novelE2F Chapter 181: The Noblest Virtue
Chapter 181: The Noblest Virtue
As Jiang Chen’s words resonated through the space, a profound silence enveloped the venue.
All those present widened their eyes, staring at Jiang Chen, their faces etched with surprise.
What did it mean to possess a broad and enlightened perspective?
This was the perfect example!
Stung by the sting of defeat, Fang Yuan reacted with misplaced anger, lashing out at Jiang Chen, despite the latter speaking in his defense.
Remarkably, Jiang Chen harbored no resentment. Instead, he displayed deep empathy and spoke wise words that reflected the demeanor expected of the head senior brother from a revered Holy Land.
"Senior Brother Jiang Chen is truly extraordinary!" Tai Yuanqing declared with heartfelt admiration.
"In this life, I am resolved to follow in the footsteps of Senior Brother Jiang Chen till the end!" a core disciple vowed earnestly.
"Fang Yuan’s encounter with Senior Brother Jiang Chen is akin to having exhausted his accumulated good fortune of eighteen generations!"
As these discussions echoed across other parts of the Holy Land’s main square, everyone exchanged knowing glances. Within their eyes sparkled a shared excitement, admiration, and an almost fanatical reverence for Jiang Chen!
Meanwhile, from her vantage point in the VIP area, Ji Ruxue observed Jiang Chen in the fighting arena with a softening gaze, thinking to herself, "Jiang Chen is indeed a virtuous individual, completely free of faults!" Her feelings of affection for him grew exponentially.
The same sentiment was shared by both Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning within the confines of the Soul Embodying Ring, as their esteem for Jiang Chen also soared.
"That’s the conduct befitting a true genius! Considering a single loss as a matter of life and death is utterly dishonorable," Shangguan Ning muttered to herself. She kept her thoughts to herself, wary of how Fang Yuan might react if he overheard.
"Jiang Chen’s character is truly of the highest caliber!" Nangong Wan reflected. She had met many individuals throughout her life, yet few could compare to Jiang Chen.
Were anyone else in Jiang Chen’s position, they might likely ridicule Fang Yuan or dismiss him with cold indifference.
[Ding! You have successfully enhanced the affection of the Unpursued Heroine, Nangong Wan, towards you. The Heavenly Fate Value of the protagonist, Fang Yuan, has decreased by 200 points!]
[Ding! You have successfully enhanced the affection of the Unpursued Heroine, Shangguan Ning, towards you. The Heavenly Fate Value of the protagonist, Fang Yuan, has decreased by 200 points!]
[Ding! You have successfully enhanced the affection of the Unpursued Heroine, Ji Ruxue, towards you. The Heavenly Fate Value of the protagonist, Fang Yuan, has decreased by 100 points!]
[Ding! You have accumulated 1000 points of Villain Value!]
The system notifications resonated within Jiang Chen’s sea of consciousness, stirring a mix of elation and disappointment in his heart.
The elation came from two sources: firstly, his imminent complete influence over Ji Ruxue, and secondly, his success in reducing Fang Yuan’s Heavenly Fate Value by another significant margin of 500 points.
The disappointment, however, stemmed from the impending reality that he would no longer be able to use Ji Ruxue as a means to further decrease Fang Yuan’s Heavenly Fate Value.
[Ding! You have accrued 400 points of Villain Value!]
The system notifications chimed once more.
Meanwhile, beneath the stage, the fervent admirers of Jiang Chen were engaged in animated discussions.
"Unbelievable! Fang Yuan has been rescued by Senior Brother Jiang Chen once again!"
"Senior Brother Jiang Chen is too benevolent, alas!"
"If that ungrateful Fang Yuan dares to repay Senior Brother Jiang Chen’s goodwill with treachery in the future, I swear I will confront him and curse his lineage up to eighteen generations!"
Just then, the buzzing of the agitated crowd was drowned out by the resonant voice of the presiding Elder, who, following Ji Mingxiu’s directives, declared, "We hereby announce that the ranking competition is on the verge of commencement. All participating disciples, please proceed to the numbered arenas corresponding to your ranks. The competition officially begins an hour from now!"
"Please make use of this time to recuperate and restore your strength," he advised before falling silent and taking his seat to wait for the hour to pass.
In reality, the ranking competition had been in motion since the conclusion of the first round.
The disciples who were defeated in each round vied for the highest rank within their respective rounds.
For instance, over sixty disciples had been vanquished in the first round. Thus, the highest possible rank for them was in the sixties, while the lowest possible rank could run into the hundreds, effectively placing one at the very end of the spectrum.
Nevertheless, the Holy Land upheld a particular rule: Every disciple held the right to challenge the prospective Holy Son!
At this juncture, what the presiding Elder announced essentially signified the initiation of these challenges against Jiang Chen.
As Fang Yuan moved toward his designated arena, holding the second rank, his mind was abuzz with strategies. ’The challenge starts in one hour! Within this timeframe, I need to improve my combat power!!’ he thought, steeling his resolve.
How could he possibly amplify his strength within such a narrow window? It was certainly unfeasible for him to achieve this alone!
His only option lay with Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning, two powerful experts who had reached the Void Tribulation realm. Recognizing this, Fang Yuan aimed to reach out to them using the Soul Embodying Ring.
Yet, having been warned by Jiang Chen recently, he was careful not to make any hasty moves, especially since he was now being closely watched by many, including prominent figures such as Ji Mingxiu, Mo Yu, Li Shang, Han Xu, and Liu Mei, all of whom had ascended to the Dao Palace realm.
Understanding that any rash action could lead to disaster, Fang Yuan decided his first step would be to retreat to the safety of his cave mansion, where he could better assess his next move without drawing unwanted attention.
As he was about to ask for permission to leave, Fang Yuan noticed that disciples carrying healing and restorative pills were entering the arenas to distribute them among the competitors.
Seeing this, he paused, planning to obtain some pills before he left. However, he did not expect that the disciple distributing the pills would simply throw them in his direction.
As the disciple walked away, he even muttered a comment full of disdain and scorn.
’Bastard!’ Fang Yuan seethed, staring at the retreating figure of the disciple with an icy murderous intent in his eyes. Yet, he dared not retaliate and was forced to momentarily suppress his anger.