Glazed King City continued to release earth-shaking news one after another, causing an enormous sensation throughout the rogue cultivator communities of the Upper Eight Regions.
Pill Fire City, which had originally believed it could effortlessly sabotage the Dragon-Tiger Summit, had intended to throw Glazed King City onto the fire rack—only to discover, before they knew it, that they themselves were already sitting on it.
They had announced the Pill Martial Summit specifically to sabotage Glazed King City's rogue cultivator assembly. Relying on Pill Fire City's deep reserves and renowned reputation, they had assumed the Pill Martial Summit would easily draw over eighty percent of the rogue cultivators to attend.
However, as Glazed King City continued to release heavyweight news, within just a few days Pill Fire City's popularity plummeted, and the prevailing winds shifted ever more toward Glazed King City.
The Pine Crane Pill alone had already generated a staggering level of excitement.
To top it off, Glazed King City was going to establish an academy—and the academy would open a certain number of slots to rogue cultivators. Most crucially, that Young Lord Zhen had made the audacious claim that any pill others could refine, Peacock Sacred Mountain could produce as well!
Even if it was pure boastfulness, such confidence was exactly what won the rogue cultivators' support. Many rogue cultivators, drawn by this magnanimous declaration, chose to back Glazed King City and see for themselves whether the legendary Young Lord Zhen was truly as remarkable as rumored.
When Pill Fire City noticed the tide turning against them, they began scrambling to mount all manner of damage control. The various benefits of the Pill Martial Summit were continuously upgraded.
The Pill Sovereign Emperor even personally drafted invitations, reaching out to reclusive powerhouses among the rogue cultivators to lend their prestige. He hoped to leverage these hidden giants' reputations within the rogue cultivator world to draw a crowd to the Pill Martial Summit.
Not long ago, the Pill Sovereign Emperor had barely deigned to acknowledge these rogue cultivator powerhouses. Yet now, he was humbling himself to seek them out.
But just because he was willing to extend an olive branch didn't mean anyone would happily accept it. Of the invitations he had sent, although some received replies, most of the rogue cultivator powerhouses couldn't even be bothered to respond.
Rogue cultivator powerhouses were all free spirits—unmoored clouds and wild cranes. The Pill Sovereign Emperor had never shown them particular respect in ordinary times, so how could these powerhouses possibly respond with immediate enthusiasm at this last-minute attempt to curry favor?
Any rogue cultivator who had cultivated to the level of a powerhouse was someone of iron will and considerable pride. Every single one of them had a temper.
So although Pill Fire City had exhausted many proactive measures and achieved some results, the one-sided sweep they had originally predicted was now utterly out of reach.
Many of the rogue cultivator powerhouses had quietly let it be known that they intended to attend the Dragon-Tiger Summit in Glazed King City!
Of course, the majority of these powerhouses were still in a wait-and-see posture. After all, there was still some time before both events, and they wanted to see how the contest between Glazed King City and Pill Fire City played out—whether more benefits might materialize in the end.
Most rogue cultivator powerhouses were the type who wouldn't release the eagle until they spotted the rabbit. Until the final moment, they were far too clever to rush into any declarations.
This non-committal stance was nothing more than a tactic to pressure both sides into offering even better terms.
And so, the situation in the Upper Eight Regions grew increasingly peculiar. The rogue cultivator community, which had never held much influence in the cultivation world, had suddenly become the most sought-after prize—subtly gaining the leverage to haggle with both Glazed King City and Pill Fire City behind the scenes.
Pill Fire City was now caught between a rock and a hard place. Had they simply ignored Glazed King City's Dragon-Tiger Summit without mounting the Pill Martial Summit as a counter, they might not have found themselves in such an embarrassing position.
By starting this contest, they had trapped themselves—unable to advance and unwilling to retreat.
They had originally intended to make Glazed King City lose face. But now, it was Pill Fire City's own reputation that was likely to crumble first.
"Your Majesty, the situation has grown dire. Those old foxes among the rogue cultivators are all cunning beyond measure. They're simply waiting for us to increase our benefits even further." Baili Shengzhi had been running ragged these past few days.
He had been put in charge of this matter, only to discover it was anything but a pleasant assignment.
"Baili, no matter what happens, Pill Fire City's face cannot be lost. We have such deep reserves—this time, we'll bleed a little and give them some sweeteners. Someday, we will reclaim everything with interest!" The Pill Sovereign Emperor spoke through gritted teeth.
He knew full well that Pill Fire City had no path of retreat. They could only keep raising the stakes, continuously improving their terms, to attract the rogue cultivator powerhouses' endorsement.
Otherwise, Pill Fire City would become the laughingstock of the entire Upper Eight Regions.
Becoming a laughingstock was bad enough, but the real problem was losing in a direct confrontation with Glazed King City—that was something Pill Fire City absolutely could not accept under any circumstances.
"Your Majesty, the problem now is that ordinary sweeteners and benefits are no longer enough to satisfy those bastards' appetites." Baili Shengzhi was deeply frustrated. "Glazed King City has already raised the stakes sky-high. For our Pill Fire City to match that—it's no easy feat."
Baili Shengzhi was, after all, merely an executor. Without the Pill Sovereign Emperor's backing, there were certain empty promises he didn't dare make lightly.
"Baili, spread the word—this Emperor is willing to put forward a single 'White-Hair Grand Mystic Pill' up for auction!"
"What?!"