Chapter 660: The Challenge
Chapter 660: Chapter 658: The Challenge
At this moment, invitations for Jiang Chen were pouring in not only from the two great Artifact Refining Families, the Han and the Zuo, but from the Artifact Refiner Guild as well.
In addition, some smaller artifact refining factions also invited Jiang Chen, and the scene was growing chaotic.
But Jiang Chen simply waved his hand. “Everyone, I’m sorry, but I have no intention of joining any faction. My apologies.”
He refused them all, regardless of the benefits they offered.
This left the various factions feeling utterly helpless.
Losing out on a genius Artifact Refiner like Jiang Chen was, without a doubt, a tremendous loss.
“Jiang Chen, won’t you reconsider?”
Master Hong asked, unwilling to give up.
“There’s nothing to consider.”
Jiang Chen didn’t have a particularly favorable impression of the Artifact Refiner Guild to begin with. He refused them bluntly.
Soon, the Artifact Refiner Guild completed Jiang Chen’s certification, and he officially became a One-Star Supreme Refiner.
With that done, Jiang Chen intended to leave.
Carrying Little Xixi, he had just stepped out of the Artifact Refining Pavilion.
Just then, a man in a long blue robe approached, followed by a large group, and they stopped in front of the Artifact Refining Pavilion.
The blue-robed man spoke to a person beside him. “Go, bring Zuo Feng out here. I want to see just who dares to strike my younger brother.”
Jiang Chen, who had just emerged in front of this group, heard the man’s words and his expression immediately darkened.
‘The Zuo Family is here.’
The blue-robed man before him had an impressive Cultivation, at the Martial Arts Sect Third Heaven.
Just then, Zuo Feng also emerged from the Artifact Refining Pavilion.
Seeing the blue-robed man, he was overjoyed and rushed over, shouting, “Brother! I’m here!”
Zuo Feng was thrilled as he reached the blue-robed man.
After Jiang Chen had beaten him, he had immediately sent someone to notify the Zuo Family. He never expected his older brother, Zuo Siming, to come personally.
Zuo Siming nodded and asked, “Brother, tell me who hit you.”
At the same time, members of the Han Family and others who had just received their certification also walked out of the Artifact Refining Pavilion, and they all saw the man in the blue robe.
The members of the Han Family, along with the others emerging from the pavilion, were all astonished.
“It’s him, Zuo Siming.”
“Zuo Siming, the son of Patriarch Zuo! Why is he here?”
“That Zuo Siming was only certified as a One-Star Supreme Refiner last year. He’s considered even more of a genius than Zuo Feng.”
“Zuo Feng and Zuo Siming… they’re the Zuo Family’s two great geniuses.”
The crowd buzzed with exclamations.
Zuo Siming wasn’t just famous in Xingyuan City; his name was well-known throughout the entire Tang Kingdom.
Zuo Feng saw that his older brother was about to stand up for him.
He glanced over at Jiang Chen, then pointed and said, “Brother, that’s him.”
At that, Zuo Siming’s gaze fell upon Jiang Chen.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
Just as he was about to make his move, a member of the Zuo Family suddenly stepped forward and whispered something in his ear.
“What?”
“Are you sure?”
After listening, Zuo Siming froze, his eyes widening in disbelief.
The man who had spoken nodded. “Without a doubt. Young Master Feng knows as well.”
Zuo Siming turned to Zuo Feng. “Brother, that kid… was he really just certified as a One-Star Supreme Refiner?”
Zuo Feng cursed inwardly. ‘This is bad.’
Still, he answered truthfully. “That’s right. The kid was just certified as a One-Star Supreme Refiner.”
“I saw it with my own eyes.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew that any hope of Zuo Siming avenging him was likely gone.
Zuo Siming stood there, stunned. This was completely unexpected.
He had never imagined that Jiang Chen would be a One-Star Supreme Refiner.
Furthermore, with a Cultivation at the Martial Arts Sect Second Heaven, he was only one level below him.
The Zuo clan member who had spoken earlier asked, “Eldest Young Master, this man is an absolute genius of an Artifact Refiner, perhaps not even inferior to you. Wouldn’t it be better to recruit him into the Zuo Family?”
“As for Young Master Feng getting beaten up, that’s a trivial matter.”
A flash of anger crossed Zuo Feng’s face, but he didn’t dare say anything in front of Zuo Siming.
Zuo Siming mulled it over for a moment, then strode forward to stand before Jiang Chen.
“Kid, if you agree to join our Zuo Family, I can overlook the matter of you hitting my brother.”
“The choice is yours.”
Even though Jiang Chen was a One-Star Supreme Refiner, so was he. As such, Zuo Siming naturally looked down on him.
They were both geniuses, and he didn’t believe for a second that Jiang Chen could ever surpass him.
Besides, the Zuo Family already had a genius like him; whether Jiang Chen joined or not was meaningless to him personally.
That was why his attitude was so arrogant.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Chen replied coolly, “In that case, you should come hold me accountable.”
Jiang Chen’s single sentence infuriated Zuo Siming, who gritted his teeth in anger.
“It seems you’d rather do this the hard way. In that case, don’t blame me for being discourteous!”
With that, he unleashed the aura of a Martial Arts Sect Third Heaven cultivator.
“Hmph!”
Just then, a cold snort echoed from nearby.
“Zuo Siming, you certainly have a big mouth.”
All eyes turned toward the source of the voice to see a stunning woman in a long, azure dress approaching gracefully, a group of people in her wake.
The speaker was the woman in the azure dress.
Upon seeing her, the members of the Han Family hurried forward to greet her.
“Young Lady.”
“Greetings, Young Lady.”
The woman was none other than Han Yinghua, the daughter of the Han Family’s Patriarch—one of the two great Artifact Refining Families.
Han Yinghua paid Zuo Siming no mind, walking straight toward Jiang Chen instead.
She offered Jiang Chen a slight curtsy.
“Young Master Jiang Chen, I am Han Yinghua of the Han Family. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Seeing how polite Han Yinghua was, Jiang Chen returned her smile with a nod.
“Hello.”
And with that, the greeting was exchanged.
Han Yinghua was slightly surprised to find Jiang Chen’s gaze calm and steady; he seemed completely unmoved by her beauty.
This only made her more interested in him. She had rushed to the Artifact Refiner Guild the moment she received word from her clansmen.
After all, a newly certified One-Star Supreme Refiner was well worth recruiting.
Han Yinghua smiled at Jiang Chen. “Young Master Jiang Chen, do you need any help?”
“The Han Family is willing to offer our full support.”
But Jiang Chen just shook his head. “That won’t be necessary.”
Han Yinghua, however, paid no mind to Jiang Chen’s cold response. Instead, she turned her gaze to Zuo Siming.
“Zuo Siming, you should really use your head before you act.”
“This business with your brother, Zuo Feng, isn’t Jiang Chen’s fault. Zuo Feng was the one who started it. And you call yourself a genius of the Zuo Family? How disgraceful.”
As the daughter of the Han Family’s Patriarch, Han Yinghua showed Zuo Siming no courtesy whatsoever.
Anger flashed across Zuo Siming’s face.
This Han Yinghua was also a One-Star Supreme Refiner, one who even showed signs of surpassing him, making her his greatest rival.
He snorted.
“The reason is unimportant. The prestige of the Zuo Family cannot be challenged.”
“Han Yinghua, you’d do best to mind your own business.”
With that, he turned back to Jiang Chen.
“Kid, since you’re also an Artifact Refiner, let’s settle this the way Artifact Refiners do.”
“Do you dare accept my challenge to a duel of Artifact Refining Technique?”
Zuo Siming had no intention of backing down.
He had issued a challenge to Jiang Chen.