Just as he was about to hand it over, he saw the young man, who was about ten feet away, grab the jade pendant from a distance.
"Ah! This! Magic!"
Wang Jiande's eyes widened, and he exclaimed in surprise.
Upon hearing his words, the other chubby boy, who hadn't uttered a sound, curled his lip and muttered to himself, "What an ignorant bumpkin."
No wonder Wang Jiande was ignorant; although he had been in power for eight years, he had never been to the Imperial Peak.
Emperor Taizu decreed that, unless absolutely necessary, subsequent emperors should not go up the mountain without a valid reason.
This measure was taken to prevent successive emperors from developing a sense of dependency and complacency.
Over the years, the country has enjoyed favorable weather and abundant harvests, with no major incidents. Although Wang Jiande lacks great talent and can only be considered an average person, he has managed to govern the empire steadily and in an orderly manner.
At this time, Buddhist forces intruded, and they did so through this extreme method of entering dreams.
Wang Jiande felt that the matter was of great importance and dared not act on his own initiative. In addition, with the advice of his ministers, he thought it over and came to Dita Peak.
To their surprise, they almost couldn't even get through the door.
Fortunately, he recalled that when the late emperor passed the throne, he left behind a jade pendant and solemnly told him that as long as the jade was there, he would live; if the jade died, he would die.
Now it seems that if I hadn't carried this dragon and phoenix pendant with me, I probably wouldn't have been able to even reach the top of Emperor's Peak.
After the thin boy took the jade pendant, he channeled a wisp of true energy into it. The jade pendant lit up, and a beam of light flashed, shining on Wang Jiande before heading back up to the mountain peak.
"Indeed, it is the jade pendant that Emperor Taizu carried. We have come to pay our respects to His Majesty!"
The skinny boy nodded, returned the jade pendant to Wang Jiande, put away his longsword, exchanged a glance with another fat boy, and then bowed slightly.
Wang Jiande stared in astonishment at the beam of light in the sky, fumbling with the jade pendant in his hand. He asked the two men curiously, "I have worn this jade for many years, but I never imagined it to be such an extraordinary object! May I ask, what is that beam of light?"
"Haha, Your Majesty, please come in. My brother and I are on duty today, so please forgive us if we have offended you. Elite disciples will come down the mountain later to escort Your Majesty up the mountain to meet the former emperors!"
After verifying his identity, the two teenagers' attitude changed drastically. They smiled and invited Wang Jiande to sit down in the pavilion.
Wang Jiande finally breathed a sigh of relief, and like a curious child, he asked repeatedly, "Oh? Rotation? You still have rotation? What does 'elite disciples' mean? Is the Great Ancestor really still alive? Can I meet the former emperors?"
"Ahem, the Great Ancestor was a highly accomplished cultivator with a long lifespan. You and I may have already died of old age, but he will still be alive and well!"
The thin young man coughed lightly and said with a displeased expression.
"Yes, yes, I misspoke!"
Wang Jianguo then came to his senses and repeatedly apologized.
The thin boy nodded, not taking offense at his rudeness, and continued, "There are many disciples on the mountain, divided into three levels according to their cultivation level: ordinary disciples, elite disciples, and the various young masters!"
"The Crown Prince has the best cultivation resources and the highest status among all the disciples, but he also has the strictest requirements!"
"Entering the cultivation path begins as an ordinary disciple. Only after cultivating magical power and advancing to the second-tier Longevity Realm can one become an elite disciple!"
"If one can condense a golden core, one will be granted an audience with the Emperor and the Imperial Tutor, and be bestowed with the title of Heir Apparent!"
"Elite disciples and princes don't need to do chores; they only need to focus on cultivation!"
"Ordinary disciples are different; tasks such as sweeping, welcoming guests, and guarding the mountain must be done in shifts by everyone!"
"My brother and I are of mediocre talent. We have been in the mountains for several years, and we are extremely ashamed to say that we are still just ordinary disciples! Therefore, it is our turn to guard the mountain gate today!"
"As for the dragon and phoenix pendant in His Majesty's hand, it is a token left by the founding emperor to all mortal emperors. Only those who possess this jade and whose identities have been verified are allowed to ascend the mountain!"
The thin boy, perhaps having not spoken to outsiders for a long time, spoke at length to Wang Jiande.
Of course, there was one more thing he didn't say.
Those who possess this jade pendant can be identified by the disciples guarding the mountain after entering, thus preventing thieves from stealing the pendant and attempting to slip through undetected.
The jade pendant was purchased by Xiao Ning from the system shop; it was a mid-grade Yellow Rank magic artifact.
This jade has a relatively simple function: after it is recognized as its owner, it can be used to verify the authenticity of the bloodline of the owner's direct descendants.
It was of no use to Xiao Ning, but it was extremely suitable for Wang Mang, so he gave it to him.
After verifying the identity, the jade pendant will send a message to its owner. Upon receiving the message, Wang Mang will send his elite disciples down the mountain to bring the person back up.
After all, the mountain was thousands of feet high, and it would be too much to ask an emperor who had not yet cultivated himself to walk up the mountain.
"I see, I understand now!"
After the boy's explanation, Wang Jiande nodded, having gained a general understanding of the mountain, and his curiosity grew even stronger.
At this moment, a streak of light descended straight down from the mountain. As it drew closer, Wang Jiande realized that it was a person standing on a sword, flying towards him on a sword.
Seeing that the two boys had stood up early and were waiting outside the pavilion, Wang Jiande quickly followed them.
"Wang Xing (Wang Yuan) greets his senior brother!"
After the visitors flew closer and landed, the two boys respectfully bowed and greeted them.
Wang Jiande curiously sized up the newcomer, who looked to be in his thirties, with striking eyebrows and bright eyes, exuding an imposing aura and possessing a temperament comparable to his own.
Unlike the two black-robed youths, the newcomer was dressed in a white robe, which, combined with his previous manner of travel, made him appear quite elegant.
"This must be the current emperor!"
The newcomer sheathed his flying sword, nodded to the two youths as a greeting, and then looked at Wang Jiande, asking expressionlessly.