Chapter 1527: A Stunning Move
Sabledeep's internal obstacle was dissolved by Jiang Chen's sincerity. "I was foolish one when I joined the Order," he sighed softly. "And I may be again, if I refuse Veluriyam today. Young lord Jiang Chen, I am willing to be an ordinary soldier in your service – if you'll have me."
"Haha, that's the Sabledeep I know!" Wellspring roared with laughter, delivering a resounding clap onto his fellow emperor's shoulder. "Brother Sabledeep. You, Brother Peerless, and I – we're birds of a feather. Why should we be separate in the first place?"
Peerless nodded as well, becoming emotional. "Let us all follow behind young lord Jiang Chen and accomplish something truly amazing! The human domain is on the verge of total collapse. We are in chaotic times. It would be pathetic for us to be concerned only with our own lives. We should be looking to accomplish great things and strive for something on a larger scale! Not for the sake of being recorded in history, but for being true to our own hearts, no?"
The three old friends traded glances, then collectively chuckled.
Now that the internal demons hindering these cultivators had been dispersed, what came next was much easier.
Jiang Chen avoided disturbing their reunion. Once they'd largely finished catching up, he turned to Wellspring. "Old Brother Hui, shall we take a walk while Old Brother Mo remains here with Emperor Sabledeep?"
Wellspring knew what he had in mind. They walked out side by side. The treatment for Everviolet was much worse than for Sabledeep.
Jiang Chen's subordinates were strict when it came to discipline. Sabledeep had a pristine record and the care of Peerless and Wellspring, which meant that he had been treated as an honored guest.
Everviolet had been taken down by the stone golem brothers. If not for Jiang Chen's instructions, he might have lost his life then and there. Therefore, he was treated as a high-profile prisoner.
Right now, Veluriyam Capital's forces were still at the Order's former base. They planned to head back to the city after two days of rest. Thus, Everviolet was being kept in the Order's dungeons.
"Young lord, Emperor Wellspring." The expert guarding the prison hurriedly saluted when he saw Jiang Chen and Wellspring visit.
The great emperor smiled slightly, nodding in reply. "How is he feeling? Is his mood stable?"
"Yes. He seems normal enough just sitting there. He hasn't troubled us, nor has he shouted or screamed," the guard replied.
"Open the door," Jiang Chen smiled. The dungeons had powerful restrictions over each cell door.
The cell's occupant didn't lift a finger despite hearing the commotion. His only movement was a slight lift of an eyelid. A surprised flicker flashed across his eyes when he saw Jiang Chen and Wellspring walk in together. However, his eyelids then drooped without much of a reaction. It was as if the only thing he looked forward to was death.
"Daoist Everviolet," Wellspring greeted.
Everviolet's voice was hoarse. "Old Man Hui, are you here to laugh at me?" His violet eyes radiated rays of pride. "Kill me if you like," he glared coldly at Jiang Chen. "I am in your hands, but that doesn't mean you can shame or torture me."
Jiang Chen laughed, but his only direct response was to look coolly back at the great emperor.
Wellspring smiled wryly. "Daoist Everviolet, your temper is as fiery and explosive as always. Who said that the young lord is here to shame or torture you? Is there a point for him in doing that right now?"
Everviolet harrumphed. "What do you intend then? Do you want me to kneel and beg for mercy? Impossible! Give me death instead!"
Jiang Chen sighed softly. Truthfully, Everviolet should have been killed by the standards for an ordinary person. This wasn't the first time he had been the enemy.
It was just, Jiang Chen's loftiness meant that he'd never treated Everviolet as an equal opponent in any capacity.
"If I were to execute you, no one would think that an injustice. What say you, Everviolet?"
Everviolet's face darkened, wanting to utter a retort or three, but nothing came out from his mouth. Sadly, he had no ammunition to fire back with.
"What did your former master, Emperor Pillzenith, do?
"What about the Order of Wind and Cloud's supreme lord, hmm?"
Everviolet's expression was agitated. After calming down, he'd been able to realize that he'd supported rather questionable individuals in the past.
Jiang Chen didn't care to embarrass him further. He waved. "Alright. I'm not interested in killing you or making you any more uncomfortable than you already are. The door's open, so you can leave anytime. You do have to make an oath before that though. Remember, this isn't for my sake, but for humanity and all who live in the realm!"
Jiang Chen's tone was deadly serious. "Old Brother Hui, you tell him," he turned to his trusted advisor.
Wellspring inclined his head, sighing in lamentation. "Daoist Everviolet, I would still like to call you fellow daoist for the same reason as the young lord. A man of your talent is rare. Do you know why the young lord doesn't want to kill you? He admires your arts of the eyes because of their similarities to his. You didn't come by your cultivation easily, and you were never the root of evil in any encounter. There's not much point in killing you, and the point of this oath is quite simple. I believe you know that the young lord wishes only to avoid your abilities being used for evil in the future, whether that villain is human or alien. The human race can't bear much more of this!"
The color had drained from Everviolet's face, his eyes bloodshot. He smashed both hands viciously into the wall.
"Old Man Hui, I've cultivated my arts all my life, but it seems I wasn't able to identity the right people in the end. Thus my life ends in ignominy. We used to be called equals many years ago, but you've risen far beyond my reach.
"Never mind. What good are my abilities of the eye?" As he said this, Everviolet raised his arm, jabbing his index and middle finger into his eye sockets.
"Huh? Fellow daoist, you…" Wellspring hadn't expected Everviolet to choose such an extreme method of self-mutilation.
He didn't quite know how to console or convince the emperor with bloodied eyes. Wellspring knew of Everviolet's uncompromising nature, but not that it was to this degree.
Two streams of blood trickled down from Everviolet's eyes. The man intoned in a low voice, "Young lord Jiang Chen, Old Man Hui. I have never been forced into anything my entire life. I will not make any such oath. Whether to kill me or not is entirely up to you. There is no point keeping these foolish eyes around since I can't even see through who I deal with. From now on, I am totally useless, so you don't need to worry about anything resembling your so-called betrayal to an alien race… haha, another race, another race…"
The emperor howled. "That bastard Pillzenith described a blueprint of a united human domain to me. The Order's supreme lord did the same. How laughable for me to fall down in the same place twice! Even so, Pillzenith and Xiahou Jing were humans, not aliens!"
Wellspring was about to say something more, but Jiang Chen waved. "You can go," he said coolly. "I doubt you'll make the same mistake again."
Everviolet raised his head. "Will you really rest easy, letting me go?"
"You were blind before to the incompetence of others," Jiang Chen said smoothly. "If you stumble any more, then your heart will prove to be blind as well. What can a chronically sightless person do? Not much, I wager."
Everviolet barked a humorless laugh, then nodded, raising a cupped fist. "I see. As expected of Jiang Chen."
He was determined enough not to express any pain despite his self-inflicted wounds. Biting back agony, he strode out the door.
Jiang Chen flared his consciousness.
"All guards and checkpoints, let Emperor Everviolet go free. Don't stop him." His orders allowed the man to regain his freedom without a single obstruction.
Wellspring tasted bitterness in his mouth. Everviolet's actions could have been considered as a kind of atonement, but he regretted the man's particular method of doing so.
Deep down, he had hoped for Everviolet to soften and Jiang Chen to take the genius in. Their enmity could've been resolved into friendship then. What a shame that Everviolet's proud nature meant that he would feel too embarrassed to join Veluriyam Capital.
"Young lord, this…"
Jiang Chen sighed softly. "Don't worry, Old Brother Hui. I'm not angry. I thought Everviolet would intentionally provoke me into killing him."
"Ah. I'm sure he won't blindly use his abilities for evil any more."
"I hope so, too." Truthfully, Jiang Chen regretted the loss of the great emperor's arts in the end. His self-inflicted blindness meant that the arts he'd practiced for the better half of his life were completely useless.
But Jiang Chen wasn't fundamentally vexed by what had taken place.
After most of the affairs at the Order's former headquarters were settled, he gave the order. "Let the army prepare to return to Veluriyam tomorrow morning. We must prepare for a decisive battle with the Embittered Savages."
Now that the biggest problem was gone, the slightly smaller one was next.
"Come with me, Jiao Yun and Jiao Feng." Jiang Chen planned to have a private chat with the Jiao brothers.
Ever since they'd joined up, the Jiao brothers had been very active in winning Jiang Chen's trust and support. Their time with the Order hadn't shifted their loyalties. Instead, they had colluded with Emperor Peerless to come back to Veluriyam at any time.
"What did you want to tell us, young lord?"
Jiang Chen smiled as he looked over the two brothers. "Sit down first."
\The Jiao brothers had nothing but the utmost respect for Jiang Chen, now. In fact, they were somewhat awed by his accomplishments as well. The young lord had proven himself more extraordinary than met the eye in countless battles.
To view young lord Jiang Chen as a typical high rank emperor realm cultivator would be a fatal error. A thousand experts the same level as the young lord wouldn't have been enough to match him.
"I asked you to come here today because I have an important issue that I want your opinion on."
"Not at all, young lord. Please, do tell." The brothers were the image of humility.
"Perhaps you already know that I have four empyrean decrees on hand. Each decree has a large probability of producing an empyrean expert. I want to make good use of these decrees, and you two are within my scope of observation for them."
The Jiao brothers couldn't contain their delight. "Y-young lord…" Jiao Yun stuttered. "Y-you… you want to give those to us?"
Chapter 1528: Each With Their Own Arrangements
The Jiao brothers hadn't expected to hear such great news when Jiang Chen summoned them over. They exchanged glances, eyes agitated red with tears.
"I once promised both of you a series of fortunes. After imparting my martial art techniques to you, I considered following that up with an empyrean opportunity. If you wish to ascend to the empyrean realm by yourselves, I'll do my best to make it a reality, but your ascension isn't guaranteed. The empyrean decree is the most guaranteed route you can take. If you refine it, the probability of you becoming an empyrean master rises to at least ninety percent," Jiang Chen explained patiently. "The decision is in your hands. Do you wish to take the riskier or more conservative path to the empyrean realm?"
"Young lord, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each path?" Jiao Yun regained his composure and wanted to weigh the pros and cons.
The brothers were well aware that this was the sole opportunity to change their lives, and possibly the biggest decision they could ever make. They had to choose their path wisely.
"Your ascension isn't guaranteed if you choose the first path, but your growth will be greater with limitless possibilities. Of course, the extent of your growth depends entirely on your potential and talent in martial dao. Even empyrean masters that ascend with their own strength may not make it all the way to the end. Everyone has their own limit! Geniuses who break through their limits are far and few between.
"The second path is a safer choice, but its flaws are also apparent. Your potential will be limited to what decree you receive. If you refine a second level decree, then your maximum potential will be exactly that. Any progress beyond that will be a hundred times more difficult than usual."
The pros and cons were clearly listed. The rest was now up to the Jiao brothers. They exchanged glances. "Young lord, can we discuss between ourselves first?"
Jiang Chen smiled. "Take your time. You needn't rush your decisions. The two empyrean decrees are yours to keep if you choose the second."
The two brothers headed into a corner to discuss and soon came back with a decision.
"Young lord, we are well aware of our limits. We choose the second path. It's better to refine the empyrean decree."
"Are you sure?" Jiang Chen smiled.
Jiao Yun nodded without hesitation. "Yes."
"Would you care to explain why?" Jiang Chen was quite curious.
"First of all, we aren't cream of the crop among the great emperors. If we ascend with your help, our innate potential might not get us very far. Moreover, there's no guarantee that we can even break through in the first place! Refining the decree is much more guaranteed.
"Secondly, cultivating by ourselves will take too much time. The world is falling into chaos as we speak. Refining the decree is perhaps a shortcut, but we'll be able to protect ourselves and contribute a lot more to the young lord's cause."
Jiao Feng nodded. "Young lord, we owe you a mountain of gratitude and wish to share some of your burden. We aren't doing this just to show our resolve, but also our gratitude! A young lord like you deserves our utmost loyalty and dedication!"
He was a little worked up. Back when they'd been wandering cultivators, Emperor Pillzenith had brainwashed them into doing many ludicrous things. However, they'd since found a new goal in life after they were recruited by Jiang Chen. Their integrity and morals grew with each passing day.
They'd become much more mature and level-headed decision makers.
"Mm. Your decision is proof that you're no longer the same Jiao brothers of yesteryear. You've made the wise choice," Jiang Chen answered encouragingly. "I've always been generous to my confidantes. Since you're my personal guards, I shall grant you the two decrees of the highest grade. However, once you've refined them, you won't have a chance with any higher grade decrees that I might come across in the future."
Jiao Yun laughed. "There are countless treasures and fortunes in the world, but it's not like all of them will come to us brothers!"
"Isn't there a proverb? Something about three thousand mile rivers and me drinking with a cup?" Jiao Feng quipped.
Jiang Chen burst into laughter. "A river can be three thousand miles long, but a person can only drink from it one cupful at a time."
Jiao Feng scratched his head with a chuckle. "Yes! That's exactly what I meant! Perhaps the young lord will find more powerful subordinates in the future. The two of us should eat within our means."
Jiang Chen brought out Shu Wanqing and Xiahou Jing's empyrean decrees without hesitation.
"Here are the decrees. One is from Shu Wanqing, third level empyrean realm, while the other is from Xiahou Jing, second level empyrean realm. You two will have to decide who gets what. Xiahou Jing's decree has the greater potential, but Shu Wanqing's decree isn't that far behind."
"Let's draw lots." Jiao Yun suggested as he didn't want to damage his relationship with his brother. Drawing lot was the fairest.
Jiao Yun nodded. "Agreed."
Jiang Chen supported their decision. He made the appropriate preparations oversaw and the process. In the end, Jiao Feng drew Shu Wanqing's decree and Jiao Yun drew Xiahou Jing's.
Jiang Chen warned after he handed over the decrees. "Remember, you're no longer like the others from now on. You're quasi-empyrean masters. However, it's best that you don't widely brag or show off your newfound strength until your breakthrough, or you just might invite death upon your doorsteps."
This wasn't an exaggeration.
It was widely known that the decrees were the keys to the empyrean realm. If word got out that the brothers had received two empyrean decrees, the whole world would come looking for them.
Even though the human domain had already been united by Veluriyam, who could know for certain how many secluded masters inhabited the vast continent?
The brothers nodded solemnly.
"Don't worry, I'll also lessen your responsibilities in the near future so that you'll have more time to refine the decrees."
The Jiao brothers were deeply moved. Meeting Jiang Chen was the greatest fortune of their lives. "Young lord, dumb folks like us are bad with words, but one day, if you need us to jump into the boiling sea, we'll do so without so much as a frown."
"Alright, enough of that. Put them away properly."
Jiang Chen sent the Jiao Brothers off and summoned Emperors Coiling Dragon and Void. They were his closest allies in Veluriyam Capital, and so he had to tell them about the decrees, or else their minds might wander into dark places.
"Young lord, why did you summon us in such a hurry? Has something good happened?" Coiling Dragon laughed joyfully. He'd benefited a lot from Jiang Chen over the years. The Pinecrane Pill, Emperor Supremacy Pill, and many other treasures had fallen into his lap.
Their friendship had also been strengthened considerably by the flames of adversity, and because of that, he was the only one who'd dared crack a joke with the young lord.
"Actually, you're right." Jiang Chen chuckled. "As old friends, you should know by now that I've gotten my hands on a few empyrean decrees."
Coiling Dragon smiled gleefully. "Hehe. Young lord, are you going to gift them to us?" He lit up with joy.
Void smiled gently. Hints of surprise flashed across his eyes, but he managed to keep his cool.
"Coiling Dragon, that's not why I summoned you here. The decrees are not for you."
Coiling Dragon was instantly depressed. "Why? Is it because I'm not a peak great emperor?"
Void burst into laughter. "Coiling Dragon, can't you tell that the young lord has other plans in mind? You're worrying over nothing!"
Coiling Dragon's eyes lit up again. "Is that so? Young lord, care to share them with us?"
Jiang Chen nodded. "I will search for an empyrean opportunity for you. I don't want you to ascend with the help of the decree. Your talent and potential would go to waste."
"Do you mean that we'll have to rely on ourselves to break through?" Coiling Dragon was dejected once more. "That's so much easier said than done. It's been thousands of years since anyone's succeeded."
"How would you know? Are they supposed to inform you if they happened to break through?" Jiang Chen was skeptical. How could there possibly be no empyrean masters?
The human domain hadn't deteriorated to that extent yet. The master's must've hidden themselves because they no longer wanted to have ties with the human domain. Perhaps worldly matters no longer mattered to them, or perhaps there were other reasons.
Whichever it was, empyrean masters were definitely present in the human domain. Even if the ancient demonic war had laid waste to the human domain, it couldn't possibly remain in decline forever. Spirit veins could be destroyed, but they could also born anew.
Where there is death, there is also life.
Jiang Chen had believed the rumors at first, but after meeting Shu Wanqing, this was no longer the case.
Even backwater races like the Southern Celestials and Embittered Savages had empyrean masters. The human race had been many leagues stronger in the ancient age. No matter how great their decline, there was no way they'd be inferior.
Void was visibly moved. "Young lord, do you really mean it? Can we really ascend to the empyrean realm with our own strength?"
Jiang Chen smiled reassuringly. "I might've said otherwise if you were someone else, but I assure you that I'll bring you an empyrean opportunity no matter what. There will be other arrangements in store for you."
Chapter 1529: A Strong Enemy Comes Calling
Coiling Dragon grinned. "I knew that I didn't have to worry about the benefits of following young lord Jiang Chen."
Void burst into laughter as well, but said nothing more. Instead, he awaited for Jiang Chen's next words expectantly.
"Coiling Dragon, you are the descendant of a true dragon bloodline. I've always had high hopes for you. When you break through to empyrean realm, you will be capable some of truly astonishing things. You won't lose to His Majesty Peafowl in terms of potential."
"His Majesty Peafowl?" Coiling Dragon and Void were bewildered.
"Yes, His Majesty Peafowl has peafowl blood in his veins, another ancient sacred beast. You, Coiling Dragon, are aligned with the ancient true dragons. Both of you are heirs of top-quality bloodlines from ancient times. Therefore, I have high expectations especially for you, Coiling Dragon!" Jiang Chen exclaimed.
The great emperor found it hard to remain completely composed.
He smiled wryly. "Young lord, I'm the least talented among Veluriyam's great emperors. I broke through to great emperor only because of your Pinecrane Pill. Ah…"
"You don't lack the talent. You merely need to make use of it more effectively." Jiang Chen waved a hand. He didn't cherish Coiling Dragon just because the man was an old acquaintance; his bloodline was equally important and incredible.
"You mentioned His Majesty Peafowl just now, young lord," Void suddenly interjected. "Is he… truly… still living?"
"I cannot make any guarantees as to that," Jiang Chen mused. "But my intuition tells me that he still lives. When he reappears in the world once more, he will surprise us all – not as 'Emperor' Peafowl, but as an empyrean senior."
"An empyrean senior?" Everyone drew in a sharp breath.
"Young lord, His Majesty, he…"
"Yes," Jiang Chen nodded. "His Majesty Peafowl first sensed the heavenly dao many years ago. Moreover, he has more than sufficient opportunity to break through. It should only be a matter of time. I only wonder what level he will be when he comes back to us?"
Jiang Chen reminisced about his time with the kind ruler.
Coiling Dragon and Void had both been very close to Emperor Peafowl. Hearing Jiang Chen relate this warmed their hearts.
Apart from them, Jiang Chen saw little reason to comfort others' emotions. Most others were not nearly as close as the few he'd already spoken to, which meant that they wouldn't have second thoughts about his actions.
After a night's rest, the army embarked to return journey to Veluriyam.
Before the Embittered Savages had invaded, this army would have been sufficient to conquer the entire human domain. No one would've dare touch a force in such numbers and strength.
Jiang Chen hurriedly entered seclusion after returning to the capital proper. In his last battle, he had attained a new understanding of the Nine Labyrinth Formation. He wanted to take a few days off to digest what he had learned. The battle had indirectly taught him the potency of the formation.
Even a third level empyrean expert like Shu Wanqing had been unable to free himself for a time within the formation. If the formation could be strengthened even further, Jiang Chen would have an easier time both offensively and defensively in future battles.
He'd realized that he needed some sureties if he wanted to venture into a place like Myriad Abyss Island. The Nine Labyrinth Formation and Confounding Puppets were superb candidates.
However, the Embittered Savage armies remained in the Moon God Sect's lands without much activity, surprising everyone. This held true ever since Jiang Chen left closed door cultivation.
He was just like everyone else. That didn't seem like the Embittered Savage style. Why were they holding back like that? As he guessed at the motives of the Savages' inaction, Veluriyam saw the arrival of an unwelcome guest.
...
Outside Sacred Peafowl Mountain's entrance, a gray-robed old man stood aloft in the clouds with a frigid expression. It was as if an iceberg hovered overhead.
The appearance of the old man alone lowered the ambient temperature. The air had seemingly frozen over as well. This drastic change shocked every observer in the vicinity, including Jiang Chen.
The eight stone golem brothers gathered quickly together at Jiang Chen's side, flying rapidly together to the source of the disturbance.
"You are Jiang Chen?" The gray-robed old man was a glacial statue amid the clouds. His wintry arrogance caused everyone in attendance to shiver.
Jiang Chen hadn't even begun his approach when there was a low cry near him. The Vermilion Bird rushed here from Sacred Peafowl Mountain's back, stream of crimson carrying its wings.
It had been purifying its body via the wood spirit spring at the back of the mountain as of late. Doing so didn't fundamentally resolve the bird's problems, but it did stabilize its condition. At least right now, the Vermilion Bird was not bound from acting like before. At its worst, any attempt at combat meant a grave injury to itself.
"Back off, Jiang Chen!" The Vermilion Bird swiftly rushed forward, guarding and preventing the young man from moving forward.
Jiang Chen stopped his advance at the bird's nervousness. He focused his gaze on the gray-robed old man.
The old man's eyes were clear as crystal. It was impossible to see any human emotion in them. Replacing that was a magic that seemed to make Jiang Chen's consciousness tremble. However, the chain seal in his consciousness countered this mysterious force immediately.
Jiang Chen braced himself. "Close your eyes," he called out to the stone golems. "Don't look into his."
The golems were usually a fearless bunch. Just a moment prior, they'd been glancing over the gray-robed old man with provocative looks. Jiang Chen's warning rang an alarm in their hearts. The brothers hurriedly turned their heads.
The gray-robed old man was mildly startled to see a Vermilion Bird blocking his way. Clearly, he wasn't reckless enough to disregard or disrespect a divine creature. He could feel the ancient aura radiating off of the bird in a palpable way.
"Such potent fire energy. Is this an ancient sacred fowl? No wonder you were so brash, Jiang Chen. Is this ancient bird your backer?"
The gray-robed old man bore a frosty, detached attitude. Every word he uttered seemed capable of freezing over one's soul, their syllables almost a curse.
Jiang Chen was much more alert than usual. The old man was unquestionably an extremely fearsome foe, much more so than any previous opponent he had faced. Perhaps the only other impenetrably mysterious characters he'd encountered in the past were Elders Shun and Xi. The others couldn't compare to this gray-robed old man's power, Shu Wanqing included.
"Who are you?" That aside, he was visibly frustrated. Regardless of his identity, the old man had come without notice in a display of force and dominance. The harassment and incitement was obvious in the gesture. Jiang Chen had more than enough cause to be annoyed.
"You don't need to know who I am. I am only here to ask you whether you killed Shu Wanqing." The old man spoke with the authority of someone in a superior position.
Shu Wanqing?
Jiang Chen had a vague idea of where the old man had come from.
"What's it to you?" He was trying to come up with a plan on the spot. Jiang Chen remembered that before he died, Shu Wanqing had warned through frenzied shouting that killing him would lead to other empyrean experts seeking to punish the act.
Was this iceberg of an old man one of those supposed empyrean experts?
"Oh?" The old man's eyes spun in their sockets. He cackled callously. "A child as young as you is rather too murderous. And quite so impolite to your elders. I'd like to know who your master is. Who taught you, hmm?"
He didn't buy the possibility of Jiang Chen being a self-taught genius at all. He felt that there had to be someone more mysterious and powerful behind the curtain.
Jiang Chen sneered. "Senior? If you really were a senior that deserved respect, I would've welcomed you with more than enough. However, your hostility to me is showcased through your attempt at demonstrating your brawn before my gates. Am I supposed to be courteous despite that? You're too naïve, old man!"
He respected his elders, but not those who liked to flaunt their seniority. To him, any senior who had real character and integrity – even cultivators who were the epitome of mediocrity – deserved treatment according to their age.
This old man's behavior made it extremely difficult for Jiang Chen to consider him a senior, regardless of his level of cultivation. This was one of his life principles. He showed respect only to those who gave it to him.
The old man's tone darkened. His cold eyes flared with arctic light. "A lawless brat indeed. Do you really think that Veluriyam Capital has taken over the entire human domain? Do you think yourself the lone voice in the realm?"
Jiang Chen smirked. "I don't know about the entire human domain, but on Veluriyam Capital and Sacred Peafowl Mountain territory, I certainly am! You're dreaming if you expect me to answer your aggression with simpering sycophancy!" He dispensed with courtesy altogether.
"Impudent brat! Ignorant fool!" The old man was very displeased. "Shu Wanqing is an old acquaintance of mine and one of the empyrean leaders of humanity. Your unpermitted killing of him runs counter to humanity's interests and dishonors your ancestors. Do you know how reprehensible and vile your actions were?"
Jiang Chen broke into laughter when he heard what was said. "Runs counter to humanity's interests? Old man, you're puffing him up to be some kind of empyrean leader of humanity. Let me ask you, what has he done in this hour of crisis to deserve that title?
"Did he repair the broken Boundary Stele in Agarwood? Did he stand in the Embittered Savages' path in the northwestern wastes? Or did he quell the rebellion of the Order of Wind and Cloud?" Jiang Chen was laughing because of how angry he was.
These hermit experts had inflicted some kind of brain injury to themselves by going into hiding. Their logic was that of bandits. Though they had done absolutely nothing, they were proud to call themselves humanity's leaders.
It was as if they were fit to lead solely because of their strength. Even if the only thing they did was sleep all day, the world had to bow to their wishes. Others might have acquiesced to his intimidation, but not Jiang Chen.
Leadership required responsibility. Even without being the strongest in the world, it was possible to take up the mantle through all-encompassing empathy and constant work for the race's behalf. Only a man like that deserved to be called a leader!
Someone as presumptuous and vain as this wasn't remotely close to leading anything.
Chapter 1530: True Motive
The Vermilion Bird nodded slightly without speaking. Clearly, it agreed completely with Jiang Chen's speech.
The bird had had good relations with the ancient Primosanct Sect, and ancient humanity as a whole. It had experienced the ancient demon-sealing war and thus knew the internal strife that tended to exist between man.
Even in the most dangerous of times, humans constantly bickered. It had seen more than its fair share of similar situations in its long lifetime. The bird admired Jiang Chen all the more because of this. This was partially why it had remained impassive before Xiahou Jing's temptation.
It had already seen the responsibility and poise that had characterized the human leaders of yore in Jiang Chen. Though the young man was still incredibly fresh and immature, the direction he was going in was quite apparent.
"You're a real fast talker, boy." The glacial old man fumed at what he was hearing. "We secluded experts have a bigger picture of the proceedings. Do you think us the same as you mortal ants? Unlike you, we don't worry ourselves all day about the slightest of commotions."
"Same to you, old man! What's this big picture you're talking about? I don't see it at all. The first thing Shu Wanqing did when we met was ruin my plans, that old buffoon! He ended up joining the Order of Wind and Cloud, then disguised himself to pin a failed ambush on the Embittered Savages on me! If that's what the big picture told him to do, then you're all blind!" Jiang Chen was truly livid. These so-called hermit experts were masters of twisting fact into fiction.
The old man felt the same way. A man of his cultivation level made him one of the strongest among his secluded expert peers. Near the top, if not the pinnacle. In the human domain, he and his empyrean expert friends had always considered themselves above everyone else. Equality was an empty and meaningless concept for them.
Thus, they regarded it mandatory for each and every one of their actions to be upheld as an imperial decree for those in the mundane world. The disrespect that Jiang Chen embodied was completely unheard of!
"Who's your backer, kid? Your ego is through the roof!" the old man inquired stonily.
"You're trying to gather information from me now? If I said 'nothing', are you going to attack Veluriyam Capital immediately?" Jiang Chen shot back with a humorless half-smile.
"Hmph, you have no room to argue. No matter how strong the person behind you is, your unpermitted killing of Shu Wanqing is a crime most grave. Even if he was in the wrong, he was still one of humanity's remaining empyrean experts. The removal of even a single one is a heavy blow to the pillars that support our race. Neither you nor Veluriyam can sustain the associated guilt!" He was attempting to be judge, jury, and executioner all in one.
"Are you planning to start your own court? Is that some kind of verdict you're proclaiming?" Jiang Chen's expression was mocking. "However…" he suddenly raised an eyebrow. "What right do you have to do any of that? What makes you qualified to spew ignorance before my gates? Just because you're an empyrean expert?"
The old man piled on the pressure. "What? You don't believe I have the right to condemn you for your crimes?"
"Certainly not," Jiang Chen smiled faintly.
The Vermilion Bird hurtled into the heavens, its own aura bursting to life. Powerful tides of flame spread out in concentric circles, running counter to the old man's glacial presence. The clash of ice and fire caused the temperature around Sacred Peafowl Mountain to return to normal levels.
"Senior Vermillion," Jiang Chen proclaimed aloud, "there's no need for you to exert yourself too much. Don't be anxious. I'd like to see what this so-called human leader can do to me!"
A man fought harder when faced with condemnation.
The glacial old man had evidently noticed the strength of the Vermilion Bird. He silently retracted his pride, bracing himself.
He'd wondered on his journey here how someone of Shu Wanqing's level had died at the hands of an ordinary kid. He'd come up with many ideas, finally concluding that Shu Wanqing had probably been tricked. How could a third level empyrean expert be killed by a mundane brat otherwise?
Coming to Sacred Peafowl Mountain made him think twice about that though. The sight of the Vermilion Bird and the eight stone golem brothers had gradually clued the old man into the possibility of another reason for Shu Wanqing's death.
Moreover, the look he'd exchanged with Jiang Chen should have been enough to freeze the young man's soul... And yet, his ocular strike hadn't hurt Jiang Chen in the slightest. There had been a little mental oscillation, then nothing. It was a pebble dropped into a vast lake.
Because of this, the old man no longer looked down upon Jiang Chen.
He had come on wings of burning fury, intent on quashing the young upstart and his forces altogether. It seemed now that his initial sentiment had been far too naïve.
Biting back indignation, the old man glared at Jiang Chen with frost in his eyes. "Don't think that you'll escape judgment just because you have an ancient sacred beast behind you. I can smash you into the ground if I'm a bit more serious about it. Don't take me for a blind man! This ancient sacred bird has little of its lifespan left. It's nowhere near peak strength. If we fight with any rigor, it is eighty percent likely to die on the spot! Those big guys look intimidating, but I doubt they can match up to me."
The old man definitely had a keen eye. Jiang Chen's faint smile was unchanged. "If you're so sure, why waste words like this?"
At the same time, he turned to the Vermilion Bird. "Senior Vermillion, you don't need to do much here. Please, take a break. I'd like to try how far this old man's mettle will take him."
The Vermilion Bird was a bit surprised at Jiang Chen's declaration, but nodded and retreated nonetheless.
The eight stone golem brothers stood at Jiang Chen's side, clamoring for a piece of the action. "Young lord, let us brothers fight this old farts."
"Yeah, we hate old farts like him!"
"Not all old farts. Just cocky ones."
"Not just cocky either. Cocky and stu-u-u-upid!" The stone golem brothers clowned around, adding to each other's words in a circle.
The old man was positively incensed. Ever since he'd first made a name for himself, anyone that knew about him in the human world of martial dao had only shown him the epitome of courtesy and respect.
That he was being ridiculed and shamed to such a degree before Sacred Peafowl Mountain's gates…
Despite his rage, the old man didn't lose his reason before Jiang Chen's impudence, but there was a twinge of regret in his heart.
He had acted with too much haste and impatience this time. If he had two or three companions nearby, he would be in a much better place right now. It was partially his fault for being overconfident.
The old man took a deep breath at this thought. "Jiang Chen," he conceded emotionlessly, "it wasn't easy for you to get to this point from scratch. I'm giving you a final chance to profess your sins, and if you do, I promise I will intercede for your life. There is a condition, though: you must give up Shu Wanqing's storage ring and empyrean decree."
Jiang Chen snickered to himself. They were finally at the crux of the matter.
It was impossible for the old man to simply be here to seek justice for Shu Wanqing. Given the kind of person the expert had been in life, what kind of acquaintance could he possibly have had that would do that for him?
Any that did come would've only done so to protect the interests of empyrean experts as a whole, not Shu Wanqing on a personal level.
The old man had done a good impression of an indignant speech, but he was far from being a good person.
Now that the true motives were known, Jiang Chen finally understood his purpose for coming here. He hadn't come to seek justice for an old friend at all, but to engage in banditry.
Jiang Chen couldn't resist cracking a smile at the revelation. "This is what you came here for, right? Why circle around it so much? Shu Wanqing's storage ring and empyrean decree, hmm?"
"Quite. If you give me these two things, I can guarantee your life." The old man cut to the chase.
"You're saying I don't need to die if I give you these two things?"
"Obviously," the old man affirmed with some displeasure.
"Then…" Jiang Chen laughed. "I won't give them to you."
"Why? Aren't you afraid of an alliance of empyrean experts forming against you?" The frigid old man no longer hid his malicious attempt at intimidation.
Jiang Chen shook his head slowly and responded resolutely. "I am the master of my own destiny. You can't do anything to me. Those two things are my spoils and I won't give them up. You've made a mistake by trying to extort me."
"Hmm? Are you resisting to the bitter end then? Stupid." The old man thought that Jiang Chen would be swayed by the fact he'd given ground twice. But the young upstart hadn't given him the smallest modicum of respect.
The empyrean expert was furious. If he wasn't wary of the Vermilion Bird and the eight stone golem brothers – and Shu Wanqing's death besides – he would have begun a thunderous assault on Sacred Peafowl Mountain a long time ago.
"Resisting?" Jiang Chen smiled coolly. "If that's what you think, then so be it. Oh, and another thing: don't pretend like you're here to get even for your friend. Your actual reason for being here is obvious. You just want to loot the dead like a vulture! Shu Wanqing's corpse, to be exact. If you'd been polite about it at the outset, I might have considered negotiating with you. Alas, your behavior has disgusted me beyond my tolerance. Get out of here, you hear me? Scram!
"So what if you're an empyrean expert? I've seen more than my fair share of them." Disdain was plainly writ on his face.
He wasn't boasting at all. In his previous life, even his shoe-shiner had been at least empyrean.
The old man's face colored. Clearly, his anger had flared up several times over. If not for his uncertainty, he wanted to arrest Jiang Chen on the spot and rip him to shreds. Only then would his hatred be abated.
Jiang Chen hadn't given him an inch. The only things he'd gotten today were a series of slaps against his cheeks.
Chapter 1531: An Aggressive Choice
The old man could do nothing despite his fury.
"I'll let your impudence slide today, kid. You're on home turf, after all. Don't go falling into my hands one day now." He had little actual face remaining before Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "Shu Wanqing said something like that too, but he ended joining the Order. Are you planning to copy him? Who are you going to join, the Embittered Savages? That's not a bad choice. Your cultivation means that those barbarians might toss you a few bones."
The young man had lost all hope in these so-called secluded empyrean experts. Had all of them been cast from the same mold?
Meanwhile, the old man was almost angry enough to cough up blood. Jiang Chen was comparing him to a dog!
"Jiang Chen, you will suffer my wrath!" He found it impossible to trade witticisms with the younger man. The frustration alone was enough to hurt him in an almost tangible way. He left as fast as he had come.
Seeing him disappear into the sky caused the Vermilion Bird to breathe a sigh of relief. Because it hadn't come on the campaign against the Order, it didn't know about Jiang Chen's Nine Labyrinth Formation and Confounding Puppets. Out of everyone present, its nerves had been the tensest.
It had been most concerned about the possibility of a fight breaking out.
"There's more to that old man than meets the eye, Jiang Chen. He's much stronger than Shu Wanqing. I estimate him to be above minor empyrean realm."
"Mid empyrean realm, then?" Jiang Chen had sensed it as well, coming to a similar conclusion.
"Yes. He should be around fourth level." The bird's appraisal came from its experience. "If I were at my peak, fourth level empyrean would be a piece of cake, but ah…"
In ancient times, the Vermilion Bird was a sacred fowl fit to reign over a great territory. Its parity with the head of the Primosanct Sect reflected this fact. Naturally, its cultivation had been far above fourth level empyrean realm.
However, in the human domain today, fourth level empyrean was an extremely rare sight. That was after the domain had doubted the existence of empyrean experts in the first place. The appearance of a fourth level one was astonishing.
Jiang Chen was upset as well.
"Why were these empyrean experts nowhere to be seen in times of danger, and yet first in line when it comes to profit?" This was the strong reason for his disgust of these experts.
They couldn't be found when they were actually needed, but were perfectly happy to exert their cultivational clout outside of conflicts.
"Never mind. Sorry to trouble you, Senior Vermilion. Please go back to the wood spirit spring and rest there. There's no need to worry" Jiang Chen was very satisfied with what the bird had done on his behalf.
Its willingness to protect him in his time of need showed its morality and loyalty. As expected of an ancient friend of humanity!
The entirety of Sacred Peafowl Mountain felt the pressure disappear the moment the glacial old man left. Their hearts, stuck at their throats a moment prior, could finally settle back down.
"Alright. No need to be concerned, everybody. The sky isn't going to fall any time soon. As a place with ancient heritage, Veluriyam's fortunes will stretch on for a long time yet. One or two empyrean experts won't be able to shake our foundations." Jiang Chen encouraged his subordinates in an attempt to alleviate their fears.
Wellspring smiled as well. "See everyone, that old empyrean master was stronger than any opponent we've seen before. However, he didn't dare cause any trouble. Why? Because this is Veluriyam Capital! This is Sacred Peafowl Mountain. There isn't just heritage here, but young lord Jiang Chen. An overwhelming fortune protects this place."
His words were very convincing. Everyone nodded in spirited agreement.
"Okay, don't overreact. Each man should go back to his station. The sky isn't going to fall any time soon. Secluded experts are plentiful, and possibly not all of them are as crude as that old fool. I believe there will be other experts more amenable to our cause."
In fact, Jiang Chen had no doubt about this. It would be positively strange if every hermit expert was as idiotic as this. It was impossible for only the buffoons of humanity to have reached empyrean rank. Other, more understanding, experts had to exist.
Jiang Chen couldn't let down his guard after the recent turmoil. The old man's appearance rang an internal alarm.
"I have many experts beneath my banner and Veluriyam is steadily improving. But all of this is built on the precondition that we don't encounter more difficult trials. I would have a hard time dealing with two or three experts like that old man. A group of them can easily crush Sacred Peafowl Mountain!" He felt a very real, looming threat.
Jiang Chen didn't actually think that the human domain had so many mid empyrean realm experts. Even if there were, they wouldn't all be so brainless enough as to band together against a youth like him.
He had never enjoyed the feeling of his destiny in another's hand.
"I must increase my strength. Without absolute strength, I don't have absolute freedom to steer my future!" Jiang Chen remarked to himself. "I must break through to great emperor with all of my abilities. Getting there as early as possible is imperative. When I do, my martial dao level will soar beyond the firmament."
Once he was a great emperor, Jiang Chen felt he was guaranteed to hit empyrean rank in a short amount of time. This hunch wasn't just born out of blind faith.
"My path is destined to be vastly different than other cultivators'. My fate bears countless hopes and dreams absent in others. I come from the heavenly planes, and each and every one of my opportunities and fortunes is a hundredfold better than those of others. My cultivation speed then, must be faster as well. The same is true with my potential. My responsibility is heavier than most can bear…"
Time was of the essence. He had to make use of every minute and second before the Embittered Savages' army embarked. He threw himself deep into cultivation.
"I should think about taking a more accelerated, ambitious approach." Jiang Chen took out a lotus seed-sized pill object from his storage ring. It shimmered with a faint, golden hue.
"The Ming Tuo relic," he murmured. "I unsuspectingly came upon your corpse in the Paramount Realm. After I buried it, I found the relic there. I haven't refined the relic at all before now, but it may be time to if I want to hasten my breakthroughs."
He'd gotten the relic back when venturing into the Paramount Realm during the Myriad Grand Ceremony. It predated Guo Ran's palace.
Jiang Chen had kept the relic all this time, and it seemed now to be the right time for him to refine it and absorb the martial dao essence within.
He guessed this was a martial relic that a peak emperor cultivator had left behind; or perhaps a half-step great emperor. Once it was completely refined, it could cause explosive growth in hi's martial cultivation level.
The young man was currently advanced emperor realm, close to eighth level. After the relic, he had a good chance to instantly ascend to ninth level emperor realm or even peak emperor realm.
Any other young genius pursuing such a radical method of cultivation risked backlash. For them, this was engaging in long-term gluttony. It was a strategy liable to damage one's own fundamentals.
Jiang Chen's biggest advantage was that his fundamentals were more stable than most, and he had the ability and methodology required to speed up his proverbial metabolism.
Other geniuses might have needed to consider their endurance in refining such a relic. It was crucial for most people to take the process slowly, taking in the power of the relic one chunk at a time.
Though Jiang Chen couldn't refine the entire thing in one go, he could do so quicker and more efficiently than just about anyone else.
This was the greatest advantage his previous life's memory provided. From the beginning of his cultivation, he had paid significant attention to his fundamentals. They were ten times better than those of any other genius that existed in the human domain.
When he had been at the cusp of spirit realm all those years ago, he avoided breaking through until he could get his hands on the Five Dragons Opening Heavens Pill.
Why was that?
Because he wanted to do everything in his power to improve his base. Doing so would lay down the framework for his future martial dao endeavors, which meant he could take the straightest path and never worry about sustaining the pace.
Ordinary people could only see one step ahead of their own cultivation. Geniuses, ten or a hundred. Jiang Chen, however, could plan out absolutely everything about his cultivation. He could see thousands of steps ahead thanks to his experience.
In a secret room, he sat cross-legged, greedily consuming the Ming Tuo relic's essence.
The relic did contain potent martial essence. It had been formed from its previous master's martial energy, distilled from an entire lifetime's worth. A normal cultivator rashly refining it would have very likely have suffered serious injury from the powerful energy backfiring. Damage to one's meridians and ocean of qi was highly impossible.
The best outcome in case of accident would be a grave injury.
On the other hand, Jiang Chen found refining the relic trivial. He chipped away at the relic little by little, controlling the rhythm of refinement perfectly.
"The previous master of this Ming Tuo relic was definitely a genius when alive. He wouldn't have been able to so flawlessly crystallize his martial dao essence otherwise. Alas, he met with misfortune and death in the Paramount Realm."
As Jiang Chen refined the relic, he kept careful tabs on its energy and purity. In that process, he sensed and resonated a little with the emotions its master imbued. It was a wondrous kind of communication, surpassing the boundaries of life and death.
In the last moments of the expert's life, his emotions had transitioned from anguish, despair, to accepting his fate, and understanding. Jiang Chen immersed himself in those emotions.
Chapter 1532: Enormous Gains
The process through which he refined the Ming Tuo relic brought Jiang Chen on a rollercoaster of emotions, repeating the cycle of reincarnation. This invisibly, but noticeably increased Jiang Chen's martial comprehension.
It took three days for Jiang Chen to fully refine everything of value in the relic. The Ming Tuo relic itself transformed into faint, iridescent light as he completed the final steps, dissipating in the young man's palm.
This marked the final ending of one life and the renewed evolution of another.
Jiang Chen gradually opened his eyes, relishing the martial dao increase the relic had granted him. He didn't lose himself in exuberance; he had become more collected and composed.
"A martial dao relic is an extraordinary thing. Absorbing a peak emperor's true energy would only bring about a limited increase. But receiving it through something as concentrated as a relic… I was able to take in almost everything." The difference between the two modes deeply stunned Jiang Chen.
This was the first time he refined a martial dao relic. He now understood why many experts preferred to refine the essence of their own martial dao into relics before their deaths.
They had done so in order for their martial cultivation not to go to waste. Generally, these relics were given to their cherished juniors.
The juniors lucky enough to become recipients of these relics were fortunate indeed. In general, all of them were able to follow the path of their genius forebears, eventually making their own names in the world.
Of course, not every cultivator chose to create a martial dao relic. It was a complicated science to be able to do so at all. Moreover, some selfish cultivators were unwilling to benefit others with their legacy. Both these factors contributed to the scarcity of the relics.
The drastic change the Ming Tuo relic had imparted him informed Jiang Chen that he had broken through to ninth level emperor realm without even knowing it.
"A martial dao relic is a marvel of natural artifice." Jiang Chen was very certainly pleased with the change it had affected in him.
He was just as pleased with his own foundations. Any other genius wouldn't have been able to refine the relic within the short span of three days. Six months, a year, or even a decade or two: all were possible.
Jiang Chen had dared to refine the relic in three days for two reasons. One, because he had been seventh level emperor realm in the first place, bordering on eighth.
Two, he had the memories from his previous life as well as distinct foundations to rely on.
These advantages added together created the three-day miracle.
Jiang Chen wasn't happy enough with his current progress. He wanted very much to charge into great emperor realm with his remaining momentum. However, preliminary attempts showed that his grasp over his own strength was somewhat immature. Further consolidation was needed first.
Jiang Chen wasn't single-minded or stubborn enough to insist on doing things his way. He turned back in the face of impracticality. Cultivation required time and steady progress. Compared to others, his cultivation speed was already incredible.
"Never mind. I am only a step away from great emperor realm, so I see no point to be too hasty." After giving up on his impulse, Jiang Chen took out two storage rings from another storage ring.
"Heh heh… Shu Wanqing and Xiahou Jing. One of them was a secluded expert, the other a scion of a Myriad Abyss Island house. Their storage rings are sure to have many treasures."
When he'd first gotten the rings, he had tried brute forcing them open. However, it turned out that he was a bit lacking despite his secret methods. The rings hadn't wanted to oblige.
He wanted to give it another try after breaking through with his cultivation. He was at peak emperor realm now. Perhaps the small gap that had been lacking before was now bridged?
Jiang Chen used a secret art to call upon his consciousness, slowly unlocking Shu Wanqing's storage ring slowly.
Each storage ring bore its master's seal. When its master died, more than half of it would disappear, but the seal that remained was nevertheless hard to break. Thankfully, he had many secret methods to deal with such locks.
"Hmm? I couldn't continue past this point last time. Shu Wanqing put a large obstacle here. That old man was annoyingly cautious. Does he want to keep his fingers closed from beyond the grave?" Jiang Chen wasn't discouraged. He kept noodling at the problem.
Click!
A flash of inspiration led Jiang Chen to the sudden opening of the seal.
"Alright. Now that this level is open, the storage ring shouldn't be far behind." Jiang Chen was a bit anxious. He wanted to know very badly whether that old fool had anything amazing stashed away.
The storage ring of an empyrean hermit was still something very much to look forward to.
These empyrean experts were generally over ten thousand years old. They had lived for much longer than the current generation of human experts. Their treasures must contain many more shockingly rare things than one would expect.
Though Jiang Chen was already fabulously wealthy, especially after the raid on the Order, the more quality treasure the better.
Clack!
Jiang Chen was pleased to hear the opening of the final lock. Shu Wanqing's storage ring was laid bare before his eyes.
Rather excited, he immediately scanned the ring with his consciousness. He needed to eliminate any hidden dangers first.
Many experts were wily enough to leave a few traps and snares within their storage rings. These measures were instituted to avoid having their treasures fall into the hands of their mortal enemies after death.
Jiang Chen wasn't some kind of foolhardy brute. He didn't forget himself in happiness. His consciousness did a perfunctory scan, then paused in surprise. "Old man Shu did leave a trap!"
On the edge of the ring were several thin needles invisible to the naked eye. Each was tipped with deadly toxin!
It was unlikely for them to pain the person they pricked, but the toxins could drop a cultivator in moments should they spread.
"An underhanded old bastard." Jiang Chen remarked to himself, then sucked these poison-tipped needles out using special methods. After dealing with them – and checking for the absence of other traps – he began to tally the spoils.
"Alright, alright!" He drew a sharp breath with only a single sweep of his eyes.
Jiang Chen had seen more than his fair share of wealth. He was the master of Veluriyam Capital, and Sacred Peafowl Mountain's vaults were shockingly well-stocked in their own right. But Emperor Peafowl's remnant riches could not compare to Shu Wanqing's hoard.
One had been the ruler of something as prominent as Veluriyam, and the other, simply some old wandering hermit!
"Living so long has its advantages. He's managed to save up a lot of fortune within his lifetime." Jiang Chen let out a long sigh as he looked over the treasure piled up everywhere within the ring.
The spirit stones could not be counted.
Most importantly, the old man's spirit stones weren't ordinary saint spirit stones, but the highest rank of sky spirit stones.
Just like there were sky rank spirit herbs, so too did sky spirit stones exist. Naturally, sky spirit stones corresponded to great emperors rather than empyrean experts.
One sky spirit stone could be exchanged for ten thousand saint spirit stones, and the old man had tens to hundreds of millions of them.
"Empyrean experts are fabulously rich, alright!" Jiang Chen didn't know what to say. As the son of a celestial emperor in his previous life, he'd seen and owned much more than this.
He was surprised at the fact that the riches of an empyrean expert far outpaced that of an ordinary cultivator in the human domain. The difference was night and day!
"Haha, killing an empyrean expert is risky, but quite profitable!" Jiang Chen smiled self-deprecatingly, then kept tallying his spoils.
"Hmm? Is this a weapon?" He saw a dagger that didn't appear very sharp at first glance, but it emitted a heart-pounding aura. The demureness of its killing intent was a crouching savage beast, pulsating with murder.
"This dagger is definitely an empyrean rank weapon," Jiang Chen exclaimed in praise as he held it in hand. "The old man has quite the collection!"
He had a use in mind for the weapon already. Not for himself, but Dan Fei. Jiang Chen remembered that Dan Fei was an expert with shorter blades. The dagger would be a massive boost to her combat prowess.
"There are talismans here too?"
There was a shelf with several talismans. Four in total, with two of them being identical. The other two were different.
Jiang Chen identified them one by one.
"Tsk tsk, empyrean experts really do only have treasures and no trash. The two talismans that are the same are empyrean equivalents of Imperial Advent Defense Talismans."
These talismans were able to instantly increase one's defense to empyrean realm once activated. It could allow someone to take a full power empyrean attack unharmed!
"Hahaha, old man Shu Wanqing was quite the selfish sort. These treasures weren't particularly useful to him, but he still didn't give them to his juniors." Taking ownership of these empyrean defense talismans both delighted and lamented Jiang Chen.
He couldn't create such special talismans himself for now, but the old man had two of them. They could be used three to five times each. A cultivator would find them deadly efficient in battle against same-level opponents, like growing wings for a tiger.
"Let's see what the other two are!" Jiang Chen was in high spirits. He was discovering how counting the spoils could be. Out of the other two talismans, one had a sharper light.
He laughed after identifying it. "As I expected, there were offensive talismans too. This talisman behaves like the Imperial Advent Onslaught Talisman, but it's empyrean realm. It allows great emperors to temporarily attack with empyrean might. Not bad, not bad!"
What were the talismans left over?
Jiang Chen was even more expectant about the last, picking it up.
Chapter 1533: I'm Rich!
The last talisman shook Jiang Chen to the core. It was a rare specimen of a concealing talisman.
Concealing talismans were incredible in that they concealed every trace of one's presence. Invisible to eyes, inaudible to ears, undetectable to consciousness, completely melded into the song of the void. Only those with the sharpest consciousnesses could notice that something was awry through the tiniest of disturbances.
Concealing talismans were favored by assassins, but they were also extremely difficult to make. Very few of them existed in the world.
The value of a concealing talisman far surpassed an offensive or defensive talisman of the same level. Its uses for sneak attacks aside, it could also be used to aid one's flight in case of danger.
The talisman was perfect for both offense and defense. But of course, it was of questionable effectiveness against especially powerful opponents. However, one could say the same for other talismans too. That still gave the advantage to concealing talismans.
"No wonder Shu Wanqing was able to infiltrate the Moon God Sect's former lands and assassinate Gunuo Village's prince. He had this incredible talisman to help him!" Jiang Chen shuddered at what could have been.
What would've happened if Shu Wanqing had used this concealing talisman to visit Sacred Peafowl Mountain? Thankfully, the Nine Sparks Petalstorm Formation was present here. Though it couldn't have kept him out, it would have forced him to make a racket.
"Shu Wanqing must've come, but found it impossible to break the formation undetected. That's probably why he didn't risk it, hmm?"
This was his best guess.
If Shu Wanqing wanted to get rid of Jiang Chen, the easiest and best way was to just assassinate him. What was the point of feigning an attack on a savage prince?
"Talismans can create remarkable opportunities. Thankfully, I was able to trap him within the Nine Labyrinth Formation. Otherwise, it would've been quite difficult to kill someone using this talisman."
Conflicts tested whether the advantages of one side were sufficient to overcome the disadvantages of another.
The Nine Labyrinth Formation had been powerful enough to ensnare Shu Wanqing, disabling the expert's ability to use the talisman. Not that using it would have done him much good in that circumstance. Within the formation, the talisman wouldn't be able to function at its full strength.
It was far more likely, though, that Shu Wanqing had simply underestimated him.
The old man's temperament meant that he hadn't considered it possible for Jiang Chen to kill him despite trapping him. Thus, it was likely he had never seriously thought of using the talisman.
When Jiang Chen ambushed him, he hadn't had the time to react to the sudden developments. And after his serious injury, he could no longer get the most out of the talisman. From beginning to end, Shu Wanqing hadn't been given any real opportunity to use it.
"But it's good that he never pulled it out. That means all the more uses for me!" Jiang Chen looked at the talisman. It had clearly been used at least twice, but three or four uses remained yet.
"I'm going to keep this for myself." Jiang Chen carefully put the talisman, alongside an Empyrean Onslaught Talisman and an Empyrean Defense Talisman, into his storage ring. These three talismans would be standard issue for him from now on. He would always carry them in order to have a chance against real experts in a difficult fight.
The remaining Empyrean Defense Talisman could be a potential gift. The utility of each and every treasure had to be maximized, no matter what.
The four talismans were only the tip of Shu Wanqing's iceberg of wealth. Most people would find most of the items here unbelievably wonderful, but Jiang Chen didn't consider much of it worth anything. Things intended for great emperors especially, Jiang Chen gathered up and set aside. He planned to give all of it out as rewards to his subordinates.
Shu Wanqing had owned many valuables and seemed to have had a penchant for being a pack rat. The ring was brimming with treasures. Even a hundred great emperors added together would not be able to compare to an empyrean expert in terms of possessions.
"Empyrean experts are very good at accruing wealth." Jiang Chen had to concede this fact.
He ignored everything pill-related in the ring, sparing a passing glance at the other treasures, but refined pills were neither interesting nor worth his time. He gave them a single sweep, then put all of them away.
Still, the pills were extraordinary by worldly standards. The pills provided amazing opportunities for almost any great emperor. He would give these away when appropriate; Jiang Chen trusted only his own pills.
As a master of pills in his previous life, this was a sticking point.
He did like the spirit herbs a lot better, though. Spirit herbs were creations of nature rather than works of artifice. They were much more beautiful to him through their pure origin. He loved these natural, unprocessed specimens.
Shu Wanqing had plenty of spirit herbs in his collection. Regrettably, even an empyrean expert like him had only managed to collect largely sky rank spirit herbs. However, there were many more trees than the average great emperor would have possessed.
The old man's sky rank spirit herbs numbered in the thousands. Many things Jiang Chen had dreamed about were present here. The Heavencloud Ganoderma, for example! A required material for the Emperor Supremacy Pill, and Shu Wanqing had ten of it!
"What a rich old man!" Jiang Chen observed. He had tried to buy these for several years with only limited success.
But here they were, ten of them neatly beside each other, sitting in the old man's storage ring. Moreover, it was obvious that spirit herbs of this level held little benefit for the third level empyrean Shu Wanqing.
Even so, he had greedily clung to them. He preferred to let them gather dust inside his storage ring rather than allow them to benefit the world.
"Are all these empyrean experts complete misers?" It wasn't Jiang Chen's place to speak though. He had enriched himself through exploiting Shu Wanqing's miserly nature.
He inventoried these sky rank spirit herbs excitedly. He wasn't going to distribute these as part of the spoils. Only in his hands could the herbs' values be maximized.
"Hmm? These two spirit herbs are separately contained in high-quality spirit containers. Is there something different about them?" Jiang Chen's eyes lingered on two boxes that distinguished themselves above the rest.
He drew a sharp breath when the boxes were opened.
"Heaven rank spirit herbs?"
Spirit herbs had ranks too. For mortal cultivators, sky rank was the highest they could hope to see in their lifetime. In actuality, sky rank spirit herbs were only so named because they were above earth rank. They corresponded to great emperors rather than empyrean ones.
Sky rank spirit herbs in other words, had not stood the test of the heavenly dao. Ones that did manage to weather the storm were classified as heaven rank spirit herbs.
A catch-all name to be sure, but a necessary one to characterize them as being effective for empyrean experts.
Jiang Chen was filled with familiarity upon seeing the two spirit herbs. These were the kind he'd come in contact with the most in his previous life. Though they were comparatively lower quality compared to their fellow heaven rank brethren, he found their sight comforting nevertheless.
"Not bad, not bad." Jiang Chen toyed with the two heaven rank spirit herbs, lost for a moment in memories of his proud past. He found it difficult to maintain control of himself.
"I must work hard to comprehend and surpass the heavenly dao, so that I can enter and explore the heavenly planes." Remembrance of his former life caused all his repressed emotions to swell up.
It took quite a while before he quelled his emotions. He put away the heaven rank spirit herbs in a safe place; he didn't have a use for them right now, but he was sure to in the future.
One could never have too many of such amazing treasures.
After taking stock of the pills and spirit herbs, Jiang Chen selectively kept back a few other items, leaving most to be set aside for others.
Shu Wanqing had collected methods most extensively of all.
There were tens of thousands of tomes within the storage ring, detailing rare methods of every variety. The old man had been an astute collector. He had sorted his library into bookshelves, organized by level.
"Tut tut, that old man has been robbing and pillaging all his life huh? It's hard for a regular person to gather all these together, even if he lived for ten thousand years." Jiang Chen found this to be rather remarkable.
He had negligible interest in the books themselves, but they were indubitably quite valuable.
Chapter 1534:The Mysterious Chain Seal
The ancient scriptures didn't interest Jiang Chen one bit. He'd already committed to memory a vault's worth of scriptures that were much more profound in every aspect. However, the scriptures belonged to the human race and should percolate back to society.
He flipped through them briefly, a rough plan already in mind.
After that, he went through the rest of the items in Shu Wanqing's storage ring but found nothing else of use. Just as he was about to conclude his findings, a box hidden in a corner caught his eye.
Hmm? Why's a box wedged into this tiny crevice?
His curiosity was piqued; he was taken by the box that'd appeared after everything else had been accounted for.
He picked it up but didn't open it in a hurry. He placed it far away and tapped a concealed weapon on the box's lock. Kerchunk! The lock snapped opened, revealing the contents inside.
Contrary to his expectation, there was no trap. Just to be sure, he activated God's Eye to check if there were any hidden dangers before drawing close to the box.
It was decorated very exquisitely on the inside and was divided into three partitions.
Each partition contained pill-like objects. Jiang Chen shook when he saw them. They were too familiar!
"Martial dao relics?" He couldn't believe his eyes!
These martial dao relics were quite similar to the one he'd just refined, except they were of much higher quality. These were clearly great emperor level relics!
"How in the world did that old man get his hands on these?" Questions flooded his mind as empyrean masters typically didn't have much use for great emperor relics.
But avid collectors wouldn't care about that. Any treasure, as long as it was valuable, had a place in their collection. However, collecting three martial dao relics of great emperor quality was still a very impressive feat.
They were extremely rare after all. Most cultivators nearing the end of their lifespan would still bear some hope for a miracle to happen. Not everyone had the courage to give up on their dreams and distill their martial dao essence into a relic. It simply wasn't realistic.
Even if they did have the courage, it'd be a waste of effort if they didn't possess the secret arts to do so.
"Haha! Why's the old man so much more likeable all of a sudden?" Jiang Chen cast away all negative thoughts upon setting his sights on the relics. A pleasant surprise had been waiting at the end after all!
These would be extremely useful. He could hardly think of anything better!
These relics will truly speed up my cultivation once I've broken through to great emperor. It's not like the empyrean realm will be a hop, jump, and a skip away, but it will greatly decrease the time I need to breakthrough.
His heart fluttered. It was the first time he'd felt that life was so exciting and worth looking forward to. He'd taken another step closer to the heavenly planes!
They'd be almost within reach once he'd entered empyrean realm. The thought alone was enough to cause his lips to curl up involuntarily.
Even though it'd been decades since he reincarnated in the Divine Abyss Continent, his memories hadn't diminished one bit. In fact, they only became clearer with each passing moment. He cherished his family, friends, and peers in his current life, but his father from the life before would always remain in his heart.
The love between father and son could never be replaced.
Father, wait for me. You're celestial emperor of the Taiyuan Realm. Even the destruction of the heavenly planes would not kill you. I don't know if you have anything to do with my reincarnation, but I do know that you're the reason why my previous life was filled with a million years of wonderful memories despite my yin constitution. I will always remember the sacrifices you've made to concoct the Sun Moon Pill…
Father, I'll find you soon!
Jiang Chen was filled with indomitable resolve. The droplet-shaped chain seal in his consciousness sensed his resolve and trickled a few drops of clear liquid. The tear-like liquid was vividly radiant as the ancient cosmos and seemed to contain indescribable power.
A chill ran down his spine.
"What's going on? The chain seal reacted to my resolve?" He was thrilled by seal's sudden reaction.
Father must've planted his will into my consciousness in the form of the seal! The water droplets… they have such depth and power to them…
His instincts told him that the water droplets contained enough power to destroy the entire world over if released. Not even the strongest of empyrean masters could exude that much power. In fact, they'd instantly turn into dust before such immense strength.
The seal is simply too profound. It seems that father definitely had a hand in my reincarnation. Perhaps the seal is some kind of safety charm or crystallization of father's hopes?
His heart squeezed tightly when he recalled his father's love. It took a while before he finally collected himself. The seal had returned to its dormant state, a silent guardian in his consciousness.
His heart brimmed with warmth. His father had doted on him greatly in his previous life. Even though they'd been torn apart, his love and care was still ever present.
Perhaps father is why I've been able to thrive in this world like a fish in water? Without his blessing, would my memories be enough to bring me so much success?
Jiang Chen had always thought that his meteoric rise to the top in the Divine Abyss Continent had solely been due to his massive vault of knowledge. But it was now apparent that he was giving himself too much credit.
The higher he climbed, the more complicated everything became. Things could no longer be taken at face value. His success must all be due to the fortune that his father had bestowed upon him!
This cheered him up greatly. He set Shu Wanqing's ring aside and moved on to Xiahou Jing's ring. He sighed after messing around with it a little. Storage rings from Myriad Abyss Island are protected by a much more sophisticated seal. Even at my current cultivation level, I'm still unable to open it. Oh well, I'll put it aside and try again after I've broken through to great emperor.
He wasn't in a hurry. Xiahou Jing was a genius from House Xiahou, but he wasn't the most talented and was still very young. There was no guarantee that his ring would have better loot than Shu Wanqing's. In fact, it was more likely to be inferior.
Of course, Jiang Chen's main priority wasn't to loot the treasures inside, but to find clues or hints about the situation at Myriad Abyss Island was. By analyzing these treasures, he could find out just how powerful House Xiahou really was.
After sorting out his emotions, he exited closed door cultivation.
"Eh? Young lord, you…" The Jiao brothers immediately noticed the change in Jiang Chen's aura. However, their reaction was within the young lord's expectations.
"It's merely a small breakthrough, nothing to write home about. I've already imparted the secret art needed to refine the empyrean decrees to you, make good use of it and remember that time is of the essence." Jiang Chen advised solemnly.
The brothers exchanged wry glances. They considered themselves geniuses in the cultivation world, but compared to Jiang Chen, their speed was that of a snail's.
Breakthroughs seemed as mundane as eating and drinking to their young lord. He was made one almost every other day, rendering everyone speechless.
Judging by his aura, it was likely that he was now only a step away from great emperor. He was already such a frightening being in the emperor realm, one could only imagine how scary he'd be once he'd broke through!
The two were filled with shock and reverence. Following a young lord like him was probably their greatest fortune and guarantee as the world descended into chaos.
The Embittered Savages were Jiang Chen's immediate concern upon exiting.
He couldn't understand why their army had remained motionless and refrained from moving out. It almost seemed like the war-hungry tribe was content with only conquering the northwestern corner of the human domain.
"Young lord, this is extremely suspicious. War and pillaging is in their blood. Like locusts, they're born to be warmongers. There's no way they'd be content with just the remote bit of land they've gotten. The longer they remain motionless, the more concerned I become." Emperor Wellspring had become Jiang Chen's most trusted advisor. His ability to see the big picture and judgement were both extremely sharp.
Jiang Chen nodded in agreement. "Agreed. I can only imagine that they're concocting some kind of grand scheme." Of this, he had no doubt. However, what exactly was the nature of their plotting? He pondered long and hard, but to no avail. Perhaps they planned to recruit the secluded experts?
But that didn't make much sense either. Which respectable human would willingly be a dog for an alien race?