Chapter 440 - 229: Jianzhen Lake, The Party Crasher

Chapter 440: Chapter 229: Jianzhen Lake, The Party Crasher

"Yesterday was a special case, approved by the hosts upstairs. If you have a specific reason, Daoist, you can take it up with them as well... Who are you, and where do you come from?"

He spoke for a moment, but sensing the Daoist’s extraordinary aura, he managed to ask with some patience.

"I am Zhang Junyi, from the Xuanzhen Sect."

Zhang Junyi made a Daoist salute and sighed.

"Didn’t you send our sect an invitation? I hadn’t planned on participating, but since I’m here anyway..."

Zhang Junyi? Zhang Junyi from the Xuanzhen Sect?

It wasn’t just the referee; everyone, both on and off the stage, froze for a moment. The name sounded somewhat familiar.

They didn’t recall hearing about such a famous disciple from the Xuanzhen Sect. So where had they heard the name...?

"You... aren’t you the one who, a while ago in Jinling, with... uh."

A spectator nearby had a flash of insight, remembering who Zhang Junyi was, and cried out into the silence.

He stopped halfway, finally realizing what he was saying, and clapped a hand over his mouth. But it was too late.

With that reminder, countless people by the stage suddenly remembered who Zhang Junyi was.

This was the Closed-door Disciple of the Xuanzhen Sect’s Sect Leader, Master Yuxu, the second-greatest Grandmaster in the world!

But he was even more famous not for his background, but for what happened a short while ago: he had joined forces with Huie Jue of Prajna Temple and that Xie Yuan to defeat the Yao family’s own Grandmaster, Yao Yilong!

To think they were seeing the man himself today.

And... he wanted to participate in the Junior Dragon Tournament, hosted by the Yao family?

At once, many faces in the crowd lit up with expressions of excitement and bewilderment. All eyes turned to the referee on the stage.

The referee’s face fell instantly. ’Why is it this guy?’

He glanced helplessly up at Wangjiang Building, then turned back and said slowly:

"So it’s Daoist Zhang of the Xuanzhen Sect. I’ve heard so much... about you."

The words of admiration were clearly forced, but he couldn’t possibly offend an heir of the Xuanzhen Sect. He could only wait for instructions from the floors above.

On the fifth floor, Patriarch Yao remained expressionless. He looked at Yao Qinglai, who stood by his side quietly awaiting his orders, and said faintly:

"With a high disciple of the Xuanzhen Sect gracing us with his presence, won’t our Junior Dragon Tournament be even more brilliant? If he wants to compete, welcome him to the stage."

Yao Qinglai hesitated.

"Patriarch, but he’s the one who..."

"At a time like this, can we possibly refuse? What would the Xuanzhen Sect think? What would the rest of the world think? They’d just say we’re petty and that we’re scared!"

Patriarch Yao’s voice resounded, thick with suppressed rage:

"Use your head! We opened our doors and organized this grand event. Never mind Zhang Junyi—even if that Xie Yuan showed up, we would let him compete! Hmph. I just figured he wouldn’t dare come without his backing. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be leaving here in one piece!"

The referee on the stage quickly received the Patriarch’s message. After the messenger disciple departed, he looked at Zhang Junyi with a complicated expression.

"Daoist Zhang, please come onto the stage to draw lots."

When the audience saw that the Yao family had agreed to let Zhang Junyi participate in the Junior Dragon Tournament, they immediately broke into an uproar.

"They’re really letting him up there? The Yao family is something else!"

"Now that’s the spirit of a Major Sect. Worthy of their status as a great family of Jinling."

"A major family gets its Grandmaster beaten and doesn’t dare make a peep, and now they’re just letting anyone who asks get on stage to fight? It’s clear they’re just scared of the Xuanzhen Sect. In the old days, the Yao family would never have let some mere junior walk all over them."

The crowd’s comments were mixed, with opinions flying every which way. Zhang Junyi’s appearance had put the Yao family in an impossible position. Whether they drove him away or welcomed him, both options were fraught with difficulty.

The root of the issue was that one of their Grandmasters had been defeated by someone in the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm. No matter how you spun it, it was a humiliating loss.

Zhang Junyi looked bright-eyed and innocent, but whether he had spoken up deliberately or just on a whim, no one could say.

He grinned, then leaped onto the high stage. Only then did he focus his mind entirely on the competition.

The young Daoist made a salute and announced in a clear, resonant voice:

"There’s no need to waste time drawing lots. I will stand right here and would like to spar with all of my fellow martial artists one by one. It will be much faster that way."

What?

At his words, the audience erupted, and the other Martial Artists on the stage stared at one another, their expressions turning sour.

’Isn’t that a little too arrogant?’

The spectators, of course, looked thrilled. They were here for a show, and the bigger the drama, the better.

The Martial Artists on stage, however, felt differently.

This heir of the Xuanzhen Sect was unbelievably arrogant, showing them absolutely no respect.

They had all felt a natural caution upon hearing the name of the Xuanzhen Sect. But as Martial Artists, when an opponent looked down on them so blatantly, they didn’t care if he was from the Xuanzhen Sect or Prajna Temple.

Ning Zi was the first to scowl. "Hmph," she spat.

"You talk a big game, little Daoist. Don’t come crying to your big sister when I’m through with you!"

Miss Wang, who had a gentle and refined air, also pursed her red lips.

"Brother Zhang is so confident. I find I must request a lesson or two myself."

The other contestants were all cracking their knuckles, eager to teach a lesson to this arrogant Zhang Junyi who didn’t know his own limits.

Seeing their reactions, Zhang Junyi broke into a bright smile.

"I have no intention of underestimating any of you. It’s just that... well, you’ve all heard about my most recent victory..."

At his words, the contestants on stage were taken aback. Their expressions turned strange as they struggled to suppress their laughter. The tense, combative atmosphere instantly dissipated.

Meanwhile, ripples of laughter spread through the crowd below. Although many were afraid to offend the Yao family, there were always a few bold enough to chuckle in a situation like this, causing the faces of the nearby Yao family members to darken.

Zhang Junyi bowed to the crowd in all directions.

"I dare not claim victory, but seeing that all of your skills are so remarkable, I couldn’t help but feel my hands itch for a fight. I wish to experience each of your techniques and broaden my horizons. If I am forced from this stage, it will simply mean my own training is insufficient and that I was no match for a true expert. So please, I ask you all, do not hold back in your instruction!"