King of Ten Thousand Years

Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Ungrateful

Full Moon Tower.

Liu Ziyan, surrounded by admirers as if she were the moon among stars, was the dazzling center of attention.

"Ziyan, come sit over here. I saved a good spot for you to enjoy the moon."

Qi Hong, with his dashing demeanor, greeted her with a smile.

However, Liu Ziyan ignored him, her cold gaze fixed on a young man.

’Who is that?’

Everyone present turned to look at Luo Tian, confused.

’How could such an inconspicuous commoner Martial Artist attract Liu Ziyan’s attention?’

"To think I’d run into an old acquaintance at this Full Moon Tower gathering."

A hint of mockery and coldness lay hidden behind Liu Ziyan’s captivating smile as she sat down in a pavilion across from Luo Tian.

Luo Tian was the very source of Liu Ziyan’s Heart Knot.

Only by utterly suppressing, humiliating, and even crushing him could she resolve this flaw in her state of mind.

Originally, Liu Ziyan had been worrying about where to find Luo Tian.

She never expected that tonight’s gathering at Full Moon Tower would bring her such a pleasant surprise.

"Luo Tian! You actually know Liu Ziyan? Why didn’t you say so sooner?"

Lin Yun’s face lit up with excitement.

A stunning beauty like Liu Ziyan was the perfect goddess in Lin Yun’s eyes.

He just had never found an opportunity to meet her.

"Miss Liu, I am Lin Yun of the Lin Family from Lingyun County City, and a good friend of Luo Tian."

Lin Yun stepped forward with an eager expression.

Luo Tian wanted to explain, but it was too late.

"I have long heard rumors about Miss Liu, but seeing you today, I find the rumors don’t do you justice."

With a flattering expression, Lin Yun took the initiative to strike up a conversation, leveraging this "connection" through Luo Tian.

"Luo Tian’s friend?"

A sly smile played on Liu Ziyan’s lips, a teasing light in her eyes.

"Luo Tian? Sister Ziyan, could this be that blind fool you mentioned?"

At that moment, a pretty young woman in red spoke up.

"Yuyan, what do you mean by that?"

Qi Hong, the host of the gathering, asked with a frown.

The woman in red was named Mu Yuyan. She was a friend of Liu Ziyan and had an extraordinary status as the young miss of the Mu Family, one of the Four Great Families of Lingyun County City.

If it weren’t for Liu Ziyan’s presence, Mu Yuyan would have certainly been the main female star of the evening.

But Liu Ziyan was too dazzling, completely overshadowing her and reducing her to a side character.

"Hee hee, you all probably don’t know, but this kid once rejected a marriage proposal from Sister Ziyan’s family!"

Mu Yuyan revealed a cunning smile, looking as if she was trying to stir up trouble.

’This kid?’

’Rejected a marriage proposal from Liu Ziyan’s family?’

The young geniuses from the various counties were shocked and in an uproar.

Qi Hong, Chen Haofei, Lin Yun, and the others all stared at Luo Tian in disbelief and astonishment.

"That... That’s impossible!"

Everyone present couldn’t believe it and turned to look at Liu Ziyan.

Liu Ziyan didn’t refute it, which was a tacit admission.

’Rejecting a marriage proposal from Liu Ziyan’s family?’

’Does this kid have rocks in his head?’

Qi Hong, Lin Yun, and the others were burning with envy. ’How wonderful would it be if the Liu Family had proposed to them instead!’

"Sister Ziyan also told me that this kid even beat up her younger cousin. He’s a real piece of work!"

Mu Yuyan said teasingly, adding fuel to the fire.

"Yuyan, is that true?"

"Humiliating the Liu Family? This kid must have a death wish!"

In an instant, the crowd in Full Moon Tower was filled with righteous indignation.

"Twisting the truth!"

Luo Tian’s expression darkened, but he couldn’t be bothered to argue.

Back at the Academy, the humiliation and suppression Luo Tian suffered at the hands of the Liu Family disciples were rumored to have been orchestrated by Liu Ziyan herself.

’And now they were claiming that he, a mere commoner Martial Artist, was the one bullying a group of disciples from a Noble Family?’

"Hmph! Luo Tian! I never thought you were this kind of person. From this day forward, I, Lin Yun, will sever all ties with you. We have nothing to do with each other!"

Lin Yun said with a look of disgust.

Upon learning about the animosity between Luo Tian and Liu Ziyan, he immediately distanced himself.

"Sever ties?"

Luo Tian couldn’t help but laugh. ’To think someone so shameless existed in this world.’

Just half a day ago, if Luo Tian hadn’t saved him, Lin Yun might have already been chased to his death by the Iron-Plumed Eagle.

Now, after finding out about Luo Tian’s relationship with Liu Ziyan, Lin Yun had turned on him faster than one could flip a page.

"Lin Yun, you’ve gone too far! Luo Tian saved our lives. How can you be so ungrateful?"

Chen Haofei roared, his face flushed with anger.

"Don’t talk nonsense! A mere commoner Martial Artist at the Third Layer of Meridian Opening dares to claim he saved me...?"

Lin Yun’s expression changed, and he adamantly denied it.

He was dismissive of the claim that Luo Tian had "saved" them.

Lin Yun believed that he and Chen Haofei had only gotten injured because they were ambushed by the Iron-Plumed Eagle. Luo Tian just happened to be there and took a bit of the pressure off.

"Brother Chen, calm down. Just pretend I saved a dog."

Luo Tian placed a hand on Chen Haofei’s shoulder.

Because of his feud with Liu Ziyan, he now stood against all the geniuses of Lingyun County.

Luo Tian didn’t want Chen Hao to get dragged into this.

’Time to go.’

Luo Tian turned, planning to leave Full Moon Tower.

"Trying to leave?"

Lin Yun sneered, blocking his path, refusing to let the matter drop.

Luo Tian’s brows twitched, a sense of disgust rising in his heart.

"Luo Tian! You are heartless and ungrateful, and you’ve hurt the Liu Family’s feelings."

"Today, if you don’t kowtow and apologize to Miss Liu, you can forget about leaving Full Moon Tower!"

Lin Yun shouted harshly, his voice filled with righteous fury.

It was difficult to stand out among the many geniuses at Full Moon Tower and attract Liu Ziyan’s attention.

But this was a golden opportunity.

As long as he thoroughly humiliated and taught Luo Tian a lesson in front of Liu Ziyan, he could win the beauty’s favor.

Seeing Lin Yun’s performance, the other young men present couldn’t help but beat their chests in frustration, cursing themselves for being a step too slow.

"Apologize? Who the hell do you think you are!"

Luo Tian shot him a cold glance.

He pushed past Lin Yun, not bothering with him, and walked toward the exit of Full Moon Tower.

"Such audacity! You country bumpkin from a small town, you dare be rude to me?"

Lin Yun’s expression turned vicious.

’Get back here!’

Lin Yun thrust out a hand, a layer of chilly white True Qi swirling around it, and grabbed for Luo Tian’s shoulder.

He planned to capture Luo Tian in one move, humiliate him thoroughly, and then make him kowtow and apologize to Liu Ziyan.

"Heh heh, this kid offended Liu Ziyan. He’s doomed to a bad end."

"Lin Yun’s Cultivation is at the Peak of the Fourth Layer of Meridian Opening. He won’t even need three moves to deal with him, right?"

A Fourth Layer of Meridian Opening expert attacking someone at the Third Layer was normally considered a shameful act of bullying the weak.

But all the geniuses present, including Qi Hong, the host of the gathering, were on Lin Yun’s side.

To be more precise, they were on Liu Ziyan’s side.

In the pavilion opposite them.

Liu Ziyan sat calmly, lifting her teacup to take a sip, the corners of her mouth curling into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

Suppressing someone at the Third Layer of Meridian Opening Realm was simply too easy for someone of her current standing.

She didn’t even have to say a word; countless people were already scrambling over each other for a chance to act on her behalf.

’Luo Tian, you must be filled with regret right now, aren’t you?’

An inexplicable sense of satisfaction bloomed in Liu Ziyan’s heart.

She had awakened an Earth Tier Martial Vein and become the most dazzling genius beauty in Lingyun County. How many disciples from Noble Families were pursuing her?

And Luo Tian? He was just an inconspicuous commoner Martial Artist at the Third Layer of Meridian Opening, destined to suffer all sorts of setbacks and waste his life away. How pathetic was that?

She would make Luo Tian feel so ashamed of his inadequacy that he would regret rejecting the marriage proposal all those years ago, and she would make him pay a huge price for it.

...

WHOOSH!

Lin Yun’s palm, radiating an icy chill, was about to grab Luo Tian.

Without even looking back, Luo Tian slapped a palm behind him.

CRACK!

Lin Yun’s grasping hand was forcefully knocked back by a domineering, ice-cold palm.

"Such powerful force!"

Lin Yun’s expression changed. His arm went numb and cold, and he had actually been knocked back several meters by Luo Tian’s single palm strike.

This scene surprised and bewildered everyone present.

"Tsk tsk, I guess that kid isn’t completely useless after all."

"Lin Yun underestimated his opponent. He wanted to capture the boy but failed."

A few geniuses from the County City commented.

"You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. Don’t blame me for being ruthless."

Lin Yun’s face was grim.

He had indeed been too arrogant just now, trying to capture Luo Tian in one move without using his full strength.

"You’re no match for me! Are you going to continue making a fool of yourself?"

Luo Tian said, shaking his head.

"Fine! Fine! How shameless of you to boast like that!"

Amused by his own anger, Lin Yun actually started to laugh.

He was completely confident he could defeat Luo Tian.

Earlier in the day, Lin Yun had been ambushed, chased, and injured by the bird, and his stamina was depleted, so he hadn’t shown his true strength.

Although Luo Tian had helped repel the Iron-Plumed Eagle, at best he had relied on a special Martial Skill technique to barely unleash the battle power of the Fourth Layer of Meridian Opening, and he couldn’t maintain it for long.

"You little thief, let me show you the Martial Skills of a Noble Family!"

Lin Yun smiled arrogantly.

SWOOSH! Before his voice had even faded, Lin Yun shot out like a cheetah, closing in on Luo Tian in an instant with astonishing speed.

At the same time, he formed his hand into a blade, which became wreathed in white True Qi and stirred up a bone-chilling wind.

"That’s the Lin Family’s Seven Charge Steps and Cold Wind Slash."

"Both of these Martial Skills are Mortal Level Upper Grade, and their power is even greater when used together. Lin Yun has already cultivated both skills to the Small Success Realm, which is no small feat."

The geniuses from the various cities present were quite knowledgeable.

Luo Tian’s eyes narrowed as well.

With the two Martial Skills combined, Lin Yun’s combat power had doubled, making him much stronger than expected.