Under Third Young Master Ji's introduction, Jiang Chen finally understood what the opening of the Glazed Royal Tower meant for Glazed Royal City.
Back in the Tiangui Kingdom, there had been a Wish Tower, and each time it opened, it was celebrated like a grand festival.
The Glazed Royal Tower, as an ancient inheritance pagoda of Glazed Royal City, was even more so the city's totemic monument—a sacred place in the hearts of all its citizens.
Opening only once every sixty years, its importance could well be imagined.
"Brother, with your alchemy talent, the competition in the Pill Tower should be absolutely no problem for you. Besides, there's a standing rule: anyone participating in the Glazed Royal Tower competition must not be older than sixty. That means everyone gets one chance to participate in the Glazed Royal Tower—and only one chance."
"Me too?" Jiang Chen was surprised.
"Of course. You've obtained a legal identity in Glazed Royal City, so you're eligible. Even outsiders, as long as they obtain legal status in Glazed Royal City, can participate." Third Young Master Ji smiled.
"In that case, wouldn't it be easy for hostile forces to send infiltrators?" Jiang Chen was curious.
"Heh heh, first of all, sending ordinary people would be pointless—they can't compete, and you could send thousands without making a difference. As for true geniuses, they always have certain distinctive qualities. Even if they hide it for a while, they can't hide it forever. Moreover, to catch the eye of any of the Seven Great Emperors, one needs a clean background and must pass through layers of selection. Sneaking in is absolutely not that easy."
Jiang Chen nodded. Thinking about it, the Glazed Royal Tower had been passed down since ancient times and naturally had its own screening methods. If it were that easy to infiltrate, Glazed Royal City would have ceased to exist long ago.
"Brother, you have the status of guest pill king through the Wei Family. Even without that, our Panlong Grand Clan could provide you with a prominent qualification to compete," Third Young Master Ji urged. "People should aim for greater heights. Though you have close ties with the Wei Family, in the long run, you certainly can't tie yourself to that single tree! I'm not trying to drive a wedge between you and the Wei Family, but you're clearly not someone meant to stay in a small pond. You absolutely must participate in the Glazed Royal Tower competition. This is a tremendous opportunity for your rapid rise. As long as any one of the Seven Great Emperors takes notice of you, your status will naturally soar. At that point, even if your identity were made public immediately, you'd have nothing to fear from the Undying Heavenly Capital."
Although the Wei Family was under the Panlong Grand Clan's sphere of influence, Third Young Master Ji's words were genuinely selfless—he was truly thinking of Jiang Chen's best interests.
The Panlong Grand Clan Lord also nodded: "Young friend, you should consider Third's proposal. With your talent, I believe you shouldn't limit yourself to just the Pill Tower competition. Even the Martial Tower would surely have a place for you. Participating in the Main Tower competition is also well within reach. This is truly an opportunity to elevate your status. The human territories are vast, and trying to go it alone simply won't work."
Truth be told, Jiang Chen was sorely tempted.
Given his current situation, at the pace things were going, it would take at least ten to eight years before he could become a formidable power—and that was the optimistic estimate.
After all, no matter how strong your alchemy talent, it could only attract people's interest; it was hard to win the genuine, unwavering loyalty of truly powerful figures.
"Brother, this opportunity is rare. Miss this one, and there won't be a better chance. Besides, you carry so many burdens on your shoulders. If you could gain the favor of an Emperor during the Glazed Royal Tower competition, everything else would fall into place."
Third Young Master Ji continued to persuade him earnestly.
"The Undying Heavenly Capital won't dare touch you. Finding your father—you could pursue that through more channels as well. Even if someday you seek to revive your sect and rebuild the Danqian Palace, having Glazed Royal City's support would make it twice as effective."
Jiang Chen nodded: "Thank you for the reminder, Brother Ji. I'll give this serious consideration and do my very best."
"That's more like it!" Third Young Master Ji laughed. "When the time comes, the two of us brothers will join forces and make a splash at the Glazed Royal Tower competition."
Jiang Chen smiled, then asked: "How long until the Glazed Royal Tower opens?"
"Next year—March fifteenth of next year to March fifteenth of the year after. A full year. The first three months are the Pill Tower competition, months four through six are the Martial Tower competition. The remaining half year is the Main Tower competition!"
"The Pill Tower and Martial Tower competitions are just the warm-up. Only those who perform outstandingly in these subsidiary tower competitions will qualify to contend for the Main Tower. And the forces of the Seven Great Emperors will be looking for promising talent during the Main Tower competition. Once any Emperor takes notice of you, you'll become an Emperor's direct protégé. At that point, your prestige will be unparalleled."
"March fifteenth of next year—that's less than a year away. Clan Lord, your body..."
The Panlong Grand Clan Lord sighed softly: "My condition—in Glazed Royal City, the underground rumors have already been piling up. But so far, no one can actually confirm anything. Most of it is just speculation. And as long as it remains speculation, people won't dare to act rashly. The moment they confirm that my cultivation is about to dissipate, the Panlong Grand Clan's situation could collapse into a quagmire overnight. So, next year's Glazed Royal Tower competition is a critical threshold for me. At that event, even the Seven Great Emperors will attend in person, and we clan lords must also make a public appearance. Everything about our clan will be magnified and laid bare before the world."
A person undergoing dissipation was completely different from a normal powerhouse. Once a cultivator began to dissipate, no matter how hard they tried to conceal it, it couldn't be hidden.
The signs of dissipation were even more obvious than illness—the whole body would wither and shrink. Anyone with a discerning eye could recognize the symptoms at a glance.
The Panlong Grand Clan Lord had lived in seclusion these past years, rarely making public appearances.
But the Glazed Royal Tower competition was one event he couldn't avoid attending. It was a threshold he had to cross—and at that time, the period of dissipation would be at hand. Everything would come to light.
This was absolute news of doom for the Panlong Grand Clan.
Jiang Chen nodded, closed his eyes, and meditated for a moment, weighing the myriad gains and losses. Then he spoke: "Clan Lord, while I'm unable to refine the Pine Crane Pill, my master once told me of a method to delay dissipation. If the method works well, it can delay things by five to ten years. Even with average results, it could buy one to two years. I've never tried it myself, but if the Clan Lord doesn't mind..."
"What?" A sharp gleam shot through the Panlong Grand Clan Lord's dim eyes, like a man walking through darkness suddenly catching sight of a flickering flame.