“Lü Jie!!!”
Upon seeing this figure, whether the younger generation or the elders, everyone’s gazes shifted.
For this was none other than Lü Jie, the most favoured disciple of the Enlightenment Holy Venerable.
No one knew when Lü Jie had arrived here, but they guessed he must have been present for some time, otherwise he would not have appeared so promptly.
As for why no one had noticed him, it was because he possessed a concealing treasure, one bestowed upon him by the Enlightenment Holy Venerable.
With that treasure in his possession, Lü Jie would remain undetected by even the great figures present unless he revealed himself.
Seeing Lü Jie make his appearance, the previously dejected Yue Yang and Chen Guang felt a flicker of joy rise in their hearts.
They naturally harboured hatred after being defeated by Chu Feng, yet they lacked the strength for revenge.
But Lü Jie could. As the strongest junior realm spiritist in the current Holy Light Heavenly River, Lü Jie had already comprehended the second level of Dragon Transformation. He surely possessed the power to defeat that Chu Feng.
“Who was it that defeated you?”
Though Lü Jie had revealed himself, he did not draw too near. Instead, he stood in place and asked Chen Guang and Yue Yang.
His expression was calm, his words even, yet people could hear that Lü Jie too was quite curious about the one who had bested Yue Yang and Chen Guang.
“His name is Chu Feng.”
Yue Yang replied.
“Chu Feng?”
Lü Jie pondered for a moment, but in his mind, he could find no trace of this person’s background.
Though his senior sister, the Insight Heavenly Master, had once fallen to Chu Feng’s hand.
Lü Jie was unaware of this matter, so this was the first time he had heard the name.
“Who is this Chu Feng’s master?”
“And from which power does he hail?”
Lü Jie asked in succession.
“This… we are not entirely certain.”
Yue Yang said.
But just as Yue Yang’s words fell, Chen Guang spoke up as well.
“Brother Lü Jie, that Chu Feng is exceedingly arrogant, paying no regard to our generation at all.”
“Otherwise, I would not have challenged him alongside Brother Yue Yang.”
“It is just a pity that we were no match for him, bringing shame upon our generation.”
“I beseech Brother Lü Jie to stand up for us and give that Chu Feng a proper lesson.”
Compared to Yue Yang’s simple response, Chen Guang’s words were laced with incitement.
“Why should I stand up for you?”
Yet to everyone’s surprise, upon hearing Chen Guang’s words, Lü Jie’s reply was utterly heartless.
This left Chen Guang’s face ashen. He felt humiliated, his dignity utterly lost.
Yet he could not say he was entirely surprised, for Lü Jie had always been this way.
Chen Guang claimed Chu Feng was arrogant, but that was his fabrication. Chu Feng had never displayed such disdain for others.
But compared to Chu Feng, this Lü Jie was truly arrogant.
One could say that, aside from his master the Enlightenment Holy Venerable, he regarded no other practitioner of realm spirit techniques as worthy.
Even the powerhouses of the elder generation received no respect from him, nor did his own senior brothers and sisters often earn a kind look.
Lü Jie was precisely such a self-assured man.
A man self-assured to the extreme, an unapproachable soul.
“Lü Jie, my disciple meant well in his reminder. Must you speak so harshly?”
At this moment, Chen Guang’s master spoke up.
After all, Chen Guang was his disciple. He could not tolerate his own disciple being treated thus.
Even if Lü Jie was a disciple of the Enlightenment Holy Venerable, it would not do.
“Hmph.”
However, in response to Chen Guang’s master’s words, Lü Jie merely snorted lightly. He did not even deign to reply. Instead, he turned to leave.
This made Chen Guang’s master’s face grow unsightly as well.
Lü Jie’s attitude clearly placed no value upon him either.
Yet by seniority, he was plainly the elder.
No matter how exceptional Lü Jie’s talent, he should not treat him so, especially since his current strength was far from a match for Lü Jie.
“Lü Jie, you would not happen to be unwilling to enter, would you?”
At that moment, another elder’s voice rang out.
This time, it was Yue Yang’s master who spoke.
“What is there to fear?”
Hearing this, Lü Jie halted and turned back.
“You have entered Ruyi Ancient Fortress multiple times before, yet never discovered that hidden gate. But this Chu Feng did, and passed through it successfully.”
“This shows that the boy’s strength surpasses yours.”
Yue Yang’s master said.
“A goad, is it?”
“Your disciple is useless, and so too is your master.”
Lü Jie smiled faintly. He was not angered; rather, his smile carried a mocking edge.
It turned out he had seen through it long ago: Chen Guang sought to use him for revenge.
“Lü Jie, is this how you address your elders?”
“Did your master teach you to behave thus?”
The two masters of Chen Guang and Yue Yang asked, greatly displeased.
After all, Lü Jie had publicly humiliated them. People of their stature could not simply let it pass without response.
“How my master taught me is no concern of yours.”
“But it will not be long before my master arrives here. If you have questions, why not ask the venerable one yourself?”
“Only, do you dare?”
Lü Jie asked, his eyes narrowed.
“You…”
The masters of Chen Guang and Yue Yang frowned, their hearts seething with irritation.
Yet for the moment, they could say nothing.
For Lü Jie was right. In the face of the Enlightenment Holy Venerable, they truly dared not speak too much.
He was one they could not afford to offend.
This was also why Lü Jie, though merely a junior, could be so brazen.
Lü Jie’s talent was beyond doubt, but what people truly feared was still his master, the Enlightenment Holy Venerable.
“Brother Lü Jie, I truly meant well in my reminder.”
“If you do not enter, then the name upon that banner may no longer be yours. It will change hands.”
“That Chu Feng will surely challenge the talent ladder.”
Chen Guang spoke once more.
“Oh?”
“If he truly possesses such strength, then let him have it.”
“I, Lü Jie, care not for such things.”
Lü Jie said indifferently.
“…”
Hearing Lü Jie say this, both Yue Yang and Chen Guang were left speechless.
Yet they could not quite understand why Lü Jie would not challenge Chu Feng. Could it be that he truly feared him?
But that should not be. Lü Jie did not seem the sort to yield easily to fear.
On the contrary, Lü Jie was a man who relished competition.
“Look! The name on that banner has vanished!!!”
Suddenly, someone in the distance pointed at the banner atop Ruyi Ancient Fortress and shouted loudly.
The next moment, all eyes turned towards it.
Upon looking, they saw that the first banner among the three, the one that had previously borne the two characters for Lü Jie, had indeed changed.
The banner itself remained unaltered; it was merely that the two characters for Lü Jie had disappeared.
Seeing his name vanish from the banner, Lü Jie’s expression shifted too. He was no longer as impassive as before.
Though he claimed indifference to such matters, the tension in his gaze betrayed how deeply he truly cared.
“Who would have thought this Chu Feng… so swiftly conquered the talent ladder!!!”
Chen Guang and Yue Yang’s expressions grew complicated.
Though they had known Chu Feng would challenge the talent ladder.
They had not expected him to begin so soon, and from the looks of it, he had likely succeeded.
In terms of talent, Chu Feng was destined to surpass Lü Jie.
“What an impressive junior.”
“This Chu Feng, whose disciple is he, exactly?”
“Does anyone here know?”
In that instant, the heavens and earth grew abuzz. Everyone sought news of Chu Feng.
Yet among these great figures, none knew the origins of this young man named Chu Feng.
But the more mysterious he seemed, the greater the curiosity he aroused.
Seeing this scene, Grandmaster Tang Chen, concealed within the void, could not stop grinning.
He had long known Chu Feng would astonish everyone today.
Yet he had not anticipated it would come so quickly.
“That is?”
But soon, Grandmaster Tang Chen’s face stiffened.
For that banner underwent another change, two characters faintly emerging upon it.
It was a name, but not Chu Feng’s.
It was Yu Ting!!!
