Conflict

Yan Chihuo was even more taken aback upon hearing this and was about to ask further questions, but Yuan Sheng had already grown impatient. "Your foundation was poor to begin with, yet you're still standing here babbling."

Seeing this, Yan Chihuo knew that asking any further would only make him a nuisance, so he entered Spiritless Valley on his own and began practicing the Body-Tempering Fist with complete focus.

Yuan Sheng merely glanced at him and said, "Trash is trash. Even an Earth Divine Ape is still trash—wherever it goes, it'll stink." Its voice was neither loud nor soft, just enough for Yan Chihuo to hear.

Yan Chihuo was furious, but he still pretended not to have heard. Some of the Divine Apes around him had heard it as well, and seeing no reaction from Yan Chihuo, they gained a few more measures of contempt for him. These Divine Apes all knew of Yan Chihuo's identity and origins. Seeing him ascend to the position of Supreme Elder at the Dao Foundation Stage, they felt envy, jealousy, and no small amount of resentment.

Just as Yan Chihuo was earnestly practicing his fist forms, a gray ape suddenly appeared before him. It said to Yan Chihuo, "This must be Supreme Elder Yuan. I am Yuan Wuming. I see that your punches seem somewhat off, Supreme Elder, so I came to offer a little guidance."

Its words were exceedingly impolite. It had expected Yan Chihuo to fly into a rage upon hearing them and certainly accept a challenge. One might lose a match, but never one's dignity. Yan Chihuo did not even spare it a glance. "You won't even state your real name. What sort of thing are you, to dare show such disrespect to a Supreme Elder?"

Though Yan Chihuo's authority as