The rogue Great Emperors present were, by nature, independent thinkers. The only thing on their minds was how to improve their own strength.
The kind of perspective that Emperor Jingzhong had just laid out — most rogue Great Emperors simply couldn't manage it. Even if the odd thought flickered through their heads now and then, they would never follow it through to any deeper conclusion.
In their eyes, the fate of the entire Human Domain was something that the leaders of the great sects and powerful factions should worry about.
If the sky were to fall, it would be the tall ones who held it up.
But Emperor Jingzhong's words had sent a faint tremor through the hearts of these Emperor-realm powerhouses.
"Brother Jingzhong, if what you say is true, doesn't that mean our Human Domain is in serious trouble?" one rogue Great Emperor said, frowning.
"Brother Jingzhong, you're a man of great wisdom and prestige. Us rough types aren't cut out for thinking about this sort of thing — give it too much thought and we get headaches. What do you think we should do in a situation like this?"
"That's right, Brother Jingzhong, point us in the right direction."
These rogue Great Emperors held Emperor Jingzhong's character and authority in high regard, and one after another they voiced their agreement.
Emperor Jingzhong glanced at Jiang Chen and sighed. "I've been mulling over one particular question these past days. Perhaps the only hope for the Human Domain's current situation lies with Young Master Jiang Chen."
Every gaze turned toward Jiang Chen.
Even Jiang Chen himself was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected Emperor Jingzhong to champion him so forcefully.
Emperor Jingzhong gestured toward Jiang Chen and said, "Young Master Jiang Chen, don't rush to disagree with this old man just yet. Hear me out first."
"Everyone, use your heads and think it over. See whether what I'm saying holds water. We rogue Emperors are all outstanding individuals among the independent cultivators — we have our own thoughts, our own ideas. I'm merely putting forward a perspective for your consideration, not trying to dictate how you think."
"Brother Jingzhong, you're doing us a favor by guiding us. Nobody's going to hold that against you."
"Indeed — my mind certainly isn't as sharp as yours, Brother Jingzhong."
Seeing how eager everyone looked, Emperor Jingzhong nodded and began. "Looking at the situation in the Human Domain as it stands, I am firmly convinced that the one variable — you might even say the one hope — for the Human Domain right now is Young Master Jiang Chen. This is no idle flattery on my part."
"If Young Master Jiang Chen and Liuli Royal City are crushed by the likes of Emperor Dan Ji, the future of the Human Domain will be utterly bleak. Emperor Dan Ji, or any other warlord for that matter — none of them possess the ability, nor the moral character, to lead the human race out of this quagmire at the critical moment."
"If the Demon Calamity erupts, or the Boundary Stele Realm is breached and the barriers between the races collapse, bringing invasion by foreign species — Emperor Dan Ji is absolutely not the right person to lead the human race. In fact, he may well be the one who buries humanity's last hope."
Emperor Jingzhong's tone was grave.
"What I've said here is not meant to defame anyone, nor to elevate anyone. The reason I have no confidence in Emperor Dan Ji is that his ambition is vast but his heart is narrow. He does not possess the Peacock Emperor's magnanimous spirit of caring for the entire world. A man like that is destined never to become a leader of the human race. In the Great Ancient War against the Demon Race, although records are scarce, we know that our ancestors survived the Demon Calamity and succeeded in sealing away the demons precisely because they were led by respected, virtuous human leaders who accomplished what seemed nearly impossible."
When Emperor Jingzhong spoke of the ancient era, his voice was filled with reverence. He continued, "If the Demon Calamity were to erupt in this present age, the trial facing the human race would far surpass that of the ancient era. Because in those days, humanity was a powerful race — one in which a hundred schools of thought bloomed and legacies of immense strength were passed down. But today, humanity's elites are no longer in the Human Domain. Of the legacies inherited from antiquity, barely one in ten remains. Our human race's foundations and strength today are less than a tenth of what they were in ancient times."
"And that isn't even the most terrifying part. The most terrifying thing is that today's humanity has lost the sincere faith of the ancient age. There are no great leaders, no shared beliefs — only infighting and mutual scheming. Tell me, given the state of the Human Domain right now, if the Demon Calamity or some other race invades, can you really remain optimistic?"
Emperor Jingzhong's impassioned discourse sank everyone into deep thought.
The Human Domain was indeed just as Emperor Jingzhong had described. Sects and factions, all manner of powers — they schemed against one another, fought over scraps of profit, and crushed each other without mercy. And figures like Emperor Dan Ji, that great warlord of the present age, were busy stirring up trouble across the Upper Eight Domains, fanning the flames of chaos, only too happy to see the world burn.
How could someone like Emperor Dan Ji ever become a leader of the human race?
That was precisely why Emperor Jingzhong had so little confidence in — indeed, held such contempt for — Emperor Dan Ji.
In principle, with Emperor Dan Ji's status and prestige, he should have been a leading figure in the human world, deserving of the admiration of all human martial artists.
"Brother Jingzhong, what you've said makes a great deal of sense. But the current landscape of the Human Domain isn't something that we rogue cultivators can change."