Qiu Yihan turned and left in a huff, her lotus-like steps carrying her away.
Qiu Yihan’s maternal grandmother, Elder Han, spoke, "Chen Jiuyang, you are not to leave until after the Dao Companion Selection Tournament."
"With your peerless talent, you waste it on all sorts of messy affairs every day."
With that, Elder Han also turned and departed.
"..."
Chen Jiuyang looked at Granny Hui, "Am I under house arrest now?"
Granny Hui smiled, "Not at all, Young Master Chen. Elder Han values your talent and recognizes you."
Chen Jiuyang frowned slightly. Ji Lengyue was still recuperating at the Su Hang Chen family, and there were still matters concerning the Jiangnan Sect to attend to.
Granny Hui seemed to read Chen Jiuyang's mind, "Young Master Chen, if you can become the Saintess's Dao Companion and also break through to the Earth Realm, becoming a distinguished figure in our Sacred Cult, your matters in Su Hang can be easily resolved by our Sacred Cult."
"For now, Young Master Chen should focus on cultivation. All the resources you need will be provided by our Sacred Cult's Han clan."
Chen Jiuyang nodded slowly, it seemed the Han clan intended to invest heavily in him.
"I understand," Chen Jiuyang said, "But I need to change where I live. I don't want to be spied on and need to concentrate on my cultivation."
"Elder Han has already made the necessary arrangements. Please follow me, Young Master Chen." Granny Hui smiled and led the way.
Leaving the main hall, Granny Hui did not lead Chen Jiuyang out of the mountain but instead headed east. After about twenty minutes, the scenery opened up, astonishing Chen Jiuyang.
Before him lay a scene akin to the Peach Blossom Spring. Below the high mountains was a paradise, with watchtowers and jade-like structures, grand halls lining the landscape. Under the night sky, lights blazed, and people bustled about.
Palaces stood on sheer cliffs, there were moon-gazing platforms and wooden stairs. Every structure exuded a profound sense of history.
Granny Hui said, "This is the ancestral land of our Han clan. Outsiders are not permitted entry."
Chen Jiuyang had never imagined that in the deep mountains an hour away from Su Hang city, there would be such a prosperous architectural complex.
If not for the cars, mobile phones, and large announcement screens within, Chen Jiuyang would have believed he had traveled back to ancient times.
Lost in thought, Chen Jiuyang nodded inwardly. This was the grandeur and style a venerable family that had been passed down through generations should possess.
The people passing by were mostly martial artists, with only a small fraction being ordinary people without martial cultivation.
"Our Han clan has been a prominent family among the nine lineages of the True Demon Cult since ancient times. Our strength and foundation far exceed what you can imagine, Young Master Chen," Granny Hui explained as she led him.
She led Chen Jiuyang to a three-story wooden building, its decoration ancient and luxurious. Fang Bahua had already moved Chen Jiuyang's belongings inside.
"Please reside here with peace of mind, Young Master Chen, and await the start of the Saintess's Dao Companion Selection Tournament."
With that, Granny Hui also left.
The position of Saintess of the True Demon Cult was rotated every sixty years. The last Saintess's Dao Companion Selection Tournament was held centuries ago. For the Han clan, this was a matter of utmost importance.
Chen Jiuyang entered the courtyard. The treatment was indeed different. All sorts of medicinal herbs were readily available, servants attended to his daily needs, and there were cultivation rooms and healing rooms.
He could now focus on cultivating the second layer of the Emperor Yu Divine Body Art, the Three Revolutions Pure Yang.
Information from the outside world could be handled by Fang Bahua in communication with the Su Hang Chen family, or Chen Jiuyang could make phone calls himself to the Chen family patriarch.
For the next few days, Chen Jiuyang diligently cultivated the Emperor Yu Divine Body Art. Days passed in a flash.
In the blink of an eye, it was time for the Dao Companion Selection Tournament to begin.
Chen Jiuyang walked out of the residence. A servant said, "Young Master Chen, please follow me to the outer ring for registration."
"Outer ring registration?"
The servant replied, "Yes, the Saintess selection is divided into outer ring arena competitions. No matter how many people participate, only the top one hundred and eight will advance to the inner competition."
Chen Jiuyang’s expression flickered. This format was quite interesting.
But it was disadvantageous for him.
The servant led Chen Jiuyang away from the Han clan's ancestral land and towards the mountain outside where he had previously resided.
In more than ten days, the Han clan had felled trees and constructed hundreds of competition arenas. They had also cleared a space on the mountain to build a spectator area.
The scene was packed, with thousands of people, all of them martial artists.
Chen Jiuyang's heart tensed. The crowd was even more bustling than during the Martial Ranking.
But then he thought about it. The Martial Ranking was limited to provinces and cities, but Qiu Yihan's Dao Companion Selection had no such restrictions. Granny Hui had mentioned before that geniuses and elites from the Demon Cult across the country would be attending.
Now, seeing it, her words were not false.
The servant led Chen Jiuyang to the registration point at the front.
An old man with the cultivation of the peak Profound Realm, who had lost an eye, sat at the registration point. He looked at Chen Jiuyang and said indifferently, "Registering, are we? Name, cultivation, and originating force?"
"Chen Jiuyang, twelve apertures of the Profound Realm, from the Shu Mountain Chen family."
The one-eyed old man looked at Chen Jiuyang more closely, "The Shu Mountain Chen family is also vying for our Sacred Cult's Saintess? This is the first time in a thousand years."
After completing Chen Jiuyang's registration, the one-eyed old man tossed him a wooden plaque, "This is your identification. During the outer competition phase, those in the Profound Realm will not encounter those in the Earth Realm. Seventy-two spots will be chosen from the Earth Realm, and thirty-six from the Profound Realm."
"You can go to the side to place bets on yourself."
Chen Jiuyang was stunned. They even had betting on oneself?
He couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed this demonic path was even more interesting than he had imagined.
Chen Jiuyang asked, "Excuse me, what is the capital for betting?"
The one-eyed old man pointed to a large wooden sign in front, "See for yourself."
Chen Jiuyang's gaze swept forward.
One million Dragon Country coins equaled one hundred-year-old medicinal herb.
Ten million Dragon Country coins equaled ten hundred-year-old medicinal herbs.
And so on, until later.
One billion Dragon Country coins equaled one precious material.
Precious materials were rare. Chen Jiuyang had scoured the black market in Fengcheng and only managed to find a piece of precious material at a bargain.
The odds were at least one to one.
Chen Jiuyang's heart burned with excitement. This was an opportunity to get rich.
This demonic path was quite wealthy, daring to set up such odds, weren't they afraid of losing everything?
Chen Jiuyang's eyes narrowed. It seemed he could earn the medicinal herbs he needed to break through to the Earth Realm through this competition.
He approached the betting point. In front of him was a large screen, with several slender and beautiful young women seated. Chen Jiuyang said, "Hello, I want to place a bet."
The young woman said, "Please present your identification."
Chen Jiuyang handed over his small wooden plaque. The young woman said, "Mr. Chen Jiuyang, how much would you like to bet?"
Chen Jiuyang's eyes gleamed as he took out that piece of precious material, "I wonder how much this piece of precious material is worth."
An old man wearing reading glasses emerged from behind the young woman. "Ice Skin Jade Bamboo, three hundred years old, still potent, but the quantity is insufficient. It's worth two hundred million."
Chen Jiuyang had bought this piece of Ice Skin Jade Bamboo for several hundred thousand. Its value was now two hundred million. He had originally intended to use it for dual cultivation techniques, but now that the Yao family's Nine Yin Devouring Yang Array was broken, it was useless to him.
The young woman said, "Mr. Chen Jiuyang, as you are not well-known, the odds are currently one to one."
Chen Jiuyang smiled, "Good."
Although he was the champion of the Feng Province Martial Ranking and the young master of the Shu Mountain Chen family, he was indeed not famous across the entire Dragon Country.
But one-to-one odds were better.