The Shura Great Emperor's mind was in turmoil.
He disliked the Nihilism Great Emperor's words immensely. Because they were the truth. The kind of truth that struck right at his soft underbelly.
He had just swept his gaze across the expressions of the various lords, and it was plain to see that they all largely agreed with the Nihilism Great Emperor's assessment.
Judging by those expressions, even the lords who supported him, the Shura Great Emperor, seemed eager to witness a full-scale contest.
If he insisted on having his way, refusing anything but a martial duel to seize the position of ruler—
He might win the seat but lose the hearts of the people.
Just as others had said, the best ruler—the kind no one could argue against—should dominate in every respect, possessing an overwhelming advantage.
Otherwise, if you could claim the position, so could anyone else.
The Peacock Great Emperor was precisely the kind of person who held that overwhelming advantage.
The Shura Great Emperor was confident that, apart from the Peacock Great Emperor, he too possessed an overwhelming advantage within the Glazed Royal City.
The reason Young Lord Zhen had demanded a full-scale contest was simply because of his edge in alchemy.
Yet, the Shura Great Emperor asked himself—aside from alchemy, where he had no particular assurance, in every other aspect of competition he held an absolute advantage.
Just then, from across the way, Great Emperor Nian cast a questioning glance toward the Shura Great Emperor.
Clearly, Great Emperor Nian actually agreed with Jiang Chen's reasoning as well. He, too, believed that this contest was not merely a struggle between Young Lord Zhen and the Shura Great Emperor. It was fundamentally a clash of fortune between the Peacock Sacred Mountain and the Shura Dojo.
"Fellow Daoist Shura, why don't we let the lords vote to decide—should it be a standalone martial duel, or a full-scale contest encompassing all areas?" Great Emperor Nian inquired.
The Shura Great Emperor swept his gaze over the assembled lords below, his mind as clear as a mirror. If it came down to a vote among the lords, the result would undoubtedly be a full-scale contest.
You could see it in the eager eyes of every lord—they wanted to witness a grand spectacle.
If he stubbornly insisted on a martial duel alone, his standing among the lords would plummet. His position was already far from secure, with support roughly split down the middle.
If he lost any more goodwill on top of that, even fewer lords would rally to his side.
Since the decision would come down to a vote anyway, he might as well take the initiative himself, be generous about it, and appear magnanimous. With that thought, he smiled faintly and said, "Since Young Lord Zhen is so enthusiastic about it, what more does this Emperor have to say? I will naturally play along to the end. I only wished to spare him the embarrassment of a crushing loss!"
Hearing this, Jiang Chen burst into hearty laughter. "What a splendid excuse—'sparing me the embarrassment of a crushing loss.' I hope those are your true feelings, Great Emperor Shura, and not merely the words of a man cornered by circumstance."
Jiang Chen could see perfectly well that the Shura Great Emperor had no other choice.
Great Emperor Nian let out a silent sigh of relief. Since neither side objected, there was no need to waste any more breath on pointless debate.
"Gentlemen, this full-scale contest you speak of—what areas does it intend to cover?"
Jiang Chen was nothing if not magnanimous. He smiled calmly. "Let the Shura Great Emperor name them first. Whatever the Shura Dojo excels at, I will match it."
The moment these words left his lips, the entire hall gasped in astonishment.
The audacity!
Whatever the Shura Dojo excelled at, Young Lord Zhen would match it? That was… that was utterly outrageous! Was this Young Lord Zhen, so young in years, truly a polymath genius?
The Blue Sea Great Emperor could never stand Jiang Chen's bluster. He laughed in fury. "Young Lord Zhen, if you think you can earn the spotlight simply by boasting, I have to say—this trick of yours is laughably clumsy."
The Coiling Dragon Great Emperor was about to fire back, but Jiang Chen raised a hand to stop him.
He glanced coolly at the Blue Sea Great Emperor and smiled mildly. "Great Emperor Blue Sea, I know you and the Shura Great Emperor are close enough to share a pair of trousers. If you think I'm boasting, then tell me—what does the Blue Sea lineage excel at? You're welcome to teach me as well."
Back when the Peacock Great Emperor had asked Jiang Chen to study the power dynamics among the Glazed Royal City's Great Emperors more carefully, Jiang Chen had done his homework.
Among the Great Emperors of the Glazed Royal City, most had devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the martial path. While they had made some efforts in other areas, their overall achievements were modest at best.
Truth be told, Jiang Chen was somewhat dissatisfied with the complacency of these Glazed Royal City Great Emperors.
A truly formidable power needed outstanding talent in every field. Martial cultivation was undeniably vital, but alchemy, formation arrays, talisman arts, mechanical crafts, beast taming—and countless other disciplines—all deserved serious development.
In the primordial age, every single domain had its geniuses, its supreme existences. That was why the ancient era had been a time when a hundred schools of thought flourished together.