Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Several grand elders landed before Jiang Chen to form a solid wall. Du Yue flew away after hitting it.
He felt sore all over his body when he fell onto the ground. He couldn’t even get to his feet.
“Du Yue, you have completely lost control of yourself as an elder.”
“You didn’t keep your word and even attacked a disciple due to anger and shame. Do you think you can still call yourself an elder?”
“In my opinion, we should relieve him from his post as elder.”
What the grand elders were saying woke Du Yue up. He panicked and managed to stand up through the pain. He was about to defend himself when he suddenly recalled that all of these elders were on Jiang Chen’s side. It would be useless even if he tried.
Am I really going to slap myself?
He hesitated because of his dignity as a Reaching Heaven State, but then he remembered he was at the Hero Palace rather than an unenlightened place. Here, Reaching Heaven States weren’t rare.
By then, more grand elders had appeared. They were all grand elders of a high level in the Hero Palace, Shui Yuan among them as well.
He glanced around and frowned as soon as he saw Jiang Chen.
Since his son’s defeat, he had been grateful to the leader and decided to leave Jiang Chen behind.
He hadn’t expected to run into him again.
“What happened?”
“Why are you here?”
The group accompanying Shui Yuan and the group accompanying Snowbrow asked each other at the same time, both confused.
The sudden interlude pleased Du Yue. He thought he might be able to sneak through unscathed.
“Grand Elder Shui Yuan, here’s the thing.”
So Du Yue told him what had happened while omitting some of the more crucial details. People had to admit he was eloquent.
In his version of the story, he and Jiang Chen had only had a verbal conflict.
Even if the witnesses wanted to refute him, they would find he hadn’t made up anything. He had simply been beating around the bush. That was all.
As expected, Shui Yuan didn’t think it was a big deal. He said, “Two disciples got three consecutive outstandings. We’ve come to check whether everything is all right, if the test went wrong, or… they really did it.”
The grand elders had their respective responsibilities. Grand Elder Snowbrow and her companions realized they were actually the unnecessary ones there.
“Looks like Elder Du Yue is more shameless than I thought,” Jiang Chen said.
Du Yue curled his lips and didn’t respond.
“Quiet. Do you really want an elder to slap himself in public?” said Shui Yuan.
“Hehe. If Elder Du Yue isn’t willing to do it, I can’t force him. Goodbye,” said Jiang Chen.
“Bye,” said Shui Yuan.
“Wait.”
Grand Elder Snowbrow was stuck in the middle. She hurried to say, “Elder Shui Yuan, it was the two of them who got three outstandings.”
Shui Yuan wasn’t expecting that. He looked towards Du Yue and the latter nodded.
“So the test tools must have malfunctioned.”
Shui Yuan glanced at Jiang Chen and Ying Wushuang. He ignored them and walked towards the test tools.
After he had finished examining the tools, Jiang Chen and Ying Wushuang were already far away.
“Wait!”
Shui Yuan suddenly became serious. He found the test tools were in good condition. Did that mean…?
Jiang Chen didn’t look back when he heard Shui Yuan calling him, only raised his arm and waved.
Shui Yuan had to jump forward to stop them.
“You two?”
He was going to voice something about his doubts, but suddenly stopped.
“What? Are you going to ask why we were able to get outstandings when Wushuang and I couldn’t use any practice equipment due to our fights with the others?” Jiang Chen prompted him.
Shui Yuan was embarrassed. As a grand elder, he knew such things were going on, but he hadn’t tried to stop them. He hadn’t done his job!
He knew it would be impossible to talk to Jiang Chen calmly, so he put his hand into his sleeve and activated a spell.
Soon, the square was shrouded in a strong energy.
“What happened?” the leader’s voice came and echoed.
Shui Yuan squinted his eyes and told him the whole tale through his holy awareness.
“Didn’t I tell you to stop bothering Jiang Chen and Ying Wushuang?” The leader sounded dissatisfied.
None of the other grand elders present responded. They remained silent.
“Alas.”
The leader sighed and said, “Jiang Chen, Wushuang, congratulations on your test results. Could you tell me how you achieved them?”
Jiang Chen and Ying Wushuang glanced at each other. The latter received permission from Jiang Chen’s gaze and said, “Leader, here’s the thing…”
As Ying Wushuang spoke, people’s questions were answered.
Du Yue finally knew why they had been able to get outstandings. He tumbled to the realization and was struck dumb.
The others went through the same thought process as him.
“Wushuang, do you mean you earned outstandings simply by practicing with the three pieces of practice equipment Jiang Chen built in the past two weeks?” the leader asked the question on everyone’s mind.
They all knew what she had been like before, but she had made up for her losses in the past and even surpassed everyone else after only two weeks of practice.
If that was true, the practice equipment of the Hero Palace was like trash compared to Jiang Chen’s equipment.
Grand Elder Snowbrow had guessed it correctly. She told the leader about Jiang Chen purchasing materials through holy awareness, which no one else had noticed she was using.
“Jiang Chen, you’ve really brought us many surprises! Could you show us this magical equipment?” said the leader.
Jiang Chen didn’t hesitate to show them the Heaven Halo Bead.
“Oh? This small iron ball could be compared to the Soothing Lake? Amazing,” the leader commended.
“Yeah. And I can build even more,” said Jiang Chen.
He meant that each disciple could have their own Heaven Halo Bead.
All of the disciples’ eyes lit up. They had witnessed Ying Wushuang and Jiang Chen’s test results. Of course, they were eager to achieve the same, but Jiang Chen said again, “I was going to share it with the Hero Palace, but I think I have to reconsider due to your actions just now.”
The disciples glanced at each other anxiously. Why would he reconsider?
Grand Elder Snowbrow panicked. She said, “It was my fault. It was my ignorance that led to such a conflict.”
Thinking of the practice equipment and the method to develop extraordinary meridians, they were extremely impressed by Jiang Chen.
“I’m not the one who needs to hear this,” Jiang Chen said coldly.
Grand Elder Snowbrow was in a daze. She walked to Ying Wushuang and said, “Wushuang, I went too far and said many terrible things to you. Please forgive me.”
“I don’t accept your apology, and I won’t forgive you, but I won’t make a fuss about what happened between us, either,” Ying Wushuang answered.
“Jiang Chen, I’m fine,” she said again.
Grand Elder Snowbrow had been incredibly nervous, fearful and regretful. At that moment, she relaxed.
Jiang Chen didn’t speak. He looked towards Du Yue.
Then everyone looked towards him.
Pah! Pah! Pah! Pah!
In complete silence, Du Yue closed his eyes and slapped himself with force.
He was smart. He knew it was his only way out.
