Mu Gaoqi's unexpected discovery sent Dan Qian Palace into an uproar.
The Bencao Hall, in particular, was overjoyed.
Bencao Hall focused on alchemy, and they understood better than anyone what a superior Innate Wood Spirit Body meant.
To put it bluntly, even in the Upper Eight Domains, a superior Innate Physique was exceedingly rare—let alone in a lower domain like the Myriad Image Territory.
That was precisely why Mu Gaoqi's sudden emergence had Dan Qian Palace celebrating as though a festival had arrived.
At the same time, some of the more perceptive individuals were quietly musing: "This Mu Gaoqi with a superior Innate Wood Spirit Body only placed second. Then what kind of talent must Jiang Chen have to score a perfect mark throughout? Why did Elder Yun Nie take Mu Gaoqi as a disciple instead of Jiang Chen? Could it be that Jiang Chen's talent surpasses even Mu Gaoqi's? That even Elder Yun Nie didn't dare presume to take him as a student?"
Speculation and questions swirled, filling everyone with curiosity about the two winners of the alchemy competition.
When the alchemy competition concluded, Elder Yun Nie seized the moment to announce: "For the four slots at the Huanbo Mountain Alchemy Competition among the younger generation, Jiang Chen and Mu Gaoqi will claim two seats. The remaining two seats will be selected from among the other alchemy prodigies."
Once this decree was issued, none of the participating alchemy geniuses on hand had any objection.
However, in the Supreme Area of Danxia Valley, the eight martial arts geniuses already occupying the cave dwellings there could not sit still.
These eight represented the pinnacle of Dan Qian Palace's younger generation—they were the face of the palace's youth. They were martial arts prodigies, but their alchemy talent was naturally no slouch either.
Having entered the Supreme Area early, they naturally felt some resistance toward newcomers like Jiang Chen and Mu Gaoqi.
Even Mu Gaoqi's superior Innate Wood Spirit Body was not enough to earn their full respect.
After all, a superior Innate Wood Spirit Body represented future potential. But the Huanbo Mountain Alchemy Competition was happening in just a few months.
The geniuses in the Supreme Area had long had their eyes on those competition slots, each desperate to claim a seat.
A slot at the Huanbo Mountain Alchemy Competition meant the chance to enter Huanbo Mountain and gather spiritual medicines.
Huanbo Mountain was the most wondrous alchemy region in the entire Myriad Image Territory. The hundred-thousand-zhang Huanbo Mountain held countless opportunities and treasures, brimming with infinite possibilities.
Perhaps a single encounter, a single opportunity, could change their destiny—letting them break free from their cocoon like a butterfly and shatter the shackles that bound them.
That was why every one of these geniuses was determined to secure a slot.
But Elder Yun Nie's word was his bond, and there was no taking it back. Moreover, Elder Yun Nie had always been the one in charge of the Huanbo Mountain Alchemy Competition slots.
He knew in his heart who should go and who should not.
By personally selecting Jiang Chen and Mu Gaoqi, he had already determined that their alchemy talent and skill had surpassed those Supreme Area geniuses.
The cave dwelling contest for the alchemy competition ended early. Roughly three days later, the two slots for the martial arts competition were also finalized.
Both slots were claimed by two martial arts prodigies from Qingtian Zone.
One was at the half-step Tianyuan Realm, and the other was a true Tianyuan Realm cultivator.
"The Supreme Area cave dwelling?" When Gouyu and the others heard about the relocation and listened to Jiang Chen describe the Supreme Area cave dwelling, they were overjoyed.
A territory spanning a hundred li in every direction—that was an incomparably superior dwelling.
Their current cave dwellings in Lingyun Zone, while decent with their own separate courtyards and several thousand mu of land, were like ants compared to an elephant when measured against the Supreme Area cave dwellings.
Huang'er naturally had no reason to object. Though she had planted many herbs here, they were all within Danxia Valley and could be relocated easily.
"Senior Brother Jiang Chen, congratulations on your move to the Supreme cave dwelling! Is there anything I can help with?"
"Senior Brother Jiang Chen, I heard you're moving to the Supreme Area, so I came specifically to see if I could lend a hand."
"Senior Brother Jiang Chen, if there's any rough or tiring work, just toss it my way—this thick hide and tough skin of mine is made for exactly that sort of thing, ha ha ha!"
In no time, dozens of Lingyun Zone disciples had gathered outside Jiang Chen's dwelling, each one brimming with enthusiasm, acting as though they had been close friends with Jiang Chen for decades. They had completely forgotten that when Yan Hongtu had pressured Jiang Chen, every single one of them had been right there participating.
Jiang Chen had no need to slap anyone's face, but he had no interest in this sort of hollow courtesy either.
He smiled faintly: "I haven't been at Dan Qian Palace for long, so I don't have much to pack. A few attendants will suffice—no need to trouble everyone."
These Lingyun Zone core disciples all knew that Jiang Chen was heading to the Supreme Area to become one of Danxia Valley's most elite figures, and every one of them was eager to curry favor and cling to his coattails.
"Senior Brother Jiang Chen, your powerful entry into the Supreme Area is a source of pride and an example for all of us Lingyun disciples. The lot of us would like to pool together and host a farewell banquet for you. That way, once you're in the Supreme Area, no one will look down on the people of Lingyun Zone."
"I'm not one for fanfare. A farewell banquet won't be necessary."
Jiang Chen refused without hesitation. These people were fair-weather friends through and through. When Jiang Chen was in the ascendancy, they praised him to the heavens; and the moment his fortunes turned, the ones who leaped out to trample him would be none other than these very same people.