It was only when Venerable Chongxiao finally fell silent that the senior figures of the Celestial Cicada Ancient Academy all let out a collective sigh of relief. But by now, their surging anger had gradually cooled.
They had grasped at least some of what had been said, and in those parts they understood, they were astonished to discover that every word was absolutely correct — each point hitting the mark with pinpoint accuracy.
Su Huanzhen drew a deep breath. "Young Master Jiang Chen, may I ask about this venerable senior of ours…?"
Jiang Chen chuckled. "Academy Master Su, you surely recall that I once told you your sect shares some connection with an ancient lineage. Now, with this senior here to testify personally, there can be no doubt about it. I haven't even offered my congratulations yet — the ancient heritage of the Celestial Cicada Ancient Academy is, in fact, the legacy of the Danxiao Ancient Sect, one of the ten great ruling powers of antiquity. And this Venerable Chongxiao is none other than a supreme elder of that very sect. His standing within the Danxiao Ancient Sect back in the day was easily among the top three."
The moment these words left his mouth, every senior figure present — Su Huanzhen included — was struck completely dumb with astonishment.
In an instant, all traces of hostility vanished without a trace. In the world of martial cultivation, nothing was held in higher regard than one's lineage and heritage. For any sect, a heritage meant foundation, meant glory, meant connection to something greater.
The more ancient a sect's lineage, the deeper its foundations were understood to be.
And their own Celestial Cicada Ancient Academy turned out to be the inheritor of one of the ten great ruling powers of antiquity — how could they not be stunned? How could they not be thrilled?
Furthermore, this venerable senior was a supreme elder of one of those ancient ruling powers, which essentially made him their own forefather.
The old ancestor scolded you a few times — are you going to tell me you won't take it?
Besides, every word the old ancestor said made perfect sense.
In that moment, those high-ranking figures wished nothing more than for Venerable Chongxiao to unleash his venomous tongue again and tear into them for another three or five hours. When he had been scolding them before, they had been too busy being furious — they hadn't even listened carefully to all the brilliant parts.
Jiang Chen seized the brief moment when these people stood there dumbfounded and said with a chuckle, "Headmaster Su, I've come today for two reasons. First, to bring Venerable Chongxiao here to get acquainted with the place. Second, I have a matter of mutual benefit to discuss with you. Of course, this is merely a discussion — if any of you have no interest, I absolutely will not force the issue."
Su Haihen quickly replied, "Young Lord Jiang Chen, please, speak freely."
"Good, then I'll be direct. I recall that over a decade ago, I once mentioned that the ancient-era legacy powers of the Human Domain would gradually reveal themselves. This statement caused quite a sensation across the Human Domain at the time. I trust you all still remember?"
"I do remember that matter." Su Haihen nodded.
"The restoration of the spiritual veins across the Human Domain, and the constant emergence of ancient sects — this means the power structure of the Human Domain will inevitably continue to shift. You should all agree with that, yes?"
"That is a certainty." Su Haihen nodded again.
"Over the past decade, the major powers of the Human Domain have seemed rather restless — this young lord has observed it all. What is truly reassuring, however, is that the Celestial Cicada Ancient Academy has been able to stay true to its principles, remaining calm and steady-minded without any restlessness. That is especially commendable, and it is precisely the biggest reason I was willing to make this trip."
Hearing Jiang Chen say this, everyone felt a wave of relief wash over them. This was especially true of the higher-ups, whose gazes toward Su Huaizhen suddenly brimmed with newfound admiration.
They had always considered Su Huaizhen conservative and overly cautious. Now it seemed that they had all been muddling along in a fog, with not a single one of them able to see as far ahead as Academy Master Su Huaizhen.
That Young Master Jiang Chen held Academy Master Su Huaizhen's steady adherence to his principles in high regard — what did that signify? It meant that all those restless powers across the Human Domain were likely to come up empty-handed.