Chapter 031: Dominance

  "Yes, Your Highness!" Nodding, the Grand Leader's lips curled into a faint smile. He had long been displeased with the Li family, and with the Crown Prince here today, their arrogance would not be tolerated. Immediately, the Grand Leader charged forward.

  "Why has this bastard come?" Upon hearing the voice, Li Xuan's face darkened. The Crown Prince of the Qing Yang Empire, Qing Rufeng, was a figure of unfathomable strength. Although he rarely left the imperial palace, the younger generation of the major families feared him greatly.

  Moreover, the Crown Prince was the heir to the Qing Yang Empire, his status even more exalted than Li Xuan's.

  "Qing Rufeng." Li Qingxue's gaze fixed on the jade carriage in surprise, then she glanced at Yang Tian, her brow furrowing slightly as a sense of foreboding rose in her heart.

  "Big brother, why has the Crown Prince come here?" The white-robed man stared dumbfounded at the sight of the nine dragons pulling the carriage, unable to hold back his exclamation.

  "How should I know? But given the Crown Prince's temperament, Yang Tian's life is safe today." The black-robed man chuckled, a sense of relief washing over him.

  "Who are you? How dare you cause trouble in my Qing Yang Empire? Are you tired of living?" The Crown Prince's质问声 slowly rang out, his tone dismissive of the ancient Li family. An intangible aura of dominance emanated from the jade carriage, though its occupant had yet to emerge.

  "So domineering! This is our empire's Crown Prince!" The citizens of Kuangyun City looked up, their eyes filled with fervent admiration as they gazed at the jade carriage in the sky.

  "What a grand display." Li Xuan's face darkened completely, but he dared not act too recklessly. After all, this was someone else's territory. Forcing a smile, he said, "I am Li Xuan of the ancient Li family. May I ask what brings Your Highness here?"

  "Ah, Li Xuan..." The voice from the carriage drew out the name, followed by words that nearly made Li Xuan spit blood: "I don't recall hearing of such a person in the Li family. Oh, and who is the little lady beside you?"

  "Little lady?" Li Qingxue clenched her fists, her brow furrowing as a surge of anger rose in her heart. Her fair face showed displeasure. As a holy maiden, her dignity was unquestionable, but she remained silent.

  "Haha, little lady." Yang Tian couldn't help but laugh, his grin widening as he saw Li Qingxue's expression darken. The earlier gloom in his heart dissipated somewhat.

  "You..." Li Xuan's heart burned with rage, his face alternating between red and pale. Especially in front of the woman he admired, he could not accept this humiliation. He coldly retorted, "Don't go too far. My Li family is not afraid of your Qing Yang Empire."

  "Enough nonsense. You disrupted the martial arts tournament and tried to kill someone from my Qing Yang Empire. I could kill you right now. Do you think your Li family would go to war with the Qing Yang Empire over you?" The person in the carriage laughed heartily, his voice dripping with disdain.

  "You..." Li Xuan's eyelids twitched. He had no doubt that this madman meant what he said. While he might not be killed, a severe beating was certainly possible. Gritting his teeth, he said in a low voice, "I must take him away today, or my Li family will not let this matter rest."

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  "Oh? What earth-shattering crime has he committed to warrant such a fuss? Did he defile your Li family's holy maiden? Or did he dig up your ancestral graves?" The voice from the carriage was filled with mock confusion, firing off a series of sarcastic questions.

  "You..." Li Xuan's face turned crimson with anger. Even the Grand Leader couldn't help but chuckle dryly. Qing Rufeng had always been sharp-tongued, rivaling even the Second Prince in that regard. But now, the Second Prince...

  The Grand Leader sighed at the thought.

  Taking a deep breath, Li Xuan forced down his rage and coldly declared, "This is a private matter of the Li family. Regardless, I must take Yang Tian away today! Otherwise, this matter will not end here."

  "What? He's Yang Tian?" A voice of surprise rang out as a robust figure emerged from the jade carriage. Dressed in a yellow brocade robe, his face was resolute, with a faint purple aura rising from his forehead and divine light swirling in his eyes. He exuded the majesty of an emperor.

  The sudden appearance of this figure shocked everyone present, including the Grand Leader. The Crown Prince rarely left the palace and seldom showed himself in public. Even the Grand Leader had only seen him a handful of times.

  "What's going on?" Seeing Qing Rufeng suddenly appear, Li Qingxue's brow furrowed tightly, her sense of foreboding growing stronger.

  "Could this bastard know Qing Rufeng? How is that possible?" Watching Qing Rufeng approach, Li Xuan muttered to himself, his handsome face once again contorted with rage.

  "So you're Yang Tian." Qing Rufeng stepped through the void, slowly approaching. Seeing Yang Tian's battered body, a murderous aura flickered in his eyes.

  "Yes, I am Yang Tian. May I ask what Your Highness wishes of me?" Yang Tian took a deep breath and spoke calmly, though confusion filled his heart. His Yang family had no ties to the Qing Yang Empire, let alone any enmity.

  Qing Rufeng did not answer him. Instead, he turned his gaze to Li Xuan, his brow slightly raised as he coldly demanded, "Did you do this?"

  "What do you mean?" Li Xuan frowned, sensing a killing intent. At the same time, a sharp energy surged around him.

  "Nothing much. Just sending you on your way." Qing Rufeng's fist clenched suddenly, his body erupting with a purple divine light. The void around him twisted violently as an imperial pressure burst forth.

  In an instant, a purple dragon appeared above his head, roaring as it soared upward. The energy around him surged like a tidal wave, shaking the heavens and earth. Thunder gathered in the sky, creating a celestial phenomenon that awed all who witnessed it.

  "Not good! Qingxue, attack!" Li Xuan's face paled in alarm. A purple bronze sword appeared in his hand, covered in intricate patterns. The divine纹路 on the sword seemed to come alive, coiling in the void and quickly forming dozens of chains.

  "Too slow. Scram!" Qing Rufeng wasted no time. With a single punch, the purple dragon descended from the sky, tearing through the void and sending both Li Xuan and Li Qingxue flying.

  A black dot vanished into the distance at incredible speed, accompanied by a venomous voice that echoed across the heavens: "Yang Tian, you'd better watch your mouth, or your death will come sooner than you think!"

  "Hmph, not enough suffering yet." Qing Rufeng suddenly appeared in the void, his eyes like lightning. He threw several punches through the air, each one tearing through the void as several purple dragons surged into the distance.

  "Bastard, I won't let you get away with this..." A miserable roar gradually faded into the distance.

  "Haha, the Crown Prince's strength has improved again. He's almost catching up to me." Watching the two black dots disappear, the Grand Leader chuckled. Then, with a flash of his figure, he subdued the two beasts that had tried to flee.

  So domineering! A single punch sent them flying.

  Looking at the two subdued beasts, Yang Tian grinned, a sense of exhilaration filling his heart. He walked over and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for saving my life. I will never forget this kindness."

  "Haha." The Crown Prince looked at the young man before him and nodded, patting Yang Tian on the shoulder. "No need to thank me. If anything, I should be thanking you."

  "Thanking me?" Yang Tian was puzzled.

  "Thank you for saving Qing Yuan a few days ago. Otherwise, as his older brother, I would have been heartbroken." Seeing Yang Tian's confusion, Qing Rufeng explained calmly.