Chapter 292 - 289: Taking the Stage
"Stand down!"
"Stop making a scene!"
Master Wandering Dragon glared at Wu Tianhao,
and barked out the reprimand.
Though indignant, Wu Tianhao could only grit his teeth and retreat under Master Wandering Dragon’s piercing gaze.
"Hehe, Senior Brother, why be so strict? This is an exchange, after all. Naturally, anyone should be able to participate."
"If your disciple is interested, Senior Brother, he is of course free to enter the ring."
"It would also be good for my little apprentice to witness other prodigies and curb some of his own boundless arrogance."
Wu Zhen, who was standing to the side, glanced at Wu Tianhao, a smile playing on his lips as he spoke cheerfully.
He projected an air of someone suggesting a casual,
friendly exchange.
"That won’t be necessary."
"Today was supposed to be the day of our Dragon Cloud Sect’s Outer Disciple tournament. We’ve already been delayed for a long time, so let’s not waste any more of it."
"Junior Wu, my sect will now proceed with its tournament. I apologize for the poor hospitality, but I must ask you to see yourself out."
Master Wandering Dragon said, his voice stiff.
Although the Dragon Cloud Sect’s entry-level disciples had been disgraced by the white-robed youth,
the Dragon Cloud Sect had, after all, only been established for three years.
How could they possibly produce a peerless prodigy in just three years?
Thus, the situation was still understandable.
Even if word spread and they lost face,
outsiders wouldn’t say much.
For a new sect, it was enough to get its affairs in order and become self-sustaining.
No one would ask for much more.
But if Wu Tianhao were to enter the ring,
the situation would be entirely different!
Because Wu Tianhao was over twenty years older than the white-robed youth, belonging to the previous generation of Cultivators!
Therefore, if Wu Tianhao won,
it would be a case of a senior bullying a junior, a sign they couldn’t afford to lose.
But if he lost,
it would be even greater proof of the Dragon Cloud Sect’s incompetence in nurturing its Disciples.
No matter what,
only the Dragon Cloud Sect would suffer a loss!
This was also why
Master Wandering Dragon had cut Wu Tianhao off directly.
He glanced at Wu Tianhao out of the corner of his eye.
A thought flashed through his mind.
’This kid has always been focused on closed-door cultivation,’
’He rarely deals with external matters and lacks a certain degree of worldly wisdom.’
’Perhaps after this, I should send this kid out to gain some experience...’
Master Wandering Dragon didn’t doubt Wu Tianhao’s initial intentions in speaking up.
He knew Wu Tianhao’s character;
his disposition was relatively pure,
and he didn’t tend to consider the wider implications.
For example, three years ago,
he had directly allowed Shen Changchuan to enter the third round of the assessment, which immediately sparked resistance from all the Outer Disciples at the time...
The thought flashed through Master Wandering Dragon’s mind.
And at this moment,
seeing this, Wu Zhen knew he couldn’t press the matter further. With a cheerful smile, he said:
"Fine, let’s leave it at that for today."
"And thank you, Senior Brother, for the opportunity. Otherwise, my little apprentice wouldn’t have had the chance to stand here and spar with so many of his talented peers..."
Master Wandering Dragon simply pretended not to hear the hint of mockery in his words.
Wu Zhen felt a little bored by this.
So he called out to the white-robed youth in the center of the square below:
"Alright, Tao’er, you can come down now. It’s over."
"Yes, Master."
The white-robed youth clasped his hands and bowed to Wu Zhen on the high platform.
Straightening up once more,
his gaze swept over the crowd surrounding him.
A flash of disappointment crossed his eyes.
’Is this it?’
’You all looked so confident at the start. I thought you might actually offer me some challenge.’
’But in the end, it was just this dull.’
The white-robed youth seemed to be speaking to the crowd,
yet also as if he were muttering to himself.
He then prepared to turn and leave.
This remark,
naturally ignited the fury of the surrounding crowd. The face of nearly every Outer Disciple flushed red with shame!
It was just that the previous battles
had already made everyone clearly recognize the gap between them.
Being less skilled was being less skilled!
They had no one else to blame for their humiliation!
However,
"Wait! Can you leave your name, sir?!"
"Today, I, Chen Mingdao, was not as skilled. The day I advance to Soul Emergence, I will surely come to seek your guidance!"
In the arena,
a young man stepped forward,
shouting at the white-robed youth’s back.
The surrounding crowd all turned to look as well,
as if they too wanted to burn the white-robed youth’s name and appearance deep into their minds.
So that in the future, they could reclaim the honor they lost today.
"My name?"
The white-robed youth looked slightly stunned for a moment.
"That’s right, your name!"
"At least let us know who it was that defeated us!"
"There’s no need. Only those I acknowledge are worthy of learning my name."
Unexpectedly, the white-robed youth refused him outright.
"You are all too weak."
"So weak that if my master hadn’t required it, you wouldn’t even be qualified to stand before me."
"In the future, the gap between us will only grow wider."
"Remembering my name is meaningless for you."
The white-robed youth spoke calmly,
as if simply stating a fact.
That kind of lofty contempt
undoubtedly made everyone present feel a tremendous sense of shame!
And after having their faces stepped on again and again by their opponent,
even the most good-tempered person
would probably be unable to endure it any longer!
"What’s he acting so smug for?! If Shen Changchuan were here, he wouldn’t be allowed to be so arrogant!"
One of the more hot-tempered disciples immediately cursed out loud.
"That’s right! If Shen Changchuan hadn’t just broken through to the Soul Emergence Realm and wasn’t stabilizing his Cultivation, how could we let this guy run rampant here!"
"He doesn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth! He just hasn’t met a true expert!"
At this very moment,
the Outer Disciples of the Dragon Cloud Sect recalled the scenes from ten days ago when Shen Changchuan emerged from his seclusion.
A thought couldn’t help but flash through their minds,
’If it were him,’
’he could definitely do it!’
After all,
that man was someone who could defy the odds and slay a Soul Emergence Realm expert while still in the Qi Introduction Realm!
Now that he had already advanced to Soul Emergence,
his strength must have soared once again!
In that instant,
the group of Outer Disciples who had once seen Shen Changchuan as a rival now regarded him as their greatest hope.
"Is that so? Then why don’t I see any sign of him?"
"Ten days ago, my master already announced he would be paying a visit and issued a challenge on my behalf."
"But to this day, I’ve yet to see this famously acclaimed Shen Changchuan of yours show up... In the end, he’s nothing but a coward who hides his head and shows his tail, not even daring to appear."
The white-robed youth naturally overheard the words of the surrounding crowd.
But upon hearing their indignant conversation,
the white-robed youth simply shook his head.
The name Shen Changchuan—
his master had mentioned it to him before they came to visit.
His feat from several years ago—slaying a Soul Emergence Realm Demon Cultivator while at the Qi Introduction Realm—was also widely circulated.
Before coming here,
he too had thought that this Shen Changchuan would be the only one worthy of his serious consideration.
But now, he had already taken on the entire Dragon Cloud Sect’s Outer Sect single-handedly,
and there had been no sign of the man.
It seemed he was just someone who fished for fame and reputation.
To think he’d use such a flimsy excuse to avoid a fight was truly and utterly disappointing.
The white-robed youth shook his head,
and turned to leave.
But just then,
"Good thing I made it in time. Otherwise, I’d have become the coward everyone’s talking about..."