Now, it wasn't just Pill Emperor Great Emperor who was seething with pent-up frustration—the entire population of Pill Fire City shared that same churning resentment in their hearts.
For thousands of years, Pill Fire City had never been so humiliated. Even a figure as formidable as Peacock Great Emperor had never managed to gain the upper hand against Pill Fire City in its heyday.
Yet this brat Jiang Chen, barely a decade into his rise to prominence, had managed to throw the entire human territories into turmoil and leave Pill Fire City with egg on its face.
If this could be tolerated, then what couldn't?
Pill Emperor Great Emperor had merely been stoking the crowd's emotions. Seeing that the other Great Emperors were sufficiently riled up, he knew the timing was just right.
A cold smile played across his lips as his deep gaze swept across every Great Emperor present.
"My friends, as much as I despise admitting it, I must. If we allow this brat Jiang Chen to continue unchecked, given enough time, Pill Fire City's prestige will be completely overshadowed by him. When that day comes, whenever cultivators in the human territories discuss the art of pill refinement, they'll only talk about the Rosy Blossom Vale and that brat Jiang Chen. Where will Pill Fire City stand then?"
Great powers—especially those whose positions are entrenched—despise nothing more than being displaced by someone new. They instinctively guard against, even harbor open hostility toward, any who might supplant them.
"Your Majesty, we cannot simply sit back and do nothing."
"Indeed. We must strangle this boy in his cradle. Once his wings are fully spread, Pill Fire City will be in an impossible position."
"Exactly. Even with the Myriad Abyss Island as his backing, he hasn't fully matured yet. If he were to die under mysterious circumstances, I doubt the powerhouses of Myriad Abyss Island would care all that much. After all, in a legendary place like Myriad Abyss Island, there must be far more geniuses than in our human territories, right?"
Pill Emperor Great Emperor smiled enigmatically. "In that case, everyone is in agreement? We must suppress this boy and absolutely must not allow him to grow?"
"Your Majesty, it must be done. A genius like this—if we fail to snip him in the bud, the consequences will be endless."
"Precisely. Rosy Blossom Vale no longer has Peacock Great Emperor. There's no absolute powerhouse there who can stop us."
Pill Emperor Great Emperor chuckled. "Very good. As it happens, there is currently an excellent opportunity."
"Oh? What opportunity?" The crowd's eyes lit up upon hearing this.
"According to my intelligence, that brat Jiang Chen has already infiltrated the Moon God Sect in secret these past few days. As we speak, he is still at the Moon God Sect's headquarters."
"The Moon God Sect?"
"What is he doing there? Have those Moon God Sect women grown fickle, looking to defect to Rosy Blossom Vale?"
"Those old hags don't know what's good for them. Your Majesty, the Moon God Sect has been pushing back against your recruitment efforts for ages, refusing to show any respect. And now it turns out they're making eyes at Rosy Blossom Vale? Casting aside what's close for what's far?"
"It seems we've been far too lenient with the Moon God Sect!"
The Great Emperors were none too pleased to hear that the Moon God Sect was cozying up to Jiang Chen. In their minds, the Moon God Sect sat right on Pill Fire City's northwestern border—being so close to Pill Fire City, it was only natural that they should fall under its sway.
Having Pill Fire City right on their doorstep while harboring divided loyalties? That was something Pill Fire City could never tolerate!
After the initial wave of anger, someone suddenly put two and two together.
"Your Majesty—this opportunity you speak of… could it be?"
"At the Moon God Sect? Then what are we waiting for? This boy has practically delivered himself to our doorstep! If we don't seize this chance now, when will we?"
"Exactly. Da Jiao and Old Ma both entered their territory and were ambushed. Now, this brat has waltzed into our sphere of influence—this is the perfect chance to turn the tables!"
"Strike while the iron is hot—just take the boy out."
"Your Majesty, give the order. Once this brat is dead, the rest of Rosy Blossom Vale won't amount to anything!"
Pill Emperor Great Emperor spoke with a grave tone. "Making this decision is simple enough for me. But you must all think this through carefully—there is a certain degree of risk involved. Should that risk come to bear in the future, I trust none of you will try to shirk responsibility."
"Your Majesty, how much risk could there really be?"
"The powerhouses of Myriad Abyss Island? Setting aside whatever relationship they have with Jiang Chen for the moment—they can't possibly be stationed there permanently, can they? They already left, didn't they? Who knows if they'll ever come back? Even if they do, it could be a hundred years from now, or several hundred."
"Exactly. In a few hundred years, whatever friendship existed will have long since faded."
"Your Majesty, give the order. If anything comes of it, all of Pill Fire City—every last one of us—will shoulder the burden together. And if we can cut down that brat, the benefits are immeasurable."
Though they all detested Jiang Chen, they had to grudgingly admit one thing: this kid was incredibly resourceful. The Myriad Longevity Pill, the Pine Crane Pill, the Emperor Spirit Pill, the Imperial Ascension Pill—
These pills were things that even a powerhouse like Pill Fire City, which boasted the finest alchemical lineage in the human territories, had never even heard of.
To say they weren't green with envy would be a bold-faced lie.