Chapter 58

"Ha ha, have you heard? The Star Luan Palace's once-a-decade North-South Grand Competition is starting in three days. This time, it's said that both the Southern and Northern Sects are determined to win."

"Tch, those Northern Sect women, how can they possibly compete with the Southern Sect's bunch of brutes? They haven't won against the Southern Sect for the past sixty years, right?"

"Fortune favors the bold. It's said that the Northern Sect's leader, Lady Yu, has gained a few disciples with considerable strength, and they are all beautiful women. This time, they have a good chance of challenging the Southern Sect."

"Who cares! No matter whether the Southern or Northern Sect wins, it won't change the fact that we can't live in the Star Luan Palace. It's just a matter of a group of men being replaced by a group of women."

In a certain inn, Jiang Chen overheard this conversation from the next table.

In the past few days, since he entered Jushi State, the most frequent topic he had heard was about the Star Luan Palace's Southern and Northern Sects' Grand Competition.

The winner of this competition would reside in the Star Luan Palace, while the loser would have to leave and find another place to settle.

Of course, the Grand Competition took place every ten years, so if one lost this time, they could always come back and try again next time.

Jiang Chen was drinking alone but was listening to everything around him. He had cultivated the "Wind Listening Ear" technique to the third level, making his hearing at least two to three times stronger than that of an average martial artist.

For a moment, various pieces of information flooded in.

Star Luan Palace, Northern Sect, women, beauties...

These useful pieces of information were continuously filtered out by Jiang Chen.

Putting down his wine cup, Jiang Chen left some silver and walked out gracefully. He decided to head to the Star Luan Palace.

If the Lotus Picker planned to act soon, there was no better place in the entire Tianhu Territory than the Star Luan Palace.

The beauty of the female disciples alone was enough to be a strong attraction.

The art of cultivation through the absorption of others' energy was more effective when the target had a higher cultivation level. Therefore, female cultivators were the favorite targets of the Lotus Picker.

In the current Jushi State, where else could there be more beautiful women than in the Star Luan Palace? Moreover, they were all cultivators, making them even more valuable for absorption.

From the Lotus Picker's perspective, even if he didn't plan to act, he would definitely come to scout the place.

After leaving the capital, Jiang Chen used some materials to alter his appearance, making him look like a middle-aged martial artist in his thirties.

There were at least hundreds of millions of such wandering martial artists in the Eastern Ten Thousand Nations. Jiang Chen's appearance was so ordinary that he would be unnoticeable in a crowd.

The Star Luan Palace was located in an excellent position, and within a hundred miles around it, a city named Star City had formed, built around the Star Luan Palace.

A sect, even an ordinary one, had a profound impact on the local area.

Two days later, when Jiang Chen arrived in Star City, he found that the Star Luan Palace's Southern and Northern Sects' Grand Competition was not open to just anyone.

There were only three hundred spots available, and after reserving some for insiders, only about a hundred spots were left for outsiders.

In the past few days, at least a hundred thousand martial artists had flooded into Star City.

With over a hundred thousand people competing for a hundred spots, the odds were one in a thousand, making it extremely difficult.

However, Jiang Chen knew that to investigate the Lotus Picker, he needed to obtain a spot to watch the competition.

If he revealed his identity as a descendant of a feudal lord, he would certainly cause a sensation in the entire Star City, and getting a spot would be easy.

But doing so would mean breaking the rules and being disqualified.

Jiang Chen arrived at the Star Luan Palace's headquarters in Star City, where the place was already packed with people.

"Old man, I'll pay thirty thousand taels for a spot. Who will give me one?"

"Tch, old brother, are you still dreaming? A spot now costs at least a hundred thousand taels. You actually think thirty thousand is enough?"

"Uh..."

...

"Old man, I have five-vein true qi. Don't I deserve a spot to watch?"

"Sorry, you need at least six-vein true qi to qualify."

...

"Brother, I have a connection with Xie Qiang from your Southern Sect. Can you make an exception?"

"Who's Xie Qiang? We only recognize the relationships with the sect leader and elders."

...

"Brother, I'm the boss of the Ten Thousand Horses Hall. Your Star Luan Sect has done business with me. Can you give me a spot to watch?"

"Sorry, business is business, and connections are connections. If you have money, there are a few spots for sale, each costing a hundred thousand taels."

"Damn, I'll buy it!"

...

Jiang Chen listened to such conversations. The entire scene was chaotic, with everyone vying for a spot to watch.

"Ah, being poor means having no ambition. It seems I'm destined to miss this once-a-decade competition between the Southern and Northern Sects. What a pity."

"There's nothing we can do. The Star Luan Palace is just that arrogant. I heard that all the disciples participating in this competition have at least five-vein true qi."

"Tsk, tsk, no wonder it's one of the top sects in the entire Tianhu Territory. These talented disciples wouldn't be inferior even among the descendants of feudal lords, right?"

"Probably, right?"

Jiang Chen found such conversations amusing. Five-vein true qi was the lowest level among the descendants of feudal lords.

However, for the Star Luan Palace, a sect in the Tianhu Territory, having so many disciples with five-vein true qi was indeed something to be proud of.

Jiang Chen stood in a corner, thinking about how to obtain a ticket to watch the competition.

He was currently disguised as a low-level cultivator with three-vein true qi, trying to avoid drawing attention from the Lotus Picker.

Therefore, he could not reveal his true strength.

After some thought, Jiang Chen had an idea.

"Brother, my martial arts skills are average, but I have a high talent for medicinal herbs and am very skilled in using them. If there are any injuries during the competition, I can help treat them."

"High talent for medicinal herbs? That needs to be tested. If you indeed have this expertise, getting a ticket won't be a problem."

Following the instructions, Jiang Chen took a medicinal herb test, which was as easy as eating for him.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Jiang Chen was treated as a distinguished guest. His talent for medicinal herbs impressed the Star Luan Palace's medicinal herb officer, who even felt a bit inferior.

Thus, he obtained a ticket with the name of Master Chen, the medicinal herb expert.

Jiang Chen transformed into "Master Chen."

With the ticket, Jiang Chen's status was significantly elevated, and he was treated as a distinguished guest. He was personally escorted to the Star Luan Palace's headquarters and given a high-quality room.

"Ha ha, it seems that no matter where you are, having a special skill is essential. Without one, you can't even get through the door."

Jiang Chen chuckled to himself and sat cross-legged on the bed.

In someone else's territory, practicing martial arts openly was not advisable. After meditating for a while, he circulated the Canglang True Qi in his body to refine his meridians.

After refining his meridians, Jiang Chen began to practice the three major techniques: "Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil," "Wind Listening Ear," and "Rock Heart."

Currently, Jiang Chen had cultivated "Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil" and "Wind Listening Ear" to the peak of the third level.

"Rock Heart" was still progressing slowly, only just entering the second level.

"These techniques, known as the 'Thirty-Three Heavens,' have thirty-three levels. I'm only at the beginning."

Jiang Chen knew that the initial stages of cultivation were relatively easy, but it would become increasingly difficult as he progressed.

Currently, the range of "Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil" and "Wind Listening Ear" was only about a kilometer.

Beyond that, they were ineffective.

"Rock Heart" did not have a specific quantifiable measure, but Jiang Chen could clearly sense that his mental strength had improved significantly.

Mental strength could only be felt in subtle ways. It was an instinct beyond the five senses, a sixth or seventh sense...

The next morning, Jiang Chen got up early. The once-a-decade competition of the Star Luan Palace was starting today.

As a medicinal herb expert, "Master Chen," he was given a second-class seat. The position was excellent, just behind the few "important figures" in the front row.

Using "Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil," Jiang Chen observed that the people in the front row had power comparable to the leaders of the Southern and Northern Sects of the Star Luan Palace.

Most of them had seven-vein true qi.

"It seems that martial arts are quite popular in this region of Jushi State. Having so many seven-vein true qi martial artists is quite rare," Jiang Chen thought, but he was also worried. "With so many seven-vein true qi experts present, even if the Lotus Picker has eight-vein true qi, he probably wouldn't dare to act openly."

Jiang Chen's feelings were complex. He hoped the Lotus Picker would appear but also didn't want any female cultivators to be targeted.

As he hesitated, two groups of people emerged from the doorways on both sides.

One group was dressed in dark robes, clearly from the Southern Sect.

The other group, mostly in light yellow robes, was from the Northern Sect.

The leader of the Southern Sect, Shen Rong, was about forty years old, with a long beard and a lean face, giving him a dignified appearance.

The leader of the Northern Sect, known as Lady Yu, was a young woman who looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with phoenix eyes and a striking beauty. It was unclear whether her appearance was her true age or the result of beauty-preserving techniques.

As a guest, Jiang Chen couldn't use "Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil" to observe the two leaders without restraint, but from his observations, they were both high-level true qi cultivators.

Whether they had seven-vein or eight-vein true qi, Jiang Chen couldn't determine without a closer look.

"Ha ha, Sister Yu, it's been ten years, and you still look as radiant as ever," Shen Rong laughed and spoke first.

"Shen Rong, let's skip the pleasantries. This time, the Northern Sect is determined to regain control of the Star Luan Palace," Lady Yu said, her eyebrows arching, her voice as clear as jade.

"Fine, let the disciples decide the outcome!" Shen Rong smiled confidently.