"There's no need to be surprised. I didn't appear in person at the time, but a sliver of my divine sense was imbued in my successor's coffin, sweeping across the entire Glass Royal City."
"Imbuing your divine sense?" Jiang Chen was greatly alarmed. Such a feat was no ordinary Divine Ability. To forcibly tear apart one's own spiritual consciousness, split off a thread of divine sense, and lodge it in an inanimate object — what level of power would that require?
Generally speaking, imbuing one's divine sense into a living vessel was not particularly difficult. For instance, Jiang Chen often used the Ice Fire Demon Lotus to imbue his divine sense.
However, this technique of lodging divine sense in living things was known to many powerhouses — it wasn't considered especially challenging.
But lodging it in something dead — that wasn't merely imbuing. That was an actual severance of one's spiritual consciousness. After all, once spiritual consciousness left the body, without the support of a living vessel, it would shatter almost immediately.
To solidify one's divine sense, lodge it in an inanimate object, and use it to survey an entire city — Jiang Chen did not believe that any Great Emperor-level powerhouse could accomplish such a feat.
In that moment, Jiang Chen's gaze toward the Peacock Great Emperor carried several new shades of astonishment.
The Peacock Great Emperor's expression, however, remained as serene as ever — neither sorrowful nor joyful.
The outside world had spread rumors that he was consumed by grief over his disciple's death, unable to free himself. At the very least, Jiang Chen could see absolutely no trace of that now.
Or perhaps the Peacock Great Emperor was simply hiding it very well?
Seeing Jiang Chen's gaze sweeping back and forth across his face, the Peacock Great Emperor smiled. "What are you looking at?"
"Your Majesty sees things with perfect clarity. Why not take a guess?" Jiang Chen decided to play along with the Peacock Great Emperor's air of mystery.
"Heh, then let me guess. You must be trying to read some trace of sadness or pain on my face, aren't you?"
Jiang Chen smiled wryly. "Your Majesty truly is perceptive in the minutest detail."
The Peacock Great Emperor chuckled. "But unfortunately, you didn't see any, did you?"
Jiang Chen nodded unconsciously. "No, I didn't."
"Do you know why?" the Peacock Great Emperor asked calmly.
"I don't," Jiang Chen answered honestly, shaking his head. He wanted to say that it was because the Emperor hid it well, but that didn't seem to be the case at all.
Perhaps the Peacock Great Emperor was truly magnanimous — had already attained complete enlightenment and come to terms with it all?
The Peacock Great Emperor sighed softly, then suddenly declared, "I have nothing to grieve over. Because I killed him with my own hands. The outside world simply believes he made a mistake during cultivation and died from poison."
"What?" Jiang Chen was stunned. This revelation made him momentarily question whether this man was truly the Peacock Great Emperor.
But upon careful reflection, he still felt that this person couldn't be an impostor.
But why would the Peacock Great Emperor have killed his most beloved successor?
"Up until now, you are the only person I have told about this," the Peacock Great Emperor said slowly.
Jiang Chen smiled wryly. "That puts a great deal of pressure on me."
"What pressure could you have? Are you perhaps thinking this concerns you?"
Jiang Chen shook his head. "Before I arrived, Your Majesty's successor was already dead. So this matter certainly has nothing to do with me."
The Peacock Great Emperor nodded. "Indeed, it had nothing to do with you. However, it does now."
"How so?"
"Because I believe I have found a better successor." The Peacock Great Emperor's eyes suddenly blazed bright as he fixed his gaze on Jiang Chen, the look of admiration in his eyes completely unmasked.
"Your Majesty means me?" Jiang Chen was taken aback.
"Is there anyone else here?" the Peacock Great Emperor smiled faintly. "The words you spoke to your sworn brother earlier were very wise. All things are governed by fate and affinity. I don't know whether it's your keen intuition or your extraordinary perceptive nature, but the moment you spoke of fate, this thought suddenly arose in my mind."
"To take me as your successor disciple?"
"Mm? Do you feel this bond of fate has come to fruition?" the Peacock Great Emperor asked with a smile.
Jiang Chen fell silent.
Since he had first entered the world, he had interacted with many senior powerhouses. Senior Ye Chonglou in the Tiangui Kingdom. The sect master of the Treasure Tree Sect.
Palace Master Dan Chi of the Danqian Palace, Elder Yun Nie.
These were all his elders. Yet with none of them had Jiang Chen ever established a formal master-disciple bond.
Because Jiang Chen took the title of master and disciple extremely seriously.
He harbored no desire on the path of martial arts, so the matter of taking a master did not particularly excite him. In fact, deep in his heart, there was always a thread of defiance — a belief that no one in this world was truly qualified to be his teacher.
Of course, this was merely a form of inner pride.
In truth, although this world could not compare to the boundless myriad realms of his previous life, there were still many powerhouses who surpassed him.
Those who had attained greater skill could serve as teachers — that did not mean others had nothing to teach him.
No matter how rich his memories from his past life were, many things still needed to be passed down through personal instruction and example.
Therefore, while Jiang Chen was not particularly enthusiastic, neither was he averse to the idea.