"He's out!" someone with sharp eyes shouted.
Every gaze swiveled toward that direction.
It had barely been five hours, and he was already out?
Tang Hong’s massive feet stomped forward, pushing aside anyone in his path with a single hand. When he got a clear look, the person emerging was indeed Jiang Chen.
"Boss!" Tang Hong’s eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat. Coming out so quickly wasn’t a good sign.
A fifth-level task, completed early—what did that mean?
Jiang Chen, seeing fifty or sixty people gathered in the hall, was momentarily stunned. He looked at Tang Hong and pointed at the crowd. "What’s going on?"
Tang Hong chuckled. "They all heard you were tackling a fifth-level task and came to watch the show."
"Boss, how was it? Did you make it?" Tang Hong was buzzing with excitement, his large fists clenched tight, eyes gleaming.
Jiang Chen nodded. "A fifth-level task. It was… interesting."
"What? Interesting? Did you pass or not?" Tang Hong scratched his messy hair, asking earnestly.
The others saw Jiang Chen nod and heard him say "interesting," but they couldn’t tell if he’d succeeded. They all stared at him, their gazes filled with mixed emotions.
Some were expectant, some hoped to see a spectacle, some pretended to be disdainful—truly a full display of human nature, all laid out before Jiang Chen’s eyes.
"Mm, it’s done," Jiang Chen said calmly, nodding again.
"Awesome! Hahahaha!" Tang Hong threw his head back and laughed. "Fifth-level task! Hah! See that? Now that’s a genius! A real genius!"
As Jiang Chen walked forward, the onlookers in the hall instinctively parted, their gazes still complex and unreadable.
"Examiner, here is the mission token. Please verify," Jiang Chen said. He wasn’t the least bit smug about completing the fifth-level task, nor did he care about the various reactions around him. Envy or jealousy from others meant nothing; he, Jiang Chen, walked his own path.
The examiner’s hand trembled slightly as he took the token, muttering, "Unbelievable… The first in the Heavenly Spirit Area to challenge a fifth-level task is actually a mortal martial artist. Our four great sects truly need to reflect. How many hidden gems from the mortal world have we missed over the years?"
As the examiner spoke with admiration, he accepted the token, verified it, and added one hundred and sixty points to Jiang Chen’s score.
Now, Jiang Chen’s contestant plaque held four hundred points.
That score was almost enough to guarantee he wouldn’t be eliminated from the Heavenly Spirit Area.
"Brother, let me introduce myself. I’m Tie Dazhi of the Treasure Tree Sect. To think that the mortal world holds a genius like you—it’s truly an eye-opener. I came here to witness the brilliance of a mortal genius. If you’re interested, would you care to stop by my cottage? When it comes to alchemy, within the four great sects, our Treasure Tree Sect claims second place, and no one dares claim first."
Tie Dazhi stepped forward, greeting him warmly.
Jiang Chen was taken aback. He hadn’t expected this side of Tie Dazhi. He remembered the last time he’d run into him here with Tang Hong—it hadn’t been entirely pleasant. Yet here Tie Dazhi was, acting as if that incident never happened, greeting him with such enthusiasm.
Tang Hong was also stunned. He stepped forward and shoved Tie Dazhi aside. "Get out of the way. Don’t block the path."
Tie Dazhi’s fury flared, but he held it in, saying coldly, "Tang Hong, we’re fellow disciples. I won’t stoop to your level. I’m recruiting talent for the sect now—what’s your problem?"
Tang Hong had never liked Tie Dazhi. "Who do you think you are? Do you represent the sect? At best, you only represent the Tie family, got it?"
Tie Dazhi snorted. "I won’t waste time arguing with a fool."
He then turned to Jiang Chen with a conciliatory smile. "Brother, Tang Hong is a brute—don’t take him seriously. I have some fine wine at my place, but I’ve never found a true connoisseur to share it with. Fine wine and a genius—it’s a perfect match. So, how about a drink?"
Jiang Chen frowned as Tie Dazhi blocked his way, chattering on. "No interest. Move."
Without pausing, he walked past Tie Dazhi as if the man were air and headed straight for the exit.
Tang Hong let out a sharp laugh. "Tie Dazhi, just because you have a distinguished ancestor doesn’t make you a genius. You’re really not worthy."
Tie Dazhi, having brought this humiliation upon himself, flashed a look of killing intent.
The others also burst into laughter, their gazes at Tie Dazhi filled with mockery and amusement. They weren’t necessarily hostile to him—it was the nature of competition. Seeing someone lose face and suffer misfortune naturally delighted them; they were only too happy not to pile on.
Chu Xinghan had been standing by the door the whole time. In the instant Jiang Chen passed through the threshold, their eyes met, intentionally or not.
"So it really is him!" Chu Xinghan had been prejudiced by earlier impressions, and now, seeing that meaningful look and recalling the familiarity from their previous clash, the recognition surged back.