Chapter 1207: Joining Sacred Peafowl Mountain
There were many restrictions on who could be selected to take the field. Apart from Jiang Chen and Emperor Shura, the other three personnel selected had to be two followers and one personal disciple. Moreover, the disciple had to be a member of the younger generation. This meant that Pill King Lu Feng and Pill King Bu weren't allowed to compete. Although these rules limited Sacred Peafowl Mountain greatly to some degree, they also meant that Shura Retreat couldn't do as it pleased either.
Therefore, Emperor Peerless couldn't participate because he was both just a friend and invited reinforcement. He wasn't a real member of Sacred Peafowl Mountain, so it would be breaching the rules to have him take a slot. Although his offer was a surprise and delight, the group knew that it just couldn't be done. This was a faction war between Sacred Peafowl Mountain and Shura Retreat.
Not even Emperor Coiling Dragon and Emperor Void could participate in this match. The same went for Emperor Vastsea on the Shura Retreat side, no matter how loud he barked. The atmosphere weighed a bit heavily. Emperor Coiling Dragon was aware of Emperor Peerless' reputation. He also knew that this legendary wandering cultivator had risen to fame earlier than either Emperor Void or himself, and was probably stronger as well.
"Daoist Peerless, your friendship with young lord Zhen is a great story to be sung for years to come. However, the rules are the rules. We all wish that you can show off your might, but…"
Emperor Void also nodded slightly. "Daoist Peerless is both famous and powerful. Our Emperor Peafowl may be the only great emperor in the entire Veluriyam Capital who can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you. We rather wish that you could take part in the competition, but alas, the rules are against us."
That was slight exaggeration. Emperor Peerless himself knew that Emperor Peafowl was better, despite his own fame. Emperor Peafowl aside, he truly feared no one else in the entire Veluriyam Capital, not even Emperor Shura. It was why he'd been furious when he learned that Emperor Shura was trying for a coup and wanted to harm Jiang Chen in the process. To the great emperor, Jiang Chen's troubles were his troubles as well.
Emperor Peerless nodded in response, but his eyes remained as determined as ever. He suddenly smiled. "I know. All participants must be a member of Sacred Peafowl Mountain, am I right?"
"Ai, it is as you say," Emperor Coiling Dragon also sighed.
"In that case, I hereby formally request to join Sacred Peafowl Mountain. Countless factions have tried to recruit me, Mo Wushuang, in the many years I roamed the world, but none have tempted me until Sacred Peafowl Mountain, and especially you, young lord Zhen. I wholeheartedly pledge allegiance to you, so I sincerely request to join Sacred Peafowl Mountain. Let this battle be my proof of allegiance!"
The famous Emperor Peerless wishes to join Sacred Peafowl Mountain?
Everyone suddenly felt that their brains were malfunctioning. The crowd stared at him with shock, trying to determine if the great emperor was joking or not. He wasn't, not in the slightest.
Can it be?
Does Emperor Peerless really wish to join Sacred Peafowl Mountain? Emperor Coiling Dragon and Emperor Void's eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. If Emperor Peerless really did join Sacred Peafowl Mountain, then the hole with Emperor Peafowl's absence would be mostly filled!
The thought lasted for only an instant. Who knew if Emperor Peerless wouldn't try to upstage his host, threaten young lord Zhen's status, or wrestle control from the young lord?
It wouldn't be funny if they fought off the tiger only to be backstabbed by the wolf.
It was normal for Emperor Coiling Dragon and Emperor Void to harbor such doubts because they hadn't interacted with Emperor Peerless before. Although it was rumored that the great emperor was a straightforward and upright man, not all rumors were to be believed. That was why they didn't dare voice an opinion, even though they suddenly felt very hopeful about the future.
The four great monarchs of Sacred Peafowl Mountain more or less felt the same way. They had volunteered to take part in the competition, but that didn't mean they felt confident. They weren't absolutely certain because Emperor Peafowl was missing. But if Emperor Peerless were to officially join them, his presence would undoubtedly be a great morale boost. He might even tip the balance just enough that the tides were overturned. He might not be the better of Emperor Peafowl, but he was at least the equal of Emperor Shura.
However, Emperor Peerless' great fame and influence worked against him as well. The four monarchs looked forward to his aid, but they couldn't help but harbor the same doubts as Emperor Coiling Dragon and Emperor Void. Everyone turned to Jiang Chen. Obviously, young lord Zhen should be the one to make a decision here.
He was also slightly taken aback by Emperor Peerless' offer.
"Brother Mo, I've heard your sentiments. But this relates to your freedom." Jiang Chen's worry was different from his subordinates. While everyone else was worried that Mo Wushuang would become too powerful and threaten to upset his position, the young man was worried that the great emperor would lose some of the freedom he enjoyed as a wandering cultivator.
Mo Wushuang laughed. "Are you worried that I'll lose my freedom after I joined Sacred Peafowl Mountain? Relax, I'm only going to join you as a guest elder. I won't be playing a part in any matters of Sacred Peafowl Mountain unless it's of utmost importance."
A guest elder?
Emperor Coiling Dragon and Emperor Void's eyes brightened even further. Now they could see how this arrangement might work. If Emperor Peerless made a lot of demands prior to joining Sacred Peafowl Mountain, then his participation might not be a good thing. But if he only wanted to become a guest elder with no responsibility at all, it was entirely acceptable as long as the young lord agreed.
Mo Wushuang frowned when he saw the young man still hesitating. "Young lord Zhen, you saved my life and Ah Yun's. Won't you give me a chance to repay the favor?"
There were too many people present in the scene, so Mo Wushuang couldn't speak as frankly as he might have. He even addressed Jiang Chen by his title of young lord Zhen instead of the usual "younger brother".
Now they understood why Emperor Peerless had acted the way he did. He was trying to repay young lord Zhen for saving his life. It was rumored that Emperor Peerless' wife was saved by none other than young lord Zhen himself. Many knew about this.
Emperor Coiling Dragon and Emperor Void felt sudden respect towards Emperor Peerless. The former spoke up. "Young lord Zhen, Emperor Peerless is a famous great emperor and leader in the wandering cultivator world. It isn't easy for someone at his level to act as fairly as he does, so I believe that you should consider his request."
"Yes, young lord Zhen. Sacred Peafowl Mountain will be a tiger with wings if Daoist Peerless were to join us," Cloudsoar Monarch echoed.
Emperor Peerless had already declared his intentions to become a guest elder with no real authority. This was recruiting a great emperor at almost no cost. The monarch would be very foolish to turn down such good business.
Jiang Chen sighed quietly. "Brother Mo, I would be pretentious if I turn you down any longer. Alright, on behalf of Sacred Peafowl Mountain, I sincerely invite you to join Sacred Peafowl Mountain. I've already thought of your title. You will be an esteemed guest elder."
It would be unreasonable to appoint Emperor Peerless as a mere guest elder. It wouldn't have matched Emperor Peerless incredible status outside. But an esteemed guest elder, now that was a different story. The word "esteemed" gave the post entirely new meaning.
"Good, good! This will be a wondrous story for generations to come!" Emperor Coiling Dragon rubbed his palms together and laughed loudly.
Emperor Void looked very elated as well. "On behalf of Daoist Peafowl, I welcome you to Sacred Peafowl Mountain, Daoist Peerless. Your participation is a great boost to Sacred Peafowl Mountain's fortunes!"
Emperor Peerless knew that the two great emperors were Jiang Chen's friends and allies, so he cupped his fists in reply. "There is no need for such courtesy, my friends. I owe young lord Zhen such an enormous favor that I may not be able to repay it during this lifetime. To be honest, it is I who owes young lord Zhen, not the other way around."
He spoke from the bottom of his heart.
"Young lord Zhen…" The Geng brothers could no longer keep still. The elder brother, Geng Qianzhang, looked expectantly at Jiang Chen, "If a man like Brother Mo wishes to join Sacred Peafowl Mountain, then… we would be so thick-faced as to want to join Sacred Peafowl Mountain as well."
The Geng brothers were brothers of Emperor Peerless. They were also famous in their own rights. Although they were no great emperors, they were still a peak ninth level emperor realm and a peak eighth level emperor realm cultivator. Cultivators like them were top tier even in Veluriyam Capital.
The successive boons pleasantly surprised the members of Sacred Peafowl Mountain.
Emperor Peerless chuckled. "Young lord Zhen, my two brothers have always had my back. If you don't mind…"
Jiang Chen smiled. "The Geng brothers are famous upright men in the wandering cultivator community. Why would I ever turn you down after you've shown me so much trust in me?"
"Good, good. Congratulations, young lord Zhen! Two more fierce tigers have joined Sacred Peafowl Mountain." Emperor Coiling Dragon smiled.
Jiang Chen nodded and looked at the Geng brothers. "Would you like to become esteemed guest elders just like Old Brother Mo?"
"Oh no, oh no. We aren't deserving of the title "esteemed". We are satisfied with just being guest elders," Geng Qianzhang hurriedly responded.
They weren't great emperors yet, so there was no way they would dare accept such a post. They were satisfied with just being guest elders of Sacred Peafowl Mountain, not to mention that they trusted Jiang Chen and wanted to follow Mo Wushuang further. Earning a lofty status wasn't part of their goals.
Mo Wushuang also said, "Young lord Zhen, my brothers aren't really interested in positions of power, so it's fine to make them guest elders of Sacred Peafowl Mountain. The important thing is that the public accepts their presence."
"Yeah, we brothers trust Brother Mo and are fully impressed by young lord Zhen!" Gen Qianchi also declared loudly.
Chapter 1208: A Completely Unexpected Candidate
Sacred Peafowl Mountain's morale grew tremendously after Emperor Peerless and the Geng Brothers joined the faction. The unexpected turn of events made the four monarchs extremely happy.
Powerful experts had joined the faction, yet their own authority and ranks weren't even slightly affected. It was the greatest deal of a lifetime. Only someone as highly revered as young lord Zhen could attract these legendary wanderers to join the Sacred Peafowl Mountain. It was a feat that not even Emperor Peafowl could achieve. Emperor Peafowl could compel much from other people, but it was highly unlikely that he'd be able to get Emperor Peerless to join Sacred Peafowl Mountain without any incentives.
"Alright, since Old Brother Mo has joined our faction, he shall be one of the followers. I trust that nobody has a second opinion?" Jiang Chen asked assessingly as he looked at the crowd.
"None at all." Cloudsoar Monarch was first to declare his support.
"Me neither." A person as cold and lofty as Plumscore Monarch would never oppose to it during such times either. She had a cold personality, but that didn't mean she was a fool. Emperor Peerless' participation would drastically increase Sacred Peafowl Mountain's winning chances. She'd have to be a complete idiot to say no.
Since there were no naysayers, Jiang Chen flashed a grin at Emperor Peerless. "Old Brother Mo, surely you wouldn't detest being called a follower?"
Emperor Peerless responded with a hearty laugh. "Young lord Zhen, do you think I would care about such trifling matters? I'd be fine even if I was called a slave! It's merely a title! I, of all people, know how you treat me."
Emperor Peerless felt a little agitated when he said this. When Jiang Chen had given him the Kunpeng bloodline, he felt a burning and unquenching desire to repay this favor. He understood that Jiang Chen had only given him the blood due to trust. The young lord had plenty of great emperor friends and didn't necessarily have to give the blood to him. It was the biggest reason why he volunteered to join the Sacred Peafowl Mountain.
He was a very proud person, but that didn't mean that he was conceited. He knew when to be grateful to others. It was thanks to his pride that he was able to see how great Jiang Chen was and felt thorough respect for the young lord. But when he received that precious gift from Jiang Chen, he'd made up his mind and resolved to follow the young lord.
He didn't feel that joining Sacred Peafowl Mountain was too brash of a decision. Quite the contrary, in fact. The more he got to know Jiang Chen, the more limitless the young mysterious man's potential seemed to be. He had the feeling that if he served under the young man, he would one day receive an even more unbelievable fortune.
Even if there was no great fortune ahead, the Kunpeng bloodline would already change his life. He was more than willing to let Jiang Chen order him around. After all, the opportunity to ascend to the empyrean realm was something one could only dream of.
Emperor Peafowl and Emperor Pillzenith had been great emperors for thousands of years, but none of them had transcended to empyrean realm yet. One could easily tell from this just how difficult it was to become an empyrean expert. And because of that looming difficulty, Emperor Peerless was able to understand just how significant a single drop of Kunpeng blood was. Jiang Chen had done him a huge favor!
Emperor Peerless' strong resolution warmed the crowd's hearts. They couldn't help but feel even more respect for him. They saw Emperor Peerless as a great man who truly knew how to differentiate friend from foe.
"We need one more follower now that Old Brother Mo has taken one spit. Who is up for the task?" Jiang Chen swept his gaze through the four monarch, the Geng Brothers, Pill King Bu, and Pill King Lu Feng. They were the only suitable candidates present.
Cloudsoar Monarch volunteered. "Young lord, we'll feel bad if you send the Geng Brothers to battle after picking Emperor Peerless. The second candidate must be from the four of us. I'm willing to go into battle."
"Agreed. Us four monarchs are Emperor Peafowl's handpicked subordinates. We'll defend Sacred Peafowl Mountain with our very lives if we have to!"
Pill King Lu Feng laughed mischievously. "Master, why don't you pick me instead? I have no confidence in martial dao, but I'm certain that I can bring us at least one victory in pill dao."
Pill King Lu Feng had learned a lot from Jiang Chen after so many years. The young lord didn't have much time to spend in personal tutelage, but the books he'd provided to them had provided much inspiration, which improved their pill dao knowledge by leaps and bounds.
Jiang Chen pondered deeply. "The second candidacy should be given to the four monarchs. It would a huge disservice otherwise. Moreover, outsiders might start rumors and give them a hard time."
It was the simple reality of things. The four monarchs were Emperor Peafowl's most trusted aides. It'd be most inappropriate if they didn't participate in the battle.
"You should discuss among yourselves to decide who'll be the most suitable candidate." Jiang Chen didn't name any names because he knew that he'd disappoint the other three. Having them discuss among themselves was the easiest way to pick the most suitable candidate.
After a brief discussion, Cloudsoar Monarch was elected. He didn't have a significant advantage over the other three in martial dao, but he was significantly better in pill dao. He was also slightly more well-rounded. Now that Cloudsoar Monarch had been chosen as the second follower, one personal disciple was needed for the competition.
The candidacy for this spot was much harder to fill. Jiang Chen had a few direct disciples, but Pill King Bu and Pill King Lu Feng were both too old. The only suitable candidate left was Lin Yanyu.
Mu Gaoqi was Jiang Chen's fellow disciple from Regal Pill Palace and could be technically be sent into battle as his direct disciple, but both Mu Gaoqi and Lin Yanyu were a little wanting in martial dao. There were four martial dao matches in total, with each candidate having to attend one. Sending them out to battle seemed a little too dangerous.
"Esteemed master, please send this disciple to battle." Lin Yanyu stepped forward to volunteer.
"Brother Lin, let me instead." Mu Gaoqi volunteered too.
Other disciples such Gouyu and Xue Tong didn't add to the chaos as they were no match for either Lin Yanyu or Mu Gaoqi.
Jiang Chen had some reservations as well. Lin Yanyu and Mu Gaoqi were the obvious candidates, but they were truly a little too inadequate in martial dao. There were only three pill dao matches in total. Lin Yanyu and Mu Gaoqi would definitely dominate everyone in their age group, but they were still a little too young to go up against seasoned pill kings that were on the same level as Pill King Lu Feng and Pill King Bu. After all, Shura Retreat might not have Li Jiancheng participate in those matches. The two possible choices were incredibly talented, but too young. They weren't able to shoulder the pressure yet.
Suddenly, Ji San appeared from behind Emperor Coiling Dragon. "Young lord Zhen, maybe I can be your final candidate? I dare not be confident in other disciplines, but I can definitely defeat Li Jiancheng in martial dao."
Ji San's sudden request shocked everyone. Emperor Coiling Dragon was wide-eyed with disbelief. "Stop fooling around! Everyone knows your identity! How can you represent the Sacred Peafowl Mountain?"
Ji San explained himself. "Our clan was once directly under Sacred Peafowl Mountain. I should be able to represent the faction!"
Jiang Chen made a sweeping gesture. "Brother Ji, since Emperor Coiling Dragon has already founded his own faction, you're no longer directly under us. I appreciate your good intentions, but I cannot let you to represent us. Your status prevents me from doing so."
Ji San's mouth trembled a little, but swallowed his words once he saw the determination in Jiang Chen's eyes. He knew that there was nothing he could do to change Jiang Chen's mind once it was made up.
After receiving the drop of true dragon's blood from Jiang Chen, Ji San had attained sudden enlightenment which had improved his cultivation by leaps and bounds. His bloodline powers had awakened after he ascended to the emperor realm, and he was now in a cultivation growth spurt. If he hadn't heeded Jiang Chen's advice and kept a low profile, news of his rapid progress would have likely taken the capital by storm. Ji San was actually thirsting for battle. He badly wanted to crush Emperor Shura's number one disciple under his feet.
So Ji San was an inappropriate candidate while Lin Yanyu and Mu Gaoqi were both too green behind the ears. Things were in a quandary yet again. Jiang Chen looked at Lin Yanyu and Mu Gaoqi and was about to make a decision, but pleasant laughter suddenly echoed in his ears. "Why don't you let Huang'er try?"
A beautiful and elegant silhouette approached him from the side. She was breathtakingly beautiful, like a lotus that had just bloomed radiantly amongst the crowd. The crowd was struck by awe when they saw her presence in the group.
"Huang'er, you…?" Jiang Chen was also a little dumbfounded. Her words had truly caught him by surprise.
"Hehe, am I not a suitable candidate?" Huang'er smiled sweetly. She seemed to emanate an aura that made her accepted by others.
All eyes were on the girl. Everyone knew that she was young lord Zhen's dao partner. However, nobody expected that this young, kind, and generous lady would suddenly volunteer to take part in the battle.
"Just let Huang'er try!" Huang'er looked at Jiang Chen lovingly. "I definitely won't have you lose face!"
She wasn't used to speaking out in public like this, but she knew that she'd never forgive herself if she didn't help her beloved in his time of need. Lin Yanyu and Mu Gaoqi's foundations were simply too shallow. Huang'er knew that if she didn't volunteer, Jiang Chen would be forced to send someone that would drag the team down.
Chapter 1209: Debate Over the Choice of Candidates
Jiang Chen pondered for a moment as he looked at Huang'er. The confidence in her clear eyes tugged at his heartstrings. Nodding slightly, he turned towards Lin Yanyu and Mu Gaoqi. "Huang'er will take the field in this battle. Don't be dejected, the time for both of you to show off your abilities will arrive someday!"
If this had been in the past, Jiang Chen would never have allowed Huang'er to participate in a battle. The Generation Binding Curse flared whenever she used her consciousness or her martial skills, so there was always a chance she could swept away in an irreversible tragedy.
But the Generation Binding Curse no longer plagued her. With her level of abilities, what was there to be worried about? When the insufferably arrogant true disciple of the Ninesuns Sky Sect, Cao Jin, had caused trouble at the Regal Pill Palace, Huang'er had sent him scurrying away with just three moves.
She'd been born in Myriad Abyss Island. Although she was a year or two younger than Jiang Chen, she had reached emperor realm a long time ago. She wasn't on par with Jiang Chen in terms of pill dao, but the foundations of Myriad Abyss Island were bigger and deeper than the human domain's, not to mention that Huang'er had honed her skills in order to treat her own sickly body. She seemed unremarkable in this area because she preferred to keep a low profile, and had never put herself in the limelight through the years of Jiang Chen's journeys. Moreover, she gave off the impression that she was a management talent because shemanaged Jiang Chen's home while he was away. Over time, the people didn't even wonder if she had outstanding martial dao or pill dao talents.
In reality, Huang'er's talents could be said to surpass Jiang Chen's to some extent. If he hadn't been so heaven defying or benefited from so many fortuitous encounters, strength-wise, he was absolutely inferior to Huang'er prior to entering emperor realm. She had kept a very low profile until now. She didn't want to show off her talents, and she definitely didn't want to take Jiang Chen's limelight.
Of course, Huang'er led in terms of martial dao because she had a better background. However, the young woman personally thought that Jiang Chen had far greater potential than her. His level of attainment in pill dao, formation dao and and other areas only impressed her more.
Thanks to her birth, Huang'er's standards were far beyond average. There was nothing a normal man could do to attract her attention. But Jiang Chen had conquered her heart step by step with his own charisma.
Both Lin Yanyu and Mu Gaoqi were extremely impressed with Huang'er. They had interacted with the lady at the young lord residence before, and they both knew that the seemingly quiet and gentle-natured Miss Huang'er was in fact an extraordinary person. Therefore, they had no qualms with Jiang Chen's arrangement.
Everyone else however, was a little caught off guard; even the four great monarchs looked a little surprised. He's sending a woman into battle? Although Huang'er was young lord Zhen's dao partner, none of them knew Huang'er well. They had not heard that she was extraordinarily talented in other areas than management. Is she really the right choice?
Jiang Chen was aware of their doubts. He smiled. "Huang'er normally keeps a low profile, but I can guarantee that she's the best candidate here."
Since the young lord himself had given his word, the four great monarchs had no reason to object. After all, Emperor Peafowl wasn't around right now. It was young lord Zhen's right to have the final say.
Emperor Peerless laughed. "So, young lord Zhen and Miss Huang'er will be taking the field together, hmm? This is a beautiful story in the making."
Everyone laughed loudly in response.
Emperor Shura's faction was a little surprised to hear laughter from Sacred Peafowl Mountain. They shot confused glances in their enemy's direction. How could Sacred Peafowl Mountain laugh at a moment like this?
Jiang Chen didn't care for Emperor Shura or his men's attention. "All candidates come to my side. Everyone else, stay here and be on your guard."
Shura Retreat was almost done selecting their candidates when Jiang Chen went up the stage to report his final list. When both sides appeared on stage with their candidates, a commotion broke out from the surrounding crowd. Both Sacred Peafowl Mountain and Shura Retreat had appeared with more than one unfamiliar faces in their midst.
On Sacred Peafowl Mountain's side, the only candidate the crowd knew of was Cloudsoar Monarch. The other two candidates were an impressive-looking man wreathed in unquestionable might and a spotless beauty. It was obvious at first glance that they were extraordinary people. No one thought that they were just a generic participant.
On Shura Retreat's side, Emperor Shura and Li Jiancheng were also accompanied by two unfamiliar faces. Everyone knew that Emperor Shura's strongest subordinates were Sun Monarch, Moon Monarch and Star Monarch. However, the candidates standing on the stage right now were utterly unrecognizable to them.
Jiang Chen's gaze clashed against Emperor Shura's. They noted the intense heat of judgment in each other's eyes.
In the guest area, Emperor Pillzenith frowned when he saw Emperor Peerless standing behind Jiang Chen. He immediately sent a message to Emperor Shura.
"Shura, that man on Sacred Peafowl Mountain's side is Emperor Peerless of the wandering cultivator community. He isn't qualified to participate in this battle on behalf of Sacred Peafowl Mountain. Watch out."
Emperor Shura snorted coldly after this information, going on the offensive. "Young lord Zhen, the candidates behind you is quite unfamiliar. Since when did Sacred Peafowl Mountain have such personnel? If I'm not mistaken, the man behind you is the famous wandering cultivator Emperor Peerless? Since when was Emperor Peerless affiliated with Sacred Peafowl Mountain? How is he allowed to fight on behalf of Sacred Peafowl Mountain?"
Emperor Shura cupped his hands at Emperor Petalpluck's direction. "Daoist Petalpluck, it is so disappointing to see how far Sacred Peafowl Mountain has fallen. I suspect that Daoist Peafowl is no longer with us, and that Sacred Peafowl Mountain is under the control of an outsider."
A traitor's bite went deep. Emperor Shura was clearly talented in talking up a storm.
Emperor Petalpluck frowned and turned to look at Jiang Chen. He was waiting for an explanation.
Ridicule filtered through Jiang Chen's expression as he smiled at the two unfamiliar candidate standing behind Emperor Shura. "Look at you trying to shift blame away from your guilty self. Are you telling me that the two standing behind you belong to Shura Retreat as well?"
Emperor Shura said coldly, "I will explain myself after you explain Emperor Peerless' presence."
In response, Emperor Peerless smiled proudly with disdain. "Shura, are you truly planning to seize the seat of power with your level of knowledge and experience? How amusing. They all say that you're ill-informed and narrow-minded, and personally, I think you should believe it. Young lord Zhen saved my life some time ago, so the thought of joining Sacred Peafowl Mountain has been present for quite a while. I'm an esteemed guest elder of Sacred Peafowl Mountain now. So tell me, am I qualified to fight on behalf of Sacred Peafowl Mountain?"
What? His words were a thunderbolt that struck Emperor Shura right on the forehead. His mind was buzzing with disbelief. Emperor Peerless has joined Sacred Peafowl Mountain?
This wasn't good news at all. In recruiting a great emperor almost as famous as Emperor Shura, the gap left behind by Emperor Peafowl was nearly completely refilled. It was undoubtedly a disastrous blow to Emperor Shura's plans to seize power.
Esteemed guest elder? Everyone from the great emperors to the vassals were completely stunned. Emperor Peerless was a wondrous figure, yet he would lower himself to join a faction like Sacred Peafowl Mountain? Didn't this mean that Veluriyam Capital had gained a new great emperor, and an incredible one at that? Even Emperor Petalpluck was speechless for a time.
Emperor Shura thought rapidly and responded with a cold snort. "Do you think you can join Veluriyam Capital however you like? Who knows if you're just joining us temporarily? Who knows if you'll leave once this is all over? If you can join Veluriyam Capital however you like, then I can recruit ten or so great emperors myself!"
He certainly had quick reactions, and seized on a supposed weakness. Emperor Vastsea also shouted from the stand. "You must be fair, Daoist Petalpluck. Sacred Peafowl Mountain is playing a trick that completely shames the rules set for this battle!"
"What a joke, what a joke!" Emperor Skysplitter was shaking his head as well.
But Emperor Peerless suddenly laughed loudly. "Shura, you're not half bad at making things up. Who told you that I'm joining Veluriyam Capital temporarily? Who told you that I'm going to back out once all this is over? I see many heroes present today, so I might as well make the declaration now. From hereon, I, Mo Wushuang, am the esteemed guest elder of Sacred Peafowl Mountain. I will not leave Sacred Peafowl Mountain unless I'm dead, and I will carry out all of young lord Zhen's commands. I'm not going to tell you the details, but young lord Zhen saved me and my wife from death. Therefore, he is a worthy master to die for. You lot may imagine the reasons behind my decision however you like, be it to repay a favor or climb the social ladder, but my joining of Sacred Peafowl Mountain is one fact that will not change. If I ever go against my word in the future, may the heavens smite me."
His loud, resounding reply silenced Emperor Shura and Emperor Vastsea entirely. Before the Emperor Shura could gather himself for a reply, Jiang Chen stared coldly at the two cultivators behind him.
"Emperor Peerless has willingly joined Sacred Peafowl Mountain. He will never betray us. However, I'm not so sure about the two behind you. Why don't you introduce them to us, Emperor Shura? If I'm not mistaken, their backgrounds are pretty sketchy, aren't they? Do they hail from Eternal Celestial Capital, or do they come from Pillfire City?"Jiang Chen had no intentions of mincing words with Emperor Shura. Ever since seeing Emperor Pillzenith, he'd had a feeling that something nebulous was going on between Emperor Shura and Emperor Pillzenith.
If it was just Emperor Shura, then Emperor Peafowl had every way to turn the tables once he returned to Veluriyam Capital. But if Pillfire City was involved, then the outcome wouldn't be as clear as he hoped.
If Emperor Pillzenith really did manage to gain a foothold in Veluriyam Capital and entrench himself, then not even Emperor Peafowl would be able to turn back time. Therefore, he mustn't allow Emperor Shura to succeed no matter what.
Since they were now completely at odds with one another, Jiang Chen had no reason to hold anything back. He voiced his doubts directly, questioning their backgrounds and even bringing up Eternal Celestial Capital and Pillfire City. As expected, the crowd immediately exploded into a furor.
Although Emperor Peerless was a famous great emperor, everyone knew that he was a wandering cultivator with no sect or foundation to support him. There was no reason to suspect his intentions for joining Sacred Peafowl Mountain because wandering cultivators normally had spotless backgrounds.
However, Eternal Celestial Capital and Pillfire City were a different story altogether. Bluntly speaking, they were the enemies of Veluriyam Capital. Things would get very complex if factions like these were involved in Veluriyam Capital. Emperor Shura would certainly be despised by the entire capital if he had recruited the aid of enemy cultivators.
Chapter 1210: Starting Off With Pill Dao
Emperor Shura had wanted to call the kettle black when he first saw Emperor Peerless, but the latter was now genuinely a member of the Sacred Peafowl Mountain?? His opponent had then turned the tables on him by questioning the backgrounds of his two followers and naming the Eternal Celestial Capital and Pillfire City.
These two factions had tried to wrestle the Longevity Pill from Veluriyam Capital. Pillfire City especially was Veluriyam Capital's long established rival. The citizens hated these with a passion and would abandon Emperor Shura in a heartbeat if he was found to be affiliated with them. Thankfully, he was already prepared for this development that Sacred Peafowl Mountain would give him trouble over their origins.
"They are deathsworn that my faction has secretly raised. They have never shown themselves outside." He answered coldly without any hesitation.
"Oh? And we're expected to take your word for it?" Jiang Chen was relentless.
Emperor Shura surely had a private army of deathsworn, but Jiang Chen didn't believe that his faction would be able to raise ones with abilities that exceed the Sun, Moon, and Star Monarchs. They were mostly likely hired help from Pillfire City.
Jiang Chen raised a cupped fist salute at Emperor Petalpluck. "Emperor Petalpluck, I don't want to make a huge fuss, but this is a competition between Sacred Peafowl Mountain and Shura Retreat. If the participants are of foreign background, it will render all of this meaningless." He turned to face the vassals. "Surely no one wishes to watch such a meaningless competition?"
Emperor Shura was thoroughly enraged. "Young lord Zhen! You haven't even cleared all of your own suspicion yet! What are you trying to accomplish in turning things around on me?"
Jiang Chen smiled blandly. "Our faction has always been honorable and forthright in our actions. What suspicions are there on us?"
"Hmph! I shall forget about the previous matter with Emperor Peerless, but who is this personal disciple of yours? I didn't know that you've accepted such a disciple!" Emperor Shura shifted tactics to attack Huang'er.
He'd thought that Jiang Chen would send Lin Yanyu out to battle as the latter was a publicly recognized disciple. But the young lord had brought an unfamiliar girl with an exceptional aura instead. But Emperor Shura couldn't be blamed for not knowing who she was. Huang'er very seldomly appeared in public, and even if she did, she'd wear a mask or put on a disguise of some sort.
Huang'er had shown herself with her real appearance today. The crowd was stunned by her looks, but were equally curious about her background.
Jiang Chen burst into laughter. "I knew you would say that! Huang'er is my dao partner. This is a widely known fact at the Sacred Peafowl Mountain. Any more questions?"
"Dao partner?" Emperor Shura snorted coldly. "If she's your dao partner, surely she has no right to join the battle as your personal disciple?"
Huang'er flashed a gentle smile. "I've been thoroughly impressed by young lord Zhen's talent in pill dao ever since we met. Since I'm still his pill dao disciple, how do I have no right to join the fight?"
She could shape the story however she wanted. Nobody could disprove it as it was a Sacred Peafowl Mountain internal matters. What mattered was that she was genuinely from the Sacred Peafowl Mountain.
"Emperor Shura, perhaps it's time for you to prove the identities of your followers?" Jiang Chen wasn't planning on letting up at all.
The one dressed in silver behind Emperor Shura walked up. "We are both Emperor Shura's deathsworn, loyal to him and him alone. If someone like Emperor Peerless is allowed to join Sacred Peafowl Mountain, there should be no questions about our loyalty to Emperor Shura."
Emperor Peerless looked at two men with a dark expression. "I swore a solemn vow to prove my undying loyalty. Can you two do the same?"
He could naturally tell that there was more to their backgrounds than it seemed.
The two nodded after exchanging glances, swearing decisively without the slightest hesitation. "We swear that we will be loyal to Shura Retreat for as long as it exists. May the heavens smite us with thunder if we renege on our words!"
Emperor Shura was a little surprised by their actions, but glowered at Jiang Chen after the vow. "Young lord Zhen, do you have anything else to add?"
Jiang Chen burst into laughter. "They should've made things easier and just sworn earlier!" He paused and glanced at Emperor Shura with a supercilious smile. "Don't say that I didn't warn you, there's some technicalities in their sworn vows. They said that they'll be loyal to Shura Retreat for as long it exists. So that means the day they decide to leave might be when it's time for your faction to end."
Jiang Chen didn't actually know for certain if there was such a technicality, but his instincts told him that something was off with the vow. He didn't mind sharing his findings with Emperor Shura. He could make the great emperor uneasy and cause some strife between the emperor and PIllfire City in one go. He was certain that these two had nothing to do with Emperor Shura, but since they'd already sworn their vows, being too unrelenting would make him seem uncouth.
Jiang Chen had nothing to fear even if they were from Pillfire City. He'd made some careful calculations for the thirteen rounds. Emperor Shura was extremely confident about his chances, but so was Jiang Chen. Each had their own trump cards and plans. It was a matter of who got the last laugh.
Since there was no longer any dispute over the legitimacy of the candidates, Emperor Petalpluck took the opportunity to begin. "Alright, since there's no longer any disputes, we shall revisit the rules! The candidates are chosen and no further revisions are allowed. In addition, since this is a martial dao competition, death and injuries are difficult to avoid. Both sides must also agree on whether the fight should end before blood is shed, or leave the outcome to fate?"
It was an important decision.
If the fight were to end before blood was shed, they had to be extremely cautious and in no circumstance were they allowed to kill. If the outcome was left to fate, death was much more likely to occur.
"Young lord Zhen, if you fear death, I might consider going easy on you. But as a cultivator, why even participate in a battle if you're afraid?" Emperor Shura might sound like he was giving Jiang Chen a choice, but he was actually coercing Jiang Chen into choosing the second.
Jiang Chen smiled. "Shura, you sound like you've already won! In that case, why don't I leave it to you to decide? Shura Retreat is the challenger after all. As the defending host, we're gracious enough to give you as much!"
What?! Emperor Shura glowered. Even in the face of death, young lord Zhen's mouth is as heinous as ever. Leave it to me to decide?
He sniffed coldly. "Very well, in order to make the competition more entertaining, we shall leave the outcome of our martial dao battle to fate!"
"Very well, as you wish." Jiang Chen couldn't care less.
"Additionally, if no outcome can be determined within four hours, the martial dao battle will be a draw! Do both parties agree on this rule?" Emperor Petalpluck brought up the matter again.
Emperor Shura naturally wouldn't object since he was the one who'd proposed it. "How can a battle between two experts take longer than four hours? If it goes on for longer than four hours, then it's definitely a draw."
Both of his followers were half-step great emperors. They were fighting in the stead of the Sun, Moon, and Star Monarchs because they were more well-balanced in other disciplines, especially pill dao. In other words, Emperor Shura had brought them to the competition just so that they could win in two pill dao segments.
But now that Emperor Peerless had appeared out of nowhere, all of his plans were thrown into disarray. However, he knew that it was too late to change anything. All he could do was hope that Emperor Pillzenith's men would be able to exceed their very best.
Seeing that there was no objections, Emperor Petalpluck continued. "Since the other competitions might be affected by death or injuries inflicted during the martial dao battle, this subject shall be moved to the very back. Instead, we shall start the competition with three pill dao battles. Are there any disagreements?"
Start with pill dao? Jiang Chen was a little taken aback, but he was absolutely fearless when it came to pill dao. Emperor Peerless had some attainments in pill dao, but he wasn't exactly the cream of the crop. In fact, his knowledge of pill dao might not even exceed Huang'er's.
Nobody had really seen the true depths of Huang'er's foundation in pill dao. Not even Jiang Chen. The young lord wasn't completely sure that it was a good thing to start with a pill dao battle, but since the arrow was already notched to the string, it was too late to consider anything else.
"Old Brother Mo, Huang'er, do your best, don't feel burdened." Jiang Chen encouraged them through his consciousness. "We can still win the competition even if we only manage to win one round in pill dao."
Emperor Peerless and Huang'er nodded. They were already Sacred Peafowl Mountain's best candidates. Even if they were replaced by someone else, the situation would most likely be the same.
If Emperor Shura's followers were truly from Pillfire City, Jiang Chen was the only one who could possibly face them head on. Even if Pill King Lu Feng and Pill King Bu were here, it was unlikely that the situation would be any better. As for Lin Yanyu and Mu Gaoqi, they were still too young to shoulder such weight on their shoulders.
"Daoist Shura and young lord Zhen, since you're both leaders of your own respective factions, you're required to battle against each other in every subject. As for your candidates, they should also face their equals in all subject except the martial dao battles. Do you have any more rules that you might want to add?" Emperor Petalpluck asked both of them.
It was a necessity to have the leaders battle against each other. If Emperor Shura and young lord Zhen was allowed to fight the others, the entire competition would lose its meaning and entertainment value.
Jiang Chen smiled blandly. "Absolutely none."
Emperor Shura knew that Jiang Chen was extremely exceptional in pill dao, but he couldn't back down now. He was prepared for a loss in pill dao. But weren't there to be three pill dao battles? Emperor Shura glanced at Emperor Peerless and Huang'er, a bizarre smile forming on his lips.
Chapter 1211: A Loss in the First Battle
Pill dao battles were one of the most popular in the world of martial dao. It was a method of competition only slightly inferior to martial dao. Beginning with pill dao and finishing with martial was a way of generating anticipation.
Of course, it was difficult to come up with topics for pill battles of this level. Though Emperor Petalpluck was the judge, he wasn't proficient enough to compose a sufficiently challenging and fair question. Therefore, he asked the two sides to agree on the method of competition themselves, with the caveat that they had to agree on it.
The second part was the significantly harder of the two. After some lengthy negotiations, the two sides finally arrived at an agreement. There would be three rounds, each involving different pill-related fields.
The first was refining pills; a rather straightforward and primitive way of doing things.
The second was pill analysis. This round required both sides to present the other with an unknown pill. Each party was to analyze the pill. The side that identified more materials would be declared the winner. As for exactly which pills were eligible, anything went as long as it was effective in confounding the opponent. Naturally, no cheating was permitted. An automatic loss would be awarded if any was found.
The third was the opposite of the second. Both sides would prepare correct and incorrect ones materials ahead of time. Their opponent had to find the type of pill most appropriate to the materials prepared, and successfully refine it. If both sides succeeded, the side that did so first would win.
Both sides had to send in three different competitors. As for who was chosen to compete for what, that would be decided via random draw.
"I have no expertise with pills, so I'll refrain from participating and messing things up," laughed Emperor Peerless.
Jiang Chen nodded. "For the pill battles, I will take Huang'er and Cloudsoar Monarch." Among the four monarchs, Cloudsoar was likely the best at pills. He might not be as good as Emperor Peerless in actuality, but neither person had a chance against a candidate from Pillfire City. Therefore, it was better to some face for the great emperor.
As expected, Shura Retreat sent out the two followers of unknown origins.
"Huang'er, I can definitely win against Emperor Shura for this one. I don't think Cloudsoar has a chance, so if you can tie with your opponent, that would be for the best." Jiang Chen attempted to relieve some pressure from his female companion with a silent message.
"Let's see how the drawing turns out," Huang'er returned a slight smile.
Cloudsoar Monarch was picked for the first pill-refining round. Jiang Chen was delegated to the third–the one that required material preparation and synthesis. Huang'er was given the responsibility for the second round, pill analysis.
Jiang Chen had no problem with any of the three rounds. He was absolutely confident that he would win against Emperor Shura a hundred percent of the time. He could say the same when it came to anyone, honestly.
"Alright, the draw is complete. Let the first round begin. Sacred Peafowl Mountain's Cloudsoar Monarch versus… Shura Retreat's Pill King Ce!" Emperor Petalpluck announced.
Cloudsoar's opponent was a man with a large mole at the base of his earlobe. His name was Pill King Ce. Whether that was his real name or pseudonym was as much of a mystery as the rest of his background. However, Jiang Chen could tell from the man's bearing that he was likely quite proficient with pills. In fact, he was probably superior to Pill King Lu Feng and Bu.
The pill-refining round was extremely clear-cut. There was no flourish or flair. Ability, handiwork, and technique were the only elements at stake. The type of pill to be refined was also decided by random draw. Emperor Petalpluck selected an arbitrary type from more than a dozen of similar difficulty.
From the look on his face, Cloudsoar Monarch was very relaxed. There was no pressure to be found in his expression.
"Young lord, do you think that Cloudsoar will be able to win this one?" Chronobalance Monarch asked Jiang Chen uncertainly, his voice hushed.
"This is just the first round," Jiang Chen smiled back. "It doesn't matter whether we win or lose. It's fine to test the waters for now."
These were words of consolation. Truthfully, each and every one of the thirteen rounds was important. However, he didn't want his subordinates to worry too much. It had taken quite a bit of effort to pump up morale. He wasn't about to let it deflate so easily.
As he had foreseen, the unknown pill king was extremely adept at his art. While the man didn't betray much of his skill in the beginning, the prowess he began to display in the middle of a round was equivalent to at least a ninth rank pill king's. He performed even better as time went on.
Though Cloudsoar Monarch performed extraordinarily well considering his actual skill level, it wasn't enough to overcome their foundational difference in the end. Pill King Ce finished the refinement process a full thirty minutes before the monarch, with pills that were higher quality than his opponent's to boot.
The first round's winner was patently obvious. Emperor Petalpluck and company all agreed that Pill King Ce took home the victory.
"The first round goes to Shura Retreat!" proclaimed the kindly emperor.
Emperor Shura broke into a satisfied smirk. He was greatly encouraged by the act of drawing first blood. Pill dao was Shura Retreat's perennial weakness. Scoring an initial victory here was a palpable blow to Sacred Peafowl Mountain's morale. The depressing looks on their followers was evidence enough. The first round's victory was not as simple as winning just one round. Of course, it was very important to win the next round as well.
"You have accomplished a great deed in winning the first battle!" He motioned to Pill King Ce joyfully, then turned his head to another man in silver robes. "Pill King Hui, you're up."
"No problem. How learned could a soft, weak girl like that be, even if she started learning pill dao in her mother's womb? The second win is as good as mine!"
The second round's battle was actually rather abstruse. It tested the competences of both parties to their limits. The prerequisite for participating was having an esoteric pill, and a complexly constructed one at that.
This was in itself a trial.
Huang'er didn't refine pills often herself, and though Jiang Chen did as a matter of course, his pills were largely varieties that had made their way into the hands of the public. Because of this, they had already been thoroughly analyzed by countless people.
Not knowing the refinement process was one thing; discovering the pills' component materials was a much easier task. Thus, any remotely standard pill could not be used. Though Jiang Chen had countless recipes in his brain, he needed to have a finished pill on hand for the round.
He had plenty of finished pills, but the only remotely esoteric one was the Pinecrane Pill. There was no guarantee that the others in his collection were sufficiently unknown. Pillfire City's wealth of knowledge was a given, after all.
Jiang Chen grit his teeth. He relented on giving a Pinecrane Pill to Huang'er in the end. The Pinecrane Pill was a very skill-intensive pill. In terms of technique, it required more than many empyrean rank pills did. Even Emperor Pillzenith would have a hard time making heads or tails of it. Now that a pill as precious as this was on the table, he was truly all in.
"Second round, Miss Huang'er of Sacred Peafowl Mountain versus… Pill King Hui of Shura Retreat!"
The disparity in ages between the two competitors created shocking contrast.
"Hold on," Emperor Shura suddenly interjected.
"Do you have something to say, Daoist Shura?" frowned Emperor Petalpluck.
"The contestants must be isolated this round. Otherwise, what if someone cheats? It's quite easy to remotely slip a couple details to someone onstage." Emperor Shura was very wary of Jiang Chen. He wanted to cut out all the risks he could. However, his suggestion put Emperor Petalpluck in an awkward spot.
Jiang Chen snorted in derision. "Emperor Shura, you seem so scared of me! In that case, why not just give up trying to oppose Sacred Peafowl Mountain?"
The emperor harrumphed. "Scared of you? You must be daydreaming or out of your mind. I'm worried that someone will secretly interfere. I would hate to see something that impolite."
"Emperor Petalpluck, we can go with isolation." Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "I'm sure that both parties will be equally well-isolated, of course. It simply wouldn't do to have any wolfish behavior in the open… only barbarians sleep with wolves, no?"
He alluded to Emperor Shura once more.
The second round proceeded under isolated circumstances. The Pinecrane Pill was an inscrutable pill indeed. Pill King Hui noticed how extraordinary the pill was the moment it entered his hands.
Inhaling sharply, the pill king was infused with countless excited thoughts. Before he came into the ring, he had been instructed by Emperor Pillzenith to get news on the Pinecrane Pill. He had a very strong hunch that this pill was the one and only.
The spirit energy and powerful vitality it emanated…
He almost wanted to stow it away and keep it. But reason overcame impulse in the end. He was in an arena. There was no way he could smuggle it out and even if he tried, he would first become the laughingstock of the town.
While this was happening, Huang'er received an unknown pill as well. She didn't know what it was, but she had been mentally prepared not to. Before the round began, Jiang Chen had taught her how to analyze a pill that was foreign to her.
Because the competition did not allow for breaking apart the pill, great finesse was demanded. Without that rule, one could come up with a few conclusions just by carefully dissecting the pill. With it, the only tools remaining were one's eyes, nose, and consciousness.
Chapter 1212: Are You Masochistic?
The pill battles had the same time limit as the martial dao battles: four hours.
As seconds flowed into minutes, the only thing the audience could do was anxiously wait with bated breath. Thanks to the fact that both were competing in isolation, no one outside knew what they were doing.
Four hours were almost up. According to the rules, each person could only write a maximum of seven answers. A correct answer was awarded a point, but an incorrect one didn't result in a penalty. Points were understandably deducted for extra answers, so the contestants would write seven answers at most.
Huang'er had only written two answers upon her scroll so far. Both were ingredients she was reasonably sure about. She had a few ideas about the remaining blank spaces, but was still deliberating. The answers in her mind resided on the border of plausibility. There was some supporting evidence for them, but they were largely blind guesses.
The passage of time meant that she could no longer delay. Near the four-hour limit, Huang'er wrote all her guesses down on the scroll. She was out of time and had nothing to lose by doing so. The round ended as she wrote her last few letters.
With that, the contestants were finally released from isolation. Huang'er's expression was neither happy nor unhappy. Pill King Hui, on the other hand, looked quite a bit more serious, with a hint of uncertainty mixed in.
Both answer scrolls were submitted.
Out of respect for a nominally courteous contest, each contestant marked the opponent's scroll. No one was foolish enough to try any underhanded tricks here. Oaths had been sworn beforehand, and deceit was easily identified at this stage.
Pill King Hui was somewhat surprised that Huang'er had two correct answers. His provided pill had been quite obscure. He had expected the girl to be completely stumped, honestly.
I wonder if she actually figured it out or not? Maybe they're lucky guesses. The pill king found it hard to believe that someone so young had the skills needed to connect those particular dots. He had done the same for the Pinecrane Pill, though both were auxiliary materials. He hadn't a clue as to what the pill's main materials were.
Both parties identified two materials each.
"Because the number of materials identified is equal, the second round ends in a draw." Emperor Petalpluck was as taken aback at the result as anyone else. Because a battle like this was very technical, he had been of the opinion that the remarkable girl from Sacred Peafowl Mountain was likely going to lose. A tie with a pill king… how unexpected.
Sounds of bewilderment echoed through the crowd. The first tie had come upon them so quickly! Pill King Hui was a little upset. He hadn't wanted to settle for anything less than a victory. But life was often a series of disappointments, and he received an outcome that was merely adequate.
He didn't have time to mope, though. He messaged Emperor Pillzenith as soon as he left the stage. "Your Majesty, the pill I analyzed just now had an aura of incredible vigor. I suspect it may be the Pinecrane Pill we're after."
It was a stunning piece of news, right out of the blue. Countless thoughts popped in Emperor Pillzenith's mind, most of them half-formed.
The Pinecrane Pill, eh? Greed filled the great emperor's heart. His great status only intensified his desire. Does a pill as miraculous as the Pinecrane Pill really exist in this world? Where did Pill King Zhen get it from? Who taught it to him? In addition to his greed, emperor felt a concentrated dose of envy as well.
Finally, his heart settled on a resolution. I have to get my hands on it. No matter what, I have to have the Pinecrane Pill!
Emperor Pillzenith did not doubt Pill King Hui's judgment. The man was one of his most trusted subordinates. Despite not showing himself almost at all in public, Pill King Hui's pill dao knowledge was phenomenal. The emperor trusted him implicitly. The pill king's near-certain attitude meant that it was more likely than not the real thing.
From Sacred Peafowl Mountain's perspective, there could be nothing more impenetrable. Emperor Pillzenith knew what pills Taiyuan Tower carried, as did many pill kings who paid attention to their peers. Therefore, it was impossible for young lord Zhen to pick one from the selection there. He had to resort to something far more enigmatic.
The Pinecrane Pill was the most reasonable candidate that fulfilled that criterion.
Huang'er's tie was neither good news nor bad for Sacred Peafowl Mountain. At least Sacred Peafowl Mountain wasn't disadvantaged by the pill dao battles as a whole. The third round pitted young lord Zhen against Emperor Shura, but everyone instinctively felt that the former was the sure-fire victor.
The proceedings went as predicted. Emperor Shura tried to struggle, but he had little expertise to speak of that would be useful. He couldn't even match up to his former subordinate Pill King Bu, much less the likes of Pill King Hui or Ce. That was partially why Pill King Bu had been so valued at Shura Retreat several years ago. Alas, his provocation of Jiang Chen led to him being involuntarily taken in as the young man's disciple. Shura Retreat had lost a top rank pill king that day.
Jiang Chen fulfilled public expectation by winning against Emperor Shura rather easily. The latter wasn't much embarrassed by the loss, though, since pill dao was a pursuit he hardly cared about. He was much angrier about the fact that Pill King Cui hadn't won the second round. This cast a shadow into his heart. Still, coming out with one win and one loss wasn't too bad. This was a field in which Sacred Peafowl Mountain had an advantage. There was nothing unacceptable about Shura Retreat's performance.
The pill dao rounds having concluded, preparations for the subsequent subject's rounds were underway. Formations, talismans, and beast taming all had two dedicated rounds each.
Drawing lots revealed beast taming to be the next topic. Because beast taming was a comparatively scarce area of expertise, most cultivators outside specialized sects were unfamiliar with it. But this wasn't an absolute conclusion. Lack of expertise didn't stop some cultivators from taming spirit beasts as their familiars or mounts.
After some discussion on Sacred Peafowl Mountain's side, it was decided that Jiang Chen and Huang'er would step forward. Truthfully, Huang'er knew nothing about the subject. Unfortunately, neither did Emperor Peerless and Cloudsoar Monarch. So in the end, she was the best choice. The other person was almost guaranteed to lose. Having someone close do so allowed some appearances to be maintained. An expert like Emperor Peerless could not be permitted to show fear.
Emperor Peerless had a tamed beast, having almost entirely used his martial power to force it under his command. He'd done so with significant help from a friend with the needed talent. He had no skills of that sort, which meant that he would accomplish very little even if he forced himself to participate.
However, Jiang Chen was different. He was quite the accomplished beast tamer. In the Boundless Catacombs, he had relied on the ancient beast language to draw Mang Qi's non-malicious interest in him. Moreover, his connection to Long Xiaoxuan had also been sparked by his knowledge of draconic language. That was the benefit of being well-read and studied.
One had to learn a beast's language in order to tame one. Beasts came in all shapes and sizes, but ancient beast language was a typical common tongue. The reason Jiang Chen had been able to befriend Long Xiaoxuan was his mastery over it. This was also the cause of his natural intimacy with the Astral White Tiger cub.
Why else would such proud species willingly associate with a human?
Shura Retreat sent out Emperor Shura and Pill King Hui. If it wasn't for the rule that both factions' leaders were required to participate in one round per area, the emperor would have much preferred sending both Pillfire's pill kings. The two of them were surprisingly adept beast tamers in addition to their pill-refining skills.
Emperor Shura was no slouch at taming beasts himself, though. He was actually moderately proficient.
"Young lord Zhen, your Sacred Peafowl Mountain has no chance in the beast taming competition." The emperor couldn't help but snicker when he saw that Jiang Chen brought Huang'er out with him.
"If you're so confident, shall we call off the thirteen rounds? We can decide the winner with a single round instead, yes?" Jiang Chen smiled faintly.
The words delivered a stinging slap across Emperor Shura's face. His expression froze with a slack jaw. He didn't know what to say. He found it difficult to answer Jiang Chen's counter-challenge. If he didn't take it, didn't that mean he shouldn't have been so uppity about his chances? Why say Sacred Peafowl Mountain has no chance, then?
But Emperor Shura couldn't just agree to it, either. His heart was disturbed by Jiang Chen's confident smile. He couldn't shake off the feeling that a conspiracy hid just behind it. The emperor knew better than anyone by now that Jiang Chen was no ordinary young genius.
In his opinion, the young man had terrifying potential. He might still be catching up to Emperor Peafowl's level, but if he was allowed to grow, it was quite possible that he would become one of the emperor's toughest enemies. Emperor Shura instinctively feared his youthful opponent.
Naturally, he refrained from falling for a potential trick with Jiang Chen's counter. It was much safer to stick with thirteen rounds. His initial comment became a blow against himself because of it, though. There was a patch of laughter from beneath the stage. Mocking sounds made their way up to the contestants. Emperor Shura's posturing and fear to fight worsened the vassals' opinion of him yet again.
"Hmph, I'm not interested in getting a free win from my juniors. Nor do I care for casually breaking the rules. If you're scared, young lord Zhen, it's not too late to beg for forgiveness."
"Beg?" Jiang Chen snorted. "If you're not afraid, Emperor Shura, then why are you changing the subject? If you're not afraid, why not accept my deal? I'm curious. How come you're picking a fight with me when you actually don't want to be aggravated? You never have anything to back up your words. Perhaps you're actually a masochist?"
Chapter 1213: The Black Winged Drake
Emperor Shura felt deeply humiliated after Jiang Chen countered his taunts. He knew that it was foolish to spar words with young lord Zhen, so he settled for a snort. "Young lord Zhen, you're something when it comes to smooth talking, but you need true skill and knowledge to win the competition."
"The fourth round begins. Miss Huang'er of Sacred Peafowl Mountain versus Pill King Hui of Shura Retreat!"
The beast taming part of the competition was a very primitive one. Huang'er didn't have any special attainment in the art of beast taming, so she surrendered after a token appearance. It was already Sacred Peafowl Mountain's plan to give up this round, not to mention that Pill King Hui was obviously well versed in the art of beast taming.
An arrogant smile spilled out of the corners of Emperor Shura's lips when Huang'er conceded without hesitation. Huang'er's surrender made him realize that Sacred Peafowl Mountain was probably completely lacking in the area. They wouldn't have given up so easily otherwise.
"Pill King Hui of Shura Retreat wins the fourth round. The fifth round begins is young lord Zhen of Sacred Peafowl Mountain versus Emperor Shura of Shura Retreat! We will draw straws to decide the match format."
There was much to choose from when it came to beast taming. There were on-the-spot beast taming, summoning contracted beasts to do battle…
The format Huang'er and Pill King Hui had drawn earlier was on-the-spot beast taming. That was what Jiang Chen hoped was the result as well. It would best use his mastery in the ancient beast language, but reality often ran counter to one's wishes. When the result of the draw was out, the match format turned out to be a fight between the participants' contracted beasts. It was the most primitive and direct match format there was. Whoever had the stronger contracted beast would win.
Emperor Shura almost laughed when he saw the match format. He thought that victory was already in his grasp. As a great emperor, the beast he contracted was almost advanced emperor realm. In fact, he had come across this spirit creature by accident.
Everyone knew that the higher the level of spirit creature, the more difficult it was to tame. If Emperor Shura wasn't learned in the art of beast taming and not lucky enough to encounter such a beast, he wouldn't even be able to acquire an initial emperor realm beast, much less a mid realm one.
Encounters like these were completely up to luck. There were a lot of great emperors whose contracted beasts were lower than emperor realm. In fact, some didn't even have a contracted beast to begin with. They weren't lacking in the ability to contract a beast, but the ones they found were either unsuitable or too low level. No one wanted a beast like that.
A beast needed to be either at a high cultivation level or possess great potential. If they didn't have either one of these qualities, there was no point in taming them at all. This was especially true in the case of a great emperor, where a shoddy contracted beast would only be a loss of face.
Emperor Shura's contracted beast had great cultivation and potential. His spirit creature had only been initial emperor realm when he first contracted with it. After a dozen years of care, the beast was now approaching advanced emperor realm.
It was perfectly capable of evolving to peak emperor realm in the future. Whether or not it could become a great emperor was completely dependent on its own luck and abilities.
Emperor Shura was very proud of his own contracted spirit creature. He didn't think that even Emperor Peafowl was his equal in this area, much less someone as young as young lord Zhen. What level was young lord Zhen's cultivation? How powerful could his contracted beast possibly be? Young lord Zhen would have one at sage realm at the most!
Not even sects famous for their beast taming arts could tame a beast at the same level as their cultivators. Thus, it was no wonder that Emperor Shura felt so optimistic. The very first step to taming a spirit creature was to defeat it by force and make it submit with superior martial prowess.
Jiang Chen felt a little depressed when he saw the result of the straw. It was the format he least liked out of all the possible selections. He wasn't afraid of inadequacy, but his mastery of the ancient beast language was completely useless with this format.
Strictly speaking, he didn't have a contracted spirit creature. However, he did have a lot of contracted beast allies. For example, he had Long Xiaoxuan, the Goldbiter Rats and the Astral White Tiger cub.
Of course, he wasn't going to send the Astral White Tiger cub into battle since it hadn't completely awakened. As for the Goldbiter Rats, they had admittedly grown a lot since he first met them, but it was against Ole Gold's nature to ferociously fight Emperor Shura's contracted beast on open ground. In the end, Long Xiaoxuan was his only choice.
It wasn't that he couldn't ask the dragon to do something, but that he really didn't want to reveal Long Xiaoxuan's presence unless absolutely necessary. After all, a true dragon bloodline was extraordinary, and the circumstances of exposing it were unimaginable. He had to discuss the situation with Long Xiaoxuan, so he sent the dragon a message. "Brother Long, I cannot afford to lose this match, so I need your help here. However, there will be consequences after your true self is exposed to the world. I won't blame you if you wish to sit this one out."
Jiang Chen didn't want to use high-falutin' principles to coerce Long Xiaoxuan into helping him.
The dragon snorted coldly. "Will you stand by and do nothing if I'm being hunted?"
"What kind of question is that? Of course I won't! You and I have been brothers for so long!" Jiang Chen was quite annoyed by the stupid question.
"That's exactly my point." Long Xiaoxuan said indifferently, "It's only a matter of time before my existence is revealed anyways. It's also rather irritating that a noble true dragon is forced to hide from the world."
In the beginning, Long Xiaoxuan had been shy and afraid of the world because he knew nothing about it. He was much more familiar with it now and had formed his own opinions, long since shedding his initial worries and fears. Moreover, he was gradually awakening all the memories and natural pride of a true dragon. He didn't want to hide from the world forever either. In his opinion, it was practically blasphemy to his heritage.
"You must think carefully about this, Brother Long." Jiang Chen reminded again.
"There's no need. The crouching dragon must eventually soar in the skies one day." Long Xiaoxuan responded indifferently but firmly.
"So, you've truly made up your mind then?" Jiang Chen sucked in a deep breath.
"You are so long winded." Long Xiaoxuan sounded quite pompous, but it was also a clear indication that he didn't mind exposing himself to the world.
Jiang Chen could understand him. The Long Xiaoxuan today was a far cry from the Long Xiaoxuan who'd just entered the world from the wood spirit spring. Since he'd entered emperor realm, his strength and his memories had been growing nonstop. It was only inevitable that Long Xiaoxuan's restlessness would reach its breaking point one day, not to mention that the dragon was likely bored to death with living like a rat day after day.
Let them come then! A burst of passion rose in Jiang Chen's heart.
"You may surrender now if you're afraid, young lord Zhen. Don't keep me waiting any longer." Emperor Shura's arrogant voice came from afar.
A large, fearsome, and pitch black spirit creature was standing behind the great emperor. It looked like it had just crawled out of hell, and a cross between a beast and an avian creature. Not only did it possess powerful limbs, but it had a pair of flesh wings that were big enough to cover the skies. Nearly half the arena was covered by its exceptionally large wings. The creature was completely black, but there was a green light shining from its forehead. Its glinting green eyes looked more like they belonged in the head on of a hell wraith.
Roar!
The beast suddenly flapped its fleshy wings, creating a turbulent wind to kick up a wild gale of sand and rocks. The skies darkened and thunderclouds loomed. A change seemed to come about the land. The shrill cry it let out seemed capable of penetrating a cultivator's soul. Be it in terms of physical qualities or presence, this creature was both eerie and intimidating.
Jiang Chen was surprised by the black creature. "Is that the black winged drake?"
The black winged drake wasn't a natural species. It was a mixed race that originated from the ancient times. Some people claimed that it was the offspring of an ancient dragon and a fanged creature, one of the fiercest in the world.
The authenticity of the rumors aside, there was no doubt that the black winged drake was as fearsome as the legend said. An average cultivator couldn't command a creature like this. Its tamer had to be a great emperor well versed in the art of the Shura and murder like Emperor Shura. Temperament wise, the black winged drake was extremely compatible with Emperor Shura. No wonder it didn't look unwilling or unhappy to have a master like Emperor Shura.
Emperor Shura mistakenly thought that Jiang Chen was stunned by his contracted beast when he noted the complicated look in the young man's eyes. Pleased beyond words, he taunted proudly. "You had quite a smart mouth earlier, didn't you, young lord Zhen? What's wrong? Are you so scared that you can't move your legs?"
The black winged drake undoubtedly had a fearsome appearance and presence. But Emperor Shura was dreaming to think that this was enough to scare Jiang Chen.
Completely unmoved by the creature's imposing appearance and presence, Jiang Chen slowly climbed up the arena steps with an indifferent look on his face. He taunted openly. "It has a strong apperance, but nothing more. You want to frighten me with just this, Shura? How naive."
Emperor Shura laughed sinisterly. "Still unwilling to admit defeat, I see. I wonder how you'll possibly fight my contracted beast?"
Jiang Chen tsk'ed scornfully. "You must feel so very pleased with yourself. You think that victory is already in your grasp, isn't it?"
"But of course." Emperor Shura replied leisurely. He did believe that victory was already in hand. He didn't believe that there was anything Jiang Chen could do to win despite the counter question because of his confidence in the black winged hunting drake's abilities. If the drake's violent nature was fully aroused, it would exude a presence several times stronger than the enemy's. Even peak emperor human experts would have to be on their guard. This enabled it to beat enemies stronger than itself!
Chapter 1214: A True Dragon Reveals Itself
Emperor Shura was clearly putting on a show to take Jiang Chen down a notch. He whistled gently and made a sweeping gesture. The black winged drake bellowed as it raised its neck towards the sky. It expanded the large, fleshy wings on its back and fanned them.
Whoosh!
A frighteningly powerful gale hurtled towards the stage and enveloped the arena. The drake's bellows also contained a terrifyingly baleful aura that roiled towards Jiang Chen.
"Young lord Zhen, don't tell me that you don't even have a contracted spirit creature?" Emperor Shura was incredibly haughty and full of himself. He was a hunter playing with his prey.
Jiang Chen gently opened his eyes and put on a mocking smile. "Shura, I merely wanted to see what your black winged drake is capable of. By the looks of it, it's actually rather mediocre. Forget great emperor realm, the furthest it'll ever reach is peak emperor realm. This drake of yours is only useful as a deterrence for the layman and as an object to keep up appearances. I don't understand why you're so proud of it."
Emperor Shura had shown off the black winged drake's heaven-defying aura to stifle Jiang Chen's arrogance and make him yield. However, the young lord wasn't even intimidated in the slightest. In fact, his response even elicited a sense of panic within Emperor Shura.
T-that brat… he actually recognizes the black winged drake? He… actually possesses an eye for such things too? Emperor Shura felt an inexplicable sense of annoyance.
The black winged drake wasn't a common beast. It was a ferocious halfblood that one couldn't hope to encounter more than once every millennia. The common populace wouldn't even recognize it.
Emperor Shura had done very extensive research and hired many beast taming masters to identify the ferocious beast. However, young lord Zhen hadn't taken even a minute to identify it! This greatly diminished his haughtiness. He wanted to crush his opponent with his trump card, but was instantly called out on it. This feeling was as disgusting as being eaten by maggots from the inside out.
He snorted coldly as humiliation turned into rage. "Young lord Zhen, since you already know what it is, you should admit to your loss! You may bide your time, but there's nothing you can do to change the result. You can't win against me in beast taming!"
The vassals sucked in breaths of cold air when they saw the black winged drake. They could feel the ferocity and the bloodthirst emanating from within it. Its aura felt so powerful that it seemed like it could shred everything into dust.
The vassals that sided with Jiang Chen couldn't help but break out in a sweat. Almost everyone from Sacred Peafowl Mountain had their brows knitted in a frown. They feared the black winged drake greatly and were extremely anxious. Huang'er and Emperor Peerless however, was as calm and collected as before.
Jiang Chen threw a sharp glance at Emperor Shura. "Shura, do you know why you'll never rule Veluriyam Capital?"
"Hmph! Are you still trying to mislead the crowd with your delusions?" Emperor Shura was quite displeased.
"It's because you're a frog in a well. You're so narrow minded that all you can see is the small piece of the sky in front of you. You'll forever be ignorant of the expanse of the outside world. If a mere black winged drake is enough to elicit such a smug look on your face, prepare to be shocked by what I show you!" Jiang Chen suddenly raised his voice and projected it far and wide.
Prepare to be shocked? The crowd stared at Jiang Chen curiously with anticipation. They wondered what kind of trump card was he going to show. How could he remain so calm and confident when he was facing the black winged drake? Did he really possess such an incredible trump card?
Everyone knew how good young lord Zhen was at creating miracles. Time and time again, he'd made the impossible, possible. What surprise did he have in store this time? Was he going to create yet another miracle?
Jiang Chen's words caused an imperceptible crack to appear on Emperor Shura's unyielding and stone-like dao heart. Brat, what game are you trying to play? He was a little dumbfounded, not because of Jiang Chen's words, but because of the young lord's composure and haughtiness throughout the entire situation.
Does he actually have a trump card? Emperor Shura was beginning to doubt himself. However, he remained certain that there was no way for Jiang Chen to summon a beast stronger than his black winged drake.
With young lord Zhen's current cultivation level, there was absolutely no way he could tame a beast stronger than the drake. A beast of such strength could kill him in a single strike. There was no feasible way for him to tame something like that.
That brat is insane! Emperor Shura's mind was filled with doubt, but he ultimately decided that the brat was crazy.
Jiang Chen wasn't insane. Far from it. In fact, his head was clearer than ever before. His conversation with Long Xiaoxuan had cleared his doubts and fears. After crawling for so long, it was time for the true dragon race to take the skies once more!
He suddenly raised his head towards the sky and sucked in all of the surrounding air to form a deafening howl. Dragon Roar! It was an art that he'd once shown during the Veluriyam Pagoda Battles.
Jiang Chen performed a flurry of hand seals while the dragon roar was still echoing through the air. A ray of blinding light shot out from his hands, causing menacing clouds to roll through the air. Moments later, Long Xiaoxuan's majestic true body was seen vaguely meandering within the clouds.
Roar! Long Xiaoxuan's true body was revealed!
A true dragon's dragon roar wasn't like any other common art. When paired with Jiang Chen's dragon roar, it turned into a frighteningly powerful sea of sound waves that seemed it wanted to overturn the heavens and earth.
Thunder and lightning formed a symphony as the clouds roiled. A true dragon was dancing through the skies!
The crowd was completely and utterly stunned. It almost seemed like the blood of every cultivator present had been lit ablaze. Heat was welling up in their chest.
"Dragon! It's a true dragon!"
"No way! There's a living true dragon in the human domain?"
"Unbelievable! Is that young lord Zhen's contracted spirit creature? That's too ludicrous!"
"True dragons are supposed to exist only in the legends! Young lord Zhen has truly tamed a true dragon?"
"Heavens! According to the legends, only those who control the heavenly fates will be chosen by dragons! Is young lord Zhen actually the chosen one?"
"I'm staggered! With such great fortune, young lord Zhen can only be the chosen one! Emperor Shura must be kidding himself if he thinks that someone as insignificant as him has the right to seize Sacred Peafowl Mountain's throne!"
"The one chosen by true dragons... Tsk tsk, I've made up my mind. I shall give my undying support to young lord Zhen!"
"Me too! Not even Emperor Peafowl could hold a candle to young lord Zhen when it comes to fortune! No wonder he has so many great achievements at such a young age! He's blessed by the very heavens itself! One day, he'll definitely become a widely recognized leader of the human domain!"
"I finally understand why Emperor Peafowl could bear to leave the capital without any worry. He is farsighted enough to see that young lord Zhen was actually a man of great fortune."
"You make a good point! Perhaps Emperor Shura is actually collaborating with Emperor Peafowl to test young lord Zhen?"
"I'm convinced. I've never felt so much veneration for anybody until today. It doesn't matter if young lord Zhen wins or loses this competition. In my heart, Veluriyam Capital only has one ruler, and it's him. As for the others, heh. They don't stand a chance."
A true dragon has revealed itself! The great emperors were flabbergasted. They held their breaths as they took in the miraculous sight.
The honored guests also had complicated expressions on their face. They stared at the true dragon intently, unable to form words. It was too terrifying! The scene before their eyes had overturned the very foundation of their beliefs! It was against everything they thought they knew about the world!
"The true dragon race… Brat Zhen, just what is your background?" Emperor Pillzenith's heart was currently filled with uncertainty. A seedling of doubt had begun to sprout. Is it really worth it to go against young lord Zhen? Is it necessary?
The Holy Emperor was also filled with dread. "Young lord Zhen has contracted a true dragon as a spirit creature? Is he crazy? If he really is Jiang Chen, there will no longer be a day of peace for us…"
The Eternal Celestial Capital had been paying very close attention to Veluriyam Capital because they suspected that young lord Zhen and Jiang Chen were the same person. They were hoping that Emperor Shura would dethrone young lord Zhen so that they could verify their suspicions.
After what had happened today, the Holy Emperor could only pray that young lord Zhen and Jiang Chen was in no circumstance affiliated with one another. It would be a disaster otherwise.
Emperor Pillzenith and the Holy Emperor weren't the ones shocked by the sight. Han Qianzhan and Han Qiansui of the Great Yu Skysword Sect were completely dumbfounded as well. They never imagined that their guest pill emperor was actually someone who had subdued a true dragon! They simply couldn't digest the sight before their eyes.
Su Huanzhen of the Celestial Cicada Court knitted her brows in deep thought. It was clear that she too, was taken aback by the true dragon's sudden appearance.
Emperor Shura's sworn allies were also incredibly flabbergasted, especially Emperor Vastsea. He watched the entire scene unfold with his mouth agape while a raging storm brewed in his heart. He was consumed by doubt, jealousy, and disbelief. He simply couldn't believe he'd just seen. Why!? Why does it seem like everything good has fallen to this brat?!