Time was nearly up.
All eyes were fixed on the hourglass. Less than half a quarter of an hour remained before the final deadline. Everyone was certain that no miracle was going to happen.
Many had already called for their disciples to prepare their results for the official tally.
"Everyone, get ready — we can begin the scoring any moment now," someone from the Hundred Sacred Land called out.
Luming Ye's laughter rang out, hearty and unrestrained. "A genius without fortune can never win the favor of the heavens. So, young talents — one should never be too arrogant."
Hearing these words, many quietly frowned. They were deeply unconvinced. If anyone had been arrogant, it was Luming Ye himself.
Jiang Chen was formidable, yes — but calling him arrogant? No one could see it that way. At the very least, none of them felt Jiang Chen had ever been overbearing.
Of course, nobody said anything about it now.
Regardless, the Hundred Sacred Land was riding high at the moment. There was no need to play the villain and earn their enmity at a time like this.
Given the current situation, if the Ten Great Sacred Lands formed an alliance, the Hundred Sacred Land had a very real chance of becoming the leader. And once that happened, offending them would be even more unwise.
"Very well — everyone, prepare yourselves and have your results ready. Once the last grains of sand fall, we will begin the scoring and determine the champion of the Genius Grand Competition."
The Holy Sovereign of the Hundred Sacred Land raised his voice and made the announcement.
But the moment his words fell, a voice rang out from the void in response: "The champion hasn't even arrived yet. What championship are you competing for?"
Jiang Chen!
At the sound of that voice, everyone — whether they knew him or not — thought of the same name at once. Jiang Chen!
Over at the Eternal Sacred Land, the faces that had been cast in despair and dejection suddenly seemed like statues struck by a spell — they came back to life in an instant, animation flooding back into their features.
"I knew it — Senior Brother Jiang Chen would come back!" Gan Ning clenched his fist so hard his knuckles cracked, pumping it in a release of pent-up emotion. He glared through gritted teeth toward the Hundred Sacred Land's side, his intent unmistakably a show of defiance.
"Ha! Some people got arrogant a bit too early. Senior Brother Jiang Chen came back just in time. The slap across the face couldn't have come sooner — that felt good." Wu You also felt a wave of fierce satisfaction wash through him. As he spoke, his gaze locked directly onto Luming Ye, without the slightest attempt to be subtle about it.
Luming Ye stood frozen in place, his face drained of color. hatred blazed from his eyes as he stared into the void, as though trying to figure out where Jiang Chen had materialized from.
Jiang Chen's figure shot down like a bolt of lightning. He arrived in the blink of an eye, alighting before the assembled crowd. And the hourglass still had its last few grains of sand clinging stubbornly to the passage — as if even the hourglass had been waiting for the king's triumphant return.
"Senior Brother Jiang Chen!"
"Senior Brother, you're finally back! You have no idea — some petty people were practically cursing you to never come out of there!"
"Heh, Jiang Chen, my boy — well done." Zi Che Min's voice was filled with the relief of an old man's heart. He stepped forward and clapped Jiang Chen on the shoulder.
In that instant, countless eyes — without a single exception — converged upon Jiang Chen. Everyone was burning with curiosity: how had he survived? How could he have walked out of the tenth Forbidden Island alive? Could the curse of that tenth island have been nothing more than a rumor?
The Grand Sovereign's grim, haggard expression softened the moment she laid eyes on Jiang Chen, and a spark of vitality returned to her face.
She carried more guilt than anyone — especially after the Sacred Ancestor's words. The Grand Sovereign had nearly convinced herself that she had reached the end of her road.