Jiang Chen watched everyone's reactions. He had already anticipated what kind of shock this news would bring to the human territories.
So none of this was outside his expectations.
Seeing the other Emperor-realm cultivators — especially those who hadn't yet reached the peak of the Emperor realm — with a hint of disappointment in their eyes, Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "Those of you who haven't reached the Emperor realm, don't be disheartened. As long as I have the materials, this Young Master can mass-produce the Taiyi Heaven-Mending Pills at any time. Once you reach the peak of the Emperor realm, you can come to me and receive one."
The moment these words left his lips, every Emperor-realm cultivator broke into wide grins.
Jiang Chen continued, "Not just you — your families, your territories, your sects. Anyone who reaches the peak of the Emperor realm and passes the vetting will also qualify."
"However." Jiang Chen's tone shifted. "These Taiyi Heaven-Mending Pills are not given free of charge. All of you here today must remember one thing. The moment you take one of these pills, it means you will have the chance to charge into the Celestial realm, with a success rate of nearly ninety percent. And with that, the responsibility on your shoulders increases accordingly. I want you all to remember — from the day you break through to the Celestial realm, you will be the pillars of the human race, and you must fight for the fate of humanity. When the fate of the human race demands that you fight, you cannot flee. You must be ready to fight at any moment. If you can't accept that, leave now."
Jiang Chen's voice was calm. "Perhaps some of you might be thinking that once you've taken the pill, you can slack off later and still get by. To that, I say this: if you're harboring the mentality of a fence-sitter, you'll only die faster when the time comes. Once the Demon Calamity erupts, no one can stay out of it, and no one will be spared."
"Your little schemes and petty tricks will all become meaningless. The demon race has never needed human traitors as allies — they only want servants and puppets. Unless you're willing to be the demon race's servants and running dogs, your only choice is to be the backbone of the human race, to fight for the fate of humanity, to fight together as one."
Jiang Chen's words were heavy.
Everyone's expressions turned solemn. They could all tell that Jiang Chen was not joking in the slightest — his tone was deadly serious.
Coiling Dragon Grand Emperor laughed heartily. "I'll take my Taiyi Heaven-Mending Pill first."
Third Young Master Ji flashed a carefree smile. "I, Ji the Third, will never coexist with the demon race. I'll take my Taiyi Heaven-Mending Pill as well."
These were Jiang Chen's closest allies, so of course their support for him was absolute. No one would question their loyalty when they took the pills.
"I, Jiemie, have been loyal to Vajra Castle and the human race my entire life!" Grand Emperor Jiemie declared. "I will never betray the human race, and I will never compromise with the demon race!"
Grand Emperor Jiemie was the first to pledge his word.
Once someone took the lead, the others followed suit. Without a doubt, they were all smart people, and they all knew that if the Demon Calamity truly erupted, they had no real choice.
Defect to the demon race? Become the demons' slaves? That would be an eternal damnation from which there was no escape. Given their positions, defecting to the demons was simply not feasible.
So one by one, they stepped forward, not a trace of hesitation on their faces.
Jiang Chen turned no one away, distributing the Taiyi Heaven-Mending Pills one by one. He had never once considered hiding them away.
Bringing the Taiyi Heaven-Mending Pills back to the human territories had been his most urgent priority upon returning.
With the pills in hand, the peak Emperor-realm cultivators beamed with undisguised joy. Without a doubt, the weight of this single pill had far exceeded their wildest imaginations.