A crisp slapping sound caused everyone to go deathly silent. The disciples were dumbfounded and the Elders were shocked. They couldn’t believe their eyes.

No one had expected that Long Chen would attack someone in this kind of situation. The two of them hadn’t been far, and as a result, Que Xinyan was directly struck. Long Chen’s divine face slapping art had yet to miss.

As for Que Xinyan, he had never imagined that Long Chen would dare to attack him in front of the Xuan Master. With no defenses up, he almost fainted.

“This move’s not bad.”

The Xuan Master had been watching with slight interest this entire time, but he finally had a reaction upon seeing Long Chen’s face-slap. He was clearly impressed with the move.

“Long Chen, you dare to strike me?!” It took a full two breaths before Que Xinyan recovered from his shock.

“No, you misunderstand. I wasn’t striking anyone, but acting according to what you said. You said that when someone offends their superior, they should be slapped. Well, look, I’m standing closer to the front than you, which is the superior position, while you interrupting me is an offense. You’re the one who brought up that you should be slapped, so I helped you out. What, do you have an opinion about it?” asked Long Chen.

“You…!” Que Xinyan’s teeth creaked from being clenched so hard. His whole body was trembling in fury, but he didn’t know how to retort.

“How brazen Long Chen! You dare to disturb the welcoming ceremony? The punishment is the thorned whip-” shouted the Law Enforcement Hall Master.

“Can you let it rest already? This place is not the Law Enforcement Hall, and you are unable to hide the truth from the masses. You are unable to punish me. Someone called my brothers trash, and I’m taking their place to speak. However, some people want to thwart me in a hundred ways, so why can’t I slap those obstructions?

“Do you think your word is law? And that whatever you say must happen? If you say we’re criminals, we’re criminals? If you say we have to be killed, we’ll be killed? Do you think you’re a god? If you are, then please prove it to me. If you aren’t, then what right do you have to prevent us from defending ourselves?” demanded Long Chen.

It was all too clear to him that this Law Enforcement Hall Master was a prejudicial egomaniac who was tyrannical and obstinate. He was clearly using him to embarrass the Elder Hall in front of the Xuan Master. Most likely, it was to win back the face lost by Lu Minghan previously.

Long Chen had always thought that experts should have an expert’s mannerisms, and an expert’s self-restraint. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to reach that height.

Now he realized he was wrong, and very wrong at that. Now that he had arrived in the Central Plains, he finally learned the truth: idiots always exist regardless of location, and idiocy was not dependent on age.

This Law Enforcement Hall Master was clearly an expert even above a King, but he was so lacking in restraint and kept on using such low-level methods.

Although he had kept his actions well hidden, Long Chen had seen such tricks countless times. Just looking at him sticking out his butt, it was clear he was crapping.

Clearly, Que Xinyan, Fan Song, and Hu Guishan all had some kind of relationship with the Law Enforcement Hall. Otherwise, they wouldn’t dare to directly target Long Chen in front of the Xuan Master.

This would definitely leave behind a bad impression on the Xuan Master. So for them to still act like this, it was all too obvious.

And it wasn’t just Long Chen who found it obvious. There were plenty of sharp-eyed Elders who seemed to have expected such a situation.

The only thing they didn’t understand was how the Law Enforcement Hall had been so skillful as to draw in the new disciples.

Quite a few people were waiting to see just how vicious the Law Enforcement Hall’s slap would be in the Elder Hall’s face. Because of Long Chen’s matter, Li Changfeng had suppressed Lu Minghan, and that had caused quite a bit of trouble. The Elder Hall and Law Enforcement Hall had to have the situation mediated by the higher-ups, or a huge fight might have erupted.

But that was just a stop-gap. The Law Enforcement Hall was not about to just swallow their anger over the matter.

Originally, the disciples should have been looked after by the Elder Hall. But the Law Enforcement Hall also had the authority to recruit disciples into joining the Law Enforcement Hall.

If it was just ordinary inner disciples, it would have been one thing. But now, Que Xinyan, Fan Song, and Hu Guishan were all core disciples with their own factions. If they joined the Law Enforcement Hall, it would truly be a resounding slap in the Elder Hall’s face.

To put it frankly, they would be enjoying the resources provided by the Elder Hall so that they could work for the Law Enforcement Hall.

As for the Xuan Master, he seemed to be unconcerned. As long as they didn’t violate the sect’s rules, he would just watch. The harshest punishment he had let out so far was forcing the Law Enforcement Hall Master to go into seclusion for three days.

Everyone had to feel reverence toward this Xuan Master’s cultivation base. But he also seemed lazy to the bone, giving them a headache.

This was an excellent example. The Xuantian Dao Sect was famed even within the Central Plains, and even in ordinary sects, no one would dare to so openly provoke others in front of the sect leader.

But the Xuan Master was just watching as if this was an interesting show.

“Fine, then let’s hear your quibbling,” said the Law Enforcement Hall Master coldly.

Long Chen looked at Que Xinyan, Fan Song, and Hu Guishan. “You said that the inner sect trial was a survival of the fittest. Then let me ask, who is the fittest?”

“Hmph, do you even need to ask something like that? Are you an idiot? Of course the fittest people are those with the greatest talent and comprehension,” sneered Que Xinyan.

Long Chen smiled and said, “Then according to what you said, why is there a need for a trial? Why not just directly pass or fail disciples based on their data?”

“Numbers are just a reference. Without experiencing the true battle, how are they supposed to see a person’s true potential?” replied Que Xinyan.

“Aren’t you just slapping yourself in the face? You just said that the fittest people are those with talent and comprehension skills. But now you say that without undergoing true battle, it’s impossible to see who is fitter.

“They received the protection of the Dragonblood Legion, but the Dragonblood warriors were only able to give them some small opportunity to adjust themselves. Toward the end, they still needed to rely on themselves to survive. Their talent might not be high, but their unswerving determination supported them. For them to survive that cruel battlefield, do you know what price they have paid?

“Their talent was inferior, their cultivation base was lower, and their combat power was weaker. They had to put in ten times the effort to win their current glory. Compared to you, they are the true warriors, but you call them trash? You’re the biggest trash,” sneered Long Chen.

Long Chen’s words caused countless people to look at those disciples behind the Dragonblood Legion.

Even the strongest amongst them were only rank three Celestials, and there was even a small portion of rank two Celestials. For them to have survived such a cruel trial was truly worthy of praise.

Thinking of how Que Xinyan had repeatedly called them trash, quite a few people cast disdainful glances at him. Even some Elders had to nod. Talent only gave people a better starting point for cultivation. But hard work was the most important factor.

Que Xinyan didn’t know what to say. Looking at those distant disciples pointing at him and whispering, he had no way to retort.

“But no matter what, you’ve pulled in a group of unfit disciples into the inner sect, affecting the fairness of the trial,” said the Law Enforcement Hall Master.

Quite a few Elders shook their heads inside. Had this Hall Master’s head been jammed in a door when he was a child? How could he actually say such a thing?

As expected, Long Chen said, “Fair? Are you joking with me? Was there ever anything fair in this world? Furthermore, what do you mean unfit? Just because they’re less talented than others, they’re unfit? If talent meant everything, what would be the point of cultivating? What would be the point of comprehension? Do you think if your talent was good, you could just sleep all day and still become a god?

“Each disciple is a seed, and before the seed germinates, you won’t be able to tell what breed they are. You see some disciples who have bloomed already, so you feel they are talented and will have greater accomplishments. But are the disciples who haven’t bloomed yet unfit? What idiot logic. Just because you don’t bloom or bear fruit, why can’t you be a sapling that grows into a heaven-reaching tree?

“Get back to your job and do it properly. When it comes to teaching and raising people, the Elder Hall are the professionals. Don’t embarrass yourself here.”

“What nonsense! Do you think I’m blind? You think they can grow into heaven-reaching trees? For them to only be rank three Celestials at the Sea Expansion realm, the Foundation Forging realm will be their limit! Not even one in ten thousand of them will condense a Jade Core! What sophistry to call such people heaven-reaching trees!” raged the Law Enforcement Hall Master.

The Jade Core he mentioned was the actual realm of the King level. In the Eastern Wasteland, those who had reached the Jade Core realm were called Kings, because in desolate places like the four outer regions, those who could reach the Jade Core realm were truly kings of the heavens.

But in the Central Plains, it was just called the Jade Core realm. Normally, only rank four Celestials could condense a Jade Core. For others, the chances of them condensing a Jade Core was extremely low.

For the Law Enforcement Hall Master to say that not one in ten thousand of these rank three Celestials would be able to break through to the Jade Core realm, he was merely stating a fact.

“You’re the one spouting nonsense. Are your eyes blind, or did water get in your head? Otherwise, I don’t understand why you would spout such nonsense in front of the Xuan Master. There are countless marvels and miracles in this world. How can you claim that none of them will grow to such heights? Are you a god? Can your will subvert the will of the heavens? How can you be absolutely sure?” sneered Long Chen.

“Then what kind of proof do you have that they won’t be a waste of the sect’s resources?” retorted the Law Enforcement Hall Master.

“I’m the best proof,” said Long Chen.

“You? What can you prove?” sneered the Law Enforcement Hall Master.

“When I was fifteen, I was just at the third Heavenstage of Qi Condensation. Is this proof enough?”

The only response to Long Chen’s words was stunned silence.