Chapter 1042 - Refining Again
Long Chen hesitated, clearly reluctant to accept the terms. He had already lost control of the situation, and no one could predict what chaos Liu Wuxie would unleash if he refused. Worse still, public opinion was quickly turning against the Spirit Jade Pavilion.
The members of the Heavenly Dao Society watched the unfolding events with satisfaction. Each of them knew Liu Wuxie was about to deal another fierce blow to his opponent.
"My condition is simple," Liu Wuxie declared. "If the Heavenly Dao Society fails to produce pills with purple pill runes, we'll withdraw from the commerce fair without complaint. But if we succeed, Elder Shi must publicly admit his mistake and slap himself across the face."
Bi Gongyu stepped forward, mockery gleaming in his eyes as he challenged, "Shi Yuan, do you dare accept it?!"
The crowd gasped in unison. Liu Wuxie's terms were shocking. What kind of strategy was this? Even if they succeeded and Shi Yuan slapped himself, how would that benefit the Heavenly Dao Society?
To the public, it seemed like a meaningless demand. But those who stood at the peak of the Earth Profound Realm understood the deeper implications. Shi Yuan was the Pavilion Master's trusted confidant. For him to slap himself in public would be as good as insulting the Pavilion Master himself.
The crowd failed to realize that the divide between the Heavenly Dao Society and the Spirit Jade Pavilion had begun the moment Shi Yuan had intervened. Because he served as the Pavilion Master’s right-hand man, his every action carried weight, and he had, to some extent, spoken on the Pavilion Master's behalf.
Shi Yuan's expression darkened with fury. He hadn't anticipated Liu Wuxie's humiliating proposal, one that cornered him completely. If he refused, it would seem he lacked confidence in his accusations. But if he agreed, it would ruin his reputation and tarnish the Pavilion Master's name as well.
"Elder Shi Yuan, are you scared or just too cowardly to take the bet?" Liu Wuxie goaded, adding fuel to the fire.
His intentions were clear. He wasn't there to win the Spirit Jade Pavilion's favor. His true goal was to make the Heavenly Dao Society's name ring across the realm. Once they gained that reputation, their pills would sell themselves.
Fan Zhen stepped forward and said in a calm and firm voice. "If he doesn't accept the bet, then we'll take it as him conceding first place to the Heavenly Dao Society. Does anyone object?"