In the interim, Jiang Chen commandeered the Purple Orchid Meteor Leaf, escorting Ji Ruxue and Xie Xiaojing to their private area.
As a disciple of the Holy Lord, he was, of course, not going to mingle with the ordinary disciples.
"Senior Brother Jiang Chen! Senior Brother Jiang Chen!"
"Holy Maiden Ji Ruxue! Holy Maiden Ji Ruxue!"
"..."
Upon Jiang Chen's touchdown, a thunderous ovation, akin to a roaring tsunami, ensued.
'Tsk!'
'Adhering to the 'original plot' under the sway of the Heavenly Fate Value, the greater the acclaim I receive now, the harsher the downfall I will face upon defeat!'
'At that point, all would become stepping stones for the protagonist, Fang Yuan.'
'Fortunately, I possess the capability to alter my destiny!'
A subtle smile danced on Jiang Chen's lips.
Promptly, he unfurled his divine sense and spotted Fang Yuan, standing in solitude at a corner.
It wasn't that Fang Yuan was completely without company, merely a few disciples from the Fang Clan in the Holy Land loitered nearby.
'Villain's Eye!!'
[Name: Fang Yuan
Realm: Late-stage Heavenly Origin
Status: Protagonist
Heavenly Fate Value: 7986/7986]
'Late-stage Heavenly Origin realm, is it?'
'Impressive speed of progress indeed, but it still falls considerably short of the upper limit I can tackle!'
'With his current cultivation base realm, it would be a generous estimate to say he could manifest the combat power of the Early-stage Inquiring Journey realm.'
'Hmm, the Heavenly Fate Value is already just shy of eight thousand!'
'I didn't anticipate that during this period, unbeknownst to me, Fang Yuan's Heavenly Fate Value has dipped by nine thousand two hundred points!'
A faint smirk surfaced on Jiang Chen's face, 'If I further deplete his Heavenly Fate Value by another six thousand four hundred points, I could eliminate him directly!'
Although his days seemed consumed by cultivation or dalliances with women, his ultimate goal remained to vanquish Fang Yuan and secure his own survival.
Could one really blame him, considering Fang Yuan was a protagonist of the 'living off women' variety?
Depriving him of his women was akin to robbing him of his opportunities!
Next, Jiang Chen turned his gaze to the panels of Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning.
[Name: Nangong Wan
Realm: Early-stage Spiritual Awakening (Late-stage Void Tribulation)
Status: Heroine (unpursued)
Fate Value: 16368]
The subsequent panel displayed:
[Name: Shangguan Ning
Realm: Early-stage Spiritual Awakening (Late-stage Void Tribulation)
Status: Heroine (unpursued)
Fate Value: 15996]
'They ascended an entire realm!?'
'Nonetheless, they remain in a soul remnant state and can't offer substantial assistance to Fang Yuan in combat.'
Jiang Chen mentally nodded in acknowledgement.
At that moment, many around him approached to offer their greetings to Jiang Chen, attempting to curry favor.
Jiang Chen bore no opposition to this.
As the Villain, he needed to foster a greater network of friends while keeping enemies to a minimum to improve his odds of survival.
Though the impact of such actions wasn't profound, it wasn't insignificant either.
Simply considering individuals like Rong Liancai made it evident that they held utility.
When Fang Yuan had completely lost his stature, these acquaintances and underlings could potentially become the straw that broke the camel's back!
Time gradually elapsed.
Soon, a vast expanse of majestic light streaked from a nearby location, alighting on the platform before the Holy Land Grand Hall. The luminescence heralded the arrival of Ji Mingxiu, Mo Yu, and others.
"Greetings, Holy Lord!"
"Greetings, Supreme Elders and all the Elders!"
All the disciples bowed in deference to Ji Mingxiu and company. Jiang Chen was no exception, demonstrating even more meticulous etiquette.
Fang Yuan, on the other hand, casually performed the courtesy.
After all, he was an unparalleled prodigy with two Late-stage Void Tribulation realm powerhouses as his allies.
The Dao Palace realm was but a transitory phase in his future trajectory.
"All of you, please rise."
"The contest for the position of the Holy Son is a time-honored tradition that the Purple Heaven Holy Land has perpetuated for innumerable years."
"This institution holds immense significance in perpetuating and fortifying the Purple Heaven Holy Land!"
"Today, here in the Purple Heaven Holy Land, we are reconvening the contest for the Holy Son's position. The victor will ascend as this generation's Holy Son and will be nurtured to become the future Holy Lord!"
Ji Mingxiu articulated a few succinct phrases, then signaled to an Elder adjacent to him.
"Now, let's commence the draw!"
"All participating disciples, please select your opponents!"
Post the Elder's announcement, he gestured and dispersed a large quantity of luminescent orbs, imperceptible to divine sense, amounting to over a hundred.
The orbs corresponded precisely to all the participating disciples.
"Draw!"
Jiang Chen extended his hand, arbitrarily choosing one among the levitating orbs, and drew it into his possession.
Witnessing this, the rest of the participating disciples followed suit and selected their light orbs.
Fang Yuan too stepped forward, claiming an orb for himself.
"Look, it's Fang Yuan!"
"He regained his normal cultivation ability two months ago; I wonder how much he has recovered since then."
"Senior Brother Jiang Chen opined he could secure a commendable rank, he must have made considerable progress!"
"Indeed, Fang Yuan has been extremely diligent these past two years, it's probable that his cultivation made immediate strides once it was restored."
"..."
One by one, disciples watched Fang Yuan, their murmurs punctuating the air.
Owing to Jiang Chen's machinations, Fang Yuan's narrative from the grand sect assembly had disseminated throughout the entire Purple Heaven Holy Land.
Even the handymen were acquainted with some elements of it.
Most disciples in the sect chose to believe Jiang Chen's words.
After all, during the grand sect assembly, Jiang Chen had exhibited an extraordinarily keen perception, even discerning what Ji Mingxiu could not!
Listening to the chatter of the cultivators around him, a slight furrow appeared on Fang Yuan's brow.
He had not abandoned the notion of making a significant impression and thus concealed his aura.
Surprisingly, under the influence of Jiang Chen, most individuals were already anticipating him to perform remarkably.
'Hmph!'
'You may expect me to excel, but you surely don't foresee that I will pave my way to Jiang Chen and overcome him!!'
Fang Yuan mentally scoffed, his eyes brimming with determination and confidence.
In that instant.
"Now we will disclose the match-ups!"
The Elder gestured with a hand seal, and the light orbs held by Jiang Chen and the others extinguished instantly, transforming into plaques.
Numbers were etched onto these plaques.
Following the Elder's announcement of the rules, they could ascertain their opponents based on the numbers!
All at once, the atmosphere on site became mildly tense.
Many participating disciples were nervous, palms slick with sweat, for fear of encountering a seeded contestant in their first battle and losing outright.
"Now, let's declare the rules and the list of participants!"
The Elder proclaimed the regulations loudly and also read out the names one by one.
"Jiang Chen, versus Tai Yuanqing!"
"Ben Shu, versus Wei Si!"
"..."
As the list was declared one by one, the participating disciples reacted with a mix of jubilation and apprehension.
Tai Yuanqing's complexion instantly drained of color, followed by a wry smile.
His strength was actually quite commendable, having attained the Late-stage Heavenly Origin realm, but he hadn't anticipated facing Jiang Chen in the first round!
However, in the interest of fairness, the defeated disciples would continue to draw lots to determine their ranking.
At this moment, the Elder declared the last name on the list: "Fang Yuan, a bye round!"
Simultaneously.
"Wow! A bye round?!"
"Fang Yuan is granted a bye round?!"
"Impossible...impossible...what fortune is this! He indeed received a bye round!"
"Incredible, what an advantaged individual, clinching a match victory without needing to engage in combat."
"Ha, depending on serendipity for a bye round, where does the skill lie in that!"
"Precisely..."
All the cultivators were struck dumb upon learning of Fang Yuan's bye round.
If someone else were awarded a bye round, they would simply marvel at their fortuitousness.
However, Fang Yuan was an exception, his bye round inciting a greater degree of attention and sparking debate.
Even though Jiang Chen had openly expressed his favor towards Fang Yuan previously, followed by Rong Liangcai and others acting covertly, resulting in a shift in perspective from many who had initially stood against Fang Yuan.
Yet, there persisted a handful of thoughtless critics who continued to oppose Fang Yuan, consequently becoming the subject of Fang Yuan's retaliatory maneuvers.
'Oh no!'
'We cannot allow Fang Yuan to flaunt his triumph and ridicule those who scorned him. If he is to emerge victorious, it should be an inconspicuous victory.'
This was the train of thought rumbling in Jiang Chen's mind before he suddenly erupted in laughter: "Hahaha."
His sway was indeed exceptional at this point.
With that laughter, not just disciples of the Purple Heaven Holy Land, but even figures like Ji Mingxiu turned their attention towards him.
As expected, Fang Yuan's focus also landed on Jiang Chen.
He was unsure about Jiang Chen's upcoming proclamation, but a sense of foreboding creeped in.
A wave of internal revulsion swept through him.
At that very moment.
"I wouldn't have guessed you'd receive a bye round, Fang Yuan."
Jiang Chen said with a smile, "Your luck is truly terrible, after all, you've just lost a legitimate victory!"
At this assertion, the faces of those who had been discreetly deriding Fang Yuan transformed instantly!
Unquestionably, receiving a bye round was a stroke of good luck.
But in Jiang Chen's declaration, Fang Yuan had become the unlucky one!
He even insinuated that Fang Yuan had bypassed a surefire victory, exhibiting his confidence in Fang Yuan's potential to string together a series of wins!
With Jiang Chen's words, those who were silently mocking Fang Yuan dared not voice their ridicule any longer.
Moreover, it was as if Jiang Chen had preemptively shamed, on Fang Yuan's behalf, those whom Fang Yuan was set to disgrace.
If Fang Yuan displayed impressive performance later, he would no longer be able to dishonor those who underestimated him.
In light of this, Fang Yuan felt a strange sensation brewing in his heart, either way, he was discomforted.
Yet, he still had to maintain a decorous exterior.
After all, the entire Holy Land's gaze was affixed upon him!
"Senior Brother Jiang Chen, your generosity is unparalleled!"
Fang Yuan lightly clasped his hands together and managed to paint a smile on his face.
"And what is this about unparalleled generosity?"
Jiang Chen roared with laughter before adding, "I'll eagerly await your presence in the finals!"
As soon as these words were uttered, everyone present was taken aback!
In the crowded Holy Land Square, there ensued an unprecedented hush, so silent you could hear the faintest whisper!
They had anticipated that Fang Yuan would secure a commendable ranking.
However, Jiang Chen's assertion that Fang Yuan could advance to the finals was simply beyond belief!
"Surely you all don't doubt my words!"
Jiang Chen swept his gaze over the entire assembly, a subtle smile dancing on his lips, "If I claim Fang Yuan can ascend to the finals, then he is certainly destined for the finals!"
His voice reverberated with unwavering certainty, strong and clear.
A note from AlphaWIA:
Get early access to (+75) more chapters by joining my Patreon.
Can't join Patreon? No worries! Help spread the word about my work instead. Every share makes a big difference. Thanks for your support!
In the interim, Jiang Chen commandeered the Purple Orchid Meteor Leaf, escorting Ji Ruxue and Xie Xiaojing to their private area.
As a disciple of the Holy Lord, he was, of course, not going to mingle with the ordinary disciples.
"Senior Brother Jiang Chen! Senior Brother Jiang Chen!"
"Holy Maiden Ji Ruxue! Holy Maiden Ji Ruxue!"
"..."
Upon Jiang Chen's touchdown, a thunderous ovation, akin to a roaring tsunami, ensued.
'Tsk!'
'Adhering to the 'original plot' under the sway of the Heavenly Fate Value, the greater the acclaim I receive now, the harsher the downfall I will face upon defeat!'
'At that point, all would become stepping stones for the protagonist, Fang Yuan.'
'Fortunately, I possess the capability to alter my destiny!'
A subtle smile danced on Jiang Chen's lips.
Promptly, he unfurled his divine sense and spotted Fang Yuan, standing in solitude at a corner.
It wasn't that Fang Yuan was completely without company, merely a few disciples from the Fang Clan in the Holy Land loitered nearby.
'Villain's Eye!!'
[Name: Fang Yuan
Realm: Late-stage Heavenly Origin
Status: Protagonist
Heavenly Fate Value: 7986/7986]
'Late-stage Heavenly Origin realm, is it?'
'Impressive speed of progress indeed, but it still falls considerably short of the upper limit I can tackle!'
'With his current cultivation base realm, it would be a generous estimate to say he could manifest the combat power of the Early-stage Inquiring Journey realm.'
'Hmm, the Heavenly Fate Value is already just shy of eight thousand!'
'I didn't anticipate that during this period, unbeknownst to me, Fang Yuan's Heavenly Fate Value has dipped by nine thousand two hundred points!'
A faint smirk surfaced on Jiang Chen's face, 'If I further deplete his Heavenly Fate Value by another six thousand four hundred points, I could eliminate him directly!'
Although his days seemed consumed by cultivation or dalliances with women, his ultimate goal remained to vanquish Fang Yuan and secure his own survival.
Could one really blame him, considering Fang Yuan was a protagonist of the 'living off women' variety?
Depriving him of his women was akin to robbing him of his opportunities!
Next, Jiang Chen turned his gaze to the panels of Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning.
[Name: Nangong Wan
Realm: Early-stage Spiritual Awakening (Late-stage Void Tribulation)
Status: Heroine (unpursued)
Fate Value: 16368]
The subsequent panel displayed:
[Name: Shangguan Ning
Realm: Early-stage Spiritual Awakening (Late-stage Void Tribulation)
Status: Heroine (unpursued)
Fate Value: 15996]
'They ascended an entire realm!?'
'Nonetheless, they remain in a soul remnant state and can't offer substantial assistance to Fang Yuan in combat.'
Jiang Chen mentally nodded in acknowledgement.
At that moment, many around him approached to offer their greetings to Jiang Chen, attempting to curry favor.
Jiang Chen bore no opposition to this.
As the Villain, he needed to foster a greater network of friends while keeping enemies to a minimum to improve his odds of survival.
Though the impact of such actions wasn't profound, it wasn't insignificant either.
Simply considering individuals like Rong Liancai made it evident that they held utility.
When Fang Yuan had completely lost his stature, these acquaintances and underlings could potentially become the straw that broke the camel's back!
Time gradually elapsed.
Soon, a vast expanse of majestic light streaked from a nearby location, alighting on the platform before the Holy Land Grand Hall. The luminescence heralded the arrival of Ji Mingxiu, Mo Yu, and others.
"Greetings, Holy Lord!"
"Greetings, Supreme Elders and all the Elders!"
All the disciples bowed in deference to Ji Mingxiu and company. Jiang Chen was no exception, demonstrating even more meticulous etiquette.
Fang Yuan, on the other hand, casually performed the courtesy.
After all, he was an unparalleled prodigy with two Late-stage Void Tribulation realm powerhouses as his allies.
The Dao Palace realm was but a transitory phase in his future trajectory.
"All of you, please rise."
"The contest for the position of the Holy Son is a time-honored tradition that the Purple Heaven Holy Land has perpetuated for innumerable years."
"This institution holds immense significance in perpetuating and fortifying the Purple Heaven Holy Land!"
"Today, here in the Purple Heaven Holy Land, we are reconvening the contest for the Holy Son's position. The victor will ascend as this generation's Holy Son and will be nurtured to become the future Holy Lord!"
Ji Mingxiu articulated a few succinct phrases, then signaled to an Elder adjacent to him.
"Now, let's commence the draw!"
"All participating disciples, please select your opponents!"
Post the Elder's announcement, he gestured and dispersed a large quantity of luminescent orbs, imperceptible to divine sense, amounting to over a hundred.
The orbs corresponded precisely to all the participating disciples.
"Draw!"
Jiang Chen extended his hand, arbitrarily choosing one among the levitating orbs, and drew it into his possession.
Witnessing this, the rest of the participating disciples followed suit and selected their light orbs.
Fang Yuan too stepped forward, claiming an orb for himself.
"Look, it's Fang Yuan!"
"He regained his normal cultivation ability two months ago; I wonder how much he has recovered since then."
"Senior Brother Jiang Chen opined he could secure a commendable rank, he must have made considerable progress!"
"Indeed, Fang Yuan has been extremely diligent these past two years, it's probable that his cultivation made immediate strides once it was restored."
"..."
One by one, disciples watched Fang Yuan, their murmurs punctuating the air.
Owing to Jiang Chen's machinations, Fang Yuan's narrative from the grand sect assembly had disseminated throughout the entire Purple Heaven Holy Land.
Even the handymen were acquainted with some elements of it.
Most disciples in the sect chose to believe Jiang Chen's words.
After all, during the grand sect assembly, Jiang Chen had exhibited an extraordinarily keen perception, even discerning what Ji Mingxiu could not!
Listening to the chatter of the cultivators around him, a slight furrow appeared on Fang Yuan's brow.
He had not abandoned the notion of making a significant impression and thus concealed his aura.
Surprisingly, under the influence of Jiang Chen, most individuals were already anticipating him to perform remarkably.
'Hmph!'
'You may expect me to excel, but you surely don't foresee that I will pave my way to Jiang Chen and overcome him!!'
Fang Yuan mentally scoffed, his eyes brimming with determination and confidence.
In that instant.
"Now we will disclose the match-ups!"
The Elder gestured with a hand seal, and the light orbs held by Jiang Chen and the others extinguished instantly, transforming into plaques.
Numbers were etched onto these plaques.
Following the Elder's announcement of the rules, they could ascertain their opponents based on the numbers!
All at once, the atmosphere on site became mildly tense.
Many participating disciples were nervous, palms slick with sweat, for fear of encountering a seeded contestant in their first battle and losing outright.
"Now, let's declare the rules and the list of participants!"
The Elder proclaimed the regulations loudly and also read out the names one by one.
"Jiang Chen, versus Tai Yuanqing!"
"Ben Shu, versus Wei Si!"
"..."
As the list was declared one by one, the participating disciples reacted with a mix of jubilation and apprehension.
Tai Yuanqing's complexion instantly drained of color, followed by a wry smile.
His strength was actually quite commendable, having attained the Late-stage Heavenly Origin realm, but he hadn't anticipated facing Jiang Chen in the first round!
However, in the interest of fairness, the defeated disciples would continue to draw lots to determine their ranking.
At this moment, the Elder declared the last name on the list: "Fang Yuan, a bye round!"
Simultaneously.
"Wow! A bye round?!"
"Fang Yuan is granted a bye round?!"
"Impossible...impossible...what fortune is this! He indeed received a bye round!"
"Incredible, what an advantaged individual, clinching a match victory without needing to engage in combat."
"Ha, depending on serendipity for a bye round, where does the skill lie in that!"
"Precisely..."
All the cultivators were struck dumb upon learning of Fang Yuan's bye round.
If someone else were awarded a bye round, they would simply marvel at their fortuitousness.
However, Fang Yuan was an exception, his bye round inciting a greater degree of attention and sparking debate.
Even though Jiang Chen had openly expressed his favor towards Fang Yuan previously, followed by Rong Liangcai and others acting covertly, resulting in a shift in perspective from many who had initially stood against Fang Yuan.
Yet, there persisted a handful of thoughtless critics who continued to oppose Fang Yuan, consequently becoming the subject of Fang Yuan's retaliatory maneuvers.
'Oh no!'
'We cannot allow Fang Yuan to flaunt his triumph and ridicule those who scorned him. If he is to emerge victorious, it should be an inconspicuous victory.'
This was the train of thought rumbling in Jiang Chen's mind before he suddenly erupted in laughter: "Hahaha."
His sway was indeed exceptional at this point.
With that laughter, not just disciples of the Purple Heaven Holy Land, but even figures like Ji Mingxiu turned their attention towards him.
As expected, Fang Yuan's focus also landed on Jiang Chen.
He was unsure about Jiang Chen's upcoming proclamation, but a sense of foreboding creeped in.
A wave of internal revulsion swept through him.
At that very moment.
"I wouldn't have guessed you'd receive a bye round, Fang Yuan."
Jiang Chen said with a smile, "Your luck is truly terrible, after all, you've just lost a legitimate victory!"
At this assertion, the faces of those who had been discreetly deriding Fang Yuan transformed instantly!
Unquestionably, receiving a bye round was a stroke of good luck.
But in Jiang Chen's declaration, Fang Yuan had become the unlucky one!
He even insinuated that Fang Yuan had bypassed a surefire victory, exhibiting his confidence in Fang Yuan's potential to string together a series of wins!
With Jiang Chen's words, those who were silently mocking Fang Yuan dared not voice their ridicule any longer.
Moreover, it was as if Jiang Chen had preemptively shamed, on Fang Yuan's behalf, those whom Fang Yuan was set to disgrace.
If Fang Yuan displayed impressive performance later, he would no longer be able to dishonor those who underestimated him.
In light of this, Fang Yuan felt a strange sensation brewing in his heart, either way, he was discomforted.
Yet, he still had to maintain a decorous exterior.
After all, the entire Holy Land's gaze was affixed upon him!
"Senior Brother Jiang Chen, your generosity is unparalleled!"
Fang Yuan lightly clasped his hands together and managed to paint a smile on his face.
"And what is this about unparalleled generosity?"
Jiang Chen roared with laughter before adding, "I'll eagerly await your presence in the finals!"
As soon as these words were uttered, everyone present was taken aback!
In the crowded Holy Land Square, there ensued an unprecedented hush, so silent you could hear the faintest whisper!
They had anticipated that Fang Yuan would secure a commendable ranking.
However, Jiang Chen's assertion that Fang Yuan could advance to the finals was simply beyond belief!
"Surely you all don't doubt my words!"
Jiang Chen swept his gaze over the entire assembly, a subtle smile dancing on his lips, "If I claim Fang Yuan can ascend to the finals, then he is certainly destined for the finals!"
His voice reverberated with unwavering certainty, strong and clear.
A note from AlphaWIA:
Get early access to (+75) more chapters by joining my Patreon.
Can't join Patreon? No worries! Help spread the word about my work instead. Every share makes a big difference. Thanks for your support!
