There was no denying that the Coiled Dragon Emperor's words were razor-sharp. Each time, they seemed to strike the Asura Great Emperor and his allies right at their weak points, leaving them both furious and powerless.
However, the Asura Great Emperor ultimately kept his composure. He knew that if he kept arguing with the Coiled Dragon Emperor—trading barbs back and forth—he would never gain the upper hand.
The Coiled Dragon Emperor and the Young Master were both silver-tongued individuals. If the debate continued, more and more hearts would be swayed by those two.
That would only make things worse for him, the Asura Great Emperor.
"Nian Daodi, this matter ultimately needs a resolution. The Eight Hundred Lords are all present. Could you kindly preside over the specifics of the rules?" the Asura Great Emperor said to Nian Daodi.
Nian Daodi offered a faint smile and addressed the Coiled Dragon Emperor and the Canghai Great Emperor. "You two, this is not the time for emotional squabbling. The chaos in the Glazed Glass Royal City must eventually be resolved. A kingdom cannot go a single day without a ruler. To stabilize the hearts of the Glazed Glass Royal City's people, there must be someone in control."
"Exactly. Whoever keeps stirring up trouble without cause has ulterior motives and doesn't want the Glazed Glass Royal City to improve!" The Canghai Great Emperor nailed the accusation squarely on them.
Jiang Chen raised a hand, stopping the Jiemie Great Emperor and the Coiled Dragon Emperor from speaking.
"Nian Daodi is right. A kingdom cannot go a day without a ruler. I can accept today's arrangements without objection. However, I must say one unpleasant thing upfront."
Nian Daodi smiled. "Young Master Zhen, please speak freely."
Jiang Chen said coolly, "The day His Majesty the Peacock Great Emperor returns, the ruler of the Glazed Glass Royal City must be the Peacock Great Emperor. No one objects to this, right?"
Nian Daodi pondered for a moment, then nodded. "On this point, this old man has no objections whatsoever. If you ask who is truly most suited to be the ruler of the Glazed Glass Royal City, it is indeed Brother Peacock."
With that, Nian Daodi turned to the Asura Great Emperor. "Friend Asura, what do you think?"
The Asura Great Emperor let out a cold snort. "If Brother Peacock returns, there will naturally be no dispute over who rules the Glazed Glass Royal City. The position should naturally be returned to him."
"I have no objections either," said the Zhankong Great Emperor with an indifferent smile.
The Coiled Dragon Emperor and the Jiemie Great Emperor had always been the Peacock Great Emperor's people, so they were even less likely to object.
But the Canghai Great Emperor suddenly spoke up. "Since we've reached this point, I have a few harsh words of my own. If the Peacock Great Emperor does return, I hope the Peacock Sacred Mountain won't suppress those lords who voted for the Asura Great Emperor today. Otherwise, that would amount to retaliation!"
The Canghai Great Emperor was, in fact, quite certain the Peacock Great Emperor would not return. The reason he said this was twofold: first, to reassure those who had agreed to submit to the Glazed Glass Royal City, and second, to win hearts and curry favor—to put it bluntly, to play the good guy.
Sure enough, as soon as these words left his mouth, many lords felt a sense of reassurance. A warm current passed through their hearts, and they felt that the Canghai Great Emperor was quite considerate of their feelings.
Jiang Chen saw right through the Canghai Great Emperor's intentions and knew the man was buying loyalty.
He smiled faintly, his expression remaining as calm and self-assured as ever. "Canghai Daodi, your words only go to show how little you understand the Peacock Great Emperor. What kind of magnanimity does His Majesty the Peacock Great Emperor possess? If the Peacock Great Emperor were the type to suppress dissent, the Asura Great Emperor would never have had the opportunity to stand where he is today and challenge the Peacock Sacred Mountain! To put it bluntly, the Peacock Great Emperor isn't afraid that you'll all become talented enough to replace him. He's actually worried that none of you will ever be talented enough to fill his shoes! Do you really think the Peacock Great Emperor still covets worldly power? He comprehended the laws of heaven and earth long ago and sensed the heavenly secrets. He could ascend to the Heavenly rank at any moment. The elevation from which he views problems has long since surpassed the heavens! I have to say—your words are the mark of a petty man judging a gentleman by his own narrow standards."
Setting everything else aside, Jiang Chen's composed bearing alone had won him considerable popularity. Even those who didn't particularly like him had to admit that this young man possessed remarkable poise, deep composure, and impressive presence.
In a situation like this—sitting alongside seven Great Emperors, competing with the Asura Great Emperor for the throne of the Glazed Glass Royal City—any other young man would have been trembling with fear long ago.
But with Jiang Chen, there was absolutely no trace of nervousness or timidity.
Setting aside everything else about the young man, this composure alone was enough to prove that the Young Master Zhen was no ordinary person.
Since ancient times, they said: never underestimate the young and poor.
In that moment, many lords who had been wavering began to deliberate seriously.
And many who had already leaned toward the Asura Great Emperor also felt inner ripples of doubt. There really was something unfathomable about Jiang Chen—a quality that could not be ignored. It was as though he was constantly telling everyone: whoever dismisses him will come to regret it!
It was at this point that Nian Daodi chuckled and suddenly said, "Every move we Great Emperors make concerns the overall situation of the Glazed Glass Royal City. Therefore, I suggest that we Great Emperors should not vote. No matter what position we hold, it will inevitably cause internal friction and rifts among the Great Emperors. On the whole, this would only harm the Glazed Glass Royal City."
"The Great Emperors won't vote? How can that be?" Canghai Great Emperor said in astonishment.
"Brother Nian speaks reasonably. The influence of the Great Emperors' every action is simply too great. We Great Emperors must not allow rifts to form among ourselves over this. If such rifts cause the Glazed Glass Royal City to fall into division and decline, every one of us will be sinners for the ages," said the Zhenyue Great Emperor, who was clearly also unwilling to cast a vote.