Chapter 527: The Ling Family Sisters
Jiang Chen casually handed over the recipe for the sage rank Nine Magnificence Dew Wine to Palace Head Dan Chi. As for actually crafting the wine himself, when he saw how eager the palace head was to try, Jiang Chen knew that he probably didn’t have to do that himself.
“Haha, Jiang Chen, this recipe is worth cities!” Joy danced on Palace Head Dan Chi’s brows as he became fired up with high spirits.
Jiang Chen teased, “Surely Elder Lian Cheng wouldn’t think so.”
Palace Head Dan Chi laughed heartily when he heard this. “You kid! You make even Elder Lian Cheng the butt of your jokes. However, your words only goes to show that you don’t know Elder Lian Cheng well. He’s the number one alcohol fiend of our Regal Pill Palace. When it comes to drinking wine, the elder will surely be the biggest fan of the saint rank Nine Magnificence Wine. Perhaps he’ll even become your fan after he hears about it.”
Jiang Chen hastily said, “Palace Head, this recipe is just a small thing, please don’t out me. The glorious results from this kind of achievement is only appropriate when attributed to you, Palace Head.”
It wasn’t that he didn’t want the credit to his name, but that there was no need for so many halos around him right then. He also didn’t want everyone to come asking for him to craft this saint rank wine for them wherever he went. That would bring no end of trouble onto his head.
Palace Head Dan Chi started, but immediately understood Jiang Chen’s conscientiousness. “Jiang Chen, it is truly rare that one at your age is not vainglorious and greedy for adoration. This is your biggest difference when compared to Shen Qinghong.”
Jiang Chen smiled faintly and didn’t compliment himself. “Palace Head, I will head back to my residence now.”
“Go on, I await your stunning accomplishments at the Pill Battles.” Dan Chi encouraged.
When Jiang Chen left, Dan Chi looked at this recipe with astonishment. If this recipe was in the Upper Eight Realms, it would be fiercely fought over by many people, to say nothing of the Myriad Domain. And Jiang Chen had taken it out just like this, with no dithering at all.
This action alone was excellent evidence of his bearing and charisma. He had taken out such a precious recipe with no expectation of gratitude or favors in return, and hadn’t even mentioned payback.
“Ai, it seems like allying with the Precious Tree Sect and inducting him into the Regal Pill Palace wasn’t just a fortuitous occurrence for him, but also a stroke of fortune for me as well.” Dan Chi sighed in his heart, recalling Elder Shun’s reminders and his pointers. Only a few short days had been enough for him to cast off his shackles and see rapid improvement in his cultivation. He was now in sixth level sage realm and was fully qualified to assail the sky saint level. Once he did, he would become a premier existence in the Myriad Domain.
Dan Chi was an ambitious person with great plans, and he saw the hope to realize his goals in Jiang Chen!
“What a pity that Elder Shun only taught me for a few days. If I could’ve benefited from his pointers for half a year or even longer, I might even have the right to make for the emperor realm.”
……
Back in his residence, Jiang Chen once again tried assailing the fifth level origin realm. With so many Origin Fostering Pills at his disposal, he had no reason not to try. According to his calculations, there was still roughly a month until they had to set out for Mt. Rippling Mirage.
“A month’s time is plenty!”
Just as Jiang Chen entered closed door cultivation, news came from the Herbal Hall that the list of the eight participating in the Pill Battles had finally been decided.
From the senior generation were: Hallmaster Yun Nie, Vice Hallmaster Wang Yue, Second Vicemaster Ouyang De, and a regular elder of the Herbal Hall, Che Ziwu.
From the younger generation: Jiang Chen, Mu Gaoqi, Ling Bi’er, and Shen Qinghong.
Jun Mobai and Shen Trifire, as well as Ouyang De’s grandson Ouyang Chao had all been passed over.
Those from the older generation were all elders with noble character and immense prestige. The others naturally had no objections to this outcome. Although Ouyang De and Che Ziwu’s cultivation weren’t as high as Palace Head Dan Chi or Elder Lian Cheng, it wouldn’t do for the two heavyweights of the Regal Pill Palace, the palace head and hallmaster of the Hall of Might to participate in the Pill Battles themselves.
It was rather the younger generation that would always suffer controversy no matter who made the cut. Jiang Chen was actually the subject of the least protests now. After all, his performance in repeated pill challenges had been perfect, and the three heavyweights within the sect had all affirmed Jiang Chen’s pill dao potential. There could be no wrong about that.
In the same vein, Mu Gaoqi’s innate wood constitution of high order was enough to shut down all speculation. Even if he wasn’t a representative of the highest level of pill dao, considering the sect was cultivating him as the long term premier genius in pill dao left his appearance on the Pill Battle list without question.
As for Ling Bi’er, she had been the first in pill dao in name long before the Sovereign Area had recruited Jiang Chen and Mu Gaoqi, but even so, there were still those who didn’t accept her placement. Because she usually remained in the Sovereign Area, she didn’t have many opportunities to display her abilities.
As for Shen Qinghong, the top genius amongst the younger generation, although his pill dao potential was unknown, enough could be gathered from his draw with Jiang Chen. But apart from that, he hadn’t had any convincing displays of prowess. Therefore, there were also those who privately felt that he was going based of his background and martial dao potential, and that Ling Bi’er had been chosen for her pretty face.
Of course, these speculations were all whispered behind closed doors. No one dared come out to publicly accuse anyone. To be honest, those speculating didn’t have the slightest confidence that their level of pill dao could be better than Shen Qinghong or Ling Bi’er’s.
Regardless, Jiang Chen wasn’t affected by the list’s publication. He wasn’t that surprised when he learned of the results, and was prepared to enter closed door cultivation when guests came knocking outside his residence.
“Oh it’s you?” Jiang Chen was slightly surprised to see his guests, the Ling sisters.
“Senior brother Jiang Chen, do you not welcome us?” Ling Hui’er widened her eyes as her long lashes danced, exuding a playful demeanor.
It wasn’t that Jiang Chen didn’t welcome guests, but that he really didn’t have time to cater to guests when he was about to go into seclusion. However, he had a good impression of these girls, so he had no reason to keep them at arm’s length. He chuckled and said, “Come in, come in!”
Gouyu was also slightly astonished to see these sisters visit. “What a pair of dazzling sisters!”
Ling Bi’er was as flawless as white jade and as radiant as the jewel of a frozen mountain. Ling Hui’er was the picture of youth and as beguiling as a dancing flame. Even one as confident as Gouyu felt that she paled slightly when compared to Ling Bi’er’s looks. Of all the girls she’d ever seen, likely only Dan Fei of the Skylaurel Kingdom could compare to them. Ling Hui’er’s youthful radiance and her surging chest that seemed like it would break through her clothes at any moment made even the sexy Gouyu feel that she didn’t measure up to the little girl.
Jiang Chen remained serene as usual, showing no sign of entrancement by this pair of bedazzling sisters. It wasn’t that he was putting on an aloof act, but that he’d seen too many beauties beneath the heavens in his past life and had long since developed an immunity to them. He’d even tactfully declined to share his bed with the most stunning of them.
Gouyu didn’t linger after serving tea.
“Senior sister Ling, what insights might you have to impart with your visit this time?” Jiang Chen asked courteously.
It was Ling Hui’er who grew unhappy with this line of questioning as she pouted, “Senior brother Jiang, you’re too much! I obviously came with my sister, but you only ask after her and not me.”
Jiang Chen laughed ruefully and rubbed his nose. “Alright, that’s my fault. It won’t happen again.”
Ling Bi’er’s delicately arched eyebrows wrinkled slightly and she spoke to Ling Hui’er, “Hui’er, you promised me before we came that you wouldn’t joke around and take this lightly. This is why I let you come. We’ll go straight back if you continue to behave like this.”
Ling Hui’er was obviously quite spoiled by her sister as she tittered and leaned back on the chair. She was supported by a pair of slender, jade-like arms as her legs swung to and fro. She began swaying leisurely.
“Junior brother Jiang Chen, please forgive our intrusion from this visit.” Although Ling Bi’er looked the part of a frosty beauty, she still understood the social niceties of the world.
“Not at all, please feel free to speak frankly if senior sister Ling has anything to ask.”
Ling Bi’er nodded. “I was lucky enough to obtain a spot in the Pill Battles, but I still have some questions with regards to pill dao and would like to discuss the dao with junior brother Jiang Chen, to verify our thoughts and help each other improve.”
So she’s here to discuss thoughts on pill dao. Normally, Jiang Chen wouldn’t be opposed to this, but since he was preparing to go into seclusion to assail the next rank of martial dao, how would he have the time to do so now?
Ling Hui’er was slightly surprised to see Jiang Chen not immediately respond. “Junior brother Jiang Chen, are there any difficulties?”
Jiang Chen didn’t beat around the bush as he smiled wryly, “I was planning on going into closed door cultivation to assail the shackles of martial dao. Senior sister Ling’s timing is a bit unfortunate, but what area would the senior sister like to discuss about?”
Ling Bi’er bit her lip slightly to hear this, a bit disappointed, but she wasn’t the sort to force what she wanted on others. Regret tinged her tone as she said, “Martial dao cultivation is an important matter. In that case, I will not disturb junior brother Jiang Chen. I’ll come call upon you at the next opportunity then.”
“You flatter me greatly.” Jiang Chen hastily responded. “I’d be more than delighted to engage in a discourse of pill dao reflection.”
Ling Hui’er couldn’t bear to hear them be so polite to each other and spoke loudly, “Are you serious, senior brother Jiang Chen? A beauty such as my sister has come knocking to exchange thoughts with you, but you turn her down! Are you a man or not?!”
Ling Bi’er flushed red when these words rang out as she snapped, “Hui’er, what are you going on about?!”
Even Jiang Chen was feeling a bit awkward at these words.
“What, sis?? You speak bluntly to even Shen Qinghong. Don’t think I don’t know that you rejected his invitation to be his dao partner. Senior brother Jiang Chen, in my seventeen years of life, this is the first time I’ve seen my sister take the initiative to speak to a boy…”
“Ling Hui’er, Shut. Your. Mouth!” Ling Bi’er’s face had frozen into a crimson mask as she looked like she wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground.
This younger sister of hers, who wasn’t good enough to accomplish anything but was more than enough to spoil things, was such a buffoon! Ling Bi’er was experiencing the height of embarrassment.
“I won’t shut up! You always say I’m young and too small for things. I’m 17 already! How am I too small!” Ling Hui’er grew more agitated as she started to really feel her speech, and leaped up, sticking out her impressive assets. “I’m even bigger than you in some areas!” She puffed out her surging chest again.
Jiang Chen was instantly speechless. This Ling Hui’er really dares to speak of anything!
Ling Bi’er just wanted to die in that moment. She had really humiliated herself this time! Her idiot of a sister was trying to compare chests with her in front of a young man!
