Gao Zhan was slapped off the arena. Though he wasn't dead—not even seriously wounded—for a genius who cultivated the Asura killing path, suffering both physical and mental blows could only lead to two outcomes.
Either he would be spurred by the humiliation, forge a stronger will, achieve deeper enlightenment of the Dao, and ascend to new heights on the martial path. This would require an even more resolute and decisive Dao Heart—one capable of banishing the shadows of this battle and all the negative emotions it brought.
Or he would collapse entirely, never recovering, and sink into mediocrity. Throughout history, such people were hardly rare—in fact, they made up a good seventy or eighty percent.
The Asura Great Emperor's fury burned within him, but he neither lost his composure nor flew into a rage. Instead, his grim expression swept across the assembly.
Before him stood his three direct subordinates—the Emperors of the Sun, Moon, and Star—and his chief true disciple, Li Jiancheng.
The Emperors of the Sun, Moon, and Star were the Asura Great Emperor's most trusted deputies, holding a status comparable to the Four Great Emperors of Peacock Sacred Mountain. As for Li Jiancheng, he was the Asura Great Emperor's most prized disciple and his designated successor—comparable to the former Young Lord Fan.
Young Lord Fan had always pursued composure, perfection, and the art of winning people's hearts.
Li Jiancheng, by contrast, pursued dominance, ambition, and the overwhelming presence of a true ruler. He rarely engaged in any attempts to curry favor.
In the eyes of the Glazed Tile Royal City's upper and lower echelons, Li Jiancheng was an untouchable figure—a supreme genius, lofty beyond reach.
By comparison, they found Young Lord Fan more genuine, more approachable.
Of course, if one had to name a few talents in the Glazed Tile Royal City's younger generation who could rival Young Lord Fan, the first name that came to mind would be Li Jiancheng.
Yes—Li Jiancheng of the Asura Great Emperor's faction.
His martial path was domineering and aggressive. Even at the peak of his power, Young Lord Fan could barely keep him in check.
And word had it that Li Jiancheng had been cultivating an extremely powerful technique in recent years. Once he mastered it, even Young Lord Fan might have to give way before him.
Though his focus on this technique had allowed his junior brother Gao Zhan to overshadow him in recent years, in truth Li Jiancheng's martial talent was no lesser than Gao Zhan's.
Most importantly, while Li Jiancheng's martial path was aggressive and overbearing, his mind was extraordinarily meticulous—bearing the air of a generation's great ambition.
Thus, within the Asura Great Emperor's circle, the younger generation of geniuses privately called Li Jiancheng the Crown Prince. The implications of that name were plain for all to see.
"Jiancheng, what is your view of Gao Zhan's defeat?" The Asura Great Emperor's gaze settled on Li Jiancheng, his tone mild.
Li Jiancheng's expression was calm. "Gao Zhan did not lose in strength—he lost in foundation. That Pill King Zhen had trump card after trump card, completely disrupting Junior Brother Gao Zhan's rhythm and even suppressing him."
The Asura Great Emperor nodded. "This Pill King Zhen's origins are indeed questionable. But the Peacock Great Emperor's determination to elevate this man is already quite clear."
The Emperor of the Moon couldn't help but speak: "Your Majesty, if the Peacock Great Emperor insists on establishing Pill King Zhen, does that mean Peacock Sacred Mountain intends to enjoy another few thousand years of fortune? That they refuse to hand control of the Glazed Tile Royal City over to Your Majesty?"
For the Asura Great Emperor's faction, they had never been content to remain merely the nominal third power and the de facto second. They were always preparing—preparing to succeed the Peacock Great Emperor.
Even the secular noble houses had been organizing around this very theme.
For instance, the Royal Court Noble House's steady encroachment upon the Coiling Dragon Noble House in previous years had been precisely to build momentum for this. They sought to create a situation—a comprehensive suppression of the Peacock Sacred Mountain faction.
Unfortunately, ever since Pill King Zhen had appeared, the Asura Great Emperor's side had suffered setback after setback. First the Royal Court Noble House was destroyed, then word came that the Peacock Great Emperor intended to name a new Young Lord to replace the fallen Young Lord Fan, and now Gao Zhan had been decisively defeated by this very Pill King Zhen...
This series of blows was a devastating strike against the Asura Great Emperor faction's cause, rendering all their painstaking strategies little more than clouds in the wind.
The Emperor of the Moon's question therefore struck a chord with everyone present. They all wanted to know—would the Peacock Great Emperor truly step down in favor of the Asura Great Emperor?
If this question remained unanswered, it would be a tremendous blow to the Asura Great Emperor's faction.
The Asura Great Emperor's expression was grim. "The Peacock Great Emperor has always been unpredictable in his actions. Now that such rumors are spreading—where there's smoke, there's fire—I'm afraid this matter is all but certain. Riding the momentum of Pill King Zhen's meteoric rise, none of this is impossible."
The Emperor of the Moon grew agitated. "Then are all our plans to come to nothing?"
The Asura Great Emperor replied coldly: "Our plans may be temporarily stalled, but they haven't reached the point you describe. The Peacock Great Emperor has the world in his heart. His urgency to establish a Young Lord must have deeper reasons behind it. Add to that the demon race's restless movements—the Peacock Great Emperor will absolutely not stand idly by. Even if this Pill King Zhen is extraordinary, without a hundred or two hundred years of growth, he cannot bear the weight of the Glazed Tile Royal City's affairs. A hundred or two hundred years—if we still can't find a breakthrough by then, then we deserve to fail."
The others fell into thought upon hearing this. The Emperor of the Moon smiled. "That's true. No matter how extraordinary Pill King Zhen may be, he's still just a young man. He's far from truly inheriting the throne. Who knows what might happen in the meantime?"
The other two Great Emperors nodded in agreement.
The Asura Great Emperor turned his gaze to Li Jiancheng. "Jiancheng, the facts have shown that Young Lord Fan's approach and Pill King Zhen's approach are quite similar—they both seek to win the people's hearts. If you truly have ambition, you should consider this direction as well."
Li Jiancheng's greatest strength was his ability to think deeply and to listen to others' counsel.