Chapter 1665 - Poking at Sore Spot

Chen Fan remained silent. That was the truth.

A person’s achievements were not determined by talent alone. Willpower mattered. Opportunity mattered. Above all, the stage one stood upon mattered most.

If Chen Fan had remained on the Tianwu Continent, his achievement would have stopped at the Void Immortal level. He would never have reached his present heights, nor enjoyed the glory he now possessed.

“So, that’s the true purpose of the Immortals Assembly: to select the best talents, nurture them with the Heavenly Court’s resources, and absorb them into our ranks. In doing so, they strengthen the human race itself. Even the so-called immortal holy lands can’t compare to the Heavenly Court’s support.”

The teahouse patrons nodded in agreement.

They were all natives of the city, each carrying a deep-rooted pride. While the court no longer had its former glory, it remained a towering presence above the forces of the Heavenly Realm. Immortal holy lands and top factions alike were still forced to bow their heads. More than that, many of their greatest experts held positions within the Heavenly Court itself, wielding immense authority.

“It’s mainly the prodigies of the immortal holy lands and top forces that stand out among the contestants. Rogue cultivators might have talent, but their resources are far too scarce,” another customer added.

The teahouse patrons favored the prodigies from the various forces. Exceptional rogue cultivators occasionally appeared; in terms of overall strength and depth, they simply couldn’t compare.

The assembly was once exclusive to the immortal holy lands and the top forces. It was only after the ancestors of rogue cultivators and minor factions banded together in protest that the doors were finally opened to all.

At a nearby table, a young girl of fourteen or fifteen puffed out her cheeks in displeasure. “Senior Brother, they’re crossing the line. They make it sound like we’re only here to serve as background characters.”

Next to the little girl were two men. One seemed to be in his thirties, extraordinarily handsome, while the other appeared much younger, just slightly above twenty.

Chen Fan found the girl’s words interesting and couldn’t help but smile.

These three were no weaklings. The older man was in the peak early-level Immortal King realm, and the youth was in the early-level Immortal King realm. As for the girl, she possessed Half-step Immortal King realm cultivation.

The man in his thirties sighed helplessly. “Cold as it sounds, they aren’t wrong. Especially you. Master told you countless times to stabilize your cultivation, yet you exhausted your law power on the way here and nearly plummeted from the sky. Had we not given you a hand, you would have fallen. At that altitude, even an Immortal King wouldn’t survive.”

“The Heavenly Court is too high,” the girl muttered, clearly frustrated. “I’m only a Half-step Immortal King. I can’t even reach it.”

Her expression suddenly brightened, resolve flashing in her eyes. “But it doesn’t matter. Once we reach the tenth realm, we’ll break through the world barrier and push forward. I heard the earlier realms don’t have nearly as many people.”

In name, the Immortals Assembly was unified; in truth, it spanned ten connected realms. The immortal holy lands occupied the second through fourth realms. The major factions claimed the fifth through the eighth. Rogue cultivators and lesser forces were relegated to the tenth.

Contestants fought their way upward, eventually converging in the first realm to determine the final rankings.

Each realm had a total of ten spots, for a total of a hundred spots. These hundred would become the Heavenly Court’s recruitment targets. Yet the realms were not sealed. Anyone capable of breaking through a world barrier could cross over and compete elsewhere.

The tenth realm was the most brutal of all. The competition was even fiercer, and experts from other realms would cross over to the tenth realm. Usually, rogue cultivators walked away with only a handful of spots. There were even times when they were completely wiped out.

Suddenly, a burst of laughter came from another table.

“Hahahaha, I’m about to die from laughter. Did you hear? They are thinking of fighting their way into other realms. Hahaha, I’m dying here.”

Chen Fan turned his head and saw several young men sitting there, dressed in elegant robes, their auras refined and powerful. Their cultivation was formidable, yet they were doubled over with laughter.

“What are you laughing at?” asked the little girl angrily.

“You’re overestimating yourselves! Do you even know how sturdy the world barrier is? Without at least mid-stage Immortal King strength, breaking through it is nothing but a fantasy. And even if you succeed, do you think you can contend with the major forces?” One of the young men seated at the table sneered coldly.

The little girl was so angry that she was at a loss for words.

It was harsh, but true. Although the other realms had fewer contestants, the competition was even more brutal. Those from powerful clans and sects were overwhelmingly stronger.

A purple-robed youth spoke up, curling his lips. His narrow eyes carried a faintly sinister glint. “You can’t talk about ice with summer insects. What’s there to argue with them about?” [1]

“Yes, Young Master Xiang is right.” The young man from before nodded profusely like a servant, showing reverence to this purple-robed youth.

The girl’s eyes flashed. “Don’t think I don’t know your situation. You’re also from a major force, but you couldn’t compete there. That’s why you came to the tenth realm to pick on rogue cultivators, isn’t it?”

“Qing Chan!” her senior shouted sharply, alarmed. Clashing with these temperamental people from major forces was never easy.

Even if they lacked true strength, their backgrounds alone could invite endless trouble. Worse still, her words had struck exactly where it hurt.

This matter was no big deal, but it wasn’t anything to be proud of either. These prides of heaven, whether from great sects or wandering paths, were all arrogant and wild, thinking they were the best. Exposing flaws was one thing. Wounding pride was another.

As soon as those words left her mouth, the young man’s face instantly changed as expected, becoming much darker.

She had cornered him. He had indeed fled the upper realms to avoid being crushed by true prodigies. It was humiliation, and rage surged through him.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

“Know your place!” The purple-robed youth bellowed as he sent out a palm strike smoothly like a bolt of cloth, aiming for the little girl’s face.

The senior brother couldn’t react in time. Just as the palm strike was about to land on the little girl’s face, a streak of light suddenly flashed past, followed by a sharp wind breaking noise.

The purple-robed youth’s expression changed. He withdrew his palm at once.

Hum!

A low vibration echoed through the teahouse. A chopstick had buried itself deep into the wall, its exposed end trembling as it hummed.

1. You can’t argue with someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about. ☜