The genius group's rankings were compiled in short order.
Jiang Chen, in the fourth competition, had scored an astonishing five hundred and eighty points. He'd lost only twenty points—on a single question about supplementary pill formulas!
That made his total across all four events one thousand nine hundred and eighty points out of a possible two thousand.
On top of that, his individual championship in the genius group earned him a bonus hundred points, bringing his grand total to two thousand and eighty.
If it had been only Jiang Chen's result that was monstrous, one might have let it pass.
But Mu Gaoqi had also delivered a jaw-dropping performance in the fourth event, losing just sixty points to finish with five hundred and forty—tying with Ding Tong for second place!
This brought Mu Gaoqi's total to a staggering one thousand seven hundred and ninety points.
Among the genius group, that score placed him third overall, behind only Ding Tong's one thousand eight hundred and ten.
Wei Xing'er sat in fourth place with one thousand seven hundred and twenty points.
Wei Qing took fifth with one thousand seven hundred and ten.
Sixth went to Ling Bi'er with one thousand six hundred and seventy.
The seventh through tenth spots were claimed by disciples of the major sects. Shen Qinghong, having performed only averagely in the fourth event, barely held on to tenth place, just squeezing into the top ten.
The one pushed out to eleventh was none other than Wang Han of the Holy Sword Palace.
As soon as the results were announced, Jiang Chen let out a hearty laugh. Moving faster than lightning, he bounded over to the pile of several hundred thousand spirit stones and, without a shred of courtesy, swept them into his storage ring.
"My apologies, everyone. I'll be taking these."
Every person present was a figure of some standing. The bet had been initiated by Wei Qing, and all participants were first-rate geniuses—who would renege over a mere fifty thousand spirit stones?
Besides, Jiang Chen's score made him the undisputed champion of the genius group. There was no room for argument.
Still, watching Jiang Chen walk away with all those spirit stones left more than a few of the geniuses with a bitter taste in their mouths. Wei Qing's gaze was especially murderous.
He had painstakingly organized this bet, expecting to line his own pockets. Instead, it had all gone to Jiang Chen.
And he, the very person who had proposed the wager, had finished only in fourth place.
With the genius group's results settled, the overall rankings took shape.
The combined scores of the genius group and the elder group made up each major sect's final tally for the Hidden Wave Mountain competition.
When they saw the results of Dan Qian Palace's geniuses, it turned out the palace had pulled ahead of the Soaring Cloud Sect by six or seven hundred points in the genius bracket alone.
Jiang Chen, Dan Qian Palace's top performer, had outscored the Soaring Cloud Sect's best—Wei Xing'er—by a full three hundred and sixty points.
Mu Gaoqi, Dan Qian Palace's second, had likewise surpassed Wei Qing, the Soaring Cloud Sect's second, by a full eighty points.
And although Ling Bi'er and Shen Qinghong hadn't shone as brilliantly as Jiang Chen and Mu Gaoqi, they had still outperformed the Soaring Cloud Sect's remaining two geniuses.
Under these circumstances, it was hardly surprising that the genius group had outscored the Soaring Cloud Sect by six or seven hundred points.
When the totals were tallied, Dan Qian Palace still led the Soaring Cloud Sect by three to four hundred points, claiming first place outright!
This miraculous reversal drew gasps and murmurs across the entire venue.
The Soaring Cloud Sect's contingent was particularly stunned. They had been leading by nearly three hundred points—how had Dan Qian Palace not only caught up but surged ahead by over three hundred?
For a moment, the young geniuses led by Wei Xing'er and Wei Qing stood rooted to the spot, mouths agape, unable to accept this humiliating spectacle.
Meanwhile, the Three Star Sect, whose younger generation had performed consistently, had nearly caught up to the Soaring Cloud Sect, settling into third place.
Clearly, the Three Star Sect was not entirely satisfied with the outcome either.
But with the Soaring Cloud Sect's painful reversal playing out right in front of them, the Three Star Sect's disappointment seemed far more restrained.
Back at the Soaring Cloud Sect's area, several elders who had been wearing smug expressions moments ago now looked like roosters that had lost a fight—their faces dark, their expressions as grim as storm clouds.
The Holy Sword Palace's results placed them last without any surprise. But that wasn't the most embarrassing part. What was truly awkward was that they had just fawned over the Soaring Cloud Sect, congratulating them in advance on their victory.
Who could have predicted that the results would come out and deliver several resounding slaps to their faces?
"Heh heh, Elder Yun Nie, congratulations."
"Brother Yun Nie, congratulations indeed! Dan Qian Palace truly deserves the honor!"
"Dan Qian Palace is worthy of being the number one alchemy sect in the Myriad Spirits Domain. That kind of foundation, that depth of talent—it's truly staggering."
"Indeed, Brother Yun Nie. With an advantage like this, I'm afraid no one will be able to shake Dan Qian Palace for the next thousand years. You sent out just two people, and they delivered such otherworldly performances."
Mu Gaoqi and Jiang Chen had been entirely unknown names. Yet they were the very pillars of Dan Qian Palace's championship.
Elder Yun Nie's emotions had surged and plunged, but he was, after all, a man of the world. He offered his thanks to each person in turn.
It had to be said that within the Myriad Spirits Domain, Dan Qian Palace enjoyed excellent relations with nearly everyone except its old rival, the Holy Sword Palace. The Northern Abyss Sect was, of course, their sworn brother sect.