Back at the
The Second Holy Master spoke with a worried expression: "Jiang Chen, I hear those two Guardians were Guangdu's most capable subordinates — the ones he trusted above all others. By killing them outright, haven't we completely shut the door on any chance of negotiation with Guangdu?"
The Second Holy Master was still harboring some discontent. It wasn't that he objected to Jiang Chen refining the two Guardians — it was that Jiang Chen hadn't offered him a share as Second Holy Master, nor the Eternal Sacred Land a cut either.
So while his words were outwardly polite, there was an unmistakable edge of resentment underneath.
Jiang Chen smiled faintly and cast a meaningful glance at the Second Holy Master. "In your estimation, Second Holy Master, does the Eternal Sacred Land still have room to negotiate with Guangdu?"
"Why wouldn't we? No matter the circumstances, there's always some room for negotiation, isn't there?" The Second Holy Master found it hard to meet Jiang Chen's sharp gaze but muttered as if talking to himself.
Jiang Chen scoffed and waved a dismissive hand. "Forget it. The only way negotiation works is if you have the power to keep him in check — otherwise, any talk of peace is meaningless. When they had the Eternal Sacred Land surrounded before, if Divine Venerable Kasyapa hadn't shown up, do you really think they would have agreed to negotiate if we'd asked?"
The Second Holy Master was still spouting this kind of nonsense even now, and Jiang Chen was growing genuinely irritated. Useless when it was time to fight, but full of opinions after the dust settled.
The Second Holy Master's old face flushed red, and a flash of displeasure crossed his eyes.
Fortunately, Ziche Min stepped in to smooth things over. "Second Holy Master, you weren't at Pingsha Island, so you don't know how dire the situation was. Let's put the idea of negotiation out of our minds. Just as Jiang Chen said — without sufficient strength, the other side will never seriously consider peace. Once you have enough power to beat them into fear, they won't dare refuse negotiation. As long as we have strength, the initiative stays in our hands. The real danger is when you lack the power yet still fantasize about peace talks — that's the most lethal combination of all."
Seeing that even Ziche Min was siding with the Second Holy Master, the old man felt a surge of indignation. But he was, after all, a shrewd man. He understood that in the current Eternal Sacred Land, his own standing likely couldn't match Jiang Chen's. Swallowing his pride, he clenched his teeth and let it go.
Divine Venerable Kasyapa chuckled. "Jiang Chen, you really should think this through carefully. From what I know of that old scoundrel Guangdu, he'll absolutely come to settle the score. Fortunately, he shouldn't have many capable people left under his command."
Jiang Chen smiled serenely. "If he wants to come, then we have no choice but to be ready for him. We haven't even fought yet — it would be absurd to show cowardry beforehand."
"Indeed, indeed!" Divine Venerable Kasyapa laughed with relish. "Originally, I'd planned to take Huang'er and the others and leave. But now it seems the time hasn't come yet. There's an old score to settle with that wretch Guangdu. Rather than waiting for him to come find me, it's better that we have numbers on our side and settle this once and for all."
Kasyapa was no fool. He knew that under these circumstances, he couldn't face Guangdu alone. With Jiang Chen and the two divine-path true spirits, if they worked together, even if they couldn't defeat Guangdu outright, holding him to a draw was virtually guaranteed.
And if the two true spirits proved stronger in combat than he imagined, gaining the upper hand wasn't entirely out of the question!
"Divine Venerable, actually, I'm rather hoping Guangdu does show up. If he comes here and we can pin him down, it takes one more major threat off the table for the forefathers of the Ten Great Sacred Lands. They'll be free to deal with Guangdu's minions without worry."
Truth be told, Jiang Chen's fighting spirit was burning hot at this moment. The two true spirits were both formidable in combat. Moreover, after refining the life essence of several divine-path cultivators, he had also obtained their divine thrones.
The divine thrones couldn't be put to use just yet, but the refined life essence would be of tremendous help to the cultivation of himself,
With the aid of this life essence, Long Xiaoxuan had entered a critical phase of breakthrough these past few days.