Lin Yanyu had been riding high lately, but he also carried a small worry—a happy kind of worry.
Over half a year ago, he had left the frontier wilderness, following the advice of "Daoist Friend Huang," and arrived at Glass King City. He had heard that the once-in-sixty-years Glass King Tower Assembly was about to be held there. What's more, rogue cultivators were also eligible to participate, gaining an opportunity to advance themselves.
This filled Lin Yanyu with excitement. In Pill Fire City, he had been nothing more than a stray dog with no home. And Glass King City was Pill Fire City's archrival. If he could distinguish himself in Glass King City, perhaps one day he might yet avenge his family.
Otherwise, given his current circumstances, even if he lived several thousand more years, he would never see the slightest chance of avenging them.
So Lin Yanyu had barely hesitated before signing up for the Glass King Tower Assembly. Under the name of a rogue cultivator, he entered the Pill Tower Competition.
He was supremely confident in his alchemy talent. However, he also knew that in Glass King City there existed an even more legendary genius—Alchemy King Zhen.
This Alchemy King Zhen was also Lin Yanyu's idol.
He had heard especially that in the battle over the Longevity Pill, Alchemy King Zhen had defeated the arrogant Alchemy King Ji Lang.
Ji Lang, after all, was his father's old nemesis. Lin Yanyu had always believed that the one most likely responsible for his family's destruction was none other than this Alchemy King Ji Lang.
So Lin Yanyu greatly admired the Alchemy King Zhen who had defeated Ji Lang. His coming to Glass King City was indeed prompted by "Daoist Friend Huang's" suggestion, but deep in his heart, hadn't he also wanted to meet the world-famous Alchemy King Zhen?
Yet no matter how he inquired, he could find no news of Alchemy King Zhen.
It was only when the Glass King Tower Assembly began—when, during the Pill Tower Competition, countless alchemy geniuses demanded that Alchemy King Zhen serve as judge—that Lin Yanyu learned the truth: the renowned Alchemy King Zhen had not been in Glass King City at all recently.
This left Lin Yanyu somewhat disappointed.
However, in the Pill Tower Competition, competing under the name of a rogue cultivator, Lin Yanyu had surged forward triumphantly, claiming the top position among the top one hundred rogue cultivators.
Once the top-one-hundred rankings were published, various factions within Glass King City began stirring, seeking out Lin Yanyu, eager to recruit him.
The most active among them was, without question, the faction of Asura Great Emperor.
Yet Lin Yanyu, even now, had not made any choice. Although he didn't fully understand Glass King City's political landscape, he knew that the foremost Great Emperor of the city was the Peacock Great Emperor.
And the world-famous Alchemy King Zhen also had closer ties to the Peacock Great Emperor's camp.
So despite facing numerous temptations, Lin Yanyu had not rushed to a conclusion or hurried to make his choice.
But the top-one-hundred list was about to be announced. After that would come the second round of the Pill Tower Competition, where the top one hundred would compete again to determine the top thirty-six, who would then enter the Pill Tower of the Glass King Tower.
The Pill Tower of the Glass King Tower contained all the alchemy legacies from ancient times to the present—a treasure vault of alchemy, a secret realm.
Within the Pill Tower, all manner of opportunities awaited.
...
Inside the Peacock Holy Mountain.
"Your Majesty, the top-one-hundred list for the Alchemy Competition has been released. Do you have any plans? Your subordinate is ready to act immediately," asked Bright Emperor Yunzhong.
The Peacock Great Emperor smiled faintly. "I have no particular plans at the moment. Yunzhong, what are your plans?"
Bright Emperor Yunzhong was caught off guard by the counterquestion. He paused, then smiled bitterly. "Your Majesty, the situation inside Glass King City is extremely delicate right now. Everyone believes that Your Majesty intends to abdicate in favor of someone more worthy. I wonder—does Your Majesty truly have such plans?"
This question was naturally one that the people of Peacock Holy Mountain cared deeply about.
If His Majesty the Peacock Great Emperor truly intended to abdicate in favor of someone more worthy—yielding his position to the Asura Great Emperor—then his strange inaction would make perfect sense.
But if His Majesty truly intended to do this, he could at least give his subordinates advance notice, so they could prepare themselves mentally.
Yet the Peacock Great Emperor had said nothing at all—not a single hint.
This made the situation all the more delicate. Everyone had their own theories, but no one could say for certain what the Peacock Great Emperor was truly thinking.
As the Peacock Great Emperor's most trusted confidant, Bright Emperor Yunzhong had been mulling this over for some time but simply could not figure it out. He finally could not help but ask.
"Abdicate in favor of someone more worthy?" The Peacock Great Emperor let out a soft sigh. As he gazed at Bright Emperor Yunzhong, his eyes suddenly took on a profound depth. "Yunzhong, did you know that a thousand years ago, I had already comprehended the Heavenly Dao?"
These words struck like a bolt of lightning on a clear day, detonating right beside Bright Emperor Yunzhong's ears, leaving him stunned and speechless for a long time.
"Your Majesty… You're saying you comprehended the Heavenly Dao?"
The Peacock Great Emperor sighed softly. "There's no need to hide this any longer. For a thousand years, I have been suppressing this realization. But once the comprehension of the Heavenly Dao appears, there is no avoiding it. Asura Great Emperor is ambitious—admirably so. But for a thousand years, I have waited for him to rise, waited for him to have the resolve to replace me. Alas, even now, to this very day, he still hasn't dared to take that step. He lacks the courage, and he lacks the strength to take that step."
The Peacock Great Emperor spoke as if telling a story that had nothing to do with himself, his tone tinged with a faint melancholy.
"The world believes I am fading into old age, convinced that one day the Asura Great Emperor will replace me. Yet not a single soul knows that I have been hoping—hoping he would replace me sooner."