Wang Chen strode into the hall with an air of confidence. He made his way to the center of the room, where a stone platform stood, and turned to face Yue Mingluan.
"I know where they are," he announced.
Yue Mingluan's brow furrowed. "What are you doing here?"
Wang Chen flashed a sly smile. "I may have gotten a little lost," he admitted. "But would you believe me if I said it was fate that brought me here?"
Yue Mingluan furrowed his brow in suspicion as he scrutinized the orb. The red dot hadn't budged in quite some time, indicating that the enemy had received reinforcements from the opposing faction and were likely preparing to launch a counterattack. However, his confusion only deepened when Wang Chen, a member of the enemy faction with only Enlightenment Realm cultivation, appeared before him.
"Why are you here?" Yue Mingluan questioned with suspicion.
Wang Chen grinned, "Why can't I be here? Are you saying I'm not welcome?"
Yue Mingluan's face twisted into a sneer, "I don't care why you're here, I just needed someone to take my anger out on, and you arrived just in time."
Wang Chen arched an eyebrow and asked, "Aren't you curious about the whereabouts of your missing comrades?"
Hearing this, Yue Mingluan recalled his previous inquiries to Zhu, Mu Lan, and Xoung He about their missing comrades. Wang Chen's statement seemed to suggest that the enemy had killed them.
However, Yue Mingluan couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the situation than what met the eye. If their comrades were truly dead, why had Zhu, Mu Lan, and Xoung He managed to survive? And why were they remaining silent? Doubt bubbled up in Yue Mingluan's heart, and he knew that something was amiss.
Yue Mingluan snorted disdainfully as he cast a fleeting glance towards the trio of Zhu and his two companions. "I will deal with you later," he said in a cold, ominous tone.
His gaze then shifted towards Wang Chen, and the mere sight of him ignited a seething rage within Yue Mingluan. It was because of him that Yue Mingluan had been stripped of his manhood and forced to become a eunuch.
The thought of it stirred a fiery anger within him, and he vowed to exact revenge on Wang Chen at any cost. Now that he had finally come face to face with his enemy, Yue Mingluan was not about to let this chance slip away.
Yue Mingluan made a bold proclamation, his voice ringing out with authority. "Anyone who can best this scoundrel and bring him before me will be rewarded with 10,000 low-grade spirit stones!" His words were met with murmurs of excitement and anticipation from those gathered around him.
Though Yue Mingluan yearned to defeat Wang Chen with his own strength, he knew all too well that his enemy was a formidable opponent. To reveal his true abilities would be to reveal his hand, and so he held back.
As Yue Mingluan's words echoed throughout the crowd, a raucous uproar ensued. The promise of 10,000 low-grade spirit stones was no small sum, especially for those who lived on the margins of society.
As they sized up Wang Chen's cultivation, a smug grin spread across their faces. "Hmph, only at the 7th stage of Enlightenment Realm? He's practically begging to be beaten!" they sneered, taunting him with their arrogance.
As the crowd of cultivators continued their taunts, Wang Chen remained calm and collected. With a small smile, he took out a storage bag and revealed its contents: a vast amount of spirit stones that glittered in the sunlight.
As the crowd gasped in surprise at the sheer quantity of stones, Wang Chen placed them on the stone platform, causing the atmosphere to become even more tense.
With a steady gaze, Wang Chen pointed directly at Yue Mingluan and spoke in a clear, unwavering voice. "If anyone can defeat Yue Mingluan and bring me his head, I will reward them with these 50,000 spirit stones."
As soon as Wang Chen made his announcement, the disciples were taken aback. The amount of spirit stones he offered was incredibly high, especially for an Enlightenment Realm cultivator. It was like a treasure trove waiting to be claimed, and every disciple's eyes were filled with greed.
But as they looked at Yue Mingluan, their gaze shifted from one of greed to one of entitlement. It was as if they were saying, 'Come on, Young Master Mingluan, you have to give us our fair share of these spirit stones. Don't hog them all to yourself.'
They paid no heed to Wang Chen's words and didn't even consider the possibility of taking on the challenge themselves.
Yue Mingluan sneered, "Hehehe, is your brain in the right place, Wang Chen? These are my faction members, they won't betray me no matter what happens, especially for an Enlightenment Realm like you with no special status. It will be impossible for you to defeat them. But whoever beats you the most will get the largest share of those spirit stones."
Upon hearing Yue Mingluan's words, his faction members started trash-talking, "How dare you speak of betraying our faction and attacking Young Master Mingluan? We will punish you for your insolence!"
Another one added, "You might as well just hand over those spirit stones to us now, before you embarrass yourself any further. You have no chance of winning against Young Master Mingluan and his loyal followers."
"As expected of Young Master Mingluan, always relying on others to do his dirty work," Wang Chen spoke with a mocking smile. "It's understandable, considering how weak you are."
Yue Mingluan's face turned red with anger, "How dare you speak to me like that! I will make you regret those words!"
Wang Chen let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head in disappointment. "It's a shame, really. I would have gladly given you guys the spirit stones if you had just agreed to my terms. But it seems I'll have to put them to better use elsewhere."
[A/N: If you have any questions or inquiries regarding the story and plot, feel free to contact me through Discord.
I'd:- YAMRAAJ_021#2807 ]
