Chapter 282: Jiang Chen Refuses
Sunchaser laughed heartily, “Since all of you are aware of the matters behind the scenes, why go to such lengths in recruiting him? This Jiang Chen has offended the genius with most potential in my sect. What greatness can he amount to if he is destined to die within this great selection? Is he really that worthy of having all of you chasing after him?”
“Tsk tsk, I can’t listen to you talk.” Ninechaser rolled his eyes. “I’ve rather heard that it was those so-called sect geniuses who were almost destroyed by Jiang Chen in the mundane Eastern Kingdom. They had to rely on some of their senior brothers bullying the weak to limp away from the scene.”
“Humph. That was then and this is now. Long Juxue had just washed away the evil humours that plagues the azure phoenix constitution, and had yet to deploy her full potential. Now that she’s entered my Purple Sun Sect, it is as if the dragon is returning to the sea. She’s destined to overturn rivers and oceans, and steal the very heavens and the moon. A mere ordinary brat is destined to be her stepping stone, and an inconsequential one at that.”
Sunchaser had the most domineering personality out of all the forefathers.
It was forefather Thousandleaf who smiled faintly. “Why are we old folks standing here discussing such a boring topic? How many extraordinary geniuses have fallen to the hands of nameless nobodies in the end when pursuing the path of the martial dao? Although both you and I are of the origin realm, we are not gods, so what matters can we set in stone?”
Although he spoke conservatively, it was obvious that he was quite dismissive of Sunchaser’s attitude – as if no one on earth could defeat him.
The old folks were indeed a bit envious of an innate constitution, but a good potential didn’t represent everything.
At least, Long Juxue had been forced to almost the brink in the mundane world by Jiang Chen and had almost lost her life. This was a stain on her life and was destined to become one of Long Juxue’s internal demons.
If she didn’t eliminate it, she would have no hope of setting foot into the origin realm in her life.
If she couldn’t enter the origin realm, then all was as intangible as the wispy clouds in the eyes of these old folks.
In the eyes of the origin realm practitioners, only the origin realm or those with the potential to enter the realm were worthy of entering their eyes.
Icemist smiled demurely, “Daoist Sunchaser, an innate constitution is indeed rare, and difficult to find once in a hundred years. The fact that the Purple Sun Sect was able to find it in a mundane kingdom was indeed the Purple Sun Sect’s blessing. However, with my Flowing Wind Sect’s abilities in uncovering potential, I can see that Jiang Chen embodies great potential and power. And this power may not necessarily be inferior to an argus phoenix constitution.”
The Flowing Wind Sect was adept at discovering geniuses and excavating the potential of their disciples.
Although forefather Icemist’s words were spoken as gently as the spring winds of March, they had an aura to them that made one have to consider them gravely.
“Little sister Icemist, your old brother here normally wouldn’t doubt your words. However, although Jiang Chen has a bit of potential, all is still hot air in the face of the argus phoenix constitution. Of this, I firmly believe. I think all of you know better than me what an innate constitution means.”
Sunchaser’s tone was also firm.
Ninelion laughed heartily, “And what of an innate constitution? If she can’t get past Jiang Chen, he will forever be her internal demon. If she doesn’t clear it away, do you think she will have any hope of entering the origin realm”
The strength of a spirit king practitioner’s heart in assailing the origin realm was of utmost importance.
Having internal demons meant harboring latent threats in one’s consciousness. In the process of breaking through, the backlash formed by the internal demons made it very likely that the practitioner would be crippled at best, or dead at worst.
This was absolutely not alarmist talk.
Sunchaser chuckled, “It’s precisely because that Jiang Chen is Long Juxue’s rival to the death that he is fated to die by Long Juxue’s hand.”
Amongst the forefathers, none of them were willing to submit to the others.
It wasn’t that they liked Jiang Chen or thought that much of him, but that they didn’t want to see Sunchaser actually succeed in cultivating Long Juxue’s constitution.
It was true that the sixteen kingdoms needed geniuses.
However, humans were selfish by nature and all the elders had hoped that geniuses would be in their sect, and not in their competitor’s.
If all the geniuses had similar potential, then everyone could split them equally.
However, the advantage an innate constitution had was simply too great. The other forefathers were more or less a bit jealous.
Once an innate constitution broke through to the origin realm, then the advantages of their potential would be even more fully displayed. The rate in which she grew stronger would be limitless.
Once that kind of situation formed, the balance of the four great sects equally dividing up the sixteen kingdoms would more than likely be broken.
As the forefathers sparred verbally, Xie Tianshu, Wang Tuo, and Jiang Ruo had all returned to their own camps.
Judging from their appearances, it seemed that no one had gotten the upper hand and successfully recruited Jiang Chen.
When Wang Tuo came to Sunchaser, he said dejectedly, “Forefather, your subordinate was incompetent and unable to recruit Jiang Chen. Please pass down your judgement.”
“Haha, Wang Tuo, even sect head Xie of the Precious Tree Sect made a personal appearance. This was not your fault.”
Xie Tianshu smiled wryly, “Forefather Ninelion, I was incompetent and also didn’t recruit Jiang Chen.”
“Oh?” The forefathers turned their gazes towards Jiang Ruo, thinking that Jiang Chen had been convinced by the Flowing Wind Sect.
Jiang Ruo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Please don’t look at me this way, forefathers. Jiang Chen isn’t as simple as everyone thinks.”
“Oh? What’s going on here? Wang Tuo, speak up.” Ninelion was immensely intrigued. The three sects had set forth but hadn’t succeeded in swaying a mundane disciple?
Wang Tuo spoke with depression, “Jiang Chen said that since he’d come here, he didn’t want the four hundred thousand ordinary practitioners to feel that the four sects were a place that one could backdoor into. His reasons were quite noble and dignified. He said for the face of the four sects and so that everyone would think it’s fair, he still wanted to participate in the great selection and use his own strength to make it into the sects so that no one would have any reason to speak ill of him.”
Jinag Chen had indeed said so.
He hadn’t been able to find a more noble and dignified reason.
This reason had been respectable and irrefutable.
The forefathers looked at each other, at a loss of what to do as they started laughing wryly.
Sunchaser also couldn’t help but laugh, “It looks like we’ve underestimated Jiang Chen’s personality. This personality isn’t one of an elite genius, but one of a narcissistic, self indulgent idiot. This is just as well. Since none of you have decided on him, Long Juxue will be even more unperturbed in killing this brat. I also don’t have to worry about the possibility of erupting in open hostilities with one of you.”
Sunchaser laughed heartily as he felt that Jiang Chen was arrogant in his youth. Even though he had potential, he lacked the mentality to go with it.
He knew full well that he would possibly meet oppression from Long Juxue in the great selection, but he didn’t understand how to grasp the one thing that might save him.
What need was there to fear a young genius who knew only the situation but didn’t know how to judge the hour and seize the opportunity.
Sunchaser looked only more favorably upon Long Juxue killing Jiang Chen now.
The other forefathers also felt slight ripples of emotion in their hearts upon hearing this. To be honest, they didn’t really know what to make of Jiang Chen’s choice from their perspective.
As much potential a young genius had, he had no need to be so arrogant as to put on airs in the face of sect recruitment.
Indeed, in the eyes of these senior executives, they felt that Jiang Chen was putting on airs.
When a young man did so, that meant he wasn’t mature enough. When one was like this, unless he was truly an unparalleled genius, his future would otherwise be worrisome.
Those present had been anticipating Jiang Chen becoming Long Juxue’s internal demon.
They felt slightly disappointed now.
This Jiang Chen didn’t even have the most basic grasp of what was an appropriate action to take in a situation like this. Could he really withstand the threat of Long Juxue in the great selection?
Although the selection was anonymous, if Jiang Chen could make it to the final stage, he was sure to be recognized.
At that time, once Jiang Chen and Long Juxue stood on the dueling stage, it wouldn’t be difficult for her to kill a young man with no protection from a sect then.
In the eyes of these senior executives, the smartest move that Jiang Chen could take now was to join a sect, and then make use of the first selection to take a teacher, receive some pointers, and gain some good equipment, thereby adding to his resources to fight against Long Juxue.
In the eyes of the forefathers, this was merely a small interlude in the end.
Their original intentions were to discover geniuses through the selection. This was the true purpose!
The process of four hundred thousand participants receiving their participant tokens, uniforms, and masks was also a monumental undertaking.
It was a good thing that the four sects had dispatched enough people this time, so that all participants had received their tokens after two hours.
Jiang Chen took his token, changed into his uniform, and put on his mask.
He looked around and saw that it was a mass of silver-white masks around him. It was indeed difficult to make anyone out.
The most marvelous thing was that this uniform could actually mask a person’s aura. This negated the method of using a person’s aura to determine one’s identity.
“Remember, all of you must maintain anonymity before the selection ends. If anyone lets their mask or uniform drop from you during the selection, that will result in automatic disqualification. Don’t think you can slip through the cracks as there is a miniscule spirit glyph embedded within the uniform. We will know when it departs from your body.”
Jiang Chen made a small probe when he heard this and discovered that this was true.
“It looks like that the four great sects are indeed valuing this time’s great selection. The amounts spent on the uniforms and masks already are likely great indeed, not to mention the monumental costs of opening the legacy realm of the ancient times according to tutor Ye.” Jiang Chen sighed in his heart.
His fighting spirits were naturally heightened when he saw how much emphasis the four great sects were placing on this selection.
Forefather Sunchaser’s voice sounded again when everyone had received their participant tokens, “Alright, the legacy realm has already been opened. All participants, move out!”
The legacy realm was within the Redflame Kingdom.
The four hundred thousand strong army had arrived on a sea of clouds after roughly one hour. This ocean of clouds billowed indistinctly, giving one the impression that they were walking amongst the stars at a glance.
Many dots of light rippled through the ocean, as if untold numbers of leaping carp atop a mighty river, full of life and movement.
Jiang Chen could sense the strong spirit power field around him and knew that this was likely the entrance.
“Alright, you will be fully within the legacy realm less than thirty li after entering this ocean of clouds.” Forefather Sunchaser and the others transformed into four streaks of light and led the charge after he finished speaking.
The other senior executives also followed closely behind and set out.
Jiang Chen was in no hurry as he fell in step with the rest of the army, making his way in.
Although Jiang Chen had lived two lives, his emotions were thrumming a bit with excitement right now as well. This could be marked as the first time he was truly greeting a challenge for the first time in his two lives.