Sun Xingwen immediately rolled up his sleeves and, with a fierce and aggressive manner, was about to charge at Lu Chen. However, Sun Yourong grabbed him and yanked him back, firmly holding him in place.
By this time, Lu Chen had already walked up to Sun Qingcang. He did not even bother to glance sideways at Zhao Zhihong. Without any hint of servility or arrogance, he spoke: “Patriarch Sun, Master Tan has already left. Currently, in the entire market, you will not find a Bounty Spirit Master better than him. Why not let me give it a try? Perhaps I can offer you a pleasant surprise.”
Zhao Zhihong laughed mockingly. “You little brat, you just don’t know when to quit! Guards!”
Several temple staff members responded and stepped forward.
However, Sun Qingcang merely waved his hand casually, and an invisible force froze those people in their tracks.
His gaze was sharp as lightning as he sized up Lu Chen from head to toe, his voice deep and resonant: “I’ll give you one minute. State your proposal.”
Zhao Zhihong grew anxious. “Director Sun…”
Sun Qingcang’s expression turned icy cold. “Shut up!”
Zhao Zhihong choked on his words, his face alternating between shades of blue and white. He could only force an apologetic smile and retreat resentfully to the back.
At that moment, Sun Qingcang’s overwhelming aura pressed down upon Lu Chen without reservation, causing the very air around them to thicken and stagnate.
A Fifth-Rank Spirit Master?! As expected of the head of the Sun Family. Lu Chen found it difficult even to breathe properly, a chill running through his heart. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves and said, “The deities of the Three Realms—it is not only the Star of Longevity who can bestow blessings of extended life. Besides Him, there are other deities with similar capabilities. For instance, Magu, or the Director of Longevity and Fate…”
“That is correct. Those two deities do indeed possess the divine power to grant longevity and blessings. Unfortunately, there are no shrines dedicated to them anywhere in Jiangdu City.”
Sun Yourong stepped forward, her expression cool and detached as she looked at Lu Chen.
Hearing this, Lu Chen merely smiled faintly. “I am aware of that. Therefore, I do not intend to worship them.”
Sun Xingwen, standing nearby, had long since lost his patience. “You brat, stop beating around the bush! What exactly are you trying to say?”
Lu Chen ignored him completely, his gaze once again meeting Sun Qingcang’s. “The deity I wish to worship may be somewhat unconventional, but He indeed possesses the power of ‘Offering Longevity’.”
Sun Qingcang’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Who?”
Lu Chen spoke deliberately, his voice low and solemn: “I—wish—to—worship—King—Yama!”
The moment the words “worship King Yama” left his mouth, a profound silence fell over the entire hall and its surroundings!
Everyone stood as if under a paralysis spell, their eyes collectively widening in disbelief.
Even the Sun family’s stoic, sunglasses-clad bodyguards had their pupils suddenly contract behind the tinted lenses.
“What?! You want to worship King Yama?!” Zhao Zhihong reacted as if he had just heard the most absurd joke in the world, letting out an incredulous snort of laughter right then and there.
His laugh seemed to break a spell, and the surrounding area instantly erupted into waves of mocking laughter and chatter.
“Did I hear that right? Worship King Yama to pray for a longer life?”
“Well, now I’ve seen everything! I’ve lived this long and never heard of praying to King Yama for blessings and longevity!”
“What a character! This guy has to be here to wreck the ceremony!”
“I’ve only ever heard the saying, ‘If King Yama decrees death at the third watch, who dares keep the soul until the fifth?’ How could King Yama possibly grant more years?”
“And here I thought he actually had some profound insight. Turns out it was just this nonsense.”
Facing the mockery and ridicule from all sides, Lu Chen’s expression remained unchanged. He simply looked calmly at Sun Qingcang. “Patriarch Sun, I have shared my idea. Whether or not you allow me to try is your decision. Even if I fail, you stand to lose nothing, really. At most… a little bit of time wasted.”
Zhao Zhihong scoffed coldly. “You insolent brat, Director Sun’s time is extremely precious. How can someone like you compare?”
Lu Chen retorted casually, “No matter how precious his time is, it cannot be more precious than his father’s life.”
Zhao Zhihong was left speechless, his face flushing red with anger. “You!”
From behind, Sun Xingwen could bear it no longer. “You punk! In all of Jiangdu City, no one has ever dared to mock the Sun family like this! You are the first!”
“Hm?” Sun Qingcang didn’t even turn his head, merely casting a cold sidelong glance at his younger son.
Sun Xingwen instantly fell silent, not daring to take another half-step forward.
Sun Qingcang’s gaze locked onto Lu Chen once more, his voice laced with a dangerous edge. “My son is right. In Jiangdu City, no one dares to mock the Sun family, and certainly no one dares to mock me, Sun Qingcang! Young man…” His eyes narrowed, flashing with a cold glint. “If you cannot provide me with a convincing reason, I’m afraid you might encounter some… difficulties today.”
Faced with Sun Qingcang’s overt threat, Lu Chen showed not the slightest hint of fear.
Even a young woman like Deng Jiajia dared to gamble her life for a chance at a better future.
What did he have to fear?
Since he had stepped forward, he was committed to seeing this high-stakes gamble through to the very end!
“Patriarch Sun, the reason you seek is quite simple.” Lu Chen abruptly turned toward Zhao Zhihong standing off to the side. “Supervisor Zhao, please recount my performance from yesterday and today to Patriarch Sun, exactly as it happened.”
Zhao Zhihong was taken aback, pointing at himself. “Me?”
“Precisely.” A meaningful smile played at the corner of Lu Chen’s lips. “Coming from your mouth, I believe it will carry the most weight.”
In an instant, all eyes converged on Zhao Zhihong. The invisible pressure of Sun Qingcang’s stare, in particular, made Zhao Zhihong feel as though he were suffocating.
Under this immense pressure, Zhao Zhihong had no choice but to steel himself and speak with great difficulty. “Director Sun… He… He came to the temple to worship yesterday. Using just one stick of incense, he raised his Divine Attunement Level to… five percent.”
“What?!”
As his words fell, the surrounding area once again plunged into a deathly silence!
The members of the Sun family, along with the onlooking worshippers who were unaware of the situation, were all stunned by this revelation, their eyes wide with shock.
Even Sun Qingcang’s eyes flickered with a trace of incredulous astonishment.
Sun Yourong’s beautiful eyes widened as well, her gaze locking intensely onto Lu Chen.
One stick of incense… raised the Divine Attunement Level by five percent?
Such an occurrence is rare even once in several years!
…
“That’s insane! Is this kid actually a prodigy?”
“That’s nothing! What he did today was truly earth-shattering!”
“You know him?”
“I don’t know him, but I was here yesterday, and I’m here today. I saw it with my own eyes!”
…
Hearing the murmurs spreading through the crowd, Sun Qingcang’s heart gave a fierce jolt, his curiosity stretched to its limit.
“And then?” His gaze cut toward Zhao Zhihong like a blade.
Zhao Zhihong swallowed hard. Despite his extreme reluctance, he could only continue under the weight of Sun Qingcang’s authority. “Then today… he used another stick of incense and raised his Divine Attunement Level to…”
“To how much?” Sun Qingcang pressed sharply.
Zhao Zhihong practically ground the number out through clenched teeth. “F-forty… forty-three percent!”
BOOM—!!!
At that moment, the entire surroundings erupted into a complete and utter frenzy!
The shock on Sun Qingcang’s face visibly accumulated at an alarming rate!
Beside him, Sun Yourong’s eyes flickered intensely. She subconsciously covered her mouth, clearly thrown into a state of extreme disbelief.
Behind them, Sun Xingwen, Madame Song, and the other worshippers who had previously been unaware of Lu Chen’s story nearly had their jaws drop to the floor.
A surge to five percent with one incense stick… and then another surge to forty-three percent with the next stick? Is… is this guy even human?!
“Well then, Patriarch Sun, is that reason enough for me to give it a try?”
Lu Chen met Sun Qingcang’s astonished gaze and spoke calmly.
At that moment, in Sun Qingcang’s eyes, this young Spirit Master—who clearly possessed no official rank whatsoever—seemed to emanate an aura of overwhelming, irresistible momentum.
It was utterly breathtaking!
It was… no less imposing than his own presence as a Fifth-Rank Spirit Master!
Sun Qingcang jolted back to his senses, all traces of his earlier disdain completely wiped from his face.
He clasped his hands together solemnly and bowed with respect.
“May I be so bold as to ask for the gentleman’s esteemed name?”
