Radiant Sunlight Hall.
Yang Xiu sat on the bed, dazed and lifeless.
He had been so full of pride that morning. Now, all that pride had crumbled into despair.
He was clearly already this powerful. So why had he still been crushed by Yang Cheng?
And worse—he'd been forced to kneel before Yang Cheng right in front of Wei Roujia.
"Why? If I, Yang Xiu, already exist in this world, then why does there need to be a Yang Cheng!"
The frustration in his chest was enough to drive him mad.
"Xiuer."
A sigh came from Lin Xinglan.
"Master."
Yang Xiu gritted his teeth. "Didn't you say that with my current level, no one in the same generation across the entire Wasteland Realm could compare to me?"
"This result surprised me too."
Lin Xinglan replied, "But at this point, I have to admit… I really did underestimate your Crown Prince brother."
"You mean even you think I'm no match for him?" Yang Xiu said stiffly.
Lin Xinglan frowned. "Xiuer, did you forget what I taught you? No matter what, you must never give in to despair."
"I…"
Yang Xiu's chest burned with resentment, but he didn't dare anger Lin Xinglan. All he could say was, "Master, I was wrong."
"Yang Cheng's strength isn't something that can be explained by talent alone."
Lin Xinglan said calmly, "There may be a powerful figure supporting him from behind. You need to rein yourself in from now on. Never lose control like today again."
"I understand."
Yang Xiu's voice was laced with bitterness. "I'll keep a low profile and endure everything. Until the day I can crush him with my own hands."
At the same time.
Splendid Radiance Hall.
"Wei Roujia may be smart, but it's still within a normal range. She's just an ordinary four-year-old child."
After spending time with her, Yang Cheng had gained a clearer impression of Wei Roujia.
Honestly, he didn't think much of her anymore.
So what if she was the Heaven's Mandate Heroine?
In this life, he would carve his own path. He didn't need any woman to support him.
Besides, Wei Roujia was still way too young. The first thing he thought when he saw her was that she looked obedient and cute.
Totally different from Tangtang.
Tangtang was lively, cheeky, full of mischievous charm, like a puffball of sweetness.
Wei Roujia, on the other hand, was a textbook noble daughter.
Yang Cheng soon pushed everything related to Wei Roujia out of his mind.
"Lin Xinglan."
His thoughts turned to someone much more important.
Over the past two years, he'd had plenty of indirect run-ins with Yang Xiu. And from that, he'd slowly pieced together a rough understanding of Lin Xinglan.
"Lin Xinglan has never taken action once. It's probably not just to test Yang Xiu. Most likely, she's even weaker than I thought—so weak she simply can't act."
A glint flashed through Yang Cheng's eyes. "Or maybe if she does act, it'll cost her something."
Why had he feared Yang Xiu?
It wasn't Yang Xiu himself—it was Lin Xinglan behind him.
She was a half-step Martial Ancestor.
Even in the Wasteland Realm, she was top-tier. In the Divine Realm, she'd still be a peerless figure.
In some worlds, she might even be worshiped like a god, with statues in her honor.
Two years ago, Yang Cheng had already started suspecting this.
But he'd chosen to wait. He didn't dare act rashly.
Now, he felt the time had come to go on the offensive.
"In my previous life, around a hundred years from now, Lin Xinglan seemed to leave Yang Xiu. She went off to handle something major and didn't reappear for four hundred years after that."
Yang Cheng considered everything carefully. "That proves Lin Xinglan might not value Yang Xiu that highly. To her, maybe he's just a tool to help her recover her strength."
He wanted to try something bold—confront Lin Xinglan directly.
After two years of observation, he believed the risk wasn't as high as it seemed.
First, Lin Xinglan wasn't some murderous lunatic.
Second, though she might be able to kill him, she was extremely weak right now. If she did kill him, it would probably cost her dearly. And she might not be willing to pay that price.
"Third, and this is very important—how do I explain that I know about Lin Xinglan's existence?"
Because that secret… only Yang Xiu, Lin Xinglan, and Lu Jingshu knew.
If he didn't have a solid explanation, he'd be exposing the fact that he knew the future.
And Yang Cheng had no intention of revealing that.
"I can tell Lin Xinglan that when the Dark Bird descended, it sensed her presence and revealed it to me."
He had already prepared this excuse long ago.
Everything was in place.
So, Yang Cheng didn't hesitate any longer and headed to Radiant Sunlight Hall.
"What brings the Crown Prince to my Radiant Sunlight Hall today?"
Noble Consort Zhuang frowned.
"I came to see Sixth Brother," Yang Cheng said.
"Crown Prince brother, why are you looking for me?"
Yang Xiu was puzzled.
"I want to speak to you alone. Is that alright?" Yang Cheng asked.
Yang Xiu narrowed his eyes, paused a moment, then said, "Fine."
He wanted to hear exactly what Yang Cheng had to say.
A moment later, the two entered a side hall.
"Crown Prince brother, what exactly do you want? You can speak now," Yang Xiu asked.
"I'm actually not here for you."
Yang Cheng spoke calmly.
"What do you mean by that?" Yang Xiu frowned.
Yang Cheng said, "Senior, may I request an audience with you?"
Yang Xiu instantly panicked. "Crown Prince brother, are you out of your mind? There's no one here except you and me!"
Yang Cheng gave him a flat look. "Sixth Brother, have you heard the saying, 'There are no 300 taels of silver buried here'? Even if I wasn't sure before, the way you're acting now just confirms everything."
Yang Xiu suddenly felt like he'd fallen into an icy abyss.
Lin Xinglan's existence had always been his greatest source of confidence.
And now Yang Cheng knew?
Buzz!
The next moment.
An incredibly terrifying will locked onto Yang Cheng. It was more frightening than anything he had ever sensed in both his past and current lives.
Even the Martial True Gods he'd seen before were nothing compared to this will. They were like ants.
But Yang Cheng didn't panic.
He could clearly feel it. This will, while overwhelming, had a hollow, insubstantial feel to it.
That only confirmed his theory—Lin Xinglan was incredibly weak right now.
She might even be in hiding and didn't dare expose herself.
Yang Cheng had already been 90% sure before he came. Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken the risk.
"Why do you know of my existence?"
A cold voice echoed out.
This was the first time Yang Cheng had ever heard Lin Xinglan's voice.
"Senior, do you recall two years ago when the Dark Bird descended?"
Yang Cheng asked.
Lin Xinglan paused for a moment. Then, without needing any further explanation, she thought she understood.
"So the Dark Bird really did come for you."
Her tone eased. "Looks like it sensed my presence and informed you of it."
What she feared most was that her location had been exposed.
But now, knowing the Dark Bird had told Yang Cheng, she wasn't as concerned.
After all, the Dark Bird wasn't really a creature—it was more like a spirit of the world's laws.
It only communicated with those it acknowledged. It wouldn't interact with others or reveal her presence.
"Senior, you are truly insightful, able to see through everything with perfect clarity," Yang Cheng said respectfully.
Buzz—
The void rippled slightly.
A phantom of a woman formed, dressed in a dark robe patterned with stars.
Her phoenix eyes were piercing, her long hair cascading like a waterfall. She didn't feel like a person at all—more like a manifestation of the Dao itself.
"Why did you come to see me? Are you not afraid I might kill you?"
Lin Xinglan stared coldly at Yang Cheng.
Yang Cheng sneered inwardly. 'If you could kill me without paying a price, you would've done it the moment I opened my mouth.'
But on his face was only solemn respect. "I'm not afraid."
"Hm?"
Her gaze sharpened, and her voice hinted at annoyance.
Yang Cheng remained calm and composed. "The fact that the Dark Bird noticed you proves you're on the same level as it—a supreme deity. For a being like you, full of compassion for all life and boundless mercy, how could you possibly kill someone like me? That's why I'm not afraid."
Lin Xinglan froze.
She had killed countless people in her life. Her path had been soaked in blood and bones.
And now someone was saying she was merciful and loving?
In Yang Cheng's eyes, she was the complete opposite of how Yang Xiu saw her.
She still remembered clearly—when Yang Xiu first discovered her, he was overwhelmed with terror.
Even now, he feared her more than he respected her.
No one in this world—not even a born demon—liked being seen as a monster.
Lin Xinglan was no exception.
She may have been drenched in sin and blood, but that didn't mean she enjoyed being hated.
She too wanted to be respected. To be seen as good.
"Naive," she said coldly. "What if I really was a villain? You'd be dead already."
Yang Cheng replied earnestly, "The more you say that, the more it proves you're kind-hearted. Just like Mother said—sharp tongue, soft heart."
"Enough. Don't butter me up. What do you want from me?"
She sounded annoyed, but her gaze had clearly softened.
Yang Xiu, watching from the side, felt a pang of jealousy twist in his chest. He gritted his teeth in hatred.
'Damn it, what the hell is Yang Cheng trying to do now? Isn't stealing my future empress enough—now he wants to go after my master too?'
"Senior."
Yang Cheng bowed again. "Compared to me, what do you think of Sixth Brother?"
Lin Xinglan hesitated.
Even though Yang Xiu was her disciple, she couldn't deny the truth—Yang Cheng far outshined him.
Yang Xiu only stood out because she was secretly helping him.
But Yang Cheng had no such help and still crushed Yang Xiu from start to finish. That made him not just superior, but far superior.
To be honest, if she hadn't been helping him, Yang Xiu wouldn't even be worthy of carrying Yang Cheng's shoes.
So she could only say, "Xiuer… truly isn't as good as you."
The moment those words left her mouth, Yang Xiu's heart turned cold as ice.