Zhao Huayu's eyes flashed with disbelief. He had been defeated by the young master of the Chen family like this.
Zhao Huayu's face turned red. He lowered his head, cupped his fists, and said, "Brother Chen is indeed powerful." Then he turned and returned behind the Zhao family's forces.
The middle-aged man with a potbelly looked displeased, then forced a smile. "Brother Chen, your Chen family truly has hidden its strength very well."
Zhao Huayu had been in the Xuan Realm's twelve acupoints for a long time and was about to break through to the Earth Realm. Yet, he couldn't even break through the Qi shield of an eleventh-acupoint Xuan Realm cultivator, and was even forced off the martial stage. Although he wasn't injured, this was more unbearable than being injured.
"Heh heh..." The Chen family patriarch couldn't suppress his smile. "What are you saying, Brother Zhao? If he didn't have such strength, he wouldn't be worthy of being my Chen family's young master."
Chen Jiuyang's astonishing performance and victory over the Zhao family's young master brought great honor to the Chen family. After all, for decades, the younger generation of the Chen family had been unremarkable, forcing the Chen family to send people to the Misty Rain Sect to scout for geniuses and even invite Chen Jiuyang back to acknowledge his ancestors.
This was for occasions like today.
The Chen family patriarch's words were also a subtle taunt. Weren't you looking down on my Chen family before, thinking that my Chen family had no successors among the younger generation? With Chen Jiuyang's powerful display in defeating the Zhao family's young master, what else do you have to say?
Chen Jiuyang stood with his hands behind his back on the high platform. After defeating Zhao Huayu, he raised his hand and swept it across the four directions, cupping his fists and bowing. "Thank you all for attending the enthronement ceremony of my Chen family's young master today. I, Chen Jiuyang, at the age of twenty-three, am truly humbled to serve as the Chen family's young master. I hope all my elder brothers and sisters will offer their guidance, allowing me to gain more experience."
At twenty-three years old, to be in the Xuan Realm's eleventh acupoint and possess such formidable strength, the faces of people from various factions changed. The Chen family had indeed hidden its strength very well!
Such a genius had not revealed any trace of himself for decades.
Previously, they had provoked the Chen family. Now, it was Chen Jiuyang's turn to challenge the younger generation of the major aristocratic families.
Zhao Huayu was not weak; he was also around thirty years old and at the peak of the Xuan Realm's twelve acupoints. Now, if they wanted to embarrass the Chen family, they had to consider whether they were qualified.
For a moment, the hall fell silent.
After a moment, people from other factions turned their gaze to the three ancient sects: Mount Shu, Mount Emei, and Mount Qingcheng.
It was likely that only these three ancient sects had geniuses capable of fighting Chen Jiuyang.
A female sword cultivator from Mount Emei spoke, "Since the Chen family's young master has asked for guidance, Qingran, you shall compete with the Chen family's young master."
"Yes, Sect Master." A beautiful woman, about twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, stood up from the Mount Emei contingent. Holding her sword, she leaped gracefully onto the martial stage.
"Zhang Qingran, the eldest disciple of Mount Emei." Zhang Qingran cupped her fists and said charmingly.
The Mount Shu sect primarily accepted male disciples, while Mount Emei only accepted female disciples.
Chen Jiuyang returned the bow, cupping his fists. "Chen family, Chen Jiuyang. Please."
With that, Chen Jiuyang made a gesture of invitation, allowing the female sword cultivator from Mount Emei to make the first move.
As Zhang Qingran drew her sword, a sword energy cleaved towards Chen Jiuyang. Chen Jiuyang's Qi shield was not broken. Chen Jiuyang did not treat women as roughly as he treated men.
After the sword energy failed to hit, Chen Jiuyang unleashed his true qi and instantly rushed to Zhang Qingran's front. He slowly raised one hand and gently sent out a surge of true qi.
Zhang Qingran was startled. She hadn't expected Chen Jiuyang to be so fast. It seemed this young master of the Chen family had also cultivated his physical body and couldn't be dealt with carelessly. She immediately raised her sword to defend, activating her Qi shield to block Chen Jiuyang's true qi attack.
Just as Zhang Qingran was defending against Chen Jiuyang's true qi attack, Chen Jiuyang's other hand struck out, breaking through Zhang Qingran's Qi shield. His large hand was about to strike Zhang Qingran's face. As he landed, Chen Jiuyang lightly patted Zhang Qingran's shoulder and said faintly, "This senior sister from Mount Emei, I concede."
Zhang Qingran's face turned pale. She realized she had been defeated. If this were a life-or-death battle, Chen Jiuyang's momentary opening would have been enough to take her life.
Zhang Qingran sheathed her sword and managed a smile. "Young Master Chen, you are indeed remarkable. Please visit Mount Emei more often in the future."
Chen Jiuyang smiled. "Senior Sister, you speak wisely. If I have time in the future, Jiuyang will surely visit Mount Emei to bother all the senior sisters and learn sword techniques."
The Chen family patriarch was overjoyed. Chen Jiuyang had brought so much honor to his Chen family by defeating the eldest disciple of Mount Emei, Zhang Qingran, in one move. It was known that this girl usually walked with her head held high at Mount Shu, and many aristocratic young men had been beaten black and blue by her, begging for mercy.
Chen Jiuyang's easy victory over Zhang Qingran made many young men in the Chen family rejoice. Young Master, well done!
This was truly a moment of pride.
Zhang Qingran returned and sat behind the Abbess of Mount Emei. The Abbess of Mount Emei asked the Chen family patriarch, "Brother Chen, is your Chen family's young master betrothed?"
The Chen family patriarch pondered for a moment. "The Saintess of the True Demon Sect plans to bring this child to the True Demon Sect to show him off in a while. It seems the current Saintess intends to choose this child as her Dao companion."
"Hmph!" The Abbess of Mount Emei's face immediately darkened, and she snorted. "Such an elite genius from Mount Shu is being snatched away by the True Demon Sect. Brother Chen, your management of him is truly lax."
The Chen family patriarch offered an apologetic smile. "Indeed, I have lacked discipline in managing this child over the years. I will have a good talk with him later."
In reality, the Chen family patriarch was inwardly delighted. Usually, this Abbess would coldly refuse many who sought marriage with her Mount Emei disciples. Who would have thought she would also face rejection one day? It was truly gratifying.
The Chen family patriarch was not foolish enough to reveal at this moment that Chen Jiuyang followed the lineage of enfeoffment, possessing the privilege of seven wives, and was destined not to inherit the position of Chen family patriarch.
An old man in a Taoist robe from Mount Qingcheng spoke, "Since the eldest disciple of Mount Emei has been defeated, Changtian, you shall compete with the Chen family's young master."
"Yes, Master." A man with long hair, wearing a Taoist robe, in his early thirties, stood up. He also leaped onto the martial stage in one step, cupped his fists, and said, "Xu Changtian, the senior disciple of Mount Qingcheng Taoist sect, requests the young master of the Chen family to make a move."
"Chen family, Chen Jiuyang." Chen Jiuyang also cupped his fists. As the young master of the Chen family, he could not neglect the proper etiquette, especially since it was his enthronement ceremony today. He was one of the hosts, and his manners had to be impeccable.
Chen Jiuyang said, "Since Senior Brother Xu has asked me to make a move, then your junior brother will be clumsy."
As the words fell, Chen Jiuyang held a silver needle, injected pure Yang true qi into it, and then shot it towards Xu Changtian—
"Boom!"
An explosion immediately resounded.