Chapter 361: Refusing a Toast, Drinking a Forfeit

Chen Yuan didn’t make a habit of getting into verbal spars. There was no point in winning them; he much preferred to solve problems in a more… physical sense.

But when he did, his words were like poisoned daggers, stabbing straight into Ji Man’s heart. His opponent’s face turned dark and incredibly grim.

And yet, everyone present was secretly cheering him on.

The Ji Family of Celestial Bright City always made a grand entrance in the Jianghu, flaunting their status as descendants of the first Human Race Dynasty. Their disdain for everyone and everything had long since grown tiresome to the people of the Jianghu.

However, the Ji Family did possess some real power. As the head of the Eight Great Noble Families, they had even propped up the Xiao Family of Langya City. With that kind of influence, no one dared to speak too harshly against them, even if they couldn’t stand their attitude.

But Chen Yuan’s words today had struck a chord with them all.

In truth, Chen Yuan wasn’t just launching personal attacks. The Ji Family was nothing more than a fallen house clinging to the glory of its ancestors.

They certainly had a foundation, but it wasn’t nearly as strong as many in the Jianghu imagined.

The reason was just as Chen Yuan had said: over the long years, even the Murong Family had once conquered nearly half the world and established a dynasty, yet the Ji Family had never once managed to relive their ancestors’ glory.

Even now, with the Great Xia Dynasty on the verge of collapse and ten of the Nineteen Provinces already out of its control, the Ji Family still didn’t dare to try and reclaim the world. This was enough to show they lacked confidence.

They could act like a Great Noble Family, but when it came to contending for the throne, they had neither the strength nor the courage.

Ji Man’s eyes filled with fury. A brilliant divine light erupted around him, his power surging.

It had been a long time since anyone had provoked him like this.

As the successor of Celestial Bright City’s Ji Family, even Martial Arts Grandmasters and existences at the Eighth Realm Divine Platform had to treat him with respect.

In the entire Jianghu, only the people from the Northwest Two Cities gave him pause.

‘Since when does some country bumpkin with no background dare to challenge the dignity of my Celestial Bright City’s Ji Family?’

Just then, Qingchen suddenly spoke up. “To be honest, I’m not dead set on getting anything from this Longevity Hall. I’m just here to take a look around. However, I’m not interested in compensation from your Celestial Bright City’s Ji Family, and I don’t particularly want a favor from Brother Zhong Li either. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t like owing others, but I also don’t like others owing me. I expended a great deal of effort to open this Longevity Hall. My Yellow Court Temple’s Taiyi Sealing Array is still on it. If I were to leave now, it would be a disservice to my Yellow Court Temple’s Grand Array. I have no intention of fighting any of you for anything, but I absolutely must enter this Longevity Hall and have a look.”

“Shameless!”

Ji Man snorted, his patience completely gone.

‘One country bumpkin who doesn’t know his place, and a shameless Daoist… do they really think they’re someone important?’

‘Trying to negotiate with them nicely didn’t work. In the end, it still comes down to fighting.’

‘It seems my Celestial Bright City’s Ji Family has been away from the Jianghu for too long… so long that these Jianghu People have forgotten our renown!’

Zhong Li looked at Qingchen and shook his head. “Qingchen, I told you that you cannot win against me. For the sake of us both being from the Daoist Sect, stand down.”

Qingchen smiled. “Everyone says that you, Zhong Li, are the leader of the Daoist Sect’s younger generation, that you fought your way through the Western Border and the Southern Barbarians, unmatched by any. I never thought of competing with you for anything before. So what if you’re first on the Hidden Dragon Rankings? Forget a thousand or a hundred years from now; in a few decades, no one will even remember. But just because I didn’t want to compete with you doesn’t mean I don’t dare to. And if I had wanted to compete, the title of the Daoist Sect’s leader would have been decided three years ago, without any suspense.”

“Arrogant!”

Zhong Li growled, and an aura of Golden Spear Killing Qi surged around him.

An immensely powerful Qi Blood shot toward the heavens. His physique was so formidable it seemed impossible to have been cultivated at his Realm.

The Daoist Sect was all about saving face. He had previously offered Qingchen a way out, saying he’d owe him a favor, but in reality, he didn’t feel he owed the man anything. It was just an honorable exit for Qingchen.

But since Qingchen had refused this offer, he couldn’t be blamed for being ruthless.

‘There have been whispers in the Jianghu that I’m the leader of the Daoist Sect’s younger generation, but some also say that Qingchen’s true strength is unknown.’

‘Perfect. Today, inside this Heaven-Reaching Tower, I will settle the matter of who is the true leader of the Daoist Sect’s younger generation!’

A deafening BOOM echoed as Zhong Li’s figure shot forward like a falling meteor, heading straight for Qingchen!

Seeing Zhong Li make his move, Ji Man also lost all patience.

“If you don’t want to leave, then you can all stay here forever! Attack!”

With a wave of Ji Man’s hand, Xiao Jing of Langya City’s Xiao Family immediately led his men to charge the other Martial Artists.

Chen Yuan looked at the people behind him and asked, “Do you all dare to make an enemy of Celestial Bright City’s Ji Family?”

Gu Lichuan laughed. “What the hell is there to be afraid of!”

Luo Lie sneered contemptuously. “My Sun-Swapping Alliance dares to fight the current Emperor, let alone one from thousands of years ago.”

Lu Chuanshan snorted. “They called us from the Seven Alliances of the World country bumpkins. If we actually leave, wouldn’t we just become cowardly country bumpkins?”

Yue Ling’Er added from the side, “Exactly!”

A cold look appeared on Cui Xuanye’s face as well. “They treat my Cui Family like some third-rate power, looking at us as if we’re no different from the Xiao Family. Once a vassal, always a vassal for generations? My Cui Family has read the stars for every dynasty, but no dynasty has ever truly treated us as retainers!”

For generations, the Cui Family of Celestial Official City had served as the Astronomical Bureau. Although they nominally read the stars for the Dynasty, they actually observed celestial phenomena to predict natural disasters and calamities, allowing them to warn the ruling Dynasty in time.

Thus, the Cui Family had a rather good reputation in the Jianghu. The astrological warnings from each generation of the Cui Family had prevented many great disasters, saving countless lives.

And so it was with every dynasty; each generation placed great importance on the Cui Family. Their relationship was, in fact, one of cooperation.

Only the Ji Family of Celestial Bright City had always believed that since the Cui Family once served as their Astronomical Bureau, they, like the Xiao Family, were vassals of the Ji Family. They would still occasionally put on airs of imperial nobility in front of the Cui Family, which had long caused resentment within the family.

But the Ji Family of Celestial Bright City was powerful, after all, and the Cui Family didn’t want to offend such an enemy, so they had endured it in the past.

But here in the Heaven-Reaching Tower, it was a battle among the younger generation. Cui Xuanye had no intention of enduring it any longer.

“Since no one is afraid, let’s fight!”

Chen Yuan’s figure blurred into motion, shooting straight for Ji Man.

“If you’re so eager to die, I’ll grant your wish!”

Ji Man snorted coldly and thrust his Long Sword forward. A phoenix’s cry echoed through the heavens as a phantom Phoenix materialized behind him.

His Sword Qi was like countless Phoenix Feathers scattering across the sky—magnificent, vast, and limitlessly powerful.

The Cultivation Techniques inherited by the Ji Family of Celestial Bright City were the Phoenix Dance in Nine Heavens Atlas and the Celestial Phoenix Profound Origin Scripture.

Later Royal Families all took the True Dragon as their totem, but the original Ji Dynasty had used the Phoenix.

In this context, the *feng* was the male, and the Phoenix Dance in Nine Heavens Atlas cultivated the scorching Power of Haoyang. The *huang* was the female, and the Celestial Phoenix Profound Origin Scripture cultivated the power of the profound yin and radiant moon.

The core of these two Cultivation Techniques was the harmony of the Phoenix, the balance of Yin and Yang, and the convergence of sun and moon. They cultivated the core Great Dao of the origin.

Therefore, as the number one expert of Celestial Bright City’s Ji Family’s younger generation, Ji Man’s foundation of power, if nothing else, could be described as incomparably deep and terrifying.

Once that Phoenix Feather Sword Qi spread out, its might was even more formidable than Chen Yuan’s Heaven-Burning Destruction Sword Qi.

Chen Yuan didn’t want to waste time with Ji Man. He wanted to test whether this “imperial noble” truly had substance or was just pure, arrogant bluster.

In an instant, Chen Yuan’s Qi Blood boiled and burned. Nether Blood Fiend Power erupted as life and death cycled within him. His body’s Vitality transformed into the ultimate intent of death, becoming a jet-black Saber Aura that clung to the Blood Sea Listening Tide.

As Chen Yuan’s saber fell, a shrill shriek instantly tore through the air, terrifyingly like the wail of a demon from Hell.

Wherever this strike passed, there were nine deaths and no life, severing all Vitality!

Nine Deaths Nether Slash!

After refining the Endless Divine Tree, the Vitality inside Chen Yuan’s body had accumulated to a terrifying degree. If his flesh were injured now, it would basically heal in an instant.

Therefore, he could now use a technique like the Nine Deaths Nether Slash, which consumed immense Vitality, with abandon, without even worrying about damaging his own life force afterward.

An overwhelming intent of death swept through the sky. As the decisive Saber Momentum fell, the Phoenix Feathers dissipated and the Sword Qi was torn apart.

Ji Man’s expression changed slightly. He looked at Chen Yuan as if he were a madman.

To the outside world, Ji Man was arrogant, overbearing, and acted superior wherever he went, always carrying himself with the airs of an imperial noble, a descendant of the first Human Race Dynasty.

But Ji Man hadn’t reached fifth on the Hidden Dragon Rankings just by relying on Celestial Bright City’s name.

He had a photographic memory since childhood and had read tens of thousands of Cultivation Techniques. When facing any Martial Artist, he could find their weakness in a moment and then defeat them with the greatest possible speed.

With his sharp eye, he could naturally tell that although Chen Yuan’s strike was incomparably powerful, it was an ultimate power born from burning his Qi Blood and Vitality and reversing the Power of Life and Death.

‘We’ve only just turned on each other, and it’s only for the treasures in the Longevity Hall. Do you really have to go all-out from the start, sacrificing your Vitality Power like your life depends on it?’

‘Anyone who didn’t know better would think we had a blood feud from him killing my father or stealing my wife.’

Even when Ji Man faced enemies who had a true blood feud with Celestial Bright City, they didn’t fight as desperately as Chen Yuan.

Ji Man abruptly retracted his sword. At the same time, he formed a Seal Technique, and the Fiery Sun Power around him coalesced into a Fire Phoenix behind him.

The Seal Technique was completed. In that instant, a Fire Phoenix Burning Heaven erupted. Ji Man directly used the scorching, masculine power to clash head-on with the ultimate Netherworld Death Qi of the Nine Deaths Nether Slash.

In mid-air, on one side was the Demon Saber, brimming with the ultimate intent of death; on the other, a Fire Phoenix soared through the air.

The power of these two had completely surpassed the limits of a Condensing Truth Realm Martial Artist. If a Primordial Pill Realm Early Stage Martial Arts Grandmaster like Wen Cangyuan were here, he would likely be torn to shreds by this force in an instant!