultivate through martial arts, couldn't they reach even greater heights?

As Yang Chen pondered, Meng Po pressed the hidden earpiece in her ear and said solemnly, "They're here. A boat has appeared on the river and is sailing towards the dock!"

Yang Chen nodded slightly and looked in the direction of the dock.

Several figures stood there.

There was Left Envoy Yang, Seventh Young Master Yun, Housekeeper Zhang, and some subordinates.

They were all preparing to welcome Second Young Master Yun.

Legend says that Second Young Master Yun, the hope of Penglai's Yun family, is the strongest genius in hundreds of years. At eighteen, he broke through the Innate Stage of Martial Arts, reached the Martial Arts Realm by twenty-three, and now at thirty, upon breaking out, he might have become a Grandmaster.

This afternoon, when Yang Chen returned from Longyu Group, Meng Po found him and informed him of Second Young Master Yun's arrival tonight.

This information was gathered from spies Meng Po had placed on Cloud Mist Mountain.

Of course, such spies could not escape the eyes of Left Envoy Yang.

But this spy was safe and could always find out a lot of internal information on Cloud Mist Mountain.

For instance, Second Young Master Yun's visit was supposed to be confidential, known only to a few insiders. Yet, this spy got the word, and even the exact location.

However, they didn't know if the information was meant to be known by Left Envoy Yang, or Seventh Young Master Yun, or Housekeeper Zhang.

"I've received images, would you like to take a look?" Meng Po took out her phone and said to Yang Chen.

Although Yang Chen didn't let her place personnel, Meng Po still made many preparations, arranging people around and even monitoring the surroundings with a few drones.

Yang Chen waved his hand, indicating no need to view them.

Regarding Second Young Master Yun, everyone speaks of him as something divine, but Yang Chen remains unconcerned.

Grandmaster, nothing worth mentioning.

...

By the river.

Left Envoy Yang was still in her long black gauze dress, but the river carried a heavy chill, so she draped a black cloak over herself for warmth.

She watched as the boat on the river slowly sailed to the shore, and the hidden jade hand under her cloak involuntarily clenched tight, veins standing out on the back of her hand.

What's meant to come will come. She always wanted to hide, yet there's no escape.

Perhaps, from the start, she was looking forward to it!

Thinking of this, Left Envoy Yang couldn't help but look toward the distant Viewing Pavilion, her gaze complex.

Seventh Young Master Yun saw Left Envoy Yang's change and secretly sneered in his heart.

Soon, the boat was very near.

At the bow, a man dressed in white stood, his garments fluttering in the wind.

Yun family disciples all liked wearing white, such as Seventh Young Master Yun, who often wore white too.

The clothing distributed to family disciples was also white.

The only difference was the lotus on the chest of the clothes.

Red lotus for low-level disciples.

Yellow lotus for Inner Sect Disciples. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Purple lotus for high-level disciples.

The lotus on Seventh Young Master Yun's chest was purple because his cultivation had long reached the Martial Arts Realm, making him a high-level family disciple.

At this moment, however, the lotus on Second Young Master Yun's chest shimmered with a brilliant glow.

Left Envoy Yang knew it was a diamond lotus, adorned with diamonds set on silk, highlighting a precious status.

Diamond lotus was reserved only for Sect Elders and... Grandmaster experts!

This indicated that Second Young Master Yun had broken through the Martial Arts Realm and reached the Grandmaster Realm!

Recalling past promises, Left Envoy Yang felt stifled in her chest.

Soon, the boat docked.

Second Young Master Yun's appearance first came into view.

More rugged than Seventh Young Master Yun, with deeper-set eyes, and his long hair tied at the back, yet there's no discordance, his aura ethereal. If other women were present, they might scream for him.

Left Envoy Yang, however, merely frowned, unmoved.

Still, Second Young Master Yun glanced at Left Envoy Yang, seeing her shrouded in black, and he frowned slightly.

Before the boat had even steadied, Second Young Master Yun leapt off and landed in front of Left Envoy Yang.

"Second Brother!"

"Second Young Master!"

"Second Young Master!"

The three greeted Second Young Master Yun respectfully.

Second Young Master Yun reached out to support Left Envoy Yang.

But Left Envoy Yang subtly withdrew her hand, not letting Second Young Master Yun touch her, standing upright.

Seeing Left Envoy Yang's small gesture, Second Young Master Yun frowned slightly but paid it no heed, taking out a bottle of medicine from his arms. "These are ointments I had the Elders help me make, very effective at removing scars. Take it and try it out."

He knew that Left Envoy Yang always wore a veil due to the scar on her face.

Left Envoy Yang hesitated a moment, took the bottle, and said, "Thank you, Second Young Master!"

"It's nothing, as long as your wounds can heal." Second Young Master Yun gazed at Left Envoy Yang affectionately.

Left Envoy Yang, however, did not meet Second Young Master Yun's eyes.

"Let's go. It's cold outside. Let's head back to Cloud Mist Mountain." Second Young Master Yun extended his hand, ready to wrap his arm around Left Envoy Yang's shoulders.

Left Envoy Yang lightly sidestepped, slipping out of reach.

Second Young Master Yun frowned and said, "Chenxi, you know that I've now reached the Grandmaster Realm, right?"

Left Envoy Yang glanced at the lotus on Second Young Master Yun's chest and nodded slightly, "Chenxi knows."

"Then what barriers remain between us? We're bound to be one family in due time." Second Young Master Yun said in a deep voice.

Left Envoy Yang hesitated for a moment and slowly replied, "Second Young Master seems to have forgotten some things, hasn't he?"