"Brothers and sisters, everyone look here."
Long Chen waved his hand, getting Tang Wan-er's faction's attention.
Looking at how confident and at ease his movements were as well as that calm smile, Tang Wan-er couldn't help lamenting. How come Long Chen always seemed to do things so easily?
"Everyone has already seen just how powerful those monsters in the caves are. So in order to encourage everyone, our goddess Wan-er has promised everyone that whoever manages to pass will get a reward of a kiss… aiya!"
He had only just gotten that out when a sharp pain came from his leg. Tang Wan-er had kicked him. She now raged, "What random nonsense are you spewing? When did I ever say that?"
Long Chen acted puzzled, apologizing, "Oh, I heard wrong, my bad, my bad."
Turning back to everyone, he continued, "I was wrong just now. The winners won't get one kiss from sister Wan-er, but two kisses! Aiya, how come you're kicking me again?!"
"Scoundrel, when did I ever say that?! What are you randomly spouting?!" Tang Wan-er had turned red from rage. He really dared to make any kind of joke.
"Okay, sorry everyone. Sister Wan-er is a bit too stingy. Then forget about it. But there will definitely be rewards. Then how about I change the reward? Any beautiful women who passes can get a kiss from me, Long Chen!" loudly shouted Long Chen.
Those people all burst into laughter. That tense atmosphere was immediately lightened greatly by him.
Only now did Tang Wan-er realize Long Chen's intentions. She knew that although Long Chen was strange, he was an extremely prideful person inside.
Otherwise there was no way he would have refused to lower his head and ended up fighting with monsters like Qi Xin and Lei Qianshang. For him to drag himself down to make everyone laugh was definitely a large kind of sacrifice on his part.
"Haha, you guys are laughing. Fine, I'll just take that are your assent. Trust me, I, Long Chen, have never eaten my words," Long Chen said to those maidens in their faction.
Those maidens immediately turned shy. Although they knew he was joking, they still blushed.
"Okay, let's get serious. Since everyone has gathered together, that means we all have the same goals and dreams.
"We all want to become experts; we all want to bring honor to our ancestors; we want to surpass our ancestors, letting our descendants forever remember our names!" Long Chen's was filled with passion. His voice slowly ignited the fire in the others.
Tu Fang watched as everyone was pumped up by Long Chen and admiration appeared in his eyes. Long Chen had definitely completely comprehended the hearts of these disciples from powerful families.
He knew that pride filled them, as well as a bit of self-disdain. That was because all their accomplishments up till this point had not really been theirs, but the achievements their ancestors had left for them.
And that was why Long Chen had said that they would surpass their ancestors, letting their descendants forever remember their names. That immediately struck a chord in the core of their hearts, lighting up a powerful desire for battle, causing them to completely forget their fear.
First he joked, loosening the tense atmosphere, and then he ignited their passion, causing them to be filled with a desire for battle. That was definitely an extremely well executed plan.
But then as everyone's passions were soaring, his voice once more became heavy. "Do you guys know? In our hearts, sister Wan-er is a goddess, an idol to be worshipped. She is a kindhearted beauty, someone from the heavens who has descended down upon us. She is an unparalleled beauty, a fairy too high to reach.
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"But do you all know? To herself, she is no goddess, but an ordinary maiden.
"She also knows how to be aggrieved, sad, and helpless. You guys don't know that behind her strong exterior is a concealed gentle heart."
When Long Chen reached this point, Tang Wan-er sniffled. She was almost unable to stop her tears and she quickly turned away.
She was definitely a proud genius, but she also had a weak side. Having to stay in the spotlight and be a powerful pillar of support was actually extremely tiring for her. But she had no way around it and had always endured.
That scoundrel truly was a cheat! Tang Wan-er turned away, covering up her face as tears welled out of her eyes.
But this movement was still seen by everyone. Their hearts ached for her. They had never thought their goddess had this weaker side. She also needed them to protect her! n0ve(l)bi(n.)co/m
"In her heart, you are not underlings, but her family. Each one of you is one of her brothers, one of her sisters.
"So if any one of you end up dying, she will be extremely sad and will even cry. If you don't want our goddess to be hurt and cry, can you promise her that you will return alive from the trial?"
Long Chen's final words were intentionally said extremely solemnly. His voice was like thunder; not only did it ring out in their ears, but it even sunk into their hearts and shook their spirits.
"We promise we will return alive!"
Everyone shouted out their response. They had already forgotten about their own lives. But now in order to make sure their goddess would live happily, they cherished their own lives even more.
Tu Fang and the other Elders all looked at each other and smiled. This Long Chen truly was praiseworthy. Even these old fellows were also a bit moved. This little fellow's mouth could practically even raise the dead!
He was actually able to arouse these spoiled and undisciplined princes and princesses. That was practically a heaven-defying ability!
"Hmph, what is a promise supposed to do? Is a promise more important than strength?" That voice was filled with ridicule.
Everyone turned to angrily glare. That voice had come from Lei Qianshang who was disdainfully looking at them.
"Hey, don't listen to him! If you end up distracted just because a dog yelps, how will you become powerful in the future?" lightly said Long Chen, pulling back everyone's attention.
"Long Chen, don't make me kill you!" Lei Qianshang angrily pointed at Long Chen.
Long Chen didn't even look at him or respond, treating him as nothing more than air. He definitely didn't want the atmosphere he had worked so hard to build be destroyed by him.
He said to everyone, "There's one thing I want to tell you guys: walk your own paths. Just let dogs bark all they want. Look, right now there is a dog staring at us.
"Now the pressure is even greater. If you die, not only will that sadden our goddess, you'll also end up ridiculed by a dog. As for what you guys need to do, I don't need to explain that any further. Go!"
Everyone clenched their teeth and viciously cut at Lei Qianshang with their eyes, turning their fury into a raging fighting spirit.
"Sister Wan-er, don't worry, we'll definitely return."
"Sister Wan-er, we won't let you feel any grief!"
"Sister Wan-er, don't be hurt, we'll let that gorilla shut his fat mouth!"
"…"
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Almost each person would say a few words of comfort as they passed by Tang Wan-er. Without turning back, they all walked up to the mountain cliff. It was almost possible to feel their powerful determination.
Tang Wan-er covered her mouth, not knowing what to do. This was the first time she realized how deeply these people cared about her. Her heart was filled with warmth and tears slowly flowed down her face.
Having this many people immediately come up, those Elders all became busy, sending people one by one to their caves. Explosions rang out continuously for a while.
"Long Chen, was that the truth… am I really like you said I am?" Tang Wan-er quietly asked when she saw that there was no one else around them.
Long Chen laughed, "I never say anything truthful, so you don't need to take it so seriously."
"You… you scoundrel! You really don't know how to have a conversation." Tang Wan-er gave Long Chen a kick in her anger. But this time Long Chen dodged, and having nowhere to let out her emotions, she turned and lightly began to sob.
"Hey, what are you doing? The play's over. There's no one watching, so what are you crying for?" said Long Chen.
"Aren't you someone?" Tang Wan-er raged, both ashamed and angry.
Long Chen stared at Tang Wan-er, not saying anything. In the end he just sighed.
"What are you sighing about?!" Tang Wan-er had never experienced anything like what had happened.
"You are not suited to cultivation," lightly said Long Chen.
"Why not?" Tang Wan-er stiffened in surprise.
"You have too many feelings. Have you ever thought about how you would feel if these people all died in there?" asked Long Chen.
"Tch, don't jinx people!"
Long Chen was still completely serious. "Answer me."
Tang Wan-er paused. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out.
"Let me tell you then. You will be heartbroken and inconsolable. If you take the core disciple trial in that kind of state, the odds of you dying inside will surpass ninety percent," solemnly said Long Chen.
Tang Wan-er lowered her head pitifully. This was simply the cruelty of reality. It was simply a fact.
"Cultivation is a path of no retreat. Don't think that you can bring a group of people running down that path. If you try, you'll slowly realize that everyone who follows you will one by one disappear, leaving behind only you. Then you will have lost your way."
Tang Wan-er bit her lip, asking, "Then what should I do?"
"Let everything come naturally. You can't care so much, or you will only end up bringing more pain for yourself," said Long Chen.
"You want me to dissolve my faction?"
"Fool, why would you dissolve your faction? You built this faction so that everyone could fight for more resources, letting them have even greater space to grow and develop. You can also even increase your own strength that way. That's a case of everyone winning.
"I'm just telling you a cruel fact about what will happen in the future. Once you've been inured, it won't hurt so much," smiled Long Chen.
"Long Chen, for you to understand this much, does that mean you've already experienced that kind of pain?" Tang Wan-er looked deeply into Long Chen's eyes.
Sorrow flashed in his eyes, but he quickly covered it up. "Ah, what pain have I ever suffered? Right now I'm just a happy scoundrel. In the future I'll be a new and improved scoundrel, one without equal under the heavens, one with unlimited prospects. I don't even have enough time for how happy I am."
Tang Wan-er's heart trembled. Just now she had seen a trace of what was within Long Chen's heart. Although it had only been for just a second, she could tell the true feelings he had felt in that moment.
This man laughed all day, but just what was concealed within his heart? Just how had he ended up with an intelligence that far surpassed any of his peers?
Tang Wan-er was about to keep asking this riddle-like man when a particularly loud explosion rang out.