The Han brothers were dumbfounded by the sudden revelation. Theyâd never have dreamed that Sir Shao Yuan was actually Veluriyamâs Pill King Zhen! Wry smiles and glances were exchanged with each other. Han Qianzhan was a very carefree person. He was disappointed by the sudden turn of events, but quickly accepted the reality of things.
âOh well. I must say that Iâm extremely jealous of Emperor Peafowl for finding such an excellent heir. Veluriyam Capitalâs fortunes are still as strong as ever! â Han Qianzhan exclaimed with eny.
Han Qiansui nodded in agreement. âPill King Zhen, this means that youâve defeated Pill King Ji Lang twice in a row! Itâll be most entertaining if news of this gets out! His undefeated legend will be thoroughly ripped into shreds!â
]Jiang Chen smiled and made no comment.
âPill King Zhen, why does a famous and well-celebrated person like you conceal your true identity? Itâs a good opportunity to make an even better name for yourself!â Han Qianzhan couldnât help but ask.
âEverybody knows that Veluriyam Capital and Pillfire City are rivals. If the city finds out that Iâm the young lord of Sacred Peafowl Mountain, Iâm afraid theyâll wonât let me set foot out of their city ever again.â Jiang Chen answered in a self-deprecating manner.
Odd expressions flashed across the brothersâ faces. Jiang Chen smiled wryly. âSurely you donât think Iâd traveled all the way to Pillfire City just to take them down a notch?â
âIsnât that the case?â Han Qianzhan answered ruefully.
Emperor Peerless laughed. âIt truly isnât! I can attest to that!â
The group immediately burst into hearty laughter.
âItâs a pity that the Skysword Sect has missed the opportunity to recruit you, Pill King Zhen.â Han Qianzhan breathed out a long sigh.
âRegrettably, my little brother canât join the Skysword Sect, but that doesnât mean we canât partner with each other. Isnât there such a thing as a guest pill king? Surely a sect as grand and distinguished as yours can afford to have him as a guest pill king?â Emperor Peerless said while smiling.
The Han brothers exchanged glances that were brimming with excitement. Emperor Peerless had made a good point! Theyâd failed to recruit him, but they could just offer him a spot as a guest pill king! The entire Upper Eight Regions placed his abilities on par with pill emperors at the moment, so one could only imagine how frightening the young pill emperor would become in the future.
They had a feeling that Pillfire Cityâs overwhelming dominance in the Upper Eight Regionâs pill dao might soon be challenged. And in fact, change was already happening, Pillfire City was merely unaware of it. After Pill King Zhen took over the Upper Eight Regionâs pill dao by the storm, who could possibly stop him then? Pillfire City? Impossible! Even their most vaunted Pill King Ji Lang had lost to Pill King Zhen twice. Was Emperor Pillzenith supposed to go up against him?
Emperor Pillzenith had a very strong foundation in pill dao, but in terms of raw talent, he likely was on par with Pill King Ji Lang. What Emperor Pillzenith was famous for was equal strength in both martial dao and pill dao, but he likely wasnât a match for Pill King Zhen in terms of raw pill dao.
The Reformation Pill, Longevity Pill...
These impossibly complicated pills were childâs play to Pill King Zhen. His frightening foundation in pill dao wasnât something that Pillfire City could possibly hope to measure up to.
The Han Brothers couldnât help but wonder where had Pill King Zhen obtained his pill dao heritage. Shao Yuan had first appeared with rumors of Myriad Abyss Island swirling around him. Not many believed that gossip back then. But if he wasnât from the legendary island, where in the human domain could he have possibly obtained such a powerful pill dao heritage?
Regardless of his origin, a future pill dao master like him was definitely worth associating with.
Through Han Qianzhanâs incredible foresight and reasoning, he foresaw that Jiang Chen was going to turn everything upside down in the pill dao world. He sucked in a deep breath and looked at Jiang Chen passionately. âPill King Zhen, no, maybe we should address you as Pill Emperor Zhen instead? What do you think of Brother Moâs suggestion. Pill Emperor Zhen?â
Jiang Chen threw a meaningful glance at the Han brothers and pondered deeply. âIf I disagree, Iâd be letting both of you down. However, I have a condition as well.â
âPlease, do speak your mind.â
Jiang Chen nodded and spoke slowly. âI need a favor from Sect head Qianzhan. One day, when I need the sect head to return the favor, he would need to do so unconditionally.â
A favor? Under normal circumstances, Han Qianzhan wouldnât even consider accepting such a vague condition. But this time, he immediately accepted the condition after a momentâs consideration. âFair enough, itâs a deal!â
âSect Head Qianzhan, arenât you curious what I might ask from you?â
âHaha! Your reputation precedes you! No one has ever accused you of any immoral or unscrupulous atrocities. Because of that, Iâm inclined to trust you.â
Jiang Chen nodded. âSect Head Qianzhan, rest assured. I wonât use this favor to do anything unethical. However, there are some matters in which I might need an eminent figure like you to show up to bolster my side. Of course, we might offend some people, but Iâll make it up you.â
âHaha! As long as weâre not doing anything atrocious, why should we fear offending a few people? As cultivators, when do we not give offense! Weâre bound to offend someone when we go about our business in this world!â Han Qianzhan burst into laughter.
âItâs so happily settled then.â Han Qiansui nodded. âPill Emperor Zhen, please feel free to ask for any remuneration for your troubles.â
Jiang Chen smiled. âLetâs talk specifics then. I wonât ask for remuneration when Iâm not offering my services. Iâm sure that your sect wonât require my help for common issues. If you have pill dao questions that you cannot solve, Iâll ask for as little remuneration as possible, unless it has to do with a business transaction.â
Han Qianzhan clapped. âDeal! Your straightforwardness is truly a breath of fresh air!â
âActually, the Ancient Reformation Pill is a rather good business opportunity!â Han Qiansui suddenly remarked. âThere are many in need of a body reforming pill.â
The Reformation Pill was indeed a business opportunity, but Jiang Chen smiled with disagreement. âThe Reformation Pill is indeed an exceptionally rare pill, but its manufacturing cost is too high, refining process too long, and skill requirement too arduous. The market returns will not be high because not many will actually be able to afford it.â
Han Qiansui seemed to agree after thinking about it more. The Reformation Pill was genuinely a good product, but it wasnât suitable for mass production due to the various reasons mentioned. The common pill king wouldnât be able to manufacture it, let alone the majority of pill masters.
With the partnership discussion concluded, the Han brothers and Jiang Chenâs group had swiftly grown closer to each other. They now had many common topics to talk about.
Jiang Chen and the rest ended up staying at the Skysword Sect for a total of five more days instead of three. The Han brothers earnestly tried keeping them for more, but they couldnât delay their journey any longer. In forming a partnership with the Skysword Sect, Jiang Chen had gained a very important ally in the human domain.
âPill Emperor Zhen, we wish to send a group of pill kings to Sacred Peafowl Mountain to study pill dao under you. We will offer 100 million saint spirit stones as remuneration per month. What do you think?â
It was a business proposal that the Han brothers had come up with after many nights of discussion. They wanted to send a group of pill kings to learn from Jiang Chen no matter what. Even if the pill kings wouldnât learn much, gaining some insight and experience would be more than enough.
Jiang Chen smiled. âYouâre more than welcome to do so. However, I have very limited time, so Iâll only conduct three to five lectures a month.â
âHaha! As long as your lectures comprise of condensed knowledge, weâll be fine even if you only hold it once a month! We ask for quality, not quantity!â
When they concluded their discussions, Jiang Chen and the rest finally departed from the Skysword Sect. The young man had gained a lot from this visit. Heâd become friends with a great sect and obtained three Reformation Pills.
The Great Yu Upper Region was extremely vast and it took them two days to clear the area.
Jiang Feng noticed that Liu Zhen had sunk in a very odd mood ever since they left the Great Yu Upper Region.
âBrother, youâve been in a peculiar mood for the past two days. Have you encountered some problems in your cultivation?â Jiang Feng was concerned.
Liu Zhen sighed softly and shook his head. âBrother, this is the Horizontal Mountain Mid Region. My ancestral home is located in one of the bigger countries here...â
Jiang Feng and Liu Zhen knew each otherâs backgrounds, and the former immediately realized that Liu Zhen was recalling matters of home.
âLittle brother, I thought you no longer have family in your ancestral home?â He quietly asked.
âMy parents and siblings are gone, but I once had a wife...â Liu Zhenâs grimace could just barely pass for a smile.
âDidnât you say that sheâs gone too?â Jiang Feng was curious.
âNo.â Liu Zhenâs face began to twitch. âBrother, Iâve lied to you about this. She... she scorned my low status back in the day and ran off with somebody else.â
Jiang Feng frowned. âHow could she?!â
Liu Zhen suddenly hugged Jiang Feng and bawled his eyes out. âBrother! I want to go home and take a look. Donât worry, I donât intend nor do I want revenge. I just want some closure and to find the answer to a question.â
Jiang Feng patted Liu Zhen on the shoulder. âGive me a moment. Iâll tell Chenâer.â
Jiang Chen glanced at Emperor Peerless after hearing Jiang Fengâs words.
âItâs right along the way. If Liu Zhen needs to go home, we should accompany him. Itâs the least we can do.â The emperor shrugged.
Since the emperor had already given consent, Jiang Chen naturally wouldnât say no. Liu Zhenâs eyes were bloodshot. Jiang Chen knew that the man had recalled some painful memories. Since Liu Zhen had contributed greatly in the search for Jiang Feng, Jiang Chen naturally wouldnât sit by idly and just watch.
âLiu Zhen, lead the way. Weâll help you if you want to take revenge for the grievances youâve suffered.â This was one of Jiang Chenâs principles.
âIt has been so many years. Iâve long forgotten about things. However, thereâs something I must confirm or Iâll die with everlasting regret,â Liu Zhen hastily responded.