Lei Zhanqian had always projected an image of boldness, imposing strength, and unparalleled arrogance.

But at this moment, that face, usually so full of authority, instantly turned the color of a pig’s liver.

Lei Zhanqian meant “solely occupying heaven and earth, being first in everything.”

Not “fleeing first.”

He could vividly imagine the ridicule he would face once the nickname “Lei-runs-first” spread.

Especially since he had, in fact, fled in the Floating Continent!

Li Fengyao, Jiang Wuxie, and Fang Chong had all witnessed it.

He couldn’t silence all of them, except for Fang Chong.

And he knew Jiang Wuxie would spare no effort in popularizing that nickname. He had no doubt about that.

Lei Zhanqian’s hair seemed to stand on end, his anger reaching a boiling point.

“Just a mere Tenglong realm cultivator, relying on the Heavy Profound Clan’s underhanded tricks to gain a slight advantage, and now he thinks he can lord it over everyone?”

Before his anger, he felt disbelief. He even began to question his own judgment: where did this kid get his confidence?

Jiang Wang sneered, “You should be grateful I’m not in the Inner Mansion. Otherwise, do you think you could have escaped?”

The implication was clear: once he reached the Inner Mansion, Lei Zhanqian wouldn’t even have a chance to be his opponent.

Of course, these were just strong words.

But Jiang Wang did indeed possess the strength to confront him, not just empty bravado.

Having experienced the Seven Stars Tower Secret Realm, he could now pierce through the fog of ignorance and achieve Tenglong Completion at any moment.

The reason he hadn’t yet attempted to knock at the gate of the Inner Mansion, to become a cultivator of the Divine Power Inner Mansion, was that he was waiting for the perfect moment.

It was good enough now, but not the best.

He had regrets in the Tongtian Realm, and he didn’t want to repeat that in the Tenglong Realm.

But if Lei Zhanqian insisted on a fight, he would have to claim his Divine Power ahead of time, abandoning his pursuit of perfection.

In terms of readily available combat strength, he had no fear of Lei Zhanqian!

And if he suffered any setbacks in the Tenglong Realm because of Lei Zhanqian, he would make him pay a heavy price for it.

“It seems you really are courting death!” Lei Zhanqian, of course, couldn’t back down now. He stepped forward, ready to attack directly.

A cold and proud figure strode out from the position of the Tiangang Star. “You’d better think twice.”

Her imposing aura was unconcealed, making her support for Jiang Wang very clear.

Li Fengyao!

Lei Zhanqian’s tiger eyes burned with anger. “Li Fengyao, do you really want to be my enemy?”

Li Fengyao’s voice was as cold and arrogant as her expression. “And what if I do?”

Li Longchuan treated Jiang Wang as a true friend. Just for her younger brother’s sake, she wouldn’t stand idly by.

And from her own heart… was Li Fengyao someone who could be threatened?

“Very well!” Lightning crackled around Lei Zhanqian, and the Lightning Seal of his Divine Power began to take shape.

Li Fengyao grasped the Frostkill Bow, her jade fingers drawing back the string.

Jiang Wang gripped his sword in silence. The Dao Meridian Tenglong had already risen from the lonely island in his mind, ready to knock on the gate of the Inner Mansion at any moment.

Just as the tension reached its peak, a fight about to erupt…

*Clang, clang, clang.*

The sound of dragging chains echoed from afar.

The sound seemed distant, yet close at hand.

Distant because it reached the ear somewhat indistinctly, somewhat unreal.

Close because it reached the ear so easily, even touching the heart, making one feel a kind of sorrow, a sense of confinement. “The Great Dao is like the blue sky, yet I alone cannot escape!”

The sound did nothing, yet it froze the confrontation, holding it at bay.

The two sides seemed to freeze, neither daring to break the stalemate.

A man wearing only thin silk robes, shackles on his hands and feet, long chains dragging on the ground, walking barefoot, appeared in their sight.

He walked forward, and everyone fell silent.

Because it was Tian Anping.

No one could make him a prisoner. So his shackles were, of course, self-imposed.

Tian Anping dragged his chains forward, stopping before the confronting parties.

He looked at none of them, but instead raised his head, gazing at the sky for a long time, as if pondering something.

However, he remained silent, and the others could only remain silent as well.

After a while, Tian Anping withdrew his gaze, his face filled with confusion, as if he truly didn’t understand. “As I recall, the Seven Stars Valley rules were announced hundreds of years ago, weren’t they?”

After the Seven Stars Tower Secret Realm ended, no matter what grudges participants had accumulated within, they were not allowed to settle them on Tian Clan territory.

Fighting was forbidden in Seven Stars Valley. Because no matter the outcome of the fight, who lived, who died, who won, who lost, the Tian Clan would bear the responsibility.

So the Tian Clan had the necessity to continue these rules, and they had the strength to do so.

These rules had been in place for hundreds of years.

Tian Huanzhang, as a cultivator in the Outer Mansion realm, also had enough weight to oversee Seven Stars Valley.

But his weight was only relative.

A genius like Lei Zhanqian, with such a prominent family background, wouldn’t care about Tian Huanzhang when enraged.

However, now Tian Anping had arrived.

Tian Huanzhang didn’t need to concern himself. Because no matter how strong Lei Zhanqian was, no matter how much he violated the rules, as long as he didn’t blatantly massacre the Tian Clan members in front of him, he couldn’t really do anything to Lei Zhanqian. At most, he would just be expelled.

But now, the one who came was Tian Anping.

The various factions of Qi State generally agreed that Tian Anping’s intelligence and strategy were at the top level. Such a person should understand the importance of the “big picture.” However, Tian Anping was equally famous for his madness.

No one could be sure what he would do.

Intelligence and madness, such contradictory qualities, coexisted within him.

No one could be sure which Tian Anping they would encounter.

His question should, of course, be answered by Lei Zhanqian. Because Lei Zhanqian was the one who wanted to start the fight.

But Lei Zhanqian was unwilling to answer. He had just been ridiculed by Jiang Wang as “Lei-runs-first,” and he had just been aggressively trying to regain face. He couldn’t possibly admit defeat as soon as Tian Anping appeared, right?

But to really stand up to Tian Anping, he was indeed a little apprehensive. His strength being inferior was one aspect, but not knowing if the other party would go mad was another.

Li Fengyao spoke up at this moment. She ignored Tian Anping and said directly to Lei Zhanqian, “After you left the Polaris World, I did not kill that woman. You should know my temper. Can my restraint buy your restraint?”

Lei Zhanqian loosened his fist, and the Lightning Seal silently dissipated.

Although he had protected Chi Leiyan in the Game of Life and Death, it was more to preserve his own reputation. A woman he hadn’t known for long was easily replaceable. He would never fight Li Fengyao to the death for Chi Leiyan.

However, at this moment, he needed this step.

He desperately needed it.

“Li Fengyao’s name is certainly worth me suppressing my temper,” he said.

Then, he looked deeply at Jiang Wang before turning and leaving.

From beginning to end, he and Li Fengyao had seemed to ignore Tian Anping. But from beginning to end, all their fear was directed at Tian Anping.

Logically speaking, Lei Zhanqian was the one who wanted to challenge the Seven Stars Valley rules. Li Fengyao didn’t need to worry about herself and Jiang Wang being targeted.

But how to put it… the reason Tian Anping was so worrying was that you never knew what logic he followed!

Lei Zhanqian was the one who provoked, but if he suddenly wanted to kill Li Fengyao or Jiang Wang, it would be very much in his style.

As for the possible revenge from the Stone Gate Li Clan after killing Li Fengyao, Tian Anping wouldn’t consider it when he went mad.

He had killed direct descendants of famous families before.

The heavy losses the Tian Clan suffered as a result, that history hadn’t been forgotten for long. Many people still remembered it vividly.

His madness was named after that, and many Tian Clan members still saw him as a scourge, also for that reason.