The Glazed Royal City had, by now, largely emerged from the shadow of the last feudal lords' assembly. Order had been restored throughout the entire city.
Although there was still no word from the Peacock Great Emperor, Young Lord Zhen had seized control of the Glazed Royal City's situation. The process had been fraught with peril, but after taking the reins, his hold over the city proved remarkably stable — exceeding many people's expectations.
As time slowly passed, people gradually grew accustomed to Young Lord Zhen's governance. What delighted them even further was that his pace was clearly bolder than the Peacock Great Emperor's had been, and infused with far more vitality.
Though some remained skeptical of Young Lord Zhen's various initiatives, his enterprising spirit still earned widespread approval. After all, he was genuinely working to get things done, not putting on airs.
The academy had been established — its site selected, preparations proceeding in an orderly fashion, and the bulk of funding already in place.
The Dragon-Tiger Summit, meanwhile, had released one bombshell announcement after another, sending shockwaves throughout the entire human territories. The Glazed Royal City's fame had spread like wildfire over the past month or two. For the first time in thousands of years, the Glazed Royal City had truly surpassed Pill Fire City in popular attention.
Everyone knew this brief victory didn't amount to much in the grand scheme of things, but it was still a promising beginning. The people of the Glazed Royal City had always harbored a natural sense of rivalry toward Pill Fire City. Because Pill Fire City's strength made it feel like an insurmountable peak — a summit that had to be conquered on the Glazed Royal City's path to dominating the Upper Eight Regions.
Most of the Glazed Royal City's residents, therefore, viewed Pill Fire City as their foremost rival.
Otherwise, how could Jiang Chen's defeat of Alchemist Ji Lang in the Myriad Spirit Pill battle have generated such a sensation? How could it have plunged the Glazed Royal City into celebration?
It was precisely because they so desperately wanted to triumph over Pill Fire City. The Glazed Royal City needed this kind of victory to boost its confidence and morale.
Thus, even after the upheaval that had cost them two Great Emperor powerhouses — the Asura Great Emperor and the Canghai Great Emperor — the Glazed Royal City had not descended into chaos. On the contrary, the situation had become clearer than before, and the city's internal unity had strengthened.
Emperor Nian, who had always remained neutral, along with Emperor Zhenyue, had declared their outright support for Young Lord Zhen and for Peacock Holy Mountain's continued governance of the Glazed Royal City.
Even Emperor Zhankong, who had previously leaned toward the Asura Great Emperor, announced his full support for Peacock Holy Mountain.
With this, the Glazed Royal City had become truly united from top to bottom.
In the Young Lord's manor on Peacock Holy Mountain, Emperor Wushuang wore a broad smile. "Young Lord, excellent news! Lately, quite a few reclusive powerhouses from the rogue cultivator world have been asking me about this Dragon-Tiger Summit. In my estimation, our summit should prove even more attractive than Pill Fire City's Pill and Martial Grand Assembly."
"Brother Mo, you've come at just the right time. I really don't know all that much about the rogue cultivator world. I'm not worried about attendance for the Dragon-Tiger Summit — my concern is that too many people might show up and we won't be prepared. Could you give me a rundown on the rogue cultivator world first?"
Jiang Chen said this with a warm laugh, addressing Mo Wushuang.
Mo Wushuang nodded. "That's exactly what I came to discuss. The rogue cultivator world is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers — many powerful cultivators prefer to stay out of the limelight. But that doesn't mean the rogue cultivator world lacks strong figures. Leaving aside those ancient monsters who've retreated from the world entirely, among the more active rogue cultivator giants, there are a total of six. These six are known as the Six Great Giants of the Rogue Cultivator World."
"Each of these six is a dominant figure in their own right, commanding great prestige and reputation throughout the rogue cultivator community," Mo Wushuang continued patiently.
"Surely one of them must be you, Brother Mo?" Jiang Chen asked with a grin.
"Heh, I'm honored to be numbered among them, though I'm ashamed to say my strength places me in the lower half of the rankings. Fourth or sixth — either is possible." Mo Wushuang was straightforward about it, putting on no false modesty.
"Oh? There are people even stronger than you, Brother Wushuang?" Jiang Chen was somewhat surprised.
"Mm, let me explain. Among the Six Great Giants, the top three are universally recognized. They are Emperor Ziyou, Emperor Jingzhong, and a third — Emperor Mo Zhe."
"Emperor Ziyou cultivates the Purple Dark Eye Art — a divine ability of the eyes that reaches extraordinary heights of mastery. Emperor Jingzhong, born Jingzhong Hui, wields a precious saber drawn from the depths of a well, and his cultivation is equally unfathomable. I once sparred with Emperor Jingzhong in martial technique. Although neither of us emerged victorious, if the fight had gone to its conclusion, I suspect I would have fallen slightly short. Emperor Jingzhong absolutely has the strength to face Emperor Danji head-on."
"What?" Jiang Chen was genuinely startled. Emperor Danji, like the Peacock Great Emperor, was universally acknowledged as one of the most powerful Great Emperors in the entire Upper Eight Regions. And this Emperor Jingzhong could actually go toe-to-toe with him? That would make his strength terrifyingly formidable. Could the rogue cultivator world really be that exaggerated?
"It is exactly as I say — no need for surprise," Emperor Wushuang replied calmly. "In truth, the Upper Eight Regions are filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and powerful cultivators are far too numerous to count. Take your Glazed Royal City, or Pill Fire City — is the Peacock Great Emperor or Emperor Danji necessarily the strongest? Not necessarily. In this world, the lifespans of the truly powerful are exceedingly long — so long that they sometimes forget to show themselves, until people simply forget they exist."