Chapter 1310: Endless Argument

Shangguan Yanqing burst into hearty laughter. "My friends, anyone can pin labels on others. Kill me, Shangguan Yanqing? All the Sect Master has to do is say the word, and I'll stretch out my neck without so much as a twitch of my brow. You can execute me however you please. But if you think killing me will somehow guarantee a bright future for the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect, you are sorely mistaken."

"Fellow Daoists, I'm sure you all know the true identity of the young lord of Veluriyam Capital, Young Lord Zhen. Back when he was in the Myriad Domain, he dismantled our plans in the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance. At the time it was nothing more than a minor irritation — none of us gave the boy a second thought. Later, when the Eternal Celestial Capital launched their invasion of the Myriad Domain, our Nine Suns Heavenly Sect was a half-step too slow and got outmaneuvered at every turn. Everyone felt we suffered a terrible loss that time. But actually, I'd argue we were lucky it was the Eternal Celestial Capital who started that invasion, and lucky we were a half-step behind. Otherwise…"

"Otherwise what?" Elder Chen Lei laughed coldly.

Shangguan Yanqing replied with a calm air. "Elder Chen Lei, you don't need to adopt that tone of judging me. Let's just deal in facts. The fate that awaits the Eternal Celestial Capital in the future — we'll all get to see it."

Grand Emperor Haotian raised a hand to cut in. "No need for bickering. Shangguan, elaborate."

Shangguan Yanqing knew, of course, that the Sect Master would never execute him. After all, before he had departed on his diplomatic mission to Veluriyam Capital, the Sect Master himself had given him instructions.

"Sect Master, to put it plainly and succinctly, it comes down to seven words: the wise man adapts to the times!" Shangguan Yanqing was nothing if not concise.

"Explain," said Grand Emperor Haotian.

"That Young Lord Zhen — it's far better to make him a friend than an enemy. If we make him an enemy, the ten-thousand-year foundation of our Nine Suns Heavenly Sect could be destroyed in an instant. If we make him a friend, even if we don't gain much, our sect's foundation won't be shaken!" Shangguan Yanqing's words sent a wave of shock through the assembly.

Many present felt that Shangguan Yanqing was being wildly alarmist. So what if this young lord of Veluriyam Capital had some talent? He was still just a young man. Could he really be as formidable as all that?

Elder Wu Gong sneered ceaselessly. "Shangguan Yanqing, keep spinning your yarn. Let's see how far you can spin it."

Shangguan Yanqing adopted a serious expression. "Fellow Daoists, I know most of you aren't convinced. That's because most of you rarely leave the sect. Your understanding of the outside world is limited — or rather, you have no interest in understanding it, content to keep dreaming about being a first-rank sect, numb to the shifting currents beyond our walls. Those of us patrol envoys, we're constantly traveling, running around day after day. I won't claim we've made some tremendous contribution to the sect, but in terms of firsthand knowledge and sensitivity to the broader situation, we far surpass everyone here. Surely none of you would disagree with that?"

"This recent Dragon and Tiger Gathering — I, Shangguan Yanqing, witnessed it from beginning to end. I can only say that if any of you had been there in person, the shock you felt would have surpassed even mine. This Young Lord Zhen — his martial cultivation is absolutely peerless among his generation. But that alone isn't the most frightening thing about him. It's not his martial talent that's the most terrifying. It's his foundation in alchemy, and the natural, commanding aura of a ruler that he carries with him. This man seems born to command grand occasions. And not only does he not shrink in such settings — he takes control, guiding the proceedings so that all the powerful figures end up moving to his rhythm."

"Among the rogue cultivators, Peerless Emperor — one of the six great emperors of the independent cultivator world — is now Young Lord Zhen's devoted follower. The Twin Tigers of Huai Shan, notorious killers in the rogue cultivator world, have likewise become his personal retainers. Emperor Well — another of the six great emperors, ranked even above Peerless Emperor — openly and covertly supports this young man. To put it bluntly, if Veluriyam Capital truly went to war with the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect, Young Lord Zhen could absolutely call upon Emperor Well. And then there's Flame Emperor, Ruo Yi Emperor — the other great independent cultivators of the six emperors' caliber…"

"Let me ask you this: our Nine Suns Heavenly Sect may have deep reserves, but how do they compare to Veluriyam Capital's?"

"But the most terrifying thing isn't Veluriyam Capital's reserves — it's this Young Lord Zhen, who has the powerhouses of the legendary Myriad Abyss Island standing behind him. At the Dragon and Tiger Gathering, when the Myriad Abyss Island expert appeared, every single emperor-realm cultivator turned into obedient little lambs before them — trembling like three-year-old children! Even setting aside the Myriad Abyss Island experts, Young Lord Zhen possesses the Pine Crane Pill, the Emperor Ascension Pill — miraculous medicines that defy all conventional understanding within the human territories. How many people could he buy over with those? With a single word, countless rogue cultivator powerhouses would willingly fight and die for him. All he'd have to offer is one Pine Crane Pill, one Emperor Ascension Pill. Now tell me — if over ten rogue emperors joined forces alongside Veluriyam Capital to wage war against the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect, what could we possibly use to resist?"

Shangguan Yanqing tossed this brutal question to everyone present.

Those among the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect leadership who had still harbored doubts now found their faces drained of color, many unable to sit still.

As they listened to Shangguan Yanqing's point-by-point analysis, they began to realize that the young man they had always dismissed as irrelevant had, in fact, grown powerful enough that even the Nine Suns Heavenly Sect had to look up to him.

Never mind anything else — the mere appearance of a powerhouse from the mysterious realm of Myriad Abyss Island, and who in the entire Nine Suns Heavenly Sect could stand against them?

Just thinking about it was enough to send chills down one's spine.

"Daoist Shangguan, is this Young Lord Zhen truly as formidable as all that?" someone asked, still half-skeptical.