All the Great Emperors of the Glazed Glass City had been assembled once more.
Jiang Chen spread out the map and began pointing out positions. "Everyone, Pill Fire City has laid all its cards on the table, ready to fight us to the bitter end. If that's the case, then as your Young Master, I shall oblige them this time!"
All this time, Jiang Chen had refrained from tearing off the mask with Pill Fire City because he had considered the bigger picture — the greater interests of the human domain. He did not want a collision between two major powers to trigger endless internal strife, further weakening an already not-so-strong human race.
Yet Pill Fire City had failed entirely to understand Jiang Chen's good intentions, interpreting his restraint and forbearance as weakness and cowardice.
This had truly infuriated Jiang Chen to his core.
If repeated restraint could not bring peace, then there was nothing left but to deliver a thunderous blow and uproot Pill Fire City like the malignant tumor it was!
Not only had all the Great Emperors of the Glazed Glass City been summoned — even Great Emperor Canghai, who had been consolidating the Red Cauldron Central Domain and the Myriad Manifestation Domain, was called back.
Great Emperor Jingzhong of the Glazed Glass City was also prominently present. At his side stood several independent Great Emperors. It was clear that these independent cultivators had been moved by Great Emperor Jingzhong's personal charisma and had followed him without hesitation to join Jiang Chen's cause.
Still, with Great Emperor Wushuang and the two Jiao brothers of Huaishan absent, Jiang Chen felt as though something was missing by his side.
It was not that Jiang Chen lacked fighting strength — he was worried about Great Emperor Wushuang and the two Jiao brothers of Huaishan. After all, the three of them had followed him all this way and had rendered extraordinary service.
Their current whereabouts being unknown weighed heavily on Jiang Chen's mind.
However, Jiang Chen found something puzzling: "If the force behind all this can impersonate Great Emperor Yunlan and Great Emperor Luo Qi, they could just as easily impersonate Brother Mo and the two Jiao brothers of Huaishan to frame me."
This was what baffled Jiang Chen the most.
Impersonating Great Emperor Yunlan and Great Emperor Luo Qi, while certainly provocative, did carry an inherent limitation — those two were known enemies of Jiang Chen. Even if they slandered him, the impact would not be maximized.
But if they had impersonated Great Emperor Wushuang and the two Jiao brothers of Huaishan — all three of whom were publicly recognized as Jiang Chen's people — the effect would have been far more devastating. If these three had stepped forward to denounce Jiang Chen, it would have created a sensational impact, dealing a potentially fatal blow to his reputation.
Yet this very scenario, which Jiang Chen feared most, had not come to pass.
This brought Jiang Chen a measure of relief even as it set his mind racing. Perhaps, despite the danger Brother Mo and the two Jiao brothers of Huaishan were in, the masterminds behind the scenes had not discovered their true identities. Perhaps they were treating them as ordinary captives?
This was Jiang Chen's more optimistic conjecture.
After all, Great Emperor Wushuang and the two Jiao brothers of Huaishan had all concealed their identities, posing as independent cultivators. If they had played along without revealing their true strength or identities, they might still be safe for the time being.
With this thought, Jiang Chen's mood lightened somewhat.
The assembled Great Emperors were now studying the battle plan Jiang Chen had proposed. Each one of them felt their blood running hot, knowing that Jiang Chen was gearing up for a major confrontation.
Among the Glazed Glass City's Great Emperors, only Great Emperor Jimmie and Great Emperor Panlong were firmly and unwaveringly in support of Jiang Chen. Great Emperor Niandie, however, showed signs of hesitation.
It was not that Great Emperor Niandie opposed Jiang Chen — he simply lacked confidence in the current circumstances.
"Young Master Jiang Chen, this time Pill Fire City is coming in force, with over thirty allied factions marching together. This coalition has the power to steamroll the entire human domain. Our Glazed Glass City is vastly outnumbered — opposing them will be extraordinarily difficult. If we relied on our home-ground advantage here in the city, we might be able to hold. But to meet them in battle at our borders — I fear that would not be a wise decision."
Great Emperor Niandie knew Jiang Chen was formidable, but under these circumstances, the forces allied with Pill Fire City possessed combat strength that was many times over that of the Glazed Glass City.
To fight a decisive battle at the border — with no terrain advantage and with their overall strength clearly inferior — how could there be any chance of victory?
In truth, from Great Emperor Niandie's perspective, his concerns were perfectly reasonable.
Great Emperor Niandie's doubts were echoed by Great Emperor Zhankong.
Great Emperor Zhankong spoke respectfully: "Young Master Jiang Chen, the Zhankong lineage fully recognizes your leadership abilities. We also acknowledge that in the current Glazed Glass City, only you, Young Master Jiang Chen, can hold things together. However, this battle concerns the very survival of our Glazed Glass City. In my humble opinion, we truly cannot afford to act rashly. Fighting at the border means we have neither numerical superiority nor any territorial advantage."
Heaven's timing, terrain advantage, and human unity — when all three factors were weighed, the Glazed Glass City faced a severe crisis on every front.
Great Emperor Zhenyue also let out a soft sigh: "Young Master Jiang Chen, I, Zhenyue, would fight to the death for the Glazed Glass City without so much as a frown. But a decisive battle at the border would mean surrendering our only remaining advantage — it would be like throwing an egg against a rock."