I'm a major player in a parallel universe

Yang Haoxuan silently took his seat, and the atmosphere in the hall immediately shifted to one of eerie quiet. All eyes were on him, waiting for what would come next. Soon enough, Elder Bai stood up from the head of the table, his expression one of smug satisfaction. He spoke with an air of confidence, "Yang Haoxuan! Today is New Year's Eve, I trust you haven't forgotten our agreement?"

Elder Bai felt unusually comfortable this year. Despite having kept a close watch on Yang Haoxuan for a long time, he hadn't discovered any mysterious figure aiding him in alchemy. Worse still, he had also discovered that Yang Haoxuan hadn't done any alchemy at all. This worked perfectly for him, as it confirmed his suspicions that Yang Haoxuan intended to back out of the deal and remain unaccountable. But Bai was foolish to think so—many elders had been present when the agreement was made, and now it was far too late to backtrack.

However…

Yang Haoxuan flashed a smile, one that was full of mystery, and replied with an air of calm disdain, "Of course I remember. But I do have a question for you, Elder Bai—has your package been packed?"

"Hmph! What's with the talk? Where are the Juqiqi Dan?" Elder Bai sneered, showing his true colors.

"Heh. Do you really think I would just hand over a hundred Juqiqi Dan into your hands?" Yang Haoxuan shot him a glance full of disdain, his expression almost comical in its absurdity.

"Bring out the large pill box!" Elder Bai ordered, refusing to waste time with words.

Moments later, two servants brought in a coffin-sized rectangular box. This was a pill box, specially designed to store medicinal pills as it was infused with spiritual energy to preserve the potency of the pills. The box was placed in front of Yang Haoxuan, drawing everyone's attention. No matter how boastful someone was, the real question was whether or not they could actually present the Juqiqi Dan.

Almost everyone's gaze was fixed on Yang Haoxuan—mockery, disbelief, curiosity, and anticipation all shining in their eyes.

Yang Haoxuan walked over to the box, extended his left hand, and aimed his sleeve at the box. The crowd couldn't help but chuckle—did he think he was performing magic tricks?

But the next moment, all words died in their throats. Eyes widened to the size of saucers, mouths hung open, and breaths quickened in disbelief.

Clink, clink, clink!

The Juqiqi Dan flew out of Yang Haoxuan's sleeve like beans, landing in the box with a series of soft thuds. The pills just kept coming, as if there was no end to them. Every onlooker's gaze turned bloodshot, eyes glued to the never-ending stream of pills.

"W-What... What superb Juqiqi Dan!" Master Yao Wuming was the first to react, his eyes locked onto the pills, his heart churning in amazement.

As an alchemist himself, he understood the immense mental strain required to craft a medicinal pill. Even a second-tier alchemist would be exhausted after refining just thirty pills in such a short period. This was precisely why Juqiqi Dan were so rare and precious.

"Good... Good!" Yang Baotian murmured, his lips moving but unable to speak. He couldn't help but look at the now pale-faced Elder Bai with a sense of triumph. Once Bai left the family, the remaining elders opposing him would be leaderless, making it easy to bring them under his control.

"Why... why does he have such strength?" Almost every disciple was mentally screaming this question, including Yang Peng and Yang Ying.

Yang Ruolan frowned deeply, her face filled with shock. She seemed lost in thought.

"This is impossible! This can't be happening!" Elder Bai, in a frenzy, lunged toward the box as the last pill fell inside. He reached in and grabbed a handful of Juqiqi Dan, only to crush them in his hand in a daze. Fear and disbelief flickered across his face as the rare pills shattered into powder, causing many of the disciples to gasp in disappointment.

"Anything is possible," Yang Haoxuan said, unfazed, his voice calm as ever.

"I... I'll kill you!" Elder Bai, in a fit of rage, snapped. Furious at his humiliation, he swung a palm at Yang Haoxuan with all his might. The blow, coming from a peak martial artist, was powerful, but Yang Haoxuan didn't flinch because he knew…

"You dare!" Yang Baotian suddenly stood up, his fist raining down like a storm toward Elder Bai.

The entire hall went silent as the two powerhouse figures clashed. An invisible aura surrounded them, similar to the effect of Spiral True Power, though it was unintentional. Even Yang Haoxuan stepped back ten paces, watching the duel without blinking an eye. However, he couldn't help but notice that his father's strikes were strangely reminiscent of the Heavenly Horse Meteor Fist...

Elder Bai wasn't some pushover either, but the difference in strength between a Martial Master and a Grand Martial Master was insurmountable. After enduring hundreds of blows, he was finally left defenseless, with dozens of punches landing on his body. Blood spurted from his mouth, and he staggered, nearly losing consciousness.

Perhaps because it was New Year's Eve, Yang Baotian held back slightly, leaving Elder Bai on the brink of death. He arrogantly declared, "Elder Bai, you've got some nerve. Not only did you fail to admit defeat, but you even dared to attack my son! Senior Punisher, how should this be handled?"

A tall figure, the Senior Punisher, stepped forward and spoke coldly, "Elder Bai must leave the Yang family in accordance with the agreement. His actions today have violated the clan's laws—attacking a family member and insulting the clan leader. His cultivation must be abolished."

Yang Baotian didn't even spare a glance at Bai, his voice nonchalant. "Take him away."

Immediately, several figures dressed in strange, legendary attire stepped forward and carried Elder Bai out. Yang Baotian turned back to the hall and said, "Everyone, do not be shocked! Bai Changfeng brought this upon himself. We will not let him ruin our New Year celebration. Come, let's drink to the new year!"

With that, the feast continued as if nothing had happened.

Yang Haoxuan, now the center of attention, returned to his seat. Unlike before, the other elders began to greet him with friendly smiles, hoping to ingratiate themselves with him.

Even the other disciples, who had once looked down on Yang Haoxuan, now gazed at him with envy and admiration. Some of the young female disciples couldn't help but sneak flirtatious glances at him, while the others looked on with jealousy.

"Damn it! How can someone so shameless be so lucky?" Yang Peng seethed, remembering how his beloved had been stolen away by someone far stronger than him.

Even more troubling for him was how Yang Ruolan's focus seemed to be entirely on Yang Haoxuan. Her brows were furrowed as if deep in thought.

On the other side, Yang Baotian, who abstained from alcohol, was drinking freely this evening, welcoming guests without hesitation and emptying jar after jar.

As for Yang Haoxuan, he was still reflecting on the battle. Unlike the other disciples, he didn't only feel a surge of strength. There was a distinct sense that this encounter had greatly advanced his cultivation in many areas.

After the banquet and drinking, a group of dancers appeared in the center of the square, performing graceful dances to the sound of music. Despite the cold weather, they wore only light, flowing garments—clearly the result of intense training.

The dancers' appearance suddenly reminded Yang Haoxuan of the appointment he had with Qing Xue, but he quickly dismissed the thought. He felt a strong sense of rising ambition—his future was going to be extraordinary, and Qing Xue's place in it was just a fleeting memory.

As the dancers withdrew, another surprise followed.

Three large carts arrived, each carrying an enormous chest, each one representing copper, silver, and gold. These chests were placed at the most prominent positions in the hall.

The chests stood five meters tall and five meters wide, attracting the attention of all the disciples. Yang Haoxuan was puzzled, but he could clearly see the excitement in the other disciples. They were eager, murmuring things like, "It's here! It's finally here!"