After
A faint smile hung on Jiang Huan's face as he transmitted his voice to Jiang Chen. "There are too many ears here. We'll talk later. The short version: we need to join the Evil Star Sect, and we must secure a place at the Crimson Water Heavenly Pool. Only then will we qualify for the next step."
"The next step? Uncle Huan, what have you learned?"
"Mm. In sixty years, the Ta Yuan Great World will hold a God King Lords' Assembly. Every lord of the Ta Yuan Great World will attend. They say this assembly will determine the future trajectory of the entire Ta Yuan Great World. It's of utmost importance — we cannot afford to miss it."
A God King Lords' Assembly?
In the Ta Yuan Great World, every being who had reached the God King realm was granted lordship over some territory. At minimum, they might be appointed lord of a small world, or lord of a fertile domain, or lord of a secret realm. Regardless of rank, each received a title of lordship across the heavens.
A great world would have at least several dozen such lords.
Of course, after the upheavals the Ta Yuan Great World had suffered, how many God King-level figures remained was anyone's guess.
But regardless, a great world would still certainly have dozens of titled lords.
Even here in the Crimson Water Small World, there was a titled God King presiding over it.
Both the Evil Star Sect and the White Flood Dragon Sect were merely factions within the Crimson Water Small World — they all had to answer to the small world's titled God King.
Otherwise, if that titled God King grew angry, he could annihilate them in the blink of an eye.
The martial world operated under a rigid hierarchy. Few dared to defy their superiors — unless it was outright rebellion, in which case the rules were different.
Jiang Huan didn't elaborate much further, but Jiang Chen had already grasped his train of thought.
In sixty years, the Ta Yuan Great World's God King Lords' Assembly — that meant Jiang Chen had to break through to the God King realm within sixty years.
He had to find his opportunity at the assembly and seize back control of the Ta Yuan Great World.
If he missed his chance, his identity would be exposed, countless eyes would be watching him, and his life would become unbearable. Worse still, if the Token of Creation fell into public view, it would provoke endless envy and covetousness.
Whichever God King managed to seize that Token of Creation would gain the acknowledgment of the Heavenly Dao and become a true Heavenly Emperor — with full justification.
Such temptation was irresistible to anyone with ambition.
Before long, Han Shuang of the Evil Star Sect burst through the doors once more. This time, she had brought the Evil Star Sect's sincerity.
"You two, this is our list of offerings. Take a look — everything is negotiable." Han Shuang handed over the list with her characteristic bluntness.
Jiang Chen didn't take it. He let Jiang Huan accept it instead.
Jiang Huan read through it, chuckled, and passed it to Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen swept his eyes over it — the list was covered in dense rows of writing.
There were treasures, Ling Shi, promises of status and position, and even mentions of beautiful women.
Jiang Chen smiled and shrugged. "I have no objections."
Jiang Huan laughed heartily. "Sect Master Han is indeed most generous. My nephew and I shall follow Sect Master Han's lead from now on. However, one condition must be made clear: if the day comes that we are unhappy here, or if other matters require us to leave the Evil Star Sect, Sect Master Han must not obstruct us."
Han Shuang was taken aback. "You haven't even joined yet, and you're already planning to leave?"
"Heh. Regardless, we absolutely will not leave before the contest for the Crimson Water Heavenly Pool. Furthermore, when the time comes to pay audience to His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor, you must bring us along. My nephew and I have never once been granted an audience with the Heavenly Emperor." Jiang Huan laid out his conditions.