Inside the Happy Lamb Hot Pot Restaurant.

The space around Mei Yun subtly distorted as she released her inner domain to isolate the overwhelming divine pressure emanating from the golden dragon and imperial sword that loomed over the world.

Yet, despite her efforts, an involuntary urge to kneel and submit rose within her.

His Highness has grown even stronger.

The world often criticized, claiming that Jiang Yu, the Crown Prince of the Great Yu Dynasty, only held the top spot on the Hidden Dragon Ranking due to the prestige of his royal lineage.

But that was far from the truth.

As the undisputed leader of the Hidden Dragon Ranking, Jiang Yu’s strength stood in a league of its own. He had already left the second and third-ranked prodigies far behind—the gap between him and Xie Xuan was painfully obvious…

"Li Mo…"

Mei Yun wanted to persuade the young man to back down.

From a pure strength perspective, Jiang Yu had opened all nine divine apertures in the Observation Realm. Under the heavens, no other Observation Realm cultivator could surpass him. Even if they were at the same cultivation level, the outcome would be uncertain—let alone the fact that Li Mo had only opened five apertures…

Just as this thought crossed her mind, Mei Yun suddenly froze.

Beneath the golden dragon and imperial city, an overwhelming divine pressure surged forth, all directed at a single person.

Yet that person stood perfectly straight, unyielding.

Li Mo’s face was expressionless as he gripped a short-handled hammer of exquisite craftsmanship. Behind him, a divine shadow burned defiantly under the torrential pressure.

This shadow resembled a divine general, yet it carried an untamed ferocity. It seemed beast-like, yet it stood tall and unshaken amidst the raging winds.

Far from being suppressed, its presence only grew more intense.

Jiang Yu’s voice betrayed no emotion. "Who do you think you are, interfering in my family affairs?"

Li Mo answered seriously, "She’s an employee of my restaurant."

Jiang Yu actually laughed at those words before his expression darkened as he turned to Jiang Chulong.

"Come here."

At his command, Jiang Chulong’s heart trembled with instinctive fear.

For a moment, the memory of that day resurfaced—a figure holding a sharp knife, his face shadowed with malice as he ordered her forward.

"No one can force you."

But then, Jiang Chulong heard a familiar voice whisper beside her ear.

The haunting image blurred, replaced by Li Mo’s warm, reassuring smile.

She lowered her head, no longer chasing after the girl in the pink dress. Her lips quivered for a long moment before she squeezed her eyes shut and shouted:

"I won’t!"

The little princess had never raised her voice like this before.

That single outburst made Jiang Yu pause momentarily before fury finally twisted his handsome features.

The divine pressure, already suffocating, intensified further.

Just how strong was the top-ranked Hidden Dragon?

What was the gap between them now?

What would happen if they fought?

Li Mo considered all these questions in an instant—and just as quickly, he reached his answer.

He tightened his grip on the hammer, channeling the power of the world into his strongest strike.

If things didn’t go as he hoped, then he’d resort to the final rule of the Brawler’s Code:

Just fight!

Fortunately, this time, the genius Li Mo wasn’t wrong.

"Insolence!"

A thunderous voice boomed from the skies outside.

It belonged to the guardian secretly following Jiang Yu.

Regardless of the outcome, in the guardian’s eyes, Li Mo—armed with a divine weapon, empowered by the world’s energy, and wielding that strange divine shadow—posed enough of a threat to Jiang Yu.

His duty was to protect the Crown Prince, and he would not tolerate even the slightest risk.

The moment the guardian spoke, the world itself seemed to shift—colors drained away, leaving only black and white. The air solidified like divine iron, and an oppressive weight descended, enough to paralyze even an Inner Realm cultivator.

Yet, as the heavens pressed down, a faint golden radiance shimmered around Li Mo, shielding his body and soul. Against all odds, he resisted.

His Indestructible Vajra state wouldn’t last long—but it was enough for him to say one thing.

"Our guest may be extraordinary, but the Happy Lamb Hot Pot Restaurant is no pushover either!"

From the backyard, another surge of power erupted.

His external incarnation had activated the Mirage Spirit Pearl, doing what he did best—

Adding special effects!

In the colorless world, a swaying blue lotus emerged, pristine and untouched by dust.

Its roots stretched into the void, its nine leaves forming a majestic canopy. The cycles of life and decay spun endlessly around it, as though it had transcended time itself.

At the lotus’s heart sat a figure, its features indistinct yet radiating unparalleled grace.

Mei Yun: "???"

Since when did the restaurant’s backyard hide such a powerhouse?

The little princess was equally bewildered, yet something about this scene felt familiar.

Hadn’t her master mentioned something like this in the stories he told her?

Li Mo patted her head, placing a finger to his lips to signal silence.

"Where do you hail from?"

The guardian’s voice rumbled like thunder from the void.

"From whence I came," the figure atop the lotus replied indifferently.

"Do you not realize the karma you’ve provoked? Do you fear no retribution?"

The thunderous voice grew more agitated, as though the guardian was ready to strike at any moment.

The figure on the lotus chuckled coldly.

"In all my years, I have never needed to explain myself to others!"

A brilliant azure light erupted as the figure rose from the lotus, unflinching in the face of battle.

"......"

An eerie silence fell.

After a long pause, the guardian finally snorted and withdrew, allowing the world to regain its colors.

Li Mo remained outwardly calm, but inwardly, he let out a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the guardian’s mission was to protect the Crown Prince at all costs. The risk of a battle with a peer expert made him hesitate.

"We will meet again."

Jiang Yu’s dual-pupiled eyes bore into them.

It was unclear whether his gaze was fixed on Li Mo or Jiang Chulong.

Li Mo continued stroking the little princess’s head, ignoring the implicit threat in those words.

Softly, he said,

"She has repaid even her blood and bones. She owes nothing to anyone."

The figure walking away, the golden imperial city on his back, trembled almost imperceptibly.

......

Qingyuan Sect, Main Peak Hall.

The chamber was so silent one could hear a pin drop. The elders were still reeling, their minds struggling to process everything that had just happened.

And it wasn’t just Qingyuan Sect—

The confrontation between what seemed like Seventh Realm experts had sent tremors through the entire Purple Sun Prefecture, as though the heavens themselves were on the verge of collapse.

"Was that… the Crown Prince’s guardian?"

"Not only did His Highness clash with someone, but even a Profound Realm expert intervened?"

"The other side isn’t simple either… This doesn’t seem like the work of the Demon Summoning Sect."

"Could it be a hidden sect’s disciple and their protector?"

Some reclusive sects had origins so ancient that even the Yantian Sect couldn’t fully document them.

Clearly, this matter had spiraled far beyond Qingyuan Sect’s control.

As they spoke, a wisp of cloud qi descended into the hall.

"Li Mo, you’re safe! I was worried something had happened to you."

Xue Jing finally relaxed upon seeing Li Mo unharmed.

"Li Mo, were you at the hot pot restaurant just now?"

Shangguan Wencang’s voice was grave.

"What exactly happened?"

Li Mo thought for a moment before summarizing:

"I made a grand appearance and, well… delivered a bit of a face-slapping moment."

"?"

The elders recognized every word, but the sentence made no sense to them.

"Face-slapping? Whose face…?"

"Jiang Yu's."

"????"