After hearing the full account, Elder Yinnie sighed with deep emotion. He was a seasoned veteran of the jianghu, so he could naturally read between the lines of what Jiang Chen hadn't said outright.
These experiences might not sound particularly harrowing in the retelling, but to have chased from the Myriad Phenomena Territory all the way to Pill Fire City — that journey must have been filled with countless hardships and ordeals. Only a young man with Jiang Chen's iron will would have remained so steadfast through it all.
Had it been anyone else from Dianqian Palace — even a top genius like Shen Qinghong — they would most likely have long since sunk into despair and given up entirely.
Elder Yinnie felt profoundly grateful. Grateful that Palace Master Danchi had made that momentous decision all those years ago. If Palace Master Danchi hadn't brought this young man to Dianqian Palace, then after the sect was destroyed, there would have been absolutely no hope of ever rebuilding it.
It was this young man who had kept alive that single fragile spark of the sect's reconstruction.
Now, the two young men in whom Elder Yinnie had placed the greatest hope were finally reunited. One was Jiang Chen, the other was Mu Gaoqi.
With these two around, rebuilding Dianqian Palace would absolutely not be a problem.
"Nephew, you have rendered great service to Dianqian Palace, and you have shown kindness to this old man and to Gaoqi. I have no way to repay you, so I can only kowtow on behalf of the sect."
As he spoke, Elder Yinnie, overcome with emotion, moved to kneel and kowtow before Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen hurriedly waved his hand and steadied the old man. "Elder Yinnie, you mustn't do this. We're all family here — if you put it that way, you're treating me like a stranger."
With Jiang Chen's current cultivation, steadying Elder Yinnie was effortless. Elder Yinnie was merely at the Earth Saint Realm, while Jiang Chen now stood at the half-step Emperor Realm.
If he hadn't deliberately restrained himself from breaking through, he would already be a full Emperor Realm powerhouse.
With just a light touch, Elder Yinnie felt as though a wall had materialized between them. No matter how hard he pushed, it wouldn't budge an inch.
"Nephew... you..." Elder Yinnie was utterly astonished. In only seven or eight years, how had Jiang Chen's cultivation suddenly reached a level where even he had to look up?
Mu Gaoqi also sensed something was off and couldn't help but ask, "Chen-ge, your cultivation seems to have improved quite a bit again."
When Jiang Chen had first emerged from Illusory Wave Mountain, he had barely broken through to the Saint Realm. At the Myriad Phenomena Grand Ceremony, he had borrowed Mu Gaoqi's name, and back then he had only been an early-stage Human Saint Realm cultivator.
Now, after a mere seven or eight years, how was it that even Elder Yinnie felt the need to look up at him?
In front of his own people, Jiang Chen didn't stand on ceremony. He smiled faintly. "I came across some fortuitous opportunities, so my martial cultivation has progressed rather nicely."
"Chen-ge, what realm are you at now?" Mu Gaoqi's eyes lit up, his voice brimming with admiration.
"One step away from the Emperor Realm." Jiang Chen made no effort to hide it.
"What? Half-step Emperor Realm?" Elder Yinnie and Mu Gaoqi both cried out in shock, exchanging looks of utter disbelief.
Jiang Chen nodded. He knew that if he told them he was deliberately suppressing his breakthrough to the Emperor Realm, the two of them would be even more flabbergasted. Better not to mention it for now.
But even so, it was more than enough to leave them stunned.
"Nephew, oh nephew... if I remember correctly, the strongest figure in our Myriad Phenomena Territory from centuries past, the Sacred Elephant Patriarch of the Great Saint Hall, was only at the peak of the Saint Realm?" Elder Yinnie's voice was thick with wonder.
"Elder Yinnie, there are always higher mountains beyond the mountains, and greater people beyond people. Once you reach the Glazed Royal City, once you reach Pill Fire City, once you reach the Upper Eight Domains — the peak of the Saint Realm is merely an unremarkable level." Jiang Chen sighed softly. "Even in the Red Cauldron Middle Domain, there are quite a number of Emperor Realm powerhouses."
Elder Yinnie did not argue with this. He sighed. "If our Myriad Phenomena Territory hadn't been struck such a devastating blow by the Red Cauldron Middle Domain a few hundred years ago, we would certainly have produced a generation of Emperor Realm experts by now. It's a pity that catastrophe back then ruined our foundation, leaving our Myriad Phenomena Territory forever behind. When you fall behind, you get beaten!"
Jiang Chen shook his head. He now understood better than anyone that the Red Cauldron Middle Domain's invasion of the Myriad Phenomena Territory had nothing to do with old grudges or vendettas, and certainly had nothing to do with some Holy Maiden being defiled by a prince of the Myriad Phenomena Empire.
Those were all flimsy pretexts.
At the root of it all was the Indestructible Heavenly Capital's instigation. They had wanted to bring the Myriad Phenomena Territory under their control so they could excavate the Nirvana site of the Flying Feather Emperor and search for the legacy of an ancient Heavenly Rank powerhouse.
That was the true ambition of the Indestructible Heavenly Capital.
But even if he told Elder Yinnie and the others all of this, it wouldn't change anything.
"Oh, by the way — the reason you were all able to escape this time, there's another person who played an indispensable role," Jiang Chen said suddenly.
"Who?" Elder Yinnie and Mu Gaoqi both looked bewildered.
"Come, I'll take you to meet him. He may be a senior expert, but he's actually quite easygoing," Jiang Chen smiled. He felt that, in the end, it would be best to come clean with the Peerless Emperor.