The old man's such a generous promise left almost no one unmoved in the hall.
Including princes like Ye Dai and Ye Rong.
Everyone understood clearly that this favor was entirely different in weight from the previous guidance. This was the kind of favor that was bigger than heaven itself.
Consort Dan gazed at the eager eyes of the crowd, watching their faces light up with excitement, and could tell their fighting spirit had been sufficiently stoked.
With a faint smile, she turned her graceful figure and walked toward the rear. Before long, she returned, leading an exotic beast by the hand as she slowly entered the great hall.
The creature was covered head to tail in emerald-green plumage. Its head resembled that of a dragon, while two wings sprouted from its back. Its tail bore three feathered plumes, strikingly similar to those of a phoenix.
The moment this beast appeared, it radiated an overwhelming, oppressive aura of majesty. Even Jiang Chen, who had been deep in meditation, was shaken by this powerful pressure. The formidable aura pierced straight into his spiritual consciousness like an arrow.
Jiang Chen's eyes cracked open slightly as he regarded the beast, a flicker of surprise stirring within him. "This is an ancient bloodline—the Fengjiao Five-Winged Beast, a cross between dragon and phoenix!"
"There are ancient bloodlines in this world too?" He was mildly surprised, but quickly calmed himself. Ancient bloodlines were rare, yes, but through generation after generation of inheritance and interbreeding, all sorts of bloodlines would inevitably scatter across various planes of existence.
That one had drifted here was nothing truly extraordinary.
Still, in a small place like the Tiangui Kingdom, encountering one so suddenly did catch him off guard. And judging by the quality of this Fengjiao Five-Winged Beast, its ancient bloodline was undoubtedly one of the extremely diluted varieties.
Based on his assessment, the bloodline was at most high-grade Spirit Grade. If nurtured well, it might evolve to high-grade Saint Grade.
Going any higher would require other fortuitous encounters or far superior cultivation methods. Otherwise, Saint Grade was likely the absolute ceiling for this Fengjiao Five-Winged Beast.
"As the kingdom's Protector Spirit King, a peak Spirit Realm powerhouse, it's not outrageous for the old man to have had some extraordinary encounters. Looking at it this way, this old man is probably more than just a simple protector of the kingdom." Jiang Chen formed his own judgment in silence.
His thoughts having turned in this direction, Jiang Chen's Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil couldn't help but study the Fengjiao Five-Winged Beast a few more times. Then a thoughtful look crossed his face.
"This Fengjiao Five-Winged Beast, despite its imposing aura, looks rather listless. So Grand Tutor Ye is troubled by this matter?"
Jiang Chen chuckled inwardly, thinking, "This old Ye must be desperate enough to clutch at any straw. No matter how low the Fengjiao Five-Winged Beast's grade might be, it's still an ancient bloodline. How many of these spoiled young nobles could even understand that? Even if the beast does have some problem, what useful suggestions could any of them possibly offer?"
It wasn't that Jiang Chen looked down on these people—but this kind of ancient bloodline was something the noble scions of the Tiangui Kingdom had absolutely no standing to even hear about.
They hadn't even heard of it, so how could they offer any advice?
Of course, it wasn't his concern, and Jiang Chen had no intention of getting too involved. Right now, what he cared about more was the upcoming battle with Xin Wudao.
In that fight, he had to perform at his absolute peak to have even a sliver of hope.
He closed his eyes once more, shutting himself back into the world of meditation.
At that moment, Consort Dan's voice rang out again. "This beast is called a Fengjiao, and it is the old man's mount. I believe some of you have heard of it. Three months ago, this beast began to exhibit problems—it grew agitated and restless, refusing all spiritual food offered to it. Over the past several months, it has barely eaten or drunk anything, appearing listless and lethargic. Even a Spirit Beast can't withstand such treatment for long. The old man has consulted numerous experts on Spirit Beasts, but none have been able to identify the cause."
Jiang Chen sneered to himself. If they didn't even know what this beast's origins were, how could they possibly find the root cause? To treat an ailment, you had to know what it was and what symptoms it presented—right, but first you needed to know what the creature actually was.
"Everyone, to be perfectly honest, this beast's suffering has the old man tormented. He treats it as his own life. When it suffers, he suffers with it. If any among you can identify the problem—even if you can't cure it—the old man will still owe you a favor. And if you can diagnose it properly and resolve the issue, he will not only owe you a favor but also present you with an extraordinary gift."
"What? A favor on top of a gift?"
"What a generous offer! What on earth is wrong with this Spirit Beast? If only I'd spent more time studying Spirit Beasts!"
"It's truly a case of regretting how little you've learned when you need it most! If only I'd read a few more classics, learned more about Spirit Beast knowledge—what a pity, what a pity!"
Ye Dai's eyes lit up the moment Consort Dan finished speaking. He had already obtained some of this information through his own channels.
That was precisely why he had spent a fortune to bring a prodigious disciple of the Treasure Tree Sect's Four Seasons Hall to his side—one of the Five Great Pill Prodigies of the Hall.
"Brother Xianke, this is your time to shine!" Ye Dai turned to the mysterious man clad entirely in a black robe with a hood drawn low over his face.
This was the very person Jiang Chen had been most wary of—the one whose cultivation surpassed even that of Xin Wudao and Liu Can.
The hooded man was a disciple of the Treasure Tree Sect and a prodigy in the art of alchemy.
"First Prince, I won't make empty boasts. In the art of pills, there are fewer than a handful of people in the Four Seasons Hall who surpass me. As for nurturing Spirit Beasts with medicinal arts—if I call myself second among our generation, no one would dare claim first."
The hooded man was Han Xianke. As a sect disciple, he carried the unique pride and confidence that came with that status.
"Mm, that's exactly why I invited you here, Brother Xianke. If your name weren't as thunderous as it is, would I have treated you with such regard?"