Huawen Grotto-Heaven.
A tea gathering was underway.
Elder Huayu had only taken the secondary seat, ceding the place of honor to Fang Yuan.
Playing the role of Ancestor Qi Sea, Fang Yuan conversed with the assembled Gu Immortals, gathering first-hand intelligence on the Eastern Sea's daytime affairs.
The attendees were not limited to Gu Immortals from Huawen Grotto-Heaven. After Ancestor Qi Sea had repelled Wu Shuai's grand army, various Gu Immortals had trickled in one after another to offer their support.
These Gu Immortals hailed from neighboring powers around Huawen Grotto-Heaven. They had arrived late to the defense, but Elder Huayu had kept them all as guests and invited them to attend this tea gathering.
Fang Yuan, still in the guise of Ancestor Qi Sea, spoke bluntly to all present: he had already forged an alliance with Heavenly Court and was recruiting human factions from the Two Heavens to jointly oppose Wu Shuai's variant human alliance and restore the Righteous Path for all of humankind.
Elder Huayu was naturally the first to respond with enthusiastic support, and the other factions reacted with equal fervor. Many Gu Immortals declared on the spot that they were willing to join Ancestor Qi Sea's camp and stand together against the brutal, tyrannical Wu Shuai alliance.
Even those Gu Immortals who still hesitated were largely ones without the authority to commit—they needed to return and report back to their elders before a final decision could be made.
When the tea gathering concluded, Fang Yuan was highly satisfied with the results.
His plan to lever the Two Heavens' grotto-heaven factions required a crucial first step, and it was now complete. Under Wu Shuai's own helping hand, nearly all the Two Heavens' Gu Immortals had come to recognize the threat he posed. Everyone felt imperiled. No one could delude themselves into thinking they could weather this calamity alone—even a force as powerful as Elder Huayu's had nearly been wiped out. Had Ancestor Qi Sea not stepped in, Huawen Grotto-Heaven would have been struck from the records.
With a great upheaval on the horizon, no one could remain untouched. Only by plunging into the surging tide itself was there any hope of survival and growth.
A single tea gathering had allowed Ancestor Qi Sea to bring five grotto-heaven factions under his banner with virtually no effort. Of course, integrating them would still take time. Critical details such as profit-sharing arrangements had yet to be ironed out.
Even so, Ancestor Qi Sea's move had already dramatically shifted the balance of power across the Two Heavens—and, by extension, the broader conflict between humans and variant humans.
Fang Yuan had no intention of keeping the matter secret. The moment the tea gathering ended, he broadcast the news across Treasure Yellow Heaven.
In an instant, the Gu Immortal world across the Five Regions was shaken.
Some marveled at how rapidly the situation was changing and how great a disaster loomed. Others praised Ancestor Qi Sea's Righteous Path conduct, viewing him as truly shouldering the responsibility of humankind. Some speculated about Wu Shuai's next move, while others pondered the political landscape of the Eastern Sea. Ancestor Qi Sea was the acknowledged foremost combatant of the Eastern Sea—now that he was so closely allied with Heavenly Court, how were the other Righteous Path superpowers of the Eastern Sea supposed to navigate this relationship?
The Five Regions' barriers had dissolved, merging the once-isolated regions into a single unified expanse. Any change in one region would ripple across all the rest. For a figure of Ancestor Qi Sea's stature and standing, every action he took would profoundly impact the entire world.
The Shen family of the Eastern Sea.
"Still no trace of Ancestor Shen Shang?" Shen Congsheng sighed. "I don't blame you. The qi tide has swept across the whole world, erupting everywhere, and Divine Emperor City is a stronghold closely guarded by Central Continent."
A Shen family Gu Immortal asked: "Supreme Grand Elder, Ancestor Qi Sea has now joined forces with Heavenly Court, and Heavenly Court has even offered the latter half of the Primordial True Inheritance as a reward. What should we do?"
Shen Congsheng replied in a deep voice: "I have already discussed this matter with Song Qiyuan, Hua Caiyun, and the other Supreme Grand Elders from each faction. Ancestor Qi Sea is the Eastern Sea's own powerhouse—we absolutely cannot allow him to be won over by Heavenly Court. We will open our clan treasuries, with each family contributing a share of resources to assemble a grand gift, and present it to cultivate a friendship with the Ancestor."
The Shen family Gu Immortals all nodded in agreement, none raising any objection.
Ancestor Qi Sea was the most worthwhile figure to court. Beyond his formidable combat strength, he cultivated the qi path.
Currently, every major superpower in the Eastern Sea was eager to develop their qi path capabilities. Having Ancestor Qi Sea's support in this endeavor would naturally yield twice the results with half the effort.
Moreover, Fang Yuan had put on an excellent performance of late, and the entire Gu Immortal world now believed that Ancestor Qi Sea was fond of mentoring younger generations. This only reinforced the Eastern Sea superpowers' conviction that there was much to be gained in this regard.
The Western Desert. The Fang family.
Fang Gong's expression was dark. "We offered such a steep price, and yet Heavenly Court still refuses to release Fang Dichang?"