Jiang Chen's meteoric rise within the Eternal Sacred Land sent shockwaves through the otherwise tranquil Eternal Divine Kingdom.
No one had expected that the young man the Yan family had brought back from the Blue Smoke Island Domain would possess such extraordinary talent — that he would actually shatter the record of the Eternal Sacred Land's Nine-Winding Cloud Caverns.
When the news spread, everyone in the Yan family was stunned.
The Yan family patriarch and nearly all the others were consumed with regret — with the exception of Yan Wanyou and his faction, who had long been at odds with Yan Wanjun.
And once again, the Yan family became the laughingstock of the major powers throughout the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
Fortunately, the family still had one fig leaf — Yan Qingsang. As the Yan family's acknowledged prodigy, Yan Qingsang had entered the Eternal Sacred Land and passed its examination, officially becoming a disciple of talent within the Sacred Land.
Yan Qingsang's existence provided at least some consolation amid the family's embarrassment.
Thanks to his outstanding performance, Jiang Chen was quickly granted one of the finest cave abodes the Eternal Sacred Land had to offer. The area where this abode was located was also the most prestigious zone within the entire Sacred Land.
This particular district was reserved exclusively for true-inheritance disciples — those who held the highest rank among the Sacred Land's younger generation.
Yan Qingsang's treatment, by comparison, was one tier lower. He received the treatment of a core disciple, and the cave abode assigned to him was slightly inferior both in terms of its geographical location and the grade of the dwelling itself.
Zi Che Min personally escorted Jiang Chen to his new abode.
"Elder Zi Che, you've gone to great trouble on my behalf this time." Jiang Chen was genuinely grateful for all the help Zi Che Min had provided.
Zi Che Min smiled. "Bringing you into the Eternal Sacred Land was my doing from start to finish, so naturally I see it through to the end. Besides, this is the finest piece of work I've accomplished during my time in the Sacred Land."
Hearing Zi Che Min praise him so highly, Jiang Chen allowed himself a smile.
"Shao Yuan, to be honest, I wasn't entirely in favor of your attempt at the ninth cavern. The Eternal Sacred Land is an open platform, certainly, but there are still certain unspoken rules at play. A tree that stands taller than the forest will be the first to be broken by the wind. You've only just arrived, and you've already attracted an enormous amount of attention. I'm worried that the days ahead may not be easy for you."
"Oh?" Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "Is Elder Zi Che concerned that someone in the Sacred Land might move against me?"
"Actively moving against you is unlikely, perhaps. But young men are hot-blooded. You've made such a splash — whether the other prodigies will truly accept you from the bottom of their hearts is anyone's guess. In my estimation, they almost certainly harbor feelings of resentment toward you."
Jiang Chen was not the least bit surprised. After all, mediocrity was the surest way to avoid provoking envy.
"Elder Zi Che, I've already prepared myself for that, and I'm not afraid. I didn't enter the Eternal Sacred Land to compete with anyone or to overshadow anyone. A passing contest of pride isn't worth dwelling on. Please rest assured — I've considered all of this from every angle."
Zi Che Min was somewhat surprised to hear Jiang Chen say this. He had assumed the young man had been somewhat hot-headed when he tackled the Nine-Winding Cloud Caverns and hadn't thought things through.
But from the sound of it, this Shao Yuan had already considered all of these matters well in advance? It seemed this young man truly had a backbone of steel.
He had known full well what consequences might follow, yet he had made no effort to conceal himself or hold back.
"Shao Yuan, I'm genuinely curious — was the urgency with which you chose to prove yourself driven solely by your desire to have the Sacred Land support you in your contest with Xiahou Zong for Yan Qinghuang?"
Heroes had always been drawn to beautiful women, of course. But Zi Che Min still found the whole affair rather baffling.
"That is correct." Jiang Chen didn't deny it.
"That's all there is to it?" Zi Che Min couldn't help pressing further.
"That's all there is to it."
Zi Che Min studied Jiang Chen carefully, examining the young man's expression for any trace of dishonesty, and found none. He let out a soft sigh.
"Shao Yuan, back when you were attempting the ninth cavern, many members of the Elder Hall were discussing a particular concern. Numerous voices questioned your background and origins, worried that you might be an infiltrator sent by a hostile force. Do you know what the Grand Sovereign said?"
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "I don't know, and I don't wish to know."
"Why not?" Zi Che Min was taken aback.
"Because I was not sent here by any force, and no force has the power to command me." Jiang Chen's tone was calm and unhurried.
Zi Che Min fell silent for a long while after hearing this.
After a considerable pause, he spoke. "When I first brought you into the Sacred Land, I was simply struck by your exceptional alchemical talent — a once-in-ten-thousand-years prodigy. Now it seems your martial cultivation talent is equally remarkable. Shao Yuan, by my ability to judge character, your talent and your potential are at the once-in-ten-thousand-years level. Much of what I might say is no longer something I can teach you, but as someone who has walked this path before you, what I want to say is this: cherish your talent and your potential. Do nothing to destroy your own future. As long as your heart belongs to the Eternal Sacred Land, the Sacred Land will nurture you into a powerhouse whose name resounds throughout the world. What the Sacred Land can offer you will absolutely surpass what any other force could provide. And only within the Sacred Land can your talent achieve its fullest expression. Do you understand?"
Jiang Chen understood the general thrust of Zi Che Min's meaning.
"Elder Zi Che, perhaps you harbor certain concerns in your heart as well, and I can understand that. But I will swear a solemn oath: I have joined the Eternal Sacred Land of my own free will, without being dispatched by anyone, and I have no other ulterior motives beyond Yan Qinghuang. If my words are false, may the heavens and earth strike me down."
Jiang Chen generally disliked swearing oaths, but in the world of martial cultivation, an oath was the most effective way to earn someone's trust.
On this matter, Jiang Chen didn't want to argue back and forth.
He felt it was best to speak plainly and put everyone's mind at ease. If the higher-ups were consumed with suspicion, it would only harm his prospects going forward.