"Brother Dan Chi, isn't this Jiang Chen a bit too monstrous? This level of performance simply doesn't seem like something our Myriad Phenomena Region should produce."
Wei Wuying was the first to step forward with objections. Wei Xing'er had performed brilliantly yet could only place third. Wei Qing had delivered a solid performance as well but could only manage fifth. This was even harder for him to swallow.
Though two rounds remained, who knew whether Jiang Chen would continue such heaven-defying displays?
Without Jiang Chen, Dan Qian Palace's overall results were still strong, but his Carefree Sect would definitely have a shot at challenging them.
But if Jiang Chen kept dominating by such a wide margin, the individual championship in the Genius Division would be his without question. And the individual champion would receive an additional fifty bonus points.
That would give Dan Qian Palace an enormous advantage in the overall rankings of the Huanbo Mountain Alchemy Competition.
That was why Wei Wuying had to step forward and challenge Jiang Chen.
With Wei Wuying making the first move, Sect Master Zhu of the Three Stars Sect—who had his sights set on the championship—also chimed in with a smile: "I find it suspicious too. This Jiang Chen comes from the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance. Even if he's been training at Dan Qian Palace, he really shouldn't be capable of such an astonishing performance."
The others merely smiled without comment. Wang Jianyu, the Palace Master of the Sacred Sword Palace, had always been at odds with Dan Qian Palace, and he eagerly joined the chorus: "The two of you make a fair point. This Jiang Chen is indeed very suspicious."
The Sacred Sword Palace had always ranked near the bottom in the Huanbo Mountain Alchemy Competition. They were just there to make up the numbers, with no real ambitions to speak of.
But when it came to Dan Qian Palace, the Sacred Sword Palace would always oppose them. The relationship between the two factions had long been as incompatible as fire and water.
The clan leaders of the Great Saint Hall simply smiled without comment.
Only Lord Tianming of the Northern Abyss Sect chuckled: "What's there to be suspicious about? The Huanbo Mountain Alchemy Competition follows rules left behind by the Myriad Phenomena Empire itself. Are you suggesting he could somehow cheat?"
Dan Chi smiled calmly: "Rather than wasting your energy being suspicious of Jiang Chen, the three of you would do better to focus on teaching your own disciples. Does the reason behind Jiang Chen's talent really matter? Since ancient times, heroes have never been judged by their origins. Where Jiang Chen comes from and why he's so extraordinary—it's completely irrelevant."
Dan Chi was not the type to be pushed around. He would absolutely not allow these fellows to seize this opportunity to cause trouble.
As long as Jiang Chen hadn't cheated, no matter how heaven-defying or suspicious his performance seemed, it was none of their concern.
"That's not how it works," Wang Jianyu said with a chuckle. "When something is abnormal, there must be something behind it. I actually think this matter ought to be investigated."
Dan Chi's expression turned cold: "Wang Jianyu, don't tell me you're jealous?"
Wang Jianyu laughed: "The Sacred Sword Palace has never had any great ambitions in the Huanbo Mountain Alchemy Competition—jealousy? Hardly. I'm acting purely out of public interest."
"Public interest? Well, that certainly commands my respect. However, if Palace Master Wang can produce any evidence that Jiang Chen cheated, you're welcome to present it. If Jiang Chen is truly a cheater, Dan Qian Palace would be happy to expel him. If you have no evidence, you'd best keep your mouth shut. Otherwise people might think this is nothing more than sour grapes. After all, you're all leading figures of the Myriad Phenomena Region—let's not give the younger generation a reason to laugh at us."
Lord Tianming also chimed in: "I think we should all stop obsessing over Jiang Chen's performance. So what if the Myriad Phenomena Region produces a monstrous talent? That's hardly a bad thing! Do you really want our region to remain obscure forever? To be pushed out entirely during the next territorial assessment?"
Wei Wuying gave a cold, sinister smile: "Old Tianming, you and Dan Chi are thick as thieves. There's really no need for you to chime in, is there?"
Sect Master Zhu nodded: "I support investigating Jiang Chen."
Palace Master Dan Chi's expression darkened: "Investigate what? Jiang Chen has a clean background—there's nothing to investigate. I'll say this only once: if you have evidence of cheating, bring it forward. If you don't, stop concerning yourselves with things that aren't your business. Has the Huanbo Mountain Alchemy Competition reached the point where anyone who stands out must be suppressed? If you all think Dan Qian Palace is redundant, just say so directly—why bother with these clumsy excuses?"
Wei Wuying sneered: "Clean background? Who can vouch for that? This Jiang Chen comes from the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance—that's practically a wasteland. I'm sure everyone remembers the last assembly, when we discussed whether to reclassify the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance as a barren territory. Nearly everyone agreed. Was it merely because of the Alliance's weakness? Everyone knows that region is the borderland where the Ancient Demon Race was sealed. Who can guarantee that someone from the Sixteen Kingdoms has no ties to the demons?"
The moment those words left his mouth, the expressions of every sect leader present shifted dramatically.
Clearly, the words "Ancient Demon Race" carried tremendous weight, sending a chill through the entire gathering.
Sect Master Zhu immediately echoed: "Sect Master Wei has a point. The Ancient Demon Race may be ancient, but they're far from dead. Given even the slightest gap, they'll rise again—a single spark can start a wildfire. I agree that this is something we cannot afford to ignore."
Wang Jianyu was only too happy to fan the flames: "The remnants of the Demon Race cannot be ignored. For the sake of security, I suggest we conduct an investigation. Better to wrong a thousand than let a single one slip through. This Jiang Chen—his monstrous talent is, frankly, something the Myriad Phenomena Region simply cannot produce on its own."
This time, even the clan leaders of the Great Saint Hall abandoned their neutrality, nodding in agreement one after another.
Clearly, when the Ancient Demon Race was mentioned, none of them dared to take it lightly—even if they felt Jiang Chen probably had no actual connection to them.
But when it came to the Ancient Demon Race, it was better to err on the side of caution than to let anything slip through.
Seeing that four of the six major sects had united in their demand to investigate Jiang Chen, Dan Chi was overcome with fury. He knew full well that these fellows were deliberately joining forces to suppress Jiang Chen.