Chapter 1722 - Fanning the Flames
Shenwu Yin shook her head and snapped out of it. "Brother Tianming, are you joking? People do say that you're powerful enough to face off against the Celestial Beings, but they're talking about single duels!"
"I'm not fighting alone. Those four are my teammates. It's a fair five-on-five," Tianming said.
"Will they... make a difference?"
"Little girl, don't look down on us. We're capable, too," Feiling said.
"Is that so? But the Celestial Beings...." Shenwu Yin's surprise was only natural. The other four had never shown enough power to be able to rival the Celestial Beings. Even Tianming had only managed to defeat the weaker Long and Shenwu Fen, yet now they were going to fight as a group before Yanwu Dao had even been defeated.
"He must be terrified of Crimsonjade Cang. That's why he's going to the group side, not that his friends will make a difference."
"Wow, you must be a mind reader, huh?"
"Just watch. My guess can't be far from the truth. Yanwu Dao wanted to take him down for the mysterians, and that's realistic. However, the other two helpers, even Weisheng Xi, wouldn't bat an eye at Tianming. And that girl from the Celestial Beings must be gone by now."
That was also what the people in the astralscape wondered. Tianming's challenge to the Celestial Beings had less chance of happening than him challenging Yanwu Dao. It wasn't realistic enough, so people began suspecting his intentions.
"I understand now. Even though he's capable, he must be the arrogant type."
"As expected of someone from a heliacal-class world. They lack class."
Shenwu Yin didn't know how to argue against that. As she hesitated, Tianming patted her shoulder and said, "How about this, Yin? Help me notify them that I’ll be waiting at the group area. Tell them I won't fight until all of them gather. I already took down Long and Fen, so if the rest don't come, it's just their turn to be cowards."
"Alright! I don't need to say anything. They must've heard of it by now. Even so...."
"Anything wrong?"
"I think the other two won't bother even if Yanwu Dao comes," Shenwu Yin said. That was the difference between duels and group battles. The others weren't obliged to participate.
"If they ignore me, they're afraid. For them to call themselves Celestial Beings, they might as well give us that name if they're going to keep playing the coward. Well, if they never try, we'll never find out if they're more powerful than the Violetglorian Celestial Beings." He cracked a loud laugh that was aimed straight at the collective psyche of the mysterians.
Many of them broke out into a commotion.
"How audacious!"
"Violetglorian Celestial Beings? With those four filler members?"
"Didn't those four struggle to make it to the fifth level? How can they possibly compete with the Celestial Beings? There’s many more mysterians with more talent!"
"No need to get so agitated, he's merely making a fuss. I bet he'll leave for another half a year after saying all that. He must’ve turned shameless after chickening out for so long."
"I really want to laugh. Violetglorian Celestial Beings... the joke of the century...."
More and more people burst into joyous laughter. While they didn't doubt that Tianming was powerful enough to defeat Shenwu Fen and Long, they questioned his character and the strength of his friends.
They thought that Tianming would just ignore their mockery, but he looked up at them and said, "Not only do I dare to say it, I'll use this as our name. I won't waste words on you, as I'm sure the Celestial Beings are already listening. Listen up, I'm here for you. Find me here if you dare. It won't take much of your time, either. You'll have more than enough time to live in my shadow after I defeat you."
He said the craziest words with the calmest demeanor. Not only did his supporters like his response, his haters were only infuriated even more. There was no need to cater to haters; his goal would be achieved as long as the Violetglorians saw him favorably. The more the mysterians hated him, the more the Violetglorians would go wild once he defeated them.
"Tell the five of them that we returned after half a year of preparation to kick them off their high horses. If they want to cower away and pretend that we're not worth their time, we'll just claim the name Celestial Beings for our own use." The more arrogant he sounded, the more effective his words would be.
The people who heard his words seemed a little blank. The ninth-level Cang walked over from the crowd and said, "You lost to me, so what’re you talking about? I didn't see you act so arrogantly when you were beaten half a year ago."
Everyone laughed.
"If you have the slightest shred of dignity left, you’d better move aside. I'll take care of you next. At my age, you wouldn't even qualify to be my dog," Tianming replied with a curt smile. The folks who were laughing froze. Tianming sounded too serious, and they realized he wasn't just joking.
"Interesting. If you hype it up so much and still lose, what do you think it'll feel like?"
"My legend will crumble and I'll never be able to raise my head up again."
"That's right. Talented geniuses deserve to be praised, but you should take a look at the class of your world. It seems that only retards like you are able to come from those worlds. What a shame."
Tianming had already raised the tension to a new high. He had to do that much, at least, or the other two from the Celestial Beings wouldn't come. The groundwork had already been laid.
"Yin, do you want to go watch it together?" Tianming said, no longer speaking with an arrogant tone.
"Alright... I'll support you." She was quite shocked by everything and was still recovering.
"Trust me, you're in for a show," Tianming said.
"Alright!"
Just like that, they went to the group area as people looked at them with contempt. "They're only unhappy because they were prejudiced against me from the beginning. There's no need for me to be courteous to them. I have limited mental energy, so I'll just focus it on the people that acknowledge me."
Moving the crowd was just a trick. At the end of the day, true power would be needed for actual recognition. Once he won, these people would be speechless and might even change their ways. But if he lost, he would have to bear the consequence of becoming a laughingstock for good.