Reuniting with fellow disciples always stirred up unusual emotions — especially after everyone had survived the catastrophe of their sect's destruction. The bond between them had grown visibly closer in an instant.
Originally, there had been competition among the fellow disciples. But now, at this moment, they had all become people huddling together for warmth, wanderers without a home. Meeting old friends in a foreign land — that kind of feeling was beyond description.
Ling Hui'er listened with rapt attention as Shen Sanhuo recounted various exploits of Jiang Chen, her eyes growing brighter with every detail. She kept asking questions, and the more she heard, the happier she became.
Ling Su had remained silent throughout, but upon learning that Jiang Chen had risen to prominence in Liuli King City in such a short time, he was utterly stunned.
He had been saved by Jiang Chen before, but by the time he regained consciousness, Jiang Chen and Ling Bi'er had already left Dangian Palace for the Wanxiang Grand Ceremony. So his impression of Jiang Chen hadn't been particularly deep — he only knew the young man was his lifesaver. They had met briefly once more in Taie City, but that reunion had been equally rushed. They exchanged a few words before going their separate ways, agreeing to meet again in Liuli King City.
For the longest time, Ling Su's image of Jiang Chen had been shaped entirely by Ling Hui'er's descriptions. However, because Ling Hui'er idolized Jiang Chen so fervently, her accounts had always been wildly exaggerated, painting him as a peerless genius unmatched under heaven.
In Ling Su's view, his daughter was probably letting her feelings for Jiang Chen run away with her — the infatuation of a young girl inflating the image of the man in her heart to absurd proportions. While Ling Su was grateful to Jiang Chen, he hadn't elevated the young man to those lofty heights in his own mind. He had seen too much of the world and figured that halving his daughter's descriptions was probably closer to the truth.
Their brief meeting in Taie City had given him little further insight. He had since heard scattered rumors that Jiang Chen had wiped out an entire team from the Indestructible Heavenly Capital under Wu Ji's command, but he hadn't dared to inquire too deeply about those claims, treating them with equal parts belief and doubt.
Only now, hearing Shen Sanhuo's account, did he realize just how many earth-shaking deeds Jiang Chen had accomplished. Only now did he understand that his daughter's descriptions, far from being exaggerated, had actually been remarkably restrained.
After all, the things that had happened in Liuli King City — Ling Hui'er had no idea about any of them. And the deeds she had described had all taken place within Dangian Palace. Compared to what had transpired in Liuli King City, those earlier feats were nothing.
To a blindly adoring follower like Ling Hui'er, everything Jiang Chen did seemed perfectly natural — of course Senior Brother Jiang Chen was supposed to be that incredible.
But from Ling Su's perspective, free of blind idolatry and untouched by girlish fancy, hearing about Jiang Chen's exploits left him profoundly shaken.
A young man who had risen from the Wanxiang Region — actually making such a commotion in Liuli King City, the very heart of the Upper Eight Regions. And now he had earned the favor of the Peacock Great Emperor. It sounded like something straight out of legend.
But judging by Shen Sanhuo's character, he didn't seem the type to spin wild tales.
Ling Su found himself caught between shock and joy. Shocked that Jiang Chen was truly such a prodigy, and overjoyed that finding Jiang Chen meant they finally had a place to settle in Liuli King City. Even the heir of the Panlong Great Clan treated Jiang Chen as a sworn brother — that alone showed Jiang Chen had genuinely made a name for himself here.
"Uncle Ling, you've been wandering for so long. Why don't you stay at Taiyuan Pavilion for the time being? I'll have Sanhuo get you settled. And your injuries need to be treated."
Treating those external wounds was no great challenge.
But Ling Hui'er clung stubbornly to Jiang Chen's arm, shaking it repeatedly. "Senior Brother, tell me more about Liuli King City!"
Jiang Chen smiled wryly. "Sanhuo has already told you everything worth telling. What else do you want to hear?"
"I want to hear everything!"
The girl had always been that way — an endearingly innocent young woman who paid little attention to many small formalities. As she shook Jiang Chen's arm, she occasionally brushed against her full chest, completely oblivious to it.
Seeing his daughter so intimate with Jiang Chen, Ling Su could only smile bitterly to himself. A daughter grown cannot be kept — there was no truer saying.
Fortunately, Jiang Chen wasn't the type of lecher who lost his wits at the sight of a pretty girl. He smiled and said, "These stories — there'll be plenty of time to tell them later."
Shen Sanhuo also chimed in, "Junior Sister, Senior Brother Jiang has a crucial alchemy duel in two days. It's extremely important. Let him prepare."
Ling Su scolded, "Hui'er, don't be rude. Senior Brother Jiang has countless matters to attend to — he can't waste time indulging your nonsense."
Ling Hui'er pouted her small mouth. "Fine."
She might be a little willful, but she wasn't the sort of child who couldn't tell when something mattered. Though reluctant, she released Jiang Chen's arm.
"Senior Brother, promise me — after the big battle, you'll tell me all about it properly! I heard you made those villains from the Indestructible Heavenly Capital pay terribly."
At the words "Indestructible Heavenly Capital," Jiang Chen's brow furrowed. His voice turned cold. "The Indestructible Heavenly Capital? You call that making them pay? The blood debt of our sect's destruction — we haven't even begun to collect the interest."
When the topic of their sect's annihilation came up, every Dangian Palace disciple's expression turned to grief and fury, and they all nodded in agreement.
Having found the Ling father and daughter, one less worry weighed on Jiang Chen's heart. Though the battle over the Ten Thousand Years Pill required no special preparation, Jiang Chen refused to be careless. He spent the last two days in his sealed chamber, free from all distractions, conducting necessary research and review regarding alchemy.
This battle was of supreme importance. He could only win — defeat was not an option.
Two days later, the gates of Peacock Sacred Mountain swung wide open. Alchemy giants from every corner of the land, having received their invitations, gathered one after another at the mountain to witness the duel.
Nearly every prominent alchemy figure in the Upper Eight Regions had received an invitation from both sides of the wager.
This battle was not merely a contest over the Ten Thousand Years Pill. It was a battle that would reshape the very landscape of alchemy across the Upper Eight Regions.