"How is that possible?!"

"How could he be the first one out?"

"What’s going on?"

When the onlookers clearly saw that it was Long Chen who had emerged, their expressions froze, their eyes filled with utter disbelief. Some even suspected their eyes were playing tricks on them and rubbed them forcefully, but Long Chen was still the one standing before them. Only then were they forced to accept the reality of the situation.

The attitude displayed by the Jinglei Sect, however, was a world apart from everyone else’s. Whether it was Lei Zhen, Lei Yujing, or Lei Man, their faces were all alight with thrilled excitement. None of them had expected Long Chen to be the first to exit the Xingchen Tower. This meant that in this Domain Alliance Grand Competition, their Jinglei Sect had won the championship! This was something they hadn’t even dared to dream of.

"Good lad!" Lei Yujing was overcome with excitement. "I knew he wouldn’t let us down!"

Lei Man smiled. "This kid really gave us a huge surprise!"

Lei Zhen also nodded in great satisfaction. "The younger generation is truly something to be reckoned with! After this Domain Alliance Grand Competition, our Jinglei Sect’s status in the God-Devil Domain will rise tremendously. This outcome has completely surpassed our expectations. From now on, they are the great benefactors of our Jinglei Sect!"

The disciples of the Jinglei Sect also pumped their fists in the air, celebrating wildly. They had never felt so proud and exhilarated.

Seeing the Jinglei Sect members so overjoyed, the others were filled with fury, itching to annihilate the entire contingent on the spot.

"Damn it!"

"How could it be like this?"

"This is impossible!"

The members of the Xueying Sect, the Ancient Maple Hall, and the Wonderful Sound Sect all wore grim expressions, their eyes filled with astonishment. They couldn’t fathom why Long Chen was the first to emerge from the Xingchen Tower instead of someone from their three major sects. Had it been a disciple from any of their sects, they wouldn’t be so astounded and dejected. Such a result was simply unacceptable to them.

The three Enforcers of the Domain Alliance exchanged glances, complex expressions appearing on their faces.

As Long Chen appeared, several more beams of light shot out from the Xingchen Tower, instantly drawing everyone’s attention. The next second, Long Xin’s group, along with the disciples from the Xueying Sect, Ancient Maple Hall, and Wonderful Sound Sect, all materialized in the same spot. They were all taken aback by their sudden appearance. None of them had reached the seventh layer, so how had they been ejected?

Although Long Xin and her companions were confused, they stopped pondering the moment they saw Long Chen, and faint smiles touched their lips.

"Brother!" Upon spotting him, Long Xin immediately rushed toward Long Chen. Seeing this, Chu Lingjun and the others quickly followed suit.

Seeing Long Xin’s group appear before him, safe and sound, the tension in Long Chen’s heart finally eased. He looked at them and asked with concern, "How are you all doing?"

"We’re fine," Long Xin and the others replied, before asking in turn, "What about you?"

"I’m fine as well." Long Chen smiled slightly. "I only just came out, and you all followed right after. I was still thinking about how I’d get you out, but it seems that won’t be necessary now."

Hearing that Long Chen had come out first, Lei Shishi’s eyes lit up. She looked at him in astonishment and asked, "Did you just say you were the first one to leave the tower?"

Long Chen nodded. "Yes, that’s right."

After confirming this, she looked over toward Lei Zhen and the others. When she saw their jubilant expressions, her own face bloomed with intense excitement.

"Long Chen, you really did it! This time, you’ve made a monumental contribution to the Jinglei Sect!" Lei Shishi’s gaze held a newfound admiration. She gave him a thumbs-up and couldn’t help but praise him. "You’ve truly made me see you in a new light. Our Jinglei Sect was incredibly fortunate to have recruited you for this Domain Alliance Grand Competition."

"You flatter me," Long Chen said with a modest smile. "Coming out first was just a stroke of luck."

"That’s wonderful!" Long Xin smiled. "Now that we’re out, we’ve completed the mission from the sect."

Chu Lingjun’s heart also swelled with joy. To her, whether Long Chen won the Domain Alliance Grand Competition or not was secondary; his safety was what truly mattered.

Tang Le, standing nearby, glanced at Long Chen indifferently but said nothing.

"Let’s go see the Sect Master," Long Chen said with a faint smile. After addressing the group, his figure flickered and vanished, leaving only an afterimage behind.

Seeing this, Long Xin, Chu Lingjun, and the others exchanged a look before quickly following him. Long Chen finally stopped when he reached Lei Zhen and the others. Upon seeing him, the faces of the Jinglei Sect members were wreathed in broad smiles.

"Long Chen, I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me!" Lei Yujing was the first to speak. She stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder, feeling immensely gratified.

Long Chen grinned and teased back, "Third Elder, your recent efforts haven’t been in vain."

Hearing this, Lei Yujing burst into hearty laughter.

"Thank you all for everything you have done for the Jinglei Sect!" Lei Zhen continued, addressing Long Chen. "I will honor the promises I made to you. Not only that, but you will have free rein over all the sect’s resources! You have brought our Jinglei Sect the opportunity to return to our peak, to reclaim our former glory! I..."

Even as the leader of the Jinglei Sect, Lei Zhen was so overwhelmed with emotion that he was momentarily at a loss for words.

Long Chen smiled and said to Lei Zhen and the others, "Sect Master, I was only doing my part. There’s no need to say more; I appreciate the sentiment."

Lei Zhen laughed heartily and shouted, "Good! For our Jinglei Sect to have disciples with such heaven-defying talent is a blessing accumulated over generations! We will celebrate properly when we return to the sect later!"

As Lei Zhen’s voice fell, the Jinglei Sect disciples erupted in loud cheers, unleashing the full force of their excitement.

Meanwhile, Xue Wuying, He Luo, Xu Huanhuan, and the others watched this scene, their expressions growing heavy and grim. None of them had ever imagined that it would be Long Chen who emerged first from the Xingchen Tower. For them, who had carried such high expectations, Long Chen’s performance was a harsh slap in the face that left them feeling utterly humiliated.

"Damn it! What kind of crap luck does this kid have?!" Xue Wuying was seething, deeply dissatisfied with the outcome. In his mind, this victory should have been rightfully his! But now, it had been snatched away by a junior from some second-rate sect? How could he not be furious?!

At that moment, He Luo felt the same explosive rage as Xue Wuying. His eyes darkened as he glared at Long Chen. If looks could kill, Long Chen might have dropped dead on the spot.

As for Xu Huanhuan, her reaction was entirely different from the two men. She wasn’t angry at all; instead, a hint of admiration flickered in her beautiful eyes as she watched Long Chen with great interest. She murmured to herself, "I really underestimated this guy. I didn’t think he was so capable. This is getting more and more interesting."

The elders from the Xueying Sect and Ancient Maple Hall looked mortified, unable to hide the sullenness on their faces.

"Useless fools!"

"Trash!"

"As the proud prodigies of first-class forces, you lost to a disciple from the Jinglei Sect in the Domain Alliance Grand Competition. You’ve really brought us honor, haven’t you!"

Hearing the furious scolding from their respective elders, He Luo and Xue Wuying tensed up, immediately lowering their heads to beg for forgiveness.

As for Xu Huanhuan, being the Young Mistress of the Wonderful Sound Sect, her situation was not nearly as awkward as theirs. Even if the elders of the Wonderful Sound Sect were unhappy about not winning the championship, they didn’t dare voice any objections. After all, with Xu Huanhuan’s status as the Young Mistress, no one would dare to offend her lightly.

Elsewhere, another group’s expressions darkened simultaneously upon seeing Long Chen. They were the elders from Xuanyue Valley, the Divine Blade Sect, Feiyu City, and the Heavenly Water Sect.

"It’s him?!"

"No wonder we couldn’t find a trace of him all this time. So he joined the Jinglei Sect!" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Damn it! What the hell? This guy won first place?!"

"Was it luck or skill?"

Recognizing Long Chen, the members of these sects began to murmur among themselves. Gradually, the sullen looks on the elders’ faces grew more serious. After all, Long Chen was now a disciple of the Jinglei Sect and had just won first place in the Domain Alliance Grand Competition. He now posed a considerable threat to them. If they tried to move against Long Chen, the Jinglei Sect would surely back him up, and the matter would become extremely thorny.