There were nine seats for the Grand Arena Masters, yet only eight people had been fortunate enough to qualify?
As soon as these words were spoken, many people immediately grasped the key point and detected a subtle, different implication. What did this mean?
Those with quick wits caught on at once — someone had earned two Grand Arena Master seats.
One person obtaining two Grand Arena Master seats was not unheard of on the Bounty Arena, but it happened very rarely. You could go a hundred years without seeing it once.
However, the ranking board only showed corresponding serial numbers without any names. As to who each number belonged to, aside from the person themselves, nobody knew.
Deputy Hall Master Gao smiled and said, "Very well, will the owners of the qualifying serial numbers please come forward so everyone can get acquainted?"
Most of those participating in this Bounty Arena's arena master selection possessed extraordinary abilities. They all had a certain standing in the martial world, and upon hearing Deputy Hall Master Gao's words, they stepped forward from the crowd one after another onto the stage.
In a setting like this, becoming the star of everyone's attention was, ultimately, a very enjoyable thing. So the Grand Arena Masters who had qualified were not exactly shy about it.
Jiang Chen, for his part, felt none of that thrill from the adulation. He cared far more about the Bounty Arena itself.
The moment Jiang Chen stepped forward from the crowd, several gazes locked onto him.
Green Phoenix Pill King in particular could barely tear his eyes away from Jiang Chen. Wang Xuetong was equally flushed with excitement, gazing at Jiang Chen with the look of a man beholding his first love.
But for Jiang Chen, he had long grown accustomed to being the center of attention. Back in the Glazed Tile Royal City, everyone from the highest to the lowest had treated him as a star, looking at him with exactly those same eyes.
So Jiang Chen was thoroughly used to it.
He walked up onto the stage and, meeting those complicated gazes, offered a faint smile — a polite enough acknowledgment.
Deputy Hall Master Gao could clearly see that this young man must be the one who had claimed two Grand Arena Master seats.
For a genius like this, Deputy Hall Master Gao was naturally very fond.
"Young man, congratulations," Deputy Hall Master Gao called out warmly.
This warmth from the Deputy Hall Master took several of the other Grand Arena Masters by surprise. Some of them even felt a pang of indignation in their hearts.
They were all Grand Arena Masters. On what basis was Deputy Hall Master Gao so courteous to this one person alone?
But what came next surprised them even more.
The Peerless Great Emperor also strode forward, his tiger-like eyes fixed on Jiang Chen with unconcealed appreciation. "Young man, you carry yourself with admirable composure. Not only is your talent stunning, but rarer still is this bearing of yours. Rare indeed — rare indeed!"
The Peerless Great Emperor had seen countless geniuses. Some feigned profundity, some offered hollow politeness, some trembled with nervousness.
But for a young man to carry himself with such effortless composure as this one — that was truly uncommon. Most importantly, this young man's bearing was not put on. It flowed naturally from within him.
When the Peerless Great Emperor spoke, the other Grand Arena Masters grew even more vexed. Why did one distinguished figure after another show such favor to this young man?
Was it simply because he was young?
Not a single person who had risen above the crowd to claim a Grand Arena Master seat was mediocre. Each of them possessed their own pride.
Seeing both Deputy Hall Master Gao and the Peerless Great Emperor praise this young man — while their own treatment, though polite enough, was clearly far less enthusiastic — left them feeling decidedly uncomfortable.
But what happened next astonished them beyond measure.
Green Phoenix Pill King walked up to the young man and performed an action that left everyone dumbfounded.
He actually bowed directly to Jiang Chen.
"Young man, this old man apologizes for his earlier attitude. My eyes were dull, and I misjudged you," Green Phoenix Pill King said, his expression utterly sincere.
Jiang Chen had earlier sensed Green Phoenix Pill King's misunderstanding of him. Seeing the Pill King publicly apologize was something he had not quite anticipated.
He hurriedly replied, "Pill King Green Phoenix, you are too kind. It was I who was rushing to the Comprehensive Assessment Area and failed to explain clearly. I was too brash."
This attitude from Jiang Chen drew quiet nods of approval from the Burning Phoenix Hall elders watching nearby. For a young man to possess such grace was truly a rare sight indeed.
An ordinary young man who had stumbled into a Grand Arena Master seat would surely have been unable to contain his elation.
But on this young man's face, there was not the slightest trace of wild joy, as though everything was simply as it should be. And when confronted with Green Phoenix Pill King's apology, he neither accepted it with arrogant self-assurance nor resorted to the kind of cutting sarcasm a typical young man might employ. Instead, he chose the approach most likely to put Green Phoenix Pill King at ease.
It had to be said — this young man's way of handling people was remarkably seasoned.
Deputy Hall Master Gao noticed the strange expressions on the other Grand Arena Masters' faces and chuckled. "I forgot to mention one thing, everyone. This young man crossed both assessment areas and, by his own strength alone, seized two Grand Arena Master seats. Ah — young man, may I ask your name?"
"This humble one is called Shao Yuan."
"Shao Yuan?" Deputy Hall Master Gao's brow furrowed slightly. "Forgive the question, Brother Shao, but where do you hail from? It seems our Pill Fire City has no young talent by that name."
Jiang Chen had long known he would face this kind of situation, so he had already prepared his responses well in advance.