Chapter 59

Both sides agreed to send five disciples to compete. The side that won three out of five matches would be the winner and would take control of the Star Palace for the next ten years.

Jiang Chen had no interest in the competition of the Five Pulse True Qi levels.

As everyone's attention was focused on the young men and women, Jiang Chen quietly activated his Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil and began to observe the guests.

If the Lotus Picker were to come, they would not appear openly. They would certainly disguise themselves as guests and take advantage of the situation.

It must be said that these guests were very engrossed. Wherever Jiang Chen's Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil spread, almost everyone was fully focused on the competition.

This was a competition between the most outstanding disciples of the new generation of the Star Palace. Most of these heroes made a living in the Jushizhou area, so they naturally paid attention to the next generation of the Star Palace.

The first two matches ended quickly. The Southern Sect and the Northern Sect each won one match.

Jiang Chen also completed a round of observation. The result was nothing. These people did not seem to be disguised as the Lotus Picker.

Jiang Chen was not reassured and observed again in detail, but the result was the same. From these people, Jiang Chen could not see any flaws.

"Is the Lotus Picker really not here? Or is he disguised so well that even my Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil cannot see through it?"

Jiang Chen began to doubt his judgment. The cultivation of the "Heart of the Steadfast Rock" gave him a subtle intuition, telling him that something would happen at the Star Palace today, and it was likely related to the Lotus Picker.

In other words, the Lotus Picker might already be present.

However, there were three hundred guests in the audience. Which one was the Lotus Picker? Jiang Chen first observed through his Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil, then listened to their breathing and pulse through his Wind Listening Ear.

The result was still nothing.

"Could my intuition be wrong?"

While Jiang Chen was thinking, the battle had already completed four rounds, with each side winning two matches.

At this moment, behind the Jade Lady of the Northern Sect, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl in a light yellow dress, with a well-proportioned figure, gracefully walked onto the stage.

"Disciple Wen Ziqi of the Northern Sect, please give me your guidance."

This girl named Wen Ziqi had black hair like a waterfall, and her eyes, like ink dots, exuded a purity like mountain springs.

Her soft voice made her face blush all the way to her ears.

"I have heard that Aunt Jade of the Northern Sect has a good disciple. I believe it must be you, Sister. I, Lu Boyu, will accompany you for a few moves."

This Lu Boyu was tall and slender, with a face that exuded a sense of elegance. His eyes seemed like a second mouth that could speak.

His every move had a certain grace.

What surprised Jiang Chen was that both of them were Six Pulse True Qi!

The appearance of two Six Pulse True Qi experts in this small Star Palace indeed made the audience gasp in admiration.

The Jade Lady's originally confident face suddenly turned serious. She had arranged this talented disciple to appear last, hiding her strength, intending to make a stunning appearance. She did not expect the Southern Sect to also have a hidden card.

The confrontation between these two top disciples was indeed more exciting than the previous ones.

Despite Wen Ziqi's gentle and blushing demeanor, once she entered the battle state, she was not at all hesitant, advancing and retreating with measure, attacking and defending with a grand demeanor.

However, Lu Boyu, clearly a key figure cultivated by the Southern Sect, could suppress Wen Ziqi despite her abilities.

Moreover, his relaxed fighting attitude indicated that he still had reserves.

Jiang Chen shook his head lightly and glanced at the Southern Sect's leader, Shen Rong. He was indeed cunning. It seemed that the Northern Sect would not win this ten-year competition.

Just as Jiang Chen's thoughts flashed, Lu Boyu lightly shouted and grabbed Wen Ziqi's sleeve, bringing it to his nose for a sniff: "Mm, fragrant and beautiful, excellent, excellent!"

Wen Ziqi was extremely embarrassed, unsure whether to advance or retreat. Her eyes reddened, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Slap!

The Jade Lady of the Northern Sect slammed the table and angrily said to Shen Rong of the Southern Sect: "Shen Rong, are your disciples as frivolous and unscrupulous as you?"

Shen Rong laughed and stroked his beard: "Sister Yu, young people making harmless jokes, what's the harm?"

The Jade Lady was so angry that her body trembled, and her face turned red. She had prepared for ten years, but in the end, she was still one step behind. The frustration was evident.

Lu Boyu bowed to Wen Ziqi: "Sister Wen, I had no other intention, just a harmless joke."

Wen Ziqi, with tears in her eyes, lightly stomped her foot and ran to the Jade Lady, crying in委屈.

"What are you crying for?" The Jade Lady was also frustrated and scolded, "If you are not as skilled, go back and practice. As a martial artist, if you cry at every setback, how can you handle important matters in the future?"

As the victor, Shen Rong did not take the opportunity to gloat. Instead, he walked to the Jade Lady and bowed: "Sister, one stroke cannot write two Star Palaces. Although we are divided into the Northern and Southern Sects, it is just the will of fate. I have always had a grand wish to merge the two sects and restore the former glory of the Star Palace, making it a top sect in the Eastern Kingdom."

"Hypocrisy." The Jade Lady was not pleased.

"Sister, we are of the same sect. In such important matters, why should we be divided? If this can lead to the merger of the two sects, we will both be great contributors to the sect." Shen Rong's tone was very sincere.

The Jade Lady fell into deep thought. She felt a bit conflicted. If Shen Rong had been arrogant, the Jade Lady would have left in a huff.

But Shen Rong was very humble, and every word he said was for the good of the sect, which made the Jade Lady somewhat moved.

"Sister, there are many people here. Why don't we go to the sect's secret chamber to discuss this? I have some clues that I can share with you."

The Jade Lady hesitated for a moment and finally nodded: "Shen Rong, if you are sincere about the merger, I, the Jade Lady, am not heartless."

Shen Rong was delighted: "Sister's magnanimity is a blessing for our sect. Please."

He then instructed Lu Boyu: "Boyu, please entertain the guests. I need to discuss something with your aunt."

"Yes."

Shen Rong apologized to the guests and left with the Jade Lady for the inner chambers of the Star Palace.

Jiang Chen, sitting in his seat, felt a bit puzzled. The competition was over, but he had found no clues.

His intuition clearly told him that there was something unusual about this ten-year competition. But no matter how he observed, he could not find any trace.

"What's the problem?" Watching the guests leave in groups, some preparing to leave, others preparing to return to their lodgings to wait for the Star Palace's banquet, Jiang Chen felt at a loss.

"Did I really come here for nothing?" Jiang Chen was not willing to give up. He felt that there must be some detail he had missed.

Having cultivated the "Heart of the Steadfast Rock," he was confident that his intuition was much stronger than that of ordinary people.

At this moment, another disciple from the inner sect came out and said to the remaining six or seven female disciples, including Wen Ziqi: "Sisters, by the order of Aunt Jade, please go to pay respects to the founding ancestor of our sect."

Wen Ziqi, hearing the order from her master and the act of paying respects to the ancestor, naturally did not refuse and followed the disciple.

Watching this messenger disciple, Jiang Chen felt a strange stirring in his heart.

"Have I seen this person before?" Jiang Chen reviewed his experiences over the past few days but could not find any memory of this person.

However, when the disciple arrived, his mental senses detected a familiar feeling.

"Who is this person?" Jiang Chen's mind moved, and he walked to Lu Boyu, "Brother Lu."

Lu Boyu, seeing Jiang Chen dressed as a wandering cultivator, smiled faintly: "What can I do for you?"

"Brother Lu, who is the disciple who just came to deliver the message?"

"Oh, he is a nominal disciple of my master. I don't remember his name. Do you know him?"

Jiang Chen shook his head: "Just curious."

A nominal disciple was clearly an unknown person. But he gave Jiang Chen a familiar feeling. Jiang Chen instinctively chased after him.

However, when he chased out, the people were already gone.

The most amazing thing was that these female disciples should have had a scent, but at this moment, the air was filled with a strange, pungent smell, making it impossible to distinguish their scents.

"Something's wrong, something's wrong." Jiang Chen immediately extended his Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil to the limit, but found nothing.

It was as if the nominal disciple and the female disciples had vanished into thin air.

Jiang Chen found a Southern Sect disciple and asked about the location of the Ancestor Hall. When he quickly arrived at the Ancestor Hall, the door was locked, clearly indicating no ancestral worship ceremony.

"Indeed, there is something wrong with that nominal disciple!" Jiang Chen calmed down and reviewed the entire event. Suddenly, the image of the Southern Sect's leader, Shen Rong, with his long beard, appeared in his mind.

"Hmm? Shen Rong! Yes! When that messenger disciple came, I sensed Shen Rong's aura on him. Although he was deliberately hiding his aura, some subtle actions and subconscious habits could not escape my Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil!"

"Is Shen Rong up to something?" Jiang Chen, having this thought, no longer hesitated and extended his Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil, Wind Listening Ear, and Heart of the Steadfast Rock to the limit.