Sovereign of the Three Realms - Chapter 1974

Chapter 1974: 1974

Jiang Chen knew what the first prime meant . The Flora Sacred Land’s affectations hinted at ulterior motives . Clearly, it also wanted to become the leader of the sacred land alliance .

However, he believed that a few inconsequential gifts during this selection of geniuses wouldn’t ultimately help it to win the leadership .  

The fact that it was openly courting them with lavish presents and promises was far too eye-catching for its strategy to have any success . It was equally likely that it would become the psychological enemy of the other sacred lands .

“Elder Ziju, I’m not so sure we should take such an elevated stance during this drafting process . The Flora Sacred Land’s behavior will only attract the others’ ire . We don’t exactly need to oppose them . If they want to draw fire to themselves, then so be it . ”

Jiang Chen didn’t lose his reason, but Ziju Min was rather more anxious . “The first prime is worried that they’ll only amplify their efforts later on . What if they get all of the best geniuses?”

“Don’t worry . There’s not too much of a difference in talent between those ranked in the top ten and at a hundred fifty . Some simply had access to more resources or came to an earlier understanding of the dao . I think we need to take a more holistic approach and examine the finer details that others might miss . Only looking at the rankings is a sure-fire way to make mistakes . ”

Jiang Chen patiently instructed . He absolutely didn’t want the Eternal and Flora Sacred Lands to compete in such a meaningless way . There was no commensurate return from expending more than necessary here .

Fewer than twenty among these hundred fifty were actually worth gathering to one’s side . Among these, the especially remarkable were virtually nonexistent . As they spoke, it came to the genius number 65 .

He was already introducing himself . “I am Su Tong, a junior cultivator from Tranquilcloud Island . ”

Suddenly, Jiang Chen scrunched up his face . A hint of a smile curled at his lips . He hadn’t paid much attention to this man before, but he now noticed that he knew the genius .

Though the genius was wearing a disguise, he had a strong hunch that this was an old acquaintance of his .

“Elder Ziju, what kind of place is Tranquilcloud Island?” Jiang Chen asked with some curiosity .

“Haha, Tranquilcloud doesn’t exactly have a pristine reputation . Truthfully, it’s a pirates’ cove with a smattering of gangs . A pretty chaotic place, all told . ”

“Oh?” Jiang Chen watched the scene with some interest . As soon as Su Tong declared that he came from Tranquilcloud, the ten sacred lands collectively fell silent .

“Is our sacred land not interested in him?” he asked Ziju Min .

“Not at all . Cultivators from Tranquilcloud often have murky pasts . Rather than mount a difficult investigation, it’s best if we skip potential trouble . ”

This seemed to be the common sentiment from every sacred land . They didn’t like young geniuses with troubled pasts . Gangs were much more profit-oriented than houses and sects .

Sects were held together by a common faith and heritage, while houses were tied by bonds of blood .

Since gangs were formed purely on the basis of gain, it was difficult to sort out the complex web of relationships, grudges, and favors .

Jiang Chen could tell that Su Tong was spending a great deal of effort on self-promotion . Obviously, he desperately wanted to be chosen by one of the sacred lands .

Alas, the ten sacred lands cared too much about their own prestige . They were uninterested in someone from Tranquilcloud Island .

Jiang Chen smiled before opening his mouth . “Your name is Su Tong?”

“Yes . ” Su Tong replied with great sincerity .

“I know you,” Jiang Chen chuckled . “Are you interested in serving me?”

Su Tong blinked .  He knows me?

He looked askance with some shock . The name of the young lord Jiang Chen resounded across the world like thunder . He was just a youth from a den of pirates; how would the famous young lord be acquainted with him?

Can it be?

Suddenly, Su Tong remembered his experiences before arriving at Tranquilcloud . It had been many years since then .

Once upon a time, he had been a puppet upon Winterdraw Island . Amid the tumult there, a genius named Jiang Huang had been listed as one of the wanted targets for a number of Polylore’s first-rate houses, alongside himself .

Su Tong’s heart skipped a beat . His eyes considered Jiang Chen’s visage seriously, pondering what the depths of his eyes meant . His recollections stirred a little .

Su Tong had not always been called this . Long ago, his name had been Su Hong .

Jiang Chen smiled in return . “Do you need to think for so long? Honestly, I think you should be in the top ten, not number sixty-five . ”

As soon as he said this, there was an uproar among the crowd . Su Tong didn’t seem like a genius that would rank so highly at all . Was Eternal’s young lord mouthing blatant falsehoods?

Someone from the Flora Sacred Land immediately snickered . “Is your word supposed to be proof, eh? You’re not the one in charge of ranking these geniuses . ”

The speaker was very young himself, probably one of Flora’s own best geniuses .

Jiang Chen shot him a cold glare . “I don’t explain myself to the ignorant . What are you blathering on about?”

Su Tong had half a mind to comply already . “I am willing to follow you to the ends of the sea, young lord Jiang Chen . ”

Men were willing to die for those who truly appreciated them . Perhaps Jiang Chen was just being polite, but Su Tong felt a sense of approval in the most visceral way .

More importantly, his escape from Winterdraw had owed a tremendous deal to that Jiang Huang – likely the very same man as this young lord Jiang Chen . In other words, the person holding out an olive branch right now had also saved his life back then .

The genius from Flora secretly despised Jiang Chen’s retort . “Looking at the undesirable leftovers you’ve taken an interest in, it’s obvious where your tastes lie . ”  

This was a rather blatant insult . Only a capable genius from a lofty background would possibly resort to such a brainless statement .

Everyone Jiang Chen had chosen so far turned a baleful eye upon the foolish genius . If this antagonizing rascal wasn’t an important member of a sacred land, they would have cursed him on the spot .

Jiang Chen’s expression darkened . “I choose only those I know to be suitable . In ten or twenty years, it’ll be obvious which one of us was the short-sighted one!”