The Vermilion Bird Divine Beast didn't speak, but it gave a gentle nod. Clearly, it strongly agreed with Jiang Chen's words.
The Vermilion Bird Divine Beast had a close relationship with the ancient Sacred Unity Sect, and it was actually quite friendly toward the Human Race. Having lived through the ancient Demon Sealing War, it knew a great deal about the petty rivalries and conflicts among humans.
The Human Race, even during its most perilous moments, had never been without internal strife.
Situations like the current one were something the Vermilion Bird Divine Beast had seen all too many times.
And it was precisely because of this that the Vermilion Bird Divine Beast appreciated Jiang Chen so much. When confronted with Xiahou Jing's temptations before, it had not wavered in the slightest.
Because in Jiang Chen, it saw the bearing and magnanimity of an ancient leader. Though Jiang Chen was still young and had not yet fully matured, the signs of that potential were already visible.
"What a silver-tongued brat." The ice-cold elder was clearly quite infuriated by Jiang Chen's words.
"We reclusive powerhouses have our own sense of the bigger picture. Did you think we'd be like you worldly ants—trembling like frightened birds at the slightest disturbance, living in constant panic?"
"Tsk, tsk—now who's the silver-tongued one? Bigger picture? And where exactly is your bigger picture? That old man Shu Wanqing showed up at my doorstep and ruined my plans, then went even further—degenerating enough to defect to the leader of the Wind and Cloud Cult. He even disguised himself, used my name to launch a sneak attack on the Barbarian tribes, and framed me for it! Is this the so-called bigger picture of yours?"
Jiang Chen was truly angry.
These so-called reclusive powerhouses could really twist right into wrong. They insisted on turning a shameful act into something noble.
The elder was clearly furious at Jiang Chen as well. With his cultivation level, he was among the strongest of the reclusive powerhouses—practically at the pinnacle.
In the human domain, these Heavenly Level powerhouses had always considered themselves above ordinary people, never deigning to put themselves on equal footing with the secular world.
So in their view, every action they took, every word they spoke, should be treated as divine wisdom by secular forces.
How could someone like Jiang Chen be so rude and disrespectful?
"Boy, what exactly gives you the nerve to be so arrogant?" the ice-cold elder asked coldly.
"What's this? Are you probing me? If I said I had no backing, would you just go ahead and forcibly suppress my Glazed Tile Royal City?" Jiang Chen said with a half-smile.
"Hmph, spare me the eloquence. No matter how powerful your backer is, you killed Shu Wanqing without authorization—that is a grave crime. Even if Shu Wanqing made some mistakes, he was still one of the last remaining Heavenly Level powerhouses of the Human Race. Every one you kill weakens a pillar of humanity's strength. This is a crime neither you, Jiang Chen, nor the Glazed Tile Royal City can bear!"
This was no longer just trumping up charges—it was an outright sentencing of Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen's face was tinged with mockery. "Are you setting up a court here? Sentencing me, are you?"
"Well, then—" Jiang Chen suddenly raised an eyebrow. "On what grounds? What right do you have to spout such nonsense before my gates? Because you're a Heavenly Level powerhouse?"
The elder's aura surged. "What? You think I don't have the right? You don't believe I can convict you?"
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "I really don't."
The Vermilion Bird Divine Beast suddenly shot into the sky, its aura surging violently. Waves of powerful flames spread outward, wave after wave, steadily countering the elder's icy aura.
This invisible clash of ice and fire caused the temperature around Peacock Sacred Mountain to gradually stabilize and return to normal levels.
And Jiang Chen called out loudly, "Senior Vermilion Bird, don't waste your energy. There's no rush—let me see just what this so-called leader of the Human Race can do to me."
This was a matter of principle, not pragmatism.
The ice-cold elder had clearly sensed the Vermilion Bird Divine Beast's power, and the arrogance in his heart gradually subsided, replaced by a chill of wariness.
On his way here, he had wondered—with Shu Wanqing's strength, how could he have fallen to a mere secular youth? He had considered many possibilities along the way.
His final conclusion was that Shu Wanqing must have fallen into a trap.
Otherwise, with Shu Wanqing's cultivation at the third stage of the Heavenly realm, how could he possibly have been killed by a secular youth?
But upon arriving at the gates of Peacock Sacred Mountain, seeing the Vermilion Bird Divine Beast and the eight brothers of the Giant Stone Clan, the old man gradually realized that Shu Wanqing's death might indeed have been well-founded.
Moreover, when he had locked eyes with Jiang Chen just moments ago, he had expected to freeze the boy's soul on the spot. Yet that strike with his divine gaze had left Jiang Chen completely unharmed. To all appearances, it had caused only the faintest ripple in Jiang Chen's spiritual consciousness—like a pebble dropped into water creating a single ripple. There had been virtually no reaction at all.
This made the old man dismiss any thought of underestimating Jiang Chen.
If he had arrived in a rage, intent on crushing Jiang Chen, then at this moment he was beginning to realize that he had been somewhat too naive.
Under these circumstances, suppressing Jiang Chen was probably not going to be easy.
The old man suppressed his fury and fixed Jiang Chen with a cold stare. "Boy, don't think that having this ancient divine beast at your back means you can escape judgment. If I'm willing to pay a price today, I can still forcibly suppress you. Don't assume my eyes are blind—this ancient divine beast's life cycle is nearly spent, and its strength is far from its peak. If it opposes me, there's an eight-in-ten chance it will perish on the spot! And those giant monsters may look intimidating, but their strength may not be worthy of my attention."
The old man's eye for weakness was indeed sharp.
But Jiang Chen merely smiled coolly. "If you're so confident, why waste so much breath talking?"