ATPnovel Chapter 643 All Three Items Reported! Wang Zhenyue's Threat!
Chapter 643 All Three Items Reported! Wang Zhenyue's Threat!
When Chen Fan entered the square with the Crown Prince's entourage, the square was already bustling with noise.
Today he changed into a clean and neat gray-blue cloth robe, with the black soul banner tucked into his waistband, and the golden cicada quietly nestled in a small insect cage on his inner sleeve.
Han Cen and Ouyang Ye followed closely behind, both with solemn expressions on their faces.
The registration area was located at the entrance of the square. Behind a long table sat three Gu cultivators dressed in dark green leather robes, all of whom were at the late Nascent Soul stage.
Several long lines had already formed in front of the table, with participants from all sides registering for their respective events.
When it was Chen Fan's turn, the Gu cultivator in charge of registration asked without looking up, "Name, background, and competition event."
"Chen Fan, Zhao State's Offering Hall. Report all three: Gu Insect Battle, Gu Array Battle, and Cultivation Arena."
The Gu cultivator paused, his pen still.
He raised his head and looked Chen Fan up and down a few times, a hint of surprise flashing in his sinister triangular eyes.
Reporting all three items was not unprecedented at the Hundred Sects Assembly, but those who dared to do so were all old monsters who had been famous on the grasslands for a long time. The pale-faced, beardless, and unremarkable cultivator in front of him looked to be nothing more than an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator.
"Both Gu Insect Battles and Gu Array Battles require your own Gu insects," the Gu cultivator reminded him, his tone tinged with suspicion.
Chen Fan didn't say much, but simply took out the insect cage from his sleeve and placed it on the table. The golden cicada in the cage sensed the outside atmosphere, flapped its wings and emitted a clear buzzing sound, its body shimmering with dark golden light, and released its aura of the Great Perfection of Core Formation without any concealment.
The Gu cultivator glanced at it and frowned slightly.
A Gu worm at the Great Perfection of Core Formation is only considered slightly above average in the Ten Thousand Gu City. It's qualified to participate in the Gu worm competition, but it's far from winning. He didn't say anything more, but simply handed the three competition tokens to Chen Fan and waved for the next person to step forward.
Below the high platform next to the registration area, the leaders of various factions had taken their seats one after another.
The eldest prince, Zhao Yan, was seated in the front row of the east stand. Although he was unable to attend in person due to court affairs, he sent several trusted confidants to oversee the proceedings.
Qin Zhan sat at the very front of the Yu the Great delegation, accompanied by several deities of the Yu the Great royal family. Each of them had a solemn expression, which was out of place with the relaxed atmosphere of the grassland.
As soon as Chen Fan stepped out of the registration area, he heard a cold laugh coming from the side.
"Report all three items? Chen Fan, you're getting bolder and bolder." Song Tianren had appeared on the stone steps outside the registration area at some point, dressed in a black robe, with his hands behind his back, his demonic aura restrained yet sharp.
Standing beside him were Duan Wuliang and several Boundless Sea Demon Cultivators, their gazes toward Chen Fan filled with undisguised mockery.
Song Tianren only registered for the cultivation arena, clearly focusing all his energy on the final head-on confrontation.
"Being first in alchemy and formations wasn't enough for you, now you even want to get involved in Gu worms and Gu formations." Song Tianren tilted his head slightly, his indifferent black eyes full of amusement. "Back in the Boundless Sea, I told you that you were too greedy. Don't you understand the principle of 'biting off more than you can chew' after living for so many years? Gu worm battles and Gu formation battles are the territory of Gu cultivators. You, an outsider cultivator, haven't even raised Gu worms for more than a few days, yet you dare to go up there and embarrass yourself?"
Duan Wuliang sneered, "Fellow Daoist Song is right. Chen Fan, don't think you're invincible just because you managed to kill Li Jiuyuan in the Boundless Sea. Which Gu cultivator on the desert grasslands hasn't dealt with Gu worms for thousands of years? You, a self-taught amateur, will only humiliate yourself if you go up there."
Chen Fan stopped, his gaze sweeping over the two men before finally settling on Song Tianren's face. His tone remained as calm as ever: "Fellow Daoist Song was just as certain that we wouldn't dare set foot on the island back in the Boundless Sea. And it seems you were there when we twisted Li Jiuyuan's head off."
The smile on Song Tianren's face froze instantly, and his demonic power exploded like ignited gunpowder, causing the stone steps beneath his feet to crack inch by inch.
Duan Wuliang and the others were also forced to retreat several steps by this oppressive force, their expressions changing slightly.
Chen Fan remained standing still, motionless, as if the demonic power at the Nascent Soul level was nothing more than a slightly stronger gust of wind.
Just as the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense, another gloomy voice came from outside the crowd.
"Chen Fan".
Chen Fan slowly turned his head. The crowd automatically parted to make way for an elderly man with white hair, dressed in a purple and gold dragon robe, who walked in with his hands behind his back.
The old man's face was as stern as a piece of ancient, cold iron. His body was surrounded by surging flame spiritual energy, and with each step he took, a scorched mark would be left on the bluestone ground beneath his feet.
The overwhelming pressure from the peak of the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm was released without any concealment, forcing the surrounding onlookers to retreat.
Wang Zhenyue.
Wang Zhenyue stopped five steps in front of Chen Fan, and for the first time, an undisguised killing intent surfaced in his usually calm eyes.
Behind him followed three Wang family retainers at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage, each with an unfriendly expression.
"When you killed Wang Teng, I told you to enjoy your remaining days," Wang Zhenyue's voice was old and gloomy, like muffled thunder from the depths of the earth. "I heard you were doing quite well in the Boundless Sea, and I thought you had forgotten your own name. I didn't expect you to run off to the grasslands again. Good, very good. After the Hundred Sects Conference, I will be waiting for you outside Ten Thousand Gu City. At that time, no one in heaven or on earth will be able to save you."
Chen Fan met Wang Zhenyue's murderous eyes, but his expression remained calm and composed.
He cupped his hands slightly, his posture respectful yet fearless: "Fellow Daoist Wang has come from afar, you must be tired. However, you are getting on in years, and anger is harmful to your health, so please take good care of yourself."
Upon hearing this, a collective gasp of astonishment immediately filled the air.
Although most of the cultivators present did not recognize Wang Zhenyue, they could all sense the terrifying pressure emanating from this old man, who was at the peak of the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm.
For a mere Nascent Soul cultivator to speak to a Nascent Soul elder in such a nonchalant tone, such audacity cannot be measured by common sense.
Wang Zhenyue stared at Chen Fan for a moment, then suddenly smiled.
That smile was as cold as a thousand-year-old glacier, sending chills down one's spine.
"Your tongue is as sharp as ever. I'd like to see if you'll still be able to laugh when you walk out of Ten Thousand Gu City after the Hundred Sects Conference ends."
He said no more, turned around and led the three guest advisors toward the west side of the stands.
Qin Zhan stood not far away watching this scene, his rugged face full of complex emotions.
As the Eighth Prince of Yu the Great, he came to the grasslands on behalf of Yu the Great to witness the grand assembly of the Hundred Clans of the Gu King, and also bore the important responsibility of observing the situation on the grasslands for the imperial court.
Seeing Wang Zhenyue publicly make threats against Chen Fan, he wanted to step forward to support Chen Fan several times, but due to the delicate balance between the Eight Great Families of Dayu and the royal family, he ultimately held back.
He walked to Chen Fan's side and lowered his voice, saying, "Chen Fan, although what you said earlier was satisfying, that old bastard Wang Zhenyue is a man of his word. Once the Hundred Sects Conference is over, you can stay in the city for a few more days without any problem. No one in the city dares to violate the Gu King's rule against private duels. I have already sent a message back to Dayu to see if I can send a few people over..."