Midway Platform, Tianmu Mountain Range
Chen Xiaoming's gaze swept calmly over the gathered crowd. The oppressive aura he had unleashed slowly receded, and in that instant, Feng Qing'er and the others visibly relaxed, their tense stances easing as they exhaled in relief. Their eyes sparkled with awe as they stared at the silver-haired figure before them.
"Palace Master? Could he be the Titled Palace's master?"
They had all heard Zhang Yang's earlier words. And the way he addressed this man—there was only one person who could command such respect. No one else but the Palace Master of the Titled Palace.
Feng Qing'er's gaze was locked on Chen Xiaoming. Gone was the arrogance she once carried. In front of him, even the noble blood that flowed through her veins seemed utterly insignificant.
Chen Xiaoming stood there quietly, yet it felt as though he had become one with the space around him—ethereal and elusive. Even those standing nearby often had the illusion that he wasn't really there.
"So this is the strength of the Titled Palace's Master…"
Jin Shi, clan leader of the Gold Swallowing Mouse Tribe and a Dou Ancestor, couldn't help but murmur in awe. In front of Chen Xiaoming, he felt lower than an insect—as if a single breath from this man could erase his existence.
Everyone present shared that same suffocating sense of inferiority. Not a soul dared speak or move.
Only two people, apart on the platform's edge, behaved differently—laughing, chatting, and admiring the view while embracing one another. From them wafted a faint air of decadent intimacy.
Chen Xiaoming's eyes darkened, a gleam of hostility flickering as he looked toward Xiao Yan and Xun'er. A suppressed pressure began to condense within his body.
"Gulp…"
Zhang Yang, standing at Chen Xiaoming's side, swallowed nervously. Even just being near that oppressive energy made him feel on the verge of collapse.
"Buzz…"
The space rippled slightly. In the blink of an eye, Chen Xiaoming vanished. Xiao Yan and Xun'er immediately sensed the anomaly.
"Teacher!"
Xun'er instinctively stepped in front of Xiao Yan, crying out in alarm. In the distance, suspended in mid-air, Chen Xiaoming appeared with his hands clasped behind his back. A terrifying force slowly gathered around him.
"Xiao Yan, we meet again."
With a glare, he casually waved his hand. Xun'er was instantly frozen in place, her movements sealed, as his gaze shifted to Xiao Yan.
Both were transmigrators, and both protagonists of their respective realms. While Chen Xiaoming never cared much for Xiao Yan's flirtatious nature, since Xun'er was his disciple, he would naturally step forward to protect her honor.
"Indeed, we meet again."
Though Xiao Yan felt the overwhelming pressure of that mighty Dou Qi aura, he forced a wry smile. Still, he wasn't overly afraid. If the man before him truly wanted him dead, he wouldn't have wasted time talking.
More importantly, as Xun'er's teacher, he wouldn't go too far in front of her.
"You seem awfully composed… old friend."
Silver light radiated from Chen Xiaoming's body, instantly enveloping both him and Xiao Yan in an isolated space, cutting them off entirely from the outside world.
"Teacher!"
Imprisoned and separated from Xiao Yan, panic filled Xun'er's eyes. Her golden flames flared violently, trying to break free from the seal.
"Calm down. I won't hurt him."
Chen Xiaoming's voice echoed from nowhere, calm yet with a subtle note of irritation.
The moment he spoke, Xun'er was stilled once again. Within the secluded space, Chen Xiaoming fixed his sharp gaze on Xiao Yan.
"You should already know why I'm here."
Xiao Yan stared back, puzzled. In truth, he had no idea why Chen Xiaoming had come.
Their interactions in the past had mostly occurred years ago in Wu Tan City. After all these years, this encounter atop the Tianmu Mountains was nothing short of fate.
"Hmph. Xun'er is my disciple. As her teacher, I won't let her suffer even a moment's grievance."
A cold gleam flashed in Chen Xiaoming's eyes.
A chill surged into Xiao Yan's body like a sudden winter storm. Blood in his veins seemed to freeze, and his very soul trembled.
A terrifying sense of impending doom.
Xiao Yan's eyes widened with dread. Before this man, his life was no longer in his own hands.
"You understand what I mean."
The words were light, but in Xiao Yan's heart, they landed like a mountain, almost suffocating.
But now he understood. The teacher had come… to protect his disciple.
He quickly recalled every woman he had known. Still, he let out a small sigh of relief. As far as he could remember, he hadn't wronged Xun'er.
Thinking back on his past, while he had many female acquaintances—Yun Yun, the Little Fairy Doctor—his relationships with them remained pure.
With Yun Yun, there'd been misunderstandings. With the Little Fairy Doctor, he had acted out of compassion for her poisoned constitution.
None of it, he reasoned, amounted to betraying Xun'er.
But while Xiao Yan was busy reassuring himself, Chen Xiaoming looked on, barely resisting the urge to slap him dead on the spot.
If he hadn't foreseen Xiao Yan's slippery tendencies and made sure someone intervened at a crucial moment, Xun'er might already be wearing a glowing green hat—metaphorically speaking.
"Rest assured, I, Xiao Yan, will never let Xun'er suffer in this life!"
After a moment of thought, Xiao Yan's eyes shone with determination. Without Medusa's complications and having cleared things up with Yun Yun and the Little Fairy Doctor, he now had nothing to hide.
"Hmph. Don't think I don't know what's going on in that head of yours."
Chen Xiaoming shot him a frosty glance. He didn't believe a word of it.
He had already seen through Xiao Yan's personality—always stringing people along, never fully committing, lacking decisiveness.
Had Xiao Yan resolutely accepted the Little Fairy Doctor and Yun Yun, openly embracing his own heart, Chen Xiaoming might've respected him more.
From Chen Xiaoming's expression, Xiao Yan could read it all: harems, wives left and right, a grand imperial court of beauties.
The thought fired Xiao Yan's blood—but then he shrank inward again, looking at Chen Xiaoming with wide, aggrieved eyes.
He hadn't done any of that!
He, Xiao Yan, had been loyal and devoted to Xun'er! Never had he strayed from her!
His eyes burned with injustice and confusion. Why did Chen Xiaoming think so poorly of him?
But deep down, Xiao Yan made a decision—to prove himself through action.
"I'll prove it to you."
His firm voice lingered in the air. He met Chen Xiaoming's gaze head-on.
Then, with a flicker of motion, Chen Xiaoming appeared beside him.
"I'll be waiting. Otherwise… you'll die."
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