"Fourth layer already—soon I'll be at the fifth. That kid hasn't even shown his shadow. Probably hasn't even made it past the second floor by now?"
Tang Hong was growing smugger by the minute as victory drew near. He was a born gambler by nature. His love of wagers had nothing to do with coveting other people's belongings—it was purely about the thrill of it.
The joy of beating someone, and then watching that dejected look on the loser's face—that was Tang Hong's greatest pleasure.
There was no malice in these wagers; they were simply one of Tang Hong's quirky indulgences.
Of course, that was partly because Tang Hong had a favorable impression of Jiang Chen.
Back in the Heavenly Spirit Region, Tang Hong had heard plenty about the Stonewall Prodigy's reputation. In truth, he'd harbored some doubts—was this Stonewall Prodigy really as extraordinary as the rumors made him out to be?
But hearing that the Stonewall Prodigy had taken down Grandmaster Shuiyue in the Earth Spirit Region—that Tang Hong found quite entertaining.
He couldn't stand that shrewish woman Shuiyue either. Long Juxue, who was Shuiyue's disciple, was in the Heavenly Spirit Region. She walked around with airs, acting all high and mighty like some untouchable saintess—and that kind of attitude grated on someone as carefree and unrestrained as Tang Hong.
So when he heard that Shuiyue had been brought low in the Earth Spirit Region, Tang Hong was genuinely impressed.
Today, when he'd happened upon the Illusory Spirit Tower and encountered Jiang Chen—this mortal-world prodigy whose name he'd long heard—he'd been curious enough to test him out.
The result of that test proved the rumors were no exaggeration. Two consecutive exchanges, and he hadn't even managed to touch the other fellow. That level of strength earned Tang Hong's respect.
That was just how Tang Hong was—straightforward to a fault. When he admired someone, he expressed it in his own way.
Wagering, for instance, was actually Tang Hong's way of showing his approval.
It was just that Jiang Chen didn't know Tang Hong at all, and had no idea what the gesture really meant.
On the fourth layer, Tang Hong had spent a fair amount of time, but when he found the correct passage, no one below had come up.
"Hmm, the fourth layer cost me a little time, but even so, I've used less than a third of the allotted time. At this speed, there can't be many people in the entire Heavenly Spirit Region faster than me."
In this regard, Tang Hong was genuinely confident. When it came to martial combat, for various reasons, he couldn't quite break into the absolute top tier.
But in mental force, Tang Hong was confident he could vie for a spot in the top five—even the top three.
After passing through the fourth layer's passage, Jiang Chen arrived at the fifth layer's space.
"Finally here. I need to find my corresponding jade pendant quickly so that kid will concede properly. Though a rookie like him is probably still running around on the second or third floor, right? Hahaha." The thought made Tang Hong so excited he couldn't help but grin.
"What are you laughing about?" Suddenly, a voice came from nearby.
"None of your damn business!" Tang Hong shot back irritably, then froze. Something about that voice sounded familiar.
"Huh?" Tang Hong turned toward the voice and leaped to his feet. "How is it you?!"
Standing not far ahead of him was none other than Jiang Chen, watching Tang Hong with a faint smile. He held up the jade token marked with his corresponding number. "Sorry—I was just a tiny bit faster than you."
"How… that's impossible? How did you get here?" Tang Hong was completely petrified, standing stock-still, unable to believe what he was seeing.
"Same way you did. The difference is you spent the whole time thinking about how to beat me and wasted your time." Jiang Chen smiled leisurely. "I'm heading down now. Take your time finding your jade pendant."
"……" Tang Hong's jaw dropped so wide it could have fit several steamed buns inside.
In the Mental Force Assessment Zone, Jiang Chen had already collected the twenty-five points from this trial. That put him at fifty points in hand.
"Well, the first step is always the hardest. A smooth start—fifty points secured. At least I'm not completely empty-handed now." Jiang Chen smiled and was about to head toward the next assessment zone.
"Wait up."
At that moment, Tang Hong descended from the Illusory Spirit Tower as well. "Don't leave yet—wait for me to grab my points."
Seeing how dead-serious the fellow looked, Jiang Chen stopped. Given the way this guy was acting, if he didn't wait, the man would probably lose it on the spot.
Besides, as the winner, he had nothing to fear from the guy welshing.
After collecting his points, Tang Hong came up to Jiang Chen with a long face. "What's so funny? I, Tang Hong, honor my bets. Worst case, I'll call you boss. But next time we get the chance, I'm winning it back. And when I do, you'll be the one calling me boss."
"Sure. I'll be waiting for you to win it back." Jiang Chen smiled easily.
"Next up is the five-part basic pill assessment—bet on it or not?" Tang Hong grinned. "Let me introduce myself: I'm a disciple of the Treasure Tree Sect. When it comes to pills and elixirs, that's my strong suit. If you don't dare to bet, just say so upfront."
Jiang Chen smiled. "Then let's not bet."
Tang Hong looked pleased with himself. "Smart. At least you know your limits. I, Old Tang, only win aboveboard. In the art of pill-making, hmph—who in the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance would dare compare themselves to a Treasure Tree Sect disciple?"
Tang Hong's words dripped with confidence.
"It's not really about knowing my limits. If we bet on pill-making, you'd lose even more badly than before—you'd never recover for the rest of your life."
"What?" Tang Hong cried out. "Kid, watch your mouth. Do you even know who you're talking to? In front of a Treasure Tree Sect disciple, you dare boast about your pill-making skills?"
Jiang Chen smiled mildly. "What's this? I thought you were the type to honor his bets?"