The cruise ship cabin fell into a profound silence, everyone staring blankly at Chen Yunyan, as if utterly failing to comprehend who this Monkey King, sprung from a stone, actually was!

Zhang Ling, being a senior from the Zhengyi School and widely experienced, observed Chen Yunyan with a look of astonishment. She couldn't help but ask, "Which lineage of the Qingwei School are you from? And what is your relation to Zhang Yunyan?"

Chen Yunyan looked at Zhang Ling with mild surprise, cupped his hands in salute, and said, "True Master Zhang is indeed perceptive to discern my lineage at a glance! My original name is Chen Xing, and I am a descendant of the lineage of Ancestor Master Zhang Yunyan of the Qingwei School!"

A wave of shock swept through the cultivators gathered in the hall. Zhang Tianhe exclaimed in disbelief, "Zhang Yunyan actually has living successors? That's impossible!"

Du Fei chuckled, whispering to Yue Sheng, "Ah, fellow sect members. Good, very good!"

Yue Sheng merely snorted, remaining silent, but the previous look of disdain in his eyes was completely gone.

Wei Qing, standing nearby, muttered softly, "Oh, come on. 'Fellow sect members'? It's just a slight connection in ancestry. It's been nearly a thousand years; who still acknowledges that?"

Zhou Qin, standing not far from Wei Qing, overheard her comment and, confused, asked Ziyuan, "Ziyuan, who is Zhang Yunyan? And why did Du Fei just say Chen Yunyan is a co-sect member?"

Ziyuan’s expression grew serious as she whispered back, "Zhang Yunyan, also known as Zhang Dagui, was from Changsha, Hunan. Between 1264 and 1294 AD, he entered Wudang Mountain and became a disciple of the Quanzhen School's True Master Wang Zhenchang. Later, he also studied under the Grand Master Huang Shunshen of the Qingwei School. Therefore, Zhang Yunyan was a great cultivator with simultaneous lineage in both the Quanzhen and Qingwei Schools. That's why Du Fei said that since Chen Yunyan is from Zhang Yunyan's line, they share a direct ancestral connection."

Zhou Qin nodded slightly, a flicker of understanding crossing her face. She then asked, "Is this Zhang Yunyan very powerful? Why is everyone so shocked just hearing his name?"

Ziyuan nodded slightly, her face grave. "This Zhang Yunyan was known as the Thunder Elder. As his name implies, his lightning arts were incredibly potent, virtually unmatched in the world during the Tang Dynasty! Furthermore, Zhang Yunyan had numerous disciples who greatly spread the fame of the Qingwei School. It's highly likely that Chen Yunyan specifically changed his name to Chen Yunyan in hopes of further glorifying the Qingwei School! This suggests his ambitions are considerable!"

Hearing this, Zhou Qin looked at Li Yundong with clear worry. Although she had just reached the Foundation Establishment stage and possessed a strong, surging true essence, she felt like a strongman without technique—all brute force but clueless on how to strike.

To her, Chen Yunyan’s divine abilities just moments ago were nothing short of miracles; she couldn't even imagine how a human could perform such feats!

"Master, can he win?" Zhou Qin couldn't help but bite her lip, asking anxiously.

Ziyuan frowned slightly, taking a long moment before offering a verdict. She drew a deep breath and said heavily, "A formidable foe! This is a rare and powerful adversary! His mastery of lightning control is likely no less than that of the Thunder Elder Zhang Yunyan himself! I wonder if Li Yundong can withstand it!"

Su Chan was also anxiously tapping her foot in place. Looking at Chen Yunyan with deep resentment, she muttered low, "How can the very first person to show up be this strong? Is there any hope for the rest of us?"

Ziyuan shook her head with a faint smile. "The Lotus Picking Assembly naturally draws the strongest contenders, but Chen Yunyan has been hiding his power until now; his schemes must be grand. Today, he intends to use Li Yundong to build his own reputation! He certainly arrives with ill intent!"

Zhou Qin clenched her fists tightly, her eyes wide as she stared at the arena. She suddenly regretted that her own cultivation was still too low to ease Li Yundong’s burden.

Zhang Cunyi of the Qingcheng School let out a small, cynical laugh, whispering to his companion, "Looks like I won't need to step in. This Chen Yunyan will likely take care of Li Yundong himself! I've never even heard of lightning control this powerful, let alone witnessed it! In terms of pure lightning manipulation, no one here probably compares to him! Li Yundong was too careless, walking right into Chen Yunyan's trap. He brought this upon himself!"

Meanwhile, some of the cultivators below looked at Li Yundong with schadenfreude, while others watched with concern, secretly worrying for him.

Yet, Li Yundong stood calmly in place, smiling, as if the preceding events had never occurred. He cupped his hands toward Chen Yunyan and said, "True Master Chen shows great skill. Now, may I have my turn?"

Chen Yunyan suddenly shot Li Yundong a strange look, a half-smile playing on his lips as he said, "True Master Li, if you concede now, there is still time! At least you can exit with some dignity!"

Li Yundong seemed not to have heard him, his face retaining its gentle smile. Since emerging from the Three Thousand Small Worlds, the fiery temper he once possessed seemed to have completely dissipated; he was no longer the rash, impulsive youth who flew into a rage easily.

Li Yundong chuckled, "True Master Chen's lightning control is truly superb. I am but a humble student, but I would like to attempt a clumsy imitation!"

Saying this, he beckoned toward the teacups before him.

However, as the palm wind from his hand barely brushed against the four teacups, they immediately emitted a series of sharp cracks, shattering instantly. The tea spilled across the table!

The cultivators in the cabin erupted in uproar, a cacophony of mocking laughter and derision rising.

"True Master Li, are you serious? You can't even manage a few teacups?"

"Indeed! You break the cups before the fight even starts. How are you going to duel?"

Zhou Qin also jumped up suddenly, exclaiming in shock, "Why did the teacups break?"

Ruan Hongling, who had remained silent until now, ground her teeth and said fiercely, "Disgraceful! Chen Yunyan must have used a hidden force when he touched the teacups to deliberately damage the ones in front of Li Yundong! How utterly shameless!"

Ziyuan’s brows knitted tightly. She hissed angrily under her breath, "Chen Yunyan is supposed to be a cultivator of high attainment, yet he resorts to such a despicable act just to win, stopping at nothing!"

Su Chan's face flushed bright red with anger. She bounced high in the air, ready to shout a torrent of abuse, but the words were caught just as they reached her lips by Ziyuan, who stopped her with a shake of her head, whispering, "The outcome isn't decided yet. Don't rush; let's see how Li Yundong handles this!"

Only then did Su Chan glare fiercely at Chen Yunyan before sitting back down in a huff.

Li Yundong, seeing the shattered cups and the spilled tea, showed no surprise, acting as if he had anticipated this outcome. He chuckled, cast a meaningful glance at Chen Yunyan, and said, "True Master Chen, an excellent trick!"

Chen Yunyan returned a stiff, insincere bow. "Not at all, just returning the favor in kind," he replied.

Li Yundong saw no point in engaging in verbal sparring. He looked around the cabin and spotted a skylight in the ceiling. Pointing toward it, he addressed Wan Zhenyuan, "True Master Wan, it's getting a bit stuffy in here. Would you mind opening the window?"

As soon as Li Yundong finished speaking, some cultivators who disliked him started mocking him coldly. "True Master Li, are you perhaps nervous and breaking out in a sweat?"

"Exactly! A true cultivator should possess the great equanimity to remain unperturbed even if Mount Tai collapses before them. To sweat over such a small matter—you’re useless!"

A burst of laughter filled the cabin.

The junior sister from the Zhengyi School, standing near Zou Ping and observing Li Yundong with curiosity, quietly asked Zou Ping, "Senior Sister Zou Ping, why do you think Li Yundong wants to open the skylight?"

Zou Ping scoffed. "Who knows? Maybe he's looking for an escape route so he doesn't have to face the embarrassment?"

The junior sister made a face at Zou Ping. "I think he has a plan; didn't you see how calm he is? He reminds me of our Junior Brother!"

Zou Ping sneered coldly, "Junior Sister, only the composure shown by our Junior Brother Zhang Tianhe is true composure. He comes from a prestigious and righteous sect, the descendant of Celestial Master Zhang, and his skills are earth-shattering. Every move he makes already hints at the bearing of a sect leader—that is true composure! This Li Yundong is just some half-baked practitioner who joined later; what standing does he have to compare to our Junior Brother?"

Wan Zhenyuan, hearing Li Yundong’s request, was also privately puzzled: Why open a window instead of preparing for the fight? Was he truly agitated by guilt and heat?

He didn't dwell on it, merely waving his hand and instructing his attendant to open the skylight on the cabin roof.

Everyone watched as the skylight, only about half a meter square, allowed a shaft of light to stream down, illuminating the rosewood table in front of Li Yundong.

Li Yundong smiled faintly and declared, "Everyone just witnessed a simulated Heavenly Tribulation. Now, shall I show you a real one?"

The crowd was momentarily stunned, but before they could react, Li Yundong suddenly pressed both hands downward!

With that press, everyone felt the yacht beneath their feet lurch violently downward! It was as if the vessel had instantly transformed into a submarine, its hull taking on water, sinking desperately!

Before the passengers could panic, they saw Li Yundong, still smiling, flip his palms—which were facing the floor—over so they faced the sky. Then, with a forceful upward push, he roared, "Water!"

With a thunderous "Boom!", it seemed as if colossal tidal waves erupted around them, instantly engulfing the entire yacht and plunging the surroundings into darkness!

The rising waters surged as if racing toward the heavens, instantly becoming tempestuous and mighty.

Far away on the riverbank, Chris, John, and Alba, who were watching the cruise ship, stared, dumbfounded, as the normally calm moat transformed into a fiercely roaring torrent. Their eyes were fixed on the churning waves. John stammered, "My God, what is happening?"

Alba’s eyes were wide, and she stuttered, "Shouldn't this moat be stagnant water? How can there be such massive waves?"

Chris vaguely sensed that the storm might be related to these extraordinary individuals like Li Yundong, yet she still found it hard to believe. Her mouth hung open, speechless, her gaze locked onto the yacht where Li Yundong was. A voice of frantic curiosity screamed in her mind: For Heaven's sake, can someone tell me what is going on?

At this moment, pedestrians along the riverbanks also stopped in their tracks, gap-jawed, staring at the water surface, pointing and gesturing. Some even pulled out their phones to start filming.

Before they could film for long, a deep, rolling thunder boomed from the sky. They froze like statues. Someone couldn't help but exclaim, "Damn it! Thunder in winter! All that's missing is snow in summer!"

Another person next to him chimed in humorously, "Right! There must be some grave injustice in the world!"

As the passersby exchanged whispers, a sharp, cracking sound suddenly split the sky.

This sound was terrifying. Everyone's heart leaped involuntarily, pounding violently. They instinctively looked up at the sky, their expressions filled with alarm and awe.

The sky was blanketed by dense, roiling dark clouds, lowered so thickly they seemed low enough to touch. These clouds churned with streaks of lightning, like a cage confining a ferocious thunder beast, ready at any moment to open its gate and unleash the stored electricity to destroy everything in the world!

As the crowd watched the terrifying clouds and lightning with growing dread, a tremendous sound suddenly erupted overhead!

"CRACK!!!"

This explosive sound gave everyone a momentary illusion! The sky was collapsing!!

Inside the cabin, all the cultivators involuntarily stood up, staring at Li Yundong in terror and shock. They began shouting at him vehemently, "Li Yundong, are you mad? Are you trying to drag us all down with you?"

"Li Yundong, are you provoking the Heavenly Tribulation to court death?"

"Li Yundong, do you want mutual destruction?!"

These chaotic, noisy accusations surged toward Li Yundong like a torrential flood. But immediately following, a deafening clap of thunder echoed from the sky, vibrating so intensely that everyone's ears rang. They could see people's mouths moving but could only hear a dull, high-pitched buzzing.

Li Yundong laughed heartily, "Fellow Daoists, there is no need to panic. Even if the heavens truly fall, I can hold them up!"

At that moment, a bolt of fierce lightning descended from the swirling black clouds, aiming precisely for the skylight of the yacht!

Li Yundong seemed oblivious to the terrifying roar of the thunder. He laughed again, his right palm turned upward, and he suddenly pushed toward the sky!

The instant Li Yundong raised one hand, the lightning struck precisely above his palm with a tremendous explosion!

The onlookers looked up and saw the sky outside the skylight—the clouds churning, hanging so low they seemed pressed against the window frame. The lightning within the cloud layer savagely ripped at the cloud mass, as if the heavens would shatter the very next second!

Before they could panic further, the lightning began to strike down toward the skylight as if it were rain!

Li Yundong stood unaffected, raising one hand high. The fierce lightning bolts hammered down toward his head, yet they vanished just three inches above his hand, as if Li Yundong truly held up the sky with one hand!

For a moment, everyone was struck dumb with horror, staring at Li Yundong, thinking: What on earth is this madman trying to do?