Even the factions of the Shura Great Emperor and the Canghai Great Emperor had to play along in such a setting, stepping forward to offer their congratulations.
No matter how unwilling they were deep down, they could only force smiles and offer their well-wishes.
After all, at the level of Great Emperors—at the highest echelons—even if there was fierce competition behind the scenes, it could never be too obvious on the surface. Otherwise, it would be tantamount to an open rupture.
After a round of congratulations, the matter was finally settled.
The Peacock Great Emperor looked at Jiang Chen with a smile. "Such a rare occasion—why don't you come up and say a few words? It'll give everyone a chance to get to know you."
Jiang Chen didn't refuse. He walked onto the platform and cupped his fists toward the crowd on all sides, then spoke in a clear, carrying voice: "From the very first day I arrived in Liuli Royal City, I could feel how extraordinary this place was. That day happened to be the day of Young Master Fan's funeral. From the mournful atmosphere throughout the city, I knew this was a place with faith—a place of unity—a place worth staying in."
As soon as Jiang Chen reached this point, his words were interrupted by a wave of thunderous applause, his voice swallowed by the sound.
Some of the older martial artists had reddened eyes and kept wiping away tears. Clearly, Jiang Chen's words had struck a chord deep in their hearts.
Yes, Liuli Royal City was a place of faith. This was something every martial artist of Liuli Royal City took pride in.
Because this great family—from the top to the bottom—everyone had been striving to make Liuli Royal City better.
Jiang Chen waited quietly for the applause to subside before continuing: "From the day my Taiyuan Pavilion opened, I've felt your enthusiastic support every step of the way. Even when I faced obstruction and suppression from certain factions, you all stood on the side of justice rather than siding with the powerful to bully an outsider like me. That is especially precious. From that moment on, I came to love this place. I am proud to call Liuli Royal City my home."
"Later, I was fortunate enough to foil the schemes of Pill Fire City in the alchemy contest and defend the dignity of Liuli Royal City. From a Pill Master's perspective, I only did what I should have done. But what you gave me in return was boundless tolerance and affection. I feel that what I've contributed is so pitifully little compared to what I've received. What have I done to deserve your cheers and applause throughout the Martial Tower tournament? What have I done to earn your wholehearted support?" At this point, Jiang Chen's voice grew slightly emotional.
Then came another long round of applause that seemed to go on without end.
The Peacock Great Emperor had to raise his hand to signal everyone to pause.
"From your eyes, from your actions, I can see your support and care for me. I am honored that His Majesty the Peacock Great Emperor has named me Young Master of Peacock Sacred Mountain. I don't want to make empty promises or recite platitudes. I only want to say this: as long as I draw breath, I will give my all to Peacock Sacred Mountain and do everything in my power for the fate of Liuli Royal City. I will never betray your support and love."
After speaking, Jiang Chen bowed deeply.
The next moment, applause erupted once more like a rising tide. He had spoken three times, and three rounds of applause had followed—each one longer than the last.
"Young Master Zhen, don't be so humble! You've already done so much for Liuli Royal City!"
"That's right! Defeating Pill King Ji Lang, defeating Pill Fire City—those achievements alone are more than enough to earn everyone's applause and cheers!"
"It wasn't just that battle. You left behind the Ten Thousand Year Pill for Liuli Royal City—that's an immeasurable contribution, a real shot in the arm for our Saint Realm experts, and it's made Liuli Royal City more attractive than ever before."
"That's right! And Taiyuan Pavilion has introduced so many new pills, filling gaps in all kinds of areas and enriching Liuli Royal City's pill market. That's a great merit too!"
"Don't forget all the lectures and the efforts to guard against the Demon Race—every single one is an outstanding achievement!"
"Young Master Zhen, you absolutely deserve this treatment! No one has a problem with it!"
"Young Master Zhen, we support you!"
"Always!"
Each voice screamed at the top of its lungs, as though afraid Jiang Chen might not hear.
The Peacock Great Emperor watched the scene with deep satisfaction. For some time now, he had been building up Jiang Chen's reputation—all to set the stage for appointing him as Young Master.
From the looks of it, all that groundwork had yielded excellent results.
When you tallied up Jiang Chen's contributions, there really were quite a lot. And Liuli Royal City was the place that admired heroes the most and held those with great merit in the highest regard.
High status didn't necessarily earn respect, but great contributions—everyone in Liuli Royal City would remember your goodwill. That was precisely why the Peacock Great Emperor had adopted this strategy.
Originally, it was the Peacock Great Emperor who had been speaking, and the matter of naming Jiang Chen as Young Master had come up in the course of his address. But in a flash, Jiang Chen had become the center of attention. Still, no one thought there was anything wrong with that.
Even the factions of the Shura Great Emperor and the Canghai Great Emperor—who might well have found this disagreeable—would never dream of ruining the mood at a time like this.
Whoever stood up now and accused Pill King Zhen of monopolizing everyone's time would instantly become the enemy of the people.
"Very well. Next, we shall honor all the winners of this competition..." The Peacock Great Emperor finally steered the conversation back on track.
But the martial artists surrounding the plaza still hadn't snapped out of their reverie over Young Master Zhen. They looked as though they wanted more.
Honor the other geniuses? In their eyes, the other geniuses didn't matter much. Only Pill King Zhen was truly special—one of a kind.