Silence!
The entire place fell into a long, suffocating silence.
Everyone looked at each other in disbelief, no one expecting Chen Xuan to suddenly prove his innocence in such a decisive way.
Many male disciples wanted to speak up for Liu Ruyan, to refute Chen Xuan.
But!
They couldn’t.
Because Chen Xuan’s counterattack was flawless, an absolute strike!
Most importantly, prestigious sects like theirs valued face above all and tolerated no blemishes.
What Liu Ruyan did was a disgrace to the sect’s principles. Even if she were just an outer sect disciple, no one would dare to marry her now. She would surely be expelled from the sect… otherwise, it would be an insult to the name of the Grand Righteous Sword Sect!
“Even if I wronged you, Chen Xuan, do you mean to say you have no fault at all?” Liu Ruyan gritted her teeth, still trying to argue shamelessly.
“I do have a fault! My greatest fault was failing to see through your venomous, shameless heart!” Chen Xuan responded coldly.
“Despicable!”
Liu Ruyan, flushed with shame and rage, summoned a colorful silk ribbon treasure, stepping on it as she flew away into the sky.
Chen Xuan stood proudly, feeling an unparalleled sense of relief!
A woman like her deserved nothing less!
Today, she would certainly be expelled from the Grand Righteous Sword Sect, and her name as a venomous woman would spread far and wide.
At this moment, Ji Yaoyue softly spoke, “Disciple, regarding the matter of the virginity mark, I wrongly accused you. Now… you should announce the promise you made yesterday…”
Her eyes were filled with gentle anticipation.
But Chen Xuan sneered coldly.
He replied decisively, “Master, I’ve changed my mind. I will not give up the Holy Son position, nor will I hand over the Haotian Sword and Panlong Treasure Ring!”
“Insolence!”
Ji Yaoyue was instantly furious, releasing her Nascent Soul realm pressure.
“Pu!”
Chen Xuan couldn’t help but spit out a mouthful of blood, his body swaying unsteadily.
His heart sank even further in disappointment.
Was she now willing to attack him for Ji Wushuang’s sake?
Ji Yaoyue’s brows furrowed as she coldly rebuked, “Wretched disciple! Since you’ve become a cripple, shouldn’t you do your best to support your junior brother? And you’re not even willing to give up this little bit?”
“All these years of teaching you self-sacrifice for righteousness, did they enter one ear and leave the other?”
The crowd burst into whispers.
Ji Wushuang hurriedly stepped forward, speaking passionately, “Master, please don’t be angry! I do not wish to compete with Senior Brother for the Holy Son title, nor do I want his treasures!”
At this moment, Elder Qingxu righteously said, “Wushuang, this concerns the matter of Immortal Mu Yun accepting a disciple. It’s not something you can refuse!”
“Only by standing out among the Holy Sons and gaining inheritance and fortune can our Grand Righteous Sword Sect continue to lead the righteous path and reign supreme!”
“Chen Xuan has indeed done much for the sect, but he’s now a cripple. If he participates in the disciple selection conference as the Holy Son, it would only bring shame to our sect!”
Everyone nodded in agreement with this statement.
“Ah…”
Ji Wushuang sighed heavily, looking troubled.
“Junior Brother, only you are worthy of the Holy Son position! Those two treasures in Chen Xuan’s hands would be wasted on him—they belong to you!”
“Exactly! If Chen Xuan still had a shred of conscience, he should do this willingly! All for the glory of the sect!”
“Chen Xuan is just a useless, lazy dog now. How can he compare to Junior Brother?”
The four senior sisters chimed in one after another, all treating Ji Wushuang with warmth and admiration, wishing they could throw themselves at him.
Yet when they mentioned Chen Xuan, their tone was sharp, their disdain evident.
Dai Tao and others watched gleefully, eager to see the show.
Ji Yaoyue’s face turned frosty as she coldly declared, “Chen Xuan, I’ll ask you one last time! Are you willing to relinquish the Holy Son position?”
“No!”
Chen Xuan didn’t hesitate at all, spitting out the answer like iron.
“Wretched disciple! You are truly obstinate!”
Ji Yaoyue roared furiously, unable to hide her anger.
She forced herself to calm down and said, “Chen Xuan, you were once my most understanding, most promising disciple. I hope you can have the heart to pass the flame of hope to your junior brother… can’t you?”
Everyone could see Ji Yaoyue was on the verge of exploding.
Yet Chen Xuan still shook his head firmly.
His attitude was resolute!
He was too disappointed in Ji Yaoyue. Even if he died today in a pool of blood, he would never be swayed by her moral coercion.
Ji Yaoyue trembled with rage, finally barking, “Chen Xuan, as the sect master, I give you one last chance… Kneel! Hand over the Holy Son position to Wushuang!”
Buzz…
As she said this, she secretly tried to use a forbidden art to force Chen Xuan to kneel.
But to her surprise, a mysterious power suddenly emerged, blocking her secret move.
“Could it be… this boy still has some extraordinary treasure on him?”
Ji Yaoyue’s eyes flickered, unaware that in a dark corner far away, a shadow sneered disdainfully.
It was the shadow sent by Immortal Mu Yun to secretly protect Chen Xuan.
At this moment, an overwhelming aura descended, prompting everyone to kneel in reverence.
The Sect Master of the Grand Righteous Sword Sect, Li Yinglian, had arrived!
He exuded an aura of unapproachable authority, clad in a billowing azure robe, surrounded by mighty righteous energy.
“Sect Master…”
Elder Qingxu cupped his hands and quickly reported the entire incident.
Li Yinglian’s face visibly darkened.
Finally, he flicked his sleeve and said coldly, “Enough! Since Chen Xuan values the empty title of Holy Son so much, let him keep it! From today onward, the Grand Righteous Sword Sect will have two Holy Sons! Ji Wushuang will be appointed the new Holy Son… the celebration will be held on Jade Maiden Peak in seven days!”
The entire scene was in an uproar!
Immediately, many people began mocking Chen Xuan, thinking he was utterly foolish!
He was a cripple, yet still clinging to past glory. For what?
Participating in Immortal Mu Yun’s disciple selection conference? What a joke! It would only humiliate the sect!
The four senior sisters’ mocking words were especially vicious!
Chen Xuan remained silent, his eyes filled with disappointment and icy coldness.
“Chen Xuan, you’ve greatly disappointed me! See to yourself from now on!” Ji Yaoyue spoke with a cold tone.
Elder Qingxu and others also shook their heads, looking at Chen Xuan as if he was a fool…
“Ah…”
Ji Wushuang sighed in mock pity, saying in a sympathetic tone, “Senior Brother, you’re foolish! To wear the crown, one must bear its weight. You can’t even beat the janitor disciples in the sect. Forcing yourself to keep the title will only bring you disgrace!”
“You still have time to back out… If you insist on going to the disciple selection conference, you’ll become the laughingstock of the realm and the greatest disgrace of the sect!”
His righteous persuasion made the disciples who hadn’t yet left give him a thumbs up.
But!
What no one expected was that Chen Xuan actually retorted, “Who says I’ll become a laughingstock at the disciple selection conference? What if… Immortal Mu Yun chooses to take me, Chen Xuan, as his disciple?”
In ten days, once his dantian was healed, he could use the True Dragon Heart to cultivate the ‘Nine Yang True Dragon Art’…
Chen Xuan was fully confident that once he revealed his true talent, Immortal Mu Yun would fight to accept him as his disciple!
Ji Yaoyue sneered in disdain, mocking, “Foolish dreams, utterly ridiculous!”
Her eight words completely enraged Chen Xuan.
He clenched his fists and roared, “Master, let’s make a wager at the disciple selection conference, shall we?”
“If I lose, I will surrender the Holy Son position, the Haotian Sword, and the Panlong Treasure Ring! But if I win, you will lead everyone on Jade Maiden Peak to apologize to me publicly and return all the treasures I gave you! Do you dare?”
The scene erupted into chaos.
Was Chen Xuan insane?
He actually proposed such a crazy wager?
He was simply digging his own grave!
Ji Yaoyue narrowed her beautiful eyes, her heart filled with fury!
This wretched disciple dared to confront his own master like this?
Utterly disrespectful!
But… he was destined to lose miserably! Because Ji Wushuang would surely be chosen by Immortal Mu Yun!
Thus, Ji Yaoyue flicked her sleeve and shouted, “Wretched brat! Since you’re so arrogant and aggressive, I will accept this wager!”