Jiang Chen could sense the shift in the Mad Old Freak. It seemed as though something had triggered a reaction — not only had his speed slowed, but that frenzied battle intent had also begun to gradually subside.
Jiang Chen was quite taken aback.
He had never expected that the Mad Old Freak, who had been so unhinged just moments ago, would undergo such a dramatic change after hearing news of the demon race.
The Mad Old Freak swept his treasure staff aside, leaned his body backward, and let out a long, heavy sigh. "Enough, enough. No more fighting. I'm done."
Jiang Chen had never wanted a fight to the death in the first place. Hearing the Mad Old Freak call it off, he was more than happy to oblige. After all, he was the challenger — there was no strict need to settle things with the guardian one way or the other.
Moreover, it was obvious that the Mad Old Freak had been deliberately suppressing his strength, adjusting his power to match Jiang Chen's level. So even if Jiang Chen won, it wouldn't have been a truly honorable victory.
He put away the True Spirit Rod and stood off to the side, that faint smile never leaving his face — the picture of composure, neither puffed up by victory nor deflated by defeat. He carried himself with the bearing of a true commander.
The Mad Old Freak studied Jiang Chen with a serious gaze. The frenzied battle intent churning in his eyes was visibly fading by the second.
"The demon race… the demon race…" The corners of the Mad Old Freak's mouth twitched slightly as he murmured those two words over and over. Suddenly, he lifted his head, and a flash of piercing light shot from his eyes, locking onto Jiang Chen. "Young man, you are the most promising genius I have ever seen — the one most likely to obtain the ultimate inheritance of the Glazed Pagoda. I have never bent the rules or played favorites in this trial. But today, I will make an exception. I'm letting you through."
Jiang Chen was slightly stunned and blurted out, "Why?"
"Compared to fighting the demon race, what does a moment's thrill matter? I can see it in you — you're someone who can get things done. Perhaps you are the one the Glazed Pagoda has been waiting for all along. You've already passed three trials, and at my gate, if I let you use every means at your disposal, you'd likely find a way through as well."
Jiang Chen stood there in a daze. This transformation had truly caught him off guard.
The Mad Old Freak's voice took on a weathered, melancholic tone, as if he were speaking to himself. "My wife… my sister… both died miserably at the hands of the demon race. Young man, if you can obtain the inheritance of the Glazed Pagoda quickly enough, we can regain our freedom. I can barely wait to get out there and fight the demon race to the bitter end."
So he had a deep vendetta against the demon race.
Jiang Chen understood at once. He nodded. "Senior, the demon race has not yet broken free of their seal, nor have they erupted on a large scale. Furthermore, the current strength of the human territories is nowhere near sufficient to stand against the demon race head-on. We must avoid a direct confrontation for now."
"Avoid direct confrontation?" A flash of anger crossed the Mad Old Freak's face, and he snapped, "I thought you were a young man with backbone — have you already lost your nerve before even facing the demons?"
Jiang Chen smiled ruefully. "I've crossed paths with the demon race more than once. In my early days, I fought a Demon Emperor. Later, I clashed with a Heavenly Demon Lord. The demon race is fearsome, no doubt, but they are not invincible. The problem is that the human territories today are far weaker than you might imagine. Heavenly rank powerhouses are rarer than phoenix feathers and unicorn horns."
"What did you say? Heavenly rank powerhouses are that scarce?"
"So scarce you can barely imagine it. In the ancient era, there were likely more Divine realm cultivators than there are Heavenly rank experts today."
Jiang Chen's words left the Mad Old Freak looking utterly stricken, as though his soul had been hollowed out.