Chapter 1136 - 1135: Challenge

"Me?"

Ye Qingchen sat there, a look of disbelief on his face, as if he couldn't believe it.

And not just him.

Ye Qing, Yu Luoxuan, Han Yue Ran, Wen Sixian, as well as the disciples of the Divine Palace present—none of them had ever imagined that someone would actually challenge Ye Qingchen?

"Yes, you. Don't tell me you're scared?"

The young man said arrogantly.

Ye Qingchen shook his head helplessly and looked over at Yu Luoxuan. However, before Yu Luoxuan could speak, Zhou Wu spoke up in a bland tone:

"Elder Yu, it's just a spar between disciples. Everyone will show restraint. Since the challenge has already been issued—since we're cultivators, bearing weapons and hot blood in our chests—we shouldn't be refusing a challenge, should we?"

Earlier during the Dao discussion, Yu Luoxuan had gotten the upper hand, which had left Zhou Wu a bit embarrassed. So now, not only did he not stop this, he instead fanned the flames.

"That's right, kid over there, don't tell me you're scared?"

"Get up here and fight a bout!"

"Let us test your cultivation!"

For a moment, the Zhou Clan side all started jeering.

They saw Ye Qingchen looking somewhat unwilling, assumed he didn't dare, and started mocking him.

Ye Qingchen could only look at Yu Luoxuan again, helpless.

Seeing that the situation seemed to have gotten out of control, she had no choice but to step out to smooth things over, a troubled look on her face as she said, "Elder Wu, Ye Qingchen is not a member of our Divine Palace, and his strength… is frankly too high. This clansman might not be his match. Please have him change opponents."

Originally it was just a word of advice, perfectly normal in the ears of the Divine Palace crowd.

But in Zhou Wu's ears, it sounded like blatant mockery. He gave a cold snort and said:

"Not his match? Zhou Ye is the strongest of our Zhou Clan's young generation. How could he not be a match for this junior? Are you exaggerating him too much, or are you looking down on our Zhou Race?"

"Hmph!"

And at that moment.

The man called Zhou Ye also had a face full of disdain.

He stomped his foot, and a vast surge of Qi Force suddenly erupted. The entire great hall shook violently, waves of energy sweeping out madly, directly flinging a number of low-realm cultivators away.

"Earth Immortal Fourth Layer?"

Yu Luoxuan's brows furrowed slightly.

Although the Ice and Snow Divine Palace and the Zhou Family Sacred Land were partners, they naturally competed behind the scenes. To reach Earth Immortal at this age was impressive talent; every further step was a contest of massive resources and backing.

On that front, as a sect, the Divine Palace naturally couldn't compare with a Holy Land Race with far stronger cohesion.

At the very least, the Divine Palace did not yet have anyone who'd stepped into the Earth Immortal Fourth Layer!

"That's right!" Zhou Wu laughed heartily, clearly very satisfied with Yu Luoxuan's expression. He chuckled and said, "Elder Yu, I wonder if this realm of cultivation is enough to fight him?"

Zhou Ye's face was also full of pride.

He was the strongest of his era, enjoying all manner of resources. Aside from a few Major Races of the Holy Land, he was confident he was unrivaled under heaven. He had never been afraid of anyone!

"He only broke through three months ago, and Zhou Ye's strength already looks fully stabilized at the Earth Immortal Fourth Layer!"

A middle-aged man nodded.

"Of course. At most a hundred years from now, our Zhou Family will have another Celestial Immortal!" Among the Zhou Race, a gaunt elder nodded in satisfaction, his eyes full of pride.

Outside the Holy Lands.

The backbone of battle power was Earth Immortal, and the number of Earth Immortals a sect or clan possessed became the standard for judging strength. But between Holy Lands, what they compared was the number of Celestial Immortals.

Earth Immortal is easy to enter, Celestial Immortal hard to step into.

Adding even one Celestial Immortal would raise the power of a Holy Land Race by a notch.

And now, such a "seed" of a Celestial Immortal was being looked down on. How were they supposed to swallow that?

After speaking, everyone turned to look at Yu Luoxuan and Ye Qingchen with mocking smiles. They thought the two would panic, or make all kinds of excuses, or grit their teeth and go up anyway.

But to their surprise, Yu Luoxuan instead showed a strange expression. After a moment, she still shook her head and said:

"Earth Immortal Fourth Layer is still not enough."

As her words fell, the Zhou Race erupted in an uproar.

"Still not enough?"

Zhou Ye's eyes went wide.

"Seriously?"

Even the previously proud, sure-of-victory gaunt elder, as well as Zhou Wu, couldn't help but frown, their faces full of disbelief. In their eyes, Zhou Ye's cultivation was already the pinnacle of the young generation—how could there be someone even stronger than him?

Someone blurted out:

"If even Big Brother Zhou Ye isn't enough, then who on earth could be his opponent?"

Ye Qingchen swept a glance over Zhou Wu and the few Celestial Immortals at the head of the Zhou Race, and said calmly, "At the very least, the few of you should go up together."

"What?"

As his words fell, the hall fell into dead silence.

Yu Luoxuan's heart trembled.

She had personally seen Ye Qingchen cut down the Profound Nether Python with his sword and knew his strength clearly. Even if Ye Qingchen was only at Celestial Immortal Second Layer right now, he wouldn't fall behind against a powerhouse of the Celestial Immortal Fifth Layer.

But the Zhou clansmen hadn't witnessed that scene, so they simply didn't believe it.

"What did you say?" The gaunt elder immediately reacted like an enraged lion, taking a step forward, flames of fury blazing in his eyes. "Where did this brat come from, with such a sharp tongue? You don't know how high the heavens are or how deep the earth!"

"Do you even realize that the five of us are all Celestial Immortals?" Another Celestial Immortal of the Zhou Clan said coldly. "Any one of us could annihilate your entire sect. Where did you get the gall to talk like that?"

The Zhou clansmen present burst into laughter, doubled over.

"Oh my, I'm dying of laughter! Did I hear that right? This brat wants to fight five at once? And he wants to solo five Celestial Immortals!"

"Some wild brat from who-knows-where—does he even know what a Celestial Immortal means?"

"Hmph!"

Zhou Ye gave a cold snort, thinking he had seen through Ye Qingchen, and said, "This brat knows he isn't my match, and he also knows the Elders are Celestial Immortals and wouldn't bully the young, so he says this on purpose."

And Zhou Wu felt all the more slighted. He stared coldly at Yu Luoxuan and snapped:

"Is this the kind of disciple your Ice and Snow Divine Palace teaches?"

Hearing this, Yu Luoxuan couldn't help but let out a long sigh and said, "Strictly speaking, Ye Qingchen is not a disciple of our sect. He's only here as a guest. And I believe he's telling the truth."

The truth?

Hearing that, Zhou Wu's face twisted with even greater anger.

And it wasn't just him. Everyone present was furious.

They were a dignified Holy Land Clan, Celestial Immortal Elders, and they were being looked down on like this. An unknown junior dared talk about soloing five of their Celestial Immortals—it was simply laughable!

"Fine!"

Zhou Wu had already been seething inside, and Ye Qingchen's words had stabbed straight into his heart, filling him with hatred, his fury surging!

Zhou Wu nodded heavily, staring coldly at Ye Qingchen:

"Since that's how it is, let me experience your methods myself!"