Chapter 1709: Not Worth Me Challenging Him
"What the hell? That's it?"
"There's no winner yet! Keep going!"
"Heh, neither of them can defeat the other, so there's no need to keep fighting. It may look like a tie, but in reality, Gan Ning's the loser."
"That's right. As one of the Five, he'll be mocked for not being able to defeat someone who just joined the sacred land."
"That's unfair. Shao Yuan passed the evaluation by setting a new record. He's been labelled as a top tier genius and is being raised as such."
"So what? Shao Yuan's only at peak great emperor while Gan Ning's third level empyrean. There's a great gap between their cultivations. That you have to admit."
"Oh, easy for you to say. If you're so great, go fight Shao Yuan yourself! Senior brother Gan Ning's able to alternate between attacking and defending with ease due to his Water God's Arm. Anyone weaker would've lost in no time to Shao Yuan's ridiculous speed."
The crowd held different opinions, but all of them had to admit the fight had been a very thrilling fight between young geniuses, if not the most thrilling.
Moreover, the fight was especially newsworthy, a clash between two masters of their fields. Even though it'd ended in a tie, the fight itself had been full of amazing and memorable moments.
"Senior brother Gan Ning," Jiang Yi called out as he approached the stage, eyes shooting daggers at Jiang Chen on the other side. "That guy cheated! You didn't give it your all, senior brother. Otherwise, he wouldn't still be standing upright with that smug face of his."
Gan Ning's expression was calm. "Alright, that's enough. Everyone should go back to their business."
Jiang Yi didn't want to let it go, but he didn't dare disobey Gan Ning. He'd always listened to the senior brother's every word.
"It's a shame that Miss Ying isn't avenged," he muttered. "That brat got lucky."
Gan Ning threw him a cool glance, but didn't say a word.
Xiahou Ying wore a pitiful expression like she'd been horribly victimized. Jing Yi's anger burned hotter seeing her face. He wanted nothing more than to fight Shao Yuan himself. However, he knew the extent of his own abilities. He could see from the earlier fight that he wouldn't be able to get back at Shao Yuan for the humiliation.
Other than senior brother Gan Ning, none of them could rival Shao Yuan. They wouldn't be avenging their honor in a duel, they'd be asking for humiliation.
"It's all my fault, senior brother Gan Ning. I've made things difficult for you." Xiahou Ying was clever enough to stir up trouble without a trace.
"Don't say that, Miss Ying," Jing Yi said angrily. "Shao Yuan's arrogant and rude! You're not to blame here! Besides, you're also the victim of his mockery. What an utterly crude man!"
"I can deal with a bit of insult," she said quietly. "I'm just worried that senior brother Gan Ning's reputation will be damaged because of me. Shao Yuan's proven himself in the fight. People are going to target the senior brother from now on. He's become Shao Yuan's stepping stone."
Gan Ning smiled faintly. "It's common for fellow disciples to spar, Miss Ying. That's the only way to identify our weaknesses and improve together. The general public's comments should be taken with a grain of salt. Real geniuses won't care about unfounded insults."
He wasn't going to let Xiahou Ying manipulate him anymore.
She looked blankly at Gan Ning after the response.
"Senior brother Gan Ning is quite magnamious," Jing Yi bit out. "That guy should be grateful to you if he has even a lick of shame left in him."
Gan Ning smiled and glanced at him. "Please see Miss Ying off for me if you have the time. I made some discoveries during the fight. I'm returning to my residence for closed door cultivation." Like water, his dashing form slowly rippled away from sight.
Jing Yi gaped at where Gan Ning had been. He hadn't expected his senior to leave without keeping Miss Ying as a guest or even walking her out. He looked at her a little helplessly. "Miss Ying, senior brother Gan Ning must be in a sour mood. Let me show you around this time."
Xiahou Ying was likewise surprised by Gan Ning's sudden change of attitude. She considered Gan Ning a figure of importance, but Jing Yi a mere sidekick. He didn't deserve much consideration.
She'd been polite to his previous fawning only as part of her act. Her calm evaporated after Gan Ning gave her the cold shoulder, painting Jing Yi in a much more annoying light.
"There's no need," she responded coolly. "I've already visited my teacher. I should get going too."
Jing Yi wasn't shrewd enough to comprehend the sudden change in attitude. He looked at her helplessly, eyes following her as she walked away. He wanted to keep her, but didn't know what to say. Frustration weighted heavily in his chest, making him irritable.
He glanced at the stage that Shao Yuan just so happened to be stepping down from. Jing Yi glared at him with a venomous glare.
Jiang Chen shook his head slightly in response to Jing Yi's scowl. There was no need to waste time on a fool. He walked past Jing Yi, ignoring the latter's furious gaze like he didn't exist. The half smile tugging at Jiang Chen's lips brimmed with derision.
It was an immense blow on Jing Yi's pride, but there was nothing he could do other than grind his teeth with hatred.
Jiang Chen calmly walked away from the arena and returned to his residence, paying no attention to bystanders' comments. He'd fought Gan Ning with only his speed and eye arts, and had refrained from utilizing the Confounding Puppets or other tricks in the end.
The fight boosted his martial dao considerably, giving him new inspiration. His eye techniques, especially, had been greatly polished.
He was intercepted by Yan Qingsang before reaching his residence. The Yan genius looked much more excited than he was.
"Brother, I hear that you had a duel with one of the Five, Gan Ning?" Yan Qingsang was devastated that he'd missed the fight.
He'd been cultivating, oblivious to the world. The fight had already ended when he rushed to the arena after the news reached him. He felt that he'd missed so much.
"What happened? Who won?" Yan Qingsang's eyes glinted with curiosity.
Jiang Chen was exasperated by the passion for gossip. "It was a tie."
They walked into Jiang Chen's residence as they talked. Yan Qingsang paused when he saw the formations all around the abode. He clucked his tongue. "Did you set up the formations yourself? Or were they already here?"
"I set them up."
"What?" Yan Qingsang widened his eyes. "You know formations as well? What don't you know, brother?"
Jiang Chen chuckled. "I know a little more than you think."
Yan Qingsang was rendered speechless. He muttered, "I hear that Gan Ning is a third level empyrean expert. How were you able to tie with him?"
"Is it really so surprising?" Jiang Chen shrugged. "Gan Ning didn't use his full strength. He was pulling his punches."
Yan Qingsang rolled his eyes. "I don't believe that. I hear that Gan Ning challenged you because you mocked him. Is that right?"
"That's about it. I mocked him for a reason though, and I even went easy on him."
Yan Qingsang looked doubtful. "If that's the case, why didn't he give the fight his all?"
Jiang Chen shook his head. "If he did, he'd truly be hopeless."
"How so?"
"That fight was nothing but a petty argument. There's a sword competition next year and a grand competition three years later. As long as he hasn't given up on all his ambitions, he won't use up all his tricks."
Realization dawned on Yan Qingsang. He nodded earnestly. "Right, right! How did I not think of that?"
Jiang Chen smiled. "That's normal. You don't have much expectations for the sword competition, do you?"
Yan Qingsang smiled awkwardly. "That's right. I don't expect much for it. My goal is more long term. I know I have a later start than the others and that I won't be able to catch up anytime soon. But I'm young. There's still a long way for me to go. He who laughs last, laughs best. I'm not going to focus on fighting for glory in the present."
It was obvious that Yan Qingsang had become a more clear-headed individual.
Jiang Chen sighed. "You're not going to focus on the present, while I must seize every moment every day."
Yan Qingsang cackled. "Level with me. Did you try your best in that fight?"
Jiang Chen shook his head and responded with a simple "no."
Yan Qingsang's eyes lit up. "Neither of you did your best, which means that you are strong enough to go head to head with a third level empyrean expert. Once you ascend to empyrean realm, you may be able to challenge Xiahou Zong!"
He was very excited. What he currently looked forward the most was for Jiang Chen to defeat Xiahou Zong and take Huang'er back. He'd be over the moon then.
"You're wrong," said Jiang Chen.
"I'm wrong?" Yan Qingsang looked at him, baffled. "What am I wrong about?"
"I never intended to challenge Xiahou Zong," Jiang Chen said in a frigid tone. "He's not worthy of challenging. I will crush him and trample his corpse. In my eyes, he's nothing more than a cockroach that's a little harder to kill."
Chapter 1710: Comprehending Dao and Breaking Through to Empyrean Realm
Jiang Chen's bearing and poise was what Yan Qingsang admired most. Many of his words, if spoken from the mouth of another, would be absurd. But his brother seemed astonishingly credible when he made such sweeping statements.
Yan Qingsang chuckled. "Brother, do you know? Your dominance is what I appreciate the most. I really can't wait for the day when you stomp that guy underfoot and more, and turn his pride as number one genius into the joke of the capital. I'd laugh myself awake in my dreams if that day comes, and I'll happily drink myself under the table with my new brother-in-law."
He'd been a bit upset as to why Jiang Chen had initially approached him. But now, he didn't mind at all. In fact, he found it rather more exciting. There was finally a genius in Eternal Divine Nation's younger generation uncowed by Xiahou Zong!
Up to now, many people had been dissatisfied with Xiahou Zong partially out of envy. But Jiang Chen's disdain for the man was very genuine. There was more than enough evidence to corroborate his attitude.
The young man in question didn't have the time to waste on chatting with Yan Qingsang, though. "Brother Yan, keep cultivating according to the plans I made for you. I'm going to visit Elder Ziju shortly. He's going to take me to the banks of Eternal River to comprehend heavenly dao."
"You… you're going to break through to empyrean realm?" Yan Qingsang was shocked.
"This day was going to come eventually. The earlier the better, I say."
"Ah, I'd only get angry if I tried to compare myself to you." Yan Qingsang let out a long sigh. "But don't worry, I'll catch up soon."
Ziju Min had watched the fight between Jiang Chen and Gan Ning, though he hadn't come to find his protégé immediately after. He only descended upon Jiang Chen's residence once the young man had sent off his friend.
Jiang Chen knew of the elder's arrival, and came out himself to receive the older man.
"Well done," Ziju Min smiled. "Your battle with Gan Ning has improved your reputation. If you manage the breakthrough at the Eternal River, your illustrious name will spread through the sacred land like wildfire. No one will doubt your prominence after this."
Jiang Chen's eyes were filled with spirit. "Please lead the way, Elder Ziju."
The Eternal River was to the south of the sacred land. A waterway coursed through the land's manifold peaks, widening from the source into a broadly running course. It was variously beautiful throughout the four seasons.
The river wasn't a sight that just anyone could view.
Only those who wished to comprehend the heavenly dao could request time at its shores. All others were barred from entrance. In the Eternal Sacred Land, the waters of the river were sacred. Express permission from the administration was required to approach.
Jiang Chen had permission from the venerated forefather, the highest authority in the Sacred Land. Naturally there was no problem for him in this department.
"I can only take you this far, Shao Yuan. The forbidden ground ahead nearer to the river is land that even I cannot easily encroach upon." Ziju Min stayed his steps after accompanying him to the boundary.
Jiang Chen proceeded beyond without hesitation.
The Eternal River wound through the mountains, sometimes calm, sometimes roaring. Different sections of the river could appear quite distinct from each other, depending on location and time of day.
He followed the waters opposite to their flow, taking in the aura of this natural wonder all the while. He didn't let a single detail escape him. There had to be a very good reason for the venerated forefather to want him here at the Eternal River.
This place must be exceedingly appropriate for that purpose. As for exactly how that was the case, he needed to find that out on his own. Half a year wasn't a long time, but it wasn't short either. He was sure to reap considerable benefit by giving it his all.
Sometimes, he stood upon the bank and took in the sight of the roaring waters. Time seemed to take on much the same characteristic, streaming away before his eyes. It evoked the ancient saying that time was like an inexorable river, passing on in one relentless direction.
At other times, he hovered above the surface of the river itself. The towering, grey sentinels all around him contained a smattering of scenery. They were a microcosm of life's adventures, in which peace was intermixed with strife, and valleys with crests. For a traveler, life was ever changing.
At times, he opened his eyes to take in birdsong.
At times, he turned to see the blooming and wilting of flowers.
At times, he snapped awake to find snowflakes drifting all around.
At times, he raised his head to register the roiling clouds.
Wondrous marvels suffused his perception and consciousness, filling his heart with awe.
He seemed to have already understood them in his previous life, but some truths were revealed only in the here and now. Suddenly, Jiang Chen felt the lines between his two lives blur. Had there ever been any difference between his last life and his present one?
Which was reality, and which was the one he'd reached through dreams?
Jiang Chen thought he had an answer, but perhaps there wasn't just one.
"Heaven and earth, nature and creation, my own heart…" Images and thoughts flickered through Jiang Chen's heart. Some belonged to his previous life, others belonged to this one, and still others were a jumble of sights and sounds, memory and fantasy.
A font of inspiration engulfed him, born out of a resonance with nature itself. All notion and conception between heaven and earth flocked to him with tremendous enthusiasm. They came as excited guests, knocking on his door.
The heavenly dao – heavenly order – was present everywhere in the world at this moment.
He saw it in the grass and trees, the mountains and rivers, the sun and clouds, and his very own self. When all embodied the dao, all held a fragment of the whole truth.
The dao was everywhere and anywhere. All about him and within him, permeating and saturating his senses, fusing together into a harmoniously concentrated whole.
All was one, one was all.
Both all and one were part of the dao.
In this moment, Jiang Chen finally counted himself as part of the rest of creation. He sensed the dao within himself and understood that he was related to the greater whole.
All this was amazingly natural.
The heavenly dao had generously opened its door to Jiang Chen, accepting him as its own.
"Heaven and earth birthed me. My father and mother engendered me. Creation and growth nurtured me. What I've lost and gained are both contained in the world. What have I truly lost then, and gained?"
As Jiang Chen comprehended more of the heavenly dao, it acted upon his body, molding him into a more perfect being. The essence of nature coalesced together into an empyrean decree, leaving a deep mark upon his consciousness in a flash of light.
My empyrean decree has formed. Jiang Chen's thoughts fluttered. He knew that the heavenly dao had recognized him. Now, he needed to refine and build it up further to foster its growth.
Tears streamed out of his eyes.
He was grateful to heaven and earth for giving him life, opportunity, and everything he'd come to possess.
He was grateful to nature for creating all that he could see, hear, taste, and love.
He was grateful to the flora, fauna, mountains and rivers, clouds and existence itself. Through them, he learned of the joys and sorrows of all.
In the end, he was grateful for all of his experiences and that he could detach himself from them, ascending into a higher kind of existence.
Empyrean realm!
He had escaped mortality and set foot upon the path to heaven. This was a fresh beginning.
In the world of martial dao, empyrean realm was the real starting point, the point in which one could begin exploration of the heavenly planes.
The entire process of breaking through and forming a decree had spanned only about a month. This incredible grasp of comprehension set a new record in the Eternal Sacred Land.
Other than himself, it was likely that no one would understand why he'd been able to do so. Jiang Chen's memories from his previous life had been instrumental in it all. Without them, without his knowledge that had crowned the heavenly planes, without his millions of years of experience and existence –
He wouldn't have the glory of this moment.
He wasn't bogged down by self-satisfaction. Rather, he hungered for further advancement. After breaking through, he ravenously consolidated his empyrean decree.
Another three months passed before Jiang Chen let out a sigh of relief. After extensive refinement, his decree had finally stabilized.
Now, he was a full-fledged first level empyrean expert. Both the strength of his cultivation and consciousness far surpassed those on the same level. He was supremely confident in this fact.
After stabilizing his level, he needed to strengthen his martial methods, equipment, and other various techniques as well.
Thankfully, he had two months left of his half-year. It gave him plenty of room for anything he desired. He could clearly feel the difference between his old and new selves. The way he sensed and perceived the world was radically different.
Alas, I'm on a mission here in Myriad Abyss. If I were back in the human domain, I would be able to enter the fourth of the Six Palaces of Heritage. Jiang Chen was fixated upon the six palaces still.
They were the crowning treasure of the Veluriyam Pagoda, an all-encompassing heritage that the ancient leaders of humanity had left behind. The most powerful of ancient heritages necessarily resided within.
Even though Myriad Abyss's Ten Divine Nations were strong in their own right, the pagoda's heritage didn't pale in comparison to anything that could be found here. In fact, Jiang Chen considered it likely to solidly surpass any competition.
After all, the human domain had been the core of Divine Abyss Continent in ancient times. The prosperity of humanity back then meant that its leading cultivators represented the peak of achievement as well. What they'd left behind was sure to be something hotly anticipated.
Though Jiang Chen was eager, this wasn't the best time to return. He decided to wait a bit more. Huang'er and the exploration of the Great Formation of Heavenly Soul Confinement were his top priorities.
Chapter 1711: Emerging from Closed Door Cultivation
After some consideration, Jiang Chen felt it was best to put off the Six Palaces of Heritage for now. He would think about returning after things settled down here. Whether his spacetime seal would even work here was a very good question as well. Was return to the Six Palaces even possible from here?
There was every reason for him not to want to test this at present, since the spacetime seal couldn't bring anyone else along. If he wanted to forcibly take Huang'er and Ling Bi'er along for the ride, the six palaces would reject them by killing them outright.
This was why he'd had to separate the stone golems' consciousnesses and bodies when bringing them back to Veluriyam. This could only be accomplished while they were inanimate.
Unfortunately, the secret method was effective only on stone golems. Humans couldn't try the same trick.
If he couldn't bring Huang'er and Ling Bi'er along, there was no point in even trying, even if the spacetime seal would work.
Going back was easy enough, but coming here again would be significantly harder. Where would the transportation formation send him next time?
Would it deliver him to Winterdraw again? That place was unbelievably distant from Eternal Divine Nation.
More importantly, Winterdraw was in the Rejuvenation Isles territory. Given the magnitude and seriousness of recent events there, it might be under heavy guard. He didn't have the energy or time to spare to find out more about these possibilities.
After breaking through to empyrean realm, Jiang Chen valued every additional moment upon the banks of the Eternal River.
This was the most sacred area within the Eternal Sacred Land. The atmosphere here was quite enigmatic. Despite Jiang Chen's wealth of past experiences, he liked the place very much.
The Eternal River's inscrutability was in constant flux. Each moment contained a new conundrum and illusion, a new inspiring idea. He greedily spent all the rest of his time in cultivation.
Rising to empyrean realm polished all of his martial dao methods and techniques impeccably. The Bewitching Lotus of Ice and Fire evolved with each step Jiang Chen took. Its vigor and resilience had improved noticeably this time as well.
More remarkably, its bewitching nature had been drastically enhanced after his breakthrough. Each stalk of the lotus could replicate a different form as desired.
As a plant valuable even in the heavenly planes, the lotus had an amazing preternatural advantage. Moreover, its own consciousness had seemingly awakened after his empyrean ascension.
Communication between man and plant was becoming increasingly perfect.
Jiang Chen liked this feeling a great deal. His newfound finesse of control allowed him to feel like a duck in water.
"Empyrean realm is something special, alright. Getting here means I'm on the path to the heavenly planes. It's a long journey, but I'm making steady progress."
He relished all the changes he could feel, both internal and external. He was filled with satisfaction and remained intensely curious about the seal in his consciousness.
The nine-droplet chain appeared even more active now. Each water drop was very plump. Though they varied in look and style, all seemed to contain infinite mystery.
Jiang Chen observed the seal for a time via his consciousness. The droplets glittered like nine flawless stars, swelling with sublimity. They were beautiful enough to induce visions.
"What mystery is this seal hiding, really?" He sat cross-legged, attempting to communicate with it. There was a bit of uncertainty and unease in his heart, overshadowed entirely by interest and apprehension.
He had a feeling that the seal was getting closer and closer to being unlocked. The connection between it and his fate across both lives was pre-eminent. But how were they precisely connected? How did all of this come about in the first place?
He desperately wanted to find the answer straightaway, but didn't dare act rashly. The seal wouldn't appear in his consciousness for no reason. If his father had left it there, he only needed to feel it out slowly and naturally. He had a few concerns about frenzied excavation.
He had no idea what had happened to his father after the calamity that had stricken the heavenly planes. Where was he now?
He also wasn't sure if the seal was some sort of clue that had left behind. If it were, would his premature activation alert his father's old enemies?
Though Jiang Chen had been well-loved in his previous life, he knew that he had also been a burden. His father had given everything and more for his sake, even his own fortunes to refine the Sun Moon Pill. Perhaps the calamity of the heavenly planes had been partially the result of that.
But before he could find any proof of this, all of this remained speculation.
He was sure of one thing, though. The seal contained tremendous energy that Divine Abyss Continent could not possibly produce. The only explanation was that it stemmed from his previous life.
Jiang Chen tried to make cautious contact with the chain seal using his consciousness, attempting to induce a response. Alas, the chain seal absorbed his message without any response. But he wasn't discouraged by this.
"Maybe contacting the chain seal needs some luck. I'm trying too hard right now. I have a feeling that it can unlock anytime. It's quite likely that if the energy within is unleashed, it can destroy the entirety of Divine Abyss."
If the seal really was related to his previous father and contained his great will and power, then devastating Divine Abyss Continent was no empty claim.
The power and ability of a celestial emperor was overpowering to Divine Abyss's cultivators. Though the Eternal Sacred Land's venerated forefather was a divine expert, there was an excess of both empyrean cultivators and divine spirits in the heavenly planes.
No divine, weak or strong, dared boast before the celestial emperors. The weaker cultivators didn't even have a right to worship the latter.
Jiang Chen attempted to make contact with seal several times, but his efforts proved fruitless.
"Never mind. After breaking through to empyrean realm, my seal has become only more active. Maybe the only thing I'm missing is the right opportunity. I don't need to strain myself." The young man's mindset was very positive after recognizing that fact.
The half-year period was almost up.
During this time, Jiang Chen had comprehended the heavenly dao, received and refined his empyrean decree, and solidified his claim to the empyrean realm. His battle strength had received a correspondingly large increase.
If the current him were to duel with Gan Ning once more, he would easily crush his opponent's strength from that day.
Of course, Gan Ning surely hadn't shown all his cards either. Both parties had held back somewhat. However, he trusted that he could now take on just about any genius in Myriad Abyss Island. The fabled Xiahou Zong included, of course.
"That competition between the Eternal Sacred Land's geniuses is only a few more months away. I have to bolster and improve my cultivation as much as I humanely can. Xiahou Zong isn't some superhuman monster, but the fact he's closed his doors to cultivate for so long means that he is at least a mid empyrean expert. Plus, he has to have some kind of additional edge to have held on to the title of 'number one genius' here in Eternal Divine Nation for so long."
His current circumstances meant that Jiang Chen could no longer ignore Xiahou Zong entirely. Their meeting was only a matter of time. Enmity would undoubtedly peak when they came face-to-face.
Jiang Chen didn't want to lose in presence to his mortal enemy. He thirsted for any knowledge at all about Xiahou Zong. If the latter desired to attain greatness in the wider world, he wouldn't necessarily bring his full strength to bear in the national competition.
The grander competition between all Ten Divine Nations' geniuses in three years was the loftiest stage. Whoever was the best and most eye-catching there would decide the state of martial dao affairs for the next few centuries. It was impossible to hide one's skills in those circumstances.
Regardless of whether Xiahou Zong would use all his strength in the more impending competition, Jiang Chen needed to prepare with the utmost seriousness.
What if Xiahou Zong was to participate without hiding his ability?
It was difficult for him to guess his enemy's intentions. Since that was the case, he could only work on making himself stronger.
The six months concluded not long thereafter, and Jiang Chen could no longer stay once his time was up.
He was a bit reluctant to leave as he walked away from the riverbank. Ziju Min had awaited him for a while outside, and brightened when he saw the young man appear.
"Shao Yuan, marvelous phenomena occurred a while back near the bank of the Eternal River. Were you breaking through then?" The senior's eyes were filled with astonishment.
Jiang Chen didn't know how to respond. He had paid attention only to his own cultivation at the time, not his surroundings. What was he supposed to say?
Chapter 1712: Sovereign Missions
"Nice going. You've broken through, haven't you?" Ziju Min immediately noticed the difference when he gave Jiang Chen a once-over.
Jiang Chen smiled slightly. "Thanks to your well wishes, everything went smoothly."
"You broke through a mere two months after arriving at the riverbank?" Ziju Min gasped with wonder. "Two months, and you grasped the heavenly law and earned the approval of the heavens, receiving an empyrean decree. Your… comprehension ability is tremendous."
Ziju Min had been through a lot and had seen many geniuses, but he'd never known anyone like Shao Yuan. Even the most genius cultivator had to overcome great difficulties to ascend from peak great emperor to empyrean realm. The process was a butterfly breaking out of its chrysalis.
Countless cultivators failed the process. After repeated failure, they fell into despair and their will slowly wilted. Only an extremely small portion of great emperors were able to break through.
Most would need several years to understand the heavenly law and finally ascend. Never had anyone achieved it in two months.
Jiang Chen's achievement would be easier to believe if he'd already sensed the heavenly law prior to visiting the river, but he hadn't even reached peak great emperor when entering the sacred land! He'd only attained it before the evaluation.
It'd taken less than a year for him to make such amazing progress. And after reaching peak great emperor, it only took him a few months to join the ranks of the other geniuses.
Ziju Min was in awe of Shao Yuan's achievement. No human language could describe the ridiculous speed at which he'd improved himself. The youth's potential was more than a little extraordinary.
Ziju Min slapped Jiang Chen on the shoulder excitedly, his face radiating joy. "You'll go down in our history as a legendary figure for your amazing speed in cultivation, Shao Yuan."
Jiang Chen smiled. "I'm honored. It's thanks to Elder Ziju's recommendation that I was able to reach this point."
"Oh, no, I just did what I should do. It'll be a great shame if a genius like you ends up unnoticed in the jianghu." Ziju Min was speaking from the very bottom of his heart.
"I will always remember what you did for me, Elder Ziju. The others may be unaware, but I know that you must have shouldered a lot of pressure when recommending me for the sacred land."
Ziju Min broke into laughter hearing his considerate words. "As an elder, it's my duty to shoulder some pressure for the sacred land and the nation. Alright, Shao Yuan. Let's not waste any more time. You've fulfilled the first requirement listed by the venerated forefather. Now let's focus on the second: You are to accumulate a hundred thousand points in a year."
Jiang Chen had understood the rules at the Hall of Merit last time. Of the three requirements posed by the venerated forefather, he'd already achieved one. The forefather must have noticed as well.
He was going to focus on the second requirement now. It was to test his ability, but also to make sure the rest in the faction accepted him.
If he could make such great contribution to the sacred land in only a year, no one would question him, no matter how well he was treated and how much support he received.
Truth be told, he was getting amped up.
The venerated forefather had promised him unconditional support once he fulfilled the three conditions, which was precisely what he needed.
The sacred land's support would give him the leverage to turn things around for him and Huang'er. He'd be entitled to publicly take her away from House Yan, which was what he wished the most and also what was best for Huang'er.
If he snuck her away, hidden from everyone, it'd be considered a dishonorable act. It wouldn't be a satisfying end. And troubles would ensue.
It was better to take the moral high ground and made sure House Yan willingly parted with Huang'er. The problem would be solved once and for all, and it would be cathartic.
Motivation roared to life.
He and Ziju Min returned to the Hall of Merit half a year after their first visit. Elder Gu Yunjin was also surprised when his eyes landed on Jiang Chen.
"It seems that my well wishes have come true, young Shao Yuan. You've impressed me with your progress in the last six months.
"If I'm not mistaken, you've ascended to empyrean realm already, haven't you?" Gu Yunjin marveled, earnest with his compliments. "Brother Ziju, you've recruited a genius we wouldn't even dream of."
Ziju Min smiled, but didn't take pride in what his actions.
"Brother Gu, our young friend is eager to contribute to the sacred land after his breakthrough. What are the missions that award more than a hundred thousand points?"
Gu Yunjin paused. "Are you sure you want to start with a sovereign mission, young Shao Yuan?"
Those were the only ones that awarded over a hundred thousand points, but with high reward came high risk. If Jiang Chen failed a sovereign mission, his points would be deducted by one tenth of the awarded points. Such was the pitfall of picking a top mission from the get go.
If he started from the easier missions and made his way up, he'd be able to accumulate points steadily without the risk of deductions.
Very few people would be so bold as to go straight to the top, not even the most arrogant of geniuses. It wasn't that they didn't dare take the risk, but that they didn't have to.
However, Jiang Chen only had a year. He didn't have the patience to slowly climb his way up. That would take too much effort and time. The last thing he could afford to do now was waste time.
The sword competition was right on the horizon. It was likely that his fateful match with Xiahou Zong would come then. He had to seize every second of every day. Naturally, he wasn't willing to carve out too much time for the missions.
He smiled wryly. "Elder Gu, the sword competition's coming soon. I must get a hundred thousand points before that. I have to take the risk. I might get lucky, no?"
Gu Yunjin was a little disappointed. He didn't say anything because he didn't want to rain on Shao Yuan's parade when the young man was so driven and enthusiastic, but in truth, he didn't think Shao Yuan would succeed.
If it was so easy to complete a sovereign mission, everyone here would be challenging them. There wouldn't be so many left unfinished. It was telling that the missions had remained for decades, or even centuries.
Ziju Min could tell that Gu Yunjin was doubtful of Shao Yuan's decision. But the latter was being quite tactful and remaining silent in the face of Shao Yuan's resolution.
In truth, Ziju Min also found Shao Yuan reckless, but he understood why the young man was making the decision.
The sword competition was fast approaching. If Shao Yuan started from the most basic missions, how long was it going to take for him to get enough points? He might as well try his luck with a sovereign mission. Maybe there'd be a miracle.
In Ziju Min's eyes, Shao Yuan was skilled at creating miracles.
"Brother Ziju, young Shao Yuan, here's a list of the summaries for most of the sovereign missions. Of course, the summaries are only for your reference. They aren't representative of the missions themselves." Gu Yunjin dutifully presented them with the scroll.
Ziju Min smiled. "This is confidential, Shao Yuan. You're allowed to read it now, but nothing can leave this hall."
Gu Yunjin nodded and added on seriously, "Brother Ziju is right. Everything written on this scroll must be kept a secret. There are other people who have seen it, but they're all obligated to keep things to themselves as well. If any information gets leaked and the sacred land identifies the perpetrator, that person will become a public enemy."
In response to their grave attitude, Jiang Chen smiled. "I don't have a lot of strengths, but keeping a secret is my strong suit."
He didn't have a habit of gossiping. Besides, the missions didn't mean much to him. They meant even less for people outside the sacred land. He unfurled the scroll and browsed with great concentration.
They were indeed challenging. Some were bounties against a number of experts who'd been widely-known for a long time, some asked to locate rare treasure. Some were requests for clues regarding a mysterious secret realm, some directly asked for cultivations methods...
There were a great variety of missions, and all were extremely difficult. Now he knew why so few people took them on. The summaries were telling enough.
Some of the missions were as arduous as finding a needle in a haystack. Others were as dangerous as climbing a mountain made of blades. They weren't for regular people.
Jiang Chen contemplated his options. There were all manners of missions, but some he naturally gravitated to. He preferred missions about pill dao the most. He'd be more confident about completing such a mission, and it'd take less effort.
Chapter 1713: The Flames of Vengeance
There were over a hundred sovereign missions, more than Jiang Chen had expected. Some had remained unresolved for over a thousand years. They'd long since faded from people's memory.
Nonetheless, every mission ever submitted remained in the Hall of Merit's record, and there were no expiration dates. All missions were still valid even after ten thousand years.
Jiang Chen took note of a few missions that caught his attention during his first pass and went over them again. He weighed his options and made up his mind.
"This, mission number 72." He pointed at the number on the scroll. "It rewards a hundred and twenty thousand points."
Gu Yunjin was surprised by how quickly the decision had been made. Ziju Min looked over the youth's shoulders curiously.
"The Flames of Vengeance!"
An interesting name for a mission. It was clearly a fierce matter of personal vengeance.
Gu Yunjin had known what mission it was as soon as Jiang Chen uttered the number. He looked at the youth in shock. "This mission was submitted only 63 short years ago, young Shao Yuan. However, the party involved has passed away already."
"Passed away? Does that mean the mission is invalid?"
"No, no. The mission's still valid. It was proposed by the senior executives. It involves a humiliation we once suffered. Brother Ziju should know about it too"
A surprised glint flashed through Ziju Min's eyes. He blurted out, "Is it about the tragedy that befell Elder Zimu sixty some years ago?"
"It is," Gu Yunjin said with a sigh. "You are the pill dao authority of the sacred land now, Brother Ziju, but back then, Elder Zimu was the unequivocal figurehead. That you agree with, right?"
Ziju Min's expression turned serious and reverent at the mention of the elder's name. He obviously held the elder in high regard. He nodded with a sigh.
"Elder Zimu's mastery of pill dao surpassed mine. He taught me a lot before his passing. He was far superior than I in age, experience, and prestige, and he spared no effort in guiding me, hoping that one day I'd take his place as the first in pill dao. I could go on for three days and I still wouldn't be done praising his character."
"It's a shame that he passed away," Gu Yunjin echoed sadly. "It was a serious blow to the sacred land as well. Under his guidance, we saw clear improvements in our knowledge of pill dao, but things went downhill after his death. We were furious about his death. That's why the mission came into existence, and it's titled the Flames of Vengeance."
So the mission was about avenging the elder. Gu Yunjin and Ziju Min gave Jiang Chen a basic understanding of what the elder had been through, and what the mission was about.
Elder Zimu used to travel around the world. One day, he received an invitation from Flora Divine Nation.
Among the Ten Divine Nations, Flora Divine Nation ranked first in pill dao. They regularly held pill dao exchanges within the nation, and Elder Zimu was a regular participant. Even Ziju Min had been to many of those events.
Once, Elder Zimu ran into a young pill dao genius from Flora Divine Nation. They had a disagreement about theory, and the arrogant genius insisted on winning the argument. Their verbal duel grew more heated and escalated into a pill dao match due to the crowd's provocation.
Elder Zimu's mentality had been compromised, and the young genius was on home turf, supported by Flora Divine Nation. Driven by his bloated confidence, he won the match against Elder Zimu by a small margin.
The match should have ended as a friendly exchange, but the genius aggressively hurled insults at the elder after winning, cornering the elder until he was thoroughly humiliated. Afterwards, the genius shot to fame while Elder Zimu's reputation suffered greatly. He became cannon fodder for the young man's overnight success.
The elder fell into depression after returning to the Eternal Sacred Land. He couldn't escape the memory of being humiliated by the young man and inner demons descended in the end.
News about the match became widespread in jianghu. The genius from Flora Divine Nation was highly praised, while Elder Zimu was mocked in every way one could imagine. He became the butt of jokes throughout Myriad Abyss after first being a stepping stone for the genius' success.
Afflicted with an inner demon, Elder Zimu wanted a chance at redemption, but the genius declared far and wide that having lost, the elder wasn't qualified to challenge him ever again.
As the leading figurehead of the sacred land, Elder Zimu was very proud. He lost control over his inner demon after repeated humiliations, and died of a cultivation deviation due to backlash through his meridiens when cultivating.
It was an unremovable stain on the sacred land's record.
After the elder's death, Eternal Divine Nation's relationship with Flora Divine Nation deteriorated drastically. The bad blood between the two nations persisted ever since.
The Eternal Sacred Land felt the blow even more keenly. To educate newcomers of the shame they'd suffered, the senior executives created the mission. There was only one objective—to defeat the genius from Flora Divine Nation.
One victory would be enough to complete the mission, and the reward was a hundred and twenty thousand points. The one who completed the mission could also become one of the top ten elders in the sacred land.
It was evident how much emphasis the sacred land put on the mission. Everyone felt Elder Zimu's shame like it was their own. However, Flora Divine Nation was the top in pill dao. There wasn't much they could do.
The mission was there to make them feel better about themselves. They knew the possibility that anyone could clear the mission was slim. The pill dao geniuses here didn't have high enough potential. The faction didn't have a solid enough foundation in pill dao and enough room for its development either.
Gu Yunjin sighed. "No one has attempted the mission since its inception, young Shao Yuan. We don't even dare think about it. You're bold for making this choice."
As the keeper of the Hall of Merit, Gu Yunjin knew the sovereign missions like the back of his hand. This was the first time the mission had been selected.
Ziju Min was doubtful as well. "Are you sure you want to take the mission, Shao Yuan? Elder Zimu's grasp of pill dao was much better than mine."
Jiang Chen smiled. "Of all the missions, this is the only one that catches my eye, and it seems more interesting."
He really did find the mission appealing, and it was in the realm of pill dao.
Gu Yunjin took a deep breath. "If you're sure, I'll approve your application. Once that's done, you cannot take back your decision. Have you really made up your mind, young Shao Yuan?"
"I have." Jiang Chen nodded without hesitation.
"Good, very good," praised Gu Yunjin. "It's been a long time since the mission was created. No one has ever taken it. Things are about to get very exciting."
Ziju Min sighed softly. "If you can complete the mission, Shao Yuan, your position among the younger generation will be indisputable."
"That's right," agreed Gu Yunjin. "The mission occupies a special place in the sacred land. It's more meaningful than the others."
"Then that's the one." Jiang Chen maintained a relaxed smile throughout. He was calmer than both Gu Yunjin and Ziju Min. For them, the mission was a faraway goal they'd only ever dreamed of reaching, but for him, it was just another pill dao mission.
"With that done, how does Elder Gu and Elder Ziju think I should go about the mission? Do I invite him to a challenge? Or should I go to Flora Divine Nation to challenge him?"
He only cared about how he could complete the mission in the most efficient way.
Ziju Min smiled wryly. "You're being too hasty, Shao Yuan. You should know your opponent first. He defeated Elder Zimu. Over the past decades, he's become even more well-known. He's considered a top tier pill dao master within the Ten Divine Nations. It's amazing for him to gain such prestige at such a young age. If you don't get to know him before challenging him..."
"I'd like to know him beforehand as well, but I don't have the time." Jiang Chen smiled. "May the two elders please help me come up with a solution to make sure he accepts my challenge? I'm most worried that he will turn me down because he believes none of us are good enough to be his opponent."
The pill dao genius had made a name for himself at a young age, and he'd defeated Elder Zimu in a manner that caused the elder's death. He was bound to look down on every pill dao expert in the Eternal Sacred Land.
It was very possible that he'd refuse if the sacred land invited him to a match. He could see it as an insult to his status.
Chapter 1714: Master Shi Xuan
Ziju Min and Gu Yunjin exchanged a look. They read shock in each other's eyes. They knew Shao Yuan meant his words.
Elder Zimu's death had been the thorn in the sacred land's side for the longest time. Both of the elders were old enough to have witnessed the tragic end of this great senior.
Of course they wanted one of their own to take a stand and give the arrogant Flora bastard a taste of his own medicine. To avenge Elder Zimu and the Eternal Sacred Land!
Before Jiang Chen though, no one in the sacred land had even dared think about taking on the responsibility. Everyone knew that the Eternal Sacred Land, with its limited foundation in pill dao, was unlikely to raise a pill dao genius proficient enough to complete the task.
Therefore, the Flames of Vengeance had remained largely ignored over the past decades.
Elder Ziju had thus been drawn to Jiang Chen when he first glimpsed the young man's pill dao talent during the competition in House Xiahou. And he'd willingly stepped down from his pedestal as an elder to befriend the young man. After several offers, he was finally able to move Shao Yuan with his earnestness.
The young man had returned his trust and appreciation with real action.
In the match with the Jade Lake Sect regarding the Mirage Introspection Pill, Jiang Chen had fully defeated the sect and rendered its pill dao figureheads speechless. The pill dao masters, including Old Immortal Brightstar, had all wholeheartedly admitted defeat to him.
The incident further convinced Ziju Min that his decision had been the right one. The young man was a wondrous genius in pill dao.
After that, Jiang Chen proved himself again by going through all nine of the winding caves during the evaluation, a most pleasant surprise.
But for Ziju Min, Jiang Chen's talent in pill dao was the most valuable. He'd been worried that the young man would choose to focus on his prodigal potential in martial dao instead, but taking on this mission caused Ziju Min to reevaluate his assumptions.
Hope flared up in the elder's heart. If the sacred land was to send a young genius to take the mission, Shao Yuan was the one.
"It looks like you've made up your mind, Shao Yuan."
"Don't you think I can win, Elder Ziju?" Jiang Chen smiled.
"That's not it. But you should still get to know your opponent beforehand. You've already taken the mission, that we can't change. However, you still have a year's worth of time. We can still make some preparations."
Gu Yunjin had done all he could as the keeper of the Hall of Merit. He could provide nothing but emotional support from now on.
Not long after Jiang Chen and Ziju Min left the hall, news got out that the new addition, Shao Yuan, had accepted a sovereign mission, and one that had never been attempted before at that.
The sacred land erupted in enthusiasm, including even the oldest secluded ancestors and the older disciples.
The younger disciples were the exceptions. Elder Zimu's death had been before their time. They didn't have an emotional connection to the incident. Some of them might have heard about Elder Zimu from their seniors, but hearing about what had happened was entirely different from living through it themselves.
Despite the lukewarm reaction from the younger generation, the news continue to spread throughout the sacred land. Even those who rarely paid attention to the outside world started looking into Shao Yuan, trying to find out who exactly the young genius was.
The sacred land was vast. The senior executives, the middle management, and the regular disciples amounted to at least a couple million people in total. Most of them didn't know each other.
Of course they knew the three primes, the elders, and a number of outstanding geniuses, but none of the rest. Most were focused on their own responsibilities and didn't pay much attention to other affairs in the sacred land.
However, the mission to avenge Elder Zimu was something almost everyone in the sacred land knew. As soon as they heard the mission had been taken, the first question that came to their minds was: who?
The name Shao Yuan soon spread to every part of the sacred land.
Meanwhile, Jiang Chen kept an unusually low profile after taking the mission. He remained in Ziju Min's residence to study his opponent. He didn't actually need to know his opponent to win; getting the other to accept his challenge without reservations was the difficult part.
"Shao Yuan, when Elder Zimu died sixty some years ago, the pill dao genius was in his thirties. He's just reached a hundred now. He's still considered young for someone pursuing pill dao, but he's already a pill dao sovereign in Flora Divine Nation. He's among the top three sought after figures in that nation.
"He might be top ten or even top six in the whole of the Ten Divine Nations. Many think the world of him. They think that he may become the top pill dao master in the Ten Divine Nations before he reaches five hundred years of age." Ziju Min's tone was conflicted.
He didn't want to praise the man at all, but he had to admit that the man lived up to his name. It weighed heavily on him.
"What's his name?" asked Jiang Chen.
"Shi Xuan of Flora Divine Nation. In the pill dao community, he's called Master Shi Xuan."
"Shi Xuan?" Jiang Chen repeated thoughtfully.
"Here's some information on his rise in status. We've been collecting data ever since that incident and so know quite a lot about him. The man's resilient, but also very cruel. There isn't much he wouldn't do to further his goal. He's an anomaly in the pill dao world."
Different from martial dao cultivators, most pill dao experts veered on the mild-tempered side. Aggressiveness was integral to pursuing martial dao, but detrimental to pill dao.
Jiang Chen took the file and read it thoroughly. He had to admit that Shi Xuan was a genius in pill dao. There was a clear trajectory to his rise in power, and every major event he'd attended unfolded like a story in the legends.
Elder Zimu wasn't the only victim Shi Xuan claimed. He'd defeated many contemporaries in pill dao, including fellow geniuses, well-respected masters, and pill dao figureheads from powerful factions.
Several masters of Elder Zimu's level had also lost to Shi Xuan. Elder Zimu's death was what made him a special case. It was clear from Shi Xuan's personal history that he was a ruthless man who'd do everything to achieve his goal.
People like him didn't care much about morals. They made for formidable foes.
Jiang Chen didn't know just exactly how Elder Zimu died of rage. Only Elder Zimu and Shi Xuan were privy to the details. He put down the file and looked gravely at Ziju Min. "Elder Ziju, how do we arrange a match with him?"
Seeing his self-assured expression, Ziju Min couldn't help but inquire. "I appreciate your confidence, Shao Yuan, but this isn't a simple challenge. What are your odds of winning?"
Jiang Chen smiled. "My conservative estimate is at fifty percent. If I allow myself to be confident, I'll say seventy to eighty percent."
In truth, he was a hundred percent sure he'd win. After ascending to empyrean realm, the restrictions previously imposed on him had disappeared.
His progress in martial dao had considerable impact on his pill dao. He was absolutely confident that he'd now be able to defeat anyone on the Divine Abyss Continent when it came to pill dao.
"Seventy to eighty percent?" Ziju Min found it hard to believe. "This isn't a game. You're at the perfect standing in the sacred land at the moment. If you fail the mission, both your reputation and fame will be undermined, and even your status may suffer. Have you considered that risk?"
"I have, Elder Ziju. To be honest with you, failing the mission is not an option nor a possibility." Jiang Chen's confidence was contagious.
Ziju Min studied the genius for a while before sighing quietly. "Never has a young man earned so much of my trust like you have, Shao Yuan. Alright, I'll arrange the match for you."
"As soon as possible," Jiang Chen emphasized.
"Haha, that won't be easy. In the pill dao community of Myriad Abyss, you're only known for your innovation with the Mirage Introspection Pill. You haven't established yourself yet. It'll be difficult for you to challenge Shi Xuan. Regular methods won't work."
"Then we'll go unorthodox," Jiang Chen immediately responded.
"Then we need a good plan."
"Isn't it enough to say that I've inherited Elder Zimu's knowledge and want to avenge him?"
"Of course not." Ziju Min shook his head. "Based on my understanding of Shi Xuan, he'll proudly say that since Elder Zimu lost to him, a mere disciple has even less of a right to challenge him."
Jiang Chen burst out chuckling. "That'll be a problem. Alright, how about I insult him?"
"Insult him? Like what?"
"In the harshest way possible until he accepts my challenge." Jiang Chen smirked. "Isn't he one of the pill dao figureheads in Flora Divine Nation? He's bound to be angry if a nobody calls him names and undermines his reputation. In the end, he'll be left with no choice but to take the stage."
Chapter 1715: Three Kinds of Pills
Ziju Min was a relatively aboveboard man, a traditional and genteel pill dao master. His personal philosophy contained little scheming and trickery. He hadn't much experience when it came to more unorthodox methods.
The bluntness of Jiang Chen's proposition was met with initial doubt. Was this doable?
"Will your idea really work, Shao Yuan?"
Jiang Chen shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I feel that we should try it. If I curse, insult, and belittle him to the depths of uselessness, he wouldn't be able to sit still."
"He's very proud indeed. If you challenge him through more normal means, he'd just ignore you to crush your will with cold aloofness. But his arrogance will also be his downfall. If you can incite him to real anger by insulting him, he might very well fall for it."
Ziju Min analyzed the situation seriously. The more he thought about it, the more he agreed with Shao Yuan's simple and violent idea.
"Well then, let's give it an attempt," Jiang Chen laughed. "Are there any pill dao competitions to take place soon? Any other exciting events are fine too. Myriad Abyss is a huge place—surely there's something like that?"
Ziju Min considered it for a moment. "Exciting events, sure, but none are sufficiently high-level. I can't be sure Shi Xuan will attend any of them."
The current Shi Xuan was very different from the man who'd driven Elder Zimu to a maddened death. He styled himself a pill dao giant now, not an up-and-coming junior who could use candidness as a bludgeon. He had come to care more about style and status.
Because of this, Shi Xuan wouldn't necessarily attend an average event.
"So there's no especially high profile pill dao gatherings in the near future?"
Ziju Min considered it a bit more before shaking his head. "According to what I know, there won't be any in the next one or two years."
"How about we host one then?"
"Us? Host one?" Ziju Min blinked. He'd never considered such a thing. Ever since Elder Zimu's passing, the Eternal Sacred Land's level of pill dao had only deteriorated over time. It occupied an increasingly low position within the Ten Divine Nations.
A pill dao convention held by the Eternal Sacred Land wouldn't be particularly exciting. More precisely, there wouldn't necessarily be enough outside interest from any pill dao heavyweights.
Ziju Min smiled wryly. "It's not easy to host a pill dao convention. If we commanded such respect within the Ten Divine Nations' realm of pill dao, we could pull that off trivially. But we didn't have that much authority even when Elder Zimu was still alive, and we certainly lack it now. Even if we're not last place, we're definitely in the bottom three.
"Authority is based upon strength and foundations. However, it's not the only thing that can be the catalyst for such a convening. Even with tremendous authority, no one would attend our meeting with any enthusiasm if it were unattractive."
"On the flip side, the right kind of attraction means that even a smaller faction's meeting will be welcomed with surprising enthusiasm. Elder Ziju, do you remember the ancient jade festival held in the Bluesmoke Isles?"
The attraction of that second-rate faction had nevertheless been astonishingly effective. Bluesmoke Jade had been dear enough to draw countless large factions from all ten of the divine nations. Ziju Min fell into stunned thought.
He drew a sharp breath after quite a while. "Shao Yuan," he said with some difficulty, "I can't lie to you about this. The Eternal Sacred Land doesn't have much that other factions would be interested in, pill dao–wise."
"What if I can come up with the requisite bait, Elder Ziju? Does the sacred land feel adequate enough to host the meeting?" Jiang Chen's gaze burned feverishly into Ziju Min.
The senior was beyond shocked. He looked back, amazed at the young man's declaration. The certainty he saw in the genius' eyes moved him.
"What kind of bait do you have, Shao Yuan? You've piqued my curiosity."
"What kind of bait do you think would be most attractive, Elder Ziju?"
"In the world of pill dao? Pill recipes lost to time, or maybe pills will marvelous effects. Pills that have never been seen before by mortal eyes…? And other such curios," Ziju Min mused. "Do you have some kind of legendary pill or recipe, Shao Yuan?"
Jiang Chen smiled gently. "None of that would be difficult for me. My ancestral heritage contain several precious pill recipes, as well as a plethora of lost ones."
His pill dao skills being an inheritance from a long lineage was his explanation to the outside world. Supposedly, his ancestors had a bloodline passed down as well, and more memories than usual had simply happened to awaken within him. This was a plausible way of putting it.
Ziju Min's eyes lit up. He knew well that the young man's pill dao knowledge ran impenetrably deep. The matter of the Mirage Introspection Pill had proven that rather pointedly.
"If you can offer an empyrean rank ancient pill recipe, that will be more than sufficient bait. The pill itself will be fine too. The effect will be further amplified if the pill has an effect not currently seen in the market," Ziju Min affirmed excitedly.
"Give me a day or two to think about it," Jiang Chen said with a smile, "and I'll give you the answer after."
Truthfully, he had plenty of bait in his memories. A nigh infinite supplies of pill recipes and excessive technique for turning them into physical pills, but finding the optimal piece of bait needed a bit more consideration.
It obviously couldn't be too showy, but it needed to draw widespread attention from as many eyes as possible.
He returned to his residence to ponder the subject.
He had countless recipes for empyrean rank pills in his memories, with even a smattering of variety of similar effects. Like indelible seals, they were imprinted upon Jiang Chen's consciousness. The differences of time and space hadn't diminished them a single bit.
"At the end of the day, Myriad Abyss Island is part of Divine Abyss' outer reaches. In terms of inherited knowledge and resources, this place is even worse than the other races' ancient homelands. It doesn't have much pill dao heritage to speak of. According to what I know, Myriad Abyss doesn't have a pill to help great emperors break through to empyrean. Even if it did, it wouldn't be particularly effective, or it would be available in the market. Maybe I can proceed in this direction.
"Another possibility is a pill for empyrean cultivators to unconditionally ascend one level. There's no way I'd have any competition there."
Jiang Chen was almost certain of this. Before he'd come along, the human domain hadn't had the emperor and great emperor pill equivalents. Since Myriad Abyss's heritage was derived from Divine Abyss Continent, it definitely lacked the same.
But that kind of pill did exist in the heavenly planes, even for empyrean cultivators. It was painstakingly demanding in terms of both labor and materials, but it did exist.
Empyrean cultivators found another kind of pill extremely popular as well. In the heavenly planes of Jiang Chen's past life, pills that could safeguard a cultivator against cultivation tribulations had been widely in demand.
An expert's lifespan was drastically lengthened in the empyrean realm. However, they would meet with their fair share of heavenly disasters and trials whenever their inner demons acted up, or they offended the heavenly dao when cultivating.
In other words, empyrean experts risked vastly more calamitous trials compared to all the realms before.
Everyone beneath empyrean realm possessed a mortal body. The greatest of great emperors could only claim to have achieved the mundane pinnacle of martial dao. Empyrean and above meant eligibility to enter the heavenly planes as well as being ruled by the heavenly dao.
Empyrean experts' cultivation required a much higher volume of absorbing spirit energy and making use of the heavenly dao. The increased frequency of associated disasters was perfectly understandable.
All trials had premonitions and forewarning, which provided the cultivator they were visited upon with ample time to prepare. Pills were a good way to do so.
Thus, these were the three ideas Jiang Chen came up with:
One, a pill to help peak great emperors reach empyrean realm.
Two, a pill for a free level within empyrean realm.
Three, a pill to help empyrean experts weather their natural trials.
Currently, Myriad Abyss drew blanks in all three categories. Jiang Chen could produce more efficient pills when it came to healing injuries and recovering energy, but they weren't nearly explosive enough in terms of impact.
Exceptionalism tended to draw many more eyes.
He was confident in the feasibility in any of his three ideas, but wasn't going to make use of all of them. Two out of the three ideas should be enough. That wasn't exactly something difficult to pull off.
He came up with a more detailed plan shortly thereafter.
One pill to help peak great emperors break through to empyrean realm was the Taiyi Skymender Pill. The name of the pill gave away its purpose: to help geniuses with insufficient talent to reach empyrean realm—or at the very least, increase their success rate.
Only a broken sky needed to be mended artificially. When a cultivator lacked the essential talent and strength to break through himself, the pill could serve as a capable stopgap to bridge the difference. That was where the name came from.
Another pill, this one for a free level within empyrean, was called the Crowning Empyrean Pill. Its name gave away its effect in this case as well; the pill would serve to 'crown' an empyrean cultivator by bestowing him an extra level.
In the third category was a pill to defend empyrean experts against their tribulations. This pill was the most miraculous of all three, with a smattering of requisite rare materials and a finicky process to match. Its name—the Clearweather Pill.
Chapter 1716: Stunning Ziju Min
None of the three pills' recipes were a problem for Jiang Chen. Their details were all fresh on his mind, as clear as the day they'd first been imprinted there. Refining them wouldn't be much trouble either, since he had an excess of experience and know-how.
His most difficult problem lay in an embarrassing question. Was it possible to collect all the materials in Myriad Abyss Island?
The three he'd chosen were relatively easy to source compared to their more arcane fellows. Anything much harder had been entirely out of Jiang Chen's consideration.
Of those, he firmly believed that it was flat-out impossible to get their materials in Myriad Abyss Island. He wrote out all three pill recipes, simulating them several times before he was sure they were issue-free.
"If I can't get materials for even these three pills, then I won't bother with anything more ingenious." Jiang Chen had hand-picked them for their appropriateness to his situation.
Having completed his selection, he found Ziju Min the next morning. The senior was taken aback by the young man's early visit.
"You came up with an idea already, Shao Yuan? A bit too efficient, aren't we?"
"Time waits for no man," Jiang Chen laughed. "I need the sacred land's full support as soon as possible, so I need to get the mission done with the same urgency."
"If you can complete 'the Flames of Vengeance', then we will back you up in every endeavor. Even if you make a request of the first prime or the venerated forefather, they will consider it seriously. If your talent is known across the land, we will make every effort to retain you."
Jiang Chen was overjoyed when he heard this.
He had suggested the Eternal Sacred Land host a pill dao convention aimed at various heavyweights in order to prepare for the campaign against Shi Xuan, but part of it had also been for the sake of bolstering his own reputation. He wanted the faction to recognize his potential and expertise.
He wanted to build up his own chips in a possible negotiation, to ask for their full backing of his quest for Huang'er's hand. He wanted them to know he had the right and worth for the sacred land to oppose House Xiahou on his behalf.
Roused by the prospect of promotion, he relayed his findings to his superior. "Elder Ziju, I did manage to come up with what we needed. However, the pills are an incredibly precious part of my ancient heritage. I hope that the sacred land can respect that fact, and won't force me to make any public contributions."
"Whether you contribute your heritage or not is up to you," Ziju Min affirmed hastily. "The sacred land will definitely not force your hand."
Courtesy was of the essence at this juncture. Even if the sacred land had such ambitions, it wouldn't coerce anyone unless absolutely necessary. It could afford that bit of magnanimity, at least.
"So what did you come up with, Shao Yuan?" Ziju Min waxed inquisitive.
"A pill to help peak great emperors break through to empyrean realm. Mine boasts a thirty percent improvement. Does a pill like that exist in the market?"
"Thirty percent improved chance to break through to empyrean realm?" Ziju Min gasped. "Pills that are touted to help the process do exist in the market, but their results are the furthest thing from convincing. Do you have any concrete proof to help your case?"
"Concrete proof? I'm not so sure that's possible initially. However, I guarantee that geniuses who have a twenty to thirty percent chance at breaking through will hit over fifty with the pill. Put differently, if among ten geniuses, one or two can break through. If they all take this pill, that number will increase to at least four—maybe as many as six!"
Ziju Min was floored. "Is this pill really as miraculous as you say?"
"Yes. I'm not sure if the Eternal Sacred Land can get together the materials I need though. I haven't seen any of these, otherwise I would've refined the pill already."
"Tell me, what materials do you need?"
Jiang Chen unceremoniously handed over a shopping list of what he needed to Ziju Min.
"Please take a look, Elder Ziju."
Ziju Min was overjoyed after perusing the paper. "The Eternal Sacred Land can get together these materials. The Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit is the main component, yes? Aside from this, the others are easy enough to come by."
"Very astute, Elder Ziju." Jiang Chen hadn't marked the materials' relative importance down on the list. Ziju Min's pill dao mastery was evident in the sharpness of his off-handed remark.
"The Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit is difficult to obtain. If I recall correctly, the sacred land has three such within our vaults. Elder Zimu had picked them near some lava floes in the deep blue. Because of the fruits' rarity, we've kept them among our other treasures all this time. No one has had the right to make use of them since then."
"Elder Zimu picked those?" Jiang Chen sighed. "Perhaps this is the will of heaven then."
"Perhaps." Ziju Min found it as curious as Jiang Chen did. He wasn't entirely convinced of the pill's veracity. "Chance is not something that's easy to quantify, you know. Thirty percent… please excuse my saying so, but I'm not sure if the general public will believe you."
"What do you mean by that, Elder Ziju?" Jiang Chen asked.
"Nothing in particular that's between us. I'm just worried that the pill won't be attractive enough by itself, since outsiders may not trust you so easily." Ziju Min raised his primary concern.
"Haha, any kind of new pill would be met with distrust initially, right? That's completely understandable." Jiang Chen nodded in acknowledgment. "Time and actual results will prove who's right in the end."
"Hmm." Ziju Min inclined his head in thoughtful agreement.
"Elder Ziju. If you don't think the Taiyi Skymender Pill isn't enough, how about a pill that lets an empyrean realm cultivator ascend one level for free?"
"For free? No strings attached?" Ziju Min was baffled once more. His body recoiled like a spring; he affixed his eyes on Jiang Chen with an alien look. "You… you're not joking, are you? Is there a pill as wondrous as that? A free level, even in empyrean realm?"
"Well, to call it an entirely free level would be an exaggeration. Nonetheless, consuming the pill will allow someone whose limit is at fourth level empyrean realm to push up to fifth level… most likely. An initial empyrean cultivator will see pretty much instant results. A mid empyrean cultivator needs a few months to a handful of years, and a higher rank one, even longer. But it's definitely entirely a matter of time—the level will be there in the end."
Ziju Min remained incredulous. "I've heard of pills like that for sage and emperor realms. Not so for great emperor, and definitely not for empyrean. Forgive me, but it sounds just a tad farfetched…"
Jiang Chen grinned. He knew what he'd said was too far beyond the realm of ordinary imagination. Pills of this kind were much beyond Myriad Abyss Island's native level.
"Elder Ziju, the name of the pill is the Crowning Empyrean Pill. It really is that wondrous, at least according to my ancestral memories. Apparently, it was first created by primordial divine cultivators, so it has an even more esoteric list of materials. That's why I didn't mention it at first."
Ziju Min was dazed by a rush of emotion. He glanced at Jiang Chen with great uncertainty.
He was truly curious about exactly how amazing the young man's inherited bloodline was. Was something like that really possible for a wandering cultivator's family?
What he was hearing befitted the lineage of a primordial aristocratic house much more.
There was no other explanation for this though. Ziju Min sighed. "Shao Yuan, I don't know how your family ended up as wandering cultivators. What you've inherited alone is enough to begin your own sect or faction. How did it all come to pass?"
Jiang Chen sighed as well. "There was nothing particularly remarkable in my father, grandfather, and great grandfather. But the bloodline has awakened with stunning completeness in me, and more memories came rushing back. Even my forefathers would struggle to explain this. Maybe… I'm just lucky?"
Obviously, he couldn't say that he had been the son of the Celestial Emperor in his previous life.
He could only weave a white lie to gain Ziju Min's trust. Whether the other man found it credible or not was not something he could affect.
For his part, Ziju Min implicitly trusted what Jiang Chen had said in regard to his heritage.
"Maybe you were blessed by fortune indeed. You've regained everything your bloodline contains in your particular generation. I think this can be called a kind of ancestral reversion, right?
"There might be a different reason as well, I suppose. It may not be your bloodline heritage at all, but the fact that you are a reincarnated divine spirit yourself. Your memories may not come from your heritage, but your previous life. You might not know that yourself at this point, but it's quite possible." Ziju Min was an experienced and world-wise man.
He knew that many masters in the world of martial dao chose to embrace the cycle of life and death when encountered with an irresistible danger. They would then be reborn as another.
Though this was an acutely risky choice fraught with danger, it had a pretty good chance of working. If the person the god reincarnated as was reasonably talented, his past memories might very well awaken.
Ziju Min found the second explanation increasingly more convincing.
It didn't matter which case it was, however. At the end of the day, did the pills and their recipes that Shao Yuan had mentioned really exist?
Jiang Chen presented the material list for the Crowning Empyrean Pill to Ziju Min too.
"Elder Ziju, this is what I need for the Crowning Empyrean Pill. If you can gather the materials, I am a hundred percent certain I can refine the actual pill."
He needed something more tangible to back him up. The refinement of the pill would convince Ziju Min of everything he had said. Otherwise, there wasn't much point arguing over the finer points.