It seems I am the villain here!

"Old dog, he is your little dog, right? Then you should keep a tight leash on him; if not, you might not even find his bones," Ye Chen said with contempt, glancing at the middle-aged man who shared the same features as Hu Tian.

If he was not wrong, then they were both related, and even if they weren't, he didn't care.

In his previous life, the most entertaining thing in his eyes was putting these young masters in their place and stirring up trouble whenever he felt like it.

It didn't matter if they annoyed him or not; as long as he found someone unpleasant, he would slap them down.

They were his enemies, and with war going on, there was no reason to be polite. And now that he was in the world where people kill over a slight dissatisfaction, there was even less reason to care about.

Of course he wasn't an idiot to court death directly; in his previous life, the country was backing him, and now it was the beautiful sect master, Zhen Yunqi, who would hold the sky for him.

So, there was no need to worry about others trying to kill him in anger.

As for getting strong and then provoking them? Duh! Where's the fun in that?

If he, as an ant, can make the life of a ferocious tiger difficult, it would be legendary and more exciting.

So, what was there to fear about provoking extra unnecessary people?

Hence, he didn't care and continued to look at the middle-aged man with a taunting expression.

Watching him like this, all the elders frowned with displeasure, while Hu Ming's face twisted with rage.

But before he or anyone else could speak, the little dog burst out.

"Insolent! Who gave you the courage to insult me and my father? Do you think the Azure Cloud Sect is a place where you can run your mouth without consequences?" Hu Tian shouted with killing intent, not holding his hatred towards him.

However, Ye Chen remained unfazed and provoked him further.

"So, what if I run my mouth? What can a little dog do? Even the old dog behind you can't do anything to me," he replied with a taunt, shaking his head without any worry.

Watching him like this, Hu Tian's fury grew, and just as he was about to shout again, his father, Hu Ming, intervened.

"Impudent Mortal! Azure Cloud Sect is not a place where you can do as you please!" he said coldly, his eyes glinting with malice.

No one had ever dared speak against him, but now a mere mortal had insulted him in front of all the elders, challenging his dignity.

There was no way he could stay calm anymore.

"Since your parents failed to teach you manners, I will do it in their place!" he snorted angrily, releasing his Core Formation aura, which surged like a tidal wave, intending to crush Ye Chen into meat paste.

But before the force could even reach him, Zhen Yunqi raised her delicate hand.

In an instant, the oppressive force vanished, and Hu Ming staggered back, spitting a mouthful of blood, his face turning pale.

"Ninth level of core formation stage!" he muttered with horror as he looked at Zhen Yunqi with shock.

The cultivation realms were divided into- Qi Gathering, Qi Refining, Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, and Core Formation.

Each realm was further divided into nine stages, and even the smallest gap between these stages was like heaven and earth.

Hu Ming was at the seventh level of core formation, yet he was suppressed by Zhen Yunqi with just a wave of hand—this explained the horror of small stage.

However, what shocked him more was Zhen Yunqi's rapid advancement.

A year ago, she was at the seventh stage of Core Formation, the same as him, yet now she was two stages ahead!

It didn't make sense because Zhen Yunqi wasn't known for a heaven-defying talent, and she had been busy these past years. So, when did she find time to cultivate?

The sect elders were equally stunned at this, but they quickly recovered and hurriedly congratulated her.

"Congratulations, sect master, for advancing to the ninth stage."

"With the sect master holding the fort, our Azure Cloud Sect can finally prosper."

"We can finally show our dominance outside."

All the elders flattered her with fake smiles, but Zhen Yunqi ignored them and glanced at Hu Ming with a cold look.

"When did the main hall become a park for any dogs to walk in? Do you think that the little dog should learn how to run secret, or do you want the little dog to leak our secrets?" she inquired with a frosty look.

She had summoned the elders for an important meeting, and yet someone dared to bring unrelated people into the main hall.

Was there even a reason to have an important meeting then? She might as well release every secret in public.

"Rather than teaching others, you should discipline yourself; the Azure Cloud Sect doesn't belong to you. Also, it's better that you brought the little dog here today; I need to announce something," she said coldly before heading towards the golden platform.

Ye Chen also followed her with Li Mei while not forgetting to smirk towards the father and son with provocation.

Seeing this, the two clenched their fists in anger.

The sect elder's expression was also not good because Ye Chen was glancing at them with a carefree smile that seemed to be saying—Look, I am awesome, right? You guys can't do anything to me!

Zhen Yunqi also saw this, and her mouth twitched slightly, but she said nothing and sat on the throne-like chair atop the golden platform while Li Mei and Ye Chen stood behind her.

After this, she turned her attention to the sect elders, who stood with unnatural looks.

"I have called you all here to announce that I have taken another disciple, and that is Ye Chen, standing behind me. I will be also giving him the quota of the 'Mystic Pond' as well as all privileges of sect elder along with resources," she announced with a calm look.

Hearing this, the elders couldn't remain calm. The first to object was Hu Ming, his face flushed with anger.

"Sect master! This is unfair! That quota belongs to my son, and you have already taken one! How could you take the last one too? Moreover, why grant such privileges to this insolent mortal? He is not worthy!" he shouted coldly.

"Yes, sect master, please reconsider. Even though he is your disciple, it is excessive to grant him the privileges of a sect elder," another elder said.

"Sect master! Don't make a rash decision. You saw how arrogant this mortal is! He does not deserve such privileges, nor your favour," a female elder added with a frown.

However, Zhen Yunqi didn't even give a shit about their words and waved her hand to stop them from complaining.

"This is my sect, and my words are law! If you are dissatisfied, you are free to leave."

"But if you don't want to, then don't get in my way, and do not interfere with my disciples; if not, I won't mind uprooting your ancestors grave and throwing you out with them," she declared icily.

The elders' faces soured at her words, and Hu Ming's fists trembled with rage as he glared at Zhen Yunqi.

As for Hu Tian, shock flashed across his face. Everything that should belong to him had been taken away, and he was powerless to stop it.

Watching the drama unfold, Ye Chen couldn't help but smile.

'It seems I am the villain here,' he muttered in his heart with chuckle when Zhen Yunqi continued again.

"I wanted to discuss more important matters, but with an unrelated little dog here, I've lost my patience. So, the meeting will end here, and now you all should inform everyone outside," Zhen Yunqi instructed and looked back.

"Let's go; we're done here," she said, leaving the hall with Ye Chen and Li Mei.

None of the elders dared to stop her, but their expressions remained dark.

"Did you see that? She treats us like nothing. If you still refuse to follow my plan, be prepared to be kicked out," Hu Ming said with a snort before leaving with the little dog.

The remaining elders exchanged glances, communicating with eyes.

They were all dissatisfied with Zhen Yunqi because she had somehow become sect master and not them who worked hard for the sect.

They knew her grandfather had founded the sect alone, but still, it was not a good feeling they were having.

Because of this, many of the elders started to think about Hu Ming's words.