Both sides agreed to send five disciples each for the battle. The side that won three out of five would be declared the winner and gain control over Star Phoenix Palace for the next decade.
Jiang Chen, however, had absolutely no interest in a competition at the Five-Meridian True Qi level.
While everyone's attention was fixed on the group of young men and women, Jiang Chen quietly activated his Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil and began observing the attending guests.
If the Lotus-Picking Guest was to appear, they certainly wouldn't show up openly. They would have to disguise themselves as a guest and take advantage of the chaos.
It had to be said that the guests were watching with great absorption. Everywhere Jiang Chen's Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil extended, every person was focused intently on the ongoing match within the arena.
This was a clash between the most outstanding new generation disciples of Star Phoenix Palace. These heroes mostly made their living in the region of Giant Stone Prefecture, so they naturally paid close attention to Star Phoenix Palace's next generation.
The first two battles ended quickly. The Southern and Northern Sects each won one round.
Jiang Chen had also completed one round of observation. The result was nothing. None of these people appeared to be the Lotus-Picking Guest in disguise.
Feeling uneasy, Jiang Chen observed carefully once more, but the result was the same. He couldn't detect a single flaw in any of them.
"Could it be the Lotus-Picking Guest truly didn't come? Or is his disguise so perfect that even my Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil cannot see through it?"
Jiang Chen was beginning to doubt his judgment. The Heart of Rock he practiced granted a certain intuitive sense, which told him that something would happen at Star Phoenix Palace today, and it was very likely related to the Lotus-Picking Guest.
In other words, the Lotus-Picking Guest might already be here.
But among the guests watching the match, there were fully three hundred people. Which one was the Lotus-Picking Guest? Jiang Chen first observed with his Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil, then used his Wind-listening Ear to listen to their breathing and pulses.
The result was still nothing.
"Could my intuition be wrong?"
As Jiang Chen pondered, the fourth round of combat had already concluded, with each side having won two matches.
At this moment, behind Madam Yu of the Northern Sect, a girl of fifteen or sixteen, dressed in a light goose-yellow garment, with a delicate figure, stepped gracefully onto the stage.
"Northern Sect disciple Wen Ziqi. Please instruct me."
This girl named Wen Ziqi had hair black and silky as a waterfall. Her eyes, clear as dots of lacquer, held a purity like a mountain spring.
Speaking in a soft voice, her delicate face flushed red all the way to her ears.
"I heard Madam Yu of the Northern Sect took on an excellent disciple; it must be you, Junior Sister. I am Lu Boyu of the Southern Sect. Allow me to exchange a few moves with you."
Lu Boyu was tall and slender, his thin cheeks carrying a dashing air. His eyes seemed like a second pair of mouths that could speak.
His every movement carried a certain poise.
What surprised Jiang Chen was that both of these two actually possessed Six-Meridian True Qi!
That two Six-Meridian True Qi experts had appeared in this modest Star Phoenix Palace indeed drew some exclamations and murmurs from the observing crowd.
Madam Yu's originally confident and handsome face instantly darkened. She had arranged this prized disciple last, concealing her true strength, intending for her to dazzle everyone. Unexpectedly, the Southern Sect had also held something back.
The clash between these two hidden trump cards was indeed far more spectacular than before.
Don't let Wen Ziqi's gentle demeanor fool you—she blushed just speaking, but once in combat, she was not at all sloppy. She advanced and retreated with order, attacked and defended, displaying the bearing of a master.
However, this disciple Lu Boyu was clearly a key figure cultivated by the Southern Sect. No matter how formidable Wen Ziqi was, he managed to keep her slightly suppressed.
Moreover, judging from his effortless attitude in battle, he was clearly still holding back.
Jiang Chen shook his head slightly, glancing inwardly at the Southern Sect Master Shen Rong. The old fox was cunning after all. This ten-year grand competition, it seemed, the Northern Sect still wouldn't win.
Just as this thought flashed through his mind, Lu Boyu let out a light shout. His hand gently grabbed, seizing half of Wen Ziqi's sleeve. He then brought it casually to his nose and sniffed. "Ah, heavenly fragrance and beauty! Truly wonderful, truly wonderful!"
Wen Ziqi was utterly mortified. For a moment, she didn't know whether to advance or retreat. Her eyes reddened, and teardrops began to swirl in their sockets.
Slap!
Madam Yu of the Northern Sect slammed the table and stood up, her face furious as she addressed the Southern Sect's Shen Rong. "Shen Rong! Are the disciples you teach as frivolous and improper as you are?"
Shen Rong laughed heartily, stroking his long beard lightly. "Junior Sister Yu, young people making a harmless joke—what's the harm in that?"
Madam Yu trembled with rage, her powdered face flushed crimson. She had painstakingly prepared for ten years, only to be outmaneuvered in the end. The depth of her frustration was unimaginable.
Lu Boyu cupped his hands toward Wen Ziqi. "Junior Sister Wen, I meant nothing by it. It was purely a joke with you."
Tears rolling in her eyes, Wen Ziqi stamped her foot lightly, then ran over to Madam Yu, crying in grievance.
"What are you crying for?" Madam Yu was also vexed and snapped, "If your skill is inferior, just go back and cultivate diligently! A martial artist who only knows how to shed tears when facing adversity—how can she shoulder great responsibilities in the future?"