Chapter 503: Innate Wood Const.i.tution of High Order
One had to say that Ouyang De was certainly one to take advantage of his high position to flaunt his seniority. But of course, he came up empty handed when Elder Yun Nie accompanied his investigation. Jiang Chen and Mu Gaoqi had made it to their places with true talent. There wasn’t any cheating at all.
Ouyang De’s actions merely made himself a laughingstock, nothing else. He rigorously looked over things a few times but found nothing. Palace Head Dan Chi had heard that the pill dao compet.i.tion had run its course at this point, and hurried over to take stock of the results. After he checked through things, he finally confirmed that there were no doubts about the results of the compet.i.tion and once again announced the owners.h.i.+p of the residences.
Mu Gaoqi could no longer control himself. He wept with joy, jumping up and down in his excitement.
Ouyang Chao’s face was dark as his heart bled, but he didn’t say anything. He still wanted to hold onto some shreds of his dignity, such as it was.
Ling Hui’er was deep in thought. She blinked her large eyes, staring at Jiang Chen and Mu Gaoqi, seemingly baffled at the turn of events. Her fatally alluring chest heaved slightly, providing quite a pleasing sight.
“Jiang Chen, Mu Gaoqi, I congratulate you on behalf of the Regal Pill Palace.” Palace Head Dan Chi smiled, bestowing the medallions to the Sovereign Area residences on the two. When he handed the medallions over, his smile disappeared and his tone turned grave. “The two of you should remember this well. The Sovereign Area means that one is sovereign. You will enjoy extraordinary treatment in your residences, but also remember that you shoulder a responsibility greater than anyone else. Your every word and action, move and gesture will represent the younger generation of the Regal Pill Palace as well as the sect as a whole.”
With great power comes great responsibility.
Jiang Chen took the medallion. “Jiang Chen will remember the Palace Head’s words well.”
Mu Gaoqi was at a loss of what to do and kept nodding. “I’ll remember to not lose face for the Regal Pill Palace!” After all, he was born of humble beginnings. He hadn’t developed the glacial composure that Jiang Chen displayed by virtue of his experience. It was impossible for him not to be nervous under these circ.u.mstances.
The elders all laughed loudly, both amused by and contemptuous of Mu Gaoqi’s clumsy performance. It was certainly quite a sight to have such a b.u.mpkin take up residence in the Sovereign Area. Although no one quite understood how Mu Gaoqi had risen so strongly, they were still more or less prejudiced against him. Ouyang De was even more derisive, feeling some hatred and contempt writhe in his heart.
It was rather Elder Yun Nie who suddenly smiled. “Mu Gaoqi, I am the Hallmaster of the Herbal Hall, yet I hadn’t discovered a hidden gem like you, leaving you to s.h.i.+ne with glory only today. I’m of a mind to make this up to you; are you willing to become one of my disciples?”
At his point of his life, Elder Yun Nie only had followers, and no personal disciples. Who would’ve thought that he’d personally speak up to take Mu Gaoqi as his disciple at this time? The young folk present all looked at Mu Gaoqi with exceedingly envious eyes.
Elder Yun Nie was one of the top five authorities in the Regal Pill Palace, and stood at the peak of power as the Hallmaster of the Herbal Hall. He had no heirs, but now wanted to bring in Mu Gaoqi. If Mu Gaoqi could take Elder Yun Nie as his master, that would be akin to a carp leaping over the dragon’s gate and turning into a dragon in a brilliant exhibit of glory. His value would instantly shoot through the roof, quickly becoming one of the hottest people amongst the youngest generation. Once he was one of Elder Yun Nie’s disciples, who would dare laugh at him for being an unorthodox, self-taught disciple who wasn’t fit for public occasions? Mu Gaoqi was so agitated that he couldn’t speak.
Jiang Chen hastily sent him a silent message. “Gaoqi, this is a rare opportunity. What are you still hesitating for?”
Mu Gaoqi’s brain was nearing a complete shutdown. He only came to his senses when Jiang Chen nudged him, and he hastily walked up to perform the ceremony of taking another as his master.
“This disciple is willing, absolutely willing, a thousand and ten thousand times willing!” His voice was tight with unshed tears as memories surged through him. Fellow disciples rolling their eyes at him, grievance upon grievance piling atop each other, shame, humiliation, how he’d struggled in the cracks of the sect to eke out a path to the future, how he could only hide behind a smile as others suppressed him or play along as others exploited him… All of that pain, all of that dishonor, they would never come back! Not from this moment!
Elder Yun Nie chuckled. “Good, it seems that I now have a disciple. Mu Gaoqi, you’re not bad. There are so very few who can still maintain the heart of a child when they’ve climbed to the height of a core disciple. Your past experiences will become the wealth that paves your future.”
Mu Gaoqi could only nod, his eyes red as he tried his best to keep himself from breaking down.
Jiang Chen also smiled. “Congratulations to Elder Yun Nie gaining a good disciple! An innate wood const.i.tution is truly rare.”
“What?!” Elder Yun Nie was taken aback, and Palace Head Dan Chi’s attention snapped to him, also immensely astonished. An innate const.i.tution?
Jiang Chen had purposefully said this because he wanted to build a name for Mu Gaoqi and force the others to swallow their contemptuous att.i.tudes. The skeptical att.i.tudes of those that looked to Ouyang De as their leader really p.i.s.sed Jiang Chen off. What foreign monk? What self-taught disciple? Although Ouyang De had a high position, Jiang Chen wasn"t some soft persimmon. He wasn’t the sort to not strike back when someone struck out at him. His words were absolutely a blow aimed at Ouyang De.
However, his words were also a bolt of thunder in the ears of those present, making their eardrums hum with the impact.
Innate wood const.i.tution?
An innate const.i.tution was already uncommon enough, but an innate wood const.i.tution was even rarer. Such a const.i.tution meant that a future grand pill master stood in front of them.
Dan Chi also asked, “Jiang Chen, are you sure that he’s an innate wood const.i.tution and not just a regular wood const.i.tution?”
Jiang Chen smiled. “If the honored Palace Head and Elder Yun Nie will test him, all will be immediately revealed.”
Many knew that Mu Gaoqi had a wood const.i.tution, but knowledge of an innate wood const.i.tution was news!
Ouyang De was first startled, but then immediately smirked coldly. He wouldn’t believe Jiang Chen’s bulls.h.i.+t! If Mu Gaoqi really did possess an innate wood const.i.tution, he would’ve been tested when he first entered the sect. It wasn’t the sort of thing that would be revealed now.
Elder Yun Nie knew that Jiang Chen wasn’t the sort to speak carelessly. He immediately took out a testing crystal ball. “Gaoqi, come here.”
Mu Gaoqi walked over docilely. “Honored master.”
“Infuse the ball with your wood spirit energy so that I can see your potential.” Elder Yun Nie’s tone was solemn. This was a matter of great importance. If Mu Gaoqi really did have an innate wood const.i.tution, then he would’ve struck gold, and so would’ve the Regal Pill Palace!
Mu Gaoqi took a deep breath in before placing his palm on the ball. He circulated his wood spirit energy and fed a steady stream into the ball. A beam of pure and clear green light instantly grew inside the ball, growing to the thickness of a pinky and rapidly cycling inside the ball.
One ring, two rings, three rings…
Elder Yun Nie and Palace Head Dan Chi’s face grew graver with every additional circle of the green light. Their expressions changed to slight surprise after twelve rings. The elders who’d suspected that Jiang Chen had been running his mouth squashed their dismissive thoughts as they began to pay rapt attention, faces growing solemn. An ordinary wood const.i.tution would be quite amazing if they could produce twelve rings. More than twelve rings meant extreme potential, and judging from the speed of Mu Gaoqi’s green light, it showed no signs of slowing down.
It whipped past eighteen rings without a moment’s pause and quickly crept to twenty four rings.
Elder Yun Nie and Palace Head Dan Chi looked at each other, delight suffusing their eyes. Having pa.s.sed eighteen rings, they could be certain that this was an innate const.i.tution. If it went past twenty four rings, then it would be a const.i.tution of high order. Mu Gaoqi’s spirit force still saw no signs of pausing.
Thirty rings…
It finally slowed down after thirty rings before slowly puttering to a stop at thirty six rings.
“Thirty six rings!” Elder Yun Nie’s face was full of shock and joy. “Good, good, good! Not only are you an innate wood const.i.tution, it’s one of high order!”
Palace Head Dan Chi also began laughing loudly. “This is truly a genius bestowed from heaven. In the history of my Regal Pill Palace, we’ve at most had an innate wood const.i.tution of mid order, never one of high order!”
“Elder Yun Nie, I must congratulate you on picking up a treasure!” Palace Head Dan Chi was genuinely happy for Elder Yun Nie. The relations.h.i.+p between the two was now quite harmonious because of Jiang Chen.
Elder Yun Nie also smiled. “This isn’t just a delight for me, but one for the entire sect. An innate wood const.i.tution of high order is a blessing bestowed upon us by the spirits of our ancestors, so that our Regal Pill Palace heritage can continue! An innate wood const.i.tution of high order can bring good fortune to the sect for three hundred years!”
Palace Head Dan Chi also nodded. “Indeed, and that’s just a conservative estimate. When our sect had an innate wood const.i.tution of mid order, that conferred hundreds of years of good fortune upon the sect and enabled us to vault up into the ranks of the first rate sects in the Myriad Domain. In my eyes, if Mu Gaoqi develops well, we stand a great chance of joining the numbers of the third rank sects!” Both heavyweights were unceasingly praising Mu Gaoqi.
In that moment, those who had denounced Mu Gaoqi as self-taught or as a b.u.mpkin all felt their faces burn. This was absolutely a stunning slap to their faces. They, to a man, had looked down on Mu Gaoqi, but he’d actually hid such stunning, frightening potential!
Elder Yun Nie also sighed. “It was my negligence to have allowed such a pearl as Mu Gaoqi be covered in dust until now. This discovery is all thanks to Jiang Chen.”
Palace Head Dan Chi also smiled. “Jiang Chen, you are truly broad hearted in recommending sage talent. You and Mu Gaoqi well deserve the Sovereign Area residences!” These words set everything in stone.
As jealous as Ouyang De might be, he could do nothing now. His grandson was a fine man, but how could he measure up to an innate wood const.i.tution? Although Ouyang Chao had lost, he had won glory in being defeated by such a genius. It was rather Ouyang De who’d displayed unbecoming behavior.
Ouyang Chao thought deeply for a moment and walked up to speak to Mu Gaoqi. “Gaoqi, I dismissed you before and thought my victory was guaranteed. I’ve learned of your potential only today. I wholeheartedly accept my defeat at your hands.”
Ling Hui’er curled her lip, forced to accept the results as well.