Panlong the Great Emperor watched as Jiang Chen personally encouraged Third Young Master Ji, exchanging pleasantries with him. In his heart, he was immensely proud.
Of all the Great Emperor factions in the Glazed Royal City, it was his Panlong lineage alone that was held in the highest regard by Young Master Jiang Chen.
Young Master Jiang Chen hadn't even greeted anyone else yet, but had already taken the time to chat with Ji Laosan. This brotherhood, forged through adversity, had proven to be a truly wise investment after all.
It had allowed the Panlong clan to turn their fortunes around completely. From a crumbling noble house, they had transformed into a full-fledged Emperor-tier faction. Moreover, as the dragon bloodline and inherited memories continued to awaken, the potential of the Panlong lineage was vast indeed. Perhaps only the sky was their limit.
Yet at this moment, the one experiencing the most complicated emotions was none other than Nian the Great Emperor's faction.
Nian the Great Emperor himself felt quite dejected. In terms of status, he had once stood second only to the Peacock Great Emperor — a figure who could rival the Shura Great Emperor himself.
Unfortunately, his style of conduct had affected his standing in Jiang Chen's eyes.
He had wanted to avoid offending either side, and in the end, while Jiang Chen hadn't blamed him, neither could he expect any substantial support.
Now, the landscape of the Glazed Royal City had shifted dramatically. Many individuals — including Mo Wushuang — had long since broken through to the Celestial Position, and even some people and factions that had once been inferior to him were on the verge of surpassing Nian the Great Emperor's faction, becoming far more dazzling presences.
By comparison, the current standing of Nian the Great Emperor's faction was growing weaker by the day.
But what could he do about it?
The Glazed Royal City of today was truly far more powerful than it had been before. Even if the Peacock Great Emperor were still alive and returned, he would surely be stunned by this transformation.
Jiang Chen gazed at the faces before him, a smile hanging on his lips. "It seems everyone has been working hard these past years, and your improvements have been considerable. However, this pace is still not enough."
Not enough?
Everyone was taken aback by those words.
"You must be wondering — our overall strength has improved so dramatically, so how can it still not be enough?" Jiang Chen's voice was calm, almost detached.
"There are some things I couldn't lay bare before, but now the time has come when we have no choice but to speak openly. According to reports from multiple sources, it is only a matter of time before the Demon Race breaks free from the ancient seals and ravages the world once more. If the peoples of the Divine Origin Continent could unite, there might still be a slim chance of resisting them. But ever since the Ancient Sealing War against the Demon Race, every faction has been building boundary walls out of self-preservation, cutting off all exchange between them. In this way, everyone has shut their doors and gone their own way. Under such circumstances, the overall strength of the Divine Origin Continent will only continue to decline. This is, in effect, self-destruction. And yet this foolish behavior persists. Just imagine — if the Demon Tribulation erupts in ten years, what will the human domain have to fight it with?"
Regarding the Demon Race, Jiang Chen had never publicly sounded the alarm on a grand scale before. On the rare occasions he'd mentioned it, he'd only hinted at the danger obliquely. But this time, he intended to ring the warning bell loud and clear.
After all, time was not on their side.
"Young Master Jiang Chen, is the Demon Tribulation truly unstoppable?" someone couldn't help but ask.
"The eruption of the Demon Tribulation is an absolute certainty. Moreover, for us humans in the human domain to raise our strength to a level capable of resisting the Demon Race before it happens — there is simply no possibility whatsoever." Jiang Chen's tone left no room for doubt.
No possibility whatsoever? Hearing the absolute firmness in Jiang Chen's voice, a chill settled over the crowd, and a nameless fear crept into their hearts.
Jiang Chen noticed their ashen faces and softened his tone slightly. "That said, this does not mean we should simply sit and wait for doom."
"A few years ago, I went on a journey. Many of you didn't know where I went. There's no longer any need to keep it secret. Yes — I went to the Myriad Abyss Island."