24: Chapter 24's strength is quite good, but his demeanor is a bit lacking.

Above the firmament, as Lu Chen's voice fell, Emperors Might poured down like a waterfall.

With every step he took, a golden lotus the size of a millstone bloomed in the Void Realm, supporting the soles of his feet.

The Dao harmonized, and phantoms of Dragons and Phoenixes swirled around. This wasn't mere cultivation; it was a banished immortal descending to the mortal world.

At this moment, Lu Chen turned the special effects up to the maximum.

After all, one could lose a fight but not their dignity, especially when creditors were present.

With a wave of his wide sleeves, Lu Chen slowly landed on the Purple Gold Seat at the head of Xiaoyao Peak, a seat symbolizing supreme authority.

His posture was lazy, as if the sky-shattering, boastful line from earlier hadn't come from his mouth.

On the square, after a deathly silence, a wave of noise erupted.

Except for Zixiao Holy Land and Wanhua Immortal Gate, the representatives of hundreds of other large and small Sect forces bowed in unison, their movements as orderly as waves of wheat blown by the wind.

"Greetings, Emperor Yun!!"

This was the prestige of the only Great Emperor in the current world.

However, amidst this deafening sound of worship, two extremely discordant Divine Sense transmissions, like two needles, accurately pierced into Lu Chen's Sea of Consciousness.

"It's been years, and your ability to play God has certainly improved."

This was Wei Hongyu's voice, carrying a hint of a numbing smile:

"This outfit is nice; did you borrow it again? Lu~ Great Emperor, I've prepared a very generous gift today. The Wanbao Chamber of Commerce is looking for a male model for the entrance lately, and I think you'd fit perfectly."

Immediately after, a cold voice tinged with embarrassment and annoyance rang out.

"You pervert... since you haven't achieved Ascension, why haven't you returned my things? Or are you planning to keep that personal item of mine to pass down to your descendants?"

Yao Xi stood in the crowd, her Face veiled. Her beautiful eyes shimmered with light, and her jade-like hands were clenched into small fists.

Lu Chen sat on the high platform, his expression unchanged, but he was cursing inwardly.

Could they give him some Face? A male model? Passing down to descendants? Were these things a Great Emperor should be hearing?

Lu Chen calmly picked up the teacup beside him, using the action of drinking tea to hide the twitching of his lips. At the same time, he sent back a Divine Sense transmission with only four words, treating them both equally:

"Business first."

Then, he directly cut off the Divine Sense connection. His gaze passed over the kneeling crowd and landed on the uninvited guests.

Ziyang and Han Jing were sitting as still as mountains.

"Fellow Daoists from Zixiao Holy Land and Wanhua Immortal Gate..."

Lu Chen set down his teacup, the porcelain cup clinking against the table with a soft "thud."

The sound wasn't loud, yet it spread clearly across the venue, suppressing all the noise.

"You two are the most polite and attentive. Others only send a Holy Lord at most, but your entire families have come out in full force. This Venerable One is a bit overwhelmed! Don't you agree?"

Lu Chen leaned back slightly, finding a comfortable position to lean against.

Old Ancestor Ziyang's Face darkened.

He slowly stood up, thunder exploding around him. The pressure of a Rank Six Pseudo-Emperor was released without concealment, pressing down on Xiaoyao Peak like a massive mountain.

"Emperor Yun must be joking."

Ziyang gave a fake smile, his voice like rolling thunder:

"I heard that Emperor Yun failed his Ascension attempt and was severely injured, fearing his time is short. As fellow cultivators, we naturally had to bring the full strength of our Sects to visit and see if we could save you."

"Seeing you now, Emperor Yun's tongue is quite sharp. It seems you've recovered well?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire audience erupted in an uproar.

They had completely dropped all pretenses!

To publicly curse a Great Emperor, saying his end was near—what arrogance!

Before everyone could react, Han Jing, the Ancestor Wanhua on the other side, also spoke up sinisterly:

"Brother Ziyang, watch your words. Emperor Yun is a living legend; how could he fall so easily? However..."

A glint of light flashed in his cloudy old eyes as his gaze swept over the three young girls behind Lu Chen like a venomous snake.

"Since this is an Disciple Recruitment Ceremony, Emperor Yun's disciples must surely be among the best. We haven't brought any valuable gifts today, so instead, we've brought some of our mediocre juniors to exchange pointers with your disciples."

Ancestor Wanhua Han Jing stroked his beard:

"If Emperor Yun's disciples can't even withstand a few moves, then the weight of the name 'Emperor Yun' might have to be discounted."

The dagger was revealed! What ceremony, what visit!

If Lu Chen agreed and his disciples lost, Yunxiao Holy Land would lose all Face. If he refused, it would show weakness and confirm the rumors of his severe injuries.

At that time, those six Emperor Weapons would likely come crashing down for real.

The air seemed to freeze.

Everyone's eyes were focused on the lazy man in black robes.

Lu Chen smiled.

"I was wondering why it was so noisy."

Lu Chen glanced at the murderous lineup of warships and sneered:

"It seems your two families are indeed struggling to make ends meet. When others come for a feast, they at least only send a Holy Lord and bring some gifts. You two, however, have brought your whole families and even your Emperor Weapons."

"What? Has your home suffered a disaster, or are you just trying to get a free meal at my Yunxiao Holy Land?"

"You—!" Ziyang was furious, thunder raging around him, scorching the warship's deck black.

"Sharp-tongued!"

Two waves of Pseudo-Emperor pressure swept toward the square like a tsunami.

Many of the guests present were already trembling.

However, at the center of the storm, not a single strand of Lu Chen's hair was out of place.

The surface of the tea in front of him remained as calm as a mirror, without even a single ripple.

"A test?"

Lu Chen picked up the teacup again and took a small sip to moisten his throat.

"Sure."

Lu Chen set down the teacup, his gaze sweeping over his disciples behind him, who were already unable to contain themselves.

"Since your two families are so eager to seek death, I won't stop you."

Lu Chen waved his hand lazily, as if shooing away flies.

"But let's make this clear first."

His gaze suddenly became deep, and his voice wasn't loud, yet it made the hearts of the two Pseudo-Emperors skip a beat for some reason.

"Fists and kicks have no eyes; blades and swords have no mercy."

"If those so-called Geniuses you brought are killed or crippled later, I won't be held responsible."

"After all, my disciples..."

Lu Chen paused and glanced at Leng Qingqiu, who was staring at Old Ancestor Ziyang with a murderous gaze, and sighed helplessly.

"After all, my disciple's strength is decent, but her temperament is a bit narrow."

"She's bloodthirsty and holds grudges; I can't control her either."

"Enough talk. Let the ceremony begin. Don't delay everyone from watching the show later."}],