It had to be said that
The Pine Crane Pill could extend the lifespan of emperors and grand emperors — that was undeniably attractive. After all, the day would come when everyone's natural lifespan drew to a close.
Unless one could penetrate the laws of heaven and earth and ascend to the Celestial tier, once one's lifespan expired, all that remained was a pile of bones. All grand ambitions, all martial glory, would turn to nothing but drifting clouds.
That was why everyone had been so focused on the Pine Crane Pill.
But the Emperor Ascension Pill, as Jiang Chen had just described it, made their hearts race just as fiercely. For a grand emperor, every step forward in cultivation was fraught with unimaginable difficulty.
The fact that the Emperor Ascension Pill could elevate a grand emperor unconditionally — wasn't that simply defying the heavens?
"Young Lord Zhen, this old man has one more question," Grand Emperor Jingzhong said in a deep voice. "The Emperor Ascension Pill can rapidly advance an early-stage grand emperor to the mid-stage, correct?"
"It can." Jiang Chen nodded with certainty, having already guessed what they wanted to ask.
"Then for those of us at the peak — when we're standing on the border between the pinnacle and the absolute peak of the grand emperor tier — would the Emperor Ascension Pill still be effective?" Grand Emperor Jingzhong pressed.
"It would, though the effect wouldn't be as dramatic. Still, if a pinnacle grand emperor would normally need a thousand years to break through to the absolute peak, taking the Emperor Ascension Pill might reduce that to three hundred years — or perhaps six hundred. It depends on individual fortune, one's foundational cultivation, and one's compatibility with the pill itself. Those with exceptional talent, or those who can naturally maximize a pill's efficacy, might compress a thousand years into just three hundred. Those who utilize the pill less efficiently might still need six or seven hundred years. There's no way to give a definitive timeframe. But a reduction in cultivation time is guaranteed. The average is roughly cut in half."
Jiang Chen's explanation was relatively objective.
Yet to the ears of those present, it sounded more beautiful than any celestial melody.
"Incredible, truly incredible. Could there really be such a miraculous pill in this world? How laughable — we really have been frogs at the bottom of a well. How much did our ancestors from the ancient era leave behind for us? I dare say we've barely preserved one percent of it. It's a disgrace to us human cultivators!" Grand Emperor Jingzhong was visibly agitated.
As for Grandmaster Dongye, he sat there tongue-tied. He had been thoroughly intimidated by Jiang Chen. He wanted to offer some counterarguments, but with his knowledge of alchemy, he simply couldn't find any grounds to dispute the claims.
Besides — could someone who had produced the Pine Crane Pill really be questioned by the likes of him?
"Young Lord Zhen, if this Celestial Cloud Lingzhi can truly be used to refine that kind of pill, then it does indeed deserve to be ranked third among the supreme-grade treasures. It might even merit the first position," Su Huahen remarked suddenly.
"Not quite." Jiang Chen shook his head. "First of all, this particular Celestial Cloud Lingzhi hasn't aged quite enough. Based on its age and spiritual energy, it could produce at most two Emperor Ascension Pills, and the quality wouldn't be especially high. Most importantly, success isn't guaranteed either — there's a real risk of failure."
Jiang Chen had conducted a strict comparison between the three supreme-grade treasures.
If this Celestial Cloud Lingzhi exceeded three thousand years in age, it could absolutely yield three to six high-quality Emperor Ascension Pills, with a very high success rate.
In that case, the Celestial Cloud Lingzhi would surpass the talisman and claim the second position among the supreme-grade treasures.
As for that jade slip, Jiang Chen still believed it deserved the top spot. The jade slip recorded cultivation techniques — things that could be passed down permanently.
"Very well, I concede," Grand Emperor Jingzhong said with a laugh. "Young Lord Zhen, then what's the story behind the second-ranked supreme-grade treasure, the talisman?"
"This is a talisman inherited from the ancient era. If I'm not mistaken, it's a fortification talisman. It can withstand attacks of all elemental attributes — metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, and lightning. If you look closely, you'll see seven talisman patterns on it, each capable of blocking one attack. It's a virtually perfect defensive talisman, and its defensive tier is extremely high. Even if all of you were to attack together, it would be difficult to break through."
"What?" Everyone was stunned.
"That's right." Jiang Chen nodded with full certainty. "In the ancient era, many major sects would craft these talismins to serve as protective treasures for their most outstanding geniuses. Combat in the ancient era was far more dangerous than it is now. There were no barriers between the races — the territories of each race could be freely entered and exited. There was no such thing as a Boundary Monument. As a result, the warfare between races was more primal, more direct, and far more brutal. Talismans like this were the lifesaving treasures of those geniuses."
"Of course, the forces that could afford to use such talismins were almost exclusively the most powerful ones. Ordinary small sects likely couldn't have afforded them," Jiang Chen added.
"My word, Young Lord Zhen truly is an encyclopedia. You're so well-versed in the affairs of the ancient era? Tell me — what was this talisman called back then?"
"The Seven-Star Cloud Assembly Talisman," Jiang Chen replied concisely.
This time, even the last vestiges of defiance in Grandmaster Dongye's eyes finally vanished. He too had been won over by Jiang Chen.