Nine Star Hegemon Body Art

Chapter 5535: Dowry

Countless disciples from the head pavilion surrounded Long Chen and his companions. The Hidden Dragon warriors instantly raised their weapons, prepared to fight.

“Wait, don’t misunderstand! We mean no harm!” one of the disciples shouted hastily, raising his hands in surrender.

Another disciple, a young woman, stepped forward. “We’re just… confused. I don’t understand what Senior Feng Xinyue was trying to teach us. Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen, can you help us understand?”

Let alone them, even Tang Wan-er, Feng Xinyun’s personal disciple, was perplexed by her master’s intentions.

With a begging tone, the female disciple continued, “Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen, please be magnanimous and guide us. We beg of you!”

The blood of a Divine Emperor was truly effective in awakening their fear of death.

For her to speak in such a way, it seemed she was badly shaken. Otherwise, with her status, she definitely wouldn’t lower herself to begging. The people surrounding Long Chen all had similar expressions.

Long Chen hesitated for a moment before letting out a sigh.

“Fine, since you’ve asked, I’ll explain. Senior Feng’s message is this: anyone confident in their strength can lead a group into the Heaven Vein Mystic Realm. Of course, many people feel highly about themselves, so many factions will appear within our ranks. When the time comes, the one who leads their group out alive and victorious might very well become the future king of the Wind God Sea Pavilion. Of course, this is just my guess. Discuss among yourselves, and don’t hold me accountable if I’m wrong.”

“Exactly! Five fingers working separately can be snapped easily, but when they’re clenched into a fist, they’re strong,” another added.

“You are entirely correct, but who will control this fist?” asked Long Chen in return.

“Well…”

Those disciples couldn’t say a word.

“This is stupid! We should have chosen a leader long ago! We’re about to enter a life-or-death struggle, and we’re still debating who to follow?” one disciple cursed.

Of course, the one he called stupid was mostly the pavilion master. He just didn’t say it explicitly.

“With so many heavenly geniuses here, how can we possibly gamble our lives on picking a leader?” another exclaimed, his voice tinged with panic.

“That’s your own problem. A true expert isn’t just talented or hardworking—they need aptitude, vision, and sometimes sheer luck. Luck often decides success or failure, and I can’t help you with that,” answered Long Chen, shrugging helplessly.

“Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen, can we join your group?” asked one person.

“Of course. But there’s a condition. Here, this is my boss,” Long Chen said, pulling Tang Wan-er forward.

Tang Wan-er instantly blushed, not having expected Long Chen to do this. Just as she was about to retreat, Long Chen whispered, “Your master intentionally killed the pavilion master to enlighten them. In other words, ultimately, she doesn’t want them to die. As her disciple, you should have the courage to carry this burden.”

“But I…”

Tang Wan-er did not feel like she could do this. If things ended in chaos because of her, she would fail to live up to her master’s expectations.

“But what? Have you forgotten how strong your master is?” said Long Chen.

Hearing that, Tang Wan-er recalled that her master had just slaughtered a Divine Emperor with a flick of her finger. Her confidence instantly rose.

“Everyone,” Tang Wan-er said, “there are many powerful leaders among you. The choice of who to follow is yours to make. We won’t stay to sway your decision. However, if you wish to join us, you can find us on Hidden Dragon Island.”

With that, Long Chen led the Hidden Dragon Legion away. The plaza’s remaining experts stood in stunned silence, torn between indecision and fear.

Some gritted their teeth and immediately followed in Long Chen’s direction, not even pausing to deliberate. For them, this was a gamble—a life-and-death wager they couldn’t afford to take lightly. Others, with sharper instincts, quickly discerned that Long Chen was no ordinary figure and chose to bet their futures on him.

Seeing that Long Chen and Yue Zifeng were both monsters, the smarter ones directly followed them. In any case, they were backed by a monster like Feng Xinyue, so following them would definitely be better than following anyone else.

As a result, the majority of the experts began trailing after Long Chen, leaving the remaining few in stunned disbelief. Those left behind felt their resolve waver. If most of the experts joined Long Chen, what were they supposed to do? Form dozens of scattered, weaker groups and face certain death? That thought alone was enough to shatter their confidence.

Eventually, even the most powerful heavenly geniuses—those who prided themselves on their immense strength—reluctantly gritted their teeth and followed. While their pride told them they could face any danger, none of them were reckless enough to enter the Heaven Vein Mystic Realm alone.

Long Chen was taken aback when he realized that everyone had chosen to follow him. However, it didn’t take long for him to understand the situation. These people weren’t entirely foolish—they recognized the safest path when they saw it. Furthermore, the sudden death of their pavilion master had thrown them into chaos, leaving them leaderless and desperate for guidance. Seeing others flock to Long Chen, they simply followed the crowd.

When Long Chen noticed how willing they were to follow Tang Wan-er, he felt a headache. He didn’t feel like looking after all these people.

At this moment, Feng Xinyue’s calm voice echoed in Long Chen’s ear. “Take them in. While they may seem foolish, many of them possess exceptional talent. More importantly, they are fiercely loyal to the Wind God. In the future, Wan-er will be leading the Wind God line, and she will need their support. Furthermore, you each have your own missions in the Heaven Vein Mystic Realm. There’s no way you can stay together the entire time. Raising their power also increases the number of Wan-er’s trump cards.”

Long Chen’s heart shook.

Control the entire Wind God line? What exactly does that mean?

Could it be…?

“It’s better not to overthink,” Feng Xinyue continued. “For Wan-er’s sake, you must accept them. The Wind God’s line is her family, and by extension, your responsibility as well. Put in some effort.”

“Junior understands!” Long Chen responded.

Feng Xinyue’s words filled him with gratitude. She was subtly assuring him that no matter what happened, she, Tang Wan-er, and the Wind God line would always stand by his side.

If the High Firmament Academy was Long Chen’s first home, then the Wind God Sea Pavilion could be considered his second. Thinking of that, Long Chen was reinvigorated. He immediately gathered all the experts.

“I have my Dragonblood Legion and now the support of the Wind God’s line! All the treasures in the Heaven Vein Mystic Realm have the name Long Chen written on them now!”

Long Chen felt a grand aspiration rise within his heart, his blood heating up.