You remained chaste on your wedding night, do you really think this holy son is a simp?

On the high platform.

Gu Changyuan stood there, his robes fluttering in the wind.

He looked at Lin Chen, who was staggering and barely managing to get up from the ground, and his smile deepened, but there was no warmth in that smile, only mockery.

Although Lin Chen managed to stand up, he looked utterly miserable.

Half of his face was swollen like a steamed bun, blood was still dripping from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Gu Changyuan. If that look could kill, Gu Changyuan would probably be dead hundreds of times over.

Gu Changyuan was completely unfazed by the murderous glare he received.

He even wanted to rub salt into Lin Chen's wound.

Gu Changyuan took half a step forward, placed his hands on the white marble railing, and spoke in a leisurely tone.

"What? You're not convinced?"

"Judging from your expression, you seem quite dissatisfied."

Gu Changyuan stretched out a finger, pointed to the large training ground, and then pointed to himself.

"Lin Chen, are you out of your mind? Who's organizing this sect competition?"

"it's me."

"Who paid for all the expenses of this competition, the venue, and those enviable prizes?"

"It's still me."

At this point, Gu Changyuan shrugged, looking completely matter-of-fact.

"To put it bluntly, this is my venue. I pay for the stage and the show, so naturally I set the rules."

"You're just an actor who's here to join in the fun, not even a proper performer."

"If you feel I'm being unfair, if you feel I'm targeting you, or if you feel this place can't accommodate someone as important as you."

"That's easy."

Gu Changyuan pointed to the main entrance with a dashing gesture.

"The door is right there, wide open. You can leave now, get out of here immediately, and no one will stop you."

"Even if you have trouble walking, I can send two people to carry you out and take you down the mountain. How about that? Aren't I good enough to you?"

That's a really mean thing to say.

It was practically pointing a finger at Lin Chen and yelling: "Play if you want, get lost if you don't."

The disciples below the stage, though not daring to make a loud noise, suppressed their laughter and looked at Lin Chen with a mixture of pity and mockery.

this is the truth.

Money and power make you the boss. Why are you, a poor kid, arguing with the Holy Son?

Lin Chen stood at the edge of the arena, his body stiff, and said in a low voice.

"Of course he wants to leave!"

"Staying here to be made a fool of, humiliated, and slapped in the face—anyone with a backbone would have turned around and left long ago."

"But we can't leave!"

"That Five Elements Spirit Fruit is my only hope; it is the key to him rebuilding his foundation and embarking on the path to immortality."

"Without that fruit, he would have been nothing but a useless Qi Refining stage cultivator for the rest of his life, forever trampled underfoot."

"How much suffering and hardship did I endure for that fruit?"

"If we leave now, everything we've done before will have been for nothing."

"But we won't leave..."

"We'll have to stay here and continue to suffer humiliation."

As he said this, Lin Chen clenched his teeth so hard that the wound on the corner of his mouth, which had just dried, reopened, and blood flowed down his chin, dripping into the dust.

At the same time, on the high platform, Gu Changyuan suddenly heard that beautiful mechanical voice in his mind.

【Ding! 】

[Detection indicates that Lin Chen, the Chosen One, has broken down and is experiencing severe emotional fluctuations.]

[Congratulations, host, you have successfully plundered destiny.]

[Reward received: Tier 5 Spiritual Treasure, Heavenly Void Cauldron.]

Upon hearing this voice, Gu Changyuan's smile instantly became genuine.

He was overjoyed and said...

"Good heavens, a fifth-tier spiritual treasure? This Lin Chen is truly a lucky charm."

"This chosen one is really something else. He can break through any defense and the stuff that comes out is so tough."

"A fifth-tier spiritual treasure, even in the cultivation world, is a treasure that would make a Nascent Soul cultivator fight tooth and nail."

"I got it so easily."

"It seems there's still a lot of money to be made out of this kid; we can't let him off so easily."

"We need to squeeze him out a little more, preferably until he's completely drained."

At this point, Gu Changyuan composed himself.

He looked at Lin Chen, his expression slowly shifting from mockery to an unfathomable playfulness.

Since the harvest of leeks hasn't been finished yet, the show must continue.

Gu Changyuan cleared his throat, his voice suddenly turning cold, carrying a businesslike authority as he spoke.

"But although I won't stop you from leaving, this matter isn't over yet."

"Everyone saw it just now. I kindly let you participate in the competition, and I even overlooked your previous offenses."

"But what about you? Not only did you not appreciate it, but you also openly questioned my cheating in public and even spoke rudely and insulted me."

"In a sect, this is a serious crime of insubordination."

At this point, Gu Changyuan paused, his eyes sharpening.

"Logically speaking, a disciple like you who disrespects his elders and disrupts the order of the competition should be treated as such."

"They should be disqualified from the competition and thrown into the law enforcement hall to learn the rules."

The moment those four words "disqualification" came out...

Lin Chen shuddered violently, as if he had been struck by lightning.

Just a moment ago I was angry, but now it has instantly turned into terror.

His face was deathly pale, his eyes wide open, staring intently at Gu Changyuan.

Panic.

He was genuinely panicked.

If he is disqualified, then the Five Elements Spiritual Fruit will truly have nothing to do with him.

His dream of becoming an immortal, his dream of revenge, all his ambitions will vanish in an instant.

This is worse than killing him.

Lin Chen opened his mouth, wanting to explain and defend himself, but he swallowed the words back down.

Explain what?

The insults and the questions raised are facts; to offer any explanation at this point would be mere sophistry.

Seeing Lin Chen's helpless and terrified expression, Gu Changyuan felt incredibly satisfied.

now it's right.

It's meant to scare you, to let you know who's in charge.

Gu Changyuan enjoyed watching Lin Chen's ridiculous behavior for a while, and felt that the time was about right.

He suddenly changed the subject, and his tone became magnanimous.

"However..."

Gu Changyuan drawled out the last syllable, making it seem like he was easy to talk to.

"This Holy Son is not the kind of person who holds grudges."

"I know that young people are impetuous and easily act rashly when they encounter setbacks, which I can understand."

"I can give you a chance."

"An opportunity for you to stay in the arena and continue participating in the sect's grand competition."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Chen's heart jumped into his throat. He looked at Gu Changyuan anxiously, waiting for him to continue.

As long as he can participate in the competition and obtain the spiritual fruit, he'll do anything.

Gu Changyuan didn't keep anyone in suspense.

He leaned forward, pointed to the ground of the arena, where Lin Chen was standing.

Then, he spoke clearly, word by word.

"Kneel down before this Holy Son right now, immediately."

"Kneel down and beg this holy son."

"Then this holy son will show great mercy and not hold your earlier outburst against you, allowing you to continue the competition."