Jiang Chen had no idea that the little brother Fei he'd been traveling with this whole time was actually Consort Dan. Even if he had known she was Consort Dan, he still wouldn't have known about the winding, twisting path her heart had taken.
Since arriving in this world, Jiang Chen had been pushed along by fate, never having a moment's spare to think about matters of the heart. In that regard, he was naturally quite slow on the uptake.
Moreover, as the son of the Heavenly Emperor in his previous life, he had many close female companions, but his emotional world had actually remained almost entirely blank.
Because he was born with an Extreme Yin body, the previous Jiang Chen had been obsessed with the Dao of the Myriad Heavens, devoting himself wholeheartedly and having no energy to spare for distractions.
Furthermore, an Extreme Yin body was naturally incapable of producing offspring. Jiang Chen's intense focus on the myriad Dao had actually been a form of self-escape.
Precisely because of his extraordinary experiences in his past life, Jiang Chen's emotional world remained a blank slate. Past life and present, when it came to matters of the heart, he was still a complete novice.
The two walked side by side, yet their thoughts were worlds apart.
"Brother Fei, you seem a bit distracted today. Fighting in this state would be a very bad idea," Jiang Chen warned.
Consort Dan was startled. Only after Jiang Chen's reminder did she snap back to awareness. Right — this was the Hundred Battles Trial. If she couldn't place in the top ten, she wouldn't be able to enter the Earth Spirit Area. How then could she follow in Jiang Chen's footsteps?
At that thought, she hurriedly swept those emotions away and said earnestly, "Thank you for the reminder, Brother Panshi. I was feeling sorry for myself just now and got a little lost in thought."
Jiang Chen smiled. "There's no need for us cultivators to feel sorry for our backgrounds. The strong shape their own fate — what is there to lament about one's origins?"
These words came straight from Jiang Chen's heart.
When he had first arrived in this world, he too had been unable to shake off the burden of his past life's identity. It had taken him a long time to adapt to his current self.
Hearing Jiang Chen's such open-minded words, Consort Dan felt a warmth in her heart and smiled. "Brother Panshi doesn't look that old, yet you carry an air of conviction that makes people trust you. It really is remarkable."
Jiang Chen chuckled to himself, thinking that this little Brother Fei was quite perceptive — drawing such a conclusion from just a few words and gestures.
Having lived two lives, Jiang Chen naturally carried himself with far more composure than an ordinary young man.
As they talked, they arrived at the outer perimeter of the Hundred Battles Arena.
This time, when the two of them appeared, the hostility from those around them had completely vanished.
Compared to yesterday, those once-arrogant sect disciples had obediently reined in their animosity.
Every time they saw Jiang Chen appear, they muttered to themselves — how many times would this worldly monster challenge today?
And even more people were silently praying that today's drawing wouldn't pull his name out too early. Otherwise, it would be a catastrophic, agonizing day for everyone else.
The later he was drawn, the better. Ideally, his name wouldn't come up until near the end of the day. That way, no matter how formidable he was, he could only fight one or two matches at most, and the day would be over before long.
That way, everyone would be happy.
On this second day, Consort Dan was actually drawn in the very first batch. Before long, she had racked up a three-fight winning streak. And her third victory had been against a Class-A martial artist, won after a grueling battle.
Having learned her lesson from yesterday's three wins and one loss, Consort Dan voluntarily withdrew after three victories. This brought her record to six wins and one loss.
Jiang Chen had been closely watching the battles, and he found it curious — what was this little Brother Fei's background? Judging by her martial techniques and her skill, she was no ordinary fighter.
Yet she lacked the typical mannerisms of the outer disciples of the four great sects. Could she be an independent cultivator?
But where would an independent cultivator get such superb martial techniques?
Jiang Chen found it baffling. In theory, an ordinary secular martial artist might have impressive talent, but the techniques they cultivated would generally be quite low-level.
Yet this little Brother Fei's martial techniques were clearly on par with those of sect disciples. That was truly strange.
Jiang Chen racked his brain but couldn't figure it out. When she came back down, he didn't ask.
Some secrets, if the other person doesn't bring them up, there's no need to pry. Asking would only make things awkward.
As if the heavens had heard the silent prayers of the martial artists in the Mystic Spirit Area, today Jiang Chen's name was not drawn until well into the afternoon.
Watching one battle after another unfold, Jiang Chen felt somewhat gloomy. He even wondered whether the examiners were playing games, deliberately keeping his name in reserve.
Otherwise, it was impossible for him to go this long without being selected.
Still, there was no point in questioning the examiners. Although Jiang Chen was a little disappointed, his desire to fight hadn't quite reached a fever pitch.
Even if the examiners wanted to rein in his momentum and prevent him from running too wild, that was understandable.
After all, at this pace, he could complete the Hundred Battles in just three or four days.
That kind of momentum would be the cruelest psychological blow to the other martial artists.
By evening, Jiang Chen's name finally made its belated appearance.
At that point, only about two hours remained in the day.
Having waited an entire day, Jiang Chen was no longer at his peak in terms of either morale or fighting spirit. So after completing a five-fight winning streak — pushing his consecutive victory record to thirty — he chose not to continue.
Still, thirty consecutive victories in just two days was a staggering achievement.
Aside from Jiang Chen, the person with the best record so far was the number one fighter of the Mystic Spirit Area — Guo Ren of the Purple Sun Sect.