Chapter 844: Pill King Zhen Soars to Fame After One Battle
The competition had fallen into a deadlock in which the second and third round had become rather pointless. If Pill King Ji Lang didn't make a move, then neither would Jiang Chen. Therefore, the second and third round of the bet became irrelevant in one fell swoop.
Jiang Chen had suggested settling their dispute in three rounds to prevent the possibility that Pill King Ji Lang might score a draw from him during the refining round. But Pill King Ji Lang hadn't even managed to accomplish that, so there was no longer any need to proceed to the second and third round. However, Jiang Chen had to admit that Pill King Ji Lang was the strongest pill king he had met thus far.
It wasn't an easy task to refine an upper rank Longevity Pill with a common pill cauldron and pill fire. Moreover, it would seem Elder Yun Nie had purposely misled them in some of the details of the refining process. But the fact that Pillfire City was still able to improve the formula and refine a Longevity Pill of such quality proved that Pillfire City's foundations in pill dao really were second to none. It was highly unlikely that Veluriyam Capital's accumulation in pill dao even came close to rivaling their opponent.
The fact that this gamble had ended in such a theatrical manner disappointed the judges a little. They really wanted to know if there existed other pill recipes that could form a Longevity Pill. But since neither party had chosen to display their skills, they could do nothing to scratch the itch. The dust had settled, and the judge announced, "The contest for the Longevity Pill ends today. From today onwards, Sacred Peafowl Mountain possesses sole rights to the Longevity Pill. All major powers in the human domain are not to refine the Longevity Pill, or the act shall constitute a crime of plagiarism. Veluriyam Capital reserves the right to demand compensation for the losses they incurred during this process."
These judges were all central pillars of pill dao. Their words were absolute in the human domain.
The curtains officially fell over the conflict of the Longevity Pill after the judges' declaration. Sacred Peafowl Mountain's side erupted into thunderous cheers. This outcome was the best one for them. From then on, the Longevity Pill and the business associated with it was their sole possession. The Longevity Pill's allure and potential would be a massive impact to the pill market in the human domain. If Veluriyam Capital could capitalize on this opportunity and expand their share in the industry, it would lead to a profound, long-ranging impact.
With the bet concluded, Emperor Peafowl cupped his fist and smiled at the judges, "You have all made a long journey to come here, so you simply must stay at Sacred Peafowl Mountain for a few days and allow me to play host."
"You're too kind. If I may ask, Your Majesty, could I be so bold as to solicit a Longevity Pill for collection purposes?"
Emperor Peafowl cast a merry glance at Jiang Chen. The latter knew that Emperor Peafowl wished to deepen his acquaintance with these pillars of pill dao, so he didn't mind the extra work and replied with a smile, "Your will is my command, Your Majesty."
"Sacred Peafowl Mountain is flattered by your great favor, everyone. We are glad to offer these Longevity Pills for you to share amongst yourselves. If they are not enough, then please stay for a few more days while we refine a few more cauldrons worth of pills for you. We will ensure that you won't return empty handed." Emperor Peafowl longed for these people to spend more time in Veluriyam Capital. These people were all heavyweights and the representatives of many factions in the Divine Abyss Continent. If he could build a solid relationship with them, it would be very beneficial for Veluriyam Capital's future in pill dao.
Naturally, Emperor Pillzenith was extremely displeased to see his rival taking advantage of his victory like that. How could he not notice that Emperor Peafowl was attempting to undermine him? He was using the opportunity to deepen his acquaintance with those people and eventually challenge Pillfire City. However, Emperor Peafowl was the host right now. It was perfectly within the rights of the host to invite his guests to linger for a few days, and it was not his place to interfere. After all, every one of these heavyweights in pill dao represented the top power of their home regions.
Emperor Pillzenith might be powerful and highly respected, but he didn't have the right to order these people around. He immediately chuckled, "Brother Peafowl, I have long since admired Sacred Peafowl Mountain, and it is rare that I find the opportunity to visit Veluriyam Capital. This spar means little in the grand scheme of things, since I am only here to visit an old friend. So why don't you let me admire the radiance of Sacred Peafowl Mountain a little longer?"
It was a rather shameless request to stay in Sacred Peafowl Mountain. On the surface, it was out of admiration for Sacred Peafowl Mountain. But in reality, it was both a supervision and an intimidation tactic. It was a warning to these heavyweights that they shouldn't overdo their interaction with Veluriyam Capital. Pillfire City is still the king of pill dao. This spat over the rights of the Longevity Pill is but minor entertainment.
Naturally, Emperor Peafowl had no choice but to accept Pillfire City's request to hang around for a bit. Technically speaking, Jiang Chen should have been able to leave after accomplishing his mission, but these heavyweights all refused to let him go. They were obviously very curious about this young Pill King Zhen, and wanted to get to know him better. No one present was blind, and they could all see a kind of potential in this Pill King Zhen that one might not encounter even in a thousand years.
Although Jiang Chen didn't really like this type of social mingling, he also knew that these people were all pill dao elites in the human domain. He might have to deal with them in the future. He could not deny face to Emperor Peafowl either, so he had no choice but to remain behind. He refined a few more cauldrons of Longevity Pills and finally managed to appease these judges. Everyone got to take one home as a souvenir. Moreover, these Longevity Pills were all supreme rank pills. No one was better off than the others.
Jiang Chen's generosity won everyone's goodwill. There were even plenty of people who sent him messages in secret to try and recruit him away from Sacred Peafowl Mountain. Jiang Chen naturally didn't agree to their offers. He didn't talk about these offers with Emperor Peafowl either. It would simply make things awkward. He knew very well that the label of Emperor Peafowl had been stamped on him no matter what path he chose to take in the future.
Moreover, after mulling over his agreement with Emperor Peafowl, Jiang Chen had considered the logic within it to be sound. Emperor Peafowl needed someone to bear the great burden that was the inheritance of Sacred Peafowl Mountain, and Jiang Chen needed a powerful faction to become his patron. His years of journeying was more than enough proof that fighting alone was absolutely not the right way to go.
The guests stayed at Sacred Peafowl Mountain for five more days before finally taking their leave. But during their stay, Jiang Chen's performance earned Emperor Peafowl significant prestige. This was especially true in the exchange of pill dao, because not even the senior level pill kings of Sacred Peafowl Mountain were able to interject their own opinions in certain subjects. Jiang Chen hadn't taken much of an active role, but was always able to respond fluently and provide a new and original perspective to the subject when he was asked a question. None of his personal views were a clichéd retelling of established theory, and surprised the heavyweights quite a bit.
These heavyweights were all top class pill kings of their respective regions and half step pill emperors. In reality, Sacred Peafowl Mountain's greatest pill kings weren't really on the same level as any of these people. This was especially true when compared to the pill kings from Pillfire City.
Pillfire City's people would sometimes throw in some thorny problems into the conversation on purpose in hopes of embarrassing Sacred Peafowl Mountain's pill kings. However, Jiang Chen was always able to resolve them smoothly. His ease at dealing with these problems thwarted all of Pillfire City's attempts to embarrass their rival. Because of this, even the pill kings who were reluctant to accept Jiang Chen before had all wholeheartedly changed their stances.
Even if they were to forget the fact that Jiang Chen had thoroughly trounced Pill King Ji Lang, there was no denying that his presence had kept Sacred Peafowl Mountain from falling into extremely embarrassing situations many times. Even when they, as bystanders, had only barely managed to avoid losing face, Pill King Zhen had resolved all these complications single-handedly without a trace of hesitation. They were all experts in pill dao, and his contributions did not go unseen. Jiang Chen had not only retained dignity for Sacred Peafowl Mountain, but also themselves.
Jiang Chen could feel an obvious improvement in attitude and friendliness from all parties in Sacred Peafowl Mountain after the guests had been sent off. Even the four great monarchs no longer viewed Jiang Chen as a normal guest pill king. They had also come to realize just why the emperor regarded this young man so highly. His performance in the past few days had conquered everyone in Sacred Peafowl Mountain. The other great emperors present in Veluriyam Capital had also gone to Emperor Peafowl to inquire about Pill King Zhen. They all wanted to learn of this young pill king's background.
For a time, a 'Pill King Zhen fever' swept Veluriyam Capital. The citizens blew Pill King Zhen's skills so out of proportion that he was almost a myth. The details of Pill King Zhen thwarting Pillfire City and slapping their faces were described so well and in such detail that it was as if those hearing the stories had witnessed the battle with their own eyes. This fever was an unexpected boon for Taiyuan Tower. It became even more popular than before, as its business kept breaking new records. In a matter of moments, Taiyuan Tower had broken the status quo and became a first rate power.
House Wei had also experienced an enormous jump in status due to their relationship with Pill King Zhen. Not only did they win the Coiling Dragon Clan's commendation, it was said that Emperor Peafowl himself had paid them a visit. This was an unparalleled honor. It was as of someone had painted an invisible sheen of gold onto Taiyuan Tower's reputation, which made them look even better than before. The Wei father and son was as pleased as punch at their current situation. Originally, everyone had considered House Wei to be in decline, and predicted that they would eventually lose their status as a ninth rank aristocratic house. No one could have imagined that they would perform a perfect hundred eighty degree reversal in fortune and show signs of becoming the number one aristocratic house in Veluriyam Capital. It was even rumored that House Wei had the chance of being conferred with the title of a great clan.
Rumors aside, there was no doubt that everyone in House Wei was absorbed in boundless happiness. Nearly everyone except the Wei father and son and the clan elders worshipped Jiang Chen like a god. They knew where they stood very well. They knew that they absolutely couldn't treat Jiang Chen like a normal guest pill king. Right now, Jiang Chen was their savior, benefactor, and the man of fortune they needed to curry favor with. Thankfully, Jiang Chen didn't put on airs just because he'd won a great battle. He didn't become arrogant, and Taiyuan Tower's modus operandi didn't change despite his rise to fame.