CHAPTER 14: SPARRING WITH JUN LAOYE (1)

Jun Wudi placed the two tokens side by side for comparison. He pointed at the one engraved with a long spear and said, "The Heavenly Rite Manor commands the largest army on the continent, so its official emblem is a long spear. The Heavenly Mandate Hall, the foremost subordinate force under the Heavenly Rite Manor, uses the same design. Apart from a few pattern differences, everything else is identical."

Then he pointed to the other token, which bore the image of a spirit herb. "This is the emblem of the Azure Mountain Manor. Most of its affiliated factions are located in the Jianghai Region."

Jun Wudi turned to Lu Chen and said, "I don't know what you're planning, but whoever you're looking for must be in the Jianghai Region, and they are definitely part of the factions under the Azure Mountain Manor."

Lu Chen cupped his fists in gratitude. "Thank you, Uncle Jun."

Just then, Jun Laoye spoke up. "Second Uncle, Lu Chen hasn't joined a sect yet. The recruitment season is approaching, and I'd like you to take him in as an inner disciple."

As he spoke, he kept winking at Lu Chen, signaling him to say something.

Lu Chen understood what he meant. Joining the Heavenly Mandate Hall would not only grant him the protection of the sect but also give him access to the Inner Scripture Vault, where he might find out which faction the token belonged to.

He quickly stood up and bowed. "Uncle Jun, please take me in."

Jun Laoye joined in and started singing Lu Chen's praises, emphasizing his talents. But Lu Chen was only at the Qi Absorption Realm and clearly didn't meet the requirements to enter the inner sect. Still, since he had boasted earlier that Lu Chen could come to him for anything, he was now in a tough spot.

Just as Jun Wudi was thinking about how to get Lu Chen in, Jun Laoye leaned over and whispered in his ear that Lu Chen had already awakened a divine ability, and it was an exceptional one at that.

Jun Wudi shot to his feet and looked at him. "Are you serious?"

The tent instantly fell silent. Everyone turned to look at him.

Jun Wudi quickly realized he had lost his composure and hurriedly told everyone to resume drinking and having fun.

He sat back down and turned to Jun Laoye. "Are you really sure about this?"

"I am. Second Uncle, please take him in. I promise you, this won't be a mistake. Lu Chen is definitely stronger than me."

Jun Wudi turned to look at Lu Chen again. He still couldn't believe it. It was hard to imagine that someone with no background could awaken a divine ability. Jun Laoye was already at the peak of the Qi Absorption Realm, yet he claimed Lu Chen was stronger. Jun Wudi couldn't even begin to guess the true extent of Lu Chen's strength.

He then turned to Nantian Yijian, who had come with Lu Chen. At that moment, Nantian Yijian was drinking with the others. Noticing Jun Wudi's gaze, he raised his cup and offered him a toast.

Looking at Nantian Yijian, Jun Wudi couldn't help but think of his younger days, when he used to be carefree, unruly, and full of swagger. He thought, At this point, it wouldn't make any difference whether I take in one or both of them. Might as well extend a favor while I'm at it. Someone who could become sworn brothers with Lu Chen couldn't have bad potential either. Not to mention, the surname Nantian isn't one an ordinary person could carry.

With that in mind, he made his decision to take both of them in as his personal disciples. "Alright, alright. I'll take you both in as my personal disciples."

Lu Chen had thought that becoming an outer disciple was already a blessing. He didn't expect to be accepted as a personal disciple along with Nantian Yijian.

He didn't know what Jun Wudi's true intentions were, but few people in this world had ever treated him this way. Aside from his grandfather, the villagers of Greenheaven Village, and Feng Tiancheng, Jun Wudi was the first.

Lu Chen quickly stood up and respectfully gave a deep bow. "Uncle Jun, I speak for both Yijian and myself when I say thank you. Once we return from the secret realm, we will kowtow and formally accept you as master."

"Good, good! What a fine young man."

Jun Wudi then gestured for Lu Chen to sit. He hadn't expected Lu Chen to be not only talented but also so polite and well-mannered. It made him feel confident that he had made the right decision.

He laughed heartily. "Come, eat! From now on, we're family."

Jun Laoye threw an arm around Lu Chen's shoulder and said with a grin, "Now that you've become Second Uncle's disciple, that makes us brothers. Just call me Little Jun from now on."

Lu Chen looked at Jun Laoye. Ever since leaving the village, this was the first time so many people had shown him this much warmth. His heart swelled with emotion. Once I find Grandpa, I'll be sure to tell him that I still have people who care about me out here.

The rest of the evening passed in songs and laughter. Towards the end, the crowd began urging a spar between Lu Chen and Jun Laoye, calling it a duel between two young heroes.

"Let us witness the strength of our little hero, Lu Chen!"

"Yes, yes! How about a friendly match between the two?"

"Fight! Fight!"

Amid the cheers, Lu Chen and Jun Laoye looked toward Jun Wudi. He nodded, giving them the permission to do so. He also wanted to take this chance to see if Lu Chen was truly that strong.

"Go on. Show them what you've got. That's how you earn your place here."

"Yes, Uncle Jun."

It was unclear whether this challenge came from someone's dissatisfaction or had been deliberately arranged, but Lu Chen knew it was unavoidable. Given that Jun Wudi had taken him in as a personal disciple the moment he arrived, there were bound to be people who were unconvinced.

The crowd quickly cleared a space in the tent.

Jun Laoye leapt into the arena in a single bound. He then pulled a long spear from his storage pouch and twirled it with a flourish before beckoning to Lu Chen.

"Star-Serpent Cloud Concealment," Lu Chen muttered, vanishing from sight.

While the crowd was still looking around in confusion, Jun Laoye suddenly sensed a threat behind him. He instinctively lunged forward and narrowly dodged Lu Chen's surprise attack.

Lu Chen had only meant to give him a scare, but he hadn't expected the strike to miss. He took a few steps back and raised his hand, signaling for Jun Laoye to make his move.

"Come on, Little Jun. Let's see what you're really made of."

Jun Laoye stood frozen, with cold sweat running down his back. He had clearly underestimated Lu Chen. If he hadn't reacted in time, that strike would have landed.

He reminded himself inwardly, I'll have to stay sharp. Can't afford to become a laughingstock here.

He steadied his breath, then pointed his spear at Lu Chen. "This spear of mine is called the Eight-Treasure Rolling Cloud Spear. It's forged from meteorite iron from the Outside, and nobody wielding it has ever lost to anyone in the same realm. Show me your weapon."

Lu Chen shook his head. "I don't have one. I'll just use my fists. Let's find out which is tougher: your spear or my fists."

Despite his tough facade, Lu Chen was painfully aware he didn't have a weapon right now. He thought to himself, I'll need to get my hands on one later.

He then curled a finger at Jun Laoye, provoking him.

Jun Laoye responded with a flashy spear move, dashing forward and appearing right in front of Lu Chen.

The spear's glow flickered like cold stars as he thrust it forward and spun it around, launching a barrage of attacks at Lu Chen.

Lu Chen didn't dare block the rain of spear light with his bare hands. He could only rely on the Star-Serpent Cloud Concealment technique to weave and dodge.

At the same time, he slipped in small strikes using Silver Serpent Emerges From Its Lair during brief openings, trying to break Jun Laoye's rhythm. But Jun Laoye's spear moves were airtight, flawlessly balancing offense and defense. For now, Lu Chen had no way to get through.

Just then, Nantian Yijian suddenly shouted, "Swordplay, huh? Then let me, Nantian Yijian, liven things up with a tune on the qin!"

He pulled out the Thirty-Six Cosmic Sword Guqin from his storage pouch and ran straight toward the center of the fight.

Jun Wudi eyed the instrument in Nantian Yijian's hands. With his discerning eye, he could tell at a glance that it had to be at least an Earth Tier treasure.

At his current cultivation, he already has an enchanted artifact of that level? Could he actually be from one of the noble families in the Nantian Region?

Lu Chen glanced over at Nantian Yijian running up. They'd known each other for a long time, and he had never once heard the man mention playing the qin. That suspicion was confirmed the moment a screeching sound tore through the air.

Strum! Screech! Screech!

Lu Chen's expression darkened. I've overestimated him again. This isn't music. He's playing with his life.

A wave of anguish swept through the crowd as people began throwing punches to stop Nantian Yijian from playing.

"Stop him! My ears!"

"Aaahhh! Make it stop!"

"Somebody shut him up!"

But Nantian Yijian wasn't so easily stopped. Heart-wrenching screams rang out from inside the command tent.

"Please! Stop him! Don't let him keep playing!"

"Have mercy!"

Lu Chen had already doubted Nantian Yijian's so-called guqin skills, so the noise didn't affect him much. However, Jun Laoye was a different story. He'd never heard Nantian Yijian play before, but assumed that anyone who carried a guqin must at least be somewhat decent.

Yet, Nantian Yijian’s guqin skills weren't just bad; they were deadly. The screeching sounds he produced made Jun Laoye's steps falter, throwing off his momentum for a brief moment.

"Star-Serpent Cloud Concealment!"

Hearing Lu Chen's shout, Jun Laoye's heart dropped. Not good.

Lu Chen seized the opening. Using Star-Serpent Cloud Concealment, he dashed forward and landed a palm strike right at Jun Laoye, forcing him back several steps.

"Flood Dragon's Dive!"

Lu Chen wasn't about to let such a golden opportunity slip by. Using Flood Dragon's Dive, he launched attacks from three directions at once, driving Jun Laoye into a retreat.

By now, the crowd had finally managed to stop Nantian Yijian. With their attention back on the fight, they broke into excited discussions, speculating on who had the upper hand.

"He actually forced Jun Laoye back! That's impressive!"

"Looks like Jun Laoye's going to lose!"

"He hasn't used his family's secret techniques yet. It's still too early to tell."

Seeing the crowd mocking him, Jun Laoye couldn't take it anymore. He prepared to unleash a stronger move.

"Flame Dragon Spear Soul! Ha!"

He took the Heavenly Spirit-Gathering Disk out from his storage pouch, pressed it against a notch on the spear, and formed a hand seal. In an instant, a fire dragon surged along the spear and lunged at Lu Chen.

Lu Chen was caught off guard.

He recognized both the spear and the Heavenly Spirit-Gathering Disk separately, but seeing them used together like this left him baffled. Still, he didn't dare lose focus and raised his guard.

"Flame Dragon Charge! Flame Dragon Thrust!"

Jun Laoye launched strike after strike, slashing and stabbing with the fire dragon. Wherever the dragon landed, it scorched the ground and burned nearby tables and chairs to ash.

With the Flame Dragon Spear Soul guarding Jun Laoye, Lu Chen couldn't get close.

He thought of using Heaven-Splitting Six Yang Palms, but it consumed too much spirit qi. At that moment, Lu Chen couldn't help but feel that his arsenal was a bit too limited.

Lu Chen kept his eyes on Jun Laoye. He secretly summoned the Green Sovereign Divine Tree, and countless vines appeared behind the young master.

"What's that behind Jun Laoye?"

"Tree branches? Vines?"

Hearing the gasps around him, Jun Laoye quickly used a movement art to escape.

Just as he moved, a thick vine smashed into the spot where he'd just stood, splintering the ground.

Jun Wudi's face lit up with excitement when he saw the vines. "That's definitely a divine ability, and a powerful one at that! This disciple isn't bad at all."

Jun Wudi clapped in delight. At the same time, his gaze toward Lu Chen changed, as if he had just made up his mind about something.

Jun Laoye stared at the vines before him. He'd seen them before, and he knew just how dangerous they could be.

"Little Lu, you're not the only one here with divine abilities. Take a look at this spear."

"......"

His eyes locked onto Lu Chen as he tossed aside his current spear. Then, he slowly drew another weapon from his waist.

This spear gleamed with brilliant silver light, exuding a piercing aura that seemed powerful enough to tear through the skies. One look was enough to tell it wasn't an ordinary weapon.

The crowd erupted as soon as they saw the silver spear. Everyone knew that the real battle was just starting.

"See? I told you Jun Laoye wouldn't go down that easily. Lu Chen's going to lose for sure!"

"Jun Laoye, go get him!"

"Lu Chen, don't hold back! We believe in you!"

The spectators quickly split into two camps, with one cheering for Lu Chen and the other for Jun Laoye. Cries of support for their chosen fighter echoed across the battlefield.