At this moment, Jiang Chen was paradoxically the calmest of all.
The promises made by the three great rogue cultivator emperors had put Jiang Chen's mind at ease considerably. At the very least, it would no longer be possible for this man to swindle people under the banner of the rogue cultivator community. With three titans of the rogue cultivator world having spoken, anyone hoping to stir up trouble in the name of rogue cultivators would have to think twice.
Jiang Chen regarded the man with a placid gaze and smiled faintly. "Go ahead and bring out your so-called six-thousand-year Heaven and Earth Lingyun Lingzhi. With so many esteemed seniors present, isn't that exactly what you wanted — to fan the flames?"
The man's heart was pounding like a startled deer. The situation he had believed to be airtight now harbored a hairline crack, and a trace of fear crept into his heart.
But at this point, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and press forward.
He produced the Heaven and Earth Lingyun Lingzhi and declared loudly, "Young Lord Zhen, you can't scare me off. I refuse to believe that with so many seniors here, you, Young Lord Zhen, can single-handedly cover the sky with one hand!"
The fellow's mouth was still remarkably brazen, and his intentions were thoroughly malicious — he was dead set on portraying Jiang Chen as a bully who oppressed honest folk.
"Esteemed seniors, please, everyone, take a look. How is my Heaven and Earth Lingyun Lingzhi only a thousand years old?" The man held the herb in both hands and circled the assembly, displaying his spiritual medicine to every major figure present.
At the same time, he kept muttering in an indistinct voice, "Young Lord Zhen, you claim my Heaven and Earth Lingyun Lingzhi is of comparable quality to the one from yesterday. If you've got the guts, bring out that Heaven and Earth Lingyun Lingzhi and let's compare them properly!"
As it happened, yesterday's Heaven and Earth Lingyun Lingzhi was indeed still on Jiang Chen's person. After the appraisal session the previous day, Cheng Qian had sought out the Coiling Dragon Great Emperor and gone to Peacock Sacred Mountain to negotiate a trade with Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen smiled coolly and brought out that Heaven and Earth Lingyun Lingzhi.
"Hmm?" Everyone was taken aback when they saw Jiang Chen produce the herb.
Master Dongye frowned and asked, "Young Lord Zhen, I must confess my curiosity. How is it that this Heaven and Earth Lingyun Lingzhi is in your possession?"
This question ignited a great deal of speculation among the crowd.
Indeed — how had the Heaven and Earth Lingyun Lingzhi ended up in Young Lord Zhen's hands? Shouldn't it have been returned to that rogue cultivator already?
Could it be…
Some people's minds raced with alarming speed, leaping at once to the worst possible conclusion.
An elder of the Heavenly River Palace asked in a sinister tone, "Young Lord Zhen, I too am curious. How did this Heaven and Earth Lingyun Lingzhi come to be in your possession in the span of a single night?"
The Heavenly River Palace was a lackey of Pillfire City. That the Heavenly River Palace would step forward to oppose Jiang Chen surprised him not in the slightest.
Long Baxiang of the Heavenly Dragon Temple let out a sly laugh. "Young Lord Zhen, eating black on black — that sort of thing won't do."
Jiang Chen looked at these old men with undisguised contempt, each of them advanced in years yet behaving like jumping clowns.
"This Young Lord knows what you're all trying to say. You simply want to throw mud on my name. That's right — this Heaven and Earth Lingyun Lingzhi is indeed mine now."
"Heh heh, Young Lord Zhen, on your own territory of Glazed Royal City, the owner of such a treasure really had no choice but to hand it over, did he?" Long Baxiang sneered.
The Coiling Dragon Great Emperor, standing nearby, could no longer contain himself. "You, Long — enough with your insinuations. The owner of this Heaven and Earth Lingyun Lingzhi traded it to Young Lord Zhen of his own free will. I, this Emperor, can vouch for that. If there had been the slightest hint of coercion in the exchange, may I be struck dead by five thunderbolts this very moment. You are all honored guests invited by Glazed Royal City, yet here you are fanning dark winds and lighting ghost fires. One cannot help but wonder what exactly your intentions are!"
The Coiling Dragon Great Emperor spoke righteously and sternly, his words leaving these fellows utterly speechless and unable to refute.
Originally, many independent cultivators had harbored suspicions toward Jiang Chen. Hearing the Coiling Dragon Great Emperor speak like this, their doubts dissipated. For a Great Emperor to testify with such an oath, it certainly could not be wrong.
Heavenly oaths were not something that could be sworn lightly.
Jiang Chen's expression was calm as he handed that Heavenly Earth Lingyun Lingzhi to Jiao Yun. "Go. Show it to all our fellow Daoists. Let them examine these two Heavenly Earth Lingyun Lingzhi and compare them. Remember to remind everyone to look at the roots, the patterns on the leaves, and the lines on the body of the fungus."
Jiao Yun accepted the order and, carrying the Lingyun Lingzhi, proceeded to display it before each person in turn.
"Honored guests, my Young Lord acts with complete integrity and disdains such petty tricks. However, my Young Lord has also stated that anyone attempting to pull tricks before him is absolutely humiliate themselves! Everyone, look carefully. Do not be deceived by surface appearances."
The crowd all began to carefully compare the two Heavenly Earth Lingyun Lingzhi.
Their first impression was that the spiritual energy density manifested by the two Lingzhi was indeed vastly different.
In terms of external appearance, the difference between these two Lingyun Lingzhi was truly enormous.
In terms of size, the other person's Lingyun Lingzhi was obviously much larger.
In terms of field density, the other person's Lingyun Lingzhi was also several times more potent.