Since they were from the Eternal Sacred Land, arriving a bit late and being among the last to show up was something no one could criticize. After all, the Sacred Land was the Sacred Land — it had always been the true ruler of the Eternal Divine Kingdom and the bedrock of its power. They had always enjoyed special privileges, so when they showed up a step behind schedule, some even suspected it was a deliberate ploy by the Eternal Sacred Land to flaunt their privileged status.
Jiang Chen kept his aura reined in, revealing nothing of his depth. This was one of the things that set him apart from the other geniuses.
Many of the others radiated their auras outward, practically begging everyone to notice how powerful they were.
The group arrived and was escorted to their designated area.
On the imperial side, the one presiding over this Genius Sword Meet was none other than the Emperor himself.
That was an extraordinarily high level of precedent. In past Genius Sword Meets, the Emperor had never personally overseen the proceedings.
Yet this time, the Emperor of the Eternal Divine Kingdom had actually taken charge in person.
However, the Emperor appeared to hold the Eternal Sacred Land in great deference. With a smile, he addressed the High Sovereign: "High Sovereign, shall we begin?"
The High Sovereign's brow furrowed slightly at the Emperor's inquiry.
In principle, since the imperial family was hosting this Genius Sword Meet, everything should be at the Emperor's discretion. By specifically asking this question, the Emperor was making it seem as though the Eternal Sacred Land was so overbearing that even the Emperor couldn't make his own decisions?
It had to be said, the High Sovereign was somewhat displeased by this subtle jab.
Nevertheless, the High Sovereign's expression remained unchanged as he said coolly, "Your Majesty, the imperial family is hosting this Genius Sword Meet, and we are all participating guests. You make the call. I won't interfere with anything."
Though the High Sovereign's words weren't exactly sharp, his stance was crystal clear.
The Emperor smiled faintly, as if his earlier remark had been nothing more than ordinary courtesy, carrying no hidden barb.
"Very well. Today is merely for identity verification. Once that's done, starting today, all geniuses will live and stay within the imperial city until the Sword Meet concludes, at which point you'll be free to leave."
Identity verification was not a complicated process.
From the moment Yan Qingsang arrived at the venue, his expression had been grim. His gaze drifted coldly toward the Yan family delegation from time to time.
His look could not be called hatred, but it carried an unmistakable chill.
Most of the Yan family members, for their part, wore expressions of contempt and hostility. Clearly, the Yan family had already reached a consensus.
They all believed that Yan Wanjun had fled out of guilt, bringing trouble upon the family, and when he couldn't smooth things over, he had simply vanished into thin air.
As for the rumors circulating outside — that the family head had sent assassins after Yan Wanjun — those were dismissed as nonsense. Within the Yan family, very few still believed them.
Precisely because the matter of Yan Wanjun had already been settled within the family, they were filled with hostility toward Yan Qingsang as well.
They viewed Yan Qingsang as the grandson of the traitor Yan Wanjun, and the cousin who had brought ruin upon Yan Wanjun's sister, Yan Wanjun.
Jiang Chen felt relatively little toward the Yan family. His target was singular — the Xiahou clan.
Xiahou Zong had clearly taken pains to spruce himself up today. His tall, upright frame, combined with his remarkably striking features and his luxurious attire, made him extraordinarily eye-catching. Standing amid the crowd, he had the air of a crane standing among chickens.
Even the five young lords of the Eternal Sacred Land couldn't help feeling somewhat diminished and inadequate when facing Xiahou Zong.
There was no denying it — Xiahou Zong's oppressive presence was formidable indeed. Among the younger generation, regardless of which faction they came from, no one dared to make eye contact with him.
Everyone knew that Xiahou Zong had cultivated an eye technique and that his spiritual sense was overwhelmingly powerful. If someone inadvertently glanced at him and provoked him, Xiahou Zong could torment them with his eye technique alone.
As a result, almost all the younger generation regarded Xiahou Zong with a mixture of awe and fear. They didn't even have the courage to meet his gaze.
Of course, there was one exception — Jiang Chen.
From the moment Jiang Chen entered the venue, his eyes had not left the Xiahou clan.
He intended to commit each and every member of the Xiahou family to memory. Should he encounter any of them during the Genius Sword Meet, Jiang Chen wouldn't mind sending them on their way, one by one.
As for Xiahou Zong, he had been observing Jiang Chen as well. But from start to finish, Jiang Chen had not once bothered to take a proper look at Xiahou Zong.
In Jiang Chen's eyes, Xiahou Zong was like air — utterly ignored.
Xiahou Zong had several times gathered his momentum, preparing to strike at Jiang Chen with his eye technique in a head-on confrontation, but Jiang Chen had never given him the chance.
"Hmph, the boy must be a coward. He doesn't even have the courage to look me in the eye." Xiahou Zong noticed that Jiang Chen seemed to be deliberately avoiding his gaze, and his smugness only grew.
The identity verification process was completed quickly. During this stage, no issues arose whatsoever.