It's easy to say "don't look down on a young man who's poor," but in the martial world, if you're broke, even the greatest genius could end up buried and forgotten.
Because you have no resources, no silver-spoon upbringing, no powerful cultivation techniques, no powerful pills, no powerful seniors to guide you...
Everything others have, you don't.
You're starting from different lines, and you can't accelerate at the same speed. Narrowing the gap? Practically impossible.
That's just how cruel the martial world often is.
This was reflected perfectly in the three rankings competition at the Glazed Royal Tower Assembly.
The hierarchy was strict, the barriers crystal clear.
The direct-line prodigies under the Great Emperor only needed to compete in the final Young Master Rankings. They had no need to participate in the earlier stages, nor would they deign to.
And the prodigies of ordinary noble houses didn't need to compete in the Rising Star Rankings—they only needed to enter the Genius Rankings.
Every single detail reflected privilege, reflected the rigid, tiered hierarchy.
The Peacock Great Emperor noticed Jiang Chen's silence and regarded him with a meaningful smile. "What's wrong? Scared? Or do you think it's unfair?"
If we're talking about unfairness—it was there, no question.
But of course Jiang Chen wouldn't complain about unfairness. It might look that way on the surface, but if you took the long view on the path of martial arts, the way of Heaven was ultimately fair.
He wasn't the type to lose sleep over something like that.
"Your Majesty, there's no such thing as absolute fairness. True fairness can only be earned through one's own efforts. This junior has never expected fairness to fall from the sky."
The Peacock Great Emperor burst into hearty laughter. "Hearing you say that, I can tell you've truly got a clear heart. You haven't let it get to you."
"There's no need to get hung up on it. Charging up step by step from the bottom—that's an experience in itself. Those so-called prodigies at the top, they're too high up to feel the chill. How could they ever appreciate this kind of scenery?"
Jiang Chen's words came from the heart.
In his previous life, he couldn't cultivate, couldn't experience the thrill of competing with the world's greatest prodigies. Now, given a second life, he treasured this opportunity more than anything.
If anyone knew what it meant to be lonely at the top, it was the him of his past life—the Son of the Celestial Emperor, as high above as one could be. Yet he'd never experienced any of that. All he'd had was endless loneliness.
So in this life, with such an opportunity, what did he have to complain about?
Even if the Peacock Great Emperor offered him this privilege, Jiang Chen might not have been willing to accept it.
"Good!" the Peacock Great Emperor praised. "With that attitude, your future path will surely be wider and longer than those prodigies'. But before that, you need to prepare yourself mentally. The prodigies directly under the Great Emperor are an entirely different tier from those below."
That was something Jiang Chen didn't need reminding about.
In the vast Glazed Royal City, with its countless young prodigies, those who stood at the very peak undoubtedly possessed true skill and ability.
Jiang Chen naturally wouldn't underestimate his opponents.
But Jiang Chen certainly wouldn't sell himself short, either.
They had their advantages, and Jiang Chen had his.
"I will remember Your Majesty's words. The Martial Tower Competition is about to begin. In these last few days, this junior will go back and make his preparations."
The Peacock Great Emperor nodded. "Go, then. This old man looks forward to seeing you soar in six months."
Watching Jiang Chen disappear from sight, the admiration in the Peacock Great Emperor's eyes didn't fade in the slightest. He sighed softly, muttering to himself, "This boy has a tremendous destiny. Even starting from somewhere as small and mundane as the Eastern Kingdom, he's already this extraordinary. If he'd grown up here in the Glazed Royal City from the start... I can't even imagine how high he'd go."
The Peacock Great Emperor made no effort to conceal his admiration for Jiang Chen.
...
When Jiang Chen returned to the Taiyuan Pavilion, Wei Jie happened to be walking out. Spotting Jiang Chen, Wei Jie lit up with excitement and hurried over to greet him.
However, Wei Jie's attitude, while still warm, carried an unmistakable hint of formality. This made Jiang Chen slightly uncomfortable.
"Young Wei, you're being too formal!" Jiang Chen said with a grin.
Wei Jie scratched his head. "Now that you're the number one alchemist in the Glazed Royal City, my father told me I shouldn't be too casual around you. I..."
"Don't listen to him. We went through hardship together. We were brothers before, and we'll be brothers for life. By the way, what are your thoughts on this Martial Tower Competition?"
Wei Jie sighed. "I don't have to compete in the Rising Star Rankings—I go straight to the Genius Rankings. But making it into the final list of two hundred? That's a huge hurdle. My chances aren't great."
"It's that hard?" Jiang Chen was slightly surprised.
"Not just hard—impossibly hard," Wei Jie said with a bitter smile. "I did the rough math. With a bit of luck, maybe I can squeeze into the top three hundred. But the top two hundred? That would take a miracle."
"No way—are there really that many prodigies?" Jiang Chen was skeptical.
"That's not an exaggeration. First, the Great Emperor's direct line claims thirty-six slots. That leaves only one hundred sixty-four spots in the two-hundred-person Genius Rankings. Twenty-eight noble houses, and each one has a few outstanding prodigies who absolutely outshine any clan heir. That alone accounts for at least a hundred spots. The remaining few dozen spots have to be shared with cultivators from surrounding regions, plus a whole batch of heirs from ninth-rank clans. And every now and then, a rogue cultivator pops up who's actually a genius... Adding it all up, I really don't have much confidence in making the top two hundred."