Imperial Supreme Hall.
"Father Emperor!"
A voice rang out, filled with indignation.
Shua!
All eyes immediately turned to Yang Xiu.
On his young face was a bitterness and frustration far beyond his years, causing many people to frown.
"Xiu'er, is something wrong?"
Emperor Qian Yuan still sounded relatively gentle.
Yang Cheng was dazzling, yes—but he knew Yang Xiu was also exceptional. As a father, he had a greater tolerance for outstanding sons.
Yang Xiu clenched his fists. "Father Emperor, your son wishes to ask—what qualifications does Elder Brother Crown Prince have to receive the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron?"
Emperor Qian Yuan's expression darkened. "Are you questioning my decision?"
"Father Emperor, it's not that your son wants to question you, but this is simply too ridiculous."
Yang Xiu raised his voice. "As far as I know, to receive the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron, one must show exceptional performance in civil governance, martial ability, and military achievements."
"For example, Grandfather, back then, acted as regent for three years and personally participated in three battles against Northern Yan. His cultivation had already reached the Martial King realm. Only then did he receive the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron and become the Crown Prince."
Emperor Qian Yuan's face had turned cold.
If Yang Xiu weren't his own son, and a very talented one at that, he might've had him seized on the spot.
But Yang Xiu pressed on. "As for Crown Prince Elder Brother—first, he hasn't acted as regent. Second, he hasn't taken part in any wars. Third, his cultivation is far from reaching the Martial King realm."
"I ask you, Father Emperor—what qualifications does he have to receive the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron?"
The great hall fell dead silent.
Grand Secretariat Head Xu Yan and Duke Zhuang Wenying didn't say a word, clearly tacitly agreeing with Yang Xiu's questioning.
Even Emperor Qian Yuan was momentarily at a loss for words.
In truth, making Yang Cheng the Huang Taizi had been a bit impulsive.
Both Yang Cheng and Yang Xiu were just too outstanding.
Though Yang Xiu was slightly inferior to Yang Cheng in talent, he had stronger backing behind him.
To prevent a future of fratricidal strife, Emperor Qian Yuan had chosen to cut the knot early and settle things now.
But now, it looked like that decision might be harder to enforce than he thought.
Yang Cheng, of course, wasn't about to let his father shoulder this alone.
Today, Emperor Qian Yuan had shown real courage and determination. Yang Cheng wouldn't let him down.
He walked forward with his hands behind his back, stepping up to the top of the hall. He stood on the platform just one step below the emperor.
Then he turned, looked down at Yang Xiu, and said calmly, "Sixth Brother, since you've raised so many questions, allow me to answer them."
"Father Emperor gave me the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron because he has vision."
He paused, then added, "An ordinary Crown Prince may not deserve the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron. But I'm not ordinary."
"My future is destined to crush this world. My merit will last through the ages. So why wouldn't I deserve the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron?"
Crush the world. Merit for the ages!
There was probably no statement more arrogant and domineering than that.
Even though Yang Cheng hadn't raised his voice, everyone in the room felt like it echoed like thunder. The entire hall seemed to buzz with the sound.
The representatives from other nations all looked visibly displeased.
Yang Cheng's words were blatant disrespect.
What kind of merit would count as "lasting through the ages"?
It was practically a declaration that he would one day trample over every other country.
"So this is the Crown Prince of Great Zhou?"
"Truly—so young, yet already swallowing the mountains and rivers with his breath, bold as a tiger."
"Hah. Let's see if he's got the talent to back it up, or if he's just full of hot air."
Some admired him. Others mocked him.
"Chengcheng's so bold!" Tang Xingyu's eyes sparkled with stars as she drooled.
Ding!
[Countless prodigies of the Eastern Wastes have gathered for reasons unknown in Great Zhou's Imperial Supreme Hall.]
[Faced with provocation from the Heaven's Mandate Emperor, the host has declared publicly: to crush the world and earn merit for the ages.]
[As a Late Bloomer, how can others be allowed to think the host is all talk?]
[Please sweep away all the prodigies present today. Leave them all speechless before you.]
[Note: The prodigies gathered today are terrifyingly strong, mostly Martial True Gods, far beyond the host's current level. Please create another miracle.]
[Mission reward: 1 Immortal Peach Tree Sapling.]
Yang Cheng's heart trembled with excitement.
Immortal Peach Tree Sapling? That was absolutely a god-tier reward.
"Crush the world, merit for the ages? Great Zhou Crown Prince—no, Great Zhou Huang Taizi—you sure talk big."
A mocking voice rang out.
Many people's eyes lit up.
Who dared to openly challenge the Huang Taizi of Great Zhou?
They soon saw that the speaker was seated among the Great Zhao Empire's delegation.
"It's Nangong Yi, the Divine Son of the Bian'an Divine Sect."
"I heard that a year ago, Nangong Yi lost to the Huang Taizi in the Ancient Desolation Tower. Looks like he's still holding a grudge."
Eyes across the hall glinted with anticipation.
The real show was about to begin.
Zither Dao wasn't the mainstream martial path. Earlier, Yang Cheng's musical battle with the Jade Zither Pavilion was just the appetizer.
Now that Nangong Yi had stepped forward—this was the main course.
"A defeated dog barking again?"
Yang Cheng replied indifferently, with a hint of scorn.
He could sense an unusual aura from Nangong Yi.
As expected of someone with immense fate and fortune.
Clearly, after losing at the Ancient Desolation Tower last time, Nangong Yi had encountered another major opportunity.
Nangong Yi's face twisted in anger. "Yang Cheng, stop running your mouth."
"I'm no longer who I was a year ago. If you've got the guts, fight me again."
Yang Cheng stood with hands behind his back and swept his gaze across the young prodigies from all the major powers. "If defeating just you counts as crushing the world, that's meaningless."
"To save time, anyone who's not convinced—don't come one by one. Just come at me all at once."
The moment he said that, the crowd erupted.
Even the elders hadn't expected Yang Cheng to say something so bold.
If his earlier words were arrogant, this was pure madness.
"Yang Cheng, how dare you look down on everyone like this!" Nangong Yi snapped coldly.
"It's not that I look down on anyone," Yang Cheng replied calmly. "I'm just stating a fact."
"Don't get cocky. Just dealing with me is enough."
Nangong Yi's eyes burst with sword-light as he drew his sword with a sharp clang.
Emperor Qian Yuan didn't intervene. After all, it had been Yang Cheng who made the bold claim. If he stopped it now, wouldn't that be undercutting his own son?
Nangong Yi really was different now.
His body and sword became one as he turned into a streak of sword light, arriving before Yang Cheng in the blink of an eye. A terrifying aura exploded from him.
He had clearly been hiding his cultivation using a secret technique, which had fooled even the most powerful elders.
Now that it was fully released, the entire hall changed color.
"This cultivation…"
"He's at sixth-stage Martial Grandmaster!"
Even the elders were stunned, let alone the younger cultivators.
Emperor Qian Yuan and Yun Liyue's eyes narrowed sharply, their hearts tightening.
They too hadn't expected Nangong Yi to be this strong.
Many adult martial artists hadn't reached this level. Yet here was a thirteen-year-old boy, a complete monster.
For a moment, even their confidence in Yang Cheng wavered.
But Yang Cheng didn't even flinch. No expression. He stood still as if he hadn't reacted at all—then suddenly reached out with his bare hand to grab Nangong Yi's sword.
"The Crown Prince's done for."
"He's grabbing the sword barehanded? His hand's going to get sliced off!"
"Well, can't really blame him. Who would've guessed Nangong Yi would move that fast?"
Whispers buzzed through the hall.
But some of the top elders noticed something odd.
Yang Cheng was too calm.
As they observed closely, they realized—his eyes weren't panicked at all. They were like a still, icy pond.
Then came the shock.
Nangong Yi's sword… had stopped.
More precisely—Yang Cheng had caught it. With two fingers.
Their pupils shrank.
He had caught a lightning-fast stab with just his fingers.
How terrifying did one's reflexes and strength have to be for that?
To catch a sword moving at full force, you needed at least three times the strength of the stab itself—otherwise, it was impossible.
"Your strength…" Nangong Yi stared at Yang Cheng's hand, face full of disbelief.
That strike had been with full power, no holding back—yet Yang Cheng had caught it, and the sword couldn't move at all.
Impossible!
He was a sixth-stage Martial Grandmaster!
His strength now was many times what it had been during the Ancient Desolation Tower duel.
"A mere firefly dares to compete with the moon?"
Yang Cheng looked at him calmly, not mocking, just a little… confused.
"You…" Nangong Yi flushed red, humiliated again.
He felt like he was back in the Ancient Desolation Tower, publicly shamed by Yang Cheng all over again.
"Let go!" he growled.
Flick.
Yang Cheng lightly flicked the back of Nangong Yi's sword with his finger.
A terrifying vibration force blasted through the blade and into Nangong Yi's hand.
He felt numbness, then stabbing pain from his fingers to his whole arm.
His tiger's mouth split open, fingers torn, blood oozing from every crack.
"Argh!" Nangong Yi cried out. He released the sword and stumbled back several steps.
By the time he regained his footing, his face was pale as a ghost.
Everyone around the hall stared in shock, unable to believe what they'd seen.
Just moments ago, Nangong Yi was still considered a monster.
And now? Yang Cheng had grabbed his sword barehanded and injured him?
"Only three years old, and he already has power like this!"
"No wonder Emperor Qian Yuan gave him the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron."
The elders of various factions were all shaken.
At last, they began to understand Emperor Qian Yuan's reasoning.
But even so, Emperor Qian Yuan himself was speechless.
He hadn't expected his own son to be this freakish.
That was a sixth-stage Martial Grandmaster, yet Yang Cheng took him down so easily?
He used to think he'd been a genius in his youth.
But now, compared to Yang Cheng?
He felt like a total disappointment.