282: The Grand Elder has made a mistake in his affections.

Hearing the Great Elder's almost seductive proposal, Mu Chen immediately showed a trace of awkwardness and apology on his face, quickly waved his hand, and sincerely declined.

"Great Elder, you think too highly of me! I'm afraid this junior cannot bear such a heavy responsibility."

The smile on the Great Elder's face froze slightly, and he pressed on.

"Oh? Why is that? The position of Great Elder of the Inner Academy holds considerable power, and the resources are also..."

Mu Chen turned slightly, looking at Jiang Donghua beside him with gratitude and determination, and explained.

"To be honest with the Great Elder, while in the secret chamber, this junior already agreed with Brother Jiang."

"After the matters here are concluded, I will head to the Northern Region of Central State to help look after Red Silk."

"Since I have already made a promise, how can I easily change it? And how could I remain here in the Inner Academy to take on the position of Great Elder?"

Although the words were tactful, the determination within them was unquestionable; he had already tied his future to Jiang Donghua.

"Northern Region of Central State? Red Silk?"

Hearing this, the Great Elder raised his eyebrows, and his gaze instantly fixed onto Jiang Donghua, like two sharp daggers!

That look was filled with undisguised resentment and accusation.

You despicable Jiang Donghua!

It wasn't easy for this old man to find a promising successor, and before I could even warm him up, you brat whisked him away?!

And you're taking him all the way to Central State?!

Sensing the Great Elder's murderous gaze, Jiang Donghua couldn't help but rub his nose and give an awkward smile, yet he remained silent.

He was indeed in the wrong regarding this matter, as he had reserved Mu Chen first.

The Great Elder looked at Jiang Donghua's innocent expression, then at Mu Chen, who looked determined and clearly set on leaving, and felt nothing but frustration and helplessness!

"Alas~ This old man's fate!"

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"I finally waited for a Dou Zong with sufficient strength and decent character, thinking I could finally shed this heavy burden and peacefully enter seclusion to make my breakthrough, but the cooked duck just flew away like that!"

"In this day and age, trying to trick—ahem—trying to find a reliable successor, why is it so difficult?!"

The enthusiastic smile on his face completely collapsed, transforming into deep bitterness and helplessness.

After a long while, he finally let out a long sigh, waved his hand, and said with a tone of waning interest.

"Forget it, forget it. Everyone has their own ambitions, and one cannot force them."

"Since you two already have plans, this old man won't say much more."

"Just remember that Jia Nan Academy will always be your backing."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Donghua and Mu Chen again, and his tone regained the composure befitting a Great Elder.

"Since you are both fine, and your cultivation has greatly advanced, this old man shall take his leave first."

Having said that, he didn't linger. His Dou Qi circulated, and his figure flashed, stepping into the air. He transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the horizon with a hint of loneliness.

However, that departing figure looked somewhat desolate, carrying the sense of an unfulfilled wish.

Watching the Great Elder's departing figure, Lei Lie finally stepped forward, grinning widely as he laughed.

"Hehe, Brother Jiang, Old Mu! You guys really made the Great Elder run off in anger!"

Soon, the news of Mu Chen breaking through to Dou Zong swept through the entire Inner Academy like an unexpected superstorm, spreading rapidly even to the Outer Academy!

The first reaction of everyone who heard this news was extreme shock and disbelief!

"What?! You said that Dou Zong aura belonged to Mu Chen?!"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Didn't he suffer from illness for several years, causing his cultivation to almost vanish?!"

"You mean Mu Chen, the chef of the Medicine Spirit Pavilion, who used to be on the strong ranking list but later disappeared?!"

"He became a Dou Zong?! Are you kidding me!"

Countless people subconsciously shook their heads in denial when they heard this news, because it completely subverted their understanding!

Mu Chen's illness and regression in cultivation were not a secret within the Inner Academy.

Many people had personally witnessed his sickly, weak appearance back then, and some Senior Students had even secretly lamented the fate of this former genius.

Someone who had been declining for several years and was almost universally considered to have a ruined future, suddenly not only recovered from his chronic illness but also leaped to become a lofty Dou Zong?!

This was simply more outrageous than a fairy tale!

However, when more and more people personally witnessed Mu Chen stepping on air, leisurely flying above the Inner Academy, and felt the undisguised, vast, and mighty Dou Zong pressure emanating from him, all doubts and disbelief turned into stupefaction and horror!

"Hiss—! It really is him! He really is a Dou Zong!"

"Oh my heavens, how exactly did he achieve this?!"

"Defying fate and changing destiny! This is absolutely defying fate and changing destiny!"

For a time, the entire Inner Academy was plunged into enormous commotion and heated discussion!

Over the next half-day, many Senior Students who were familiar with Mu Chen, or were simply curious, or even harbored a bit of defiance, personally went to the Medicine Spirit Pavilion to visit or probe.

The results were, without exception.

Facing these visitors, Mu Chen merely—and somewhat helplessly—casually released a trace of Dou Zong level aura pressure, or simply waved his hand, causing a trace of Heaven and Earth energy to form a barrier... Those visitors, whether they were Dou Ling or Peak Dou Ling, felt as if they had crashed into an invisible wall. They couldn't even get close, let alone exchange blows!

One by one, they were so shocked by the terrifying pressure that their faces turned pale, and they retreated in disgrace.

The gap was too large! Large enough to cause despair!

This kind of absolute power suppression was more convincing than any words!

After confirming the authenticity of Mu Chen's Dou Zong strength, what welled up in the hearts of countless Senior Students was no longer envy, but a deep sense of powerlessness and a hint of self-abandonment.

"Damn! Comparing oneself to others really is infuriating!"

"We painstakingly cultivated for over a decade, fighting desperately just to break through one or two stars, yet he simply flew straight from the bottom of the valley to the heavens!"

"This destiny is too damn good, isn't it?! Good enough to make people not want to live anymore!"

"Sigh, let's disperse, let's disperse. Comparing ourselves to this kind of monster is just asking for misery."

"I also want to beg the heavens to regress my strength for a few years and then suddenly advance by leaps and bounds!"

Mu Chen's miraculous rise was like a mirror, reflecting the ordinary and often difficult cultivation path of the majority of people in the Inner Academy, causing many to feel emotion and a hint of bitterness alongside their shock.

Naturally, even more people turned their attention to Jiang Donghua, who had entered seclusion with Mu Chen and shared an extraordinary relationship with him.

They vaguely sensed that Mu Chen's heaven-shaking fortune was likely inseparable from this even more mysterious leader of the New Students!

The reputation of the Donghua Pavilion and Jiang Donghua also reached an unprecedented height in the Inner Academy because of this incident!