18: You know the secret of the ring, how dare you touch my woman?

In front of the Long Group headquarters building, that roar, filled with anger and possessiveness, was like a deep-sea bomb dropped into a calm lake, instantly igniting the already strangely frozen atmosphere.

Ye Fan, this young Genius who had risen to fame in Jiangnan City's younger generation, hailed as a "grassroots miracle," now had bloodshot eyes, staring intently at the dramatic scene in the center of the plaza, feeling his entire world crumbling.

What did he see?

He saw his fiancée, Su Mucheng, whom he had longed for, regarded as forbidden, and sworn to protect for life, kneeling on both knees, swearing allegiance to another man!

And that man, too handsome to be a Mortal, with an ethereal Aura, simply standing there, exuded a commanding presence that made everything around him seem dim.

Any man, seeing this scene, would likely lose all reason.

Even more so for a Son of Destiny like Ye Fan, who was arrogant and considered Su Mucheng his most important "trophy" on his path to a Heaven-Defying comeback.

Su Mucheng's delicate body trembled violently upon hearing Ye Fan's familiar yet strange voice. She slowly turned her head, looking at her former fiancé who was glaring at her in uncontrollable rage. Her beautiful eyes, which had just been filled with emotion and loyalty, were instantly replaced by a cold, complex emotion mixed with disgust and resolve.

Before she could even speak, Ye Fan's humiliating and questioning "You shut up!" had already chilled her to the core.

Lin Tian, from beginning to end, had not even glanced at Ye Fan.

He just stood there calmly, observing with interest this young man who had suddenly appeared, radiating a "Protagonist Halo."

His Mental Energy, from the very first moment, like an invisible net of Divine Thought covering the entire world, had thoroughly scanned Ye Fan from inside to out, from body to Soul.

Soon, his Mental Energy detected an extremely faint, yet incomparably pure and ancient, abnormal Soul energy fluctuation on the plain-looking, even somewhat mottled, antique bronze ring on Ye Fan's right index finger.

A knowing and peculiar smile flashed in Lin Tian's eyes.

"No way..."

He chuckled to himself, feeling as if he had discovered an interesting antique toy.

"What era is this? It's actually still the standard 'old man hidden in a ring' template? Still the familiar formula, still the original taste."

"No wonder a young man from an ordinary background could achieve such success and brazenly cause trouble at the Long Family; it turns out he had guidance from an expert behind him."

Having discerned the opponent's greatest trump card, Lin Tian's heart was no longer stirred. His gaze towards Ye Fan was now like looking at a foolish moth caught in a spiderweb, still struggling desperately, convinced it could change its destiny against Heaven.

This farce should end.

And at this moment, Ye Fan, after the initial shock of "betrayal," had all his reason consumed by raging jealousy and endless humiliation.

He looked at the handsome young man who was not like a Mortal, with an ethereal Aura, and then at his former fiancée, who stood firmly behind the young man, looking at him with cold eyes. A malicious thought wildly grew in his heart.

He attributed all of Su Mucheng's "betrayal" to the appearance of this man. He believed that this man, with power and money, had defiled his pure love and taken everything that should have belonged to him!

"Su Mucheng!" Ye Fan's voice was distorted by extreme anger, "I understand! I understand everything!"

He pointed at Su Mucheng, then at Lin Tian, and yelled hysterically in a tone full of sarcasm and disdain:

"You vain and materialistic gold-digger! I, Ye Fan, come from an ordinary background and can't give you everything you want! So you were so impatient that you stripped off your clothes and climbed into this pretty boy's bed?!"

"For money, for power, you've abandoned your dignity and your body! You are an out-and-out, promiscuous slut!"

These incredibly vicious insults were like poisoned blades, fiercely stabbing Su Mu-cheng's heart.

Her face turned pale from the scolding, and her delicate body trembled uncontrollably. Her beautiful eyes, which had just been filled with emotion and loyalty, instantly welled up with tears of humiliation.

She hadn't expected that this man, who had once solemnly sworn to love her for life, would use such filthy words to slander her after being rejected!

She finally saw clearly how selfish and shallow Ye Fan's so-called "love" truly was. He never loved her, Su Mucheng, the person, but rather the identity label of "Su Group Young Miss's fiancé" that satisfied his vanity!

Just as her mind was in turmoil, almost overwhelmed by this sense of humiliation—

A warm and strong hand gently pressed on her shoulder, and a soft yet irresistible force helped her up.

Lin Tian took a step forward, completely shielding her slightly trembling delicate body behind him.

He looked at the frenzied Ye Fan with an expression of pity and indifference, like one watching a clown, his tone calm, yet seemingly containing immense power, clearly reaching the ears of everyone present.

"Only capable of impotent rage and malicious scapegoating towards a woman who has just emerged from despair."

"Is this the pride and magnanimity of a Genius like you?"

This rhetorical question was like an invisible, resounding slap, harshly striking Ye Fan's face!

And Su Mucheng, behind Lin Tian's seemingly not broad yet incredibly solid and reliable back, watching him stand up for her, her heart was instantly filled with an unprecedented sense of immense security and warmth.

Her heart, which had been cold and stinging from Ye Fan's insults, was completely healed at this moment.

She looked at Lin Tian's back, and in her tear-filled beautiful eyes, besides awe and submission, there was also a complex emotion she herself had not noticed, called "admiration."

And this look, this emotion, in Ye Fan's eyes, was blatant, undisguised affection, right in front of him!

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

Ye Fan was so angry that his internal organs felt like they were burning. He felt that the top of his head was no longer just green, but a vast and boundless Hulunbuir Grassland where one could gallop horses!

All reason, at this moment, was completely burned to ashes!

He pointed at Lin Tian, and with all his strength, let out a beast-like roar:

"You good-for-nothing who only hides behind your Family and plays power games!"

"Do you dare to be a man and have a proper... life-and-death duel with me?!"

He wanted to use the most primitive, most direct method to crush this man, this culprit who had taken everything from him, completely!

"As you wish."

Lin Tian calmly nodded, as if merely agreeing to an insignificant game.

He turned and instructed the Long Family guard captain, who had already been alerted and rushed to the scene: "Clear the area, open the A-grade dueling arena. Also, notify all young generation members at home to come and watch."

He not only wanted to fight but also to publicly execute him in front of everyone!

...Soon, within the Long Family, a colossal public dueling arena, capable of accommodating tens of thousands of people and filled with a sense of future technology, was opened.

The Long Family disciples who had rushed over filled the spectator stands. Everyone looked at the challenger in the arena, who seemed to not know his place, with eyes that saw him as an idiot.

On the central stage of the dueling arena, all eyes were focused.

Ye Fan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the anger in his heart, and adjusted his state to its Peak. His S-grade [Golden Bloodline] was activated to its extreme, and golden Qi and Blood energy surged into the sky, making him appear like a golden War God, majestic and awe-inspiring.

He looked at the young man opposite him, who still maintained an indifferent expression, and once again used the "novel Protagonist" template to encourage himself.

"Aren't the protagonists in those legendary novels all like this? Enduring scorn, mocked by thousands, but in the end, they can always turn the tide against the wind and become famous in one battle!"

"Today, I, Ye Fan, will challenge someone beyond my level here, and in front of everyone, I will fiercely trample you, the so-called Divine Son, underfoot! I will reclaim everything that belongs to me!"

He adopted his strongest attacking stance, and golden Qi and Blood condensed on his fist, ready to meet Lin Tian's attack.

At the other end of the stage.

Lin Tian stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm.

He looked at the "Son of Destiny" opposite him, who was completely immersed in his own fantasy, and simply, casually, threw a punch forward.

There was no earth-shattering Aura, no dazzling special effects.

It was just such a simple punch.

However, wherever the fist passed, space was subtly, silently twisting!

The chapter abruptly ended just before this seemingly ordinary punch, which actually contained the power to destroy Heaven and Earth, was about to strike Ye Fan's face, which was filled with confidence and fanaticism.