Overwhelming a Fifth-Rank Spiritist!

Sun Xingwen immediately rolled up his sleeves and charged at Lu Chen with a ferocious air, but Sun Yourong grabbed him and hauled him back, pinning him firmly in place.

By then, Lu Chen had already walked up to Sun Qingcang. He could not even be bothered to spare Zhao Zhihong a glance as he spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly. "Head of the Sun family, Master Tan has left. In the current market, you won't find a better bounty spiritist than him. Why not let me try? Perhaps I can give you a surprise."

Zhao Zhihong laughed. "Brat, are you not done yet? Someone!"

Several temple staff members stepped forward at the call.

Yet Sun Qingcang merely waved his hand casually, and an invisible force froze those people where they stood.

His gaze was like lightning as he swept it over Lu Chen from head to toe. In a deep voice, he said, "I'll give you one minute. Tell me what you have in mind."

Zhao Zhihong hurriedly said, "President Sun..."

Sun Qingcang's expression turned cold. "Shut up!"

Zhao Zhihong choked on the rebuke, his face alternating between green and white. He could only force a smile and retreat resentfully to the back.

At that moment, Sun Qingcang's powerful aura pressed down on Lu Chen without the slightest restraint, making even the surrounding air seem to congeal.

"A fifth-rank spiritist?! As expected of the head of the Sun family." Even breathing became much harder for Lu Chen. Alarmed inwardly, he took a deep breath, steadied himself, and said, "Among the gods of the Three Realms, the Longevity Star is not the only one who can grant blessings and extend one's lifespan. Besides him, there are other deities with the same effect—for example, Magu, or the Director of Longevity..."

"That's right. Those two deities do possess the divine power to bestow blessings and add years to one's life. Unfortunately, Jiangdu City has no divine seats for them."

Sun Yourong stepped forward, watching Lu Chen with an icy expression.

Lu Chen merely smiled faintly upon hearing that. "I know. That's why I have no intention of worshipping them."

Sun Xingwen had long since grown impatient at the side. "Brat, what the hell are you trying to say, dragging this out forever?"

Lu Chen ignored him outright and met Sun Qingcang's gaze again. "The deity I wish to worship may be somewhat unconventional, but he truly possesses the power to offer up lifespan."

Sun Qingcang's eyes narrowed slightly. "Who?"

Lu Chen spoke each word heavily, his voice grave. "I—want—to—worship—King—Yama!"

The moment the words "worship King Yama" left his mouth, everything inside and outside the great hall fell silent in an instant!

Everyone seemed to have been struck by a paralysis spell, their eyes widening in unison.

Even the Sun family bodyguards wearing sunglasses and expressionless faces had their pupils abruptly contract behind their lenses.

"What?! You want to worship King Yama?!" It was as if Zhao Zhihong had heard the most absurd joke in the world. He actually snorted in disbelief on the spot.

That laugh seemed to break some kind of restraint, and waves of laughter and chatter immediately erupted all around them.

"Did I hear that right? Worship King Yama to gain more years?"

"This is truly something you only see after living long enough! I've never heard of worshipping King Yama to pray for blessings and a longer life!"

"What a talent! This guy is definitely here to smash the place up!"

"I've only ever heard, 'When King Yama calls for a man to die at the third watch, who would dare keep him until the fifth?' When has King Yama ever added years to someone's life?"

"I thought he really had some brilliant insight. This is it?"

Faced with the mockery and ridicule around him, Lu Chen's expression did not change. He merely looked calmly at Sun Qingcang. "Head of the Sun family, I've said what I had to say. Whether you let me try is up to you. Even if I fail, you won't lose anything. At most... you'll waste a little time."

Zhao Zhihong snorted coldly. "Brat, President Sun's time is incomparably precious. How can someone like you compare?"

Lu Chen countered lightly, "No matter how precious it is, it isn't more precious than his father's life."

Zhao Zhihong was choked red in the face. "You!"

Sun Xingwen could no longer stand it. "Brat! In Jiangdu City, no one has ever dared toy with our Sun family like this! You're the first!"

"Hm?" Sun Qingcang did not even turn around. He merely cast a cold sidelong glance at his younger son.

Sun Xingwen instantly fell silent, not daring to step forward another half-step.

Sun Qingcang fixed his gaze on Lu Chen again, danger seeping into his voice. "My son is right. In Jiangdu City, no one dares toy with the Sun family, much less with me, Sun Qingcang! Young man..." His eyes narrowed, and a cold gleam flashed within them. "If you cannot give me a reason that convinces me, then today, you may be in some trouble."

Yet Lu Chen showed no fear in the face of Sun Qingcang's blatant threat.

Deng Jiajia, a girl, had dared to stake her life on her future.

What did he have to fear?

Since he had stepped forward, he had to gamble this gamble to the very end!

"Head of the Sun family, the reason you want is simple." Lu Chen suddenly turned toward Zhao Zhihong. "Supervisor Zhao, please tell the head of the Sun family everything about what I did yesterday and today, exactly as it happened."

Zhao Zhihong froze and pointed at himself. "Me?"

"That's right." The corner of Lu Chen's mouth curved into a meaningful smile. "Coming from your mouth, I think it will be the most convincing."

In an instant, everyone's eyes focused on Zhao Zhihong. Especially under Sun Qingcang's gaze, which carried invisible pressure, Zhao Zhihong felt as though he could barely breathe.

Under the crushing pressure, Zhao Zhihong could only brace himself and speak with difficulty. "President Sun... yesterday, he came to the temple to worship. With one stick of incense, he raised his Divine Service Rating to... 5%."

"What?!"

As soon as those words fell, the surroundings once again plunged into dead silence!

Everyone in the Sun family, along with the worshippers who knew nothing of the situation, was left dumbfounded by the news.

Even Sun Qingcang's eyes flashed with disbelief and astonishment.

Sun Yourong's beautiful eyes widened as she stared intently at Lu Chen.

One stick of incense, and his Divine Service Rating rose by 5%?

Such a thing was hard to encounter even once in several years!

"That outrageous? This kid is actually a genius?"

"What's that worth? What he did today was the real bombshell!"

"You know him?"

"No, but I was there yesterday and today. I saw it with my own eyes!"

Listening to the discussions in the crowd, Sun Qingcang's heart suddenly jolted, his curiosity rising to its peak.

"And then?!" His blade-like gaze scraped across Zhao Zhihong's face.

Zhao Zhihong swallowed. No matter how unwilling he was, faced with Sun Qingcang's pressure, he could only continue. "Then today... with another stick of incense, he raised his Divine Service Rating to..."

"How much?" Sun Qingcang demanded sharply.

Zhao Zhihong practically squeezed the number out through clenched teeth. "Forty... forty-three percent!"

Boom—!!!

At that moment, the entire area exploded completely and utterly!

The shock on Sun Qingcang's face piled up at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Sun Yourong's eyes flickered violently. She covered her mouth on instinct, clearly thrown into a state of utter disbelief.

Behind them, Sun Xingwen, the Song family, and those worshippers who had not known Lu Chen before were so stunned that their jaws nearly hit the floor.

"One stick of incense shot him up to 5%, and another shot him up to 43%... Is he even fucking human?!"

"Well, Head of the Sun family, is that reason enough for me to have a try?"

Lu Chen faced Sun Qingcang's stunned gaze and spoke calmly.

At that moment, in Sun Qingcang's eyes, this young spiritist—who clearly did not even possess a rank—radiated an overwhelming force, like dead trees being uprooted and mountains swept aside by the sea.

Soul-stirring!

He even... seemed no less imposing than Sun Qingcang himself, a fifth-rank spiritist!

Sun Qingcang abruptly came back to his senses, and all trace of his earlier contempt vanished from his face.

He solemnly clasped his fists and bowed.

"May I ask, sir—what is your honored name?"