Looking at Peerless Great Emperor's elegant, distinguished face now clouded with worry, Jiang Chen felt a stir of sympathy.
He felt he should do something for this Peerless Great Emperor.
"Senior Emperor, where is your Dao companion right now?" Jiang Chen asked suddenly.
The Peerless Great Emperor was taken aback, and instinctively replied, "I've settled her in a secret location. It's not far from here, but she's not in Pill Fire City at the moment."
Jiang Chen nodded. "My cultivation is still shallow, and I shouldn't be offering unsolicited help. However, I may not have confidence in treating your companion's internal injuries. But when it comes to extending one's lifespan, I might be able to think of one or two solutions."
"What?" At these words, the Peerless Great Emperor sprang to his feet like a coiled spring.
Seeing the Peerless Great Emperor's burning gaze fixed on him, Jiang Chen simply gave a calm nod.
"You… you have a way?" Even a man as composed and dignified as the Peerless Great Emperor couldn't keep his voice from trembling slightly.
Jiang Chen did indeed have a way.
In fact, he believed he could even address the so-called internal injuries. But before seeing the person, he didn't want to make extravagant promises.
However, extending one's lifespan — with Pine Crane Pill in hand, Jiang Chen was confident he could manage that.
Even if the Peerless Great Emperor's Dao companion's body was weaker than that of a typical Emperor realm cultivator, Pine Crane Pill's medicinal properties placed no particular demands on the body. As long as it was taken and properly absorbed, the lifespan-extending effects would be the same.
Moreover, Pine Crane Pill itself possessed heaven-defying restorative effects. While it couldn't completely heal internal injuries on its own, repairing a portion of bodily functions was well within its capability.
What's more, the Peerless Great Emperor's companion wasn't suffering from natural aging — her condition was caused by internal injuries. Under such circumstances, the effects of Pine Crane Pill might actually be even better.
"In terms of pure lifespan extension alone, I've heard of a pill called Pine Crane Pill. It can extend an Emperor realm cultivator's life by approximately one thousand years," Jiang Chen said without holding back.
"Pine Crane Pill?" The Peerless Great Emperor was visibly moved. "I've heard of a Myriad Longevity Pill. What's the difference between this Pine Crane Pill and the Myriad Longevity Pill?"
"Myriad Longevity Pill? That's merely an Earth-grade pill. Pine Crane Pill is a Heaven-grade pill. That's the difference. Moreover, Pine Crane Pill is far more difficult to refine than ordinary Heaven-grade pills." Jiang Chen told him honestly.
"Such a miraculous pill exists in this world?" The Peerless Great Emperor was overjoyed beyond measure. His hands fidgeted as he paced back and forth on the spot.
Jiang Chen smiled and nodded.
"Where can one obtain this Pine Crane Pill?" The Peerless Great Emperor suddenly raised his brows, looking at Jiang Chen with eager anticipation.
"A senior of mine once refined this pill. I recall he still has some on hand." Jiang Chen wanted nothing more than to produce the Pine Crane Pill right then and there.
But ultimately, he controlled his impulse.
Although the Peerless Great Emperor was indeed a man of good character, they hadn't known each other for very long. Jiang Chen intended to repay this favor, but decided to bide his time.
The Peerless Great Emperor had no idea what Jiang Chen was thinking. His face lit up with delight as he pressed question after question: "Where is this senior of yours? Would he be willing to sell this pill? My family assets aren't enormous, but I'm willing to give everything I have — all I ask is for a single pill."
His tone left no room for doubt. Clearly, in his eyes, a thousand gold could be scattered, every last possession could be handed over without a moment's hesitation — all for a single lifespan-extending pill.
"I can't make any promises right now, but if I ask him, obtaining a single Pine Crane Pill shouldn't be a problem. It's just that he's temporarily outside human territory. But don't worry, Senior Emperor — within three to five years, he'll definitely come to human territory to find me."
Three to five years — Jiang Chen believed the Peerless Great Emperor could endure the wait.
This time, the Peerless Great Emperor was truly overcome with emotion. His fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white, and he couldn't stop pacing. "Wonderful, wonderful! Young brother, if I receive this pill, whatever you want, I'll give it to you. If I have it, it's yours on the spot. And if I don't, I'll scale mountains of blades and seas of fire to get it for you."
In all these years, no news had ever stirred the Peerless Great Emperor to such heights.
He had traveled across countless mountains and rivers, and every time, all he found was disappointment, disappointment…
But this time, stumbling into the bounty arena almost by accident had landed him a stroke of incredible fortune — a thread of hope.
Though that thread was still uncertain, it was enough to send the Peerless Great Emperor into a state of wild elation.
"Young brother, this Pine Crane Pill — can it really extend an Emperor realm cultivator's life by a full thousand years?" After his initial excitement subsided, the Peerless Great Emperor asked again, caught between hope and anxiety.
"Please set your mind at ease on that score, Senior Emperor. You may already know the effects of the Myriad Longevity Pill — Pine Crane Pill is essentially an upgraded version of it. The only difference is that Pine Crane Pill's technical requirements are a hundred times greater."
Indeed, the Peerless Great Emperor had studied the Myriad Longevity Pill. But he knew that the Myriad Longevity Pill absolutely could not be used by Emperor realm cultivators, which was why he had resisted the temptation and never let his Dao companion take one.
Seeing Jiang Chen speak with such conviction, the Peerless Great Emperor was more than half convinced.
The Peerless Great Emperor didn't possess the All-Heavens Insight Eye of the Peacock Great Emperor, but as a generation's Great Emperor, he still had a certain eye for reading people.
If this had been some frivolous, cocky young man, he would never have believed a word.