Chapter 4994: Then I’ll Leave?
Long Tianrui… She was not just the number one expert of the Long clan’s junior generation; her status extended beyond that.
From the expression of the Long clan leader and the others, Long Chen could tell that her status was special. When she spoke, even the clan leaders were shocked. In particular, the Zhao clan leader’s expression of fear was very obvious.
Hence, Long Chen’s response astonished everyone present. How dare he disregard Long Tianrui, even seeming to insult her?
On the other hand, the Zhao clan leader was delighted by Long Chen’s audacity. Knowing Long Tianrui, he anticipated she would retaliate immediately. Once she did, he believed no one could save Long Chen.
However, to everyone’s surprise, Long Tianrui didn’t react with anger. She solemnly said, “My head is very clear, and I am being very serious. I think highly of your potential, so if you agree to become my follower, then in three years, if I have not found a better partner, I will marry you and have your children.”
Shaking his head, Long Chen asked, “If your goal is only to have children, what about love? Without it, isn’t it no different from breeding like animals?”
Long Tianrui calmly replied, “If not for the purpose of having children, would it be akin to two rogues playing around? It would purely be for physical and mental stimulation.”
“You…” Long Chen’s jaw dropped as he stared at Long Tianrui, utterly dumbfounded. He couldn’t recall ever being struck speechless like this all his life.
With great difficulty, he came up with a response. “Even if it was to have children, it should be built on the foundation of love! It’s not about whose potential is greater! What would be the point of marriage then?”
“In the cultivation world, what matters is power. If you don’t mate with other strong people, your children will only be stepping stones for other people. They might even be prey. What’s the point of marriage if not to ensure your lineage thrives? To be like chickens laying eggs for others to eat?” argued Long Tianrui.Long Chen could only shake his head again and say, “It looks like you’ve been sealed too long. Perhaps your mind hasn’t fully woken up yet. I cannot accept your feelings. The Long clan has plenty of heavenly geniuses to choose from. You can pick any one of them. Why be hellbent on me?”
Long Chen was amazed by Long Tianrui’s logic. It seemed that she was steadfast in her principles. Most importantly, her reasoning wasn’t wrong, so Long Chen had no way to counter it.
Seeing that Long Chen still rejected her, Long Tianrui frowned. She couldn’t understand him either. Whether in her era or this one, countless people would queue to follow her.
However, Long Chen kept refusing. Such a good thing was right in front of him, but he continued to reject it, which caused Long Tianrui to wonder.
“We should get back to the important topic. However, let me first say that this isn’t the place to insult and target other people,” said the Heaven Overseer.
As he spoke, everyone turned their attention to the table of the four clan leaders. The Long clan leader solemnly said, “Long Chen, the elite disciples of the four divine clans have gathered here to exchange pointers. This matter is top secret, and I’m saying that… well, you are a dean of the High Firmament Academy, so I trust you have many affairs to handle…”
Long Chen instantly realized that these old fogeys had no good intentions. The Heaven Overseer’s expression also changed; he clearly didn't know what the clan leader was doing.
“What do you mean? Are you telling me to scram?” demanded Long Chen.
The Long clan leader replied, “No, no! You misunderstand. We have no intention of driving you away. The meeting of the four divine clans is an internal secret. If it weren’t for your connection to the High Firmament Academy, naturally, you could stay. But you understand. If this were solely up to the Long clan, we wouldn’t say such a thing, but there are also the Ye, Jiang, and Zhao clans. We have discussed it, and you can temporarily leave and come back when it’s over…”
Long Tianrui frowned. The Long clan was clearly driving Long Chen away, not wanting him to participate in this competition.
The Heaven Overseer stood up. “Clan leader…”
Long Chen knew that the Heaven Overseer hadn’t known of this plan. Was he about to challenge the clan leader? That wouldn’t do. Long Chen had to grasp this chance.
Long Chen immediately slammed the table and stood up, looking filled with righteous indignation. He pointed at the Long clan leader and cursed him, “Alright, so you want to take advantage of me while I don’t have the Heaven Earth Cauldron, is that it?! I really never expected you—”
The Long clan leader immediately interrupted, “What nonsense are you spouting?! We are merely asking if it’s convenient for you to leave for a while! We didn’t say that you had to leave! Aren’t we discussing it nicely right now?”
The Long clan’s experts’ expressions changed when they heard Long Chen mention the Heaven Earth Cauldron. They had not expected him to bring it up. Did he not know how dangerous this was?
The other three clans’ experts were equally startled. They looked from Long Chen to the Long clan leader, then to Long Qihua and the others, all shocked by the turn of events.
A tense silence filled the banquet hall. Long Chen quickly backtracked, acting as though he had misspoken. He said firmly, “The blood of the Long clan runs through my veins, so I am a member of the clan. What right do you have to drive me away? If you’re afraid of me participating and taking the rewards, fine, I’ll just be a spectator. Why should I leave?”
Overflowing with righteous indignation, Long Chen looked like he was trying to cover up his earlier slip of the tongue.
The Heaven Overseer felt the urge to throttle the clan leader. How could this dumbass bring up internal matters in front of everyone? Was he trying to use everyone’s presence to pressure Long Chen? To force him to concede? Which idiot came up with this plan?
The Heaven Overseer’s gaze swept over Long Qihua and the others. As expected, Long Yaoting didn’t even dare to meet his eyes. Clearly, this plan originated from him.
“That’s enough. We’ll discuss this matter again and provide you with a response later,” said the Long clan leader helplessly.
“Then I await your news!” After saying that, Long Chen directly left. However, as soon as he stepped out the door, a wide grin spread across his face.
Before this, Long Chen had been uncertain about his next move, but the other side just had to send this opportunity right to him. After his departure, everyone else started to leave until only the four clan leaders remained.
The Jiang clan leader exchanged a glance with the others before addressing the Long clan leader, “Well then. Let us discuss this matter of the Heaven Earth Cauldron!”