Chen Yuan, intending to obtain the position of Heavenly Envoy, naturally made some preparations.

Previously, Zhang Yantong had told Chen Yuan that within the Sky Survey Department, besides the four of them, there were also several Huayang True Men. Some were stationed in the capital to assist Xiao Jing, while others were assigned to various regions to guard one area.

Among the two middle-aged men below, one had a square face, bright eyes, and a sturdy physique. He should be the strong individual Zhang Yantong mentioned who assisted Xiao Jing in guarding the Heavenly Prison.

His name was Ying Hong, and he possessed a Yuan Shen peak cultivation.

The other, wearing a gray robe with a slight smile on his lips and a somewhat handsome appearance, was undoubtedly the strongman from outside, Wen Liang.

As for the others, perhaps there were more, but judging from today's situation, they probably weren't qualified to compete for the Heavenly Envoy position.

While pondering in his heart, Chen Yuan didn't forget to perform the customary greeting, cupping his hands and saying:

"Greetings, Grand Commandant, and all Envoys."

'Envoy' was a general term. The official ranks of the two Huayang True Men were Deputy Envoys, but addressing them as Envoys was still acceptable.

Chen Yuan paid his respects, and those present wouldn't ignore him. Except for Grand Commandant Xiao Jing, they all cupped their hands in return, addressing him as 'Marquis of Wu'an'.

"Sit down."

Xiao Jing pointed to a seat below.

Chen Yuan nodded, calmly approaching and sitting down.

Wen Liang and Ying Hong, however, subtly focused their gaze on Chen Yuan, their eyes showing some solemnity.

They wouldn't underestimate Chen Yuan just because he was young. After all, the name 'Demon Blade' was known throughout the world, and his reputation had reached its peak in the north after the Liangzhou City battle.

Now, having been bestowed the title of Marquis of Wu'an, with ten thousand households as his fief, no one dared to look down on him.

It was rumored that the Emperor greatly admired this man and even intended to betroth Princess Pingyang to him, making him a驸马爷 (Imperial Son-in-law).

Such a person was definitely a formidable opponent and was considered their greatest threat in the competition for the Heavenly Envoy position.

Once everyone was seated, Xiao Jing scanned the crowd and said:

"Chen Yuan, Wen Liang, Ying Hong, the three of you are the ones recommended by Envoy Zhang, Envoy Zuo, and Envoy Wu to become Heavenly Envoys. This position has been vacant for a long time,

We cannot delay any longer. Today… let's first discuss the procedures."

The final decision would naturally be made by the Emperor, but they also needed to pre-select the real candidates beforehand.

When Gu Tianqiong left the position of Grand Commandant of the Sky Survey Department, which was taken over by Xiao Jing, the power was naturally curtailed to some extent, but it wasn't that he was far inferior to before.

Jingtai's actions weren't that blatant yet.

"I wonder, Grand Commandant, who do you think is suitable?"

Wu Tianxi asked softly.

The person he recommended was Ying Hong, who had once been Xiao Jing's deputy. Logically speaking, he should be on his side.

"Although Ying Hong has guarded the Heavenly Prison for twenty years for this Grand Commandant, working hard and making great contributions, and Wen Liang has been stationed outside for nineteen years, suppressing rebellions many times and ensuring the peace of a state's people, Chen Yuan, though young, has made contributions no less than the two of them. In the Xumi Illusion Realm battle and in Liangzhou City, he risked his life, resisting the enemy outside and promoting the prestige of our Sky Survey Department. This Grand Commandant thinks all three of them are good."

Xiao Jing was impartial, listing the merits of all three.

But if one carefully analyzed it, one could find that he mentioned Chen Yuan's achievements more often, causing Ying Hong and Wen Liang to feel a slight sinking feeling in their hearts.

The Grand Commandant also had the power to make a final decision, and they didn't want to make a trip for nothing.

"Why not judge based on merit? The Sky Survey Department has always valued martial prowess above all else, and seniority is secondary. I believe that although Chen Yuan is young, he can also shoulder great responsibilities,"

Zhang Yantong said, openly expressing his support for Chen Yuan.

"Brother Zhang's words are a bit too arbitrary. I also know that Marquis Wu'an has made significant contributions, but the time is too short. If we really count the merits,

Ying Hong is probably no less than Chen Yuan, right? He has guarded the Heavenly Prison for twenty years, which can be said to be hard work. Isn't that worth more than a few merits?"

Wu Tianxi then spoke up.

"Marquis Wu'an's achievements were decided by His Majesty. He was granted the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households. Can he not take on the position of Heavenly Envoy? Moreover, Chen Yuan is not old, but his achievements are not low. Even if we combine our reputations, it's probably not as good as his. If we don't entrust such a talented person with an important task, wouldn't it be laughable?"

Zhang Yantong continued.

He specifically chose Chen Yuan's strengths to talk about.

"If that's the case, why did the Grand Commandant make Wen Liang make a special trip to the capital? It is true that Marquis Wu'an's achievements are famous throughout the world, but most of these are military merits. Isn't it enough that His Majesty granted him the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households?"

Zuo Tiancheng, who had been taciturn, also spoke at this moment.

He supported Wen Liang.

In fact, his relationship with Wen Liang was only so-so. The other party had also been ambiguous with the Zuo faction. However, after the Heavenly Envoy position became vacant, he made a special trip to the Zuo residence.

And he had no one available under him. Immediately, the two hit it off.

The other party promised that if he could take the position, he would take Duke Zuo as his leader.

It was unknown whether this was true or false, but his attitude was shown.

Seeing Zhang Yantong speak like this at the moment, he couldn't help but come out to refute.

"Brother Zuo is right. His Majesty has already ruled on the merits of Marquis Wu'an. What we are discussing now is the position of Heavenly Envoy. We cannot simply judge based on merits.

Marquis Wu'an is indeed extraordinary, but after all, he is too young. If he suddenly holds a high position, I am afraid that he will inevitably be a little unaccustomed."

Wu Tianxi said with a smile.

On the surface, they naturally had no objection to Chen Yuan. They were happy to see the strength of the Sky Survey Department become stronger, but when it came to their own interests, even if they admired him, it was impossible to give in.

If Chen Yuan became a Heavenly Envoy, Zhang Yantong would probably become the number one person under the Grand Commandant.

They didn't want to see this happen.

The three of them argued fiercely, arguing endlessly about the position of Heavenly Envoy.

Chen Yuan, on the other hand, was relaxed and content, sitting calmly, as if the things they were arguing about had nothing to do with him. Wen Liang and Ying Hong didn't say much, but their eyes frequently met, and finally settled on Chen Yuan.

Xiao Jing was the same.

Chen Yuan could feel that although the other party was observing the whole place silently, he actually focused on him more. He didn't know why.

It seemed to be like this ever since he returned from Liangzhou.

Could it be because of Gu Tianqiong?

Chen Yuan's thoughts kept running through his mind.

The clashes in the hall continued. Zhang Yantong, Zuo Tiancheng, and Wu Tianxi were clearly divided, talking about the respective advantages of Chen Yuan, Wen Liang, and Ying Hong.

For a time, it was impossible to distinguish between good and bad.

Chen Yuan had made great achievements, but he was still young.

Wen Liang had good achievements, but not as good as Chen Yuan.

Ying Hong had worked hard and made great contributions, but his military achievements were not as good as the two of them.

It could be said that each had their own advantages and disadvantages, and they were evenly matched.

No, even if someone was higher or more suitable, the other two would refute it.

For example, when Wen Liang was stationed in the outer state, there were several times when he almost couldn't suppress the turmoil, causing Jianghu martial artists to cause trouble, which led to the Sky Survey Department headquarters providing assistance, saying that his methods were insufficient.

Ying Hong, who was stationed in the Heavenly Prison, didn't have a high sense of existence. Most of his achievements belonged to Xiao Jing. He was just a deputy, and there had been accidents before.

As a result, a serious criminal in the Heavenly Prison was not watched well and was rescued.

Chen Yuan, on the other hand, was ruthless and merciless. He had also disobeyed orders in Liangzhou before, disobeying the Holy Will, which was also an indelible mistake.

"Alright."

Seeing that the three of them couldn't convince each other for a long time, Xiao Jing immediately spoke to stop them.

The Sky Survey Hall immediately fell silent, and their eyes turned to him.

"The position of Heavenly Envoy is indeed high and powerful, but the higher the official position, the greater the responsibility. Do the three of you think you can bear this heavy responsibility?"

Xiao Jing said lightly.

Ying Hong's eyes moved, and he cupped his hands and said:

"Grand Commandant, this subordinate has followed the Grand Commandant for many years, this…"

He said a lot of clichés, but the core point was that he wanted to be the one and expressed his attitude, saying how he would be if he became the Heavenly Envoy in the future.

After he finished speaking, Wen Liang followed up.

The general meaning was the same, but he said it more skillfully, playing to his strengths, covering up his shortcomings, as if the Sky Survey Department would develop better if he became the Heavenly Envoy.

Of course, he couldn't do without praising Xiao Jing.

He said that the Grand Commandant was his goal and that he would certainly not tarnish the name of the Heavenly Envoy.

"Chen Yuan, do you think you can?"

Xiao Jing nodded after listening to Wen Liang's statement, then turned to look at Chen Yuan.

The others were the same, wanting to see how Chen Yuan would express his thoughts.

But he glanced at Ying Hong and Wen Liang, and said lightly:

"Can."

There was only this one word. Other than that, there was nothing else, but it was precisely this one word that left a very deep impression on everyone, and they felt Chen Yuan's heartfelt confidence.

Heavenly Envoy, I can take on this important task!

The Sky Survey Hall was silent for a moment, as if they were all shocked by his word 'can'. Ying Hong and Wen Liang felt a little bad and embarrassed.

They had been expressing themselves with flowery language, but they were inferior to this simple word.

"You have courage."

Xiao Jing nodded.

Immediately, he turned to Ying Hong and Wen Liang and said:

"Do you two think you can compare to Chen Yuan?"

"This subordinate…"

"This subordinate…"

The two were slightly hesitant at the moment, because listening to Xiao Jing's tone, it seemed that he was more inclined to let Chen Yuan take the position of Envoy. Wu Tianxi and Zuo Tiancheng also frowned at this moment.

However, they didn't dare to interrupt.

Xiao Jing was not the Heavenly Envoy who used to be on an equal footing with them. Now, his status was more than a notch higher than them. If they made the Grand Commandant unhappy, they would have to endure the suffering in the future.

"This subordinate feels that he is not inferior to Marquis Wu'an."

Wen Liang gritted his teeth and cupped his hands and said:

"This subordinate is the same. In literary matters, there is no first, and in martial matters, there is no second. Ying Hong admires Marquis Wu'an's fame throughout the world, but he cannot give in. Please, Grand Commandant, be clear about this."

Chen Yuan smiled and cupped his hands to look at Xiao Jing:

"Grand Commandant, Brother Ying and Brother Wen are both outstanding people. It would be too biased to judge solely on merit."

"Then what do you want to do?"

Xiao Jing said in a calm voice.

"What Brother Wen said just now is not bad. In literary matters, there is no first, and in martial matters, there is no second. The Sky Survey Department has always valued martial prowess above all else, and seniority is secondary. Instead of comparing other false names, why not let the three of us compete, the winner goes first, the loser goes last, and decide the position of Heavenly Envoy?"

Chen Yuan could see that Xiao Jing intended to let him take over the position of Heavenly Envoy, but Ying Hong, Wen Liang, and Envoys Wu Tianxi and Zuo Tiancheng would definitely not be willing.

Instead of arguing, it would be better to directly decide the outcome.

Of course, there was another very important reason that allowed him to make such a decision, and that was that Jingtai might use the position of Heavenly Envoy to put pressure on him.

Relying solely on the support of Zhang Yantong and Xiao Jing might not be enough to make Jingtai change his mind.

But if he defeated Ying Hong and Wen Liang openly and fairly, then there would be no hidden dangers. They were all high-ranking and powerful people. As losers, how dare they have the face to compete for anything else?

Furthermore, Chen Yuan had not made a move for more than half a month since his breakthrough in Mount Wudang. It was a good opportunity to use these two people's hands to verify and show his power.

The saying 'valuing martial prowess above all else' was not empty talk.

Only by showing his strength could he be respected.

Ying Hong had a peak Yuan Shen, and Wen Liang was not far behind. They could be considered experts.

But Chen Yuan was able to fight against peak Yuan Shen experts when he was in the Celestial Core Realm. Now that he had entered the Yuan Shen Realm, his cultivation had skyrocketed. What did he have to fear?

Not to mention Yuan Shen martial artists, even if it was an expert who had just entered the Refinement Realm, he had some confidence in not being defeated.

Moreover, after this period of time and the breakthrough in Mount Wudang to shape the Yuan Shen with purple energy, he was not simply in the early stages of Huayang. His Yuan Shen had already taken a big step forward.

Jingtai was not surprised. Starting a war at the slightest disagreement was indeed in line with Chen Yuan's character.

He would not use his mouth to solve problems that could be solved with a knife.

Daring to say such a thing clearly meant that he had great confidence in himself. Immediately, he looked at Ying Hong and Wen Liang and said:

"Marquis Wu'an's proposal, what do you two think?"

Ying Hong and Wen Liang frowned, feeling a little despised, and naturally felt a surge of anger in their hearts, but they had also heard of Chen Yuan's record of killing Yuan Shen experts in the Celestial Core Realm and knew his terror.

Although their cultivation was better, they really didn't have the confidence to defeat the other party in a fight.

But this was also their only chance. Xiao Jing clearly intended for Chen Yuan to take the position. If they rejected this proposal, the final result would probably still be Chen Yuan being recommended.

Immediately, they nodded and said:

"Since Marquis Wu'an feels that it is more appropriate to decide the outcome with martial prowess, then we will follow Marquis Wu'an's wishes. Everyone says that Marquis Wu'an is invincible in the same realm, suppressing an entire generation. Ying has long wanted to try his skills."

"Wen is the same. Marquis Wu'an is young and ambitious and doesn't want to talk about other things. Naturally, we must follow his wishes. It is most appropriate to decide the outcome with martial prowess. Martial artists should value martial prowess above all else.

As long as Marquis Wu'an can defeat Wen, then I will admit that he is more suitable for the position of Heavenly Envoy."

In a few words, the two of them were ready.

Since the advantage was not on their side, they would gamble.

Losing would not be a big loss. In any case, the Heavenly Envoy position was a bit far away from them. But if they won, it was estimated that Chen Yuan would have no face to compete for it again. At that time, there might be a chance.

Zhang Yantong frowned, but then seemed to have thought of something. He took a deep look at Chen Yuan, thinking of his intentions, perhaps… he also knew his current situation.

Wu Tianxi and Zuo Tiancheng looked at each other, hesitated for a moment, and nodded respectively, saying:

"I also think this proposal is very suitable. Since the three of them each have their own advantages and disadvantages, it is better to see the truth in their hands and whoever wins will take the position."

"That's right. Zuo was able to become an Earth Envoy in those years because he defeated other martial artists. There's no harm in comparing now."

This was the usual practice of the Sky Survey Department. Because the establishment time was not particularly long, and its duty was to suppress Jianghu unrest, martial arts flourished naturally.

When merits and qualifications were indistinguishable, it still relied on its own hard power.

"Alright, since you all support Chen Yuan's proposal, let's compare. The best of the three, I will propose this person to His Majesty to take the position of Envoy."

Xiao Jing nodded slightly and said in a deep voice.

Then, he glanced at everyone again:

"This place is not suitable to fight. Let's go to the training ground!"

The Sky Survey Department headquarters occupied a large area. In addition to the official offices of the various Envoys and the Grand Commandant, there were also various other Sky Survey officials of all levels, as well as several training grounds.

Because Chen Yuan and the other three were all Huayang experts, the commotion caused was huge. Immediately, the best training ground was selected, which was thousands of feet in size.

Moreover, the ground was protected by formations and was extremely strong, which could support Huayang martial artists in this battle.

The news that Chen Yuan, Ying Hong, and Wen Liang were going to decide the outcome with martial arts to decide the position of Heavenly Envoy also quickly spread throughout the Sky Survey Department headquarters. In a short quarter of an hour, it caused no small disturbance.

Many Sky Survey officials put down their work. After requesting a few Envoys, almost a hundred people were able to follow them and watch this rare battle.

Huayang martial artists were still in the minority, and watching a great battle up close without suffering losses was also a small opportunity for martial artists who were one or two realms lower.

Especially since the protagonists of this fight were very extraordinary.

There was no need to say more about Wen Liang and Ying Hong. They were both veteran experts of the Sky Survey Department. What everyone paid the most attention to was Chen Yuan, the guy who had been in the limelight recently.

A Thorough Marquis, with a fief of ten thousand households, had the opportunity to marry a princess.

Plus his previous reputation.

Chen Yuan was undoubtedly extremely famous in the capital and the headquarters. Although he had not been in the headquarters for a long time, there were many legends about him here.

Now, they were going to compete to climb to the position of Heavenly Envoy. How could it not attract attention?

"It seems that Chen Yuan's reputation is more powerful than all of us combined." Wu Tianxi shook his head with a smile as he listened to the discussions below.

"A promising younger generation."

Zuo Tiancheng uttered four words.

They didn't have much opinion on Chen Yuan. They didn't want him to take the position because their interests were different. If Chen Yuan was close to them, they would definitely try their best to protect him and help him take the position.

"Ying Hong and Wen Liang do have some strength, but they are still far behind Marquis Wu'an Chen Yuan. You two, this Heavenly Envoy position can be considered to have come to an end today."

Zuo Tiancheng smiled and did not refute.

Wu Tianxi snorted softly and regretted that he had not sent his son to Qingzhou.

Xiao Jing remained silent and watched quietly.

In the void.

Chen Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, calm and collected. Ying Hong held a black long spear, like a military general, while Wen Liang carried a cyan long sword, like a Jianghu swordsman.

"Marquis Wu'an, are you going to choose one of us as your opponent first?"

Wen Liang asked softly.

Chen Yuan smiled when he heard this, and sensed the faint aura emanating from the two of them, and had a general assessment of their strength. Then, he looked at the Sky Survey Department martial artists watching below, and said softly:

"It's not that Chen looks down on the two of you, but there are still some things at home and I shouldn't delay for too long, uh… the two of you, come together."