Chapter Twenty-Five: Jiang Cheng’s Wager, A Demon’s Betrayal of the Vow?

Night fell, and the Star Plaza was already packed with enthusiastic spectators.

The situation had become increasingly one-sided, with a "maidservant" to a pill-refining genius managing to defeat several of the Xia Kingdom’s own alchemy instructors in succession. Just then, Jiang Cheng finally arrived on the scene, accompanied by his guardian and Su Ruoxi.

With Jiang Cheng’s arrival, thunderous cheers echoed across the plaza. Accompanied by the crowd’s anticipation and the glow of spiritual lanterns, it was as if the night over the new city had been set ablaze.

Su Ruoxi followed by Jiang Cheng’s side. Dressed in a simple yet elegant gown, her presence—enhanced by the recent breakthrough of her Supreme Yin True Phoenix physique—commanded a reverence that left many cultivators in the crowd in awe.

However, all eyes eventually converged on the "maidservant" in red and the "young master" who remained silent behind her. Seeing this, Xuanji finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the establishment of the Xia Kingdom and such a sensational provocation had indeed caught the attention of the target. After all, she was currently playing the role of a maid.

Determined to see the act through to the end—both to remain consistent with her Saintess’s wishes and to seize the opportunity to complete her mission—she stepped down from the platform with graceful, measured strides and offered a respectful half-bow.

"I hear that the Lord of the Xia Kingdom, His Majesty Jiang Cheng, has arrived," Xuanji said, her voice clear and resonant. "My young master has been waiting for quite some time. Since Your Majesty has personally graced us with your presence, might I request a lesson in the art of alchemy?"

She tilted her chin slightly, her gaze indifferent yet carrying a faint, elusive smile as she cupped her hands toward Jiang Cheng. "I have long admired your prestige, Your Majesty, and your acquisition of a peerless legacy. It is said that with a single word, you brought order to the four corners of the land and forced the eight great holy lands to sign and seal their treaties. I must say, both my young master and I are filled with admiration."

"Surely, you must be a master of all arts. Of course, the path of alchemy is vast and boundless, so it is only natural that the Lord of the Xia Kingdom might not be well-versed in this particular craft!"

At first listen, her tone sounded like flattery, but upon closer inspection, it carried a sharp, piercing edge.

The crowd erupted in an uproar. To every citizen of the Xia Kingdom, Jiang Cheng was the Son of Destiny, the wielder of the Great Emperor’s legacy, and their sovereign. The word "Emperor" was not to be insulted.

Jiang Cheng’s expression remained unchanged. He simply replied, "You are too kind, guest. As for 'bringing order to the four corners,' it was merely a matter of circumstance. If you two wish to exchange pointers, the Xia Kingdom is, of course, welcoming."

With the conversation at this point, Xuanji suddenly smiled, her voice soft yet laced with provocation. "In that case, why not let Your Majesty provide the instruction personally? For these past few days, none of the Xia Kingdom’s alchemists have been able to defeat even a lowly maidservant like me. If Your Majesty could defeat me personally, would that not better demonstrate the strength of the Xia Kingdom?"

The crowd boiled over: how could a mere maidservant dare to speak such wild words? Yet, it seemed she really had defeated the top alchemists of the Xia Kingdom.

This was unprecedented. If Jiang Cheng avoided the challenge, fearing even a maidservant, he would surely be looked down upon by outsiders, potentially damaging the prestige of the Xia Kingdom itself.

Jiang Cheng, however, felt a secret delight. *This maidservant seems quite capable, doesn't she? I shall use her to test my Emperor’s Alchemy Furnace.* He had been practicing alchemy for days without any results, and this was exactly the pillow he needed when he was already drowsy.

"Madam, wait for me. I may seem to have an unreasonable request, but I hope you understand. I possess a treasure that only functions on my Dao companion, which is why I asked a few days ago if you knew the art of alchemy."

"My husband possesses infinite power; no matter what you do, I will support you!" Su Ruoxi did not know what Jiang Cheng was planning, but she trusted him.

Just as the crowd was beginning to worry, Jiang Cheng suddenly looked up, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.

"I, Jiang Cheng, Emperor of the Xia Kingdom, accept your challenge. But—I have a condition."

His voice, amplified by spiritual power, pierced through the entire plaza, echoing like thunder.

The Saintess of Danxia frowned, wondering what condition he could possibly have.

"I imagine that since you two, master and servant, have deliberately come to our Xia Kingdom, you must have an agenda. However, no matter what you seek, I can agree to it. Why not state clearly what you want? That would make the competition much more interesting!"

"Very well! The Lord of the Jiang family is indeed forthright! If I win, I want you to swear a Heavenly Dao oath: first, to release all the elders and disciples of the eight great holy lands; second, we want to know the secrets behind the Great Emperor’s pressure that shook the Eastern Continent!"

*Whoa!*

The sounds of shock erupted from the surrounding crowd. The master and servant were indeed harboring ill intent—they actually wanted to pry into the greatest secrets of the Xia Kingdom.

*Just as I thought,* Jiang Cheng mused.

"If you wish to compete with me in public, my condition is also very simple: please agree to become my Dao companion. However, if you win, this condition will automatically be voided."

His words hit like a thunderclap. The entire plaza fell into a silence so profound one could hear a pin drop. Everyone was left dumbfounded: *Making a demand for a Dao companion in broad daylight to an outsider? This...*

A complex expression flickered across Su Ruoxi’s face. She was not jealous, but she was quite stunned that Jiang Cheng would publicly propose "taking someone as a Dao companion" right in front of her. Yet, she immediately noticed a subtle helplessness in Jiang Cheng’s eyes, as if this "demand" was not born of lechery, but of some hidden circumstance.

In truth, Jiang Cheng was lamenting internally—*Because this cursed furnace can only replicate the alchemy skills of 'myself or my partner.'* If he wanted to copy the Saintess of Danxia’s superior techniques, he had to make her a "partner" recognized by the furnace. Otherwise, even if he watched her refine pills with his own eyes, the system could not absorb the skill.

He did not want to expose the secrets of his system, so he had no choice but to throw out this absurd demand. It seemed outrageous to outsiders, but it was his only path to cheating—if she truly became his Dao companion, even in name only, he could use the furnace’s "partner skill" to replicate her techniques and complete his reversal.

"You...!" Xuanji was always proud; when had she ever been teased like this in public? She clenched her fists slightly, her face radiating a chill as if she were about to explode at any moment.

Discussions broke out among the crowd. Some cheered for the "authoritative Emperor," some sighed that he was "too wild," while the disciples accompanying the Danxia faction glared with fury. But Jiang Cheng remained calm and composed, letting the waves crash around him.

"Are you insulting me?" Xuanji’s voice was as cold as frost, though she was struggling to suppress her surging emotions.

As the future Saintess of the Danxia Holy Land, she had been asked to be the Dao companion of an outsider—it was intolerable!

Jiang Cheng spoke calmly, "If you find this condition unbearable, you need not accept the challenge; I am not forced to compete." He shrugged, looking utterly indifferent.

Beside him, Su Ruoxi bit her lip. Though she felt a sting of sourness, she did not stop him. She was perceptive and vaguely guessed that Jiang Cheng must have a difficult reason for this. Moreover, his public "demand for a Dao companion" was clearly not for his own selfish desires.

Miaoxue Xuanji was no fool either. She took a deep breath, forcing her anger to subside. *This man is treacherous! But if I retreat, wouldn't I be giving him face for nothing?* Besides, her goal for this trip was to uncover the details of Jiang Cheng’s background and the secrets of the Great Emperor’s legacy. If she didn't engage with him directly, how could she glimpse his true capabilities?

After a moment of internal struggle, a plan formed in her mind: *He said it would be voided if he lost anyway, so how could I possibly lose? In that case, I'll just agree to the match first!*