Cheng Qian himself felt a little embarrassed, awkwardly scratching his head with an expression that was hard to conceal.
Peerless Grand Emperor saw Cheng Qian's sheepish look and felt both a sense of warmth and a pang of sadness. In Cheng Qian, he saw echoes of his younger self.
Back when he, Mo Wushuang, had been young, he too had been this helpless. If not for the fortuitous encounters and miraculous opportunities that had come his way later, he would never have made it to where he was today.
In this Cheng Qian, Mo Wushuang once again saw a reflection of himself — just as he had seen in Gu Xintang back in the Xieyue Upper Realm.
Though Mo Wushuang appeared rough and bluff on the surface, he was in fact a man of extremely rich emotions and exquisite sensitivity, easily moved by what he saw before him.
"Young Lord Zhen, the survival environment in the rogue cultivator world is far more cruel than within sects. That Cheng Qian managed to obtain such a rare Spiritual Medicine already makes him one of the luckier ones among rogue cultivators. Since he is so sincere about trading with Peacock Sacred Mountain, might I ask the Young Lord to help him make arrangements?"
The Peerless Grand Emperor actually began pleading on Cheng Qian's behalf.
Cheng Qian had never imagined that the Peerless Grand Emperor would speak up for him like this, and his heart filled with warmth.
Jiang Chen nodded slightly. "Cheng Qian, even without the Peerless Grand Emperor's words, now that you've come to me, it wouldn't be right for me to stand by and do nothing. Tell me — what sort of need are you looking to fulfill? Which direction does your wish lean toward?"
Cheng Qian thought for a moment, then said, "I just want — I just want the chance to attempt breaking through to the Emperor realm in this lifetime. If I could do that, I'd be laughing even in my dreams."
For many rogue cultivators, the Emperor realm was a height they would never reach in their entire lives.
Forget the Emperor realm — even a level like Cheng Qian's Earth Saint realm was a summit that countless people could never aspire to in their whole lives.
The world of martial cultivation was cruel, and each tier was more difficult than the last. The Emperor realm was already considered a peak within the martial world, a height that the vast majority of people could never scale.
The scenery at that summit was destined to belong only to a select few.
Cheng Qian clearly did not number among those few. He belonged to the crowd standing far below the Emperor realm peak, gazing upward.
Despite being at the Earth Saint realm already, Cheng Qian knew his own situation well. His age was not particularly advanced, but his martial potential had essentially been mined to its limits.
Without some extraordinary opportunity, reaching the Heaven Saint realm in this lifetime would be his absolute ceiling.
So when this rare chance had fallen into his lap, Cheng Qian had steeled his courage and brought this request to Jiang Chen.
It was the greatest wish of his life.
When he saw that Young Lord Zhen was only looking at him without speaking, Cheng Qian grew nervous. "Young Lord Zhen, I know this request is a bit much. I… I only want to be given the chance to attempt the Emperor realm. Whether I actually break through or not doesn't really matter."
Cheng Qian explained anxiously, as though terrified that Jiang Chen might lose his temper and have him thrown out.
Jiang Chen did not answer Cheng Qian directly. Instead, he smiled serenely and looked toward the Peerless Grand Emperor, then toward the two Jiao of Huaishan. "You three — what is your assessment of Cheng Qian's potential?"
Mo Wushuang was an honest man and replied candidly, "From what I can see, the ninth level of the Saint realm is his absolute limit. And that's the most optimistic possibility."
Jiao Yun also nodded. "Indeed, his martial potential has been more or less fully excavated."
Jiang Chen smiled. "Cheng Qian, did you hear that?"
Cheng Qian's face fell. Hearing these rogue cultivator Grand Emperors pass such a verdict on him made him feel as though his future was nothing but grey.
"Young Lord Zhen, I was too presumptuous," Cheng Qian said dejectedly.
"Heh heh, from a conventional perspective, your potential has indeed been largely exhausted. However, for the sake of the Heaven and Earth Lingyun Lingzhi, if I am truly going to make this deal with you, I ought to fulfill your wish so that I can accept your treasure with a clear conscience."
When everyone heard Jiang Chen speak this way, they were stunned. What did that mean? Could it be that Young Lord Zhen actually had a solution in mind?
The Peerless Grand Emperor suddenly seemed to realize something, and his eyes lit up.
"Cheng Qian, why aren't you thanking Young Lord Zhen yet?" the Peerless Grand Emperor slapped his thigh and barked.
Cheng Qian froze for a moment, but he was quick-witted. Hearing the Peerless Grand Emperor's words, he sensed that there might still be a turn for the better.
Without the slightest hesitation, he dropped to one knee. "Cheng Qian thanks Young Lord Zhen for this chance at transformation."
Jiang Chen smiled leisurely. "Brother Mo, you truly live up to your reputation as one of the six great titans of the rogue cultivator world — you really do look out for your fellow rogue cultivators. Cheng Qian, I will give you an opportunity, one that will grant you a chance to attempt breaking through to the Emperor realm. Moreover, I will also provide you with certain pills that will enhance your chances of breaking through. In exchange for this, the Heaven and Earth Lingyun Lingzhi will belong to our Peacock Sacred Mountain. Do you have any objections?"
Cheng Qian hastily replied, "I have no objections."
Jiang Chen chuckled. "To tell the truth, this deal actually favors me. Tell you what — once you've broken through to the Emperor realm, if you have the chance, come find me at Peacock Sacred Mountain again. I'll bestow upon you yet another opportunity. How does that sound?"
Though Jiang Chen did not specify what that opportunity might be, given that it was a promise from the Young Lord of Peacock Sacred Mountain and the lord of the Myriad Glass Kingdom, Cheng Qian naturally harbored no doubts.
"Cheng Qian once again thanks Young Lord Zhen for his guidance. Young Lord Zhen's great kindness is something Cheng Qian will never forget for as long as he lives." These words came straight from the depths of his heart.
"There is no great kindness to speak of. Possessing the Heaven and Earth Lingyun Lingzhi is itself a tremendous blessing. I have always believed in fair dealing, and I refuse to take advantage of you," Jiang Chen said with a smile.