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Chapter 297: The Respected King Jinpeng
🕑 Added 2024-10-29 15:59:23 +0000 UTCJinpeng Ridge.
This was the domain of the Beast Clan's King Jinpeng. The ridge shone with golden light, palaces stretched across the mountain range, and the radiance illuminated the entire sky!
In the hearts of countless members of the Beast Clan, this place represented authority and sanctity, a location no one dared to offend.
But on this day...
Endless black clouds gathered from all directions, swirling into a massive vortex over Jinpeng Ridge.
Within the vortex, lightning crackled and thunder roared.
"Who dares?!"
"How insolent!"
"To cause such chaos before King Jinpeng’s court!"
Several Beast Clan Emperor-level experts immediately soared into the sky. They were King Jinpeng's subordinates, brimming with fury.
King Jinpeng stood at the pinnacle of the Nine Heavens World. Though he had suffered a setback at White Crane Palace last time, his authority remained unshaken, and his subordinates were not easily intimidated.
The invincible great demon who had slaughtered countless at White Crane Palace was just one person. There couldn’t possibly be such creatures running rampant across the world, right?
Even if they existed, what were the odds of encountering them here? They didn't believe in such coincidences.
However…
Sometimes, the unbelievable becomes reality!
"Boom!!"
In the next moment, the Emperor-level experts who had flown into the sky suddenly seemed to be struck by lightning. Their bodies ignited like burning suns, plummeting back to the ground, smashing several massive mountain peaks to rubble.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The earth trembled, mountains shook, and dust clouds surged into the sky. Rows of palaces collapsed, and screams of anguish echoed everywhere.
"Ahhh!!"
"My leg!"
"Help me! I'm trapped and can't pull free!"
The scene was utterly chaotic.
The remaining people of Jinpeng Ridge were filled with both rage and fear, but none dared to act recklessly. After all, even Emperor-level experts had been instantly suppressed!
"Who is the guest that has arrived uninvited?"
At that moment, a calm yet commanding voice resonated through the air. Though polite in tone, it carried an undertone of coldness.
Rumble!
The entire Jinpeng Ridge shook, the mountains radiated light, and a colossal golden roc's shadow emerged from the earth, enveloping all of Jinpeng Ridge, blotting out the sky.
This was King Jinpeng himself!
With his appearance, an overwhelming aura swept across the land, as if declaring that he was the true master here.
"It’s me."
A calm voice echoed in response, and the black cloud vortex in the sky dissipated, revealing two ordinary-looking figures.
"It’s him!!"
King Jinpeng's initially indifferent gaze turned to shock the moment he saw the white-robed figure, his pupils contracting violently.
Simultaneously, the overwhelming pressure vanished instantly, and even the enormous golden roc shadow covering the sky rapidly shrank.
In the end, King Jinpeng reverted to a tall and dignified middle-aged man dressed in gold robes. He cupped his hands respectfully toward Qin Chuan and smiled:
"Haha, I wondered who possessed such presence—it turns out to be Daoist Qin himself! Your visit brings great honor to Jinpeng Ridge!"
He had conceded.
Without hesitation, any notions of face or pride were discarded in an instant.
King Jinpeng knew full well that this man had the power to slay him. The last time they had faced off at White Crane Palace, even with over a dozen others, they had been crushed by Qin Chuan. Now that he was alone, he stood no chance.
Even escaping would be impossible!
"Indeed, King Jinpeng, I hope you’ve been well."
Qin Chuan cupped his hands in return, his face bearing a friendly smile, maintaining a polite demeanor.
King Jinpeng’s earlier retreat had not been overly obvious, and coupled with Qin Chuan’s courteous attitude, it gave the impression to outsiders that they shared some history—perhaps even as equals.
This was exactly what Qin Chuan wanted, to quell any unease among the people of Jinpeng Ridge and inflate the confidence of the geniuses who would soon challenge Qin Zi.
If the geniuses of Jinpeng Ridge could tell that their king was afraid, their spirits would falter, and the chance to generate those precious Father’s Help points would vanish.
King Jinpeng had no idea what Qin Chuan was scheming, but seeing Qin Chuan behave so cordially filled him with relief.
Maintaining his dignity was, of course, the best outcome!
In the world of the powerful, one could grovel in private, but in public, some respect had to be preserved.
"Thank you, Daoist, for your concern. All is well here."
King Jinpeng spoke calmly.
He carefully managed his expression, maintaining a delicate balance between smiling too much and being too stern.
If he appeared too warm, he’d come across as fawning and would lose face before his subordinates and juniors. But if he was too cold, he risked offending the wrong person, which could be disastrous.
Thus, his face hovered in a state between smiling and not smiling, and his voice matched that delicate tone.
Quite a balancing act!
"Good."
Qin Chuan nodded again and then said:
"I’m here this time to arrange a sparring match between our juniors. I hope Daoist Jinpeng can grant us this opportunity."
"What is it you seek?"
King Jinpeng asked solemnly.
"The Nine-colored Taishui."
Qin Chuan replied.
King Jinpeng’s expression changed. The Nine-colored Taishui was one of the most precious treasures in his possession, and now it had become a target.
Thinking about the "sparring" Qin Chuan mentioned, he braced himself and asked, "You mean to have your son compete against the geniuses of Jinpeng Ridge, and if your son wins, I give you the Nine-colored Taishui?"
"Exactly."
Qin Chuan nodded.
King Jinpeng felt as if he were walking a tightrope, but to maintain as much dignity as possible, he suppressed his nerves and asked, "And if your son loses, what do you offer in return?"
He acknowledged he was gambling.
By saying this, he was trying to create an illusion of equality between them, sending a message to everyone that King Jinpeng was not to be underestimated!
His greatest fear was that Qin Chuan might suddenly say, "I don’t care about your face," and then abruptly flip the table and attack.
So, he was under tremendous pressure.
Winning this gamble would preserve his dignity, but losing could mean being utterly humiliated.
However, Qin Chuan was cooperative.
Smiling, Qin Chuan said, "If my son loses, you can name your price. As long as it’s within my power, I’ll fulfill it."
"Great!"
King Jinpeng laughed heartily, completely relaxing. That single sentence from Qin Chuan had made everything clear.
Though he couldn’t fully understand Qin Chuan's motives, one thing was certain—Qin Chuan was offering him respect and wasn’t planning to tear him down.
This made things much easier.
If his descendant lost, he would hand over the Nine-colored Taishui. Even if his descendant won, he wouldn’t push for any excessive demands but would instead offer the treasure willingly.
In doing so, he would demonstrate his generosity and possibly gain the friendship of this terrifying figure.
While it pained him to part with the treasure, this was clearly the wisest course of action. Sometimes, refusing to let go of a treasure could cost you your life!
"Then let’s not waste any more time. Let’s set up the stage here and see if your descendants can prove themselves worthy!"
With a wave of Qin Chuan’s hand, vast amounts of energy surged, intertwining with the laws of nature to form a massive arena in the sky!
They would begin immediately.
He wasn’t giving King Jinpeng any time to prepare. The key was to prevent the king from communicating with his descendants.
This way, the young talents of Jinpeng Ridge wouldn’t grasp the gravity of the situation and would recklessly puff themselves up before Qin Zi.
King Jinpeng took a deep breath and then announced,
"All young experts at or above the Emperor Realm in Jinpeng Ridge, come forward."
His voice was like a great bell, resonating throughout the vast expanse of Jinpeng Ridge. Instantly, beams of light shot into the sky.
In a flash, the skies were filled with great rocs spreading their wings. The scene was magnificent!
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