Jiang Chen sat where he was, but that didn't mean he was unconcerned with what was happening around him.
In fact, his Seven Apertures Spiritual Resonance had been running continuously. In the back of his mind, he could always sense that from every direction, unfriendly gazes were being shot his way.
He didn't need to look to know it had to be the Cheng brothers and their lackeys.
Just then, Jiang Chen heard Lord Fang call out a name he was quite familiar with — Han Xianke.
This Han Xianke was a disciple of the Treasure Tree Sect. Back in the day, he had been hired by the First Prince Ye Dai, and at Old Grand Tutor Ye Chonglou's birthday banquet, the two of them had clashed over the illness of a Fengjiao Five-Winged Beast. However, after that encounter, they had bonded through their rivalry, and Han Xianke had become utterly devoted to Jiang Chen, determined to follow him.
Later, when they ran into each other in the Royal Capital of the Tiangui Kingdom, Han Xianke had even lent a hand to Tang Long, treating Tang Long's younger brother — and the medicine worked like a charm.
Han Xianke, for all the typical arrogance that came with being a sect disciple, was not a bad person at heart. At the very least, he kept his word.
Back at the old Grand Tutor's banquet, he had declared that if he lost to Jiang Chen, he would serve him as a slave.
After that, he never denied it or tried to weasel out. Instead, he stayed behind in the Royal Capital, waiting patiently for Jiang Chen to appear so he could honor the bet.
From that perspective, Han Xianke's character was actually quite admirable.
The problem was, after parting ways in the Royal Capital and Han Xianke returning to his sect, Jiang Chen had a falling out with the Treasure Tree Sect. There had been no opportunity to contact Han Xianke since.
Who would have thought that they would cross paths here today in the Mystic Spirit Area?
Since it was someone he knew, Jiang Chen naturally paid a bit more attention.
Strangely enough, when Xiao Fei heard the name Han Xianke, she glanced over toward Jiang Chen. Seeing that he had actually opened his eyes and was looking toward Han Xianke's arena, Xiao Fei's heart trembled slightly.
"He... he's been completely ignoring all the matches this whole time, but the moment Han Xianke showed up, he opened his eyes to watch. That means he knows Han Xianke. It's just as I suspected... this Stonewall prodigy really is Jiang Chen!" At this moment, waves upon waves crashed through Xiao Fei's heart.
But behind her mask, none of these feelings showed.
"I know he's Jiang Chen, but he doesn't know who I am. Sigh... he probably never imagined that it would be because of Han Xianke that I could confirm his identity beyond any doubt." Xiao Fei's thoughts were a tangled mess.
This Xiao Fei, behind the mask, was none other than Consort Dan.
She had come to participate in this selection without even telling the old Grand Tutor. She herself didn't fully understand why she had joined.
It wasn't because she was especially eager to join a sect. Rather, deep inside her, there was something she simply could not let go of — something heavy and heavy, occupying her heart.
She knew perfectly well that all of this was because of Jiang Chen.
But she was afraid, too afraid to face this truth head-on.
She had been deceiving herself, comforting herself, telling herself that she was merely competitive and wanted to measure up against so-called sect geniuses.
But the real reason, she understood perfectly. She didn't want to miss Jiang Chen's rise to power. She wanted to witness this miracle from start to finish.
And Jiang Chen, true to form, had not let her down. He had steamrolled through nearly every challenge, winning the championship of the first five trials.
Others might not have known who the champion of the trials was.
But Consort Dan, who had spent day and night with Jiang Chen, could deduce his identity from all manner of subtle details.
Most importantly, she had absolute faith in Jiang Chen. She had always believed that in the first five trials, he would inevitably break through with an unstoppable advantage.
It was precisely because of this preconceived conviction that Consort Dan was more certain than anyone else that this Stonewall prodigy was Jiang Chen.
She was already ninety-nine percent certain in her heart. The last sliver of doubt vanished entirely once Han Xianke appeared, and Consort Dan's confirmation became absolute.
After all, she had witnessed the entire history of Jiang Chen's entanglement with Han Xianke. She herself had been present at that birthday banquet for the old Grand Tutor!
On this Hundred Battles Stage, many disciples of the Treasure Tree Sect had been drawn to fight, and Jiang Chen had shown no particular reaction to any of them.
Only when Han Xianke was called did he open his eyes and watch.
That alone said everything.
As the direct disciple of Old Grand Tutor Ye Chonglou, Consort Dan had never fully revealed the extent of her cultivation. Moreover, under the old Grand Tutor's meticulous guidance over the past two years, her martial cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds, her potential thoroughly unlocked.
If one spoke of Consort Dan's current level, she could absolutely rank among the top ten in the Mystic Spirit Area.
But she had no desire to reveal her identity. Her purpose in joining this selection was less about actually competing and more about witnessing Jiang Chen's rise firsthand.
Right now, Jiang Chen's mind was entirely focused on Han Xianke's battle. He had no idea that the person sitting beside him was Consort Dan.
"This Han Xianke, a Treasure Tree Sect disciple, isn't half bad in actual combat. It looks like this fight should be a win for him."
Sure enough, just as Jiang Chen had predicted, before long Han Xianke defeated his opponent and claimed his first victory.
If the challenger won, he could continue issuing challenges.