The atmosphere at the scene seemed to freeze in an instant.
After a long pause, the Nirvana Emperor heaved a deep sigh. "I never expected it — truly, I never expected it. Young Master Zhen's attainments in the Dao of Alchemy are simply extraordinary. The Glazed Glass Royal City would have to be blind to let such a genius slip away! As long as I, Nirvana, remain in the Glazed Glass Royal City, I will stand firmly behind Young Master Zhen. Anyone, any ambition, that attempts to move against Young Master Zhen — I, Nirvana, will fight them to the very end."
With that, the Nirvana Emperor had made his stance unequivocally clear.
"Heh heh, how could the Coiled Dragon lineage be absent from something like this?" The Coiled Dragon Emperor spoke with equal fervor. "Some may think we have selfish motives — that our bond with the Peacock Sacred Mountain clouds our judgment. What they fail to realize is that our position is rooted entirely in the future of the Glazed Glass Royal City. From the very beginning, I have believed that under Young Master Zhen's leadership, the Glazed Glass Royal City will achieve even greater glory! Even His Majesty the Peacock Great Emperor himself made that very pronouncement!"
"Indeed," the Nirvana Emperor nodded. "Who else but Young Master Zhen could compel a figure of His Majesty the Peacock Great Emperor's stature to admit his own inferiority?"
Lord Cangyun naturally understood that these two Great Emperors were performing a well-rehearsed duet — for his benefit.
"Your Eminences," Lord Cangyun said, "though Cangyun's influence is modest, I understand the principle that a drop of kindness repaid in springs. His Majesty the Peacock Great Emperor showed me great grace, and Young Master Zhen has shown kindness to my son. The Li clan of the great nation of Cangyun swears to fight to the end in defense of the Peacock Sacred Mountain's legacy!"
The Peerless Emperor chuckled. "In that case, how could I — a man who owes Young Master Zhen two debts of life — do anything less than give my all?"
The four Great Sovereigns were quick to seize the moment as well. "We four Great Sovereigns likewise swear to fight to the death in defense of the Peacock Sacred Mountain's glory and Young Master Zhen's position!"
The four Great Sovereigns were thoroughly electrified at this point. They were no fools — they understood precisely what the Pine Crane Pill represented.
Human hearts could be terribly pragmatic.
Your past prestige and past contributions could prove remarkably fragile when weighed against profit and self-interest.
Yes, everything Young Master Zhen had done for the Glazed Glass Royal City might have filled many with admiration and sympathy. But when it came time to choose sides, admiration alone would not necessarily drive them to rally behind Young Master Zhen and abandon the Asura Great Emperor.
Between a Great Emperor who had been renowned for thousands of years and a Young Master, any reasonable person would choose the former.
That was reality!
A Great Emperor's power and influence determined his advantage.
But there was another force called "profit" that was equally decisive.
The Pine Crane Pill might not yet translate into tangible benefits. But its advantages were plain for all to see — who wouldn't want one?
To offend Young Master Zhen over a question of allegiance, to side with the Asura Great Emperor — that would slam the door shut on any future hope of obtaining Pine Crane Pills from Young Master Zhen.
That was nothing short of a pipe dream!
The four Great Sovereigns were perceptive to a razor's edge. A moment's reflection was all it took for them to grasp the Pine Crane Pill's critical strategic significance at this Vassal Assembly.
If they had previously assessed Young Master Zhen's odds against the Asura Great Emperor at no more than ten or twenty percent, then with the Pine Crane Pill in play, those odds could easily rise by another ten or twenty points.
At the thought, each of them felt a warm glow of satisfaction.
"Young Master, several lords have arrived outside requesting an audience."
"Young Master, the lords of the seven southern cities are here to see you."
"Young Master…"
The various lords had been arriving over the past few days. Those who came seeking an audience right away were, without exception, those who had been elevated by the Peacock Great Emperor in earlier years.
As the lords continued streaming in, the Taiyuan Pavilion grew lively and bustling.
Watching lord after lord come to pay their respects, the four Great Sovereigns felt their own spirits kindling. They reflected inwardly, acknowledging that they had underestimated the Peacock Great Emperor's charisma — and likewise underestimated Young Master Zhen's.
These people had once received the Peacock Great Emperor's grace, lifted to prominence by his forceful advocacy over the objections of others. Naturally, they remembered his kindness.
In times of crisis, the wind reveals the strength of the grass, and turmoil tests the loyalty of ministers!
Those who had made it to the Taiyuan Pavilion at the earliest opportunity to pay respects to Young Master Zhen — by and large, they could not be mistaken.
Of course, among these visitors there might well be those of two minds — perhaps secretly pledged to the Asura Great Emperor yet arriving here to put on a show and gather intelligence.
There was no way to sift the genuine from the false with certainty. But one thing was clear: even if such people existed, they would be few.
The Taiyuan Pavilion had long been prepared for every eventuality, so its reception capacity was never in question.
Moreover, the Coiled Dragon Emperor had made his own preparations ahead of time. His former Coiled Dragon Manor estate had been fully opened to host the lords aligned with the Peacock Sacred Mountain's camp.
This gesture sent an unmistakable signal: the Peacock Sacred Mountain had no intention of conceding the field.
And the news, naturally, reached the Asura Great Emperor at the earliest opportunity.