Wang Ping, also full of curiosity, whispered to Han Xuanji:
"Brother Han, who do you think this S-Rank Heaven's Chosen is? To have the Soul Household Head personally announce him, he must possess exceptional talent!"
"Maybe."
Han Xuanji picked up his wine cup, took a small sip, and said.
The whispers around them grew louder, some curious, some envious, and some secretly resentful, all speculating about the identity of this mysterious S-Rank Heaven's Chosen.
" Han Xuanji?"
Wang Ping muttered to himself unconsciously, his hand holding the wine glass frozen in mid-air, his face full of confusion. He turned to look at Han Xuanji beside him and whispered:
"How come it's exactly the same name as yours, Brother Han? That's such a coincidence..."
As he spoke, he gently nudged Han Xuanji's arm, a playful expression on his face, showing no resemblance whatsoever to the person before him who was the S-Rank Heaven's Chosen personally announced by the Soul Household Head.
After all, in his eyes, Han Xuanji was just like himself, an ordinary disciple who came along with his elders to make up the numbers. He was dressed plainly and had an ordinary aura. He didn't seem to fit the description of a "prodigy of the Dao of Principle " or an " S-Rank Heaven's Chosen ".
Just then, Hun Qianling smiled and waved towards the corner, signaling Han Xuanji to come over and stop hiding in the corner.
Then Han Xuanji put down his wine cup, patted his shoulder, smiled faintly, and left with a single sentence:
"Brother Wang, I'll go over there for a bit."
After speaking, Han Xuanji stood up and walked towards the center of the hall.
Only now did Wang Ping realize that the Brother Han who had been chatting and laughing with him, sharing drinks and food, was actually the newly promoted S-Rank Heaven's Chosen of the Soul Household, the genius who cultivated the Dao of Principle!
"You can't judge a book by its cover..."
Wang Ping muttered to himself, his heart churning with a mixture of disbelief and relief.
I never expected to meet such an "important person" by chance. I didn't say anything wrong or show any disrespect just now, so I think we might have some interaction in the future.
However, as he looked at Han Xuanji's retreating figure, his eyes held a complex mix of envy, admiration, and a hint of self-mockery. He had actually mistaken S-Rank Heaven's Chosen prodigy for an ordinary person like himself and had even complained bitterly about it; it was truly embarrassing.
Han Xuanji walked to Hun Qianxue and Hun Qianling's side, bowed slightly to Hun Qianxue, his expression remained calm and unassuming, as if being officially declared S-Rank Heaven's Chosen was just a trivial matter.
Inside the hall, everyone's gazes converged on Han Xuanji like a tidal wave, their probing intent palpable.
Many people stood up, their eyes scanning Han Xuanji. Some released faint divine senses to secretly probe his cultivation level, but no matter how they probed, they could only sense a faint aura of the Early Eternal Dao Master on his body. Apart from that, there was nothing else extraordinary about him.
"With such cultivation level, and seemingly nothing special about him, how could he be designated S-Rank Heaven's Chosen? Isn't the patriarch overestimating him?"
"So, a prodigy in the Dao of Principle? I think he's nothing special. Even geniuses from ordinary Lineage could reach this level of cultivation at this age, right?"
Whispers broke out again, now tinged with suspicion and confusion. Many people's gazes toward Han Xuanji shifted from initial curiosity and envy to a hint of disdain.
But even though they were full of doubts, no one dared to stand up and question it in public.
As the head of the Soul Household, Hun Qianxue wielded immense power. For him to publicly question Han Xuanji's identity was undoubtedly a blatant slap in the Hun Qianxue. No one dared to take that risk, and even if they harbored resentment, they could only suppress it in their hearts.
Among the crowd, a young man dressed in black had an exceptionally unpleasant expression, his eyes brimming with dissatisfaction and jealousy.
He was Ling Feng, S-Rank Talent recommended to the Soul Household by Hun Zangfeng. He was skilled in manipulating various combat treasures, had outstanding talent, and was expected to master Sage- level combat treasures in the future. Therefore, he was highly valued by the Soul Household.
When Ling Feng joined the Soul Household, although he was also recognized as S-Rank Talent, he had never had such a grand occasion before—there was no official announcement from the Soul Household head, no appearance at the family banquet, and he rarely even saw Hun Qianxue.
Now, Han Xuanji, an outsider cultivator who has just entered the Eternal Dao Master, is so highly regarded by Hun Qianxue, who personally announced his entry at the banquet and gave him the treatment of being the center of attention. This makes Ling Feng feel extremely unbalanced.
He knew in his heart that although he was S-Rank Talent, he was not personally recruited by Hun Qianxue, but recommended by Hun Zangfeng, so there was a difference in their relationship.
Even so, he felt that his talent and strength far surpassed that of the seemingly ordinary Han Xuanji in front of him, and that he deserved to be treated with sufficient courtesy.
Why is it that Han Xuanji receives such favor, while I can only grovel and bow to gain a foothold in the Soul Household?
Ling Feng clenched his fists, his aura fluctuating slightly, and a sinister glint flashed in his eyes.
He wanted to see just how much real skill Han Xuanji possessed, whether he was worthy of the title of S-Rank Heaven's Chosen, and whether he deserved Hun Qianxue's high regard. If Han Xuanji was unworthy of his reputation, he wouldn't mind finding an opportunity to test him properly, so that everyone could see who the Soul Household's truly worthy S-Rank Talent was.
Han Xuanji took in all the gazes and whispers of the crowd, but remained completely unmoved.
He had long anticipated that being named S-Rank Heaven's Chosen with his initial cultivation level as Eternal Dao Master and without any outstanding achievements would inevitably attract doubt and jealousy, but he didn't care.
If you want to reason with someone, go find Hun Qianxue. Why are you coming to me?
Hun Qianxue glanced at the commotion below the stage, a deep meaning flashing in his eyes, but he said nothing more. He simply raised his hand to signal the crowd to be quiet and slowly said:
"Young friend Han's talent is not as simple as it seems on the surface; you will all know this in the future."
Tonight's banquet is solely for celebration and official announcement; I hope everyone enjoys themselves.
As soon as he finished speaking, Hun Qianxue didn't linger and turned to leave.
The banquet returned to its boisterous atmosphere, but everyone's gaze towards Han Xuanji still held a mixture of probing and curiosity. Ling Feng's gaze, in particular, was like a needle, fixed intently on Han Xuanji Han Xuanji, as if trying to discern something different about her.