Still, with the sect master stepping forward, everyone's panicked hearts settled ever so slightly.
Whether to fight or to surrender, at least the sect master was here to make the call.
Long Zhe heaved a quiet sigh. "Everyone, you've all witnessed the strength of the Wind Cloud Cult. Our Heavenly Dragon Sect's defeat is not due to any lack of ability on our part — we simply had no power to turn the tide."
A flicker of sorrow passed through the hearts of all who heard those words.
Was the sect master ultimately going to choose surrender? Everyone knew that if they wished to avoid the sect's annihilation, this might well be the only option.
Yet when it truly came to that point, the taste in everyone's mouths was utterly bitter.
The Heavenly Dragon Sect — surrendering.
This news spread across the entire human domain like a plague, nearly instantaneously.
The Heavenly Dragon Sect, that most arrogant and overbearing of powers, had been frightened into submission by the Wind Cloud Cult and had decided to surrender!
Jiang Chen was the first to receive the news, and he was rendered speechless for a long while.
Coiling Dragon Great Emperor, upon seeing the dark, stormy look on Jiang Chen's face, offered his counsel. "Young Master, there is no need for regret. These so-called first-rank sects were never worthy of our expectations in the first place."
Jiang Chen hadn't truly held out hope for the Heavenly Dragon Sect — after all, the Glazed Jade City and the Heavenly Dragon Sect had no bond to speak of. If anything, the two sides harbored grievances between them.
It was just that the Heavenly Dragon Sect's sudden surrender left Jiang Chen feeling more than a little disappointed in the various factions of the human domain.
A strange sense of sorrow washed over him. All this effort he'd been putting in — what was it all for?
To protect the human domain?
Jiang Chen admitted that he had never originally harbored such grand ambitions. If not for the influence of the Peacock Great Emperor, he wouldn't have even been willing to shoulder this burden. After taking it on, however, he had worked with painstaking diligence, giving his all for the fate of humanity — planning ahead, making every effort he could.
But in the end, what had all of that earned him?
It had earned him the Northern Alliance joining forces to assault the Glazed Jade City.
It had earned him disappointment after disappointment.
Take the Heavenly Dragon Sect, for instance. They had been a part of the Northern Alliance themselves. After Jiang Chen destroyed Danfire City, he hadn't taken his anger out on these other factions, instead allowing them to leave unharmed, hoping they would come to their senses.
And yet, faced with the suddenly risen Wind Cloud Cult, the Heavenly Dragon Sect had surrendered without the slightest shred of backbone. Was this not simply the story of Danfire City playing out all over again?
Truth be told, the Heavenly Dragon Sect had been among the prouder and more dignified of the human domain's sects.
And yet even they, when faced with a matter of principle, had chosen surrender over resistance.
For a time, Jiang Chen truly felt a sense of sorrow.
"Coiling Dragon, the Heavenly Dragon Sect, much like your Coiling Dragon bloodline, claims descent from the dragons. The dragon race was the proudest of the ancient races — they would rather die than suffer disgrace. If you were the sect master of the Heavenly Dragon Sect, what choice would you make?" Jiang Chen turned to Coiling Dragon Great Emperor and asked.
Coiling Dragon Great Emperor smiled ruefully. "Young Master, that question is far too difficult for this subordinate to answer. But I can say this — the Coiling Dragon line belongs to the Glazed Jade City in life, and to the Glazed Jade City in death. We would rather fight to the last breath than ever surrender. Of that much, you have my guarantee."
Jiang Chen nodded. "It's a pity that so few in the human domain are like you. Even within our own Glazed Jade City, not everyone could hold to that standard."
Coiling Dragon Great Emperor sighed. "Who could argue otherwise?"
Such was the reality of the human domain. From ancient times to the present, the erosion of faith and the spirit of legacy had left countless factions throughout the domain devoid of the fearless, death-defying valor of their forebears.
Fortunately, only Coiling Dragon and Nirvana Great Emperor stood at Jiang Chen's side at that moment.
Nirvana Great Emperor spoke up. "Young Master, don't be disheartened. In truth, the grand assembly is just around the corner. The Wind Cloud Cult is merely trying to intimidate us before we even begin."
An intimidation tactic, indeed.
Jiang Chen nodded. "You're right. From now on, everyone needs to stay vigilant. Keep your guard up at all times."
"Indeed. The Wind Cloud Cult will absolutely not sit by and allow our assembly to proceed unchallenged."
"This assembly might well bring about an early clash between the Glazed Jade City and the Wind Cloud Cult," Coiling Dragon Great Emperor murmured, a glint of eagerness flickering in his eyes.
Once news of the Glazed Jade City's assembly spread, the various factions set out for the city at the fastest pace they could manage to attend.
Over the next several days, the atmosphere within the Glazed Jade City grew visibly heavier.
News continued to pour in.
"Young Master Jiang Chen — the Water Mirror Sect, a second-rank sect, was ambushed on their way to the assembly. The entire sect perished."
"Young Master — the Butterfly Sect, a second-rank sect from the Heavenly Capital Upper Region, also fell under an unknown attack. Only a single lucky cultivator escaped."
"Young Master…"
In the span of just a few days, six or seven reports of assembly-bound factions being ambushed arrived in quick succession. And virtually none of the attacked factions had survivors who escaped.
The relentless stream of dire tidings threw every faction heading to the assembly into a state of terror. A number of second- and third-rank sects, not yet halfway there, began to waver and consider turning back.
Some sects had barely stepped beyond their own gates before, upon hearing the news, they retreated inside once more, never daring to set out again.