Chapter 1367: A Bold Plan
The crowd stood behind Emperor Pillzenith, casting hesitant looks at the palace that had appeared out of nowhere. Not even the locals knew what was going on. Its sudden appearance was simply too suspicious. They were all peerless experts in the human domain, but fear of death was only human nature.
"Who's willing to go in and take a look?" Emperor Pillzenith asked coldly.
The great emperors looked at one another, but no one volunteered.
"Daoist Luo Jue, since this is your territory, why don't you go in and have a look? Perhaps this residence is actually an ancient secret realm that's recently emerged." Emperor Pillzenith glanced at the faction leader.
His target frowned. "There's no past record of this place. Its sudden emergence is simply too suspicious. I'm afraid nothing good will come out of this if we enter. This is a setup!"
Send me in first? Luo Jue was no fool. He wouldn't have hesitated if this encounter had been with a past Jiang Chen, but the one now was no longer someone to be underestimated.
Emperor Shura, Old Ma, and even Big Horn had been slain by that brat. He clearly had the ability to kill great emperors. Luo Jue was a very confident man, but he didn't think he was any stronger than Emperor Shura.
Naturally, he wouldn't want to be on the front lines.
Emperor Pillzenith frowned. "Daoist Jue Luo, don't forget that you're the one who gains the most from that brat's death. Moreover, this is your territory. You have first pick of any treasure or heritage within. If we go in first, you'll have to relinquish your rights."
The holy emperor shook his head without hesitation. "So be it."
Emperor Pillzenith was rendered speechless by the faction leader's timidness. He turned his head towards the crowd. "Any volunteers?"
Nobody volunteered despite his expectant gaze. This wasn't child's play. Nobody was dumb enough to enter the residence alone.
...
At this very moment, Jiang Chen was sitting cross-legged in a hidden corner within the palace. The dwelling that Guo Ran had left behind was extremely well-designed. Jiang Chen could see everything that was happening around the palace.
The effects of one's cultivation was also enhanced compared to the outside world. Moreover, it was built like a maze. If Jiang Chen wanted to play hide and seek, those bastards would never be able to find him.
It was equipped not only with a disorientating formation, but also an empyrean slaughter formation that would easily decimate great emperors into dust.
Jiang Chen would never want to use this trump card unless there was no other option. He was meditating as every passing second was inexplicably precious. He'd been travelling across multiple regions for the past few months, but never forgot to cultivate.
Despite being so diligent, he wasn't able to achieve the desired results due to constant traveling. Fortunately, his talents were far beyond the common person. Even though he hadn't entered closed door cultivation, his cultivation speed was still incredibly quick.
All of a sudden, his expression changed. Somebody had entered the palace!
Through his consciousness, he noticed a figure probing through the entrance vigilantly. The man took each and every step with extreme caution as though he was walking through a mountain of daggers and a sea of fire.
It was Pillfire City's Emperor Heartcloud. He was one of Emperor Pillzenith's loyal deathsworn. Since nobody had volunteered, he offered to be the first to scout the unknown palace.
Only one? Jiang Chen was a little disappointed. He didn't want to waste the a charge of the restriction on a single person.
Unless there was a supreme spatial art expert amongst the group, they would have an extremely hard time locating him if he didn't voluntarily reveal himself. Moreover, he'd already fully refined the abode. He was the overlord of the territory and could set the rules within this finite space. A bold thought suddenly appeared in his mind.
I was only able to kill Emperor Shura, Old Ma, and Big Horn with the aid of others. Come to think of it, I've yet to kill one with my own strength.
He then shifted his glance towards the palace. This is my territory. I'm the one who sets the rules! Even a great emperor won't have a chance against me here!
Even the person in question was shocked by his own thoughts. There was simply no way an initial emperor realm cultivator could kill a great emperor. But such thoughts have surfaced nonetheless.
It was like a swarm of ants crawling around in his mind. The itch was almost unbearable. He wanted to give it a try!
Mm. I mustn't be hasty. There needs to be a plan first. One could only imagine how difficult it'd be to kill a great emperor without the restriction. Everything would fall apart with a single mistake.
Granted, there was no need for him to be afraid of failure because he could easily get away thanks to the numerous mazes found within. There's no harm trying since there's little risk!
Jiang Chen took inventory of his many trump cards. The magnetic golden mountain, Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice, Featherflight Mirror, Pentecolor Divine Swords, Imperial Advent Defense and Onslaught Talisman… to name just a few.
He could also call upon powerful formations such the Eight Trigram Boulder Formation, Great Dream of Spring and Autumn Formation, as well as the Heavenly Chalice Sword Formation.
After a brief but thorough contemplation, he had a plan.
Mm. I'll incorporate formations into my attacks and when he least expects it, finish him off with the Heavenly Chalice Sword Formation. His most powerful attack method was currently the Heavenly Chalice Sword Formation. He hadn't fully mastered it yet, but there was no doubt of its lethality.
He was also in the possession of the Pentecolor Divine Swords. He hadn't fully mastered the sword technique either. Even if he had, it would still be weaker than the formation. After all, the addition of strength from a formation added power that ordinary weapon attacks couldn't measure up to.
Within one of the many spaces, Jiang Chen began to lay down the Great Dream of Spring and Autumn Formation, an extremely powerful restrictive formation. He completed it as quickly as he could and moved on to the Eight Trigram Boulder Formation.
A formation within a formation!
He wanted to restrict his enemy and attack when least expected. He was unable to fight a great emperor head-on at his current cultivation level. He could only resort to sneak attacks. Moreover, it would only work if the enemy's guard was down. This opportunity may or may not appear, but if it did, it would only last for a fraction of a second.
Jiang Chen had to make complete use of that brief timing. As long as his timing was correct, the Heavenly Sword Chalice Formation would most definitely kill the enemy.
After all preparations were made, he turned into a flash of light and moved towards Emperor Heartcloud.
Right now, he needed to lure the enemy into the trap. Moreover, he had to be subtle or the enemy might not take the bait. The enemy was clearly an overly cautious old fox who would never pounce unless he had complete confidence.
Jiang Chen didn't seek Emperor Heartcloud out. Instead, he calculated the opponent's route and continued cross-legged meditation while waiting for his opponent's arrival. He was trying to make it seem like a chance encounter.
Emperor Heartcloud was indeed an extremely cautious and vigilant man. His heart was filled with regret after volunteering. He found the palace a little eerie after some exploration, but hadn't found any lethal traps just yet.
However, he didn't let his guard down because of that. Quite the opposite in fact. How could there be no traps in a palace as suspicious as this?
As he walked, he noticed a tiny sliver of consciousness in front of him. It was such a weak and tiny ripple that he almost failed to notice it. His heart sunk. As expected, there's someone in the palace! Is that brat hiding in here?
He remained vigilant and didn't rush forward. Instead, he slowed down his movements and analyzed the consciousness in detail. As he slowly made his way forward, the strength of the consciousness only became stronger.
Suddenly, he heard a low gasp as though the person in question was startled by something. Whoosh! The person turned into a flash of light and shot away.
Hmm? Did the brat notice me? Emperor Heartcloud hesitated for a second but quickly gave chase.
"Brat! You're surrounded! You won't escape fate even if you grow wings!" Emperor Heartcloud growled deeply and dashed towards the beam of light.
He was still a little anxious but couldn't afford to hesitate any longer. He'd finally found the brat after such a long search. His trip into the palace would've been for naught if he let the brat flee.
Eager to please his superior, Emperor Heartcloud's vigilance had dropped by a great half.
Chapter 1368: Emperor Heartcloud
Jiang Chen's Kunpeng Meteoric Escape was faster than the average great emperor in absolute terms. Within the residence, his speed was increased even more.
Because Emperor Heartcloud was in enemy territory, he could barely use eighty percent of his cultivation. Therefore, Jiang Chen intentionally slowed himself down a bit to allow Emperor Heartcloud to catch up.
From the outside, the residence didn't look particularly big. However, its internals hid a whole new world. Veluriyam's young lord led Emperor Heartcloud in panicked circles all around the space.
He didn't lead the emperor into his trap immediately because he saw the man's natural caution. If he had led the enemy to a predetermined place immediately, the great emperor would surely have doubts about what he was doing.
A bit of a circuitous movement was needed to gain his enemy's trust first. Jiang Chen wanted Emperor Heartcloud to believe that his prey was in a pinch, and there was a very real chance for him to land the catch. Only then could the hunter and hunted reverse roles.
"Jiang Chen, do you think your strange residence will save you?" The lengthy chase was exasperating Emperor Heartcloud.
"Hmph, even if it can't save me, someone as weak as you will never be able to kill me." Jiang Chen intentionally provoked the emperor on his tail.
"How arrogant of you!" Emperor Heartcloud was extremely displeased, pushing himself to accelerate even further. Clearly, he was still partially observing and testing the waters. Jiang Chen's lack of a next move was gradually relieving his worries.
"Maybe this kid really doesn't have any more solutions. He managed to kill those three emperors through a numbers advantage, but his minions have all been sent off because of false generosity. What can he possibly do to me by himself?" This was what Emperor Heartcloud reaffirmed to himself.
With his goal in sight, Emperor Heartcloud's ambition blossomed.
"If I can catch that kid and get the recipes for the Pinecrane and Emperor Supremacy Pills, what need do I have for following Emperor Pillzenith's orders? Why can't I be the decider of my own fate?" Emperor Heartcloud was one of Emperor Pillzenith's closest loyalists, but he wasn't free of his own desires and aspirations.
The more palpable said ambitions were, the stronger his lust to achieve it.
"I need to take down that kid, caution be damned!" Emperor Heartcloud sped up suddenly once more. With a vicious cackle, he materialized a long silver chain in his hand.
At the end of the chain was an enormous claw.
"Soul-Gripping Chain, go!" Without hesitation, the emperor delivered a lightning-fast swing at the young man in front of him.
The Soul-Gripping Chain was his favorite treasure. It could extend or retract at will. It would suddenly appear out of thin air to capture its target and rarely missed.
With its lightning speed, it arrived behind Jiang Chen in the blink of an eye.
The young lord seemed to sense the danger behind him as well and suddenly increased his speed, avoiding the first attack.
"Hmph! Do you think you can escape?" Emperor Heartcloud shook his arm and emitted a series of ghastly cracking sounds from the chain. Its speed increased as well, as if a mythical python emerging mightily from a mountain.
Just when he thought victory was at hand, light suddenly flashed in front of him and eight bizarre stone sculptures appeared around him.
The sculptures confined him solidly within the center of the area.
"What the hell is this?" In his great surprise, the great emperor energetically swept sideways with his chain and brought it crashing down with the force of great army on the sculptures. "Break!"
Clang, clang, clang!
The chain kicked up a series of eye-piercing sparks on the statues, sending out fearsome ripples as if it'd clashed against metal.
The sweep of the chain didn't shake the statues at all, much less deal any fatal hits to them. The terrible blow had only left moderate scratches on them. What was most depressing of all was that the statues seemed to have self-recovery skills.
By the time the chain followed up with a maddened second assault, the scratches had noticeably filled in. It once again smashed onto the eight statues with the same awe-inspiring, harmless momentum.
"How are these things so tough?" Even one as strong as Emperor Heartcloud was losing his cool. He'd never thought that his pursuit of Jiang Chen would be blocked by eight stone statues!
But after forcing himself to calm down, he noticed that the eight seemed to correspond with some sort of formation. The formation was outwardly defensive and inwardly restraining. It was a terrifying dual purpose formation.
"This brat has a lot of tricks up his sleeve alright!" Despite his surprise, the great emperor wasn't afraid. He'd heard of how Emperor Shura had ended up in a draw against the young lord during the Veluriyam Vassal Meeting. Shura had possessed absolute advantage then, but even he hadn't been able to immediately break through the kid's defensive formations.
"Can this eight statue and formation combination be the one that Jiang Chen used against Shura? This brat is a well-rounded genius alright! He's greatly skilled in both pill and formation dao. He'll be a great threat to Pillfire if not taken care of."
Though Heartcloud was surprised, he wasn't scrambling. He wrapped his chain around one of the statues and flung it into the air. He wanted to crush it to pieces and create an opening.
But when he did so, the other seven also began to move, hurtling towards the great emperor like cannonballs. They had the momentum of meteoric mountains, greatly shocking their opponent.
"Damn it! I fell into the brat's trap!" Rage boiled in the great emperor. He thought he'd been as careful as possible, that there couldn't possibly be any more traps lying in wait. But still he'd fallen into a trap!
"Kid, do you think you can keep me down with these things?" In his fury, the Soul-Gripping Chain in hand danced even more wildly.
Each sweep sent a statue flying, but they would boomerang back tirelessly whenever they were launched into the air.
"Ah forget it, I can't keep single-mindedly fighting in a formation." Though the great emperor was infuriated, his still maintained reason. He knew that it was highly likely he'd end off worse for the wear if he wanted to keep fighting.
The best of the thirty-six stratagems was to flee!
His chain extended in the air, folding back on itself to form several dozen chains and a passage through the air. Heartcloud folded in on himself and prepared to flee.
But at this moment, countless vines suddenly appeared beneath his feet. They were in two colors of red and blue and seemed to have spontaneously grown from the earth.
The Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice roiled furiously towards the great emperor. Its form had continuously evolved as Jiang Chen reached new heights in cultivation. In its current state, it was making full use of all the advantages of an ancient lifeform. Thousands of vines snaked forward like tentacles.
"Pathetic little trick!" The great emperor wasn't impressed and raised his hand, forming a sharp blade of qi in the air and sweeping it downwards.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
The vines were cut through cleanly like a field of wheat being reaped. But at the same time, the eight statues crowded forward together, with one of them smashing right into Heartcloud's ribcage.
Even with his cultivation level, the impact sent him reeling.
"I can't keep fighting, I can't keep fighting like this!" The man wasn't made of steel. His resolve from earlier weakened further and he shouted and hollered inside the residence, wanting those outside to come in and helped him. But naturally, his efforts were all futile.
This was Jiang Chen's palace and all was under his control. Heartcloud's voice didn't travel outside at all.
A hint of a smile clung to the young lord's lips as he observed the panicking great emperor. Everything was proceeding according to plan. The stronger the great emperor resisted, the slower his consciousness would be under the effects of the Great Dream of Spring and Autumn Formation.
This wasn't just a formation to trap enemies. At their highest levels, trap formations would make their targets forget they were trapped and convince them they were in a dream. The targets would ultimately fall into a deep, senseless sleep.
So although this formation seemed harmless, it was a sophisticated construct that many formation masters wouldn't be able to learn had they wanted to.
Heartcloud didn't have much of a reaction at first, but he felt a twinge of alarm after the continued torment of the statues and Eight Trigram Formation. He felt that his sea of consciousness was a pot of glue — sluggish, heavy, and wanting to drift off to sleep.
He was a great emperor after all. The innate sense of alarm belonging to such an expert subtly clanged bells of danger for him during this confused state.
"Now is the time!" Jiang Chen could sense that the great emperor's thoughts were beginning to hesitate. This was the perfect time for him to attack! If he delayed and his enemy recovered his clarity, his attack would much less effective than he wanted.
It would be immensely difficult to take down Heartcloud if Jiang Chen didn't land an extraordinarily effective attack.
The Heavenly Chalice Sword Formation was ready! Sword light surged as if an opening hand formed in the Milky Way. Countless celestial bodies released terrifying power, pouring out over the lands.
Sixteen flying swords howled and soared like enormous dragons that could swallow suns and moons, calling upon boundless momentum. The terrifying power condensed to a singular, explosive point and pummeled Emperor Heartcloud.
Chapter 1369: Pouring In
Emperor Heartcloud's consciousness was caught only for a moment. He reacted as soon as the mighty attack from the Heavenly Chalice Sword Formation hurtled down at him. But in the Great Dream of Spring and Autumn Formation, he only had that split second's worth of instinct to maneuver in to react and dodge the attack in time.
It was a pity that his reflexes were still a beat too slow.
The explosive point blasted into him with power enough to destroy heaven and earth.
Bam!
The entire residence shook as Heartcloud's body was churned into nothingness by this terrifying might, leaving not a single trace behind.
Jiang Chen was awed by how thoroughly the former great emperor had been destroyed. He knew that the Heavenly Chalice Sword Formation was strong, but hadn't known just how strong.
"I'm just at 'minor achievement' right now and can utilize such power with sixteen flying swords. What happens when I can control twenty-five, thirty-six, or all eighty-one swords? Won't my attacks strengthen incredibly with each level of mastery?"
Still, he kept his head after a bout of gleeful celebrating. He knew that it wasn't just to the sword formation's credit that he'd been able to kill a great emperor, the other two formations had been a great part of the reason why.
In addition, his opponent's cultivation had been impacted by the palace and he hadn't deployed his full strength.
If it'd been in the outside world with no place for tricks or schemes, Jiang Chen knew full well that minor achievement mastery over a formation wouldn't be enough to beat a great emperor at all.
Having vanquished his foe, the young lord made a grasping motion and plucked away the great emperor's storage ring and Soul-Gripping Chain. Apart from vast sums of spirit stones, there were also some pills and other items in his ring. The presence of an Imperial Advent Defense and Onslaught Talisman was a pleasant surprise.
"My my. Emperor Heartcloud is a great emperor, so why would he have these kinds of talismans? Did he want to give it to his juniors? Well, it's mine now!"
What naturally pleased him the most was the amount of spirit stones he'd gained.
"Emperor Heartcloud seriously has a good sum of money. He brought three billion spirit stones with him on a random excursion! Tsk tsk…"
Jiang Chen had a great need of spirit stones everywhere. Three billion was close to the auction price of two Pinecrane Pills! Most great emperors wouldn't carry so much wealth on themselves. Likely only an affluent faction like Pillfire City would have such indifferently generous great emperors, with even greater fortunes at home.
The young lord cleaned up the premises and returned to his secluded corner, setting up a watch. He had all the patience in the world now.
"That bastard Pillzenith didn't want to come in himself and sent one of his men to die. I hope the next one to enter is him!" Jiang Chen would activate the restriction without hesitation if Pillzenith was the next one in.
Pillfire would scramble without their leader if Pillzenith died. Their situation would be much worse than Veluriyam without Emperor Peafowl. After all, Jiang Chen had still been there for the faction, but there was no one in Pillfire who could step forward and take over everything if Pillzenith fell.
"Let's see if that old fart has the balls to come in himself." Jiang Chen didn't go out to taunt his enemy into entering. He was going to quietly sit here and kill whoever came in. Although this method was slow, it was much more risk-free. The most important thing was, the rate of return this way was quite high. Just one Emperor Heartcloud alone had brought him such riches. Jiang Chen wished ardently for Pillzenith to send more in.
...
Pillzenith and the others waited a long while outside of the palace but heard nothing.
Impatience overcame one of them. "Your Majesty, Emperor Heartcloud's gone in for about an hour. He should've come out with something by now?"
"Right. He should've finished scouting ahead already. Something must be wrong inside."
"With his cultivation level, Emperor Heartcloud shouldn't be afraid even if he runs into anything, right?"
"Ai, who knows? That Jiang Chen brat has a ton of tricks up his sleeve, more than one great emperor have eaten a loss or died at his hands." The great emperors present kept up a lively dialogue, but no one was willing to step forward and volunteer.
"Your Majesty, there's another possibility. Perhaps Emperor Heartcloud's already caught the kid and is interrogating him?"
This question reminded Pillzenith that although Heartcloud was loyal enough, that loyalty might waver when faced with absolute profit. If Jiang Chen really had been captured, then his treasures might fall into Heartcloud's hands.
When his thoughts traveled here, Pillzenith grew alarmed and regretted slightly his brash decision. How had he only sent one person in? If he'd sent two in, they could keep an eye on each other. Things might be a bit better then.
"Your Majesty, we can't keep on just waiting on like. Why don't we all charge in together? There's so many of us that if anything happens, we can still put up a good fight." Such was Emperor Tallpeak's suggestion.
Pillzenith nodded. That was the only course of action they could take now.
"Everyone, there's something odd about this palace. Emperor Heartcloud has yet to return from his trip. Now is the time to be of one heart and go in together. Is there anyone who has cold feet on the front lines?" He swept a frosty glance across everyone present.
There were no dissenting opinions if everyone was to go in together. As frightening as the palace might be, with their numbers of supreme experts, they'd be able to carve a way out even if it led to hell itself.
"Your Majesty, you're the heart of our group. We all listen to you." The Empyrean River Palace was the first to offer flattery.
"That's right, please give the orders, Your Majesty."
Pillzenith's expression was forbidding. "Since this is the case, I want everyone on their toes. Success will be the only acceptable outcome for our operation! Those who help me capture Jiang Chen alive will be richly rewarded!"
Pillzenith couldn't actually bear to destroy Jiang Chen in one go. It wasn't that he held the young lord in any particular esteem, but that the great emperor coveted the young man's pill dao talent and foundations.
The Pinecrane Pill, Emperor Supremacy Pill, Emperor Ascension Pill…
These familiar names had upended the entire human domain and stunned Emperor Pillzenith as well. He almost doubted himself for a second. Had he become outdated? Was his era about to end?
Had this brat been sent by the heavens to end Pillzenith's time and draw the curtains on the age of Pillfire dominating the human domain?
But that notion vanished as quickly as it'd came. A defining figure of a generation would never give up until the final moments.
When he saw that everyone was chomping at the bit, Pillzenith repeated his warning. "Everyone, there must more than meets the eye if something is amiss. Emperor Heartcloud has gone in for quite a while. I'm afraid he's run into some trouble. Therefore, be careful and stay alert when you go inside. Keep to the formation at all times or you might give that brat an opening. Don't blame me for not giving you advance warning then!" He waved a hand. "Let's go!"
More than twenty great emperors poured into the palace. Their motion registered on Jiang Chen's consciousness and he took a closer look to see Pillzenith at the head of the pack!
His age-old foe was being extremely cautious. Pillzenith had caught a curious scent as soon as he entered the abode. It was a reaction that had saved his life many a time.
It was the thick scent of danger!
He wave a hand to command those behind him to halt.
"Don't rush, everyone. There's definitely something different about this palace. Its construction materials and arrangement are all very ancient, thus it must hail from the ancient times. Be careful when you move around so that you don't trigger any restrictions."
"Your Majesty, I can't seem to sense Emperor Heartcloud's consciousness." Emperor Tallpeak suddenly reported in. His words confirmed what Pillzenith had found as well.
The Pillfire leader had been searching with his mind ever since they entered, but no matter where he scanned, he couldn't sense the presence of their vanguard.
"How strange. This palace doesn't seem that big from the outside, but it seems terribly empty on the inside, as if the space stretches on for an eternity? There must be a spatial law contained within this residence, and its owner an expert from the ancient times. No modern day cultivator would be able to create something like this."
Pillzenith didn't relax his guard one bit as he sent out his consciousness again. But he came up empty handed no matter how he swept the area.
"Is it possible that Heartcloud's really fallen?" His heart spasmed without reason when he thought of this. The forbidding premonition within his mind loomed ever stronger. "Well, that's tough to say. Exceedingly sophisticated spatial techniques are employed within the palace, so maybe I just haven't come across him yet."
Much of that was just to make himself feel better. He'd already reached the preliminary conclusion that Heartcloud was dead. It was a thought that deepened the further the group entered the palace.
Suddenly, a frown creased Pillzenith's forehead and he waved a hand. "Everyone, stop."
The group immediately came to a swift halt. Pillzenith sucked a breath in because his consciousness had detected a frightening ancient restriction within!
It laid dormant for now, but brimmed with terrifying power. The level of that power made one even as strong as Pillzenith tremble with horror when he scanned it. The restriction could kill him five times over!
Chapter 1370: A Wicked Plan
Great emperors, especially those of Emperor Pillzenith's level, were extremely sensitive to danger. The restriction inside the palace wasn't meant to be a trap and little effort had been put into keeping it hidden. Thus, it was much easier to notice. The group remained frozen where they were with dark expressions.
Outside, they were beings that could shake the entire human domain with a single stomp. But inside the palace, they were at a mercy of a sharp blade over their heads, one that could descend at any moment. They had to be cautious.
"Your Majesty, did you find something?" Emperor Tallpeak asked quietly.
Emperor Pillzenith was still observing the restriction with his consciousness. "We can't take a step further." He sighed gently. A dark fear flashed through his eyes.
"Is there something up front?" Alarmed, Emperor Tallpeak asked yet again.
Emperor Pillzenith's expression darkened. He raked the area with a glare and gnashed his teeth. He was almost certain that Jiang Chen had something to do with this residence. Emperor Heartcloud was most likely already dead.
Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it. If he entered within range of the frightening restriction, the consequences were unimaginable. He scoured the surroundings again to look for a way to bypass the restriction, but the place was a complete maze. There simply wasn't any viable paths.
"Your Majesty, what do we do?" Emperor Tallpeak quietly inquired.
Emperor Pillzenith pondered deeply and made a sweeping gesture."We mustn't proceed any further. We'll sit here and wait."
The crowd was a little skeptical but didn't dare disobey. Emperor Pillzenith was incredibly wise and knowledgeable. If he believed there was something was wrong, then there must be something wrong.
Moreover, Emperor Heartcloud hadn't returned from his excursion yet. Some began to wonder if Jiang Chen was really inside the palace.
The young lord had seen everything and was rather dejected when Emperor Pillzenith stopped just a few hundred meters out of range. Pillzenith is as patient as a wolf and sly as a fox. He's truly a difficult opponent.
Jiang Chen was prepared to use the restriction for the final time. After eliminating Emperor Pillzenith, Pillfire City would no longer be the threat it was. Unfortunately, the sly fox had sensed the danger and decided to sit back and wait. He was clearly planning to set up camp and wait for the hare to fall into the trap.
Jiang Chen would naturally never fall for such a dumb trick. Hmph! You want to guard the entrance? What an idiotic plan! He wasn't threatened at all. He was more than willing to wait it out in the palace as he could cultivate twice as fast in here.
Sitting in here for a decade or two would absolutely be fine. The same couldn't be said about Emperor Pillzenith. It was a battle of patience now.
The days flew quietly by. Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye. Many of Emperor Pillzenith's companions were growing restless. They would've rioted already if not for his incredible reputation and presence.
Jiang Chen, however, was still relaxed as before. According to his calculations, his parents should now be well within reach of Veluriyam territory. Once they returned to the young lord residence, not even Emperor Pillzenith could do anything to them.
Freed of his worries, hewas even more relaxed and spent his days cultivating and meditating. With the passage of time, he continued to make progress and inch towards third level emperor realm.
Will I break through in the palace? He wasn't really feeling the pressure. The palace was his territory and finding him wasn't going to be easy.
While he cultivated at an extremely relaxed state, the great emperors on Emperor Pillzenith's side were losing their cool, especially the two from the Heavenly Dragon Sect.
Emperor Dragontyrant was fuming. "Emperor Pillzenith! When will we stop this fruitless waiting! What can possibly be in front of us that makes you tremble in your boots?"
The Heavenly Dragon Sect was the only first rank sect that would dare speak to Emperor Pillzenith in such an insolent manner. The latter frowned. He was clearly offended by Emperor Dragontyrant's manner of speech.
"Daoist Baxiang, if you don't believe me, why don't you go and take a look yourself?" Emperor Pillzenith answered indifferently.
He'd only invited the Heavenly Dragon Sect because Jiang Chen had been in the company of many great emperors. Since that group had dispersed, there was no longer a reason to keep the sect around. Thus, he no longer felt the need to accommodate Long Baxiang.
This only made the person in question angrier.
"Take a look myself? Emperor Heartcloud isn't part of my sect. But if he was, I'd be the first to investigate why he's missing!" This was obviously a veiled insult.
"Long Baxiang! What are you implying!" A bearded emperor from Pillfire City flung back furiously. He was one of the top three great emperors in the city, widely known as Emperor Cloudsurge.
"Hmph! Nothing at all!" Emperor Dragontyrant burst into an odd cackle.
Emperor Cloudsurge remained extremely irked. "Emperor Pillzenith naturally has his plans. You may leave if you wish. No one will stop you."
"Heh. You talk as though I volunteered for this! I wouldn't be here if you hadn't sought my sect's help!" Long Baxiang continued being contrary.
"Enough!" Emperor Pillzenith glared at Emperor Dragontyrant coldly. "Long Baxiang! My patience has its limits! Cut the nonsense and scram if you want to leave! Do you think I'm scared to offend you just because you're one of the most eminent sects?"
Pillzenith was still incredibly terrifying when he lost his temper.
Color drained from Emperor Dragontyrant's face. Allowing his companion to calm him down, he silently huffed back to his seat. However, one could tell from his eyes that he was incredibly aggrieved.
"Your Majesty, I have a plan." Emperor Tallpeak suddenly stated.
"What plan?" A glint appeared in Emperor Pillzenith's eyes. Emperor Tallpeak was Pillfire City's strategist and incredibly resourceful.
"Didn't that brat go to the Moon God Sect to arrange his parents' marriage?"
"Indeed. Many years ago, the Moon God Sect lost an infant who eventually became Jiang Chen's birth mother." Emperor Pillzenith had only recently received this intelligence.
"I heard that Jiang Chen took his mother on his journey back, but his sister, Holy Maiden Xu Qingxuan was left behind at the Moon God Sect." Emperor Tallpeak smiled faintly.
"Oh? Do you mean to say…" Emperor Pillzenith seemed to have caught the gist of the plan.
"Your Majesty, hasn't Jiang Chen always billed himself as righteous and virtuous? Won't he be forced out of hiding if we take his sister hostage?"
A sinister smile instantly blossomed out of the gloom on Emperor Pillzenith's face.
"It's worth a try!" A great emperor beside Emperor Pillzenith exclaimed.
"Agreed! Jiang Chen will give up without a fight if we capture his sister. And if he chooses to be a coward, will his guilt allow him to defeat his inner demons? Once an inner demon manifests, the apex of martial dao will no longer be within his grasp!"
"Your Majesty, the plan sounds good. You can leave the task to me."
"Me too!"
"Your Majesty, we should also take the Empyrean River Palace and Sublime Chord Temple with us just in case the Moon God Sect doesn't cooperate!" The crowd quickly burst into raucous chatter.
A ruthless expression appeared on Emperor Pillzenith's face after deep contemplation. In for a penny, in for a pound. The Moon God Sect had already crossed his bottom line after interacting so many times with Veluriyam.
He was clearly moved by the opportunity.
He previously had to pay heed to his reputation and status, but such things were no longer of concern since the two factions were at each other's throats. The entire human domain was split into two sides by now.
One with Veluriyam, the other under Pillfire's banner.
Of course, there were also a few neutral parties, but with the escalation of the enmity, those parties would have to pick a side, sooner or later. Since the situation was beyond redeeming, there was no longer a reason to hold back.
He swept his gaze across the crowd. "There needs to be at least six fellow daoists to put my mind at ease."
The Moon God Sect had three great emperors. When taking home-field advantage into account, any less than six great emperors would be inadequate to contend with the sect itself, much less come away with Xu Qingxuan.
Emperor Cloudsurge was the first to volunteer. "Your Majesty, I wish to join the cause."
"Me too!" another great emperor exclaimed.
"Count me in as well."
"Me too."
Idling in the palace was too boring. Kidnapping a disciple of the Moon God Sect wasn't exactly glamorous, but it gave them an opportunity to release pent up stress.
Chapter 1371: Forced By The Circumstances
The Empyrean River Palace and Sublime Chord Temple immediately volunteered as well. Their fates were tied to Pillfire City's. There was no going back. Being proactive would only benefit them.
Six volunteers from the three factions immediately departed for the Moon God Sect.
Jiang Chen had naturally witnessed everything. Pillfire had lowered themselves to the point where no underhanded method was beneath them.
They sure are going all out against me. He fretted, no longer afford to sit around idly. I mustn't let Qingxuan fall into their hands or the consequences will be unimaginable. I must stop them! He wracked his mind for a solution.
Moments later, he came up with a plan. First, he'd have to depart the premises. There was no consequence for leaving the residence here as he'd fully refined it. No one could take it. Additionally, the palace had multiple exits and Emperor Pillzenith was only guarding one of them.
That bastard Pillzenith! How dare he set up camp in here? There's no way he'll leave until the other group returns. He won't know if I sneak out. That blithering idiot will think that I'm still inside!
After confirming that nobody was guarding the outside of the residence, Jiang Chen left the palace from a hidden exit. Pillzenith, oh Pillzenith. Do take good care of my palace while I'm not around. He jeered mockingly, but didn't let his guard down for even a second.
Jiang Chen pushed the Kunpeng Meteoric Escape to its very limits and reached maximum speed. However, keeping up with great emperors was still quite an enormous challenge. Fortunately, the group of six wasn't exactly rushing for time while he was going all out.
Time was money. Every second had to be fought for. He needed to reach the Moon God Sect before them or the consequences would be unimaginable.
Even though he was taking the shortest route, he'd still have to cut across Sublime Chord Temple and Pillfire territory before heading northwest towards the Moon God Sect. There would also be plenty of smaller territories and factions along the way. The distance he had to cover was quite daunting.
By rushing at top speed, he eventually caught up to the six great emperors and left them behind in the dust. When he arrived at Pillfire City, a bold thought suddenly emerged.
Since Pillzenith intends to threaten me with Qingxuan, why don't I give him a taste of his own medicine?
There was no going back after the bold thought took root. He was a doer, not a dreamer. Putting on a disguise, he entered Pillfire City and sat in the busiest tavern for four hours to gather intelligence.
Emperor Pillzenith had two sons and three daughters; one of his daughters had passed away when young. He'd welcomed one son in his youth and the other in recent decades. His youngest son was said to be extremely talented and the emperor's favorite child.
Emperor Pillzenith had always supported Pill King Ji Lang in pill dao, but he had even higher hopes for his youngest son in martial dao. The youngest son wasn't even fifty yet, a mere infant in the world of martial dao.
Since the great emperor drowned his youngest with love and placed such great hopes on him, it was a given that the latter had already entered emperor realm.
Only a few could ascend to the emperor realm between thirty to eighty years old. They were normally seen as the top notch geniuses in the Upper Eight Regions. Those who failed to ascend to the emperor realm before eighty years old were seen as second rate geniuses.
Moreover, Pillzenith had always been extremely protective of his youngest son. There was no conceivable way for Jiang Chen to kidnap him from the residence. Like his own young lord residence, their complex was likely surrounded by extremely powerful formations.
I must lure the snake out of its hole if I wish to capture it. The youngest son was apparently extremely close with the Temple of Cleansing Fire, a name familiar to Jiang Chen. He'd attended the temple's bounty arena before by disguising himself as Sir Shao.
It seemed that Emperor Pillzenith's youngest son had nicknamed himself as Sir Tian Lin and visited the temple every day. Jiang Chen couldn't be certain of the rumor's authenticity, but it was worth a gamble.
Whether I succeed or not, I can stay for only two days. Based on his speed, he deduced that he was at most two days ahead of the other group. There was a high chance the great emperors would catch up if he lingered any longer.
As expected, Sir Tian Lin really did visit the temple everyday like clockwork. Unfortunately, there were bodyguards constantly by his side. One was a great emperor, another a half-step great emperor, while the remaining two were peak ninth level emperor realm.
The four bodyguards stuck to their master like glue, leaving no opening at all. Jiang Chen wanted to trick them by impersonating Emperor Heartcloud, but with so many powerful experts by Sir Tian Lin's side, there was little chance that it would work. He could only watch helplessly as Sir Tian Lin and his guardians set foot into the temple.
No rush. There's always next time… Jiang Chen comforted himself. The temple was an open space with plenty of human traffic. Nobody could recognize a disguised him. Naturally, no one stopped him either.
After entering the temple, he noticed that Sir Tian Lin's bodyguards had taken positions in all four corners of the temple, keeping an alert eye on their surroundings. Protecting Emperor Pillzenith's son wasn't an easy job.
Jiang Chen kept his distance to avoid alerting them of his presence. Why has Sir Tian Lin come here? Why aren't his four bodyguards allowed inside?
He secretly summoned the Goldbiter Rat King. "Ole Gold, head over there and check what the young emperor realm cultivator is up to."
This was a task that only the Goldbiter Rat King could complete. The Temple of Cleansing Fire didn't have restrictions and formations everywhere like Emperor Pillzenith's residence, or else the four guards wouldn't have been on such high alert.
The Goldbiter Rat King was only gone momentarily.
"Young lord, there's a group of pill masters inside researching some kind of pill. The young emperor realm cultivator seems to be the overseer. A bunch of white-bearded men are listening to his orders. Based on their conversation, they might be studying the Pinecrane Pill."
"The Pinecrane Pill?" Jiang Chen was taken aback. He hadn't given out many Pinecrane Pills. Moreover, the recipients would never have handed it over to Pillfire City. However, there was one that made it out to the open market. The Sublime Chord Temple had gotten their hands on one during the Dragon and Tiger Meet auction.
As expected, the Sublime Chord Temple is just like the Empyrean River Palace, an utterly submissive follower of Pillfire City. Comprehension dawned on Jiang Chen.
The pill had fallen into Pillfire City's hands, but they were in for a big surprise if they think that it could be easily be replicated. If it was so easily copied, it wouldn't be that rare and precious.
Tsk Tsk. It seems Sir Tian Lin is quite the ambitious man! Does he really believe that he'll succeed? Jiang Chen sneered inwardly.
"Ole Gold. How people many are there inside? What's the social structure?"
"There are three old men, a group of pill servants and pageboys, as well as Sir Tian Lin. If I'm not mistaken, the old men should be pill emperors."
"Pill servants and pageboys too?" Jiang Chen's eyes shone. This was his chance!
The temple's hidden chamber was extremely large. It didn't just consist of a single room, but multiple like a residence.
"Old Gold. Lead the way. We'll make a move if an opportunity comes!" With the Goldbiter Rat King to lead the way, Jiang Chen didn't worry about exposing himself. At his current cultivation, he could suppress almost any earth movements.
After all, he possessed the Earth Bodhisattva Orb and very fine control over the earth. He could move undetected underground without worry, as though moving on flat land.
"Ole Gold, keep your eyes peeled. Inform me if a pill servant or pageboy leaves the premise."
The Goldbiter Rat King completely abided by Jiang Chen's orders.
"Young master Chen, a pill servant seems to be leaving. It's your chance!" The rat king informed roughly an hour later.
As the name suggested, a pill servant was in charge of menial tasks. The servant was dragging trash out of the secret chamber for disposal. Jiang Chen took this opportunity to strike.
Tentacle-like vines from the Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice pierced out the ground, grabbed the servant's leg, and dragged him underground. He was subdued before he could even utter a sound.
The Goldbiter Rat King chuckled playfully. "Lord Chen, a successful start is an auspicious sign!"
Jiang Chen dragged the servant deeper underground and threw him down. "Spill the beans. Tell me everything you know!"
Chapter 1372: Capturing Sir Tian Lin
A quarter-hour later, the pill servant had spilled everything Jiang Chen wanted to know.
Thump. The young lord knocked him unconscious and tossed him aside.
"Ole Gold, he's all yours."
With a mischievous chuckle, the Goldbiter Rat King pounced on the man.
"Wait, give me a second," Jiang Chen urged. "Let me borrow his identity and face first. Pill Seven. This poor sod has only this code name to call his own, how sad..."
He quickly completed his task. When he put on the servant's clothes, there was nothing to distinguish him from the man. After ensuring he'd attracted no suspicion, he calmly returned above ground, brushed off the mud from his clothes, and slowly made his way back inside.
He was greeted with mockery from an old man with a grizzled beard. "Pill Seven, what took you so long? You only had to dispose of some dregs."
Jiang Chen imitated Pill Seven's voice and tone. "This humble one mulled over the results of the Pinecrane Pill's decomposition. I became lost in my thoughts and forgot to come back in."
He left no hole in his explanation.
The old man waved impatiently. "This pill is a mystery for even pill emperors, so what's a pill servant like you going to achieve, even if you wrack your brain until it explodes? Stop wasting time and get back to work."
"Yes, of course," Jiang Chen said obsequiously.
A pill servant was restricted to lowly assistant work. Thanks to his expertise, he immersed himself seamlessly in the dull task. To think the great young lord of Veluriyam would be at the beck and call of a bunch of bastards!
A depressing thought to be sure, but he forgot all about it once he saw Tian Lin's focused state, the latter's eyebrows wrinkled in a frown. Here's my target. I just need to put up with it for a short while.
Stay calm, stay calm, he repeated and meticulously followed the three old pill emperors' orders. The simple chores were a piece of cake for him.
"Look at that. Pill Seven, what's happened to you?" one of the pill emperors quirked his eyebrows. The skill and deftness was a far cry from what the pill servant usually exhibited.
Jiang Chen chuckled. "We must make the Pinecrane Pill ours. I can't sleep when I think of its secrets still eluding our Pillfire City!"
His little speech actually exceeded the prerogatives of a servant, but everyone was in a good mood and no one minded him.
Preoccupied as Tian Lin had been by the Pinecrane Pills, he wouldn't have paid attention to pill servants, but the words he'd just overheard surprised him as well.
During all the time he'd spent here, the six pill servants had always stayed within the strict confines of their helper role. It was his first time seeing one of them so proactive, so he smiled favorably at Pill Seven's corny declaration.
"Pill Seven was it? Very good! If all the pill servants in the Temple of Cleansing Fire were as proactive as you, how can the Temple not prosper? How could Pillfire ever falter?"
A little "embarrassed," Jiang Chen scratched his head and stammered, "Many thanks for the undeserved praise, young lord. I hope to contribute even more to Pillfire in the future."
The real Pill Seven wasn't as brazen, so he feigned a stutter.
Of course, Tian Lin wouldn't waste too much time on a servant. He simply asked, "You said earlier you didn't come in because you were lost in thought, correct?"
Jiang Chen smiled and rubbed his neck. "Something like that."
"Did anything come out of it? Was it related to the Pinecrane Pill?"
"It was. When handling the dregs, this humble one analyzed the residue's various smells and colors. I'm certain the Myriad Tempering Grass is one of the supplemental ingredients. There's also the Green Misty Jade, and the…"
He named four ingredients in one go, three of them true and one false. A lie almost true was the hardest to detect. Three out of four ingredients were genuine, lending an authenticity to his opinion.
The pill emperors grew grave. Jiang Chen had provided them with strong inspiration and clarified their thoughts. Perhaps they hadn't recognize the ingredients before, but now, they gasped in astonishment once they thought it over. How did Pill Seven suddenly come up with such understanding?
Jiang Chen instantly became the center of attention.
The old man with the grizzled beard asked solemnly, "Anything else, Pill Seven? Speak your freely, don't worry about being wrong." He clearly was the most passionate one about the Pinecrane Pill.
Jiang Chen knew the pill like the back of his hand. It was no trouble adding new details. Of course, he wasn't trying to show off, so he left a stutter in his voice to erase potential misgivings. He revealed only insignificant elements and also misled them with some mistakes here and there.
Tian Lin was amazed by "Pill Seven's" eloquence. The more the man spoke, the more credible he sounded.
"Pill Seven, you named so many supplemental ingredients. Can you guess the primary ones? The refinement method completely covers and makes it impossible to detect the ingredients' characteristics."
Jiang Chen smiled. "The Goldencrown Cloudcrane should be one of them. Jiang Chen's been buying them for a while, and at a high price at that. It must be for the sake of the Pinecrane Pill. Sir Tian Lin, what do you think?"
Tian Lin fell into deep contemplation.
A gleam appeared in the three pill emperors' eyes. The one with the grizzled beard in particular, leapt to his feet. "That's right, why didn't I think of that? Pinecrane Pill, Goldencrown Cloudcrane, both contain the word crane! They must be related."
"Pill Seven, your guess is bold but also logical. Let's take a look at the pill again and see if we can find traces of the Goldencrown Cloudcrane."
Everyone offered their own views. Jiang Chen's suggestion had undoubtedly opened a new door, lighting a way in the darkness and a new way of thinking. Thanks to his clues, they made great strides in their research.
Tian Lin's admiration for "Pill Seven" grew even stronger. "Pill Seven, staying here seems like a waste of your talent. With your attainment in pill dao, you're a match for many top rank pill kings. Are you interested in following me?"
He surprisingly wanted to poach the pill servant.
The bearded old man interjected hurriedly, "Sir Tian Lin, please don't steal him away. Now's a crucial time for our experiments. We've built a rapport with these pill servants. If you take him away, where would we find someone else suitable?"
"That's right. And Pill Seven, don't be too full of yourself. A cultivator of Pillfire should stay composed, whether faced with favor or misfortune."
Sir Tian Lin's enthusiasm grew as time went on, but there was a limit to how long he could stay. Two hours later, he readied himself to leave.
"Gentlemen, I leave the research to you. I'll come back tomorrow," he encouraged before departing. He was deeply gladdened by today's progress.
"Pill Seven, come with me. I want to test you further." He issued an invite to Jiang Chen in an expression of goodwill.
Jiang Chen beamed. He'd been fretting on how to create an opening. How very accommodating of the fellow! "Of course. I'll send you off."
Tian Lin smiled when they exited the pill room and arrived in the courtyard. "Pill Seven, if we can decipher the pill's recipe, your contribution will be the greatest."
Jiang Chen nodded curtly. What did he care?
Capturing Tian Lin without alerting the enemy was of critical importance. Once his target left the courtyard and reached the four guards waiting outside, the window of opportunity would be gone.
Now is the time! He suddenly triggered the Major Artifice Formation through the formation disk and sealed off the surrounding space.
The Bewitching Lotuses of Fire and Ice he'd prepared beforehand drilled up from the ground. Swish, swish, swish! They bound Tian Lin and dragged him underground.
Everything had happened in the blink of an eye, leaving no time for Tian Lin to react. Even when the poor man found himself trapped, he still didn't understand what had transpired.
Chapter 1373: Deception
As Pillzenith's son and possessing excellent martial talent, Tian Lin had already reached initial emperor realm. Jiang Chen could have subdued him with a frontal attack, but easy capture would've been impossible.
He'd achieved a flawless victory instead by catching his opponent unawares. He further paralyzed his victim by sealing off acupoints.
Everything was silent in the courtyard. No one had noticed anything untoward. When he exited the yard still disguised as Pill Seven, Tian Lin's four guards immediately crowded him.
"Where's the young lord?" The one who spoke, a great emperor, frowned. It was past time for his master's return, so his absence was surprising.
Jiang Chen replied with utter deference, "Your young lord asked me to bring a message that you can go back. He's going into seclusion for a month as he's made great strides in his research. He plans on leading the charge in the final effort to unravel the Pinecrane Pill's secrets."
The guard's brows shot up in surprise. "A month? With His Majesty gone, there are many responsibilities awaiting the young lord. The city will descend into chaos if he goes missing."
"Sir Tian Lin said the city is stable enough. Nothing of importance will happen. Emperor Pillzenith should be on the verge of returning as well. In the meantime, Emperor Pillzenith's and Pill King Ji Lang's personal disciples can be called upon."
But the great emperor refused to leave. "Friend, please inform our young lord that as his protectors, we'll remain on guard as long as he stays here."
How surprising. These guards seem rather devoted.
Jiang Chen reacted instantly. "I admire your dedication to your duty. However, if you stay as the doormen, you'd be informing the whole world of Sir Tian Lin's location. Are you possibly worried about his safety here? In Pillfire, inside the Temple of Cleansing Fire?"
The great emperor stubbornly shook his head. "Friend, please tell the young lord that we only obey his personal orders."
They wouldn't listen to a messenger.
Jiang Chen sighed. "I will, but you'll have to bear his wrath if he flies into a rage."
"Don't worry, no responsibility will befall your... esteemed self." In truth, the great emperor was unwilling to waste too many words with the lowly Pill Seven. He was a great emperor! Who was Pill Seven? A mere pill servant, a base domestic.
Jiang Chen returned to the yard and quickly disguised himself as Tian Lin. He wore an annoyed expression and went back outside. "What now? When did my words become so cheap? I told you to go back, why aren't you listening?"
Jiang Chen's imitation of Tian Lin's manners was on point, fooling the four guards. The great emperor bowed and raised a cupped fist salute. "Young lord, His Majesty's entrusted your security to us. We dare not neglect our duty. Please forgive us."
"Hmph! This is the Temple of Cleansing Fire's forbidden area. I couldn't be any safer here. I commend your loyalty, but I have no need for watch dogs. This is a busy area, you'd attract too much attention. At most, find a secluded spot and secretly keep watch. You'll still be nearby in case of any suspicious activity."
After some consideration, the great emperor acquiesced to "Sir Tian Lin's" demand. To protect the young lord didn't mean to stay glued at the young man's side at all times. This was a safe area. It was enough to keep their eyes open.
"Very well, it shall be as you say. We'll hide and watch over you. If anything happens, please warn us immediately. We'll be at the ready." The great emperor chose to back down. He had little desire to oppose Sir Tian Lin.
Jiang Chen waved impatiently. "So it's decided. We're at a critical moment in our experiments, I have no time to waste with you." He turned and left immediately.
The four guards looked at each other helplessly. Although they had a duty to protect Tian Lin, they couldn't go against his will and earn his displeasure. What if he complained about them to Emperor Pillzenith?
"Let's find a spot each and keep our eyes peeled for anything remotely suspicious. The young lord must stay safe at all cost. Otherwise, all of us knows what awaits us once His Majesty returns!" Their zeal didn't come from any respect for Tian Lin. They simply feared Pillzenith.
Once the four guards left, Jiang Chen transformed back into Pill Seven and returned to the secret room. Everyone was still busy with their own affairs, entirely unaware of Tian Lin's misadventures.
The bearded pill emperor asked, "Pill Seven, did you send off Sir Tian Lin?"
"He said I'm to follow him back and run some errands for him for a while. And also…"
"What else did he say?" The old man frowned.
"He said we're at a critical juncture. Everyone should intensify their efforts and go into seclusion for a month to complete the research in one go."
A month of seclusion?
The bearded pill emperor sighed. "We might have a rough outline to follow, but that's still much too short for tangible results. Sir Tian Lin is too impatient. "
Jiang Chen nodded. "Sir Tian Lin knows that as well, but he hopes to have good news for Emperor Pillzenith when His Majesty returns."
"Since the young lord has spoken, we share spare no efforts. A month of seclusion is no big deal. Everyone, let's do our best and show him some results!" the bearded pill emperor encouraged.
He faced Jiang Chen again. "Pill Seven, you don't talk much usually. What's happened to you all of a sudden? Sir Tian Lin admires you so much he wants to bring you back? Kid, you're something else to find so much favor with the young lord. No matter, we won't detain you. Go, serve him properly and don't think of playing any tricks."
For these pill emperors, Pill Seven was at most a perceptive helper. They didn't begrudge Sir Tian Lin for taking him away. Neither would they offer heartfelt wishes or sincere advice to a simple lackey.
Jiang Chen had now hoodwinked both sides. These fellows had been tricked into seclusion, while the four guards would wait for a month. He'd won time for himself.
The guards and the fellows in the Temple of Cleansing Fire would make no waves in the meantime. Even if they did, it would be a month later. That was more than enough for him.
He returned underground, tidying everything, then resurfaced and found a remote spot in the temple. Switching back to his original disguise, he strutted out of the temple with no one to the wiser.
He didn't tarry in Pillfire, and traveled until he reached uninhabited wildlands. There, he opened his storage ring and released Tian Lin. These rings usually couldn't store living creatures. Human cultivators in particular, couldn't survive for long inside.
However, a short stay for ten hours or so was usually no issue. One would need shelter like the Goldbiter Rats' Millionditch Stonenest for stays of longer duration. Moreover, the rats were tied to their nest. They would likewise face a quick demise inside a storage ring.
Tian Lin was still groggy from his capture, but when he recovered some clarity of thought, he immediately shouted, "Who are you? Do you know what you're doing? Are you aware you're challenging the whole of Pillfire City?"
Whether his victim could speak and how loud he could yell was all within Jiang Chen's grasp, so he remained unruffled. He cared little even if Tian Lin shouted himself hoarse.
He calmly roasted some game over the fire. A golden layer of oil coated the meat; an appetizing smell wafted through the air. Then he smiled leisurely. "Perhaps you think that Pillfire is the greatest power in the world and won't tolerate any provocation?"
"Nonsense! Pillfire is publicly recognized as number one in Upper Eight Regions. My father stands at the peak of the entire world. How dare you be so presumptuous? Aren't you afraid of the consequences? We can annihilate your family, your sect, and even your entire region!"
Although Tian Lin was using Pillfire's prestige to intimidate his captor, his courage was but a front. His heart palpitated with fear. The young man in front of him gave off the aura of an outlaw with nothing to lose, the sort that feared no one. Someone like him would hardly be frightened by fame or prestige.
Chapter 1374: Revisiting the Moon God Sect
Jiang Chen found the young man's overconfident attitude of 'you can't afford to offend me, nuh uh!' rather funny. Tian Lin had remarkable martial talent and was spoiled by Emperor Pillzenith a great deal, so he hadn't washed himself of his natural pampered aura.
People like him carried at least a little bit of the dandyism common to their status with them. Whenever they encountered trouble, they first resorted to using their fathers' names as the bogeyman. This was a sign of immaturity.
The unexplained sense of superiority and self-confidence was actually somewhat childish. After all, young master Tian Lin was currently a prisoner.
Why hasn't he realized his situation yet? Jiang Chen burst out in laughter. He cut a slice of the game in his hand and bit into it. The meat's savor filled his mouth.
"It looks like you still haven't realized what you're doing, kid!" spat the young master hatefully. "You won't be satisfied until you're staring at your doom in the face!"
Jiang Chen's laughter became louder. As he chuckled, he tapped his knife against the blue-green rock beside the fire-spit. The rhythm he drummed up was light and joyful.
"I don't understand, Sir Tian Lin. How much do you trust your father exactly? He must give you a whole lot of courage if you can mouth off like this while being someone else's prisoner."
The young lord stood up as he spoke, placing the knife in his hand to the young master's neck. His blade was still slick with grease from the meat.
"Even if your father is Emperor Pillzenith, a single cut should leave you dead on the spot, no? What does your father's importance have to do with your immediate fate? Say, would he cough up blood if he saw this happen in front of his eyes?"
The chilly steel of the knife put Tian Lin's head into a buzz. Cold sweat beaded upon his brow, bringing new clarity to his mind.
"Who… who are you, really? Do you have a grudge against Pillfire City?" Tian Lin was no hot-blooded fool, nor was he some kind of steadfast warrior. He was just a cultivator who'd attained emperor realm at a young age through both talent and a prominent birthright.
Because of this, he was puffed up in front of most people. This plus a previous lack of obstacles in his life made him inexperienced with adversity.
The instant before a knife had been at his neck, he'd subconsciously felt that nothing bad could ever possibly happen to him. It was grave misjudgment on his part.
"You don't need to know who I am. I'm asking you just a single question: do you want to live or die?" Jiang Chen's knife rubbed against the young master's skin. If he applied just a little more force, he could cut the young man's throat on the spot.
Young master Tian Lin proved Emperor Pillzenith's son, after all. He finally knew terror, but oddly didn't beg for mercy.
"You wouldn't dare kill me!" More sweat dripped down his forehead.
"I... wouldn't dare?" Jiang Chen found each new sentence out of his prisoner's mouth even more entertaining. "Do you think I couldn't kill you as easily as a dog right now?"
"You…" the young master was tremendously incensed upon hearing this – that was, before he realized once more that he was only a prisoner. If he lost control and said something too nasty, his captor could cleanly slice his airpipe in half in a fit of rage.
Jiang Chen tapped the flat of his knife upon young master Tian Lin's face a few times. "In the eyes of you Pillfire people, you're a real bigshot as the son of Emperor Pillfire," he smirked mockingly. "In my eyes, though, you're nothing more than a lamb to the slaughter. Just because I'm keeping you alive for now doesn't mean that's going to be true forever!"
He withdrew his knife in a swift motion, smiling to himself. Young master Tian Lin's mute acupoint was sealed off once more; he had no interest in wasting more words on the youth.
He hadn't wanted to target young master Tian Lin in the first place. If not for Emperor Pillzenith's shamelessness in targeting Qingxuan, Jiang Chen wouldn't have resorted to such equally underhanded tactics.
Stopping for a moment, he made a rudimentary disguise for the young master. The change in appearance altered Tian Lin's presence completely. He wanted to avoid overt attention for the next while.
After doing all that, Jiang Chen wasted no time in departing. His detour into Pillfire City for young master Tian Lin had been quite easy, but it had still cost him an entire day of time.
The six great emperors were fast approaching and every minute from now on was very precious. Thankfully, the Moon God Sect's headquarters wasn't far from here.
Jiang Chen pushed himself to maximum speed, arriving in Moon God Sect territory within the day. It was his third time here, and his mood and mindset was different once more.
He didn't announce his arrival to Third Master Jing this time, preferring instead to barge in directly. His trip was supposed to be discreet; he didn't want to reveal his presence.
The senior sectmaster was a bit surprised upon receiving Jiang Chen's message glyph. Why had the young lord returned so soon? However, she couldn't afford to snub him. She received him in secretly immediately.
"You haven't been gone long, young lord Jiang Chen. Do you have a purpose for revisiting us so soon?" The sect head was mildly uneasy.
"I came to deliver some news, senior sectmaster, a warning about Emperor Pillzenith," Jiang Chen cut straight to the chase. "He is moving against the Moon God Sect as we speak."
"What?" The senior sectmaster's expression froze. She shook her head instinctively. "Impossible! No matter how ambitious Emperor Pillzenith is, he wouldn't go against the rest of the world by publicly invading the Moon God Sect! We're a first rank sect. If he does so, the Upper Eight Regions will be thrown into chaos! He's the master of Pillfire City. He can't not know about that!"
"That's all history, senior sectmaster." Jiang Chen sighed softly. "Things are different now. Pillzenith is at his wit's end, and he's gone mad. If you do not believe my message, I must take Qingxuan away ahead of them."
"Young lord Jiang Chen," the senior sectmaster frowned, "Are you exaggerating things so that you can take Qingxuan away?"
"What, do you think I'm that kind of person?" Jiang Chen retorted with a sneer.
"Ah…" the senior sectmaster sighed softly. "Honestly, I'm still not sure what kind of person you are, young lord Jiang Chen."
"I'm not interested in wallowing in your indecision, senior sectmaster," Jiang Chen stood up suddenly with a cupped fist salute. "Pillzenith's men will arrive either today or tomorrow. They aren't coming solely for Qingxuan. They want to intimidate the Moon God Sect into supporting Pillfire City openly as well. If you don't agree, there may be a vicious slaughter."
The senior sectmaster drew a sharp breath. Jiang Chen's seriousness was infectious.
She sighed bitterly. "Relations between the Moon God Sect and Veluriyam Capital have finally angered Pillfire City, hmm?"
"You make it sound like Veluriyam Capital is to blame," snickered Jiang Chen. He'd lost interest in the conversation. Hardship was a trial by fire for character.
If the senior sectmaster was going to continue being a wallflower or linger or intensify her support for Pillfire City, Jiang Chen wasn't going to waste time talking further. He would take Xu Qingxuan away outright, whether the Moon God Sect let him or not.
The senior sectmaster knew that the fundamental problem between the Moon God Sect and Pillfire City wasn't the former's relations with Veluriyam Capital, but rather its lack of servile ingratiation toward the nearby northern superpower. The Empyrean River Palace's posture was far more ideal.
The Moon God Sect possessed ancient heritage and incalculable knowledge. It was less than willing to relegate itself as a subordinate faction to Pillfire. That was why its members resisted despite the burdens and tribulations in recent years due to Pillfire's chokehold. The faction hadn't sold itself out to become another's vassal.
Once that happened, the Moon God Sect would no longer be a pure sect faction. The heritage of its ancestors would be defiled.
"Excuse me, young lord Jiang Chen," the senior sectmaster sighed softly. "I don't mean to blame Veluriyam at all. There's nothing clandestine about our comings and goings. Pillfire has always wanted us to be one of its henchmen, but we've maintained our own heritage instead. That's the root of our conflict. Emperor Pillzenith's conceited ambition is to blame!"
That was much more like it.
Jiang Chen nodded. "Let's not attribute cause right now, senior sectmaster. We should instead face our crisis head on. Pillfire's sent six great emperors, including experts from both the Empyrean River Palace and the Sublime Chord Temple. You should shore up your defenses now, otherwise…"
"Just six great emperors against us" The senior sectmaster huffed. "They underestimate our heritage!" There was a tinge of pride in her voice. "I'm truly thankful for your message, young lord Jiang Chen. There's no need for concern. Six great emperors aren't enough to even shake the foundations of our sect."
The Moon God Sect had a rich and extensive history. Its stores were well-stocked with countless failsafes. The senior sectmaster's confidence was living proof of this.
"If the Moon God Sect can protect itself, that would be best. Still, my only purpose for coming here is to take Qingxuan away. As her brother, I can't risk any harm coming to her."
"Impossible!" The senior sectmaster shook her head. "Even if I were to agree, the senior sectmaster won't. Are you planning to change the terms of our prior agreement, young lord Jiang Chen?"
"I'm not changing any terms whatsoever. I merely want to ensure my sister's safety. I can take a step back, senior sectmaster. Even if Qingxuan isn't allowed to come with me, you should still send her out on an excursion. That way, you'll have more than enough excuse to stuff Pillfire's mouth when they come. How do you intend to answer them if Qingxuan stays?" Jiang Chen's suggestion was actually quite good.
If Xu Qingxuan wasn't actually at the sect, Pillfire's men would have no effect regardless of their ferocity.
"Never mind," the senior sectmaster sighed wistfully. "I'll go talk to Number Two. She loves Qingxuan a great deal. If what you say is true, I'm sure she'll agree."
Just as she said, the second sectmaster cursed loudly as soon as she heard the news. When she was done releasing her anger, she attributed partial blame to Jiang Chen. Deep down, she felt that he was the culprit behind it all.