"City Lord, is this young man truly that formidable?"
"Champion's choice? That would require a truly overwhelming advantage. I don't think there's much difference in aptitude between him and quite a few of these other geniuses."
"I didn't expect the City Lord to hold this young man in such high regard!"
Xie Wushang waved his hand. "Does anyone here have specific information on this young man?"
A counselor checked his records and said, "This young man entered the City of Sin only recently. During his time here, he's had several minor clashes with the city garrison. He also did a few good deeds along the way — acts of charity, no less."
"Acts of charity?" Everyone was stunned.
In the City of Sin, people only indulged in wickedness. Good deeds were a truly rare sight. Otherwise, it wouldn't be called the City of Sin.
"That's right. Shortly after arriving, he intervened to save a middle-aged cultivator who was poisoned and on the verge of death."
"Later, after a conflict with the garrison arose and was resolved, he also happened to treat the wife of one of the garrison commanders."
This intelligence, for the higher-ups of the City Lord's Manor, had originally been considered nothing of particular importance. No one had paid it much attention at first.
But as Jiang Chen's performance in the selection tournament grew more and more impressive, these pieces of information were continuously dug up, and everyone's curiosity grew in tandem.
Even Xie Wushang had his interest piqued.
"Which garrison commander?"
"The commander of the Third Army, Eleventh Company. His name is Yong Peng."
"Is there more detail in the intelligence report?" Xie Wushang's interest was clearly stirred.
The City Lord's Manor possessed intelligence capabilities that were nothing short of extraordinary. Since this matter had already been investigated, there were naturally meticulous details available.
The counselor proceeded to recount the specifics in full, adding, "Yong Peng's wife suffered from a strange illness. He invited numerous Grand Alchemists to diagnose and treat her, but not a single one could determine the root cause of her condition. It's unclear why Yong Peng would have turned to a stranger — some unknown young man — for a diagnosis, but by sheer coincidence, the young man got it right."
Xie Wushang was speechless for a long moment before saying, "This young man is no ordinary person."
"Indeed. Under normal circumstances, no one would have connected his wife's illness to his own cultivation practice. No wonder most of the Grand Alchemists couldn't diagnose it."
"In that case, this young man really is promising material."
"City Lord, have we truly struck gold with this selection?"
Xie Wushang let out a bitter laugh. "What a pity — this selection was at the Grand Warden's own request. The geniuses selected will, in name, serve as retained advisors of the City Lord's Manor, but in reality, they will ultimately be handed over to the Grand Warden for arrangement and disposition."
Hearing this, a look of envy flickered through the counselors' eyes.
"City Lord, does that mean the ones selected from this tournament are actually lucky? Could it be that the Grand Warden intends to grant them their freedom?"
"If the Grand Warden is placing this much importance on them, there must be a reason. Perhaps a truly great opportunity awaits these fortunate souls!"
For the people of Dongyan Island, no matter how high one's cultivation, there was essentially one dream that came before all others — and that was freedom.
They were fundamentally different from the people on the outside. They were born without freedom, and so the restoration of that freedom was an obsession burned into the heart of every person on Dongyan Island.
These counselors, by both rank and cultivation, were far superior to the geniuses competing in the tournament. Yet upon hearing that the selected participants might be granted freedom by the Grand Warden, they couldn't help but feel a pang of envy and jealousy.
Xie Wushang said coolly, "It is not our place to speculate on the Grand Warden's intentions. If he does grant them freedom, they will undoubtedly have to pay a corresponding price. Freedom is not something that falls from the sky for free. There is no need for you all to be so envious."
The counselors reflected on his words and conceded the point.
In all the years the Grand Warden had governed Dongyan Island, when had he ever granted anyone freedom without cause? There was no such thing as a free lunch.
To obtain freedom, opportunity was certainly important, but one's own strength and fortune were equally vital.
Without sufficient power, even if one encountered a great opportunity, one would have no way to seize it.
…
The elimination rounds continued to burn with fierce intensity.
As the tournament progressed, the battles grew noticeably more ferocious. During the earlier rounds, when sixty-four competitors were paired off to fight, the clashes had been spirited enough. But now, with only thirty-two remaining and sixteen spots up for grabs, the fighting had reached another level entirely.
The spectacle of these bouts was markedly more violent. While Jiang Chen had won his previous fights with relative ease, most of the matches on the arena stages were fought between evenly matched opponents. The battles were brutal, with neither side holding a decisive advantage.
The closer one got to the end, the less likely a one-sided victory became.
Jiang Chen watched the ongoing battles, but his composure remained steady, undisturbed by the shifting tides of the fights. At this stage, he could face whatever came with perfect equanimity.
"One more round, and the final eight will be determined. I need only one more win to distinguish myself from this elite competition."
With that thought, his gaze suddenly shifted, darting toward a certain spot in the great hall. His eyes swept over it as lightly as a dragonfly skimming the water, then moved on.