Wang Jianyu's departure cast an awkward pall over the gathering around Jiang Chen.
Sect Master Danchi, however, wore an indifferent expression, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He clearly wasn't bothered much by such provocations.
Shen Qinghong, on the other hand, had a dark look on his face, clearly rattled by the exchange.
He had heard that the Sacred Sword Palace prodigy had already broken through to the Sacred Realm. He himself was only a step away—on the verge of the breakthrough, yet that final step remained stubbornly out of reach.
This gnawed at Shen Qinghong endlessly.
Jiang Chen, meanwhile, was quietly taking stock. The Sacred Sword Palace clearly didn't have a good relationship with the Dan Qian Palace—if they weren't outright enemies, they were something very close to it.
Sure enough, Elder Yun Nie lowered his voice. "Several decades ago, the Sacred Sword Palace and the Dan Qian Palace clashed fiercely over a spirit vein. Back then, the old Sect Master hadn't yet passed on. He was at the eighth level of the Sacred Realm and used his overwhelming power to crush Wang Jianyu. That's how he claimed the spirit vein."
So there was history behind it. No wonder Wang Jianyu harbored such deep hostility.
Now that the old Dan Qian Palace master had passed away, the palace had been forced into a hasty decision, appointing Danchi as his successor. In truth, it had been something of a rushed appointment.
Yet despite his youth, Danchi had managed to turn the tide, propping up the teetering Dan Qian Palace and winning the wholehearted support of the sect from top to bottom.
Even Elder Liancheng—who had been considered the most likely successor—could not help but acknowledge Danchi's courage and capability.
Lord Tianming chuckled. "Brother Danchi, Wang Jianyu's foul mouth is notorious across the Myriad Domains. Come on, let's head over. My disciples are eager to pay their respects to you. You took control of the Dan Qian Palace before you were even fifty—you may not realize it, but you've become the role model and idol for the entire younger generation."
Sect Master Danchi laughed. "When you put it like that, old brother, I'm almost embarrassed."
As they laughed and talked, the group made their way inside.
Once they entered the inner reaches of the Phantom Wave Great Hall, the crowd thickened considerably.
That said, the representatives of the six Fourth-Rank sects drew attention wherever they went.
The moment Sect Master Danchi led his group in, representatives from numerous Fifth-Rank sects hurried forward to bow and offer their greetings.
For the Phantom Wave Mountain Alchemy Tournament, each of the six Fourth-Rank sects held eight slots.
The twenty Fifth-Rank sects each had four.
The strength of these Fifth-Rank sects naturally couldn't compare to the Fourth-Rank sects. In general, a single Fourth-Rank sect was worth at least three to five Fifth-Rank sects combined.
A powerful Fourth-Rank sect like the Great Saint Hall, in particular, might possess ten times the strength of a typical Fifth-Rank sect.
It was clear that the major sects of the Myriad Domains took the Phantom Wave Mountain Alchemy Tournament extremely seriously. Every sect had sent its Sect Master to lead the delegation personally.
When Danchi and Lord Tianming walked in, several towering figures standing in the most prominent part of the hall turned their gazes toward the pair.
Jiang Chen glanced over and counted seven people seated at that table.
"Feel free to mingle. I'm going to have a word with the other Sect Masters," Danchi said, then headed toward them alongside Lord Tianming.
"See the four sitting together over there? Those are the four patriarchs of the Great Saint Hall—the four strongest individuals in the sect, each at least at the sixth level of the Sacred Realm. The patriarch of the Sacred Elephant clan is at the ninth level of the Sacred Realm. He's universally acknowledged as the most powerful figure in the entire Myriad Domains."
"You've already met Wang Jianyu. There's also Sect Master Zhu of the Three Star Sect—you've probably met him before. But that wizened old man in the far corner—don't you dare underestimate him. He looks as harmless as a country farmer, but he's the most dangerous person in the Myriad Domains. Some would rather offend the Sacred Elephant patriarch of the Great Saint Hall than cross this old man. His name is Wei Wuying, Sect Master of the Carefree Sect. His martial cultivation is roughly on par with Lord Tianming's. But his poison arts are utterly unpredictable—virtually impossible to guard against."
From this arrangement alone, it was obvious that among the six premier sects of the Myriad Domains, the Great Saint Hall was the most dominant.
Where the others had only their Sect Master seated there, the Great Saint Hall had all four patriarchs present, and it didn't look out of place at all.
No one would dare question whether they deserved their seats.
Wang Jianyu wore his sharpness openly, reminding Jiang Chen of Feng Wanjian from the Wood Spirit Spring expedition—the same style, brash and aggressive.
People like this, for all their power, weren't really that frightening.
The Carefree Sect was altogether different—evasive and inscrutable. Just like its Sect Master Wei Wuying, even when everyone was gathered in one place, he preferred to shrink into the farthest corner. He was the sort who instinctively tried to bury himself as deeply as possible. That kind of person was truly terrifying.
Sect Master Zhu of the Three Star Sect appeared thoroughly unremarkable in every respect. He never sought the spotlight, and his sect was the most low-key in the entire Myriad Domains.
Lord Tianming of the Beiming Sect was the consummate nice guy—smooth and diplomatic, never offending anyone, always offering a kind word.
When you laid them all side by side, the Great Saint Hall stood out as the most commanding of all. Just like Xu Gang and Yue Pan during the Wood Spirit Spring expedition—dominant yet never lacking in cunning. Within the Myriad Domains, the Great Saint Hall truly was the foremost sect.
And the Great Saint Hall had always considered itself the number-one sect in the Myriad Domains.
In a gathering like this, Elder Yun Nie naturally attracted considerable respect. Old friends kept coming over to greet him, and he turned to the four young people. "Go on, mingle a bit. Young people should socialize."
With that, he left the four young people behind and went off to catch up with his old friends.
It was Mu Gaoqi's first time attending such a grand event, and he was visibly nervous. Jiang Chen, by contrast, appeared utterly composed—not a trace of stage fright on him.