Shen Qinghong’s face was as cold as an iceberg, a chilling aura radiating from him.
Shen Sanhuo’s actions had clearly infuriated him. He never expected that after taking spiritual stones to challenge Jiang Chen, Shen Sanhuo would retreat into seclusion without even a word of greeting!
“That good-for-nothing must have lost,” Nie Chong added fuel to the fire.
Shen Sanhuo’s move left Shen Qinghong’s faction completely on the back foot.
Jiang Chen’s challenge platform was still up, and challengers continued to approach—only to be defeated time and again.
If they simply let it go and stopped sending challengers, all their previous scheming, hype, and slander would be rendered useless, indirectly becoming free advertising for Jiang Chen.
But if they continued, and even Shen Sanhuo couldn’t beat him, who else could they send?
Rong Zifeng? Nie Chong?
These two were Shen Qinghong’s most trusted aides, but their talent in alchemy wasn’t necessarily superior to Shen Sanhuo’s.
So who else was there?
Should he go himself?
Shen Qinghong was tempted, but reason told him he had to be extremely careful before making that choice.
As the top prodigy in the Supreme Zone, if he were to challenge Jiang Chen, every move of his would attract immense attention, endlessly exaggerated by busybodies.
If he won, well, he was the top prodigy—winning was expected. Even a victory wouldn’t prove Jiang Chen was a fraud.
But if he, Shen Qinghong, were to lose to Jiang Chen, his reputation would be ruined. Moreover, it would inadvertently elevate Jiang Chen, making him a benchmark figure among the younger generation of the Danqian Palace.
That was something Shen Qinghong absolutely could not accept.
“Leave me. I’m going out,” Shen Qinghong said, decisive and without hesitation. He immediately left Danxia Valley and headed straight for Hundred Elders Peak.
Before long, he appeared at the entrance of a deep, secluded cave dwelling on the peak.
This cave belonged to Elder Liancheng, the Danqian Palace’s First Supreme Elder. Accompanying Shen Qinghong was his grandfather, Elder Jingu, the Master of the Palace’s Spring and Autumn Hall.
“Qinghong, this matter has blown up too big because of you. Now, there’s no turning back,” said Elder Liancheng, the Master of the Martial Arts Hall, a bald old man with eyes sharp as a hawk’s.
Elder Jingu sighed softly. “Brother Liancheng, who could have guessed that this kid Jiang Chen would be so unruly? As the foremost figure in Danxia Valley, Qinghong deserves at least some basic respect. Yet Jiang Chen shows none. You really can’t blame Qinghong for getting angry.”
Elder Liancheng smiled faintly, a sharp glint flickering in his eyes. “Jingu, what would you have me do? Send Qinghong to challenge Jiang Chen? If he wins, everyone will say it’s only natural. But if he loses, everything will have been for nothing.”
Elder Jingu was equally frustrated. “In the end, this is all Elder Yunnie’s fault. If he hadn’t pushed so hard for Supreme Zone dwellings to be decided by martial contests, how could Jiang Chen have ever gotten there?”
This was classic scapegoating.
Elder Liancheng, however, was unmoved. “Jingu, saying that is just deceiving yourself. If Jiang Chen is truly gifted, whether sooner or later, he would have entered the Supreme Zone anyway. I believe the matter has reached a point where the older generation should really step back. Let the young ones settle it themselves. Success or failure will depend on their own abilities and cunning.”
Elder Jingu grew anxious. “Brother Liancheng, the problem is that in this current situation, Qinghong is already struggling. As the top prodigy, he’s inherently in an unfair competitive environment. Winning gains him nothing—people expect it. But if he shows even a slight disadvantage, he’ll be mocked. It’s not fair!”
Elder Liancheng shook his head slightly, truly exasperated by Elder Jingu’s way of thinking.
Ignoring him, he turned to Shen Qinghong. “Qinghong, do you yourself feel that your position is unfair?”
Shen Qinghong was speechless. He didn’t understand what his master meant.
Elder Liancheng said calmly, “You hold this position, enjoying supreme treatment and the best resources. Did you ever think then that this was equally unfair to others? So if you complain about unfairness now, you’ll disappoint me.”
Shen Qinghong was startled. He had come seeking advice, but instead received a harsh reprimand. For a moment, he didn’t know how to react.
Elder Liancheng sighed lightly. “For you, Qinghong, having a noble background and a high starting point is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Your cultivation path has been smooth sailing, almost without setbacks in the Danqian Palace. That’s why you’re at a loss now.”
“And what do you think, Jingu?”
Elder Jingu was still a bit displeased. After all, Elder Liancheng was Shen Qinghong’s martial arts teacher—how could he watch his disciple suffer a setback?
As for whether Elder Liancheng’s words made sense, Elder Jingu didn’t care at all. What he cared about was his grandson’s position being challenged.
It was as if his own territory was under threat. Elder Jingu wouldn’t think about lofty principles; his only thought was to defend his turf and never allow anyone the chance to threaten it.
“Brother Liancheng,” he said, “I think that no matter what, Qinghong can’t lose this round. If we let that upstart Jiang Chen get his way, Qinghong’s position in the Supreme Zone will definitely suffer. Besides, with Jiang Chen appearing, both Jun Mobai and Ling Bi’er have started stirring. I’m afraid this could trigger a chain reaction.”
Originally, Jun Mobai and Ling Bi’er had already been eyeing Shen Qinghong’s position hungrily.
Now, with the addition of the even more unreasonable Jiang Chen, Shen Qinghong essentially had to face three ambitious rivals head-on. This was absolutely not good news for him.
Therefore, Elder Jingu didn’t want to encourage this bad trend. He intended to suppress it completely, making an example to deter others.