Coming to Peacock Sacred Mountain for the second time,
Last time, he had harbored some anxiety. Back then, his plan to present the Longevity Pill formula and strike against the Royal Court's great clans had carried a touch of risk. He hadn't been certain whether the people of Peacock Sacred Mountain would play along.
But this time, Jiang Chen had been personally invited by the Peacock Great Emperor, and his heart was far more at ease.
Naturally, Jiang Chen traveled with the Panlong Clan Lord. Alongside them, besides Young Master Ji, were two other geniuses from the Panlong Great Clan. Their cultivation and strength were roughly on par with Young Master Ji's — one at the peak of the Ninth Level of Saint Realm, the other at the Ninth Level. On paper, there was no substantial gap between them and Young Master Ji.
Unless Young Master Ji were to suddenly break through to the Emperor Realm one day, he truly held no overwhelming advantage in the competition.
In the grand scheme of things, the Panlong Clan Lord showed no favoritism among the three strongest contenders for the inheritance.
But Jiang Chen understood clearly that Young Master Ji had contributed the most in the recent string of upheavals, and in the Panlong Clan Lord's heart, he had surely already risen to the first position.
"This must be the Alchemist King Zhen who's been making waves lately, yes?"
The speaker was impeccably dressed, his appearance absolutely no less striking than Young Master Ji's — though his style leaned a touch more effeminate.
Young Master Ji introduced them: "Brother, this is one of the outstanding talents of our Panlong Great Clan's younger generation. You may call him Young Master Liuxiang."
Jiang Chen smiled and nodded. "Greetings, Young Master Liuxiang."
Young Master Liuxiang studied Jiang Chen with a few careful glances, a warm smile on his face. "I've long admired your reputation but never had the chance to meet you. Old Three, you really know how to keep secrets! You befriend someone like this and never think to introduce him to me. Don't you know I love making new friends?"
Young Master Ji laughed. "Well, now you've met!"
The three of them laughed together. The remaining one, however, was clad in a black robe with a cold, austere demeanor. He simply watched them with an icy gaze. His face was sharply angular, as if carved by knife and chisel, giving off an intense, cutting impression. One look told you he was not the approachable sort.
But Young Master Ji didn't ignore him either. He turned to Jiang Chen and said, "This is the rising star of our Panlong Great Clan —
Jiang Chen nodded and smiled. "The Panlong Great Clan truly has deep foundations. A genius of this caliber is truly rare."
Ji Zhongtang merely gave a detached nod in acknowledgment.
Once their introductions were finished, the Panlong Clan Lord gestured with a wave. "Let's go. We can't be late for the Peacock Grand Assembly. Arriving last wouldn't do us any favors."
Under the Panlong Clan Lord's lead, the young men soon arrived at Peacock Sacred Mountain.
Waiting at the Sacred Mountain's entrance to greet them were two of the four Great Sovereigns under the Peacock Great Emperor's command. One, with an elegant and ethereal bearing, was called Bright Emperor Yunzhong. The other, fierce and majestic in demeanor, was called Bright Emperor Zhensui.
These two, along with Bright Emperor Yehu and Bright Emperor Duomei, were known collectively as the Four Great Sovereigns of Peacock Sacred Mountain — the four most powerful direct subordinates of the Peacock Great Emperor.
Of course, which among the four and the Panlong Clan Lord was truly stronger was anyone's guess.
In the eyes of the four, the Panlong Clan Lord — older than all of them — possessed unfathomable strength and was definitely no easy opponent. As for the Panlong Clan Lord himself, he had always kept a low profile and would never fight the Peacock Great Emperor's direct Sovereigns. So who among them was truly stronger had always remained a mystery.
"Clan Lord Panlong, you look quite well these days — a cause for celebration," said Bright Emperor Yunzhong, who clearly had a good relationship with the Panlong Clan Lord, his tone warm with concern.
"I recently came upon a stroke of fortune. It should keep things in order for the time. If fate proves generous enough, there may yet be a turnaround." The Panlong Clan Lord naturally wasn't about to sell out Jiang Chen. After all, these matters were of utmost gravity, and even among friends, there were things one simply could not speak of openly.
Bright Emperor Yunzhong glanced at the young men behind the Clan Lord and smiled. "The Panlong Clan produces many geniuses among its inheritors. Truly worthy of being the foremost clan of the Glazed Royal City."
The Panlong Clan Lord laughed heartily. "We're all on the same side here, Brother Yunzhong — no need to flatter me so. The foremost clan? That's all thanks to His Majesty's patronage. Without his backing, my Panlong Clan wouldn't even dare dream of being the foremost clan — whether we could hold our ground in the Glazed Royal City at all would be uncertain."
Everyone laughed.
Bright Emperor Yunzhong seemed particularly interested in Jiang Chen behind the Clan Lord and asked, "Clan Lord, this must be Alchemist King Zhen, yes?"
The matter of Jiang Chen presenting the Longevity Pill formula was a top-level secret — naturally not something to be discussed openly, especially not in front of the younger generation.
"Indeed. Alchemist King Zhen is a genius of extraordinary talent. His Majesty speaks of him in the highest praise. That's why he specifically requested his attendance at this assembly." The Panlong Clan Lord smiled.
Bright Emperor Yunzhong nodded in admiration. "To single-handedly defeat the Royal Court's great clans time and again — a genius of such caliber certainly warrants one of His Majesty's personal invitations. Everyone, please, come inside."
Bright Emperor Yunzhong made a welcoming gesture.
The Panlong Clan Lord led the young men inside.
By the time they entered, quite a number of guests had already arrived.
As the foremost Great Emperor of the Glazed Royal City, the Peacock Great Emperor commanded a full seven great clan forces. Such an lineup was unmatched by any other Great Emperor. And this was without the Peacock Great Emperor having actively sought to draw more factions to his side. The only one who came close was the Asura Great Emperor, who commanded five great clan forces.