Emperor Peafowl laughed. Was he searching for a needle in a haystack? How could there be such a big coincidence? Was every person from the Myriad Domain supposed to know Dan’er? He was certain Jiang Chen didn’t know who Dan’er was after seeing his expression.
“Your Majesty, do you have information that’s more substantial?”
Emperor Peafowl smiled wryly. “She refuses to tell me anything. She only told me that she’s from the Myriad Domain. Her ident.i.ty, background, and the sect she originated from are all but a mystery to me.”
“She’s probably a girl who’s suffered heartbreak.” Jiang Chen sighed gently.
Emperor Peafowl shook his head. “No she hasn’t. Her heart still seems to be occupied by a man who I imagine is the father to her daughter. I wonder how many tragedies like hers have occured due to the destruction of the Myriad Domain? To think that the Eternal Celestial Capital is behind all this suffering.”
Emperor Peafowl knew not of Dan’er’s origins, but his instincts told him that the man in Dan’er’s heart had probably lost his life during the destruction of the Myriad Domain. Dan’er had shut herself off to the outside world because she was unable to escape from the traumas of her heart. Her love for that man had been too deep.
A vicious light flashed through Jiang Chen’s eyes when he heard the Eternal Celestial Capital’s name. It triggered his memories of the past and reminded him of the catastrophe that had befallen the Myriad Domain. He’d pa.s.sed through the domain during his journey to the Desolate Wildlands. The place was filled with the scars of battle. Devastation was extremely widespread. It was no longer the same vibrant place of yesteryear. Emperor Peafowl was right. The Eternal Celestial Capital had simply caused too many tragedies like the one Dan’er had experienced. How many tragedies had occurred in just Regal Pill Palace alone? The Eternal Celestial Capital and the Great Scarlet Mid Region were the perpetrators behind all this suffering.
The emperor realized that his words had touched a sore spot. He quickly spoke words of comfort, “Tragedies like hers occur almost everyday in the martial dao world. However, the destruction of an entire domain is so rare that it only occurs once every few hundred to a few thousand years. The Eternal Celestial Capital and the Great Scarlet Mid Region only do evil and no good. They will surely pay for their sins one day and find themselves in the same spot as the Myriad Domain.”
Jiang Chen smiled in response. “Their fortune may soon run out, but a true cultivator will never wait for the heavens to punish their enemies. One day I will make them pay for what they did.”
The emperor laughed. “You might not be able to destroy the Eternal Celestial Capital yet with your current abilities, but the Great Scarlet Mid Region should be an easy target.”
“I don’t want to preemptively alert my enemies.” Jiang Chen could tell that this was a test by Emperor Peafowl. He immediately cast away such thoughts. He was going to temporarily refrain from seeking revenge. His wings had yet to harden. He wasn’t strong enough. Even though he was the young lord of Sacred Peafowl Mountain, he was not going to abuse his power for the purpose of his own personal revenge. It wasn’t that he couldn’t; he just simply didn’t want to misuse his authority at Sacred Peafowl Mountain as soon as he became the emperor’s heir. Moreover, it was not yet the opportune timing for such matters.
The emperor was pleased when he saw how calm Jiang Chen was. What he said earlier was indeed a test. He wanted to see if power was going to influence the young man into making a brash decision and was glad it didn’t. He smiled for a while before he went back on topic. “I’ve summoned you today to talk to you about the main Veluriyam PaG.o.da.”
“Oh?” Jiang Chen looked at the emperor curiously.
“The main paG.o.da has over a hundred thousand years of history. There was only one during ancient times. The Martial PaG.o.da and Pill PaG.o.da were both built by powerful cultivators from a later generation. Because of that, the inheritance found within those two towers are all from a later generation. Only within the main paG.o.da can one find ancient techniques and inheritances. The empyrean decree from the progenitor of Veluriyam Capital is also found within the main paG.o.da. It bears the fate of this several hundred-thousand years old capital.”
“Within the main paG.o.da is a separate world. You may view it as a world built upon by formations or a secret quadrant. But to sum it up, it is a place where not even I can do as I wish. The great ancestors who built it are the only people who know all the secrets that lay within. Many powerful cultivators have been inside since then, but every single one of them reported a different experience. Moreover, everyone is only given one opportunity to enter, and they must be below sixty years of age. The tower will repel anyone that is over that age. For that reason, I’ve only been in there once during my youth.”
Jiang Chen was confused. “Is that so? But didn’t the seven great emperors watch the ranking battles from within the main paG.o.da?”
“Haha! That was indeed the case, but we were limited to the outer regions of the paG.o.da. We aren’t able to enter anywhere beyond the main paG.o.da’s formation. One will have to go beyond the formation to enter the paG.o.da. There are four different quadrants within the paG.o.da. The nine strongest young lords are allowed entrance into the quadrant of the highest grade. I don’t know what you might encounter in there, but it is a place where a day’s cultivation is equivalent to a month in the outside world. Even the lowest grade quadrant is equivalent to five days in the outside world. This is the reason why everyone competes for a spot in the Ranking of Young Lords. After all, every Veluriyam Capital citizen is only given one chance to enter the paG.o.da when they are younger than sixty years old. This is an opportunity that will change their fates forever.” The emperor looked at Jiang Chen at this point. “Do you understand now?”
“A day inside is equivalent to a month outside? If that’s the case, then entering the highest grade quadrant for two years would be like cultivating for sixty years!” Jiang Chen was flabbergasted.
Emperor Peafowl laughed. “This is true only in theory. Your progression will be extremely quick during the first few months, but your progression will begin to slow down somewhere around the third month. In reality, two years inside is slightly more equivalent to thirty to forty years of cultivation. However, if you can make good use of your time, it isn’t impossible to fully make it equivalent to fifty to sixty years. However, the world inside isn’t entirely peaceful. You will be met with dangers that could threaten your life. Of course, danger will also come with all kinds of accompanying fortuitous encounters. In conclusion, I want you to view the paG.o.da as a separate world or a secret realm. Think of it as training. Do not be careless or expect everything to go your way. But at the same time, do not fear everything either.”
“Mm.” Jiang Chen nodded.
“The world inside is huge, but there are still possibilities that you could come across others. You should be mentally prepared for that. The human heart is ugly and full of evil. The geniuses in the Ranking of Young Lords are not as harmonious as you’d think.” The emperor reminded.
Jiang Chen smiled in response. He didn’t need the emperor to tell him how much compet.i.tion there was between the young lords. Emperor Peafowl had been inside the main paG.o.da of Veluriyam Capital, but he had gone inside a few thousand years ago, and he had only been in there once. Thus, he could only talk about it in general terms. Jiang Chen would have to find out the rest of the details himself.
“Alright, three days of preparation isn’t exactly the longest time. Your residence is very big. You better start looking for servants to take care of it.”
He threw a medallion over to Jiang Chen as soon as he was done speaking. “That is the Progeny Feather Medallion. Its authority is only second to my Progenitor Feather Medallion. There are only two such medallions in Sacred Peafowl Mountain. The one in my hand is first, and I’ve just given you the second. The owner of these medallions have the authority to mobilize the Peafowl Guard, including the four monarchs. Also, you have power over every great clan that has sworn allegiance to Sacred Peafowl Mountain.”
Including the four monarchs? Jiang Chen was surprised. He never thought that he would suddenly gain so much authority. No wonder Cloudsoar Monarch had been so courteous just now. Jiang Chen immediately took the medallion without any reserve. Being reserved would hold no merit since he had already become Sacred Peafowl Mountain’s heir. Back then, the Majestic Clan and the Shura Guard had been incredibly arrogant during Taiyuan Tower’s reopening. The Peafowl Guard’s appearance had quickly taken them down a notch. Even the Majestic Clan’s father and son duo had been arrested. The Shura Guard didn’t dare stop them. The Peafowl Guard was definitely a strong faction in Veluriyam Capital.
“Go make your preparations. There is still a lot you need to learn about Sacred Peafowl Mountain, but time is of the essence. Preparing for your entrance into the main paG.o.da is your biggest priority right now. The rest can wait for when you return two years later.” Emperor Peafowl was so worried about the demon race that he’d already begun to make all kinds of preparations. However, two years was still an acceptable wait. The same couldn’t be said if it had been eight or ten years.
Jiang Chen cupped his fist. “If that’s the case, then this junior will be taking his leave. I intend to visit the market to purchase some servants.”
His residence was too empty. He needed a few more people to liven up the place and perform the menial tasks. He wasn’t going to let his trusted aides do those tasks. They had been loyal followers throughout his journey. He planned to train them and help them further their cultivation accordingly.
Emperor Peafowl didn’t have anything else to say. He nodded and gave Jiang Chen a reminder. “Remember that you are the owner of the Progeny Feather Medallion from now on. You represent the Sacred Peafowl Mountain. Your medallion will reflect your ident.i.ty no matter where you go. We are now your greatest ally and your most powerful support.”
Jiang Chen nodded. He understood the hidden meaning behind the emperor’s words. He returned to his residence to make proper arrangements before he left for the Fish and Dragon District to purchase some slaves. Gouyu and Xuetong accompanied him there. Ling Hui’er made a huge ruckus and wanted to follow along when she heard that they were leaving.
Jiang Chen didn’t have a good impression of the Fish and Dragon District. He had stolen a few thousand slaves a while back, but he secretly returned all but a few to House Sikou’s Myriad Puppets Pavilion. It wasn’t that Jiang Chen didn’t want to rob them blind, but because the slaves had all been branded by the Myriad Puppets Pavilion. If he didn’t return them, the Myriad Puppets Pavilion could crush their jade tokens, instantly killing every single one of them. He simply didn’t want to implicate the innocent.