C18 You Cheated!

"The hunt has concluded. Time to submit your Demon Cores."

The Great Clan Elder, seeing that most had assembled, amplified his voice with Spiritual Force.

"Jiang Zheng, eight zero-rank Demon Cores!"

"Jiang Feng, six zero-rank Demon Cores!"

...

"Anyone else?"

"I will!"

A dashing young man emerged from the crowd, his eyes brimming with confidence, though his clothes were ragged from battle.

Approaching, he produced a pitch-black Demon Core with one hand and several smaller ones with the other.

"Jiang Cheng, one first-rank Demon Core, and seven zero-rank."

"That's a first-rank Demon Core!"

"Incredible! Jiang Cheng secured a first-rank Demon Core! So strong!"

"Has he advanced to the Fighter realm? At just fifteen, he's already a martial artist!?"

Basking in the crowd's admiration, the young man's pride swelled.

"Of course. This first-rank Demon Core is from a Demon Rabbit, equivalent to a Warrior's level. I fought a bloody battle for it! Not like the trash who enter spotless and leave with nothing, probably hiding by the exit the whole time."

His gaze fixed on Jiang Yuan, standing at the edge of the crowd.

Jiang Woo took notice of the still Jiang Yuan, a bad feeling creeping over him.

Jiang Yuan, unfazed by the stares, remained silent.

Jiang Wenn approached, his expression grave. "Yuan, don't lose heart. Winning or losing doesn't matter. If you can't cultivate in the future, I'll step down as head of the Jiang Family, and you can oversee our external affairs."

Jiang Yuan shook his head, smiling. "Rest easy, Father."

"Jiang Yuan, you're up! Don't tell me you're too embarrassed to present nothing? It's fine to admit you don't have a single Demon Core."

Jiang Cheng taunted with a smirk.

Without a word, Jiang Yuan walked steadily to the stage, ignoring the Great Clan Elder, and nonchalantly tossed his Universe Bag onto the table.

"What's the meaning of this, Jiang Yuan?" The Head Elder's face betrayed a flash of anger as he felt the sting of Jiang Yuan's challenge.

With a dismissive glance and a hint of scorn in his voice, Jiang Yuan replied nonchalantly, "No particular meaning. Go ahead and check."

The Great Clan Elder's brow furrowed deeply, his heart pounding with fury at Jiang Yuan's flippant demeanor. "I'm eager to see just how many Demon Cores you've managed to gather! You're nothing but a failure!"

Yet, what unfolded next took the Great Clan Elder completely by surprise.

His expression turned to stone as he beheld the substantial collection of about ten first-rank Demon Cores and nearly forty zero-rank Demon Cores. He stood rooted to the spot, speechless.

Jiang Cheng, who had been eagerly awaiting the outcome, sneered, "Well?"

"You must have cheated!" the Great Clan Elder accused.

Jiang Yuan chuckled, his smile broadening. "Do I really need to resort to cheating?"

The Great Clan Elder's voice hardened, his words heavy with accusation. "The hunting grounds here could only yield a maximum of five first-rank Devil Beasts! Your Universe Bag contains fifteen. If this isn't cheating, then what is?"

"Fifteen first-rank Demon Cores!?" Jiang Cheng's smugness evaporated, and he was left agape. The very Jiang Yuan he had just been ridiculing had in his possession fifteen Demon Cores—fifteen times his own count!

Just then, a group emerged from the hunting circle's exit.

"Great Clan Elder! The First Young Master indeed acquired these on his own, without any deceit," they confirmed.