Chapter 4717: Underhanded Methods

“Hahahahaha!”

The crowd thought that Xia Ran would make a move on Chu Feng for spouting such arrogant words, but the enraged Xia Ran burst into laughter instead. This made everyone perplexed as to what was going on.

“You dared say that I’m not a thing at all? It looks like the god aptitude act you put on there has really inflated your guts!” 

Xia Ran began assessing Chu Feng with narrowed eyes.

“What makes you so certain that it was an act?” Chu Feng asked in response.

“Chu Feng, don’t say that I’m taking advantage of you. I’ll let you take the test once more before all of us. If you’re able to trigger the god aptitude once more, I’ll apologize to you before everyone else. However, if you aren’t able to do it, you’ll kneel down to me and admit defeat. Do you dare to do it?” Xia Ran said.

“What do I have to fear?” Chu Feng replied.

“Fine. Come here then.”

Xia Ran took out an evaluation rock and passed it over to Chu Feng. 

On the surface, it looked no different from the one Bi Jingjing used that day. However, thinking that Xia Ran might be up to something, Chu Feng chose to examine it carefully, only to find nothing amiss with it.

Since that was the case, he quickly stepped on top of it. 

Soon, the evaluation rock before to light up, pouring out white light. But… after the outburst of white light, nothing appeared at all.

“Shit, I got tricked!” 

Chu Feng immediately realized that things had gone awry.

While he didn’t see anything amiss with the evaluation rock on the surface, he knew that there was no problem with his aptitude. He should have been able to trigger the god aptitude with ease. Since that was the case, it could only mean that there was something wrong with the evaluation rock.

It was likely that someone had thoroughly tampered with it, making it such that even Chu Feng couldn’t see the problem with it.

“Hahahaha!”

It was then that mocking laughter sounded amidst the disciples.

The other disciples from the East Dragon Hall, West Tiger Hall, and South Vermilion Hall were already convinced that Chu Feng’s real aptitude was at the lowest.

“Look. You’re just trash, Chu Feng, a mere lowest aptitude. Who could have thought that you would be so brazen as to resort to despicable means to feign god aptitude? Someone as shameless as you ought to be driven out of the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect. You aren’t worthy to be a disciple like the rest of us!” someone from the East Dragon Hall shouted out mockingly.

What was worth noting was that the voice sounded familiar. Even without turning over to take a look, Chu Feng could tell that it was from Hua Xu.

Tu Yuanyuan was present as well, and she was standing amongst the disciples of the East Dragon Hall. It was just that her current position made it hard for her to step forward to speak up for Chu Feng.

She… simply didn’t want to offend the others here.

“Chu Feng, what do you have to say for yourself?” Xia Ran looked at Chu Feng gloatingly.

“I never thought that you would go to the extent of thoroughly tampering with the evaluation rock. Chu Feng, aren’t you the despicable one here?” Xia Ran said.

Those words brought disdainful sneers from the crowd. Everyone thought that Chu Feng was unwilling to admit his defeat and trying to force his way through.

“This evaluation rock of mine was indeed tampered with.”

Surprisingly, Xia Ran admitted to it. This confused those who were still laughing at Chu Feng a moment ago.

However, Xia Ran quickly added, “This evaluation rock has been reinforced to guard against despicable means. Only true talents will be able to trigger it appropriately. Weaklings like you will only show as the lowest aptitude before it.”

Xia Ran’s words made Fang Yunshi and the others heave a sigh of relief. As long as they could prove that Chu Feng was of the lowest aptitude, their goal would be achieved.

“Chu Feng, stop talking crap. You’ve already lost here. Kneel down and apologize to Senior Xia! No, you should apologize to all of us from the South Vermilion Hall!” Fang Yunshi pointed at Chu Feng as he bellowed coldly.

He was filled with hatred for Chu Feng, and he would want more than anything to utterly humiliate the latter in public.

“Yes, kneel down and admit your mistake!”

The other disciples also joined in as well. The voices came not just from the disciples of the South Vermilion Hall but those from the East Dragon Hall and West Tiger Hall too. Of course, the ones who were shouting the most loudly were still those from the South Vermilion Hall.

The disciples of the South Vermilion Hall were all trembling with excitement. Only Bi Jingjing had a conflicted look on her face.

She knew that something was amiss with this matter, but in the end, she still chose to stand with the South Vermilion Hall and not speak up for Chu Feng.

“If I, Chu Feng, have really lost, I’ll admit defeat. However, since you’re using such despicable means to deal with me, you shouldn’t even dream of making me kneel down,” Chu Feng said.

“I knew that someone as underhanded as you wouldn’t admit to your defeat obediently. Since that’s the case, I’ll make you kneel down!”

As Xia Ran spoke, he began exerting his oppressive might on Chu Feng, attempting to make the latter kneel down before him.

“Hold it right there!” an elder’s voice suddenly boomed across the air.

Space began to distort, and a decrepit old man with messy white hair appeared in the sky above. This old man was dressed in the elder robes of the Hidden Dragon Martial Sect, but mysteriously, his clothes were not embroidered with any of the four halls of the sect. In fact, his robe was far more exquisite and extravagant than that of the other nobles.

“Lord Protector?”

The noisy crowd swiftly silenced down after the old man’s entry. They seemed to be fearful of this old man, but at the same time, they were surprised by his appearance too.

“You’re here to train, not to bicker.”

The elder turned his sight toward Xia Ran.

“Lord Protector, it’s not my intention to oppress the other disciples. There’s a reason to it,” Xia Ran hurriedly clasped his fist and explained.

“A reason? What reason do you have? Speak,” the elder asked.

“I can’t stand how Chu Feng used underhanded methods to fool the others. He even wishes to share the great fame of Lord Dugu Lingtian. Lord Protector, you should also be aware that Lord Dugu Lingtian is from our South Vermilion Hall. He’s the symbol of our South Vermilion Hall, the figure that our disciples look up to and respect!

“As a disciple of the South Vermilion Hall, how could I tolerate another man attempting to use Lord Dugu Lingtian’s name to bulk up his reputation?”

Despite Xia Ran’s arrogant personality, he was quite respectful to his elder. This showed just how much he feared the other party.

“Your South Vermilion Hall? Lord Dugu Lingtian belongs to our Hidden Dragon Martial Sect, not just your South Vermilion Hall. Are you trying to claim that the South Vermilion Hall is an independent sect on its own?” the elder asked.

“Lord Protector, that’s not what I mean. I’m just…” 

Xia Ran still wanted to argue about this, but the elder wasn’t interested to hear what he had to say.

“Listen well. I don’t care how you mess around anywhere else, but at this place, I shan’t stand for anyone acting audaciously. 

“The Snowy Heavenly Peak is going to open soon, and you only have ten hours here. If you wish to cultivate, hurry up and enter. Otherwise, scram,” the elder spoke loudly.

As he spoke those words, the sealed spirit formation gate of the Snowy Heavenly Peak began to open.