Chapter 70: Tit for Tat

[A/N: Posting two extra bonus Chapters today since we reached another weekly milestone!]

After Lu Yun called him a "little lover," the crowd of onlookers instantly erupted.

"Little lover? Does Senior Sister Ye really have a sweetheart?"

"Who is it? Say it! The suspense is killing me!"

"Who else could it be? Didn’t someone guess it just now? It’s Senior Brother Chen Chuan."

"Senior Brother Chen Chuan? Aren’t he and Ji Siyu a couple? My god, is it really this messy?"

"No wonder Lu Yun is so furious. Breaking an engagement could be seen as pursuing freedom, but if it’s because she loves someone else, the nature of the situation changes..."

Countless gazes, like searchlights, frantically scanned the crowd before finally focusing in unison on Chen Chuan.

Chen Chuan suddenly felt his scalp tingle, as if thousands of needles were pricking his back.

He could clearly feel the resentment and jealousy radiating from Ji Siyu’s eyes beside him.

Her gaze was so sharp it could carve a piece of flesh right off him.

He groaned inwardly; this was truly an undeserved disaster.

When he originally agreed to accompany Ye Linger to break the engagement, it was purely out of fellow-Disciple camaraderie, with a bit of a mindset to earn some extra side-income.

He just went to play a part in a show; who could have imagined it would evolve into today’s situation?

An embarrassed expression couldn’t help but appear on his face, but he didn’t want to explain much.

Under the gaze of so many people, the more he explained, the more it would only make things look worse.

Lu Yun’s gaze, following the crowd’s guidance, also accurately locked onto Chen Chuan.

His eyes were ice-cold, filled with a sense of scrutiny and disdain, as if he were looking at an insignificant object.

"Chen Chuan." Lu Yun’s voice wasn’t loud, yet it clearly suppressed all the noise. "Come out and face me."

This direct call-out completely confirmed everyone’s suspicions.

"It really is Senior Brother Chen Chuan!"

"I told you! Senior Sister Ye even gave him her first kiss."

"But aren’t Senior Brother Chen Chuan and Senior Sister Ji Siyu Dao Companions? What’s going on between him and Senior Sister Ye Linger?"

"The upper circles are so messy, but I love the drama."

"Fight, fight!"

The sounds of discussion swept through like a tsunami, as various strange looks shuttled back and forth between Chen Chuan, Ye Linger, and Ji Siyu.

Ye Linger collapsed on the ground.

Listening to these discussions, she was both anxious and angry; her injuries were aggravated, causing her to cough up another mouthful of blood, looking completely distraught.

Unlike the ordinary Disciples who were just watching the spectacle, the high-level members of Primordial Holy Land, especially those few Elders...

After confirming that the target of Lu Yun’s challenge was Chen Chuan, they were first stunned, but then an uncontrollable look of pleasant surprise erupted in their eyes.

They exchanged glances, their previous gloom and anger swept away, replaced by a relaxed sense of security and the expectation of finally venting their frustration.

They had received news that in the recent Inner Sect Assessment, Chen Chuan had easily killed that fierce Fifth-Rank Demonic Beast, the Golden Tiger, with a single palm strike.

It was certain that Chen Chuan’s strength was definitely at the Peak of the Ninth Level of the Mountain Sea Realm, and quite possibly even at the Myriad Manifestations Realm level.

After all, this fellow Chen Chuan was far too good at hiding his strength.

The Elders had reasons to guess that he possessed a cultivation in the Myriad Manifestations Realm.

And no matter how strong Lu Yun was, could he really jump from being a piece of trash to surpassing the Peak of the Ninth Level of the Mountain Sea Realm in just one month?

In the hearts of the Primordial Holy Land Elders, it was absolutely impossible.

A white-haired Taichu Elder with a youthful complexion immediately stroked his beard and chuckled, his voice carrying a hint of mockery as it echoed through the field:

"Hehe, young friend Lu Yun, being young and aggressive is a good thing, but one must also know how to assess the situation."

"Do you know who you are challenging?"

"Chen Chuan is the champion of our Primordial Holy Land’s current Outer Sect Grand Competition, and he possesses the Chaos Divine Body."

Another Square-faced Elder immediately chimed in: "Young friend Lu Yun, being young and aggressive isn’t necessarily a good thing. Sometimes you have to recognize your own limits to avoid becoming a laughingstock."

Yet another Elder of the Primordial Holy Land spoke proudly: "There are levels even among Chaos Divine Bodies. The Chaos Divine Body of our Primordial Holy Land is the true Prodigy that can withstand the test."

The Elders spoke one after another, doing their utmost to belittle Lu Yun and elevate Chen Chuan.

They wanted to thoroughly vent the pent-up frustration from being suppressed by Fengyun Holy Land just moments ago.

Because they had absolute confidence in Chen Chuan.

When the people from Fengyun Holy Land heard this, instead of getting angry, they all showed sneering, mocking smiles.

Holy Master Xuan Yun let out a scoff, his voice booming with absolute confidence:

"Brother Jingru, it seems the information of your Primordial Holy Land Elders is not very up-to-date."

"Even among Chaos Divine Bodies, there is a difference as vast as the clouds and the mud."

"My Fengyun Holy Land’s Lu Yun is the one destined by heaven, the one and only orthodox lineage of eternity. How can he be compared to an ordinary Chaos Divine Body?"

The red-faced Fengyun Holy Land Elder’s voice was like thunder as he said proudly:

"A frog at the bottom of a well—how can you know the vastness of the Heavenly River?"

"Your so-called champion is nothing more than clay chickens and pottery dogs before the true eternal Prodigy of my Fengyun Holy Land."

The Thin and Tall Elder on the other side added sinisterly:

"Victory and defeat are not decided by lip service."

"We shall see the true results in the upcoming fight. I hope your sect’s champion doesn’t lose too embarrassingly, lest his Dao Heart be damaged and he becomes a laughingstock."

The Elders of both sides engaged in a fierce verbal sparring match; the smell of gunpowder filled the air, and the atmosphere was several times more intense than when Ye Linger had fought earlier.

On the Primordial Holy Land side, they had a near-blind absolute confidence in Chen Chuan.

While on the Fengyun Holy Land side, they were even more familiar with Lu Yun’s trump cards, remaining as steady as an old dog.

The Elders of both Holy Lands believed their side would surely win and the other side would surely lose face.

Amidst this surging wave of sound and the focus of countless gazes, Chen Chuan knew he could no longer remain silent.

He took a deep breath and stepped out from the crowd with a composed pace, standing opposite Lu Yun.

Their gazes met in the air, as if invisible electric sparks were flying.

Chen Chuan looked at Lu Yun before him, his tone calm with a trace of imperceptible playfulness:

"Lu Yun, you seem very confident that you can defeat me?"

Lu Yun stood with his hands behind his back, his green robes fluttering slightly in the wind, his gaze overbearing and carrying a pride that originated from the depths of his Soul.

His voice was steady and cold, without the typical impatience of a youth.

Instead, he sounded like a deity looking down upon all living beings, stating an established fact:

"It’s not confidence, but a fact."

"I will crush you in front of everyone from the Primordial Holy Land."

"I will make Ye Linger, and all of you, understand that the man she set her sights on is nothing more than another slightly more eye-catching worthless rock."

"Her judgment, from beginning to end, has been so pathetic."

These words vividly displayed his arrogance and his contempt for Ye Linger’s choice.

Chen Chuan, hearing this, didn’t get angry but laughed instead; he shook his head, his tone suddenly turning cold:

"Sharp-tongued. How Senior Sister Ye chooses is not for you to judge."

"Today you injured her, insulted her, and even provoked the dignity of my Primordial Holy Land."

"As her Junior Brother, I suppose I must give you a good lesson on her behalf and on behalf of the Holy Land."

He paused, his gaze sharp as a sword, piercing straight at Lu Yun. "I will personally crush that ridiculous confidence of yours."

A faint curve formed at the corner of Lu Yun’s mouth, a cold, indifferent smile like a god watching the struggles of an ant:

"With just you? I hope your strength is as tough as your mouth."

No more words were exchanged between the two.

An invisible aura of slaughter violently spread out with the two of them as the center, forcing the dust on the Martial Arts Arena back several feet.

All the surrounding clamor came to an abrupt halt at this moment.

Everyone held their breath, staring unblinkingly at the two people confronting each other in the field.

Two Chaos Divine Bodies clashing—who would be the last one standing?

And this storm, triggered by an old grudge over a broken engagement, finally climbed to its ultimate climax.

The collision of two Chaos Divine Bodies, the clash for the honor of two great Holy Lands.

The great battle was about to begin.