The Second Sacred Lord was rendered speechless. When even the Ten Great Sacred Lands were beneath the other party's notice, there was truly no reason for him to worry about the feelings of a mere Sacred Lord.
"You don't understand why? Allow me to explain. This war was won almost entirely thanks to Jiang Chen's efforts alone. Without Jiang Chen, the Ten Great Sacred Lands might already have been destroyed! So tell me — if he took a share of the spoils, who would dare object? Who could object?"
The Eternal Sacred Ancestor's tone was icy. "Do you still think Jiang Chen is the same person he once was? Do you still think he's that young man you could push around at will? You had better put yourself in the right position. Otherwise, one word from him is all it takes to have you removed from your seat as Sacred Lord. Do you understand?"
The Second Sacred Lord broke into a cold sweat. He knew Jiang Chen was powerful, but he had never imagined that even the Sacred Ancestor's attitude toward Jiang Chen would be this indulgent.
This indulgence had clearly gone far beyond mere favoritism or appreciation. It contained a deep wariness — even fear.
The Eternal Sacred Ancestor seemed to realize he had spoken too harshly and let out a soft sigh. "Perhaps I've been a bit heavy-handed with my words, but it is all for your own good. That boy Jiang Chen has already spread his wings. Even I must give way to him. With three Divine Path True Spirits under his command, plus his own combat strength — if he were truly to fight in earnest, I would have no confidence in suppressing him. Let alone the fact that he has a powerful ally like An Jaya. After this battle, several more Divine Path cultivators have pledged themselves to him wholeheartedly. If the Eternal Sacred Land does not maintain even this thread of gratitude and connection, he would have no obligation to show me any face whatsoever. Right now, the only thing that keeps the Eternal Sacred Land tethered to Jiang Chen is this bond of shared gratitude. If you pick fights with him, butt heads with him — are you trying to sever that bond and turn him into a stranger to our Sacred Land?"
The Ten Great Sacred Lands had always stood at the pinnacle. High-ranking figures like the Second Sacred Lord had lived their entire lives steeped in a sense of superiority. Even though Jiang Chen had played an enormous role in suppressing the rebellion, he still found it hard to accept the reality that Jiang Chen now stood above him.
From the moment Zi Che Min had brought Jiang Chen into the Sacred Land, the Second Sacred Lord had harbored a small seed of resentment, always feeling that Jiang Chen had stolen the spotlight from the Eternal Sacred Land's geniuses.
Young Master Sui Chen in particular had been a pillar of the Second Sacred Lord's own line — only to be completely overshadowed by Jiang Chen. That was the root of the grudge the Second Sacred Lord had never been able to let go of.
Given any opportunity, he simply couldn't resist trying to compete with Jiang Chen.
Now, after the Sacred Ancestor's thunderous wake-up call, the Second Sacred Lord finally came to his senses, realizing just how childish and ridiculous it had been to make an enemy of Jiang Chen.
If Jiang Chen had taken him as seriously as he had taken Jiang Chen, the Second Sacred Lord might well have been quietly removed from his position by now — and his seat might have been handed over to someone else.
But that wasn't even the main point. The main point was that the Eternal Sacred Land's ability to serve as the leader of the Ten Great Sacred Lands, and to enjoy the status it held today, was entirely thanks to Jiang Chen.
If they turned against Jiang Chen, the Eternal Sacred Land would revert to its former state in an instant — no different from any of the other Sacred Lands.
In terms of strategic importance, Jiang Chen had already far surpassed the Eternal Sacred Ancestor himself.
They had originally brought Jiang Chen in as a long-term investment. But his rate of growth had clearly exceeded everyone's projections.
"Think it over yourself." The Eternal Sacred Ancestor left him with that parting remark. He had no interest in offering patient lectures. If the man truly refused to see reason, then the Eternal Sacred Land could do without a Second Sacred Lord, but it absolutely could not do without Jiang Chen. It was not a difficult choice.
Jiang Chen, for his part, paid the Second Sacred Lord's attitude no mind. He had guessed that the man would mutter behind his back. But the Jiang Chen of today no longer needed to care about anyone's expressions.
As long as everything he did left his conscience clear, that was enough.
It was the Eternal Sacred Ancestor who swiftly sought out Jiang Chen. He was clever about it — he didn't mention a single word about the distribution of divine sparks, nor did he bring up the Second Sacred Lord.
Instead, he asked for Jiang Chen's opinion.