There were nine arena lord seats, yet only eight people were selected? Many immediately caught on that something was up. There was something else at play here. The quicker ones immediately realized that someone had earned two arena lord seats. It wasn't unprecedented for one person to earn two arena lord seats, but it was a once in a century occurrence. However, there was only numbers and not a single name on the ranking list. Other than the officials, nobody knew for sure who these numbers represented.
Assistant Temple Master Gao smiled. "Alright, those with their number on the list, please step forward and let everyone see you."
Many who joined the Bounty Arena tryouts were from incredible backgrounds. Those who'd triumphed stepped out from the crowd and walked on stage after hearing the announcement. Basking in the attention of a crowd of millions was a very enjoyable feeling. They didn't hesitate at all. However, Jiang Chen wasn't fully engrossed in the moment of glory. He was more concerned about the Bounty Arena. Many gazes set upon him when he stepped out.
Pill King Blue Phoenix's gaze was practically glued to him. Wang Xuetong also seemed incredibly moved. He stared at Jiang Chen as though he was staring at his first love.
Jiang Chen had gotten used to the limelight. After all, he was an incredibly prominent figure and idol in Veluriyam Capital. He stepped on the stage and greeted their complicated gazes with a faint smile. It was his way of showing courtesy.
Assistant Temple Master Gao could immediately tell that the young man before him was the genius who had earned two arena lord seats. He very much admired geniuses like like the young man.
"Congratulations, young man." He greeted Jiang Chen warmly.
The other arena lords were a little surprised by how cordial the assistant temple master was being. Some even felt quite bitter over the actions. They were all arena lords of equal stature. Why was the assistant temple master being friendly to only the young man? However, something even more surprising soon followed.
Emperor Peerless walked up to Jiang Chen without hiding his admiration. "Such a multi-talented genius that is neither servile nor overbearing. What a rare temperament. Very rare indeed!"
Who was Emperor Peerless? He'd seen more geniuses than there was stars in the sky. Some like to put on mysterious airs, others faked politeness, while yet others trembled in their boots. Those as collected as the young man before him could be counted on a single hand. Moreover, this young man wasn't faking anything. His aura emanated from his body naturally.
The other arena lords became even more depressed after Emperor Peerless approached the young man. Why was everyone putting so much attention to him? Was it because of his age?
No ordinary person could ever stand out among millions and obtain a seat as a arena lord. They had their own pride and dignity. They felt a little upset when Emperor Peerless and the assistant temple master sing the young man's praises. They were treated quite well, but nowhere close to as good as the young man.
What happened next shocked them even further. Pill King Blue Phoenix approached the young man and actually bowed to him!
"Young man, I apologize for my attitude from before. This old man must've been blind for failing to recognize such a great talent!" His expression was very sincere.
Jiang Chen had realized that the pill king harbored some misunderstandings, but he never thought that the latter would suddenly apologize in the open. "Pill King Blue Phoenix, you speak too strongly. This young junior didn't explain things clearly as I was rushing to the general zone. It is I that should apologize," he quickly responded.
The senior executives of the Temple of Cleansing Fire nodded approvingly at Jiang Chen. A young man of his temperament was truly a rare breed. The common youth would likely be over the moon right now if they'd gotten an arena lord seat by luck. They would never maintain their calm.
Jiang Chen however, didn't seem the least bit excited. Everything almost seemed like a matter of course. He didn't blindly accept the pill king's apology or mock him like most youths would in this situation. Instead, he had resolved the situation in a way that was most acceptable to the pill king. One couldn't help but praise the young man for his excellent conduct.
The assistant temple master noticed the odd expressions on the other arena lord's faces. He immediately laughed and introduced Jiang Chen. "I forgot to mention, this is a young man who stepped across two zones and earned himself two arena lord seats. By the way, how can we address you?"
"This junior is named Shao Yuan."
"Shao Yuan?" The assistant temple master furrowed his brows a little. "I'm sorry for any offense, but may I ask where you're from? I don't seem to remember that we have such an incredible youth in Pillfire City?"
Jiang Chen had prepared an appropriate response as he'd anticipated this scenario. He didn't speak in vague terms after the assistant temple master had raised his question. Instead, he responded with a faint smile. "This junior is not from Pillfire City. I'm from Myriad Abyss Island."
"What?" The assistant temple master was incredibly shaken by the response. A myriad of expressions flitted across his face. The senior executives of the temple were also taken by surprise. They stared at Jiang Chen, mouth wide agape, as though a monster was before them.
Emperor Peerless was also incredibly surprised. "Myriad Abyss Island?"
Pill King Blue Phoenix and Master Wang Xuetong wasn't immune to the shock either. They fixed their gaze on Jiang Chen to try and figure out what game the youth was trying to play.
"You're from Myriad Abyss Island?" The assistant temple master couldn't resist asking.
Jiang Chen nodded without giving any explanations. If he explained himself too much, it might seem like he was trying to cover up a lie. The factions in the Upper Eight Regions weren't familiar with Myriad Abyss Island anyway. It was just a myth to them. He was free to conjure any story he wished. With his background, he'd have no problem impersonating someone from the heavenly planes, let alone Myriad Abyss Island.
The assistant temple master was at a loss for words. He immediately turned towards Emperor Peerless to see what the all-knowing emperor thought of this situation. The emperor let out a big sigh. "The Myriad Abyss Island is from the story of legends. I heard that there's place called Eternal Divine Kingdom where countless great emperor realm experts reside. Is the legend really true?"
The assistant temple master suddenly realized that this was no place to discuss such things. He immediately guided them inside with a gesture. "Let us talk inside."
Emperor Peerless nodded. This was definitely not a topic to be spoken about in the open. Fortunately, the crowd had made too much of a commotion to hear their conversation.
The assistant temple master immediately announced. "Everyone keep your calm. The eight arena lords have already been chosen. They will pick their assistants in two hours. Everyone, please remain patient."
Jiang Chen had disrupted the flow of the event with just a single sentence. The assistant temple master had no choice but to postpone the following events by two hours.
"Brother Shao, please enter."
Jiang Chen smiled and responded with a gesture. "After you, Assistant Temple Master Gao and seniors."
Emperor Peerless laughed admiringly at Jiang Chen's excellent manners. He approached him and patted him in the shoulder. "Let's go! We shall enter together!"
He wasn't hiding his admiration for Jiang Chen at all. The other arena lords were incredibly envious. Some of these arena lords hadn't even heard about Myriad Abyss Island before. However, they could deduce that it was an incredibly amazing place after hearing what Emperor Peerless had said. Was the Myriad Abyss Island real? Did that brat really come from that legendary place? Surely this was a scam!
Truth be told, everyone, including the Temple of Cleansing Fire, was rather doubtful of Jiang Chen's words. However, they would rather err on the side of believing it was real than the other way round. The senior executives, three seniors, and the eight arena lords convened within a secret chamber within the Temple of Cleansing Fire.
The assistant temple master looked towards the other seven arena lords and warned them with a sinister voice. "Dear honored guests, whatever you hear today shall forever remain within this room. You shall never leak anything to the outside world in any manner or form. Doing otherwise will make you an enemy of the Temple."
The seven arena lords immediately understood the weight of the situation after seeing how serious the assistant temple master was being. Someone immediately expressed their trustworthiness.
"I need you to swear upon your inner demons." the assistant temple master spoke firmly.
"This is no small matter. This old man shall be the first to show my sincerity. I swear upon my inner demons that I shan't tell anyone of this matter except to my dao partner." Emperor Peerless immediately swore his vow.
The emperor was incredibly devoted to this dao partner. It was only natural that he wouldn't hide any secrets from her. Pill King Blue Phoenix quickly followed. "I swear upon my inner demons that I shan't tell anyone of the matters spoken here today."
There was no way Wang Xuetong could back away now that the others had already made vows. He followed suit and swore to his inner demons.
The seven arena lords realized that it was no longer avoidable after seeing the three great seniors swear their vows. There wasn't much reason for them to be hesitant. After all, they weren't about to do something that went against their conscience. They were only asked to keep a secret. The people from the Temple of Cleansing Fire wasn't exempted from the vows either.
The assistant temple master turned towards Jiang Chen after everyone had sworn upon their inner demons. "Brother Shao Yuan, you've already seen everyone's sincerity. Now, there's only one question left. Are you really from Myriad Abyss Island? Is there really such a place in the Divine Abyss Continent?"
Jiang Chen was only using the Myriad Abyss Island's name as a deterrence. He never thought that they'd take it so seriously. However, he was actually certain that the Myriad Abyss Island was real. Huang'er was the living proof.