Chapter 370: Always Ready for a Beating Huh?
Although Tang Hong now recognized Jiang Chen as his boss, the irritation in his heart had yet to be placated after losing a competition. He naturally wouldn’t do so in front of his boss.
Iron Dazhi, however, had suddenly barged in out of nowhere. Judging from his foolish demeanor, he wanted to make Tang Hong his underling!
This made Tang Hong feel deeply offended. This Iron Dazhi was a good-for-nothing who depended on the protection of his family’s elders. He was complete trash in Tang Hong’s eyes!
This kid dared throw his weight around in front of Tang Hong?
He kept cracking his knuckles audibly.
“Iron Dazhi, you’re always freaking ready for a beating, huh? Don’t think I’m too wuss to hit you just because you have a powerful grandfather.”
Iron Dazhi blinked. He’d come storming out of his closed-door cultivation with quite a strong momentum. He’d always felt himself somewhat weaker than Tang Hong before.
But this time’s training had seen him break through sixth level spirit realm and receive the Iron family legacy. When compared to Tang Hong now, he would only be stronger than him and not weaker.
This brat dares talk back to me like this?
Iron Dazhi’s face darkened immediately. “Tang Hong, do you understand the notion of precedence? What kind of position do you have, what kind of position do I have? In terms of background and cultivation, in what way am I unfit to be your boss?”
Tang Hong sneered and advanced closer, “Why the feck would I care what your background or cultivation are? Why don’t you keep strutting around? Do you believe that I’ll slap the shit out of you with one blow?”
Tang Hong had lost his bet and was ticked that he had no place to vent his ill will on. Iron Dazhi hadn't recognized the situation he was in and charged straight in. What an idiot.
One had to say, Tang Hong’s stocky body and his head full of red hair scattered like straw gave others a very fierce feeling.
Add to that his extraordinarily large feet—he was indeed rather frightening when he started walking.
Iron Dazhi also regretted his bit of mouthing off when he saw Tang Hong start to go on a rampage. This wasn’t the way to bring him into his camp!
Everyone knew that Death-Defyer Tang Hong would put in an appearance when he was provoked enough.
Seeing that Tang Hong was about to lose his composure at any time, Iron Dazhi hastily said, “Forget it. I’m participating in the exams today and won’t bother myself with arguing with you today. The other sects are all united in this great selection, so what do you think you’ll gain in arguing with me?”
Jiang Chen couldn’t help but laugh inwardly at Iron Dazhi when hearing this.
This guy chickened out in the critical moment! No matter what his reason had been, he was absolutely finding a way out of the situation and didn’t dare conflict with Tang Hong.
Tang Hong snorted, “Bullshit! Unity is just a surface act. I also warn you that you better not be hoity-toity in front of me in the future.”
Iron Dazhi was livid. “Alright, alright! Tang Hong, you’re cocky now. But one day, I’ll make you dance in attendance to me!”
Tang Hong laughed in cold succession and flicked his middle finger at Iron Dazhi, leaving with a flourish.
His emblematic big feet pounded on the floor, creating a large ruckus.
Jiang Chen chuckled and flicked a glance at Iron Dazhi, preparing to walk out as well. The results were quickly apparent when two geniuses faced off.
Iron Dazhi was born of a good family and had many resources, but he was still a good-for-nothing in terms of personality and schemes who couldn’t be saved.
Tang Hong on the other hand had an obviously resolute dao heart, and a spirit that never accepted defeat.
“Secular ant, what are you laughing about?” Iron Dazhi had been depressed already and flew into a rage when he saw that mask wearing secular ant also laughing. You pathetic ant, a character the same as a dog, dare laugh in front of me as well?
Jiang Chen had long since grown immune to names such as secular ant and ordinary kid. He laughed coldly and imitated Tang Hong in raising his middle finger.
“What business of yours is it that I laugh?”
Jiang Chen also left with a flourish after these words, ignoring the black lines running down Iron Dazhi’s face.
He was about to respond when someone suddenly walked out of the pill refining room. She said with a furrowed brow, “This is the pill examination area, who causes an uproar here? Do you understand the rules?”
The examiner also walked up with a smile when he saw this person. Another heaven-defying genius had emerged. “Long Juxue, you’ve completed the exams?”
This lovely figure was indeed Long Juxue. She’d completed the pill exams and was exiting from this direction when she heard the noise.
Nodding, Long Juxue frowned and raked a faint glance over Iron Dazhi. “You’re a Precious Tree Sect disciple, do you not know that quiet is needed for refining pills? Have your elders not taught you even this bit of knowledge?”
Iron Dazhi had been depressed to begin with, and this was heightened with Long Juxue’s lecture. “This… this is my fault as well?”
Of course he knew her background. An innate constitution, and the undertones that she would become first in the Purple Sun Sect. As proud as Iron Dazhi was, he too knew that this woman was not one to provoke.
Otherwise, with his personality, how would he stand for being lectured by a woman?
Long Juxue averted her face with disdain. Apparently, a character like Iron Dazhi was unworthy of her sight.
The examiner hastened to smooth things over when he saw that the scene had taken an awkward turn. “Alright, the noise just now wasn’t only Iron Dazhi’s fault. The matter arose because Tang Hong of the Precious Tree Sect bet against the secular genius. What do you think the results were?”
“What?” Long Juxue and Iron Dazhi were in unexpected accordance this time as they asked the same question at the same time.
It was obvious that the two weren’t really on the same wavelength. They’d blurted out this question because Iron Dazhi was paying attention to Tang Hong and Long Juxue had picked up the ear-piercing words of the secular genius.
“Tang Hong was very confident in betting with the secular genius. Whoever lost would be the other’s lackey for life. In the end, the self-assured Tang Hong lost three exams in a row, and he lost them in a manner with no hope of winning at all. Tsk tsk. The secular genius is truly amazing. Tang Hong’s gift for spirit medicine is at least top three in the Precious Tree Sect. To think that he would lose so utterly.”
The examiner was patently the sort that liked to disseminate all sorts of gossip. His face grew animated as he spoke of thus, completely forgetting that the secular genius harbored an enormous grudge with Master Shuiyue from the earth quadrant.
Master Shuiyue’s prized disciple was standing right in front of him.
“That secular genius beat Tang Hong?” Iron Dazhi was immensely taken aback. “When did Tang Hong become such trash? This completely throws away the face of my Precious Tree Sect!”
Quite of bit of edge had been taken off from Iron Dazhi’s spirit just now, so he couldn’t help but complain now. It was as if this kind of complaining would help him regain his confidence and the face that he’d lost earlier.
Long Juxue’s face was frosted over as she laughed coldly, saying disdainfully. “Is an unorthodox little dao worth showing off about? Crude and pathetic indeed.”
She floated away with a wave of her snow-white sleeves afterwards.
The examiner suddenly recalled something. His expression changed as he laughed ruefully. “Look at me running my mouth, I forgot about the grudge between the secular genius and Master Shuiyue.”
Having been quite upset just now, Iron Dazhi didn’t have any good feelings towards the secular genius or towards Tang Hong. He said irritably, “I request to take the exams.”
…….
Jiang Chen had completed three major areas and fifteen exams in one day. He now had 75 points in hand.
Examination time was drawing to a close. Jiang Chen didn’t continue towards the comprehensive subject area, but he doubled back and prepared to return to his residence.
There were three months to a cycle anyways. There was plenty of time.
“Boss, why aren’t we going to the comprehensive subject area? If we go now, we still have time to loot some points.”
“Loot?” Jiang Chen was astounded.
Tang Hong ruffled his messy red hair and chuckled, “There’s no difficulty to the foundation exams. To us, it’s just grinding out points, so everyone jokingly calls it looting points. Truthfully speaking, it’s a given that those who rank in the top 20 always obtain these 100 points every month.”
“A given?” Jiang Chen was surprised. “Top 20?”
Tang Hong nodded very affirmatively. “A given. I’ve never heard of anyone slipping up thus far. In addition, the twenty exams of the four subject areas are usually completed within a day to a day and a half. If anyone takes more than two days to complete this, then even if they obtain all 100 points, they won’t think they’ve succeeded because they’ve delayed obtaining points in the advanced stage.”
There were one hundred guaranteed points in the foundation stage.
The advanced stage was where the true division between candidates in the sky quadrant was demarcated.
“How many points do you have now?” Jiang Chen asked out of curiosity.
Tang Hong answered loudly, “I have 1,500 points. I’m a far ways off from those perverts.”
“What’s the highest?” Jiang Chen had always wanted to know this answer, but he hadn’t found the appropriate person to ask. Who would’ve thought that he’d gain a follower today, and one for life!
“There’s not much difference between the highest candidates, they’re definitely over 2,000. I wonder if they’ve reached 2,500 yet.” Tang Hong shook his head and sighed. “These fellows enjoy the most resources in the sect. I, Tang Hong, am top three in the sect, but compared to them, my position in the sect is quite awkward. It’s one as if my grandmother doesn’t like me, and my uncle doesn’t love me.”
The Precious Tree Sect had always been one of overt struggles and covert plots between the Xie family and Iron family.
Tang Hong was a genius with an outsider’s surname and didn’t have a particularly strong backing in the sect. Therefore, he truly didn’t have much of an advantage in terms of sect resources.
In addition, his personality was wild and unrestrained. He hadn’t fallen under the Xie or Iron family banner.
It was because he hadn’t joined either camp that his resources were much fewer compared to the geniuses of those families.
Even so, he didn’t lose heart this way but tried even harder, training and learning even more furiously.
Due to this, the bone-deep drive to win and his unrestrained personality had forged his spirit of never giving up, a strength of heart that wouldn’t falter even if Mt. Tai collapsed in front of him, making him stronger than any Precious Tree Sect disciple.
Jiang Chen was gravely awed when he heard these numbers.
Who would’ve thought that the highest numbers would be over two thousand. It looks like he would have to stride forth with great footsteps to make up for his late arrival.