"It was actually
"He was the one who sabotaged the main formation of the Upper Realm Gate, slowing down its opening speed."
"That's right — it must have been him. Among all the juniors in the Great Thousand Upper Realm today, no one else could have pulled that off."
The moment
Forget about the others — even the Sacred Ground Master of Starfall Sacred Ground and the Valley Master of Supreme Joy Valley, figures who stood at the very pinnacle of the Great Thousand Upper Realm, found their gazes toward Chu Zhiyuan shifting. And not only that — they hurriedly rose to their feet and clasped their fists in a formal salute.
"Young friend Zhiyuan, you are truly a hero of our Great Thousand Upper Realm. Please accept this old man's bow."
"Young hero Zhiyuan, please accept this old man's bow as well."
In the span of a single breath, every great figure in the Upper Realm was paying their respects to Chu Zhiyuan — a junior.
The sight was staggering, and it shook every young person present to their core.
The juniors who had gathered here were no ordinary individuals themselves. Yet as they looked at Chu Zhiyuan standing upon the dueling stage, they felt an overwhelming sense of distance between them.
They understood now — the gap between themselves and Chu Zhiyuan had become as vast as the sky and the earth. If they were stars scattered across the heavens, then Chu Zhiyuan was the brilliant moon hanging above the galaxy.
When the moon shone, every star in the sky was destined to pale in comparison.
At this moment, in this place, between heaven and earth — there were countless great figures, yet the most dazzling of them all was Chu Zhiyuan.
"Esteemed seniors, please take your seats at once."
"What I, Chu Zhiyuan, have done is only what should be done."
"After all, I am not merely a member of the Great Thousand Upper Realm — I am a clansman of the
"Though I am still young and still weak, if I can protect my Chu Heavenly Clan, then even if I must walk through fire and water, I, Chu Zhiyuan, will not hesitate." Chu Zhiyuan clasped his fists and spoke with conviction.
"Well said! Truly a hero from among the young — a hero from among the young!"
The moment Chu Zhiyuan finished speaking, cheers erupted throughout the venue.
"My lord, you truly have a splendid grandson."
Some even began offering congratulations to Chu Zhiyuan's grandfather.
In the face of all this, that old man's weathered face had already split into a grin so wide it resembled a steamed bun. Every wrinkle on his cheeks had bunched together, and his tiny eyes were squeezed shut into mere slits.
He was absolutely beside himself with joy.
"Old man, your grandson owes this glorious moment entirely to me. How do you plan to repay me?"
At that very instant, a secret voice transmission slipped into the ear of Chu Zhiyuan's grandfather.
It was Chu Haoyan's grandfather.
As it turned out, Chu Haoyan's grandfather had been the very first person in the entire Chu Heavenly Clan to learn that the Upper Realm Gate was opening.
When he had first laid eyes on the Upper Realm Gate, its opening speed had already been slowed.
This was not his first time witnessing the Upper Realm Gate, so he knew immediately that such a sluggish opening speed was abnormal.
However, he had no idea that the main formation inside the Upper Realm Gate had been sabotaged.
So the claim about the main formation being sabotaged — that was something he had fabricated. He had made the whole thing up.