“Even if you disagree, even if you covet it for yourself, you must first ask whether you possess the worthiness!” Master Lù Wénrǎn, seasoned in power and sharp of mind, uttered these words, deflecting the storm of Wáng Lín’s earlier dominance and his own momentary lapse, turning the accusation back upon his opponent.

Before Lù Wénrǎn’s words could fully settle, Yán Luán’s voice, soft yet resonant, echoed through the cavernous depths of the earth palace, sending tremors through the minds of all present. “Elder Wáng is worthy!” Yán Luán spoke, a subtle smile gracing his lips as he glanced towards Wáng Lín.

Lù Wénrǎn’s eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed upon Yán Luán, his voice now edged with frost. “Elder Yán Luán, you must bear the weight of your words!”

“Fear not, Master Lù,” Yán Luán replied with a calm serenity. “Yán Luán is well aware.”

Adding his voice to the burgeoning support, Xǔ Dōngdé declared, “I too, believe Elder Wáng is worthy!”

A tidal wave of murmurs surged through the ranks of the thousand-strong cultivators below. The weight of a single Emptiness Tribulation cultivator’s words was substantial, yet two Great Reverends, both Elders of the Great Soul Gate, had voiced their approval. The implication was undeniable.

And most importantly, they were both Elders of the Great Soul Gate!

“Good, good!” Lù Wénrǎn spat, his eyes like chips of ice as they scanned Xǔ Dōngdé. His rage festered within him, reaching a fever pitch.

“And you three,” Lù Wénrǎn continued, his voice laced with venom, turning his gaze upon three Emptiness Tribulation cultivators from neighboring sects. “Do you also believe that Elder Wáng, with his paltry cultivation, is worthy of the Soul Armor? Would you entrust the lives of these thousand souls to the hands of such a one?!”

The three remained silent, trapped between the desire to appease Lù Wénrǎn and the fear of offending Yán Luán and Xǔ Dōngdé, the formidable Elders of the Great Soul Gate. Wáng Lín himself held little sway over their considerations.

Their silence was all the answer Lù Wénrǎn needed. A cold smile crept across his face as his gaze swept over the assembled cultivators. Each lowered their heads, unwilling to meet his furious glare.

“Since the others remain silent, and Elder Yán Luán and Elder Xǔ Dōngdé deem me worthy, what say you, Master Lù?” Wáng Lín spoke, his voice calm and unwavering.

Lù Wénrǎn stared at Wáng Lín, his expression shifting from rage to a sudden, unsettling calm. A hollow laugh escaped his lips.

“Elder Wáng is indeed worthy. And now, the choice lies between us. I am curious, what is your reason for denying me the Soul Armor?”

“Your contribution to this war effort has been insufficient,” Wáng Lín stated, his voice devoid of warmth.

Lù Wénrǎn’s laughter burst forth once more, tinged with disbelief.

“Insufficient? I led you in two counter-attacks! I guided you in retreat back to this earth palace! In the first battle, I held off an Emptiness Tribulation cultivator! In the second, I did so again! Were it not for me, not a thousand cultivators would remain. They would have been slaughtered! Insufficient? Then tell me, Elder Wáng, what contribution have *you* made?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Wáng Lín raised his right hand. In his palm, a severed head materialized – the head of Liú Zhīyuán. He held it aloft for all to see.

“He was an Emptiness Tribulation cultivator from the Green Demon Continent. You have likely heard of him. I slew him.”

Silence descended upon the earth palace, heavy and profound, before erupting into a tempest of whispers. The death of the Green Demon Continent cultivator had been a mystery, a topic of endless speculation among the cultivators of the Sky Bull Continent. Now, as they beheld the grisly trophy and heard Wáng Lín’s simple declaration – “I slew him” – their minds reeled in disbelief.

“It was him!”

“He killed the enemy’s Emptiness Tribulation cultivator!”

“Impossible! His cultivation is nowhere near Emptiness Tribulation! How could he accomplish such a feat?!”

“To slay an Emptiness Tribulation cultivator in so short a time… his true strength must be concealed! He is not as he appears!”

“He is an Elder of the Great Soul Gate! Surely, he is not a weakling! The Great Soul Gate would not send someone to their death so carelessly!”

“He is discreet, not vying for the grand halls but choosing a humble cave dwelling. Perhaps he is worthy of the Soul Armor after all!”

Even Yán Luán, despite his prior suspicions, gasped and fixed Wáng Lín with newfound respect. “So it was him!”

Xǔ Dōngdé’s pupils constricted, his mind thrown into turmoil. The three Emptiness Tribulation cultivators from the neighboring sects stared, aghast, at Wáng Lín.

Old Zhou felt a chill run down his spine. He suddenly recalled the shattered and unrepaired gate to Wáng Lín’s cave dwelling, the one he had carelessly destroyed.

The whispers and speculations swirled around Lù Wénrǎn, eroding his composure. His gaze remained fixed upon the severed head in Wáng Lín’s hand, the lingering fear and resentment etched upon its features.

He knew that if this continued, the weight of Wáng Lín’s contribution would rival his own. He could not allow it.

“Elder Wáng jests!” Lù Wénrǎn scoffed, his voice regaining its composure. “I witnessed a figure of immense power, an unfathomable being, slay this man and discard his body by the wayside. You have merely taken his head, Elder Wáng, and brought it here as a false claim.”