Yan Hongtu attempting to take Jiang Chen down a peg wasn’t out of the latter’s expectations. Jiang Chen would have anticipated something along these lines even if Dan Chi hadn’t warned him beforehand.
He was a foreigner after all, and had suddenly taken up residence in the core disciples’ territory. It was virtually impossible for everyone to accept him straight off the bat, not to mention the reputation that came along with him. The sage one himself had deigned to ally with the Precious Tree Sect because of Jiang Chen!
Just this point alone was enough to make Jiang Chen a target of public censure.
Everyone was a genius here, and what genius would submit to another?