Old Master
Even in the presence of an elder of the Treasure Tree Sect, Old Master Ye seemed to maintain his usual attitude — that same bland, indifferent expression, as though nothing in the world could faze him.
"Shanggouan Yi pays respects to the Grand Tutor!"
"
When
"Ha ha, you little rascal. In truth, I'm the one who owes you. Otherwise, this whole business with the Fengjiao Five-Winged Beast would have given me enough headaches to last a lifetime."
The old man laughed heartily, his gaze settling on Jiang Chen with a profound look in his eyes. In reality, the old man had arrived quite early. He had simply chosen not to reveal himself, wanting to see how Jiang Chen would handle the situation.
What surprised him was that even facing Elder Tie's overwhelming pressure, Jiang Chen showed no intention of fleeing!
Even the old man himself couldn't quite figure out what trump card Jiang Chen was holding onto. What was his confidence based on?
With Jiang Chen's cultivation, picking off
But martial cultivation progressed level by level, with clear divisions between each rank. With Jiang Chen's current strength, going up against Elder Tie — a peak Earth Spirit Realm expert at the sixth level of the Spirit Realm — was simply impossible.
Even with the Dayu Bow, there was no way to pose a threat to a peak Earth Spirit Realm powerhouse!
This was a fundamental gap — one that no clever trick could bridge.
No matter how exceptional your martial talent or how profound your techniques, in the face of an absolute disparity in raw power, all of that was meaningless.
Crossing ranks to challenge a stronger opponent wasn't unheard of, and it wasn't impossible.
But there were limits. Skipping one or two levels might be feasible.
Jumping four or five levels up? That was nothing but a pipe dream.
Did Jiang Chen really not understand that the gap between himself and Elder Tie was one that no trick in the book could overcome?
Or was this young man so sharp that he had guessed Ye Chonglou would show up?
The old man was very confident that with his own cultivation level, hiding in the shadows, even Elder Tie couldn't detect him — let alone Jiang Chen, who was merely at the first level of the Spirit Realm.
"If he merely guessed that I'd come, that's one thing. But to remain calm in the face of danger — that courage, that composure — is enough to make him stand out among his peers," the old man mused to himself. Regardless of the reason, a first-level Spirit Realm cultivator standing his ground before a peak Earth Spirit Realm powerhouse under tremendous pressure, without turning tail and running — that was nothing short of miraculous!
Elder Tie watched as Ye Chonglou inserted himself into the matter, chatting and laughing with Jiang Chen while completely ignoring him, an elder of the Treasure Tree Sect. A surge of humiliation washed over him.
Suppressing the rage building inside him, he spoke in a flat tone: "Old Master, this matter today is a personal grudge between Jiang Chen and me. Surely you don't intend to interfere?"
"A personal grudge?" Ye Chonglou smiled faintly. "Lü Wuji conspired with outsiders and caused chaos in the Royal Capital. Jiang Chen killed him for the security of the kingdom, to uphold justice. The Treasure Tree Sect protects the Tiangui Kingdom — it should commend Jiang Chen's righteous act. I'm not sure how you've turned this into a personal grudge. Could it be that Elder Tie is still harboring resentment over what happened at the Treasure Tree Sect's gates and is simply looking for an excuse to settle the score?"
An excuse to settle the score — that was obviously exactly what it was.
Elder Tie's face twisted with fury: "Uphold justice? Nonsense! Lü Wuji was my wife's nephew. By family relation, he called me uncle. He was killed by Jiang Chen for no good reason — and you expect me, Elder Tie, to simply let it go? Old Master Ye, I've always respected you and had no wish to cross you. But if you insist on meddling in my family affairs, then you are making yourself the enemy of the Tie family — and of the entire Treasure Tree Sect!"
"Don't try to use the Treasure Tree Sect to intimidate me. Your father — others may fear him, but these old bones of mine certainly don't!" The old man rolled his eyes. "If you want to talk family relations, fine. This Jiang Chen is my benefactor, and I hold him in high regard — like my own son or nephew. Your nephew was a criminal, and he got what he deserved. If you want to be so shameless in your old age, then come at me. Whatever tricks you have, I'll take them all!"
The old man spoke these words in a measured, unhurried tone — no thunderous roar, no menacing aura. Yet his stance was unmistakable: Jiang Chen was someone he, Ye Chonglou, had claimed as his own. If anyone wanted to touch Jiang Chen, they would have to go through him first!
These words left not only Elder Tie stunned but also Shangguan Yi, who stood nearby. He knew the old man valued Jiang Chen and thought highly of him. But he had never imagined that Old Master Ye would go this far — willing to openly confront Elder Tie over a young man, even issuing a direct warning.
And when Elder Tie had even brought up his powerful father, the old man hadn't budged an inch.
This was far more than simple appreciation.
This was practically the attitude of a father toward his own son!
If Jiang Chen's background hadn't already been thoroughly investigated, Shangguan Yi would have almost suspected the young man was the old man's illegitimate child.
Tian Shao was even more shocked. He could never have imagined that Old Master Ye — who stood above everyone like a god — would go to such lengths for an outsider youth, even if it meant offending the most powerful figure in the entire Treasure Tree Sect.
After all, not even Crown Prince
In that moment, the entire Dragon Tooth Guard headquarters fell into collective silence.
A sudden realization dawned on them: Lü Wuji's death had apparently been in vain!
With Old Master Ye backing Jiang Chen, how could this vendetta possibly be pursued? What did it matter that Deputy Steward
Hadn't they just seen Elder Tie bring up his own father and still fail to make any impression?
Those Dragon Tooth Guards who had been tempted to defect from Shangguan Yi now wavered once more.
Could Deputy Steward Yang Zhao really win against Jiang Chen?
Before the old man's appearance, none of these Dragon Tooth Guards would have believed Jiang Chen could stand up to Deputy Steward Yang.