Chapter 690: Qualified
The commentator, Eccentric Long, nor Xiao Du could speak or reprimand the Cryptic Sun, but the other suns were well in their right, and in their ability to do so.
"Old fool, why did you pull something like that? Do you want to be called most unfair?" the Wisest Sun said as he addressed the Cryptic Sun.
"Humph, I thought you at least could see through it, regardless," the Cryptic Sun said as he waved his hand and a small portal appeared in the center of the Arena.
From the portal, a person came out.
It was Du Shen.
He lifted his head up and looked all around him, finding no one else but himself he spoke.
"I still need to clear two more stages, why was I pulled out?" he asked.
Not giving any regard to anyone in the arena.
Though full of people who were far stronger, and more influential, he still asked not giving anyone face for all it mattered.
"You, join my banner," the Cryptic Sun spoke, "There is no need for you to continue playing with these kids. I'll give you enough resources and materials to make you reach the stage of Heaven Grasping. Strongest under the heavens, I'll make you one in a thousand years," he said.
Du Shen looked at him for a second and flatly said, "No."
The whole arena felt shivers running down their spine, only for a few who actually began laughing. The Lord of Lords and the Wisest Sun included. The Red Sun too had a smirk on his face, but the most notable was the Dusking Sun who was slapping his thigh as he laughed heartily.
"Old fool, you really thought that none of us thought of pulling him towards us. It is not in his best interest to actually follow you, Cryptic Sun, you're too vicious, even to your own allies," the Dusking Sun said. "But still." The Cryptic Sun's humorous behavior turned immediately sour.
An aura of evilness and wretchedness began exuding out of him, a barbaric aura that could make anyone's heart stop for a second.
"Why did you force upon him a trial far more difficult than anyone else?" the Cryptic Sun asked.
"He cleared it, did he not, I didn't give him anything more than he could handle," the Cryptic Sun shrugged.
"Stop the lies, I could already tell what you wanted to do," the Wisest Sun said.
The Lord of Lords also nodded, for the rest of the people it was probably ambiguous. But for these old fogies it was as obvious as the sun brightening the world.
"By forcing Shen B- I mean Du Shen to lose, you wanted to take him to your side, draw him away from us and the competition then make him join you without any of us knowing. You wanted him to lose because you saw his potential, but worry not, we have seen his potential far earlier than you, and you'll not have your claws around his fate as long as we still draw breath," the Wisest Sun said.
"If you all know of it, then why didn't anyone make a move?! You must have all only realized his potential after seeing him go through the trails, why must you lie!" The Cryptic Sun angrily responded.
"It is because we saw his potential that we decided to not interfere. Stand down Cryptic One."
The Cryptic Sun's face was livid, but he couldn't argue with the rest of the Suns, he'll be on the losing end regardless.
"You're protecting this man, even if it means being on bad terms with me," the Cryptic Sun said.
"It is the other way around, Cryptic Sun," the Red Sun said. "For you, and anyone else above Du Shen's rank in cultivation, I swear it, by my name as the Red Sun, if you come at him with the intention of harming him-"
"Stop!" Du Shen shouted stopping the Red Sun's oath.
"I appreciate your offer and protection, but I have been doing fine by myself. Though I can't handle one of the suns, or probably cultivators at the Origin Realm. I'd like to still be able to face adversaries and hone myself if I'm protected by your oath I'll find no will or reason to keep pushing forward," Shen Bao said.
The Red Sun, instead of getting angry at being told to stop by a person far weaker than him began laughing.
"Do you see why cryptic sun?! DO YOU SEE! If it was anyone else, they would have walked the earth wantonly and claimed all their hearts desire by simply using my name, but he, decided to still take on the adversities of life by the reins! This is why we didn't wish to interfere with his fate, a man who deems even the protection of one of the Suns worthless.
Take the words to heart cultivators, that is how one's mindset should be. Still, Du Shen," the Red Sun said.
"Your potential had brought a great deal of cultivator's attention toward you. They would still want to claim you or make you their slaves, I know so, because even I am tempted to do it.
The world of cultivation isn't fair, and many of us here would always want to use more cultivators and claim them as part of our force, since we ourselves cannot fight, we use cultivators underneath our rank to do that and settle our feuds, you're a perfect cultivator with almost infinite potential, and that very potential is like a heavenly treasure that everyone would want."
"Then what must I do, because I'm not going to lower my personal ability to make people not look my way, I'll still strive to learn more and reach higher."