Never mind Zi Che Min — the entire
Who would have thought that when it came to verbal sparring, this Shao Yuan had such a spirited side?
That middle-aged man clearly hadn't expected this young man from the Eternal Sacred Land to have the nerve to talk back to him, let alone openly mock the Hundred Sacred Grounds for producing nothing but losers generation after generation.
What kind of impossibly foolish young man would dare say such a thing?
The young man was so furious he actually laughed, his voice cold: "You really are ignorant and fearless. If generation after generation of the Hundred Sacred Grounds are all losers, then what does that make you Eternal Sacred Land — defeated underlings? If I recall correctly, some person from the Eternal Sacred Land lost to our Lord
As he spoke, he shook his head with undisguised scorn: "But I suppose it's only natural. Young people who haven't seen the world are always ignorant and fearless."
This was practically dredging up old scandals.
Everyone on the Eternal Sacred Land's side was deeply displeased upon hearing this. This was supposed to be a grand gathering hosted by the Eternal Sacred Land, and these people from the Hundred Sacred Grounds were being far too brazen.
Jiang Chen, however, was perfectly composed, smiling leisurely: "I've certainly heard about Elder Zi Mu's affair. But the version I heard was that certain people used underhanded tricks and shameful methods to narrowly scrape out a victory against Elder Zi Mu. And afterward, they rode that single win to build a reputation, deceiving the world for decades."
Jiang Chen didn't even need to think about it — he just flung that pot of dirty water straight at Shi Xuan.
Whether Shi Xuan had actually resorted to underhanded methods during his alchemy competition with Elder Zi Mu, Jiang Chen had no idea. Nor did he want to know.
His purpose was simple: to provoke the people of the Hundred Sacred Grounds, and to provoke Shi Xuan in particular.
Sure enough, the moment those words left his mouth, Shi Xuan's half-closed eyes snapped open, shooting a vicious glare straight at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen smiled serenely, making no effort to avoid the gaze, meeting Shi Xuan's eyes head-on.
"Lord Shi Xuan, this humble one isn't making baseless accusations, am I? You must know the truth of these matters in your heart, right?" Jiang Chen said with a half-smile.
Shi Xuan was never the type to be magnanimous. His expression darkened as he turned to glare at Zi Che Min: "Zi Che Min, you may not rank among the notable figures of Abyssal Island, but you're still someone of consequence. At a grand gathering like this, you let a snot-nosed brat run his mouth like this? Aren't you afraid the world will laugh at you?"
Zi Che Min smiled faintly, his expression tranquil, and shook his head: "The world won't laugh at him. And no one has the right to laugh at him."
"Oh?" Shi Xuan burst into hearty laughter. "When did the Eternal Sacred Land become so untouchable that no one in the world has the right to laugh at you?"
Zi Che Min said mildly: "Friend Shi Xuan, if you could refine a Heaven Mending Pill, you'd have every right to be proud. Unfortunately, you can't."
What?
Everyone was stunned, and countless surprised gazes turned toward Jiang Chen.
Before this, most people had heard the rumors that a young man had invented the Heaven Mending Pill, but they had been skeptical, suspecting it was a smokescreen the Eternal Sacred Land had thrown out. Although everyone had been discussing the name Shao Yuan, no one actually knew who this Shao Yuan was or what he looked like.
Now, hearing Zi Che Min spell it out, it finally clicked. The Shao Yuan everyone had been buzzing about these past few days was this sharp-tongued young man?
In an instant, the scene fell dead silent. Countless eyes fixed themselves on Jiang Chen, every gaze filled with naked curiosity. Everyone clearly wanted to get a good look at this young man who was said to have refined the Heaven Mending Pill and see what was so special about him.
At first glance, the young man didn't seem all that remarkable.
But upon closer inspection, one would discover that he had many surprising qualities. Putting everything else aside, his composure in this very moment was something most young people simply couldn't muster.
A young man facing so many veteran alchemy masters, neither servile nor arrogant, at ease and at play — daring even to openly mock Shi Xuan. That bearing, that courage and audacity, was more than enough to earn people's admiration.
Shi Xuan regarded Jiang Chen with a cold, appraising look and let out a strange laugh: "Who would have thought that after Elder Zi Mu's passing, the Eternal Sacred Land's alchemy field would sink even further into mediocrity. You actually dare to fabricate such a pathetic lie? Do you take everyone in the world who practices alchemy for a fool?"
Shi Xuan absolutely refused to believe it. Alchemy had its rules and disciplines. A young man capable of refining a pill at the level of the Heaven Mending Pill — the flawless quality, the masterful technique, the depth of knowledge embedded within — none of that was something a young man could handle.
Zi Che Min said mildly: "The world of alchemy sees prodigies emerge all the time. When you, Friend Shi Xuan, once proclaimed yourself a youthful genius, could you not bear to see even more outstanding young talents appear? You can't do something — does that mean no one else in the world can either? Do you truly believe your alchemical talent is without precedent and without successor?"
Zi Che Min's words were every bit as pointed.
Hearing this, Shi Xuan was so furious that he actually laughed.