Chapter 300: Joining the Fire Division
"Joining the Fire Division?"
On the selection platform, the Vice Leader of the Heaven Division, Zhan Tian, looked at Lin Langtian with a hint of surprise before asking with his usual cold tone, "Are you certain?" His expression grew even more indifferent as he processed Lin Langtian's response, clearly displeased by the rejection.
Lin Langtian replied evenly, "Yes, Vice Leader. Since I possess the Vermilion Bird's Heavenly Flame, the Fire Division suits me best."
Zhan Tian's expression remained icy but dismissive. To him, even though Lin Langtian showed promise, the Heaven Division did not need him. Yuan Gate, as the greatest sect of the Eastern Xuan Region, had no shortage of talent, and the Heaven Division was the most prestigious of the eight. Losing one disciple didn't make any difference.
"Fine, then," Zhan Tian replied flatly. "Yan Ba, this disciple is yours."
Yan Ba, the Vice Leader of the Fire Division, nodded in satisfaction, casting a loud, mocking laugh in the direction of Mu Ku. "Hear that? He asked to join my Fire Division. Now, what does that say? Clearly, we're the better division."
Mu Ku, his face dry and wrinkled like an ancient tree, twitched with anger at Yan Ba's taunt, though he remained silent.
Turning a cold glare on Lin Langtian, Mu Ku then sneered, "So, boy, you think the Wood Division is inferior to the Fire Division?"
Seeing Mu Ku sink to questioning a new disciple, Lin Langtian's brows furrowed. Shouldn't the Fire Division's leader at least intervene on his behalf? Lin Langtian turned his gaze toward Yan Ba, expecting some protection now that he'd chosen his division. But Yan Ba merely folded his arms, ignoring Mu Ku's insults. To Yan Ba, whether Lin Langtian joined or not was insignificant; his main reason for competing was simply to provoke Mu Ku.
At that, Lin Langtian sighed, seeing Yuan Gate's true, ruthless nature firsthand. Yet he remained composed, calmly responding, "Vice Leader, as I understand, all eight divisions of Yuan Gate are of equal standing."
"Oh? Then why did you refuse the Wood Division in favor of the Fire Division?" Mu Ku's sharp gaze bore into him, demanding an answer.
Even the other Vice Leaders frowned at Mu Ku's persistence; questioning a new disciple so aggressively was undignified. Lin Langtian's expression darkened. Straightforwardly, he replied, "With respect, Vice Leader, I wanted to join the Fire Division because I'm interested in the Chaos Demon Flame. If the chance arises, I'd like to attempt to tame it."
Stunned silence fell over the crowd as everyone absorbed Lin Langtian's words. Taming the Chaos Demon Flame? The very idea seemed impossibly arrogant. The flame was a revered, ancient relic of the Fire Division that none of its past masters had been able to conquer, and here was a new disciple claiming he would try.
Mu Ku laughed scornfully. "Such an arrogant little brat. Who do you think you are?"
Even Yan Ba, while keeping silent, looked displeased, his eyes darkening at Lin Langtian's boldness. It was almost an insult to suggest the Fire Division's leaders had somehow failed.
"It's just a thought, Vice Leader. After all, I've already tamed the Vermilion Bird's Heavenly Flame—maybe I could do the same with the Chaos Demon Flame," Lin Langtian replied, calm and composed.
"Humph."
Mu Ku huffed but stopped pressing him, although a flicker of greed remained in his gaze. It was clear that Mu Ku would not easily give up on Lin Langtian's "Wood King Triple Technique" without resistance, yet Lin Langtian had no intention of relinquishing it.
"Fine," Zhan Tian interjected coldly. "Let the Fire Division have this ambitious disciple." Though Lin Langtian's goal seemed unrealistic, his bold spirit wasn't entirely unexpected for a tournament champion.
"Anyone else wish to join the Fire Division?" Zhan Tian then asked, casting his gaze over the remaining disciples.
Jin Wu promptly stepped up to stand beside Lin Langtian, followed by Mo Tie, Liu Yuan, and several others, who joined him without hesitation. They had accompanied Lin Langtian this far, and it only made sense to stick with him in the Fire Division.
The rest of the disciples took their time deciding. Unlike Lin Langtian's companions, they had no ties to him, so they carefully weighed their choices among the other divisions.
Seeing this, Zhan Tian raised his sleeve, sending beams of light toward the disciples with the best potential. The other Vice Leaders followed suit, selecting their share of recruits, while those deemed less talented were left to choose from the remaining options.
When the selection concluded, Zhan Tian dismissed everyone, his voice crisp and indifferent as he announced, "The selection is complete. Each division may depart."
One by one, the divisions departed, and Lin Langtian followed Yan Ba alongside the Fire Division's newly chosen disciples. But before leaving, he caught Mu Ku's icy gaze, an evident threat that Mu Ku wouldn't forget his grudge.
Lin Langtian only grinned slightly, unphased by the looming threat, thinking to himself, "A battle of wills it is then. Let's see how this plays out…"
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 15 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Franklin1