Looking at the way Wei Lang and Luo Tianshu were acting as though they'd stumbled upon priceless treasure, Jiang Chen was hardly surprised.
These kinds of good things — never mind people from a mere second-rank sect in the Sword Field Central Domain. Even the powerhouses of first-rank sects in the Upper Eight Domains would fall to their knees and tremble with excitement upon seeing them.
"Young Master Zhen, these pills are truly ours?" Wei Lang still couldn't quite believe it.
"Of course. They're all yours." Jiang Chen smiled.
Wei Lang slapped his thigh. "Splendid! Everyone says Young Master Zhen is generous, and today I've finally seen it for myself. Young Master Zhen truly lives up to his reputation — this old Wei has only one word to say: respect!"
Earlier, when Jiang Chen had said the True Celestial Iron wasn't particularly special to him, Wei Lang's heart had sunk. He'd been certain this Young Master Zhen was going to drive a brutal bargain.
He never expected to end up with such generous trade terms — it was beyond anything Wei Lang had dared to hope for.
"Young Master Zhen, this Huangteng Pill — should it be taken directly? Are there any restrictions, or does it require some kind of preparation?" Luo Tianshu asked, struggling to contain his excitement.
"No need. After entering seclusion, simply adjust your body to its peak condition — ideally with your cultivation stabilized at the absolute summit within your current realm. Once you take the pill, you'll be able to break through and advance one level. There are no restrictions, and you needn't worry about any side effects whatsoever."
Jiang Chen explained in thorough detail.
"Good, good, good!" Wei Lang kept repeating. "Young Master Zhen, this old Wei may not have met many great figures in his life, but he's met a few. When it comes to being a good man, even all those senior experts combined wouldn't come close to Young Master Zhen's magnanimity."
Wei Lang's words were no empty flattery.
He had dealt with the leaders of many great powers, and plenty of them were the sort who'd swallow a man whole without spitting out a single bone. Forget these people failing to recognize the True Celestial Iron's value — even if they did recognize it, they'd most likely just throw a pile of Ling Shi at them and call it done. That pile would absolutely not exceed three hundred million.
Three hundred million Sacred Ling Shi, compared to the three pills they were getting now? What were those worth?
A single Pine Crane Pill alone was worth over a billion. And the two Huangteng Pills — even though they had no idea of their precise market value, any emperor-realm cultivator who had three to five hundred million would purchase one without a moment's hesitation. Of that, there was absolutely no doubt!
In other words, this piece of True Celestial Iron they'd never been able to figure out had directly generated over two billion in value. For a second-rank sect like theirs, this was an absolute windfall.
Most importantly, pills like these were impossible to come by — no amount of Ling Shi could ever buy them.
Jiang Chen sat in his original seat, a faint smile hanging at the corner of his lips, watching Wei Lang and Luo Tianshu's excitement without interrupting their moment of joy.
It took quite some time before the two finally realized they were losing their composure.
"Ahem, Young Master Zhen, please forgive our embarrassment. We're just people from a lesser domain with limited knowledge and narrow vision — upon encountering such a supreme treasure of the alchemical arts, we couldn't help but lose our composure for a moment." Wei Lang was quite smooth-tongued; not only did he manage to extricate himself gracefully, but he also slipped in a flattering remark about Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen gave a slight nod, then abruptly shifted the tone. "Gentlemen, the trade is settled. Shall we chat about something else while we're at it?"
Wei Lang quickly nodded. "It has always been my desire, though I wouldn't dare presume to ask. To receive guidance from Young Master Zhen — that is truly the good fortune of us lesser folk."
Luo Tianshu nodded as well.
A sect master and an elder — it seemed the two had fully resolved to grovel before Jiang Chen and play the part of the helpless underdogs.
"You two are from Sword Field Central Domain? As it happens, I once visited Sword Field Central Domain as well." Jiang Chen smiled faintly.
Wei Lang and Luo Tianshu both wore expressions of surprise, but inwardly they were breaking into a cold sweat, knowing the real point was about to land.
Last time, Jiang Chen had displayed some rather unfriendly sentiments toward Sword Field Central Domain in front of Luo Tianshu. Luo Tianshu had even mustered the courage to ask about it, only to receive no answer.
Wei Lang had heard about the incident from Luo Tianshu. At this moment, both of them had their hearts pounding in their chests.
"You two seem surprised?" Jiang Chen chuckled. "I assumed you already knew about this."
Wei Lang and Luo Tianshu exchanged a glance. The two of them shook their heads in feigned innocence: "When the Young Master graced Sword Field Central Domain with his presence, we truly were ignorant of the fact. How embarrassing, how embarrassing."
Jiang Chen smiled coolly: "The Langya Sect is a first-rate power within Sword Field Central Domain. Yet you don't know who the vast Sword Field Central Domain ultimately answers to?"
This question hit Wei Lang and Luo Tianshu like a ton of bricks, leaving them momentarily speechless.
"Very well, let me be more direct. Is the Invincible Heavenly Capital the one pulling the strings behind Sword Field Central Domain? Is your Langya Sect backed by the Invincible Heavenly Capital?"
Jiang Chen cut straight to the chase.
Wei Lang's heart lurched, and he sighed inwardly: "So it's true — is this Young Master Zhen really what the rumors say, a disciple of the old Myriad Manifestations Region? This... this is blown wide open."
"Young Master Zhen, our Sword Field Central Domain is quite autonomous within the broader human territories. Within the Central Domain, we're a recognized force as well. The Invincible Heavenly Capital is powerful, and while it does have some influence in our Sword Field Central Domain, it absolutely cannot be called the backing of the entire domain. At the very least, our Langya Sect is not particularly close with the Invincible Heavenly Capital."
At this point, Wei Lang was being thoroughly honest.
"Not particularly close?" Jiang Chen smiled with evident amusement.
"Young Master Zhen, please don't misunderstand — that was merely a polite way of putting it. In truth, our Langya Sect has never relied on the Invincible Heavenly Capital. Rather, it's the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect that has maintained closer ties with us..." Wei Lang felt a chill run down his spine and cold sweat forming on his forehead.
This Young Master Zhen was clearly inferior to him in cultivation, yet Wei Lang still felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on him like a mountain. He didn't dare hold anything back and confessed everything in full.
Luo Tianshu nodded along repeatedly, affirming every word Wei Lang said.