Nine Star Hegemon Body Art (WN)
chapter-4337

Long Chen’s response rendered them utterly speechless. During the Sage King Convention, when Long Chen was being hunted down, they had chosen to sit still and watch like it was a show.

Long Chen naturally wouldn’t turn away the people who had helped him. They had been the first factions to come to the High Firmament Academy, and the High Firmament Academy had agreed to let them undergo tribulation here.

However, these factions that came after hearing the news? They had wisely chosen to look after their own hide during the Sage King Convention, and they now had the audacity to ask for aid.

“Dean Long Chen, a noble expert like yourself need not bicker with us over such matters. Besides, this isn't the time for internal conflicts. We should be united against our enemies. Please think about the big picture,” advised one elder.

“Well said. We should be united and think about the big picture. When my brothers and I were attacked by countless enemies, why didn’t you think about being united and the big picture? What a nice double standard. You are allowed to just protect yourselves, while I must think about the big picture? Based on what?” sneered Long Chen.

“That’s right, based on what? On the martial stage, senior apprentice-brother Long Chen protected us. Outside of the martial stage, he led us through the blockade of enemies and didn’t toss aside a single one of us. As for you? When there was danger, you hid. Now that there’s something you want, you immediately come to suck up. How shameless! Who could possibly trust you?” Other disciples on Long Chen’s side started to speak up for him.

“United? When have you ever been united? Do you even view yourself as a member of the human race?”

“Exactly, who knows whether or not you’ll think about yourself again and side with the other races when the gate opens? You might be the first to stab us in the back.”

The disciples on Long Chen’s side, as well as the disciples who had undergone their tribulations and were still here, indignantly cursed those elders.

The majority of these disciples had fought alongside Long Chen on the Sage King martial stage, and some of them had lowly backgrounds and didn’t even have a half-step Eternal standing guard over their family or sect. However, the High Firmament Academy still allowed them to come. Even when the academy could only protect a few hundred people at once during their tribulations, the academy still let them queue up.

This gesture made them feel extremely grateful. The fact that tens of thousands of people would take the risk of undergoing tribulation together, solely based on Long Chen's word, was a testament to their unwavering trust in him.

Now, these shameless old fellows had the audacity to appear and ask for a favor in front of them? They were just asking to be cursed.

The faces of those elders were red after being cursed by a group of juniors, but they couldn’t retort.

“Dean Long Chen, we know that we were wrong. If you are angry, we will kowtow to you as an apology. But our children are innocent. It wouldn't be fair to punish them for our foolish decisions. They are still young and have futures. If those futures are ruined because of us, we really will never be able to atone, even in death!” One elder stepped forward and slowly got on his knees toward Long Chen.

Long Chen waved his hand, and that elder was instantly forced back, unable to kneel.

“Dean Long Chen, are you really not willing to forgive us foolish fellows?” The elder wore an expression of despair, and two teary eyes welled up with sorrow.

“Shut up!”

Long Chen sneered at him. “Mountains and rivers may change, but people don’t. You’re only willing to kowtow because you are begging for my aid, and you’re even crying. Who are you trying to deceive? Playing with someone's emotions? I’ve seen such a thing often, and it is meaningless. I have never claimed to be a saint. As long as I don’t have a heart, others cannot exploit my compassion.”

Bai Shishi’s mother curled her lips and exchanged a look with Bai Xiaole’s mother. Long Chen's resolve was truly unyielding, impervious to either soft or hard tactics.

That elder could only shake his head and sigh. There was a hint of rancor in his eyes, but he didn’t dare to express it.

“No need to beg like this. It’s not like I said that I would not permit them to undergo their tribulations here,” said Long Chen lightly.

“What?”

Those elders had been about to leave. When they heard this, they didn’t dare to believe their ears.

“The High Firmament Academy is the academy of the human race. All the precious tomes here are treasures of the human race, and the academy is only the overseer. In the same vein, the academy’s sacred tribulation grounds are also open to the entire human race. Anyone can undergo their tribulations here,” said Long Chen.

“Then are you saying that you will permit our disciples to undergo tribulation here?” asked one elder with a quivering voice.

“Of course. They can use it whenever they want,” said Long Chen, shrugging.

“May I ask if our disciples will receive your protection during their tribulations?” asked a sharper elder who saw the crux of the problem. After all, it would be meaningless if Long Chen didn’t protect them during their tribulations.

“Do you wish to undergo tribulation with us?” asked Long Chen as he turned to the disciples behind the elders.

Those disciples were silent, and not one of them dared to make a sound. That was due to their guilty consciences.

“You don’t even dare to say a word. What’s the point of cultivating then? Just bury yourself in the ground and get it over with,” sneered Long Chen.

“Yes! We want to undergo tribulation under your protection!” shouted a young disciple.

“Then I ask you this. If I protect you now, when I am in trouble, will you throw stones at me? Will you stab me in the back? Will you raise your blade against the human race?” asked Long Chen sternly.

“No, definitely not! I can swear on my soul to forever be loyal to senior apprentice-brother Long Chen!” shouted that disciple.

“Then what if one day I become a bad person and start slaughtering the human race? What if I raise my blade against my own race?” asked Long Chen.

“I…” That disciple was struck dumb, not knowing how to respond.

The others were also startled as they didn’t know the point of this question. However, it was rather frightening.

“I can protect you during your tribulation, and I won’t require anyone to swear fealty to me. However, I need you to swear on your hearts to remain righteous forever, to swear your loyalty to the human race. You cannot let yourself be driven by profit, to be forced by pressure. You can never go against your conscience!” declared Long Chen.

“I swear! I will dedicate myself to the human race, to be righteous, to not bend for profit or pressure! I will never betray my conscience!”

Countless disciples immediately stepped forward, raising their hands toward the heavens and swearing.

Long Chen slowly smiled upon hearing their oath. With this, even if the senior generation betrayed the human race, the new generation of experts would not be led astray by them.

“Those who have sworn, line up! The first wave of a hundred thousand disciples will begin their tribulations!”

Seeing a hundred thousand disciples queue up, Long Chen was delighted inside.

“So many people are undergoing tribulation. I can definitely turn Lei Linger into an Eternal-level existence!”