After Pang Xianglong finished speaking, the reception room fell into deep silence, though a spark of fervor burned in every pair of eyes.
"If what Black Flame says is true—if three people can break through the 100% limit—then I believe this is worth discussing," the red-eyed middle-aged man spoke up first. "That kind of cross-tier power will be immensely helpful for future advancement. When the time comes, Azure Commerce will be the first among the superpowers to produce Tier 4 Class holders. That means we can start clearing those Tier 4 legendary field monsters we couldn't handle before, exploring the Forbidden Zones we couldn't survive, and even securing ancient ruins ahead of everyone else."
"I agree it's worth discussing. Those core data are certainly important, but for Azure Commerce to advance further, we need stronger combat power. If we can get someone promoted to Tier 4 early on, the other superpowers will think twice before eyeing our key resource strongholds." Die Ling nodded in agreement from nearby.
In the Divine Realm, the strong were revered above all else. A single expert might bring limited direct benefits, but the deterrence they projected was enormous—especially at Tier 4. That was the level of power needed to hold an entire city. As long as such a powerhouse was stationed there, no other force would dare make a move, because the gap created by tiers wasn't something that could be bridged by sheer numbers.
Moreover, those who advanced to Tier 4 in the future would ultimately be a tiny minority. Most experts would never reach that level, which made Tier 4 powerhouses all the more precious.
With three stable Tier 4 powerhouses—and powerful ones at that—Azure Commerce's deterrent presence would unquestionably rise to an entirely new level. At that point, even without borrowing the influence of the Violet Sword, they could easily safeguard their current resources and even expand into more.
The inheritance data from the Void Realm merely guaranteed that the guild's foundation would remain unshaken, but it couldn't push the guild any further forward.
Once Die Ling and the red-eyed man had spoken, the non-family elders present all nodded in agreement.
Everything involved trade-offs. In this case, the benefits clearly outweighed the losses, so there was no reason to refuse—especially for the elders who had witnessed Ziyan Liuyun's battle. Their eyes burned with unbridled longing.
"Agreeing to Black Flame's demands isn't the issue. The question is how we choose the three." Duan Hanshan showed no opposition, instead turning to look at Pang Xianglong.
At Duan Hanshan's words, every elder in the room turned their gaze toward Pang Xianglong.
This matter had been raised entirely by Pang Xianglong, and Miao Wuyin was a member of Zero Wing—their relationship ran deep. To a certain extent, the Pang family held considerable initiative here.
The value of these three slots went without saying. Anyone whose mana body broke through the 100% limit—even a Void Realm expert—would leap to an entirely new level. Their voice within the Commerce would carry extraordinary weight, potentially even reshaping the balance of power. Selecting these three was therefore of paramount importance.
"I understand everyone's concerns." Pang Xianglong looked at the solemn-faced elders and smiled. "Rest assured, the Pang family won't hoard a single slot for ourselves. Black Flame already said it can't be just anyone—the candidates must possess extraordinary potential. So let's follow our usual protocol: the five families will select two candidates first. If either of them falls short compared to a backup member you put forward, we'll swap them out. How does that sound?"
"In that case, I propose Zui Yan for the first slot. I don't think anyone needs to be told about Boss Zui Yan's potential and strength. If the boss advances further, the benefit to the guild goes without saying. As for the younger generation, no one surpasses Gu Han, and among our newcomers, no one surpasses Ling Yue. What does everyone think?" Die Ling took the initiative to make the proposal.
The non-family elders nodded vigorously.
Though opportunities should ideally go to the younger generation, Zui Yan was a legend of Azure Commerce—their universally acknowledged strongest. If the boss could advance further, it would not only amplify the guild's deterrent presence but also safeguard the influence of non-family elders like themselves. That made voluntarily relinquishing the other slot perfectly acceptable.
Duan Hanshan raised no objection—in fact, one could say he was entirely supportive. His earlier concern had been that the Pang family might claim one slot for themselves first and then have Gu Han compete for another. Now that Gu Han was already one of the candidates, he had no objections whatsoever.
"Ling Yue won't work—we still haven't been able to reach her." Pang Xianglong shook his head slowly. "Black Flame gave us at most two days, but to be safe, we should decide sooner rather than later. I suggest giving the slot to Yuan Xiaoqian instead. Her talent is no lower than Ling Yue's. What does everyone think?"
At Pang Xianglong's words, everyone in the room stared at him in disbelief. Duan Hanshan, who had personally picked Ling Yue, was so stunned his jaw nearly fell open.