The Unfettered Allianceās headquarters was a small pavilion that required three thousand immortal crystals per month to rent. Long Chen was sitting inside, with the Unfettered Allianceās disciples staring at him in shock.
He had gone into seclusion for the past seven days. The last time they saw him, his mortal qi was still present, but now it was completely gone. He even had a trace of immortal spiritual qi in his body at this moment.
Long Chen was already such a handsome man that even his worn-down black robes couldnāt conceal his heroic air. But now that his mortal qi had been expelled, it was like the dust had been removed from fine jade. His entire appearance was elevated, making him appear like a crane amongst chickens.
āHehe, brother San has grown more and more handsome. I heard that our High Firmament Academy has a number one beautiful woman and a number one beautiful man. Iāve never seen them, but I bet that the number one beautiful man doesnāt have brother Sanās flavor,ā giggled Zhong Ling.
Long Chen involuntarily laughed. āWhy do you all seem to be in such a good mood? Do you have absolute confidence in this competition?ā
āOf course! After a month of hellish training, if we still couldnāt get first place, weād be ruining brother Sanās prestige. We canāt lose Boss Long Sanās face!ā declared Zhong Xiu.
In this one month, Long Chen had sealed them off and given them training in a similar way that he had trained the Dragonblood Legion. Of course, he had lowered the standards as these were disciples of rich families. They couldnāt possibly be like the Dragonblood warriors who lived every moment knowing that they could lose their lives if they werenāt strong enough.
However, it had to be said that these disciples finally had some of the stuff that made true experts. There was confidence and ease in their eyes that showed their accomplishments.
Mu Qingyunās sword was no longer hanging on her waist but on her back. Furthermore, at no time did it ever leave her body.
That wasnāt something that Long Chen had taught her. It was something she had naturally comprehended after gaining insight into the Sword Dao. She could already be said to have entered the gates to the realm of sword cultivators.
Of course, compared to Yue Zifeng, there was simply no comparison. That was because in Yue Zifengās heart, there was nothing else other than the sword.
āBrother San, when the competition starts, you can just sit and drink tea while we perform. Weāll beat Chu Kuang until he pisses himself! Just cheer for us.ā Zhong Ling clenched her fists, seemingly already seeing their victory.
āI suddenly really envy you,ā sighed Long Chen.
āWhat?ā
āIt really is nice being young. Youngsters can be naive. But me, at this age, Iām no longer qualified to be so naive.ā Long Chen shook his head.
Zhong Ling and the others were still befuddled. Mu Qingyun asked, āBrother San, what are you talking about? Are we too naive? You donāt have a good opinion of our chances in the divine competition?ā
āQingyun, you are the leader. Confidence is the most basic quality, but you also must have an understanding of each sideās power. In your opinion, even without me, how high are your odds of beating the Prime Glory Alliance?ā asked Long Chen.
āIf it was one month ago, we would definitely be defeated. But now Iāve gained an initial understanding of the Sword Dao and also trained in the Firmament Cloud Sword Art. Although I donāt dare to say that I can definitely defeat Chu Kuang, Iām at least fifty percent confident. Even if I canāt beat him, I should only be slightly weaker. With Zhong Ling, Zhong Xiu, Li Cai, Wang Xing, Lu Wei, and the others who have been trained into first rate experts thanks to you, I feel like our chances of victory are at least over ninety percent,ā said Mu Qingyun.
In this month, she felt like she had completely transformed. After comprehending the Sword Dao, her killing power was so great that it frightened her. That was why she was so confident.
Furthermore, everyone else that she had just mentioned had made exceptional gains as well. Everyone had transformed during this time. If they all went into the competition together, they were confident that they would win.
Long Chen nodded, not saying anything. Mu Qingyun then asked, āBrother San, is there a problem?ā
āThereās no problem on the surface. Your estimation of both sidesā power can be considered correct. But can you forecast a bit deeper?ā
āA bit deeper?ā Mu Qingyun was confused. She didnāt understand what he was talking about.
āNot good!ā
Suddenly, a disciple of the Unfettered Alliance came running in, covered in sweat. He looked as if the heavens were collapsing, alarming everyone.
āWhatās going on?!ā asked Mu Qingyun.
āBig sister Qingyun, Chu Kuang is absolutely despicable! He has drawn in outside reinforcements. The Immortal Instituteās Gu Fei, the Formation Instituteās Tang Yaochen, the Soul Instituteās Li Chengbei, and the other famous experts have all joined the Prime Glory Alliance and plan on attending this divine competition! He just handed in the list and I ran over as soon as I saw it!ā
The discipleās words were like thunder exploding beside Mu Qingyunās ears. Everyone was dumbfounded.
āThatās against the rules!ā
Li Cai shouted furiously. These people were all famous within their own respective institutes. How could they simply join the competition of the God Institute?
āIāve asked people, and they said that they are all subordinates of the Chu family and can attend the competition under their status as followers of Chu Kuang, so itās not against the rules. As for Gu Fei, for some reason, he actually gave up on the Immortal Instituteās competition to help Chu Kuang. It might be because he wants revenge on brother San,ā said that disciple helplessly.
Everyone was shocked and enraged. One by one, they turned to look at Long Chen. On the other hand, Long Chenās expression remained indifferent from the start.
āBrother San, what do you think?ā asked Mu Qingyun.
āThis chair is comfy.ā Long Chen shrugged.
āBrother San⦠Now isnāt the time for jokes. Those fellows are all very terrifying existences,ā said Mu Qingyun anxiously.
āIām not joking. Itās better to sit in a comfy chair to think rather than hopping around like a clown. When I asked you whether or not youāve considered looking deeper, I was referring to this. If Chu Kuang didnāt do such a thing, would he still be Chu Kuang? Let me explain it to you frankly. This divine competition has a completely different meaning from normal times,ā said Long Chen, relaxing into his chair with his hands on the back of his head.
āWhy is it different?ā pressed Mu Qingyun.
āBecause the Discipline Instituteās head judge and the Chu family are fighting. Chu Kuang can only win, or the consequences will be terrible for him. If he loses, not only will he be executed, but the Chu familyās force within the academy will be severely damaged. Although it wouldnāt be completely pulling them out by the roots, their prestige will definitely suffer. Thatās why Chu Kuang will use any sinister schemes he can think of in order to win. Thereās nothing surprising about this.ā
Just at this moment, a bell rang out repeatedly, making Mu Qingyun and the others tense.
āThe divine competition will start in two hours. All forces gather at the field!ā A voice rang out through the air.
Long Chen stood and stretched. He had a relaxed and easy smile on his face.
āI wish I could be low-key, but some people always refuse to let me. But thatās fine. I should move my body a bit, or Iāll get rusty.ā