My Five Bigshot Seniors: I am The Most Coddled Junior!-Chapter 424 - 104: [First Update]

"What? You’re not letting me in?" Helian Family Master glanced at Helian Shen, who was blocking the door, raised his eyebrows, and asked with a cold face.

Helian Shen was taken aback, quickly stepped aside, and said, "Father, please come in."

Helian Family Master glanced at Helian Shen and leisurely entered Helian Shen’s study. When he saw the mess on the floor, he gave Helian Shen a sideways glance. Helian Shen suddenly remembered that he had just thrown many things around in the study, and he turned his eyes away in embarrassment.

"Father, I’ll have someone clean it up right away," he said, cautiously watching Helian Family Master.

"Hmm." Helian Family Master nodded and found a chair to sit down.

Helian Shen quickly called back the servant he had chased away. The servant was momentarily surprised by what he saw on the floor but calmly tidied up the study with the fastest speed and then retreated. He considerately closed the door for Helian Shen and Helian Family Master.

"Sit down," Helian Family Master signaled with his eyes towards the chair opposite, indicating for Helian Shen to sit.

Helian Shen nodded quickly, sat down, and looked at Helian Family Master with a slight nervousness.

"Don’t you have anything to say?" Helian Family Master saw Helian Shen’s anxious expression, but he didn’t intend to speak, so he had to ask.

Helian Shen looked up at Helian Family Master’s expression, noting his unchanging face, which gave nothing away. Feeling a bit anxious but knowing he daren’t stay silent, he organized his words for a long time, opened his mouth several times, and eventually lowered his head in defeat.

"Father, I’ve let you down." His voice was muffled, quite different from his usual boundless energy.

Helian Family Master’s eyes flickered, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes, but he maintained an impassive facade.

"Are you feeling defeated now? Being beaten by a no-name person, and twice at that?" Helian Family Master spoke with remarkable patience, his voice very calm and devoid of any emotional cues.

Helian Shen quickly looked up at Helian Family Master, a hint of embarrassment flashing in his eyes. He pressed his lips together and nodded with difficulty, "Yes."

"And what is your take on this matter?" Helian Family Master was not surprised by Helian Shen’s reaction and continued to ask in a calm tone.

"I..." Helian Shen lifted his head, meeting Helian Family Master’s calm gaze. His lips moved, "I don’t know. All these years, I’ve always regarded Xiyue and Leng Yan as my goals and thought that among the younger generation, only they could be my rivals. But this Artifact Refining tournament shattered my understanding. While I know that there is always someone better out there, when it really happens, I find it hard to accept."

As the only child, Helian Family Master always valued his communication with Helian Shen, and they had a deep bond. Since childhood, whenever Helian Shen faced difficulties, he would confide in Helian Family Master, and this time was no exception.

Although he felt that it might be improper to let his father hear his complaints now that he had grown up, under Helian Family Master’s calm and accepting gaze, he couldn’t help but voice his thoughts.

Upon hearing this, Helian Family Master nodded. His expression was very calm, but if you looked closely, you could see a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

"Very good," he nodded towards Helian Shen, a slight smile finally breaking the even line of his mouth. "I’m pleased that after facing setbacks, you reflected on yourself instead of blaming others. You’ve already done very well."

Hearing Helian Family Master’s words, a hint of shyness flashed in Helian Shen’s eyes. Since he grew up, Helian Family Master had rarely given him such straightforward praise, and he felt somewhat embarrassed, especially since he had lost to someone else this time.

"I lost because I didn’t try hard enough; I wouldn’t blame others for it." In his heart, he might have felt unwelcoming towards Jun Wu’s sudden appearance for a moment, but he quickly suppressed those emotions, focusing more on whether he had done something wrong to lose to Jun Wu!

"There’s nothing wrong with thinking that way. I’ve already said you did well. When I was your age, I also only considered Cold Family Master and Master Wen as rivals. The three of us, like you and Yue, regarded each other as opponents from a young age, thinking that besides each other, no one else in our peers could match us. But as you just said, there is always someone better out there. Some people unexpectedly appear, and their arrival changes your world.

The person I encountered back then was also formidable. Succumbing to them made us, three prodigies, feel defeated. It was with your grandfather’s guidance that we understood there will always be people stronger than us, and instead of yielding, we should work harder.

Your gifts are indeed very remarkable, but in this world, some individuals have even better talents than you. What we must do is remain true to ourselves, persevere in our efforts, and never forget our original intentions."

Looking at Helian Shen, Helian Family Master felt as if he was seeing his younger self. He had been in a more sorry state than Helian Shen was now, almost succumbing to inner demons, and if his father hadn’t noticed in time, he might not be here today!

Helian Shen had heard much about Helian Family Master’s past, but mostly about his reputation after he became famous. This was the first time hearing about Helian Family Master’s younger days, and for a moment, he forgot his own embarrassment. After listening to his father’s words, his previously suffocating mood suddenly felt much lighter.

"I understand. I will continue to work hard. No matter what happens with Mr. Jun in the future, I won’t let his achievements affect myself!" Naturally insightful in his understanding, he quickly grasped Helian Family Master’s point, stating with determined eyes.

Seeing him adjust so quickly, Helian Family Master was very satisfied. He nodded and, without staying much longer in Helian Shen’s study, he left.

...

At the Leng Family, after returning home, Cold Family Master went to Leng Yan’s courtyard and invited Leng Yan to play chess with him.

Cold Family Master was not much of a talker, and Leng Yan could go a whole day without saying a word, so neither spoke during the game.

"You’ve lost," Cold Family Master said, slightly surprised as he looked at the chessboard.

Leng Yan pressed his lips together and looked at the chessboard, saying nothing.

"Your mind is not calm," Cold Family Master said sharply, ignoring Leng Yan’s reaction. "Is it because of the Artifact Refining tournament? Losing twice to the same person has you feeling uneasy and worried?

Leng Yan’s hands, resting on his knees, suddenly clenched into fists, his pupils contracted slightly, and for once, his emotions showed a hint of fluctuation.

"There’s no need to be uneasy," Cold Family Master naturally noticed Leng Yan’s unusual emotions, his eyes flickering. "You should know there’s always someone better. Here in Zhonglan City, both you, Yue, and Shen’s artifact refining talents are undeniable, but the Immortal Realm is vast. There are many people you’ve never met, and there are those stronger than you—it’s normal. You need to accept it, continue to work hard, and aim to become the best!"

Cold Family Master was not someone who often offered comfort, so his words were a bit blunt, but the message conveyed was clear.

It was also the first time Cold Family Master spoke such words, which surprised Leng Yan, and he nodded dumbly. He lowered his eyes, contemplated for a while, and when he looked up again, his eyes were filled with determination.

"After the Artifact Refining tournament ends, I want to leave Zhonglan City and see the outside world." Over the years, he had spent most of his time in Zhonglan City and felt his thinking had become restricted. His understanding of the Immortal Realm was limited, and he needed to go out and hone his skills further.

"Alright!" Cold Family Master was a bit surprised but agreed nevertheless.

Having achieved his goal, Cold Family Master stood up, glanced at Leng Yan, and then turned to leave.

...

Jun Wu was still unaware that his two first-place wins had impacted both Helian Shen and Leng Yan. After the competition, he took a stroll with Gu Qingqing on the streets before returning to the inn to prepare for the next day’s contest. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

The next morning marked the third round of the competition.

When Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu arrived at the square again, most of the people there recognized him, and their eyes were filled with wonder and admiration, offering him the same treatment once reserved for Leng Yan and the others.

Having been accustomed to being the center of attention while in the Sub-immortal Realm, Jun Wu remained unaffected by the crowd’s treatment, displaying a calm demeanor. It was only in the presence of Gu Qingqing that his emotional volatility increased.

As on the previous two days, he first escorted Gu Qingqing to the audience section before heading to the arena.

After the preceding rounds and eliminations, only fifteen contestants remained on the field.

When Jun Wu arrived, seven or eight participants were already present. As he entered, they stood up, fixing their eyes on him with varied expressions. Some greeted Jun Wu as he passed, to which he responded cordially, not ignoring anyone.

When Helian Shen and the others arrived, they also took the initiative to greet Jun Wu. Helian Shen and Leng Yan had returned to a normal state, particularly Helian Shen, whose face had once again donned a sunny smile.

Once everyone was in position, the three Family Masters and the City Lord also took their seats on the podium. The City Lord stepped forward to explain the rules for this round.

The third round, similar to the first, involved artifact refining. However, while the first round provided three kinds of refining materials for contestants to craft with, the third round was different. The tournament organizers provided a variety of materials, and contestants were required to select some materials from them to refine artifacts. The contestant whose product was the highest level would be declared the winner.

After announcing the rules, the City Lord declared the competition open.