Chapter 48 (2/2)

Boom!

Both Xie Kuang and Duanmu Jin staggered backward from the blast.

“Piss off, Xie Kuang, or I’ll kill you as well!” Duanmu Jin yelled.

“I was afraid that you can’t.” Xie Kuang refused to budge.

Boom!

Just then, immense pressure came from the skies. The pressure was so great that it felt as if it had unfathomable depths like the ocean, paralyzing both Xie Kuang and Duanmu Jin.

“Silver-robed Elder!” Both of them gasped.

In the skies, a displeased elderly man hovered over them and rebuked, “Absurd, both of you! Shamelessly fighting to the death in front of all the apprentices as guidance elders. For what? To be ridiculed by the younger generation?”

“Elder Wang, Lu Ming used despicable methods to kill Duanmu Jue and the rest. He cannot go unpunished! I suggest stripping him of his Apprentice Champion title,” Duanmu Jin cupped his fists towards the Silver-robed Elder as he spoke.

“Hehe, I’m gonna say the same to you, Duanmu Jin. Did you see me kill Duanmu Jue and the rest in despicable ways? And you tell me that you haven’t f*cking lived as a dog.”

Since Lu Ming was already an arch-nemesis with the Duanmu Family, he said whatever he wanted and insulted Duanmu Jin without any restraint. He was sure that Xie Kuang and the Silver-robed Elder would not let anything happen to him.

“How dare you, insolent fool!? You have no respect for the elders!” Duanmu Jin howled, his prosperous body trembling with unconstrained fury.

He was outraged! All he wanted was to pound Lu Ming into a meatloaf.

“You and your yelling, Duanmu Jin! Just spit it out. You’re weaseling out! All it took was 30 spiritual crystals for you to accuse and trample over a new genius apprentice. That’s certainly a first for me!” Xie Kuang took the chance to mock him.

“You..” Furious and flustered, Duanmu Jin nearly vomited blood as his chest rose up and down rapidly.

Everyone else stared with their mouths wide open nearby.

Geniuses like Huang Yu and Xie Hong saw Lu Ming in a different light.

While they had remarkable backgrounds, even they had no courage to yell at a Duanmu elder in public like that.

Lu Ming was flaunting such lawlessness!

Duanmu Jin took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm down as he cupped his fist towards the Silver-robed Elder once more and said, “Elder Wang, I’m sure Lu Ming used despicable methods to gather such an amount of point-worthy metal pieces. If he’s allowed to win the first prize like that, I’m afraid it’ll be hard to convince the other new apprentices. I suggest that we test his abilities. If he passes, I’ll acknowledge him as the Apprentice Champion.”

“No way, Elder Wang! The new apprentice test has always used points to determine placings, and there have never been any restrictions on how the points are obtained,” Xie Kuang objected hurriedly.

Duanmu Jin scoffed, “Don’t you forget, Xie Kuang. All the previous Apprentice Champions were publicly recognized for their abilities. Even those who were fortunate were proven to be capable. But this Lu Ming…where’s he from? What’s he capable of?”

His words were laced thick with disdain.

“Oh?”

“How would you like to test him, Duanmu Jin?” The Silver-robed Elder pondered.

“Very simple. Come on out, Duanmu Tao,” Duanmu Jin ordered with a wave.

Immediately, a young man stepped out from where the old apprentices were.

Duanmu Jin pointed at that young man and said, “This time, the strongest cultivation level among the new apprentices is the Fourth Grade Master Realm, which is exactly Duanmu Tao’s cultivation level. If Lu Ming beats Duanmu Tao, I’ll acknowledge his Apprentice Champion title. If not, I suggest that Lu Ming be stripped of his first placing.”

Xie Kuang’s expression changed. “I object. Duanmu Tao is a third-year apprentice. Even if his cultivation’s on the Fourth Grade Master Realm, it’s not fair for a new apprentice to fight someone who’s trained for three years.”

“If you don’t have what it takes, just say it out loud. The Apprentice Champion title isn’t as attainable as you think it is,” Duanmu Jin replied coldly.

“Alright, I’ll do it,” Lu Ming agreed all of a sudden.