In the hall, Consort Dan's delicate eyebrows twitched slightly, and she said with a smile, "Alright, first, as per the usual rules, each family shall present their birthday gifts. Once all gifts have been collected, the Grand Tutor will personally select three. These will be ranked as the top three. The three who earn a top-three spot may pose questions to the Grand Tutor in person. The first place winner may ask two questions; second and third place may each ask one. Everyone is familiar with these rules, yes?"
"Sister Consort Dan, we all know the rules."
"That's right, Sister Consort Dan—let's get to the gift presentation! This time, I'm absolutely going to secure a top-three spot no matter what!"
Jiang Chen stood behind Ye Rong, observing the eager expressions on each person's face and the fervent atmosphere. Something about it struck him as a little odd.
By all rights, a reclusive powerhouse like the Grand Tutor wouldn't care about birthday gifts from these young people, would he? And yet, this had been made a regular fixture, held every single year?
If the Grand Tutor were the type to hoard wealth, Jiang Chen couldn't see it in him at all.
But if he wasn't a miser, then Jiang Chen couldn't understand why he placed such importance on this segment.
He couldn't help but cast a curious glance toward the Grand Tutor. Ye Chonglou had his eyes half-closed, seemingly deaf to the frenzied excitement in the hall.
The moment Jiang Chen's gaze landed on him, the old man's eyelids snapped open, and a profoundly meaningful look met Jiang Chen's eyes directly.
Jiang Chen gave an awkward smile, as though a peeping tom had been caught red-handed. But he was a forthright person at heart, and he simply shifted his gaze away.
The Grand Tutor above also seemed to have merely opened his eyes casually. His gaze didn't press further, and languidly, he let his eyelids drift shut again.
This little episode Jiang Chen didn't take to heart. But Ye Chonglou, on the other hand, felt a faint ripple stir within him, a touch of surprise: "This young man, standing behind Ye Rong—have I not seen him before? Could this boy have cultivated some mental-strength technique? Just now, my Confusing Heart Steps affected even those Spirit Realm martial artists, yet this one alone seems largely unaffected by my influence?"
The Grand Tutor's strength was extraordinary; with a single thought, he could grasp every movement within a ten-li radius. When he had been walking his Confusing Heart Steps, he had also been calculating the heartbeat rhythms of everyone present, using that to gauge the cultivation level of these young people.
Among those present, including Consort Dan, there were 254 people in total—but he had only captured 253 heartbeat frequencies.
There was one who had slipped through!
Jiang Chen could shake off the Grand Tutor's Confusing Heart Steps, but he couldn't help being singled out from the crowd entirely.
At first, the Grand Tutor was mildly pleased, thinking that perhaps one of the princes had made a dramatic breakthrough in cultivation and could now resist his Confusing Heart Steps.
But in the end, he discovered that this fish who had escaped the net wasn't any prince at all, nor any Spirit Realm powerhouse, but rather a young man he had never laid eyes on before.
And judging by his age, this youth appeared even younger than several of the princes.
Now, as Jiang Chen's gaze turned toward the Grand Tutor, the old man sensed it. Feeling a spark of interest, he decided to probe Jiang Chen.
The result surprised him—this little fellow who had been peering at him showed not the slightest pressure. After their eyes met, the youth simply, languidly looked away.
"What an interesting little fellow. Whose boy is he?" Grand Tutor Ye felt a flicker of curiosity. It had been a very, very long time since he had encountered such an interesting young person.
In truth, he hosted this annual birthday banquet precisely to evaluate the kingdom's youth, to see if anyone might offer a pleasant surprise.
This so-called gift presentation was naturally not because Ye Chonglou coveted such things. Rather, he wanted to use the opportunity to assess the young people's temperament and aptitude.
He could see that every one of these young people harbored a spirit of competitive showmanship, each trying to curry favor with him.
What they didn't know was that what the Grand Tutor truly valued had nothing to do with the gifts themselves. Instead, it was the bearing and character each person revealed through the act of presenting them.
Unfortunately, year after year, none of the young people present had ever grasped his true intention.
In fact, the gifts obtained through this presentation were things the Grand Tutor hadn't given a moment's thought to. He handed them over to Consort Dan, who had them all sold at the Duobao Dojo.
The proceeds were arranged by Consort Dan to go toward charity in private—donating to impoverished commoners throughout the kingdom who were in need, or supporting talented martial artists from poor backgrounds who lacked family connections or powerful backers.
But none of this was known to any of the young people present.
Ye Rong, standing behind Ye Rong, noticed that Jiang Chen had also sensed his nervousness.
Indeed, Ye Rong was a bit tense. To be precise, he was caught between hope and fear. He had made preparations for this occasion.
He wanted to take first place in the gift presentation segment, win the Grand Tutor's favor, and earn the opportunity to consult the Grand Tutor face to face, thereby securing the old man's goodwill and good impression.
But Ye Rong was also clear-headed enough to realize that if he had prepared, the other princes surely had as well. They were all clever people, and everyone knew that this once-a-year chance to please the Grand Tutor was not something anyone would easily pass up.
"Grand Tutor, your student Ye Dai has traveled throughout the Sixteen Surrounding Kingdoms and obtained a copy of the 'Yellow Dragon Observing Sea Diagram.' It is said that when Spirit Realm powerhouses study this diagram diligently, they can enhance their mental strength, gain inspiration, and even extend their lifespan! I respectfully present this diagram to my teacher, wishing the Grand Tutor boundless longevity!"
"Yellow Dragon Observing Sea Diagram? It can enhance mental strength even for Spirit Realm powerhouses? And it extends lifespan?"
"This… the First Prince's connections are too wild! With a treasure like this on the table, what chance does anyone else have to compete?"
"Done for. First place is going to him again, by the looks of it. Damn it!"
"Yellow Dragon Observing Sea Diagram?" Ye Rong's heart clenched, and in an instant his mouth filled with bitter astringency as countless frustrated thoughts flooded his mind. "Ye Dai! Truly worthy of the big shots—by doing this, he means to cut off everyone else's hopes of fighting for first place!"