"Prince Gu, please do not be offended by Ye Chen's insensitivity." The Archbishop's face turned gloomy. As he was apologizing to Gu Changge, he eyed the elders beside him. The guests were still watching them. Never once had he, the Archbishop, been humiliated this much.
"Archbishop, please allow me to take Ye Chen down as an apology to Prince Gu." Chu Xuan the Supreme Stygian Saint took the initiative. As he was speaking, he was already casting runes between his palms as he strode toward Ye Chen.
*Zoom! Zoom!* Booming thunder stormed the palace. The runes in his hands intertwined and formed an alarming lightning in the shape of a dragon.
As the Supreme Stygian Saint, his power, compared to that of his peers, was remarkably astounding. And Ye Chen, on the other hand, was merely a Sect Disciple. Being out of Chu Xuan's league, he was hardly his rival.
The Palace of Supreme Stygian Holy Land was illuminated by a dazzling light radiating from the runes. Everyone who was at the scene, including the Archbishop himself, had no doubt as to the outcome of the battle. Every single one of them was waiting for Ye Chen to perish. After all, they were aware that their involvement would only leave them humiliated. In that instant, the eyes of the locals and visitors that attended the ceremony were fixated on the battle.
Ye Chen no longer had the desire for embarrassment. "Works for me." He didn't take on the challenge unprepared. Without a single trace of fear on him, magic surfaced around his body and he swung his palm forward.
"Isn't Ye Chen overestimating himself? He sure doesn't even know his place, charging right to his death!" One of the Sect Disciples scoffed.
"Saint Chu Xuan is half a step in the Transcendent Realm while Ye Chen is only in the Spiritual Palace Realm. Besides, the Saint was blessed with the body of the God of Hell Thunder…" The other disciples furiously conversed, and all of them reckoned that Ye Chen was seeking death.
The next second, a fiery beam glowed as the lightning ray intensified. As the combaters' hair blew in the wind, the scorching, radiant lights collapsed onto each other.
At once, Chu Xuan was left trembling, and he could feel numbness in his muscular body while Ye Chen, resembling the God of Flames, stood unrelentlessly as confidence filled his eyes.
"What…"
"Since when was he that strong…"
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Countless female disciples were flabbergasted. Ye Chen's strength had left many stupefied as it was completely out of their prediction. The strike resulted in a draw without a winner.
"Ye Chen is only in the Spiritual Palace Realm! How did he manage to deflect the attack of the Saint, who is in the Transcendent Realm?" At that moment, the disciples and elders present were dumbfounded, and even the dull-looking Archbishop was petrified. To be fair, Chu Xuan possessed the physique of the God of Hell Thunder, and he could stand up to higher-level threats with that alone. Nonetheless, the one thing that was proven difficult for him to accomplish was to find a worthy rival among his peers. Little did anyone expect that his opponent, Ye Chen, who was one realm lower than him, was undefeated by his attack. Could Ye Chen possibly be stronger than Chu Xuan, and none had realized that?
But of course, if there was anyone on the spot that was unaffected by the surprise, that would be Gu Changge. After all, Ye Chen was the Fortuitous One, so shocking the mass was nothing out of the ordinary. Slowly, he took a sip of tea and in a relaxed manner, he inquired, "Have you always been this confident in him?"
Hearing that, Su Qingge turned toward him. Her ever-serene eyes suddenly revealed a trace of amazement. Out of nowhere, a subtle, refreshing fragrance wafted in the air. She remained wordless, but her expression exposed her thoughts.
With his deep eyes, Gu Changge smiled. "Is the reason you try so hard to remain calm to let me think that there's nothing between you and Ye Chen, out of fear that I might kill him? Well, aren't you a wise woman?" He saw through her effortlessly.
For some reason, Su Qingge was terrorized by the man now, even more than his coldness back then. Despite that, she pursed her lips and remained silent.
Just then, Gu Changge took a glimpse at his tea cup and faintly blurted, "It's empty."
In response, Su Qingge glanced at him before quietly picking up the teapot to refill his cup.
"Fascinating." Gu Changge revealed an uncanny smirk and spoke as if he was talking to himself, but at the same time, it was as if his words were meant for Su Qingge. Instantly, the woman's hand that was holding the teapot shook lightly. Gu Changge couldn't be any more familiar with such tricks, and he could easily make a lengthy list out of them.
The reason for Ye Chen's hastiness today was solely rooted from hearsay regarding the Archbishop's plan to transfer her daughter to the palace. However, given that he was as blunt as a hammer in relationships, all there was in his mind was training. Hence, he had never laid a finger on the damsel. Regardless, judging by their relationship, it was obvious that Su Qingge was what was referred to as the 'female lead.' After all, from the aspect of plotlines, Ye Chen grew up amidst disasters, and after surviving the Hundred Days War, he eventually got himself into Supreme Stygian Holy Land, and he was probably already half way through his journey.
Su Qingge, on the other hand, was exceptionally talented. She, the daughter of the Archbishop, was beautiful and intelligent. However, knowing that Ye Chen was always as dumb as a rock whenever he was with her, she decided not to plead for his sake, so that she could hate Ye Chen more. The best way she could find was to cut off any bond she had with Ye Chen in order to make herself believe that there was nothing between them. If this sort of character wasn't the female lead, then what could she be?
Alas, Gu Changge figured pretty much everything out, as if he was the creator of the universe. Now that he realized that he was the antagonist of the story, he no longer had any intention to let Su Qingge off. Although nothing forced felt right, it wasn't like he minded since he didn't suffer any losses.
"I've underestimated you." Meanwhile, on the battle stage, Chu Xuan the Saint, visibly perturbed, icily stated as he was strategizing for another strike. He felt utterly ashamed for failing to bring down Ye Chen in front of the crowd, especially so in front of Gu Changge.
Nonetheless, at that moment, Gu Changge cut in as he waved his hand. "How boring."
Just by a couple words, Ye Chen was left stunned as if he was out of his mind.
"However, since the matter pertains to me, I shan't bother Saint Chu Xuan with it. Now, does your fearlessness come from ignorance?" Gu Changge lightly stated as he unleashed his glare.
The next moment, a spine-chilling, suppressive aura—so overwhelming that it could shred the sky and fissure the lands—ferociously gushed in the palace. Out of nowhere, the wind violently swirled in the palace while runes lit up as spiritual energy surged everywhere.
Everyone watching was intuitively horrified by the event, and that included many elders who were dazed and quivering.
*Thump!* As the receiver of the attack, Ye Chen was clearly affected, followed by the blanching of his face. Immediately, his legs grew weary and his entire body collapsed to the ground before his head struck the floor as he struggled. He was thoroughly vanquished. No matter how hard he attempted to summon the Master in his ring, nothing happened. "How is he… this strong…" He raised his head, only to meet the condescending eyes of the man in white with his own filled with disbelief and reluctance.
[Show off? I can do that too.] Superiority and indifference persisted on Gu Changge's face, though he was actually laughing in his heart. Indubitably, the battle should've ended with Ye Chen overcoming Chu Xuan and proving everyone wrong before moving on to challenge Gu Changge. But that was just a gamble. Even with the old man in his ring, it wouldn't be easily achievable, but that was definitely a good thought. Unfortunately for him, Gu Changge was a transmigrator, and he carried the Golden Finger with him.
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Early-Stage Cultivation Realms: Physique, Spiritual Sea, Spiritual Palace, Transcendent, Mighty-Transcendent, Honoured Noble, Honoured Lord, Honoured King, Partial-Enlightented