The Windcloud Cult Master was very pleased with the reactions of his followers.
This was exactly the effect he wanted — exactly the kind of hostile mentality he sought to foster.
In the early days of the Windcloud Cult's rise, the Cult Master hadn't been without his worries, concerned that Glazed Jade City was too powerful and that many experts wouldn't be drawn to his Windcloud Cult.
However, things had gone far beyond expectations. In the beginning, the Windcloud Cult had used certain underhanded methods to recruit a number of powerful cultivators.
In the later stages, the Cult's slogans and doctrines gradually spread far and wide. After seeing the Windcloud Cult's ambition, many unruly experts with grand aspirations of their own came forward to join of their own accord.
The majority of these experts were rogue cultivators, though quite a few were from various sects. There were also some remnants from factions like Pill Fire City and the Imperishable Heavenly Capital, and even some old monsters who had been in seclusion for countless years.
In short, they had all been drawn to the Windcloud Cult.
Among them, the top-tier experts — figures at the level of the Eight Windcloud Emperors — more than half had been lured by the Cult Master's promises.
For the Cult Master had promised to bestow upon them an extraordinary opportunity. An opportunity that might very well grant them the qualifications to challenge the Heaven Rank.
Such a promise was an irresistible temptation for any Emperor Realm expert.
Even the most famous among the rogue cultivators — Purple Nether Great Emperor and Emperor Mo Zhe, figures among the Six Giants of the lone cultivators — had been unable to withstand the Windcloud Cult Master's temptation, and one by one they joined the Windcloud Cult.
Of course, given their strength and status, they naturally secured seats among the Eight Windcloud Emperors.
Each of the Eight Windcloud Emperors was either a titan of the rogue cultivator world, a hidden powerhouse from one of the great sects, or an expert of unfathomable origins.
Of course, the roster of the Eight Windcloud Emperors was not set in stone. If more experts of that caliber were to join, the Eight Windcloud Emperors could readily become the Ten Windcloud Emperors, or even twelve...
In any case, Dharma Kings of this caliber were existences second only to the Windcloud Cult Master himself.
"This Jiang Chen — I must admit, he is no ordinary individual. Back when I was lurking in Chenxiang Valley, I caught a glimpse of this young man. He truly possesses extraordinary fortune. In terms of raw strength, many of you seated here today would be capable of defeating him. But if it came to a real fight, very few among you would actually gain the upper hand. Perhaps... not a single one."
The Windcloud Cult Master spoke in an unhurried tone, and when he mentioned Jiang Chen, his admiration was plain and undisguised. This, however, left the experts gathered below feeling somewhat dejected.
"Cult Master, that brat is certainly something, but he's nothing more than a man who's skilled at borrowing others' power. As for how strong he actually is, this subordinate is truly not convinced."
The one who spoke was none other than Purple Nether Great Emperor.
This Purple Nether Great Emperor held one of the seats among the Eight Windcloud Emperors, giving him extremely high standing. Back in the day, he had some prior history with Emperor Danji and had once followed Emperor Danji to cause trouble for Jiang Chen.
He had witnessed Jiang Chen's methods firsthand.
Purple Nether Great Emperor acknowledged that Jiang Chen was remarkable, but when it came to individual combat strength — without resorting to any underhanded tricks — he did not believe Jiang Chen was truly that invincible.
At the very least, he was confident he could completely suppress Jiang Chen.
The prerequisite, of course, was that the fight had to be fair.
If Jiang Chen summoned out that terrifying Heaven Rank expert from the Giant Stone Clan, that would be an entirely different matter.
"Cult Master, this Jiang Chen has indeed made a name for himself in the human territories. But, as our friend Purple Nether has said, he has always been skilled at borrowing others' power. Back then he borrowed Peacock Great Emperor's strength, and later that of Jingzhong Great Emperor, Peerless Great Emperor, and others. And now he's borrowed the power of a Heaven Rank expert from the Giant Stone Clan."
"Sigh, that brat is just lucky. How many years has it been since a Heaven Rank expert appeared in the human territories, and he just..."
Clearly, the others harbored a measure of jealousy toward Jiang Chen's fortune. As for the achievements Jiang Chen had made previously, they acknowledged them but did not consider them all that extraordinary.
Whether it was the Pine Crane Pill or the Emperor Ascension Pill, these were accomplishments in the field of alchemy. They did not represent martial prowess.
In the world of martial cultivation, the most direct measure of an expert was their combat strength.
This was precisely why many experts in the human territories were still not entirely convinced. By rights, after accomplishing so much, Jiang Chen should have unified the human territories long ago, leaving no room for dissenting voices.
But in reality, that was not the case.
Even those First-Rank Sects, though they feared Glazed Jade City, had not chosen to prostrate themselves before Jiang Chen in total submission.
In other words, until Jiang Chen's own martial strength achieved an overwhelming advantage, he could not yet become the universally acknowledged leader of the human race.
And as for why the Windcloud Cult Master had gained such widespread recognition and so many pledges of allegiance in just three or four short years?
It was because the Windcloud Cult Master had demonstrated power far beyond that of ordinary Emperor Realm experts — the ability to manipulate every last one of them as though they were playthings.