How did things end up like this?
Huang Yuan clenched his fists tightly.
Just a while ago, he had been full of confidence, thinking that no matter how much Yang Cheng struggled, he couldn't escape the inescapable net the major families had woven together.
As long as they were determined to kill him, a brat from the Wasteland Realm—even if he had some skills—would never escape with his life!
But now?
Yu Zhongxu's appearance, his openly declared stance, and those ruthless words that cut to the bone came down like a violent storm, shaking their so-called alliance to its core.
Huang Yuan could clearly see that the representatives of the mid and small powers who had sided with the Lu clan and the Huang clan were already looking shaken. Fear and hesitation flickered wildly in their eyes.
Huang Guinian, Lu Canglan, and He Rongping—those three old foxes—had expressions so dark they could drip ink.
They exchanged glances, and in each other's eyes, they saw something they'd never seen before—an unprecedented heaviness, and a trace of… panic.
Yu Zhongxu's attitude wasn't just a simple show of support for Yang Cheng. This was a crushing, one-sided blow from a higher plane.
All their schemes, threats, and alliances now looked laughably weak in front of such absolute power and disparity in perception.
Lin Jiao, Lin Xiao, Lin Kun—those younger members of the Lin clan—were already standing there dumbfounded, minds blank.
Everything happening before their eyes felt like a dream.
Not long ago, many of them had followed their elders in opposing Yang Cheng, thinking he was just a reckless fool who didn't know his place.
But now, they finally realized just how foolish they had been.
Yang Cheng was someone who could talk and laugh with Yu Zhongxu, someone even Yu Zhongxu addressed with respectful reverence as "Your Highness."
And Yu Zhongxu's status? It was even above their terrifying clan elder, Lin Xiaotian.
Their behavior now looked not just foolish, but a hundred times more idiotic than openly defying their own ancestor. It was the very definition of clownish.
Only Lin Feng and Song Shuyue were on the verge of tears from how moved they were.
They had always believed in Yang Cheng and done their best to defend Lin Shu. But only now did they realize that even their "respect" had severely underestimated Yang Cheng.
Watching Yu Zhongxu's respectful attitude and hearing his earth-shattering words, they finally understood why Yang Cheng could always remain so calm, so aloof.
It wasn't arrogance—it was the composure that came from absolute strength and unfathomable foundations.
It was the indifference of a divine dragon soaring through the skies, glancing coldly at ants crawling on the ground.
Now that Yang Cheng had the full support of the Chen clan behind him and Yu Zhongxu—the Third Elder of the White Fish Society in the Western Region—standing firmly on his side, did he really need to fear the so-called powerhouses of the Southern Domain like the Huang, Lu, or He clans?
The answer was obvious.
The atmosphere of the entire Lin clan banquet flipped completely.
An invisible pressure, heavy as a mountain, bore down hard on Lu Canglan, Huang Guinian, and the others.
"Elder Yu, they don't just not understand," Chen Xuanshan sneered. "Right before you arrived, these so-called noble families—including the Lin clan—were still shouting for His Highness Yang Cheng's death."
"What did you say?" Yu Zhongxu almost thought he'd misheard.
"You heard right, Elder Yu," said Chen Xuanshan. "The real reason they all gathered here today wasn't to celebrate Lin Xiaotian's birthday. That was just an excuse. Their actual goal… was to deal with Yang Cheng."
"If you'd arrived even a little later, they probably would've already launched an attack against His Highness."
Yu Zhongxu stood there dumbfounded. "Huang Guinian, Lu Canglan, He Rongping… you guys are that bold? Even our White Fish Society would have to think three times before offending His Highness Yang Cheng, and you actually wanted to go after him?"
Then he turned toward Lin Xiaotian. "And you, Lin Xiaotian—have you lost your mind? Others would kill for an opportunity like this, to curry favor with His Highness and strengthen ties with him. But you? You went and sided with outsiders to go against him?"
"What you've done is basically this—Heaven shows favor to your Lin clan, and instead of cherishing that, you go and join the Heavenly Demons who rebel against Heaven itself, just to fight Heaven. Impressive. Truly impressive."
The whole area went silent.
Everyone from the Lin clan, including Lin Xiaotian, felt a deep, crushing wave of regret welling up in their hearts.
They had finally realized—they had made a colossal mistake.
Then, all eyes turned to the tall figure standing at the center.
Yang Cheng stood there calmly, sweeping his gaze slowly across the entire crowd.
Whether it was the Lin clan juniors who had shouted before, or the vassal forces of the Lu, Huang, and He clans, all of them were trembling inwardly. They lowered their heads instinctively, unable to meet his eyes.
"Now then, who else wants to try and come at me?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it rang clearly in everyone's ears.
Not a sound in response.
Even the sound of breathing seemed to freeze in place.
The fury from before, when the mob had been ready to tear Yang Cheng apart, had completely vanished.
With Yu Zhongxu's merciless exposure and Chen Xuanshan's firm stance, no one dared to be the first to step forward anymore.
Yang Cheng's gaze finally landed on Lu Canglan, whose face had turned deathly pale—it was like two cold, sharp blades stabbing through him.
"Lu Canglan."
Yang Cheng's tone was calm, but Lu Canglan's body trembled.
"Your grandson Lu Guan didn't know his place. He dared to offend me in public and I crippled his limbs. Do you have a problem with that?"
"No!"
Lu Canglan blurted it out instantly.
He knew it was humiliating, but with Yang Cheng and Yu Zhongxu's cold stares bearing down on him, he had no other choice.
"Lu Guan… he brought it on himself. I have absolutely no issue."
Even as he said it, Lu Canglan felt like he was going to collapse.
"You may not have a problem, but I do."
Yang Cheng's voice was like freezing ice from the depths of the Netherworld, each word striking straight into the heart. "What I did, Lu Guan fully deserved."
"But you, Lu Canglan—as the head of the Lu clan, you failed to discipline your descendants, to rein in your clan. Instead, you ignored right and wrong, flipped black and white, refused to reflect on your own mistakes, and held a grudge. Worse, you secretly conspired with the Huang and He clans, and even tried to rope in the Lin clan to set a trap here to ambush me."
"Heh… tell me, who gave you the guts to think you could lay a trap and kill me, Yang Cheng?"
Lu Canglan's face turned from white to green, then from green to purple. His voice even changed tone as he spoke, "Your Highness Yang Cheng, all of this is just your speculation. There's no concrete proof."
"Pfft!"
A loud, undisguised sneer rang out—it was Yu Zhongxu.
He looked like he'd just watched a third-rate monkey show, his face full of mockery. "Lu Canglan, oh Lu Canglan… you've lived over 300 years, and you're still this naive? Playing the 'no evidence' card in front of His Highness Yang Cheng—are you really that unafraid of dying?"
He swept his gaze across the crowd, his tone cold and all-seeing. "Anyone with eyes knows what you've done and what you intended to do."
"At His Highness Yang Cheng's level, do you think he needs to follow the same rules as some petty, mundane court—needing witness testimonies and material evidence?"
"As long as His Highness believes you're guilty… then you are guilty."