This matter had absolutely overturned the three Holy Sovereigns' perception of Shao Yuan.
A deity's reincarnation — such a thing was far from common. In the twenty-odd thousand years of history on Myriad Abyss Island, those geniuses confirmed to be reincarnations of deities could be counted on one hand.
Moreover, quite a few so-called deity reincarnations were, to varying degrees, a stretch of the imagination — not necessarily the real thing.
Some deity reincarnations had only awakened a portion of their memories, without fully rekindling the deity's will.
There were also those who had awakened a great deal, but whose bodies in this life were too weak, whose physical constitutions too poor. Even with the memories of a deity's reincarnation awakened, their achievements would not surpass those of other geniuses.
Thus, the martial cultivation world was, at times, fair.
Even a deity reincarnation — if this life lacked a suitable vessel, lacked adequate physical talent, it could be difficult to achieve greatness.
And if the memories of a deity's reincarnation awakened too late, past the optimal window for cultivation, the impact would be just as significant.
Geniuses who awakened deity memories in their youth while also possessing exceptional talent were, in the entire history of Myriad Abyss Island, vanishingly rare.
And such individuals would, more often than not, become the bellwether of an era.
The three Holy Sovereigns needed a long while before they recovered from their shock.
"Elder Ziche, how confident are you about this matter of a deity's reincarnation?" the Grand Holy Sovereign asked, his voice grave.
"Seventy to eighty percent," Ziche Min replied honestly.
"And what does Shao Yuan himself say?" the Grand Holy Sovereign pressed.
"He likely cannot confirm it yet, since his memories have not fully awakened. He still believes it to be an ancestral bloodline inheritance. But regardless of which it is, his memory is a treasure trove. The two pills he uncovered both surpass the highest level achieved on Myriad Abyss Island."
The Grand Holy Sovereign's eyes lit up with fervor. "If these two pills are real, then for our Eternal Sacred Land, this is an opportunity unseen since the dawn of ages. It would elevate our strength by an extraordinary measure. This is a feat that benefits the ages."
Ziche Min, however, looked somewhat troubled. "Grand Holy Sovereign, Shao Yuan did mention — quite tactfully — that he hopes the Sacred Land will not compel him to hand over these two pills."
The Grand Holy Sovereign was taken aback. "He's unwilling?"
A wry smile crossed his face shortly after. "They are his personal possessions. His unwillingness is only human nature. After all, he has only recently joined the Sacred Land. To ask him to hand them over with nothing in return would indeed be asking too much."
Ziche Min did not dare agree outright, but said instead, "Demanding an unconditional contribution would indeed be asking too much. But Shao Yuan is a man who values loyalty and righteousness. I firmly believe that as long as our Sacred Land does not fail him, his sense of belonging will only grow with time. Even if he does not formally present these two pills to the Sacred Land, they will still bring enormous benefit. Even a partnership would be better than letting them fall into other hands."
"Letting them fall into other hands?" The Grand Holy Sovereign's expression darkened. "That is absolutely out of the question. Even if Shao Yuan does not offer them to the Sacred Land, we cannot allow them to be handed over to someone else."
Ziche Min gave a bitter smile. "I must say, Grand Holy Sovereign, this possibility is not entirely far-fetched."
"How so?" The Grand Holy Sovereign tensed. This was something he simply could not accept. If another faction obtained Shao Yuan's two pills — the consequences would be dire. For the Eternal Sacred Land, it would be a devastating blow on two fronts.
Ziche Min deliberated for a long time, as if steeling himself for something difficult. After a lengthy pause, he let out a soft sigh. "Grand Holy Sovereign, why did Shao Yuan join the Sacred Land so eagerly, so desperate to gain our support?"
"Why?"
"Because his potential rival is Xiahou Zong."
"What? He has a grudge against Xiahou Zong?"
"Not exactly a grudge. It is that Xiahou Zong intends to seize the woman he loves — Miss Yan Qinghuang of the Yan family."
When Ziche Min laid all of this out, all three Holy Sovereigns were struck dumb. The revelation had come so suddenly that they needed a moment to process it.
After a long pause, the Grand Holy Sovereign let out a rueful laugh. "You're saying Shao Yuan joined the Sacred Land entirely out of love?"
"Essentially, yes. When I first invited him to join the Sacred Land, Shao Yuan refused without a moment's hesitation. The second time, I had to expend considerable effort to persuade him. But that was only because the Yan family had treated him so poorly that he saw no hope there." Ziche Min sighed.
"Yan Qinghuang, Xiahou Zong…" The Grand Holy Sovereign murmured the names, then smiled. "Now that is interesting."
"Who would have thought there was such a romantic tale behind all this. This Shao Yuan really is quite the passionate one," the Second Holy Sovereign laughed as well.
Once they understood Jiang Chen's true motivation, everyone's mood visibly lightened.
"Grand Holy Sovereign, in my view, it is entirely reasonable for Shao Yuan to seek the Sacred Land's support. Standing alone against the Xiahou clan would clearly be beyond his means."
"Indeed. In the entire Eternal Divine Kingdom, who dares to offend the Xiahou clan? Besides our Eternal Sacred Land, who else could?"
Every ounce of suspicion the assembled elders had harbored toward Jiang Chen dissipated entirely in the wake of Ziche Min's explanation.