NOVEL NEXT There were six tables in the banquet hall. At the main table, four people were seated, three unfamiliar to Long Chen. However, he saw the Long clan leader among them, so the other three were likely the leaders of the Zhao, Jiang, and Ye clans.
The next four tables were occupied by the top experts of various clans, all emanating heaven vein fluctuations. The Long clan’s three Heavenly Saints were among them. Unlike the other tables, which each had eight people, the Long clan’s table had only three. Including the Heaven Overseer with his Earth Saint cultivation base, the Long clan’s power clearly seemed weaker.
The final table had four people. Long Chen recognized two of them: Jiang Wuwang and Long Tianrui. However, the other two were glaring at Long Chen with sharp, killing-intent-filled gazes, making no effort to conceal their hostility.
The moment Long Chen walked in, everyone’s gaze shifted to him. Even the chit-chat ceased abruptly, and the atmosphere became a bit tense.
The Heaven Overseer quickly said, “Everyone, let me introduce you. This is—”
From the main table, an elder laughed and interrupted, “There’s no need for introductions. Who doesn’t know of the High Firmament Academy’s youngest dean in history? My Jiang clan’s Feng Fei has been praising him non-stop. To tell the truth, quite a few people were skeptical of her praise. But when Dean Long Chen slaughtered powerful experts upon entering the Sovereign Emperor Heaven, especially forcing back the Celestial race, he successfully showed off his talents and might!”
Long Chen hadn’t expected the Jiang clan’s leader to be so friendly toward him. He wondered how much of this friendliness was genuine and how much was calculated, influenced by Feng Fei’s warning and the leader’s intelligence.
“Yes, he truly is amazing. We personally saw Dean Long Chen slaughter experts of the Long clan. That might, that domineeringness, hehe, it truly was something to behold,” said a white-haired old man, chuckling.
Though the old man’s words were praising Long Chen, his expression was one of haughty derision. He was clearly trying to worsen the relationship between Long Chen and the Long clan. As a result, the expressions of the Long clan’s experts darkened.
Long Chen smiled. While insulting him, the old man also insulted the entire Long clan. What an idiot.
“So you should be the Zhao clan’s leader, right?” asked Long Chen.
“That’s right. Your vision is quite sharp,” replied the Zhao clan leader indifferently.
“No, my vision is just so-so. Your height just makes it all too obvious,” remarked Long Chen.
Now, it was the Zhao clan’s turn to feel insulted. Amongst the four divine clans, the Zhao clan’s people were notably shorter. It was a sensitive point for them, and using this matter to mock them was considered a grave taboo.
The Zhao clan leader hadn’t expected Long Chen to be so brazen as to directly insult him. With a dark expression, he asked, “Are you looking down on me?”
“If you were any shorter, instead of looking down on you, I wouldn’t even be able to see you,” responded Long Chen.
To the side, Long Qianxue hastily covered her mouth, but she was too slow. A chuckle escaped her despite her efforts.
Despite warning herself to remain serious and not to laugh, no matter how amusing it was, Long Qianxue hadn’t expected Long Chen to use this kind of low blow. The atmosphere instantly grew uncomfortably tense, and inwardly, Long Qianxue cursed him.
The Zhao clan leader’s expression sank even more, and he coldly turned to the Long clan leader. “Is this how you raise your Long clan’s disciples?”
Long Chen responded directly, “Bullying juniors, insulting your hosts—Zhao clan’s teachings really aren’t bad.”
Although the Long clan leader didn’t like Long Chen, the Zhao clan leader had just insulted the entire Long clan. So, Long Chen’s counterattack caused the Long clan leader to see him in a new light.
“Long Chen, mind your status. Do you think you have the right to judge a clan leader?” shouted one of the two men beside Jiang Wuwang. This person was Zhao Qingtian, the Zhao clan’s top genius, and he was renowned even in ancient times.
In an instant, Long Chen’s anger flared. If he didn’t have a right to judge the clan leader, then what gave that old bastard the right to judge him?
However, they underestimated Long Chen’s evil nature. Long Chen glanced at Zhao Qingtian and then the Zhao clan leader. After looking back and forth several times, Long Chen gestured that Zhao Qingtian and the Zhao clan leader’s heads barely reached his chest. Nodding in comprehension, he sneered, “Ah, I see, no wonder you’re helping him so obediently! So you’re dogs of the same family!”
“You are courting death!” Zhao Qingtian sprang to his feet, ready to attack regardless of the circumstances, but Jiang Wuwang grabbed him.
“Youngsters shouldn’t be so temperamental. A minor disagreement is quite normal. There’s no need to escalate things like this,” advised Jiang Wuwang. Although he didn’t have a favorable impression of Long Chen, to fight in this setting was completely unacceptable.
The Heaven Overseer looked visibly angry. In fact, he was angrier than anyone present. These people had asked him to invite Long Chen, knowing full well that Long Chen wouldn’t be swayed by anyone else’s request.
But now that Long Chen was here, they were intentionally insulting him. Wasn’t this also a slap in the Heaven Overseer’s face? His voice turned cold as he addressed the Zhao clan leader, “Zhao clan leader, what do you think you’re doing?”
The Zhao clan leader appeared somewhat fearful in front of the Heaven Overseer. He hastily explained, “Long Chen lacks proper upbringing. I’m merely teaching him a lesson. Heaven Overseer, please don’t mind me.”
“Lacks proper upbringing?” Long Chen’s anger soared. Initially, he had thought of merely flipping a table and going, but now he would make them pay dearly.
Did they call him over just to insult him? If they wanted to play games, then Long Chen was ready to play them to death.
Pondering what games to play, Long Chen calmly sat down right beside Long Tianrui. Unexpectedly, Long Tianrui looked at him and said, “If you are willing to be my companion, I can use his head as a betrothal gift to you.”
In an instant, Zhao Qingtian’s anger flared, while the others present were left in shock. What was Long Tianrui saying? How could she casually propose something so outrageous?
Ignoring the reactions around her, Long Tianrui kept her gaze fixed on Long Chen, awaiting his response. She didn’t seem to be joking at all.
If there were levels of insults, then this would be the rudest. Zhao Qingtian was livid. How could his head be proposed as a betrothal gift?
The atmosphere instantly grew tense, with all eyes fixed on Long Chen’s table. Yet, Long Chen’s response defied everyone’s expectations.
“Are you sure you don’t have something wrong with your brain?”