Of course, uniting the other Emperors did not mean that every Emperor in the Glazed Royal City was worth
"Emperor Canghai was close to
Jiang Chen had long been prepared for this. He smiled calmly. "Emperor Shura and Emperor Canghai are practically wearing the same pair of pants — it seems like everyone in the Glazed Royal City knows this. Could it be that they deliberately show it off so everyone knows? To build up momentum for Shura?"
"You're not wrong. The Glazed Royal City has long had an unwritten rule that Emperor-level forces cannot form alliances. But even if the relationship between these two doesn't technically count as an alliance, it's close enough that there's not much difference."
"What about the other Emperors? What are their personalities like, and what is their relationship with our Peacock Holy Mountain?" Jiang Chen was more curious about the attitudes of the remaining Emperors.
"Emperor Nian stays out of worldly affairs — he's indifferent to fame and fortune. Though he's nominally the second-most powerful Emperor, his presence is less noticeable than even Shura's faction, let alone Canghai's. However, Emperor Nian's faction is not to be trifled with. They are content to live apart from the world's struggles, but anyone who provokes them will find themselves in serious trouble. In contrast, if the Peacock Holy Mountain and Shura's faction forced them to choose, they would definitely side with the Peacock Holy Mountain — unless the Holy Mountain disappointed them so thoroughly that they saw no future in it."
Jiang Chen smiled faintly and nodded slightly. He now had a rough understanding of Emperor Nian's faction. In other words, as long as he didn't prove too incompetent, Emperor Nian's faction would support the Peacock Holy Mountain at the critical moment. As for that much confidence, Jiang Chen naturally had it.
"Emperor Zhenyue is the Fifth Emperor. His personality is rough and bold. In terms of scheming, he's the most straightforward of the seven Emperors, and also the easiest to win over. But things cut both ways — if he's easy for you to win over, he's equally easy for Shura to win over. So this will come down to who plays their cards better."
"The sixth is Emperor Jimie. You needn't worry about his faction, because when Jimie rose to power, I personally supported him. He owes this Emperor an enormous favor. His faction will never betray the Peacock Holy Mountain no matter what. Even if he wanted to defect to Shura's side, Shura wouldn't trust him."
Emperor Jimie's faction was a die-hard ally of the Peacock Holy Mountain. This was something Jiang Chen had not anticipated at all. After all, on the surface, he hadn't been able to detect it in the slightest.
Still, having Emperor Jimie's faction as iron-clad supporters meant that the Peacock Holy Mountain's position wouldn't look too dire.
"Emperor Zhankong is the Seventh Emperor — a new power who rose to prominence only in the last thousand years. His influence in the Glazed Royal City is not yet fully consolidated. But his temperament is wild and unyielding. Whether it's the Peacock Holy Mountain or Emperor Shura, neither will find it easy to win his faction's wholehearted loyalty. Give it another two or three thousand years, and Emperor Zhankong could very well become the next Shura."
"Oh? Another ambitious and formidable figure?" Jiang Chen's curiosity was piqued.
"Mm. But this man's vision is actually broader than Shura's. When it comes to matters of principle, his stance is firmer." The Peacock Emperor added, "He has one defining trait: if you truly demonstrate strength far surpassing his own, he will submit to you willingly and never cause trouble. He's confident, but not blindly arrogant. He understands when to advance and when to retreat."
After this comprehensive overview of the seven Emperors, Jiang Chen now had a clear picture of the situation.
Among the seven, only Emperor Canghai was closely tied to Emperor Shura. The others were all potential allies.
Of course, someone like Emperor Zhankong — who likely harbored grand ambitions of his own — would not be easy to win over either.
But Jiang Chen didn't need to be thorough with everyone.
Of the seven Emperors, Emperor Jimie's faction was the Peacock Holy Mountain's die-hard loyalist. Among the remaining five, he only needed to win over two more factions, and that would suffice.
Emperor Zhenyue had a straightforward personality and was easy to win over. He would be Jiang Chen's primary target.
Emperor Nian was aloof and detached — the best way to earn his support was to continuously demonstrate his own capabilities and potential, letting Nian see the bright future ahead.
As long as he secured these two factions, along with the Panlong Grand House — who was very likely to become the eighth Emperor — Jiang Chen believed the Peacock Holy Mountain's position would be rock solid.
While the two were still talking, a messenger arrived. "Your Majesty, the Panlong House Lord requests an audience."
The Panlong House Lord?
Jiang Chen and the Peacock Emperor exchanged a glance. The Peacock Emperor's brow furrowed slightly, then he looked at Jiang Chen with surprise.
Jiang Chen nodded. "Refining that pill should only take three to five days. By my calculation, the timing is about right."
The Peacock Emperor gave his order: "Let him come in directly."
Before long, the Panlong House Lord walked in with a beaming face. He stepped forward and bowed. "Your subordinate greets Your Majesty. Greetings, Young Master Zhen."
Upon seeing Jiang Chen present, a flash of gratitude appeared in the House Lord's eyes.
The Peacock Emperor waved his hand and said to the attending messenger, "You may leave."
Once everyone else had withdrawn, the Peacock Emperor fixed the Panlong House Lord with a steady gaze and smiled. "Panlong, this Emperor must congratulate you. Your problem had stumped even me, yet Heaven has bestowed this blessing upon you, granting you extended life. It seems you've not only restored your body's vitality — you've even gained some insight into the martial path?"