The three trials had been no easy feat, yet Jiang Chen had completed them flawlessly—virtually without blemish, and without so much as a hint of strain.
The feeling was one that Venerable Chongxiao struggled to put into words. But he could sense that when Jiang Chen had tackled the three trials, there had been a kind of confidence that simply did not belong to someone of his age. It was not blind confidence, either—it was the real, hard-earned kind.
Composed and assured.
There was something almost wondrous about it, as though everything were firmly within his grasp. That confidence, that composure—no one his age should have been capable of it.
Venerable Chongxiao asked himself honestly: even if he had personally attempted those three formations, the results would have been no different. In certain finer details, he might not even have matched this young sect master's execution.
"Congratulations, Sect Master, on passing all three trials. You have cleared the examination of the Danxiao Palace." Since taking up his post as guardian of the Glazed Pagoda, Venerable Chongxiao had never once felt as happy as he did in this moment.
The man whose heart had long since turned to ash now felt that over a hundred thousand years of guardianship had been worthwhile.
Every dark day had come to an end.
With a sect master like this leading the Danxiao Ancient Sect, how could the sect not flourish? How could the torch of its legacy ever fail to be carried on?
Jiang Chen did not mind being called Sect Master by Venerable Chongxiao. He understood that from the moment he had received the Danxiao Token, he was destined to lead the Danxiao Ancient Sect. He had long since accepted the responsibility of carrying its inheritance forward.
That was simply his principle.
"This trial—I'll admit I had some luck. If I hadn't already obtained the inheritance of the Danxiao Ancient Sect, it would not have been nearly so easy." Jiang Chen was honest about his own advantages.
Compared to the first trial, the second had gone almost suspiciously smoothly.
But Venerable Chongxiao shook his head. "That is precisely your good fortune and deep karmic affinity, Sect Master. Any other genius attempting the Danxiao Palace would have found it infinitely more difficult. I have a feeling that one day, you may truly conquer all Six Inheritance Palaces and become the Glazed Pagoda's new master!"
Jiang Chen sighed. "The Six Inheritance Palaces—are they said to grow harder with each one?"
Venerable Chongxiao did not deny it. "The first and second palaces are roughly comparable in difficulty. The second is slightly harder than the first."
"But when you reach the third, the difficulty spikes dramatically. Unless you've entered the advanced stages of the Imperial Realm, I'd advise against attempting it. Of course, each palace permits one failure. The fourth and third are not far apart in difficulty… but the fifth brings another substantial leap, and the sixth yet another. Conquering the sixth means conquering all Six Inheritance Palaces. That would give you a very real chance of becoming the Glazed Pagoda's new master and inheriting every last treasure within!"
Venerable Chongxiao's voice grew heavy with reverence. "The master of the Glazed Pagoda—even in the ancient era—was one of humanity's foremost leaders. He was a man of extraordinary learning and boundless talent. After the Demon Race invaded, he gave everything for the fate of mankind. He burned his own lifespan to divine the past and the future, and forged this Glazed Pagoda. All so that humanity's fortune could be passed down to future generations. His greatness transcends his era. It transcends the ancient age itself. Yet tragically, few understand his magnanimity, and fewer still appreciate the depths of his sacrifice."
Jiang Chen listened with genuine amazement. From Patriarch Tiankun and Venerable Chongxiao, he had heard all manner of tales about the Glazed Pagoda's master.
Perhaps neither Patriarch Tiankun nor Venerable Chongxiao had been willing guardians, but from start to finish, neither had ever spoken a single ill word about the Glazed Pagoda's master.
Though Jiang Chen still did not know the man's name, his origins, or even who he truly was—such a person commanded his deepest respect.
When a man can make even those who serve him reluctantly unable to speak ill of him, that kind of greatness spoke for itself.
In that moment, a fierce interest in the Glazed Pagoda blazed to life within Jiang Chen.
"The Six Inheritance Palaces. The Glazed Pagoda." A sharp light gleamed in his eyes. "I will conquer them all, one by one. I will claim the Glazed Pagoda as my own and become its new master!"
Jiang Chen had a premonition that the Glazed Pagoda carried with it a tremendous fortune—one that must surely be among the most supreme fates in all of the Divine Abyss Continent, not remotely inferior to the destiny of Ten Thousand Abyss Island.
At this point, if not him, then who?
Jiang Chen was not one for false modesty. He spoke with quiet sincerity. "Venerable Chongxiao, though I have yet to meet the Glazed Pagoda's master, the way you and Patriarch Tiankun speak of him only deepens my fascination. The Glazed Pagoda—I will conquer it."
"Hahahaha! Wonderful! A genius like you, Sect Master, would have been among the brightest stars even in the ancient era. Combined with your extraordinary fortune, conquering the Glazed Pagoda is more than possible!"
Venerable Chongxiao had already held Jiang Chen in high regard. Now that Jiang Chen was also the new master of the Danxiao Ancient Sect, their bond was all the stronger—and it only made Venerable Chongxiao hope more fervently that Jiang Chen would claim the Glazed Pagoda as his own.