Could Wei Wuying, who had risen to the position of Carefree Sect Master, possibly be an amateur?
One glance, and he was immediately captivated by Jiang Chen's technique. The astonishing fluidity of Jiang Chen's movements, the seamless rhythm—not just these young geniuses, even if Wei Wuying himself stepped in, he likely couldn't achieve such perfection and thoroughness.
What was most frightening was that Jiang Chen's work wasn't merely continuous in rhythm; his completion count was also substantially ahead of everyone else.
In comparison, Wei Xing'er, who possessed the innate Fire Spirit Body, was actually trailing behind Jiang Chen by a considerable margin!
Dan Chi smiled leisurely: "I don't know about the other events, but the championship in fire control definitely won't be going to your Carefree Sect!"
Wei Wuying was rendered speechless, his sullen old face taking on an exceptionally grim cast.
Just then, another stir rose from nearby: "Look quickly! That disciple from the Three Star Sect is actually outperforming Zhu Feiyang?!"
Everyone turned toward the voice and saw that the fellow named Ding Tong from the Three Star Sect was surpassing Zhu Feiyang in both speed and technique of fire control—one could even say his advantage was quite pronounced.
Dan Chi had originally only been keeping an eye on Zhu Feiyang. Zhu Feiyang's speed was roughly on par with Shen Qinghong's. But Ding Tong's speed had actually exceeded Zhu Feiyang's, and even surpassed Wei Xing'er of the Carefree Sect. Though there was still a small gap between him and Jiang Chen, it was surprisingly narrow!
"What a dark horse this is! It looks like Ding Tong has been quietly working his way toward clinching the championship in fire control!"
"People were saying before that the Three Star Sect had risen unexpectedly, but I didn't really believe it. Who would've thought Ding Tong would turn out this impressive? Where did he even come from? Has anyone here heard of him before?"
The Three Star Sect's Master Zhu smiled with restraint. "There's no need for wild speculation. Ding Tong is a genius we happened to uncover. His emergence as a dark horse was entirely within our expectations."
It was clear that none of these people were paying any attention to Jiang Chen's performance.
The Heavenly Nether Sect's Lord Tianming suddenly broke into a broad grin. "This Ding Tong is decent, but he's not the best. The real dark horse is in the Dan Qian Palace."
"Dan Qian Palace?" Everyone turned their gazes toward the Dan Qian Palace section.
This time, every single person froze. The look on each face was identical to Wei Wuying's—they turned to stone in an instant.
At this point, two-thirds of the allotted time had already passed, but Jiang Chen was nearing the finish line. Of the thirty-six fire sources, he had already completed over thirty!
Moreover, judging by his momentum, the remaining fire sources clearly weren't slowing him down one bit. He looked poised to finish everything in a single, unbroken sweep.
That seamless rhythm left every onlooker utterly dumbfounded.
Everyone present was an expert — who among them wouldn't understand what this meant?
"This… what's this young man's name?" Clearly, not everyone knew who Jiang Chen was.
Several sect masters looked at Palace Master Dan Chi with suspicion.
Palace Master Dan Chi smiled and said, "You should all be quite familiar with this young man. He hails from the Treasure Tree Sect and is currently one of the most outstanding alchemy geniuses of the younger generation in our Dan Qian Palace."
He deliberately emphasized "one of," clearly taking into account the existence of Mu Gaoqi.
"He's that Treasure Tree Sect disciple? Jiang Chen?"
"No way? The Treasure Tree Sect can produce a genius like this? There must be some mistake?"
"Dan Chi, you're not pulling our leg, are you?"
"He's a Treasure Tree Sect disciple," Daoist Tianming confirmed with a smile. "I can vouch for that."
Sect Master Zhu of the Three Star Sect had attended the original alliance ceremony. After a closer look, he truly did recognize Jiang Chen's face.
His face dark as he spoke, he said, "This is indeed that Treasure Tree Sect disciple, Jiang Chen."
At Sect Master Zhu's words, the crowd erupted in commotion. Clearly, none of them had expected that this young man hailed from the Treasure Tree Sect.
"Can the Treasure Tree Sect's pill dao really reach such an outrageous level? I don't believe it."
"Perhaps this young man has extraordinary talent in pill dao, and only after arriving at the Pill Master Palace did he experience such rapid advancement?"
All of them looked at Palace Master Dan Chi with suspicion, eager for him to provide an answer.
Palace Master Dan Chi smiled. "This young man's talent is truly exceptional. After he entered our Pill Master Palace, we have devoted considerable effort to his cultivation."
He naturally could not say too much, offering only a few perfunctory words.
As they spoke, Jiang Chen had already advanced into the final three layers of fire origin.
"This young man's fire control technique is simply absurd. Brother Dan Chi, is this a unique method of the Pill Master Palace?"
Palace Master Dan Chi laughed heartily. "Now that, I'm afraid I cannot divulge."
Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, Jiang Chen completed the summoning of the final three fire origins in one fluid motion. In an instant, all thirty-six fire origins resonated with one another, spiraling around the formation and fully activating it. The sight was nothing short of magnificent.
The thirty-six fire origins danced in their various forms, each one a spectacle unto itself.
"All thirty-six fire origins have been awakened?"
"The formation is resonating?"
"This young man's talent for fire control has already surpassed the level of the Myriad Phenomena Region. Even placed among the Upper Eight Regions, he would absolutely be competitive!"
"Incredible, truly incredible. Brother Dan Chi, I never imagined you could unearth such a treasure from a backwater like the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance!"
"Brother Dan Chi, congratulations — this is undoubtedly a supreme treasure. Even I'm starting to feel jealous!"