The Upper Eight Regions had been abuzz these past few days. First, the Glazed Royal City had announced that it would be hosting a Dragon-Tiger Conference, calling upon all independent cultivators to gather at the Glazed Royal City for a grand occasion.
And not long after, Pill Fire City made its own public announcement — it too would be hosting a Dao Summit, and likewise calling upon independent cultivators to attend.
Pill Fire City even proclaimed that during this summit, the Pill Fire City's Dan Ji Great Emperor and all of the city's other Great Emperors would appear in person to share their insights, exchanging pointers with independent cultivators in both the Dao of Pills and the Dao of Martial Arts.
The moment this news broke, it sent shockwaves throughout the entire human territories.
The news alone was already staggering enough. Pill Fire City held many events, with all manner of happenings occurring on a daily basis. But a spectacle of this magnitude — one that hadn't been seen in a thousand years — was something else entirely. A Dao Summit where every Great Emperor of Pill Fire City would appear in person? The sheer scale was mind-boggling. Pill Fire City hadn't hosted anything of this caliber in thousands of years.
For independent cultivators across the land, this was unquestionably earth-shattering good news.
But beyond the shock value of the announcement itself, the message conveyed an even more critical signal. Pill Fire City's declaration was an unmistakable challenge aimed squarely at the Glazed Royal City.
The Glazed Royal City had announced its Dragon-Tiger Conference first. And now, almost immediately, Pill Fire City declared its own Dao Summit. The intention behind this move was crystal clear — they were going head to head, refusing to yield an inch.
The Glazed Royal City and Pill Fire City had always been two core powers of the Upper Eight Regions — one in the south, one in the north — two forces whose influence could shape the fate of the entire Upper Eight Regions.
Though these two powers had long been engaged in both overt and covert struggles, the great distance between them had meant that a truly direct, tit-for-tat confrontation had never materialized. Until now. This was the first time either side had drawn such a clear line in the sand and challenged the other so brazenly.
The collision of these two titans was bound to send sparks flying. The Upper Eight Regions, which had enjoyed a period of relative equilibrium, were suddenly plunged into turmoil.
Were the two great powers of north and south truly going to clash?
In an instant, a strange atmosphere settled over the entire Upper Eight Regions. Rumors began to spread like wildfire.
They said that Pill Fire City was deeply displeased with the Glazed Royal City's actions, and as a result, Pill Fire City strongly discouraged independent cultivators from traveling to the Glazed Royal City to attend the Dragon-Tiger Conference.
Any independent cultivator who intended to go to the Glazed Royal City would be blacklisted by Pill Fire City — barred from ever entering its territory and stripped of any right to conduct business with the city.
Though these rumors had never been officially confirmed by Pill Fire City, they spread with convincing detail.
"Have you heard? This Dao Summit hosted by Pill Fire City is going to be unprecedented in scale. They say Pill Fire City will be putting a batch of Heaven-grade pills up for auction. These pills are treasures money can't buy — peerless elixirs. And now Pill Fire City is offering them to independent cultivators. One could say this is a blessing the independent cultivator community has never seen before. It seems Pill Fire City is making a truly grand gesture this time."
"Pill Fire City's depth of alchemical knowledge speaks for itself — they certainly have no shortage of top-grade pills. This Dao Summit is really something to look forward to."
"What a shame for the Glazed Royal City. They'd already announced their event, and now Pill Fire City has made this move against them — it's going to be awkward. The Glazed Royal City trying to compete with Pill Fire City in terms of popularity and drawing power? I'm afraid they simply don't have the standing for it."
"Exactly. With the Peacock Great Emperor gone, the gap between the Glazed Royal City and Pill Fire City has widened overnight. A pity — I'd heard the Glazed Royal City's Young Lord Zhen was quite the talent. I was thinking of using this opportunity to see just how remarkable he really is. But if Pill Fire City is holding such a grand event, it would be a shame to miss it."
"Mm, I'm thinking the same thing. The Glazed Royal City's Dragon-Tiger Conference, in my opinion, is going to end in utter embarrassment. I'd wager that no more than twenty percent of the top independent cultivators will bother showing up at the Glazed Royal City. And that's only out of respect for Emperor Mo Wushuang's reputation."
"Indeed. Young Lord Zhen is, after all, still young. There are many things he hasn't thought through properly. 'Dragon-Tiger Conference' — the name sounds impressive, but there's nothing of substance behind it. Relying on Young Lord Zhen's personal fame — yes, he's accomplished several notable feats in recent years and built quite a reputation, but his drawing power isn't remotely on par with Pill Fire City."
"Heh, Pill Fire City's move this time was truly ruthless. They pulled the rug right out from under the Glazed Royal City — cut off their ladder and let them come crashing down from the heights."
"Ginger grows spicier with age. Dan Ji Great Emperor's gambit is going to crush Young Lord Zhen. The hard-won reputation he'd built up is going to plummet overnight, and the Glazed Royal City will become the laughingstock of the Upper Eight Regions."
The sect world, the aristocratic circles, and every major power in the Upper Eight Regions were all discussing these matters. The independent cultivator community was no exception.
Everyone was comparing the Glazed Royal City and Pill Fire City.
In the end, most people reached the same conclusion: Pill Fire City had demonstrated a masterful counterattack, cutting off the Glazed Royal City's retreat in a single stroke.
It was as if the Glazed Royal City had been lifted high into the air, only to be dropped from the same dizzying height.
Among independent cultivators, after careful deliberation and comparison, most felt that Pill Fire City's Dao Summit offered far more substance.
"Who would have thought that the moment the Peacock Great Emperor fell, the Glazed Royal City would lose its composure like this. In the Peacock Great Emperor's era, something like this would have been absolutely unthinkable."
"True enough. The Peacock Great Emperor was wise and measured — he knew the gap between the Glazed Royal City and Pill Fire City in the Dao of Pills was far too great, so he generally avoided direct confrontation. Young Lord Zhen, young and impulsive, acted on impulse and made a rash decision. Pill Fire City found the chink in his armor with ease, and struck true."