Jiang Chen heard this voice and was slightly stunned.
Because this voice was different from the ones he had heard before.
Previously, when he entered the Glazed Royal Pagoda, there had always been one voice guiding them. Up until just before entering this Legacy Palace, that voice had still belonged to the same person.
But this time, the voice was different. Though just as weathered and ancient, it carried faint traces of genuine human emotion — a hint of anxiety, a touch of pleasant surprise, and a dash of astonishment.
Weren't all the voices inside the Glazed Royal Pagoda pre-programmed through intricate formations? How could one carry such complex emotions? It was almost as if someone were speaking in real time.
Jiang Chen steadied himself and boldly surveyed his surroundings.
It was indeed a palace, though nothing like the gilded, resplendent affair he had imagined. There was none of the luxury and grandeur he had expected, either.
The palace was ancient and mysterious. Every inch of its ground seemed imprinted with a profound sense of antiquity.
Yet the place was completely empty. He couldn't see the speaker anywhere.
"Young man, no need to look around. With your level of divine sense, you couldn't possibly detect where I am. All you need to know is that this is the first of the Six Legacy Palaces — Tiankun Palace."
"Tiankun Palace? Senior, are you actually a living person speaking to me? Not a voice set up by a formation?" Jiang Chen blinked and asked curiously.
"Heh, you still have doubts about that?" The voice let out a wry laugh. "Though I suppose 'living person' is a stretch. Right now, I'm merely a wisp of true spirit carrying on this conversation."
"Oh? What do you mean?"
The voice sighed. "That's a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it? It's a tale that would take three to five years to tell, and still not be too long."
Jiang Chen's expression shifted. He quickly waved his hands. "Then forget it, Senior. Just get to the important parts."
"What important parts? I've been trapped here for over a hundred thousand years. The rise and fall of the world are all just passing clouds — nothing matters anymore. Very well, I'll keep it short. First, I must congratulate you. You are the third young man to walk into Tiankun Palace in a hundred thousand years. And of those three geniuses, you are the youngest. Tsk tsk — under thirty years old, and already entering the Six Legacy Palaces. Somehow, I feel you're a bit different from the previous two."
It seemed Jiang Chen had piqued the old man's desire to talk. His voice, originally languid and listless, gained a hint of vigor.
"Senior can actually see my true age?" Jiang Chen was slightly taken aback.
The elder chuckled. "Are you joking? The moment you walked in, I could tell what kind of shorts you were wearing — let alone your true age."
Jiang Chen couldn't help but smile ruefully. He knew that once one's cultivation reached a certain level, discerning the true age of ordinary martial artists wasn't exactly difficult.
If that was the case, this senior's cultivation must be above even the Peacock Grand Emperor and the other Great Emperors.
After all, even those Emperor-level powerhouses had been unable to see through Jiang Chen's disguise and determine his true age.
They only knew that Young Master Zhen was quite young, but exactly how young — none of them could say for certain.
Yet the master of Tiankun Palace, whom Jiang Chen hadn't even laid eyes on, had already seen through him completely, leaving him not a shred of privacy.
Thinking about this, Jiang Chen felt rather stifled. This was completely unfair.
But he didn't protest. After all, when you entered someone else's territory, you played by their rules.
He gave an awkward smile. "Senior is quite the joker. May I ask your honorable name?"
"Mm-mm, I am called Lord Tiankun. You'd better remember that, boy. You're a rather interesting little fellow — more amusing than the two who came before you. But though you're interesting, if you want to challenge the palace, I won't go easy on you."
Lord Tiankun let out a strange laugh.
Jiang Chen hadn't expected the old man to go easy on him anyway. But honestly, he still had no idea what the Six Legacy Palaces were about, or what they had to do with the Glazed Royal Pagoda.
"Lord Tiankun, this junior's mind is a complete fog. I know nothing about these Six Legacy Palaces. Would you care to enlighten me?"
Jiang Chen really was in the dark. Conquering the palaces was certainly not a bad thing, but he wasn't too keen on playing someone else's game while remaining completely in the dark about the rules.
"Very well. Seeing as you're a likable enough kid, I'll explain. The Six Legacy Palaces — as the name suggests, consist of six palaces. They form the true core that guards the main tower of the Glazed Royal Pagoda. We six palace masters are bound to our palaces. We have no freedom and cannot leave. Only when a new master of the Glazed Royal Pagoda appears will we have a chance of regaining our freedom."
"Freedom? Senior, were you... forced into this?" Jiang Chen looked genuinely shocked.